Secret Cow Level Walkthrough
The Secret Cow Level is the hidden sixth map in Endless Curse. It's a grassland with almost no trees, home only to Hell Bovines, and they come in bigger numbers than on any other stage. Hold out until 9:00 and the guardian, The Cow King, takes the field.
01Quick facts
| Stage | Secret stage (not one of the five) |
|---|---|
| How to unlock | Clear the five main stages on the same difficulty |
| Monsters | 1 types (A meadow infested with hell bovines) |
| Mid-bosses | 3:00 Hell Bovine 6:00 Grisbon / Skeleton Lord / Scathelocke / Skeleton Knight |
| Guardian | 9:00 The Cow King, always drops one legendary item |
| Terrain | Open grassland full of cattle herds |
| Best element | Fire, Ice, Poison, Shadow |
02Terrain and weather
The map is the same kind of grassland as the Shady Forest, but with only ×0.12 the trees, so it's wide open and easy to circle. Monster spawns are ×1.45 those of other stages, and every one is a Hell Bovine.
From 2:00 on, each minute there's a 18% chance the weather changes, lasting about a minute. Weather affects you and the monsters alike:
| Weather | Share | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Rain | 40% | Lightning ×1.5, Fire ×0.5 |
| Fog | 27% | Shadow and Holy damage ×1.3 |
| Harsh sunlight | 20% | Fire ×1.5, Ice ×0.5 |
| Snowfall | 7% | Ice ×1.5; everything but Undead loses a bit of health every 2 s, and everyone is slowed (except Ice types) |
| Sandstorm | 7% | Physical ×1.3; everything but Beasts loses a bit of health every 2 s |
03Monsters you'll meet (1 types)
Monsters change in waves over time, and the later ones are stronger. Each run draws part of the list, so you won't necessarily meet every one. The brackets show when each mainly appears; click a name to see its weaknesses and behavior in the bestiary.
Hell Bovinewhole run04Which elements to bring
The table shows, for the 1 monster types in this stage, how many each element is effective against and how many resist it. Effective means ×1.6, resisted means ×0.6, and Undead take only ×0.3 from poison.
| Element | Effective (×1.6 or more) | Resisted |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | 1 | 0 |
| Ice | 1 | 0 |
| Poison | 1 | 0 |
| Shadow | 1 | 0 |
| Physical | 0 | 0 |
| Lightning | 0 | 0 |
| Holy | 0 | 1 |
In Secret Cow Level, Fire, Ice, Poison, Shadow pays off the most. For the full matchup rules, see Element Chart.
05Bosses
- 3:00 mid-boss: Hell Bovine.
- 6:00 mid-boss: Grisbon, Skeleton Lord, Scathelocke, Skeleton Knight, one at random (never the same as at 3:00).
- 9:00 guardian: The Cow King. At 8:00 you get a warning that the guardian arrives in one minute.
The guardian enrages at half health, moving faster and attacking more often. When it falls, it drops a legendary item on the spot and a blue portal opens next to it: you only clear the stage once you step into the portal, and dying before that doesn't count.
For the guardian's attacks, warning areas and weaknesses, see the The Cow King guide.
06Strength on the three difficulties
Each stage comes in three difficulties: Normal, Nightmare and Hell. The multipliers below already include this stage's own difficulty (stage 6; later stages are tougher):
| Difficulty | Monster health | Monster damage | Elite spawns | Coin payout | First-clear reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | ×0.63 | ×0.63 | ×0.6 | ×1.75 | 1800 |
| Nightmare | ×3.75 | ×2 | ×1.8 | ×3.15 | 3600 |
| Hell | ×9 | ×3 | ×2.6 | ×5.25 | 5400 |
Normal is especially forgiving: half the health and damage, 20% fewer monsters, and later stages scale up only half as much. Nightmare unlocks after clearing all five stages on Normal, and Hell after clearing all five on Nightmare. Legendary drop rates are ×1.5 on Nightmare and ×2 on Hell; see Legendary Gear.
07How to unlock the secret stage
The Cow Level unlocks separately on each difficulty: clear all five main stages on the same difficulty and a red portal appears in the top-right corner of town. Walk in, pick the difficulty and set off. Until then, the stage menu only shows "???".
The Cow Level isn't one of the five main stages: unlocking Nightmare or Hell only depends on clearing those five. The Cow Level has no story chapter and no hero to recruit, but your first clear still pays the first-clear coin reward.
08Tips
- Area skills rule: the cattle charge in herds, and single-target skills can't keep up.
- Fire, Ice, poison and Shadow all deal ×1.6: Hell Bovines are Beasts, and only Holy is resisted (×0.6).
- Lots of open space, so circle wide: don't let the herd push you into the thickets or water at the map's edge.
- Mid-bosses: at 3:00 it's a Hell Bovine appearing as a boss; at 6:00 one is drawn from Grisbon, Skeleton Lord, Scathelocke, Skeleton Knight.
New to Endless Curse? Read How a Run Works first to learn what happens during those 9 minutes.
09FAQ
How do I unlock the Secret Cow Level?
Clear all five stages on the same difficulty. Clear all five on Normal and a red portal appears in the top-right corner of town; walk in to take it on. The Nightmare and Hell Cow Levels each open only after clearing all five stages on that difficulty.
Do I need to play the Cow Level? Does it affect unlocking the next difficulty?
No. Unlocking the next difficulty only depends on the five main stages; the Cow Level is an extra challenge.
Does the Cow Level have a hero or a story?
No. The Cow Level has no story chapter and no hero who joins.
Who guards the Cow Level?
The Cow King, arriving at 9:00. Like every guardian, he always drops one legendary item.
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