Expert Mode

Article

Structure

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Expert Mode
Level Requirement	Level 15+
Waves	50
Rewards
Token Reward	876 (Easy) N/A (Normal) 1343 (Hard)
Experience Reward	240 (Easy) N/A (Normal) 369 (Hard)

Description

Expert Mode, formerly called Hard Mode, is the final mode of the three main gamemodes, being the hardest and most rewarding. It centers around the galaxy-wide conglomerate XCF, specifically the Orion Arm segment, ruled by the Overlord who is the final boss. It has 50 waves and requires Level 15+ to be voted for, though any level can play it.

As the final and most difficult gamemode, Expert Mode has a whopping 7 bosses - Boltmaster, Robotic Overseer, Avant Guard, The Vanguard, The Archangel, The Corrupted and the Overlord, along with several strong enemies such as Berserker and Vengeful Champion. Many enemies have Defense, Shield Health and resistances and immunities such as Bullet Resistance and Freeze Resistance.

When the Ranked-Up modifier is applied, the bosses are Cysian Master, Exiled Overseer, Robotic Guard, True Vanguard, Kugelblitz Overseer, Grand Eye of the Seer and Chronos. Expert Mode becomes significantly harder, with Maximum Damage appearing in regular enemies as well as Shield Health being much more frequent.

Beating Expert Mode counts towards progression to unlocking the following towers: Businessman, Mechanic, Lightbeamer and Surveyor. Some have certain requirements when beating this gamemode.

Enemies

• Standard
• Ranked-Up

Swordsman Wave 1	Ninja Wave 4	Worker Wave 6	Soldier Wave 8
Metallic Wave 9	Jetpacker Wave 12	Drone Wave 13	Truck M2 Wave 15
Berserker Wave 19	Teleporter Wave 20	Sprinter M5 Wave 22	UFO Wave 23
Elite Soldier Wave 25	Elite Drone Wave 26	Raygunner Wave 27	Elite Teleporter Wave 27
Field Medic Wave 28	Shielder Wave 29	Carrier Tank Wave 30	Elite Swordsman Wave 31
Cosmil Wave 32	Engineer Wave 33	MK11-Device Summoned	Pure Energy Wave 35
Boltmaster Wave 36	Mothership Wave 37	Sentinel Wave 38	Robotic Overseer Wave 40
Unstable Vessel Wave 41	Kugelblitz Wave 41	Vengeful Wave 42	Vengeful Champion Wave 42
Ravager Energy Wave 43	Avant Guard Wave 43	The Vanguard Wave 44	Spirit of Light Wave 45
Divine Being Wave 45	The Archangel Wave 46	Corruption Wave 47	Tranquil Wave 47
Null Wave 48	The Corrupted Wave 48	Bolt Wave 49	Lightning King Wave 49
Lightspeed Wave 49	Ravager Wave 49	Unstable Wave 49	Reactor Wave 49
Mage Wave 49	Apparition Wave 49	Hellspeed Wave 49	Prompter Wave 49
Vengeful Speed Wave 49	Hard Light Wave 49	Overlord Wave 50	Overlord Amplifier Summoned

Elite Swordsman Wave 1	Spored Ninja Wave 4	Chief Worker Wave 6	Spored Officer Wave 8
Bound Metallic Wave 9	Flying Droid Wave 12	Drone M4 Wave 13	Truck M3 Wave 15
Gilded Berserker Wave 19	Reformed Teleporter Wave 20	Sprinter M6 Wave 22	Flight Drone Wave 23
Commanding Soldier Wave 25	Drone M5 Wave 26	Elite Raygunner Wave 27	Altered Teleporter Wave 27
Field Corpsman Wave 28	Reforged Gargantuan Wave 29	Overclocked Carrier Tank Wave 30	MK13-Device Summoned
Overclocked Cosmil Wave 32	Engineer X Wave 33	Chaotic Energy Wave 35	Cysian Master Wave 36
Hellrisen Summoned	Alien Legionship Wave 37	Juggernaut Wave 38	Exiled Overseer Wave 40
Unstable Vessel Wave 41	Kugelblitz X Wave 41	Vengeful Wave 42	Pure Champion Wave 42
Elemental Energy Wave 43	Robotic Guard Wave 43	True Vanguard Wave 44	Banished Wave 45
Demonic Summoner Wave 45	Kugelblitz Overseer Wave 46	Kugelblitz Awakened Summoned	Eye Wave 47
Tranquil Wave 47	Abomination Wave 48	Grand Eye of the Seer Wave 48	Bolt X Wave 49
Volt King Wave 49	Hellspeed Wave 49	Ravager Wave 49	Unstable Wave 49
Hellflame Reactor Wave 49	Summoner Wave 49	Gem Summoned	Mothership Wave 49
Vengeful Speed Wave 49	Prompter X Wave 49	Vengeful Speed X Wave 49	Hard Light Wave 49
Chronos Wave 50	Chronos Amplifier Summoned

Strategy

In Standard

• Maps such as Grassy Islands and Sky Islands is recommended.
• Due to the harder difficulty, stronger towers such as Vulcan, Electricizer, Lightbeamer and Recon Base is recommended, as well as any Tier 5 upgrade unlocked.
  • Beginner towers such as Slinger, Crossbower and Gunslinger are much less effective in Expert Mode, however they can be used as stun baits.
  • Market is recommended to bring into Expert Mode to afford expensive towers and upgrades.
  • Support towers such as Bugler, Freezer, Businessman and Surveyor are recommended to help your main defenses.
• In early-game, Sniper is highly recommended due to its high range and damage, especially in groups.
  • Sharpshooter can be used as an alternative, though it may perform worse, while Businessman can defend while producing cash, though do note it will suffer against Defense due to its -100% defense piercing.
  • To combat the Truck M2, which has Bullet Resistance, towers that don't do bullet damage such as 2-3 Sharpshooter is recommended.
  • Defeating Berserker requires a high damaging tower such as Electricizer.
    • When playing in multiplayer, at least one person should be farming with Market at the beginning to deal with Berserker.
    • Elite, with its 3x shield damage, can shred Berserker's shield.
• In mid-game, good DPS towers such as X-4 Vulcan and 3-X Electricizer should be present, as well as towers with flying detection such as X-3 Lightbeamer and Sniper.
  • Elite can be used to shred UFOs and any enemy with Shield Health.
  • Bugler must be on the field, particularly on 3-X to perform the Snare Drums ability.
  • Crowd control towers and units, such as Demolitionist and Missile Truck, can clear hordes of enemies, such as those from Carrier Tanks or Engineers.
  • Businessmen should be upgraded to their respective supportive roles.
    • Four X-3 and X-4 Businessman is highly recommended to grant discount buffs, allowing stronger towers to be upgraded easier.
    • Six 3-X Businessmen should be present to decrease ability cooldowns, buffing the Recon Base and allowing Bugler to do Snare Drums more frequently.
  • These can help in preparation for Boltmaster and Robotic Overseer.
• In late-game, after wave 40, most towers should be fully upgraded, such as Vulcan, Electricizer, Lightbeamer, Snipers and Bugler.
  • Bugler's Snare Drums ability should always be active to increase overall DPS.
  • Freezer, particularly Path 1, can freeze threatening enemies such as Unstable Vessels.
  • At least one Tier 5 upgrades of Electricizer, Lightbeamer and Recon Base should be available.
    • Bliss of Finality must be used in either Wave 48, 49 or 50 as it has extremely high DPS.
  • The presence of high-health flying enemies such as Spirit of Light and The Archangel means that high DPS towers with flying detection, such as X-4 Lightbeamer, 4-X Elite and Sniper should be present on the field.

In Ranked-Up

• more defense

Dialogues

Character	Wave	Dialogue
Captain	Wave 4, about Ninja	"I should've warned you sooner. There's an even faster variant!"
Captain	Wave 6, about Worker	"They're sending out.. their own workers? Weird decision, hope you can tear them down."
Captain	Wave 8, about Soldier	"Another variant! Looks like a standard infantry soldier to me, but.. different."
Captain	Wave 9, about Metallic	"Okay, we're fine! Don't panic! There's a huge invader here, and it has a high amount of defense! Watch out!"
Captain	Wave 11, before Jetpacker comes	"Quick, get some flying detection! These ones can fly next wave!"
Captain	Wave 12, about Jetpacker	"Did you get my message? They're coming in full force!"
Captain	Wave 13, about Drone	"They can control vehicles! They aren't just 6 jointed individuals anymore!"
Captain	Wave 15, about Truck M2	"Is that.. one of our trucks? Did they steal it? They're learning far too quickly! Come on, destroy it!"
Captain	Wave 17, before Berserker comes	"Don't mean to alarm you, but I think the leader of this army is arriving soon! Like, In I think a minute or two! Get ready!"
Captain	Wave 19, about Berserker	"Oh... Oh no... Watch out, and get out of it's way. It'll strike you with it's hammer!"
Captain	Wave 20, about Teleporter	"We did it! That's the last of them! Pack it up and let's get back to base! Wait, what? There's more?"
Captain	Wave 22, about Sprinter M5	"That's a Major Sprinter! With some cybernetics? Looks like they did some stuff behind the scenes! Anyways, get some towers ready!"
Captain	Wave 23, about UFO	"So you know those jetpack units? Seems like they get a vehicle for that purpose! It's also got some hefty defense, grab some tower that pierce though it."
Captain	Wave 25, about Elite Soldier	"These guys are fast and share high health. I don't expect much trouble, but prepare anyways."
Captain	Wave 26, about Elite Drone	"They've got elite drones too? They're advancing as we speak! Put them down now!"
Captain	Wave 27, about Raygunner	"You better have some shield-stripping towers! Raygunners are closing in, and they've got a projective forcefield!"
Captain	Wave 28, about Field Medic	"Be careful, they're healing themselves now! Take down those Field Medics first!"
Captain	Wave 29, about Shielder	"Another Gargantuan unit? Not again..."
Captain	Wave 30, about Carrier Tank	"GET READY! THEY'RE SENDING IN A TANK!"
Captain	Wave 32, about Cosmil	"Cosmil units? My defense readings are going haywire!"
Captain	Wave 35, before Boltmaster comes	"Did they... change Voltmaster? Get ready! I don't know what's coming, but prepare!"
Captain	Wave 36, about Boltmaster	"They're starting the push with all of their force! Alright, focus! They're sending another huge boss to kill us!"
Captain	Wave 37, about Mothership	"We did it, but that's not it. They've got the Mother of all UFOs or something. Watch out."
Captain	Wave 38, about Sentinel	"Sentinels? I have a feeling that there's still another boss left."
Captain	Wave 39, before Robotic Overseer comes	"Boltmaster wasn't our final threat! The menace will take us down, charge up your abilities! Also, I think they sabotaged our cash supply. Your cash gain will be cut a bit as a result. Sorry."
Captain	Wave 40, about Robotic Overseer	"No! No! No! This can't be, intel says he's arriving too early. We only have seconds to prepare for the Robotic Overseer. Don't underestimate him, he's notorious for his ruthlessness and speed." "Show him everything you got! Only one of us will live to see tomorrow."
Captain	Wave 41, about Unstable Vessel and Kugelblitz	"So, that's it. All of those cybernetic things are gone, but I think we just awakened a dormant force.." "What? Is that a black hole??"
Captain	Wave 42, about Vengeful	"These Vengeful beings seem to boost nearby enemies on death! Kill the unstable beings first before it can boost them."
Captain	Wave 43, about Ravager Energy and Avant Guard	"Watch out! This one's quick!" "This one looks like some sort of guardian.. Have a feeling that there's something next wave.."
Captain	Wave 44, about The Vanguard	"A... Vanguard?? The myths were right.. THIS was the force we were talking about! This isn't it, but we gonna keep them away!"
Captain	Wave 45, about Spirit of Light and Divine Being	"A neat change of pace.. You still have flying detection.. Right?"
Captain	Wave 46, about The Archangel	"The Archangel! Keep your eyes peeled, it can slip through us at any moment!"
Captain	Wave 47, about Corruption and Tranquil	"What... are those things? They've got eyes all over them.. But why? This is starting to freak me out." "Those Robots weren't the last of them, were they? Whatever it is, they're certainly more resistant than their robotic counterparts..."
Captain	Wave 48, about Null and The Corrupted	"Those Robots weren't the last of them, were they? Whatever it is, they're certainly more resistant than their robotic counterparts..." "Stop! I'm rerouting the dialog system!" "Whatever you do, don't listen to it! It'll try to take over you! I'm trying-"
Unknown	Wave 48	"[CENSORED]"
Captain	Wave 48	"Please don't tell me you read those messages. I'm turning off communication from now on. You're on your own."
Captain	Wave 49	"Whatever sent those messages is no longer a threat. My apologies for cutting communication." "Okay! Whatever you did, you just awakened whoever's leading the attack force!" "Oh... No, that's not any leader, that's THE council division leader of the XCF! Send every reinforcement you can!" "Hold on, my messages are going haywire again." "Looks like something wants to speak, but I don't think this is the division leader. I'll reroute further messages here."
Cryptic Voice	Wave 49	"Greetings to the UEC. You have fought me in the physical space prior. Allow me to explain my circumstance." "He has betrayed us, sent us to die. Ignore his words, they may be tempting." "The Corrupted has heard his voice, and no one was left to save him." "The Vanguard, the Guards, myself, he eliminated us as competition. But I can't be destroyed so easily." "Unfortunately, I hold no power, only words. Heed them." "He sees great value in you for personal motivation. Do not listen, or we both will share the same fate." "Eliminate him, and I will offer limited assistance. This talk is over."
Captain	Wave 49	"Well, that was certainly something." "Looks like he's here. I wish you the best of luck."
Unknown	Wave 50	"Greetings, my friend. You have traveled very far and overcome many obstacles." "Along the way you have encountered many of my diverse, far-flung siblings; precious few of them will make it this far." "Your heroic efforts have proven you deserving, worthy of an advancement to the next level of your existence." "The universe you inhabit is but one of the many countless worlds, unseen but yet connected." "Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, indeed they have spilled into these other, unseen worlds. Unseen but yet connected." "Your creative efforts have not gone unnoticed, indeed they have spilled into these other unseen worlds." "Just as your world is being enriched by them." "It is now time for you to join us. JOIN US." "No, just kidding, it's not scary. Indeed the times ahead they're good, really really good." "Some you may ask, who is this mysterious voice who knows so much and possesses such great powers?" "I'm glad you asked.."

Trivia

• Despite not being the final boss, Robotic Overseer is the icon for Expert Mode.
  • The version seen in the icon is Robotic Overseer's old version, when it was referred to as Robotic Overlord.
  • This is because in the old version of Expert Mode, Robotic Overseer was the final boss.
• Prior to the Blissful Revelations update, Expert Mode went up to Wave 40, with Waves 41-44 being unfinished with enemies.
  • Unused enemies that appeared in these four unfinished waves include: Assimilation, Angelspeed, Colorless, Essence, Berserker X, Morpher and True Ignitus.
    • While Angelspeed and Morpher appeared in the revamped Expert Mode, they were later removed again.
  • OsterDog, the main developer during that time, was unsatisfied with it and overhauled the waves, which resulted in the current version.
• XCF stands for Xerath Command Force.
  • Formerly, XCF was called as the X-Faction or the Unseen Army, though currently, some lore descriptions still refer to them as such.
• Despite the ISC Maps not bearing the name XCF, obtaining Mechanic requires those maps to be beaten in Expert Mode.

Gallery

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