#6: Unlock 3 Healing Potions
The only permanent upgrades can be unlocked at the Cell Forge. At the Cell Forge, you can turn in cells (blue orbs) to unlock extra Healing Potion charges. For most players, I recommend unlocking at least three healing potion charges. Some players will probably be able to beat the game with as few as one or two Healing charges, but three is a safe amount. It doesn’t require an insane amount of grinding, but it does take time. The three healing potions are most useful when dealing with the Conjunctivius boss, or traversing High Peak Castle.
#7: Work Toward Restock To Improve Your Purchasing Power
By the end of your run, you should be rolling in coin. There’s so much cash, you won’t know what to do with it all. There are two handy uses for cash — eventually, you’ll be able to reroll item upgrades. I recommend doing it, but only for items that aren’t that useful or have bad enhancements. You’ll find the item reroll vendor in the passage between biomes.
You can also spend 300 cells to unlock the restock ability. Combine that with a larger coin purse, and you’ll be able to set up your preferred build much, much faster. Just find a vendor and pay to restock until you get the item you want. Later in the game, you should have more than enough cash to restock constantly.
#8: Get All 4 Movement Runes First
Before taking down the last boss, you’ll want to earn all four movement runes — Vine Rune, Teleportation Rune, Ram Rune, and Spider Rune. They’re all locked behind Elite Enemies that you must defeat, but they’re worth it. Going for these runes will give you a handy side-quest, so you’ll always have a goal while earning extra cells.
The Vine Rune is dropped by an Elite Enemy at the end of the Promenade of the Damned. The Teleportation Rune is found in the Toxic Sewers, accessed through the starting prison area. The Ram Rune is dropped by an Elite in the Ossuary, accessed through the Teleportation Rune path in the Promenade of the Damned. Finally, the Spider Rune is located in the Slumbering Sanctuary, accessed from the Toxic Sewers, then the Ancient Sewers, then through the passage after defeating the Conjunctivius boss.
#9: Stick To The Main Path For Your End Boss Run
When you’re done collecting all the movement runes, it’s best to stay on the beaten path. Once you have all four movement runes, you can access a wide variety of different optional biomes. I don’t recommend it — they’re all more difficult, and the risk isn’t always worth the reward. These optional biomes are far and away more difficult than your standard path. Unless you’re farming for cells, there’s no reason to visit them.
Instead, just stick to the standard, boring path — Prison -> Promenade of the Damned -> Ramparts -> Black Bridge -> Stilt Village -> Clock Tower -> Clock Room -> High Peak Castle -> Throne Room.
Hunt down Elite Enemies, defeat the standard bosses, grab all the rewards and upgrades you can, and if you’re lucky you’ll have a strong enough build to take on the final boss.
#10: During The Final Battle, Beware The Spikes
The final boss is a challenging nut to crack. The Hand of the King is difficult — the Concierge and the Clock Keeper can both be ridiculously easy, but the Hand of the King will give you trouble, especially because he’s so hard to reach. Take note of the tiny ice platforms on both sides of the arena — and the spike pits.
The Hand of the King’s most annoying ability is incredibly basic — he charges into you, and pushes you into the spike pit. Roll through him, or jump onto the ice platforms and over him. It helps to have a trinket that gives you a triple jump, too. The spikes can easily take off over 50% of your health. They’re easily the most annoying part of the battle.
If you need to drink a health potion mid-battle, jump onto the ice platforms. You’ll usually have enough time for a swig. Or, you can wait for when the boss summons enemies. There’s a good window of time to heal then. He summons enemies three times during the fight.
If you’ve brought a strong build, three Health Potions, and the instant-revive mutation, you should have a pretty good chance at victory. Even if you eat every single attack from the boss. It helps to know his moves, but a strong combination of skills and weapons is even better.
