Forgotten Ruins Walkthrough

01Quick facts

02Terrain and weather

There are ×1.55 as many walls and ×2 as many thickets as on a normal map, so narrow paths between pillars are everywhere. The upside: monsters come at you in a line, so skills that pierce in a straight line shine. The downside: get pinched from both ends and there's nowhere to run.

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:

03Monsters you'll meet (14 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.

Brittle Skeleton0:00–2:40Skeleton0:00–6:20Skeleton Archerwhole runHobgoblin1:10–8:20Shadow Assassin1:10–6:20Cursed Gravefrom 2:40Elite Goblinfrom 2:40Skeleton Magefrom 2:40Ghost Zombiefrom 4:20Fire Skeleton Magefrom 4:20Ice Skeleton Magefrom 4:20Dark Zombiefrom 4:20Minotaurfrom 6:20Wind Wyvernfrom 8:20

04Which elements to bring

The table shows, for the 14 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.

In Forgotten Ruins, Fire pays off the most. For the full matchup rules, see Element Chart.

05Bosses

• 3:00 mid-boss: Necromancer, Grisbon, Skeleton Lord, one at random.
• 6:00 mid-boss: Grisbon, Skeleton Lord, one at random (never the same as at 3:00).
• 9:00 guardian: Mirror 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 Mirror 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 4; later stages are tougher):

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.

07Story chapter 4: Shadows in the Ruins

Shadows in the Ruins

Something in the Forgotten Ruins is hunting whoever goes in, leaving only mirror shards beside the dead. Go find the other half of the seal's key.

The first time you take on Forgotten Ruins on Normal, solo, while Sable the Assassin hasn't joined your town yet, the run turns into the story.

At 3:30 you find the temple of the seal, where Sable the assassin is fighting reflections that wear your face, and she takes you for one of them. Hit her six times and she stops. Then turn three mirrors to guide sunlight onto the bronze sun on the temple door; it opens after 15 seconds of continuous light. The Mirror King splits into four, and only the real one has a shadow.

Beat the guardian and step into the portal, and Sable joins your town; from then on you can switch to the Assassin at the campfire. If you fail and try again, the story is told more briefly. Once the hero has joined, talk to the militia guard at this road's exit to replay the chapter. For the full walkthrough, see the story guide.

08Tips

• Don't stop in a dead end: check your exit before you move. Getting pinched from both sides is the most common way to die here.
• Keep moving: Skeleton Mages drop exploding areas at your feet, and standing still means you'll get hit.
• Tear down graves first: Cursed Graves don't move but keep spawning zombies, and a path clogged with zombies is the worst.
• Shadow Assassins are fast: they're Human, so Shadow hits them for ×1.6. Wait for them to rush in and catch them with area skills.
• Piercing skills pay off: narrow paths line monsters up, so straight-line skills like the Knight's Impale or the Ranger's Piercing Shot hit a whole row at once.

New to Endless Curse? Read How a Run Works first to learn what happens during those 9 minutes.

09FAQ

The paths in the Forgotten Ruins are so narrow. How do I fight?

Use the narrow paths to line monsters up and clear them with straight-line or area skills. Check your exit before moving so you don't get pinched from both ends.

Which bosses are in the Forgotten Ruins?

The 3:00 and 6:00 mid-bosses are drawn from the Necromancer, Grisbon and the Skeleton Lord; the guardian at 9:00 is the Mirror King.

What should I watch out for with the Mirror King?

He summons mirror reflections that shoot, and he can teleport. In chapter four of the story he splits into four, and only the real one has a shadow; after a while Sable marks him for you. See the Mirror King guide for the full strategy.