Strategy and tips: Dungeon Defender

One of my all-time favourite flash games, Dungeon Defender, is a unique Tower Defense game with some RPG elements. It was created by Greyhoundgames.com.

In this chapter, I will explain basic tips and strategies which apply to all levels. I am also going to post walkthroughs for levels 4 and 6 to 9 (but not for levels 1-3, since they hardly require any serious thinking). Here is a quick overview linked to the walkthroughs:

Level IV

Level VI
Level VII
Level VIII
Level IX


Skill deployment
During the first three levels, I recommend putting everything into avatar development (i.e. attributes). It gives you a lot more damage output and lets you survive better.
From level 4 on, it really depends on the level what to choose. The right skill allocation can make the difference in winning a level. Usually, you want to have three points in either the manticore or the centaur tree, and the rest in the avatar tree. I will point out the optimal skill deployment for each of the levels in the corresponding walkthrough.

Lair Placement
Two rules make for maximum effect when placing lairs:

1. Place lairs first where there will be the most contact with enemies:
Ranged created should be placed close to the spawning points so that they can engage the enemies immediately. But keep at least one and a half sqaures distance because otherwise the "explosion of good" that occurs when your creature is too close to a spawning enemy will wipe out all your troops inside its radius.
Melee fighters can be placed a long distance away, as long as their patrol radius covers the enemy path. Generally, it is best to always set the patrol radius to maximum. Althought this means that your troops will die more frequently, they will gain much more experience that way and kill the enemies earlier.

2. Avoid placing lairs in the path of enemies:
Doing so implies the risk of the enemies running over and destroying your lair.

Save money!
Try to conserve money: Build only as much as necessary to survive. If you have about 500 to 1000 gold coins of trease, buy one or more depots, as they will greatly increase your income.


Check your inventory frequently
Usually, it is a good idea to change the inventory control from auto to manual. That is because the AI just prefers the newer items, even if the currently equipped item is superior. For the Wizard, e.g., you will want to have as much Haste and Magic bonusses as possible.


Lairs
Goblins: They are the basic creatures. I am not a big fan, although they might be of some use when you place them in large numbers. Usually, after level 2 I do not buy goblins at all.

Minotaurs are very useful melee fighters, especially with their first upgrade which gives them a 30 percent speed increase. Even in the later levels where elementals are available, it is good to have some minotaurs for the sake of numbers.

I am going to finish this chapter soon. In the meantime, enjoy this truly great game!