Lineguard
Install
How to run past 3,000 metres
3,000 metres means six bosses and five worlds, from Bamboo Valley to the edge of Ember Volcano. It earns the Endless ninja badge, 400 coins and the Long tails headband. Here's how to get there.
- Distance
- 3,000 m in one run
- Bosses on the way
- Six, one every 500 m
- Worlds
- Bamboo Valley to Ember Volcano
- Badge
- Endless ninja, 400 coins
- Reward
- The Long tails headband
- Hardest stretch
- The Twin Archers at 2,500 m
The road to 3,000, stage by stage
- 0 to 500 m, Bamboo Valley. The pace is slow and every danger arrives on its own. Use it to build a combo and bank coins. Archers fire once until 180 metres, then twice. Boss: the Giant Archer.
- 500 to 1,000 m, Red Desert. From about 480 metres, dangers come as close together as they ever will. Scorpions join, and from 350 metres some archers shoot at his back. Boss: the Catapult (no steel).
- 1,000 to 1,500 m, Snow Peaks. The ninja keeps picking up speed (top speed comes at about 3,000 m). Icicles fall in threes, archers fire three times, and from 1,200 metres some fire two shots behind him. Boss: the Rival Ninja.
- 1,500 to 2,500 m, Moonlit Ink. The longest world, with two bosses. Shadow ninjas throw fans of shuriken. Bosses: the Great Hawk at 2,000 and the Twin Archers at 2,500, where most long runs end.
- 2,500 to 3,000 m, Ember Volcano. Lava geysers and lava pits: equip ice if you have it. The Fire Monk waits at 3,000.
What to buy first
| Item | Why it helps a long run | Price |
|---|---|---|
| More ink drops | More lines ready at once: the biggest single help. | 250, then 700 |
| Lasting ink | Lines last up to 6.5 seconds instead of 4.5, so one wall covers more. | 80 to 480 a level |
| Longer ink | Lines up to 4.5 metres: one-stroke roofs for volleys and icicles. | 60 to 550 a level |
| Deeper focus | More slow motion while your pen is down, for the fast stretches. | 150 to 500 a level |
| Ink refill (trick) | Every ink drop back at once, every 18 seconds. | 500 |
| Lucky charm (skill) | Every run starts with a shield already on. | 900 |
Unlock steel for returning arrows and ice for Ember Volcano; both pay for themselves quickly. For a full plan for your coins, see What to buy first.
Pick the right trick
A trick is one button you carry into the run. It comes back after a cooldown, so use it whenever it's ready rather than saving it.
Shield now
A shield straight away, every 30 seconds. The safest choice for a first long run.
Ink refill
All your drops back, every 18 seconds. Best once you draw fast and run dry.
Clear sky
Sweeps every arrow, rock and bomb off the screen, every 22 seconds. A panic button for the busy late game.
Slow time
Slows the world for a few seconds, every 25 seconds. Gives you room to think in a tight spot.
Habits that keep him alive
- Keep a drop in reserve. The run that ends is almost always the one where the pen was empty when something new appeared.
- Remove shooters, don't just block them. A returned arrow ends an archer's whole string of shots. Blocking three shots costs three lines; returning one costs one.
- Check the left edge. After 350 metres, glance left whenever an archer passes overhead: a red arrow there means a shot from behind.
- Take shields. A shield absorbs one hit. When a shield floats by, it's worth a small ramp.
- Don't chase high coins late. Coins over a hazard are worth a ramp early in the run, but not at 2,000 metres with an archer aiming.
- Match your ink to the world. No steel against the Catapult or under a storm cloud, no fire as a roof for icicles, ice for lava.
Use checkpoints to practise
Every boss you get past unlocks a checkpoint. On the start screen, slide to it and start from 1,500 or 2,000 metres to practise the late game without replaying the beginning. Only a run from the start counts for your best score and the leaderboard, but checkpoint runs are the fastest way to learn the Great Hawk and the Twin Archers.
Continue after a fall
Once per run you can tap Continue and spend coins to carry on from where you fell: 100, plus 20 for every 100 m you ran (half that with the Second chance skill). Anything already in the air is cleared and he gets a moment of protection. On a record run, save your coins for it.