If you're new to the bullet-heaven genre, things may be a bit overwhelming at first, but here are tips to help you out.
The newest PvE mode for League of Legends (LoL) is finally live on public servers!
Swarm Operations | Anima Squad is LoL’s take on bullet heaven and survivor-like gameplay, featuring Anima Squad renditions of your favourite champions.
Players in this mode make their way through Final City, destroying enemies, completing missions, and attempting to stay alive for as long as they can. Progressing through one of the four unique maps unlocks access to the next, with each map offering its own distinct set of obstacles and environments. The game concludes when you either defeat the boss or if you and your teammates all perish on the map.
If you’re not accustomed to bullet-hell games like Vampire Survivors, this game mode might initially seem overwhelming and chaotic. However, every game in this genre has a pattern you can follow and it gets better and even more fun and crazy as you keep trying.
So to help you out, here are five tips and tricks you should know about before playing Swarm:
You can’t evolve your weapon on your first try so expect to die
And that’s okay. Like most survivor-likes, the first run is the hardest because your champion will have zero upgrades and no weapon evolves, generally lacking power. This initial challenge is part of the journey and sets the stage for growth.
That doesn’t mean you should just quit and call it a day. The game is a roguelite, so each time you complete a round (whether in victory or defeat), you earn rewards that help you unlock more champions, maps, and other upgrades. These rewards are crucial for enhancing your future runs and making your character more powerful over time.
Your upgrades depend on the amount of gold you've looted throughout the game. This means that the longer you survive in a run, the more upgrades the map gives your character.
Additionally, you also gain currency that you can spend at the end of your run to give your character permanent upgrades. This progression system ensures that every attempt brings you closer to mastering the game, making each run more rewarding than the last.
Make sure to destroy loot boxes
You can find loot boxes all over the place, usually hidden along the walls and edges of the map. These boxes contain essential resources to advance further into the game. In each loot box you can get coins, health packs or vacuum orbs.
If you want to get better upgrades in later rounds, you'll need to keep an eye out for coins. You can use these coins at the end of a round for some permanent upgrades so that you’re much stronger in your next run.
Keep track of where health packs spawn because health packs are crucial to your survival. Returning to these spots to replenish your health can be the difference between surviving a tough round or being overwhelmed by enemies.
Some Loot boxes also contain vacuum orbs that draw in uncollected experience points (XP). This comes in handy when you need to collect all the XP you didn’t get and it gets too hectic. Using vacuum orbs at the right time can give huge, unexpected XP and level boosts.
Avoid walls and obstacles
Dodging waves of enemies is the best course of action most of the time, however, make sure to avoid walls and obstacles.
Enemies can easily trap and overwhelm you at chokepoints, making them dangerous fast. You can better manage enemy waves if you keep an eye out for and stay away from these spots so you can keep control of the flow of combat.
Sometimes it looks safe to avoid enemies by going behind walls, but in reality, it's usually a trap! There are always new enemies to fight, and avoiding area-of-effect damage will be more challenging due to your movement restrictions and the wall blocking your escape routes.
Though you should generally try to avoid them, walls can actually serve as useful pathways to gather valuable loot drops, such as health potions. The trick is to use walls wisely, striking a balance between hiding and getting yourself trapped.
Balance your upgrades
You might be tempted to load up on damage and nothing else, or get greedy and put everything on crit. Don't.
Most of the time, Armor and extra Health are critical to your survival so make sure to balance your upgrades depending on your need at the moment. After all, what use is all your damage if you immediately end up dead anyway?
Don’t forget to pick up weapons too since these can increase the effect of your damage, add projectiles of different sizes and directions which are all important in clearing mobs, and opening routes of escape for your and your team.
When playing in groups, coordination is key
I have to be honest that teamwork in survivor-likes isn’t my strongest suit since I’m used to playing solo, but one thing I quickly learned in Swarm is that you have to communicate with your teammates.
For instance, in the game, when you play with other teammates, and one of you dies, you can be revived by another teammate.
Standing in the circle for a short period allows you to revive your teammates, just like in Arena. This is why it's not a good idea for you to go off to a remote part where other teammates can’t get to you.
And just like in the Summoner’s Rift, each champion has a specialty: Seraphine has shields, and when your team’s Yasuo is well protected, you’re
What’s more, champions like Seraphine gives everyone shields within her range, while Illaoi’s tentacles can be helpful. Support your carries (believe it or not, yes Yasuo), and you’ll have a much better chance at surviving. You’ll also get more breathing room by moving into the area that your teammate’s powerup has cleared.
Plus, when mini-bosses appear in certain corners of the map, you’d want to group up to take them down together.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can fully immerse yourself in the game, free from any pressure except that of your opponents, which only adds to the excitement. The experience is even more enjoyable with friends, as you can share hilarious moments of being swarmed by enemies and triumph together in victory.
