I decided to create a setup build script for a guide. This is what I am currently using that allows me to win regularly to wave 30 on normal and even doing Acension 1 at least up to 30 and beyond. This script requires a good portion of the Economy based Meta perks to be taken. If you still are playing to unlock those and buildings like the University, then don't worry about reaching wave 30. You won't make it. Just keep playing with what you got and accumulating honor until the core buildings in this script are all available at the very least.

I try to start with 40+ wood unless I get offered a chest. I take the wood from a chest if offered, or hope to get offered a relic instead. A few times I've been extremely lucky and the relic offered Blood Gold Relic. You can also be offered the Blood Gold relic if selecting the starting bonus to be a relic ugrade as it is a rare Relic. Only problem with that starting bonus is you have to make it to wave 10 at least on the last run. Which means if you are checking the starting bonuses for consistency then it is means most likely you are not going to have the upgrade offer available if you are hitting the RESTART button over and over. Still, the Blood Gold relic is literally best start in the game before Ascension 6.

This build script assumes starting with around 40+ wood though either as a direct starting bonus offer or as resources given from a chest when a chest is offered as a starting bonus instead. Chests can give you more wood than 40 and less. Being less than 36 starting wood though impairs the build script a little too much.

Starting bonus:
Pick +40 wood or 1 Chest and choose wood or if offered a relic, one that helps economy.

Wave 0
Castle -> Eco budget x2
Build Ship yard -> 1 Trading Ship
Build Guild Hall -> Claim gold (20)
Hire Worker
Sell all excess wheat
Sell excess stone to 50 (or 30 if going for Shadow Tower as first tower)
Lumberjack -> 1 Endless Woods passive + 2 oak crusher
Assign workers: 4 wood
No towers built
12+80w, 50+0s, 5+0wh, 1+7g

Wave 1
Ship yard -> 1 Trading Ship
No towers built
54+80w, 50+0s, 5+0wh, 8+12g

Wave 2
Guild -> Claim gold (15)
Castle -> Eco Budget 1x (done)
Ship yard -> 1 Trading Ship
Build Tavern
Build 1st Tower
*Exceptions to building first tower. If starting with a Druid Wand Relic or the Blood Gold Relic, then do not build a tower in the Economy Phase before wave 3 starts. Place a tower during the Defense phase of Wave 3
* NOTE HERE* You will not have enough to build a Raven or Shadow tower if that is your preferred tower to use. For building a Shadow tower it requires 5 more gold. Which can be done by initially selling a bit more stone off to have at this point. As for Raven tower, I don't recommend Raven as the first tower as it is overkilling enemies at this level and fires too slowly.
14+104w, 50+0s, 5+0wh, 5+18g

Wave 3
If started with Druid Wand then build a tower while attackers are coming and take 2 hits to get less than 10 health ideally to activate druid wand
If started with Blood Gold Relic take as many hits as possible here. Time placing of tower to take maximum hits without dying.
Ship yard -> 1 Trading Ship

Wave 4
Castle -> Stave construction
If Blood Gold Relic -> Build Druid House
Build Quarry
Quarry -> 1x Granite Grip + 1x Rocketsteady passive
Assign 2 wood, 2 stone

Wave 5
Build 2nd tower
Build University -> Start Research. Economy or War are both better than Luck tree right now.
Build Mill

Wave 6
Build Mine -> Source of wealth passive + 1x Vein Tracing
Hero Tower -> Arcane Accum
Assign workers: 3 gold 1 wood

Wave 7
Lighthouse Mission for blue banner
Market -> Ancient Bargains + Traders Gift
Hero Tower -> Power Growth + Elder Wisdom
Mill -> Wonder seed passive
Build 3rd tower if possible
Assign workers as needed

Wave 8
Market -> Buy everything you like. Claim gold
Buy next level of Gold and Wheat resource producing passives
Build house
Hire Worker (if can)
Build 3rd tower if not done last wave

Wave 9
Build Statue -> Assign tower + 2x blessing of wealth
Assign workers to have enough for buying workshop next wave

Wave 10
Kill Boss
Build Workshop -> Superior Architecture 2x
Buy reduced stone or wood or gold for tower making
Build 4th Tower

Wave 11
Build house to have up to 8 workers + hire worker(s)
Build Brewery if you can, otherwise assign enough workers for next wave
Get Tier 2 resource gaining passives for the remaining resource passives.


Builds tend to diverge too much here based on relics, banner choices, hero choices, and even oracle choices. As such, it is hard to go with a "firm" script of what to do beyond this point. However, doing this up to Wave 11 should give anyone the greatest chance of success at least for reaching wave 30.

First off, don't be afraid of taking hits in the early waves. This allows you to spend less on towers and more economy as the build script above shows.

Second, you can demolish and rebuild towers during the defense part of the wave. You'll get back most of the resources required to build a tower, but won't get back the gold for the upgrades. This can be handy early in the game if your choice of tower is a slow firing tower like the Raven, Volcano, or Frost tower. What you can do is literally build a tower, let it fire, demolish the tower, and rebuild it. This allows the tower to fire instantly again when its built. This works because there is no build timer associated with towers in this game. Doing this several times in a row will cause some loss of resources, but this is where having the Salvage Box as a starting relic is so good for this strategy. I will also have to note that you can't demolish towers now during a boss wave.

Third, another trick I want to tell is that the game saves between wave states and at specific times. This is useful because if you are trying to clear a wave and are close to either beating or dying then you can hit the SPACE BAR to pause the defense mode action in the game. Then just EXIT the game to the main menu system. When you come back into the game it will revert back to the last saved spot of the economy phase before the defense phase starts. This gives you a chance to place towers in different spots or mess around with what you had done in an attempt to beat the wave.

Fourth, Banners in this game are were the real power comes from. This makes the Friendship Relic very powerful as you can now sacrifice workers for banners. Don't be afraid to sacrifice 1, 2 or even 3 workers. If you have enough outpost production, you can safely sacrifice quite a few workers. Don't go less than 5 though because you can't run workers anymore for legendary banner missions.

Next thing to talk about is the building specialization feature. This is basically "upgrading" certain buildings in the town to do more. My personal favorites are the Brewery, Statue, and Workshop. The only downside is doing a 4th specialization just takes far too many resources as to make it not worth it.

Here, I want to talk about is the University. The War and Economy trees are great. The Luck one is less great. Unfortunately, the current costs in terms of waves needed to pick University skill points is very hard to get more than 4 points in a game by wave 30 and only a couple more if lucky if doing endless. Which makes even filling out a whole tree practically impossible. It also makes the Luck tree that much worse because the capstone is the 6th point regardless of path taken. By the time you get to the capstone point of the Luck tree right now, your game is mostly likely over. So stick with Economy or War side for now. My personal preference is the 3 left hand perks of the War tree first to get cheaper towers and tower upgrades, and then the 3 right hand tree of the Economy tree for more outpost production. Those 3 perks in the War tree really are economy based as they are making towers cheaper over all.

Finally, this is a build script that is good for up to Ascension level 6 I heard, where things change. There are a few different ways to get an economy rolling faster in the early game. This build script is just one way. Another way is to take the Supply Cart (wheelbarrow) as a starting Relic. That makes Outposts cost 50% less resources to build. Then on Wave 0 you build the outpost making building in town. With the remaining resources, you build actual outposts right in front of the town instead of towers. Those outposts will generate a good amount of resources very early.

This is not a definitive script by any means. It is one that I know will reliably get anyone to wave 30 on normal and the early ascension levels. Feel free to experiment to come up with your own.