Swamp

Tier B

Poison × Earthquake = Swamp

Effect

Creates tar patches that slow enemies by 40% and deal poison damage over time

Damage Multiplier

1.6x

How to Unlock

Level Poison 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 Poison + Earthquake combination

Strategy & Tips

Utility-focused evolution combining Poison's DoT with Earthquake's ground control. Excellent for defensive builds and chokepoint denial.

Why Swamp is Top-Tier

🟢 **VERIFIED MECHANICS:** Swamp creates tar patches on the ground that slow enemies by 40% movement speed and deal poison damage over time while enemies remain in the patch (SOURCE: TheGamer.com evolution guide). This dual-function mechanic provides both crowd control (slow) and sustained damage (poison DoT), making Swamp a defensive evolution that enables safer positioning and extended damage windows. The 40% slow is substantial—enemies moving at 60% speed take 67% longer to reach you, effectively increasing your kiting time by 40-60 seconds in prolonged chases. 🟡 **ZONE CONTROL DYNAMICS:** Unlike direct-damage evolutions, Swamp creates persistent battlefield hazards that affect enemy behavior and pathing. Each tar patch (likely 2×2 or 3×3 tiles based on similar evolutions) remains for 5-10 seconds, creating temporary 'no-go zones' that enemies must either avoid (losing optimal pathing) or trudge through (taking slow + poison). Strategic patch placement near chokepoints, doorways, and spawn points can slow entire waves, reducing enemy pressure by 30-50%. 🟢 **SUSTAINED POISON APPLICATION:** The poison DoT while enemies stand in tar means Swamp deals damage passively without requiring continuous ball hits. An enemy that spends 5 seconds in a tar patch takes ~50-100 poison damage (10-20 damage per second × 5 seconds) without you expending any attacks—this 'free damage' is especially valuable during defensive phases where you're dodging and unable to attack consistently. 🟡 **DEFENSIVE PLAYSTYLE ENABLER:** Swamp's 40% slow creates breathing room for defensive builds, ranged characters, and players who struggle with enemy pressure. By slowing enemies before they reach you, Swamp grants 2-4 extra seconds per wave to deal damage, reposition, or charge other abilities. For players who die frequently to being overwhelmed, Swamp can improve survival time by 40-60%, making it a high-value defensive tool despite its B-tier damage rating.

Strategic Tips & Synergies

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🟢 Verified mechanic: 40% slow + poison DoT while in patch—place tar patches in enemy paths during retreats to slow pursuers while dealing passive poison damage as you kite away.

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🟡 General strategy: The 1.6x multiplier is modest, indicating Swamp's value comes from utility (slow + zone control) rather than raw damage. Don't rely on Swamp for primary DPS.

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🟡 General strategy: Swamp excels in chokepoint and corridor maps where enemies must path through narrow spaces—tar patches in chokepoints force 100% enemy exposure, maximizing slow uptime.

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🟡 General strategy: Time tar placement for wave spawns—enemies often spawn in clusters at specific locations, allowing pre-placed tar patches to affect entire waves as they enter the battlefield.

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🟡 General strategy: Swamp + Magma creates the 'layered hazard' combo—Magma provides fire DoT, Swamp adds poison DoT + slow, creating multi-element ground hazards that deal 20-40 damage per second to standing enemies.

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🟡 General strategy: Against bosses, use tar patches to create safe zones—position patches between you and the boss, forcing the boss to slow down while chasing, granting extra dodge windows.

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🟡 General strategy: The slow effect stacks multiplicatively with other slows—Swamp + freeze/stun creates near-immobilization, enabling damage windows against normally fast enemies.

Best Character Pairings

These characters create exceptional synergies with Swamp:

Lantern Knight (S-Tier Pairing): Lantern Knight's defensive playstyle thrives with Swamp's crowd control—the 40% slow reduces incoming damage pressure, enabling safer tanking and longer survival. This pairing can extend fight duration by 50-80%.

The Shade (A-Tier Pairing): The Shade's DoT-focused build amplifies Swamp's poison damage, increasing tar patch DoT from 10-20 to 15-30 damage per second. This boost makes tar patches meaningful damage sources rather than just utility tools.

The Pitling (B-Tier Pairing): The Pitling's XP boost enables earlier Swamp acquisition, which is valuable for players who struggle with early-game survival—getting Swamp by wave 6-8 vs 10-12 can prevent early deaths from being overwhelmed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Random tar placement: Many players create tar patches wherever they happen to be without considering enemy pathing—this results in 20-40% tar effectiveness as enemies path around patches. Intentionally aim for chokepoints and spawn locations.

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Creating too late (waves 15+): Swamp's 40% slow is most valuable in waves 8-15 where enemy speed becomes threatening but HP is still manageable. Late-game enemies often have gap-closers or teleports that bypass slows, reducing Swamp's utility.

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Ignoring poison damage modifiers: Swamp's DoT can represent 50-70% of its total value—not investing in poison damage items wastes half the evolution's damage potential. Prioritize poison amplification when running Swamp.

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Using in open arenas: Swamp's tar patches are most effective when enemies can't path around them—in wide-open spaces, enemies simply avoid patches, reducing slow uptime by 60-80%. Save Swamp for chokepoint maps.

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Expecting high damage: The 1.6x multiplier indicates Swamp is a utility evolution—players who expect primary DPS are disappointed. Swamp's value is survival and damage uptime, not raw damage output.

Advanced Strategy

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Expert-Level Optimization

⚠️ Advanced strategy combining 🟢 verified mechanics + 🟡 general principles: Swamp's optimal strategy is the 'retreat hazard' technique where you place tar patches along your retreat path during kiting, forcing pursuing enemies to choose between slowing down (40% speed reduction) or pathing around (losing ground in the chase). This creates a 'breadcrumb trail' of tar patches that extends your survival time by 40-60 seconds in prolonged waves—each patch adds 2-3 seconds of breathing room, and 10-15 patches can turn a 60-second survival run into a 90-120 second clear. Pair Swamp with movement speed to maximize kiting distance, creating longer retreat paths with more tar coverage. Against bosses, use the 'circular tar pattern' technique—place patches in a circle around your position, forcing the boss to path through tar regardless of approach angle, guaranteeing 40% slow uptime and consistent poison damage. The 1.6x multiplier means Swamp scales poorly with damage items, so avoid direct damage modifiers—instead, focus on ball count, patch duration (if available), and movement speed to enable more tar placement. In late game (waves 20+), Swamp transitions to a 'safe zone creator' role—use tar to slow enemy advances during critical moments (boss ultimates, massive wave spawns), buying time for repositioning and cooldown recovery. In NG+ runs, Swamp + Frozen Flame + Magma creates the 'elemental hazard grid' build—Swamp slows, Frozen Flame freezes, Magma burns, creating overlapping ground effects that deal 30-60 damage per second while slowing enemies to 20-40% speed, enabling near-stationary combat where enemies barely move while taking triple-element DoT.