Chapter 12 teams: stages 12-10 to 12-80

12-10 opens chapter 12 at level 223. The centre is the fire lane, and this time it's the strongest version yet: Pyrohound at the front, Firecoil behind it and Newflamander in the third row, so the salamander's burning fireballs and fire aura sit right behind the healer.

Lane 4 ends up being the deepest. Voltling leads from the second row, Cheerlet heals behind it, Boltskipper's orb binds from the fourth row and Cluckeroo is at the back. Paralysis and bind together make this lane very good at holding enemies in place.

On paper, lane 1 is Swaystroll, Bubbit and Frostique, a water lane where the penguin shields, Bubbit slows and marks Fragile, and Frostique's ice finishes. For this stage, lane 2 is Electroar, Zaplet and Sparkdoe. Lane 5 ends up being the short one, Cobbledon and Turtuff from the second row.

Lane 5 is where you're most likely to struggle. The two rock guardians have no damage dealer or healer with them.

Kitjitsu has replaced Bubbit, Flametail has gone in for Firecoil, Frostpaw instead of Frostique, and Surgehoof or Rattlecoil instead of Zaplet. Ospisces has replaced Boltskipper.

12-20, listed at level 223, is a stage where copied lineups often fail, and players have a likely reason. The monkey, used in other clears instead of what's here, becomes a top unit at T3 and is no better than an ordinary tatari before that.

Lineup 1 keeps it out. Lane 3 is the anchor: Cobbledon at the front, Firecoil right behind it healing and boosting, then Turtuff and Cluckeroo. Two guardians and two healers in one lane make it very hard to break.

Lane 2 is a long damage lane from the second row. Electroar knocks back, Surgehoof's shock wave splashes, Bubbit marks Fragile and Frostique fires from the back. For this stage, lane 4 is Swaystroll at the front with Cheerlet and Capypapa behind it, so the penguin has two healers.

The edges are thinner. Note that lane 1 is Pyrohound in the first row and Newflamander far back in the fifth. Note that lane 5 is Voltling and Zapooch.

A level-214 clear with dojos at 3-3-3-3-2 said this worked really well. Kitjitsu has replaced Pyrohound, Maskfry has gone in for Capypapa, and Flametail or Pyroprawn instead of Newflamander.

12-30 (level 224) has a fire lane built the way the strongest ones have been: Pyrohound, Firecoil and Newflamander in the first three rows of lane 1. The salamander's burning fireballs come from right behind the healer, and its fire aura is on the field the whole time.

Lane 3 counts as the deepest lane. In the recorded lineup, Swaystroll leads from the second row, Cheerlet heals and boosts behind it, Frostique slows and shatters from the fourth row and Cluckeroo sits at the back. The penguin's shield has a lot of time to charge with that much support.

Lane 2 features Electroar, Zapooch and Turtuff. Inside lane 4 sit Cobbledon and Rockfu, so the rock guardians hold without a healer. Lane 5 starts in the third row with Boldclaw, then Bubbit's Fragile mist and Sparkdoe's paralysing lance.

One player said this approach carried them from 12-30 all the way to 13-5, after others failed even with equal or better tataris and a higher level. A level-215 clear changed out the snake.

Kitjitsu or Tindercub have replaced Pyrohound, Synthhog has gone in for Zapooch, and Ospisces instead of Bubbit.

12-40, listed at level 224, is a version adapted for players without a T2 Goonbug, so Goonbug here is the T1, sitting at the back of lane 3 behind Frugagon and Cluckeroo. It gains Invincibility and dashes forward, so it reaches the front safely even from the fourth row.

Lane 2 ends up being the deepest. On the grid, Flametail leads from the second row, then Bubbit, Frostique and Swaystroll at the back. That's an unusual order, with damage at the front and the tank last, and it works because Bubbit's mist slows and marks enemies right where Flametail's fireworks land.

Lane 5 is made up of Turtuff in front, Stalkerix behind it and Cobbledon in the fourth row, three guardians stacked. Lane 4 contains Cheerlet, Sparkdoe and Electroar, with the support at the front. Lane 1 is home to Newflamander in the second row and Pyrohound right behind it.

Putting the salamander ahead of Pyrohound is a bold choice. It works because Newflamander fires from range and its aura doesn't depend on position.

Firecoil has been the swap for Pyrohound, Blitzmane has gone in for Electroar, and Pandaroot instead of Goonbug.

12-50 is close. A player at level 215 with dojos at 3-3-3-3-2 said the fifth lane nearly timed out and the first lane just beat the boss.

Lineup 1, for level 224, puts its whole fire core in lane 3: Pyrohound at the front, Firecoil, Newflamander and Flametail behind. That's the board's damage, and it needs to clear fast because the edges are slower.

Lane 5 works as the one that nearly timed out. Electroar in the second row, Sparkdoe two rows back and Cluckeroo at the end. It knocks back and paralyses, but there's not much damage in it, so enemies take a while to die.

Specifically, lane 1 is Swaystroll, Zapooch and Frostique. The penguin's shield holds the front while Zapooch's chain and Frostique's ice do the work. If this lane is struggling against the boss, Swaystroll's shield breaking at the wrong time is usually the cause.

Note that lane 2 is Stalkerix, Cheerlet and Turtuff. Inside lane 4 sits Boldclaw with Capypapa two rows behind.

Turtuff has been swapped out for Frugagon in lane 2 when more slow was needed.

12-60 is a boss at level 226, and every lane starts in the third row or later, except the fire lane. Lane 2 has Pyrohound in the second row, Firecoil and Newflamander behind it, and it engages first.

The rest wait for enemies to come deep. Lane 3 is Goonbug in the third row with Frugagon and Cluckeroo behind it; Goonbug's invincible dash reaches the front fast from there. Lane 4 is Electroar, Cheerlet and Bubbit. Lane 5 is Cobbledon, Turtuff and Flametail. Lane 1 is Swaystroll, Frostique and Sparkdoe.

Starting this far back gives every lane plenty of room for slowed enemies to be hit before they arrive. Frostique, Frugagon and Bubbit all slow, so enemies reach the guardians already weakened.

An alternative first lane uses Boldclaw, Zapooch and Capypapa placed one tile further back. A player whose mantis was T2 swapped the water bunny out for it. Kitjitsu has replaced Pyrohound, Rockhog or Grillhog have gone in for Flametail, and Capobeetle instead of Goonbug.

12-70, at level 228, needed a few tweaks for one player at level 215, so treat it as a starting point. Every lane starts in the second row.

Lane 5 acts as the deepest. Electroar knocks back at the front, Bubbit slows and marks Fragile behind it, Sparkdoe's lance paralyses from the fourth row and Cluckeroo heals at the back. It's a lane that keeps enemies off balance from start to finish.

Looking at the grid, lane 3 is Swaystroll, Zaplet, Frostique and Capypapa. The penguin's shield is backed by a healer at the back, and Zaplet's Scouted adds damage when it runs out.

Note that lane 2 is Pyrohound, Cheerlet and Newflamander. Cheerlet sits between the pillar and the salamander, healing and boosting both, which is a different pairing from the usual Firecoil one.

The short lanes are lane 1, Stalkerix and Frugagon, and lane 4, Cobbledon and Turtuff. Neither has a healer, so both rely on killing quickly.

Rockwu has been used in place of Turtuff, Boldclaw has gone in for Electroar, and Firecoil instead of Newflamander.

12-80 is a boss at level 234, and the whole team starts in the third row. Every lane is three deep, from the third row to the fifth, so enemies cross two empty rows before anything touches them.

Two new units appear. Rockwu, the T3 monkey, stands second in lane 4 behind Cobbledon. It spins a staff for area damage and summons clones that attack in sync with it, which is why players say the monkey becomes a top unit at T3. Nimbuzzy at the back of lane 1 summons clouds that deal small lightning damage, alternating with dark clouds that paralyse.

Lane 2 has Blitzmane at the front, granting Morale to Cheerlet and Frostique behind it. Also, lane 3 is Firecoil, Kitjitsu and Newflamander; the salamander's burn lets Kitjitsu heal when it hits. On the grid, lane 5 is Swaystroll, Bubbit and Capypapa, and lane 1 is Voltling, Zapooch and Nimbuzzy.

A level-220 player with dojos at 3-3-3-3-2 said it took some tweaks but gave a good starting point. Electroar has replaced Blitzmane five times, Flametail has gone in for Kitjitsu three times, and Zaplet instead of Nimbuzzy.