Hard Mode

Hard mode is a coop game mode with higher-difficulty levels. It's unlocked along with Specialization from main Level 50. Moreover each Hard Mode chapter N requires main Chapter N+50 unlocked.

It allows you to gain Specialization Points and Adventure Books. There's additionally a Shop within Hard Mode, where you can exchange Aid Token for rewards, such as books and specialization points, but also Legendary Keys, scrolls, and the usual goodies.

• Each play requires to expend 15 Energy. It meanwhile contributes to "consume x000 energy" tasks.¹
• In the Association tab you can enable "☑ No stamina is used...", which allows to play without Energy when you get invited.
• You can play Hard Mode levels by yourself, but won't gain asaid Aid Tokens.
• If you have 20% higher CP than your play partner, you'll get a 100 more Aid Tokens.

Gameplay

You'll pass the chapters/maps like in the main game. Except that there's a flock of enemies now to be combated by you and an enjoined player. There's usually four to six enemies, one of them a boss character on three of the battle "days".

Both players pick up Skills along the way. There's plenty of new ones since v1.6, and some overlap with new abilities from Abyssal Realm. The selection screens are bit flaky still, because of the peer-to-peer connection(?) to your battle partner.

There's a 15 second timeout on selection screens, which randomly picks one. It's somewhat uncourteous to rely on this in enjoined games, obviously.

Invitations

Once in the Hard Mode screen, you can hit Invite to summon other players.

• One-click invite (or individual ones) to invite players to your instance.
  • If you're inviting, you have to start the game on your end.
  • Courtesy advise: wait two seconds before hitting start, so your play partner may raise Stamina used on their end.

• Post Recruitment instead enables you to get invited to another players` instance.
  • You'll have to wait for the battle partner to initiate the actual game.
  • This is the mode you want to force "☑ No stamina is used..."

• Main screen invitation popups come up once Hard Mode is unlocked.
  • Those often time out quickly, so pretty much always only the last entry will have any chance on enjoining another player.
  • It certainly depends on your server, geographic location, and time of day if you get any functioning invites.
    

Reward Multiplier

The Multiplier below the start button works best when you initiate a game.

• It allows you to expend more Energy for additional in-battle rewards.
• It's best to reserve this option for later chapters.
• (Additionally it's likely that this unlocks more in-chapter rewards types - which include equipment items for example.)

Codex

The Codex tab (bottom right) is a simple way to get a head start with Specialization Points for early chapters. You'll get extra for simply encountering monster types. This again is similar to Abyssal Realm, just without rewards for maps.

Chapters

Currently chapters follow a repetitive pattern. Ever ten of the chapter number becomes a roman suffix (4x → Chapter name IV):

Chapter	Title	Battle days
..1	Windblown Town	16
..2	Hyperion	12
..3	Whispering Woods	10
..4	Frostpeak Mountain	8
..5	Neverfall	5
..6	Giant Plateau	16
..7	Amber Bay	12
..8	Twilight Castle	10
..9	Golden Dunes	8
..0	Land of Dragons	5

Aid Token / Chapter overview

You can earn up to 5000 Aid Token each week (that's when the limit resets, not your actual tokens). You'll only get them from enjoined games, or replays, and ☑ No stamina used - when invited.

The little chapter map above the start button lists which ones you've already maxed out, or could replay. If you unlocked enough chapters already, it's less relevant who invites you to which chapter.

Shop

Token	Reward
3000	Gem Chest
1800	Pet Chest
800	Gold Chest
400	Legendary Key
400	Wishing Scroll
250	Pet Egg 10x
240	Specialization Points 500x
180	Adventure Books 5x
180	Equipment Designs
160	Gold Horseshoe 10x
60	Power Stones 10x

Strategies

• It's preferable not to play alone. Unless in a hurry, or you maxed out weekly Aid Token already.
• In early levels you may want to focus on Basic attack skills and "start of battle" effects.
• Don't skip levels when offered. This just deprives you of rewards. In particular for later chapters.
• For replays or aid token farming it's commonly advised to join x5 or 10-based chapters, as those are just 5 battle days each.
• Chapter numbers with multiple of 5 or 10, also have the least amount of battle days.
• ...

Known Bugs

• Skills pickup can be delayed in some rounds. Triggering some duplicate selection screens.
• Some picked up skill might alternate to other skills (check [Skills] tab).
• The skill that takes half your HP and forms a shield (Oath) gets blocked by damage immunity instance gems and gives you nothing but acts as a hit and turns off your gem.
• When skills being offered to pick from are from choices of four and you have to pick two, it only gives you one skill if you let it be auto selected, not two.
• Certain upgrade trees are not working (such as DG).

Sources

• Discord: Hard Mode FAQ
• YT/XuHu: Guide: What to know about Hard Mode?
• reddit/CapybaraGoGame: Upcoming update preview (from discord)

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