Tier B Hard Bounce Mechanic Specialist

The Flagellant

Bottom-bounce specialist. Balls bounce off the bottom of the screen, requiring careful positioning.

Starting Ball

Egg Sac

Passive Ability

Balls bounce off screen bottom instead of disappearing

Unlock Requirement

Build Monastery blueprint (Gory Grasslands biome)

Playstyle Guide

The Flagellant's balls bounce off the bottom screen edge, doubling active ball playtime. Egg Sac starting ball synergizes with baby ball multiplication builds. Spawn maximum baby balls for overwhelming DPS.

Recommended Evolutions

These evolutions synergize best with The Flagellant's abilities and playstyle:

Maggot

View evolution details →

Brood Mother

View evolution details →

Egg Sac II

View evolution details →

Baby Swarm

View evolution details →

Strategy Tips

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Advanced Character

The Flagellant requires good understanding of game mechanics and careful execution. Practice with easier characters before attempting mastery.

Role: Bounce Mechanic Specialist

Passive Ability Analysis

**Bottom-Bounce Ball Mechanics** fundamentally changes ball lifecycle: (1) **No Bottom Despawn** - Balls hitting screen bottom bounce back upward instead of despawning. Standard characters lose balls at bottom edge (wasted trajectory), The Flagellant recycles balls (extended lifecycle). This doubles effective ball screen-time: 100% screen coverage vs 50% for standard characters. (2) **Doubled Proc Frequency** - Evolutions triggering on bounce or hit proc twice per trajectory (up + down bounce) instead of once. Egg Sac spawns babies on hit—bottom bounce adds second upward pass = double spawn opportunities per ball. (3) **Egg Sac Starting Ball Synergy** - Egg Sac spawns 2-3 baby balls on enemy hit. Baby balls inherit parent trajectory but eventually despawn. Bottom bounce keeps parent balls active = continuous baby generation over extended time. (4) **Positioning Requirement** - Must position near bottom screen to intercept bouncing balls. Front positioning (near top) causes balls to bounce back and miss—forces defensive back positioning. This limits offensive playstyle options. (5) **Baby Ball Multiplication** - Bottom bounce enables infinite baby ball generation: parent ball hits enemy (spawns babies), bounces bottom (returns), hits more enemies (spawns more babies), cycle repeats. With Maggot evolution, babies spawn more babies = exponential swarm. Hard difficulty reflects positioning mastery and baby ball management requirements.

Early Game Strategy (Waves 1-10)

**Waves 1-10: Egg Sac Baby Ball Foundation** The Flagellant's early game focuses on baby ball spawn maximization: **Wave 1-3 (Bottom Bounce Fundamentals):** - Starting Egg Sac spawns 2-3 baby balls on enemy hit - **Critical positioning:** Stand bottom-screen (20-30% from bottom) to intercept bouncing balls - Bottom bounce doubles baby ball spawn opportunities: parent ball hits on upward trajectory (spawns babies), bounces bottom, hits on downward trajectory (spawns more babies) - Each parent ball generates 4-6 baby balls per full cycle (2-3 per direction × 2 directions) - Gold priority: 100% baby ball damage and spawn rate upgrades **Wave 3-5 (First Baby Ball Scaling):** - With bottom bounce, maintain 10-15 baby balls by wave 5 (vs 5-8 for standard Egg Sac characters) - Baby balls deal ~40% of total damage early game—maximize baby count - Buy additional Egg Sac balls if available for multiplication (2 Egg Sacs = 2× baby spawn rate) - Position: Bottom-screen, let parent balls cycle through bottom bounce while babies do damage - Avoid top-screen positioning—balls bounce bottom and miss intercept **Wave 5-10 (Maggot Evolution Rush):** - Priority: Rush Maggot evolution (Egg Sac + Poison or Egg Sac + Death) - **The Flagellant advantage:** Maggot makes babies spawn more babies—bottom bounce creates infinite baby chain - Parent ball spawns babies (via Egg Sac) → babies spawns more babies (via Maggot) → exponential swarm - By wave 10: Target 25-30 active baby balls (3× standard character baby count) - Wave 10 target: Maggot evolution, 25+ baby balls, bottom-screen positioning mastery - Gold priority: 50% baby ball upgrades (damage, spawn rate, count), 30% Maggot damage, 20% ball levels **Positioning Strategy:** Bottom-screen (20-30% from bottom edge). Stand still, let parent balls cycle through bottom bounce, intercept returns. Baby balls swarm enemies while parent balls recycle infinitely.

Mid Game Strategy (Waves 11-25)

**Waves 11-25: Baby Ball Swarm Scaling** Mid-game focuses on exponential baby ball multiplication: **Wave 11-15 (Brood Mother Evolution):** - Add Brood Mother evolution (Egg Sac + ?) for enhanced baby ball spawn - **The Flagellant advantage:** Bottom bounce + Maggot + Brood Mother = triple baby spawn sources - Each parent ball cycle (bottom bounce) spawns 6-10 babies, babies spawn 2-3 babies each (Maggot) = 20-30 babies per parent ball cycle - Target: 50-75 active baby balls by wave 15 - Baby balls now deal 60-70% of total damage (swarm DPS surpasses parent ball damage) **Wave 16-20 (Baby Ball Swarm Dominance):** - Goal: 75-100 active baby balls for overwhelming passive DPS - Bottom bounce creates sustained baby generation—parent balls never despawn, infinite spawn source - **Wave 20 boss strategy:** Position bottom-screen, let baby ball swarm kill boss passively while parent balls cycle - Baby swarm advantage: 100 babies × 5 damage each = 500 DPS from passive swarm (boss melts in 10-15 seconds) - Focus on survival—baby swarm does killing, you handle positioning and dodging **Wave 21-25 (Triple Baby Evolution Build):** - Build toward third baby evolution: Egg Sac II or Baby Swarm enhancement - The Flagellant excels with full baby-focused builds: Maggot + Brood Mother + Egg Sac II - Wave 25 target: 100+ baby balls, triple baby evolution suite, bottom-screen positioning perfected - Baby swarm clears waves in 5-10 seconds—fastest clear speed at wave 25 with optimal baby count - Positioning: Bottom-screen defensive, let baby swarm handle all offense **Gold Management:** 50% baby ball upgrades (maximize swarm DPS), 30% baby evolution damage, 20% survivability

Late Game Strategy (Waves 26-40+)

**Waves 26-40+: Baby Ball Swarm Supremacy** Late-game The Flagellant becomes baby ball swarm master: **Wave 26-30 (Maximum Baby Ball Count):** - Goal: Reach maximum sustainable baby ball count (120-150 active babies) - Bottom bounce + triple baby evolutions = sustained maximum swarm - **Wave 30 boss:** 150 baby balls × 10 damage each = 1,500 DPS passive—boss dies in 5-7 seconds without active shots - Optimal build: Maggot + Brood Mother + Egg Sac II for maximum baby generation - Positioning: Bottom-screen defensive, parent balls cycle infinitely via bottom bounce, baby swarm does all killing **Wave 31-40 (Wave 40 Push):** - The Flagellant's strength at wave 40: Baby ball swarm deals 80-90% of total damage - **Build path:** Maggot (wave 10) + Brood Mother (wave 15) + Egg Sac II (wave 25) - Wave 40 boss: 150-200 baby ball swarm melts boss hordes in 10-15 seconds—fastest wave 40 clear speed - Bottom bounce advantage: Parent balls never despawn = infinite baby generation = sustained maximum swarm - Weakness: Bottom positioning required—limits offensive positioning, vulnerable to bottom-screen enemy spawns - Mitigation: Baby swarm kills enemies before they reach you—offensive defense via overwhelming DPS **Wave 41-50 (Wave 50 Swarm Dominance):** - The Flagellant is wave 50 viable with maximum baby ball swarm - **Ultimate build:** Maggot + Brood Mother + Egg Sac II + Baby Swarm enhancements - Wave 50 strategy: Maintain 150-200 baby ball swarm, position bottom-screen defensively, let swarm kill everything - 200 baby balls × 15 damage each = 3,000 DPS passive (highest sustained DPS in game from passive source) - Bottom bounce critical: Infinite parent ball cycling = never-ending baby generation = permanent maximum swarm - Wave 50 positioning: Bottom-screen center, defensive survival focus, baby swarm handles 100% offense - Victory condition: Baby swarm DPS surpasses enemy spawn rate—enemies die faster than they spawn **Gold Management:** 40% baby ball damage (maximize swarm DPS), 40% baby spawn rate/count (maintain maximum swarm), 20% survivability

Best Evolutions for The Flagellant

**Top 5 Evolutions for The Flagellant:** **1. Maggot (A-tier, 1.6x damage, baby chain reaction)** - Recipe: Egg Sac + Poison OR Egg Sac + Death - Why it works: Babies spawn more babies—bottom bounce creates infinite baby chain - Parent spawns babies, babies spawn babies, bottom bounce sustains parent = exponential swarm growth - Synergy: Core evolution, enables 50-100+ baby ball counts by wave 20 - **Best evolution for The Flagellant** - foundation of baby swarm strategy **2. Brood Mother (A-tier, 1.8x damage, enhanced baby spawn)** - Recipe: Egg Sac + ? (likely Egg Sac + Dark or Egg Sac + Nature) - Why it works: Increases baby spawn count per parent ball hit (3-5 babies instead of 2-3) - Bottom bounce doubles spawn opportunities = 6-10 babies per parent ball cycle - Synergy: Pairs with Maggot for compounding baby generation **3. Egg Sac II (B-tier, 1.4x damage, baby enhancement)** - Recipe: Egg Sac evolution tier 2 (requires existing Egg Sac evolution) - Why it works: Enhances baby ball stats (damage, health, lifespan) - Bottom bounce extends baby relevance—stronger babies live longer = more sustained DPS - Synergy: Third baby evolution for maximum swarm effectiveness **4. Baby Swarm (B-tier, 1.5x damage, swarm mechanics)** - Recipe: Multiple Egg Sac balls combined OR Egg Sac + specific item - Why it works: Optimizes baby ball AI—babies swarm priority targets (bosses) - Bottom bounce sustains swarm = constant focused DPS on high-value enemies - Synergy: Swarm intelligence for baby ball control **5. Nuclear Bomb (A-tier, 2.3x damage, if diversifying)** - Recipe: Bomb + Poison - Why it works: Only non-baby evolution worth considering—provides AoE when baby swarm insufficient - Bottom bounce = more Nuclear Bomb procs per parent ball (2× proc frequency) - Synergy: Hybrid build if baby swarm struggles (rare, but useful backup) **Evolutions to Avoid:** - **Any non-baby evolution** - The Flagellant's power comes from baby swarm—non-baby evolutions waste bottom bounce advantage - **Single-target evolutions** - Lightning, Laser focus—baby swarm already provides sustained damage - **Defensive evolutions** - Glacier, Shield—baby swarm is best defense (kill everything first)

How to Unlock The Flagellant

**Unlocking The Flagellant: Build Monastery Blueprint (Gory × Grasslands)** **Recommended Character:** The Warrior OR The Itchy Finger **Strategy (25-40 minutes):** **Phase 1: Find Monastery Blueprint (Waves 1-20)** - Monastery blueprint drops from bosses in **Gory × Grasslands biome combination** - **Critical requirement:** Must play in Gory biome crossed with Grasslands environmental modifier - Select Gory biome before run start, pray for Grasslands modifier (random) - If no Grasslands modifier, restart run until Gory × Grasslands combination appears - Monastery blueprint only drops in this specific biome combination (not in other biomes) - Expect 3-5 boss encounters in correct biome for blueprint drop **Phase 2: Build Monastery in New Ballbylon (Harvest Mode)** - After obtaining blueprint, enter Harvest Mode - Place Monastery structure in New Ballbylon city - Construction requires: Workers bouncing balls into structure over time - Monastery takes 3-4 harvest cycles (~12-15 minutes) for completion - Visual confirmation: Religious structure with monastery architecture when complete **Phase 3: The Flagellant Unlocks** - Once Monastery construction completes → The Flagellant unlocks - Character becomes available in roster - Select from character select screen **Time Investment:** 25-40 minutes total (longer due to biome-specific blueprint requirement) **Common Mistakes:** - Playing in wrong biome (Monastery only drops in Gory × Grasslands combination) - Not restarting runs for correct biome modifier (Grasslands modifier is random) - Expecting blueprint in other biomes (biome-locked blueprint) - Rushing construction (Monastery takes 3-4 harvest cycles) **Optimization:** Restart runs until Gory × Grasslands combination appears, rush to wave 15-20 for boss encounters in Fast Mode

Advanced Tips & Tricks

**1. Baby Ball Cap Management:** Maximum sustainable baby count is ~150-200 (engine limitations). At 150+, old babies despawn as new babies spawn. Maintain cap for maximum sustained DPS. **2. Bottom Bounce Intercept Positioning:** Stand 20-30% from bottom edge—optimal intercept zone for bouncing parent balls. Too close (10% from bottom) = balls bounce over you. Too far (40%+) = miss intercepts. **3. Triple Baby Evolution Synergy:** Maggot (babies spawn babies) + Brood Mother (enhanced spawn count) + Egg Sac II (enhanced baby stats) = optimal swarm. This trinity creates 150-200 baby swarm by wave 30. **4. Parent Ball Cycling:** Bottom bounce creates infinite parent ball cycling. Once 3-4 parent balls enter bottom-bounce cycle, they generate babies infinitely (never despawn). Sustain 3-4 active parent balls for optimal baby generation. **5. Baby Swarm DPS Calculation:** 150 babies × 10 damage × 1.5 attack speed = 2,250 DPS from passive swarm. This surpasses most active evolution DPS at wave 30+. Prioritize baby swarm over active damage. **6. Defensive Positioning Acceptance:** Bottom-screen positioning is mandatory—accept limited offensive positioning. Baby swarm handles offense (passive DPS), you handle survival (positioning). **7. Boss Swarm Focus:** Baby balls naturally swarm nearest target (usually boss). During boss waves, baby swarm focuses boss = 2,000-3,000 concentrated DPS. Bosses melt in 5-10 seconds. **8. Avoid Non-Baby Evolutions:** Every non-baby evolution wastes bottom bounce advantage. Bottom bounce doubles proc frequency—this only benefits baby spawn mechanics. Focus 100% on baby evolution tree.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

**1. Top-Screen Positioning:** - Mistake: Standing near top screen (offensive positioning) - Why it's bad: Balls bounce off bottom and miss you—wastes bottom bounce advantage - Fix: Position bottom-screen (20-30% from edge). Intercept bouncing balls for infinite cycling. **2. Building Non-Baby Evolutions:** - Mistake: Creating Bomb, Lightning, Laser, or other non-baby evolutions - Why it's bad: The Flagellant's power comes from baby swarm—non-baby evolutions waste bottom bounce proc advantage - Fix: Build 100% baby evolution tree: Maggot → Brood Mother → Egg Sac II. No diversification. **3. Not Rushing Maggot Evolution:** - Mistake: Delaying Maggot evolution for other evolutions - Why it's bad: Maggot enables exponential baby swarm—without it, baby count caps at 20-30 (insufficient for B-tier scaling) - Fix: Rush Maggot by wave 10. This is survival requirement for late-game viability. **4. Ignoring Baby Ball Upgrades:** - Mistake: Prioritizing parent ball damage over baby ball upgrades - Why it's bad: Baby swarm deals 80-90% of damage at wave 30+—parent ball upgrades are low value - Fix: Spend 70-80% gold on baby ball damage, spawn rate, and count upgrades. Parent balls exist to spawn babies only. **5. Under-Valuing Bottom Bounce:** - Mistake: Playing The Flagellant like standard Egg Sac character (ignoring bottom bounce) - Why it's bad: Bottom bounce doubles baby spawn opportunities—ignoring this halves baby generation rate - Fix: Master bottom-screen positioning. Bottom bounce is entire character identity—leverage it for 2× baby spawn. **6. Fighting for Offensive Positioning:** - Mistake: Trying to position aggressively (top-screen) for offense - Why it's bad: Bottom-screen positioning is mandatory for bottom bounce—aggressive positioning breaks mechanic - Fix: Accept defensive positioning. Baby swarm provides offense (2,000+ DPS passive), you handle survival via positioning. **7. Diversifying Evolution Tree:** - Mistake: Building hybrid baby + non-baby evolution suite - Why it's bad: The Flagellant scales through baby specialization—hybrid builds dilute baby swarm effectiveness - Fix: Focus 100% on baby evolution tree. Triple baby evolutions (Maggot + Brood Mother + Egg Sac II) outperform hybrid builds massively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Flagellant beginner-friendly?

No—hard difficulty due to bottom-bounce positioning requirements. Must master bottom-screen positioning to intercept bouncing balls (missing intercepts wastes bottom bounce advantage). Baby ball management adds complexity—tracking 100+ babies requires spatial awareness. Recommended for experienced players comfortable with positioning-dependent mechanics. Not recommended as first character.

How many baby balls should I have at wave 30?

Target 100-150 baby balls at wave 30 for optimal DPS. This requires Maggot (wave 10) + Brood Mother (wave 15) + Egg Sac II (wave 25) evolution suite. Bottom bounce enables this count via infinite parent ball cycling = continuous baby generation. 150 babies × 10 damage = 1,500 DPS passive (higher than most active evolution DPS at wave 30).

What's the ideal build path for The Flagellant?

Optimal build: Maggot (wave 10) → Brood Mother (wave 15) → Egg Sac II (wave 25). Focus 100% on baby evolution tree—avoid all non-baby evolutions. Maggot enables exponential baby spawn (babies spawn babies), Brood Mother increases spawn count, Egg Sac II enhances baby stats. This trinity creates 150-200 baby swarm by wave 30 (highest passive DPS in game).

Can The Flagellant beat wave 50?

Yes, strong wave 50 potential. Baby ball swarm scales infinitely with proper evolution suite—150-200 babies deal 3,000+ DPS passive at wave 50. Bottom bounce sustains maximum baby count indefinitely (infinite parent ball cycling). Wave 50 strategy: Bottom-screen positioning, maintain baby swarm cap, let swarm kill everything. Baby DPS surpasses enemy spawn rate = guaranteed clear.

Why B-tier if baby swarm is so strong?

B-tier reflects positioning limitations and baby dependency. Bottom-screen positioning is mandatory—limits offensive options and creates vulnerability to bottom-screen enemy spawns. Baby swarm requires specific evolution suite (Maggot + Brood Mother + Egg Sac II)—inflexible build path. Dexerto and TheGamer both B-tier due to specialized but effective gameplay. Strong late-game scaling (A-tier power) balanced by positioning constraints and build inflexibility (C-tier flexibility) = B-tier overall.