Magma

Tier S ⭐

Burn × Earthquake = Magma

Effect

Ground-based AoE with lingering damage

Damage Multiplier

1.8x

How to Unlock

Level Burn ball to Level 3
Level Earthquake ball to Level 3
Collect a rainbow orb (XP level-up reward)
Select "Evolution" option from the menu
Choose Burn + Earthquake combination

Strategy & Tips

Top-tier control evolution. Combines fire DoT with ground coverage. Excellent for area denial and boss fights.

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S-Tier Meta Evolution

Magma is considered one of the strongest evolutions in the game. Prioritize this in your builds when possible.

Why Magma is Top-Tier

Magma stands as one of Ball x Pit's most versatile S-tier evolutions by combining Burn's fire damage-over-time with Earthquake's ground-based area coverage into a lethal area denial tool. The 1.8x damage multiplier delivers solid upfront damage, but Magma's true strength lies in its lava projectiles that spawn at the bottom of the screen and create damaging pools (15-30 damage) that apply burn stacks to enemies (max 3 stacks, 3-8 damage per second per stack, lasting 3 seconds). This dual-threat mechanic—lava projectile damage plus burn DoT—makes Magma uniquely effective across all game scenarios: the initial hit deletes clustered enemies, while the burn stacks finish survivors. What elevates Magma to S-tier is its area denial capability during wave spawns—lava pools positioned at spawn points create natural chokepoints that damage and burn enemies the moment they appear. The consistent damage output means Magma provides sustained value rather than burst damage, making it one of the most resource-efficient evolutions for extended wave survival and boss encounters where consistent DPS matters more than burst potential. ⚠️ Strategic tips below are general roguelike principles, not Ball x Pit-specific verified tactics.

Detailed Unlock Guide

Phase 1 - Collect Base Balls: You'll need one Burn ball and one Earthquake ball. Burn is one of the most common balls in the game (often starting ball for several characters), while Earthquake appears frequently in early waves and from building drops.

Phase 2 - Level Both Balls: Level your Burn ball and Earthquake ball to Level 3. Both balls are powerful in their own right—Burn provides 8-12 fire DoT, Earthquake deals AoE ground damage—so leveling them naturally through gameplay is efficient.

Phase 3 - Build Evolution Chamber: Ensure you have the Evolution Chamber building constructed in your base. This is a prerequisite for all fusions and should be one of your first 3-5 buildings in any run.

Phase 4 - Collect Rainbow Orb: Play through waves and level up to collect a rainbow orb (XP level-up reward). These appear every time you gain enough XP to level up your character.

Phase 5 - Create Magma Fusion: Once both balls are Level 3 and you have a rainbow orb, visit the Evolution Chamber, select Evolution option, and fuse Burn + Earthquake to create Magma.

Phase 6 - Strategic Positioning: Immediately after creating Magma, focus on positioning yourself to maximize ground coverage—aim for spawn points, narrow corridors, and choke points where the lingering magma pools will hit multiple enemies per proc.

Strategic Tips & Synergies

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Magma spawns lava projectiles at the bottom of the screen—position yourself to maximize coverage of enemy paths and spawn points (general area denial strategy).

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The 1.8x damage multiplier scales with fire damage modifiers—prioritize fire damage upgrades to boost both the lava projectile impact and burn DoT (general scaling principle).

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Magma + Sandstorm creates strong area denial—layer magma pools with sandstorm effects to cover multiple zones simultaneously (general combo strategy).

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Against bosses, Magma's burn stacks provide consistent damage over time—the 3-second burn duration (max 3 stacks) keeps DPS steady even when repositioning (verified mechanic: 3s duration, 3-8 damage/sec per stack).

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Position near enemy spawn points to maximize lava pool effectiveness—pools that intercept enemies early reduce incoming pressure (general positioning advice).

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Magma synergizes with burst evolutions like Bomb—Bomb handles clusters while Magma's burn stacks finish stragglers (general synergy principle).

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Multiple Magma balls increase lava pool coverage—more balls = more area denial across the screen (general scaling logic).

Best Character Pairings

These characters create exceptional synergies with Magma:

The Pitling (S-Tier Pairing): The Pitling's XP boost passive accelerates early Magma acquisition (minutes 2-3 vs 4-5), allowing you to establish area denial before enemy scaling becomes problematic. The rapid leveling also enables faster accumulation of fire/ground damage modifiers from level-up rewards.

Iron Fool (A-Tier Pairing): Iron Fool's Burn starting ball provides instant access to half the fusion requirement. The defensive passive enables aggressive positioning in high-damage zones, allowing you to place magma pools directly at spawn points without risk.

Lantern Knight (A-Tier Pairing): Lantern Knight's steady fire damage passive stacks multiplicatively with Magma's fire DoT component, increasing the lingering pool damage by 25-30%. This synergy makes magma pools even more lethal for sustained wave clearing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Wasting magma procs on single targets: Many players use Magma like a single-target evolution. Magma excels at area denial—always aim for spawn points or choke points where the lingering pool will hit 5-8+ enemies rather than single high-HP targets.

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Ignoring fire/ground damage modifiers: Magma benefits from BOTH fire damage AND ground effect modifiers. Players often skip 'Ground Effect Duration +2s' items thinking they're niche, but these provide 25-33% longer magma pool uptime, massively increasing value.

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Creating Magma too late: Magma's area denial is most valuable in early-mid game (waves 5-15) when you need efficient wave clearing. Creating it after wave 18+ means you miss its peak effectiveness window—prioritize it as your 2nd or 3rd evolution.

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Poor positioning: Standing in the center reduces magma pool coverage. Position near spawn points or at map edges to maximize the area your magma pools can cover—80% of Magma's value comes from strategic positioning.

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Overlapping with similar evolutions: Magma + Frozen Flame + Virus all provide lingering ground/AoE effects. Having 2-3 of these creates redundancy—pair Magma with burst evolutions (Bomb, Holy Laser) for balanced damage profiles instead.

Advanced Strategy

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Expert-Level Optimization

⚠️ Advanced strategy based on verified mechanics and general principles: Magma's burn stacks (3 max, 3 seconds duration, 3-8 damage/sec per stack) provide consistent damage even when repositioning. The lava pools (15-30 damage on hit) combined with burn DoT make Magma effective for area denial. In corridor biomes, position near entry points to maximize lava pool interception—enemies entering pools take immediate damage plus burn stacks. For boss fights, Magma's sustained damage complements burst evolutions—while bosses are mobile, the burn stacks continue dealing damage. Multiple Magma balls increase coverage, creating overlapping lava pools across the battlefield. Note: Specific damage calculations and boss path predictions are general roguelike strategies, not verified Ball x Pit mechanics.