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Fight: surviving the first twenty waves

Fight mode starts gently and stops being gentle around wave 4. Twenty waves takes you past all four warlords. This is a plan for getting there, built on four habits: tap with purpose, keep the combo, counter on the gold, and save your dash.

Habit 1: tap with purpose

Where you tap an enemy picks the blow. Most of the time, tap the body: that throws the ground combo, a boxer's chain of jab, jab, kick, jab, uppercut. Tap the head to launch someone into the air (a high kick, once you've learned it), where you can keep hitting them. Tap the legs to sweep, which knocks them down and buys you a breather. Tapping the closest enemy is almost always right; reaching across the arena for a far one leaves your back open.

Habit 2: keep the combo alive

Every three hits in a row raise your combo by one, up to x9. A high combo scores more for every knockdown and hits harder too, which shortens the later waves a lot. It ends the moment you are hit, so a long combo is really a reward for not getting hit. If you learn the Dragon kick, the sixth hit in a row becomes a leaping double-spin kick that finishes the chain.

Habit 3: counter on the gold

When an enemy winds up, a ! appears over them, and for a short moment it turns gold. Tap them right then and their blow never lands, time slows, and yours hits twice as hard. From wave 6 the elites in deep red don't flinch mid-swing at all; only a counter stops them. Practise on the early waves so it's a reflex by then.

Habit 4: save a dash

Draw a line and he dashes along it, kicking the first enemy he reaches. It's the fastest way across the arena and the only way out of a crowd. Each dash uses an ink drop. Keep one back for when you're surrounded: from wave 4, new enemies come in on the side with fewer of them, so you end up in the middle unless you move.

Wave by wave

Waves 1 to 4: learn the rhythm

Red fighters, one at a time, then a few together. Use these waves to build the combo and try counters without much risk. Orange fighters are quicker and hit sooner: counter them early or hit them first.

Wave 5: the Iron Brute

The first warlord raises both fists and pounds the ground. Jump the shockwave (draw a short line upward), or counter him as he winds up. Beat him and wave 5 becomes your first checkpoint.

Waves 6 to 9: shields, archers and mages

Shield fighters keep their guard up until you break it: the Elbow does that in one blow, and it costs only 150 coins. Archers shoot from the edges; deal with them between fighters, and dash to them when they're alone. Mages in blue throw ink orbs that follow you; tap an orb to hit it straight back.

Wave 10: the Bow Master

He keeps his distance and looses three arrows at once. Standing still is the mistake. Close the gap with a dash and stay on top of him.

Waves 11 to 14: brutes and shadows

Brutes hit very hard; counter them rather than trading blows. Shadow ninjas vanish and reappear with a flying kick, usually from behind: when one disappears, be ready to turn.

Wave 15: the Shadow Lord

He vanishes in smoke, flying-kicks you, then kicks again from your other side. After the first kick, expect the second from behind and counter it.

Waves 16 to 19: everything at once

The enemies are tougher every wave and smarter: they hit straight back if they catch you finishing a blow up close, and archers aim where you're running, not where you are. This is where your ultimate earns its keep: fire it into the biggest group, not at one straggler.

Wave 20: the War Chief

He shouts "To me!" and calls in quick fighters every few seconds. The longer the fight, the bigger the crowd, so go straight for him and use your ultimate on him and whoever is close.

Checkpoints and starting later

Beat a warlord and that wave becomes a checkpoint. Next time, the slider on the start screen lets you begin at the wave after it. Only a fight from wave 1 goes on the leaderboard and shows the gold Ranked tag; a later start is for practice. Leave in the middle of a fight and it waits for you: Continue picks up where you left off.

What to buy for Fight

The first purchases that change the most: Toughness (200 coins for 20 more health), Elbow (150) for shields, Power (250 for 10% more damage) and Sharp eye (400) for easier counters. The coin plan has the full order, and every move is shown in action.