Frozen Plains Walkthrough

01Quick facts

02Terrain and weather

There are ×1.35 as many ice lakes as on a normal map, and you slip when you walk on them (Ice-type monsters don't). The only weather is snow, and it comes more often than on other stages.

While it snows, everyone who isn't Ice-type is slowed: by 10% on other stages, but by 25% here. You lose 1.2% of your max health every 2 seconds (though it can't kill you), and monsters that aren't Undead lose health too.

From 2:00 on, each minute there's a 45% chance the weather changes, lasting about a minute. Weather affects you and the monsters alike:

03Monsters you'll meet (13 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 runZombie0:00–8:20Shadow Assassin1:10–6:20Hobgoblin Archerfrom 2:40Frozen Zombie2:40–8:20Ice Antfrom 2:40Ghost Zombiefrom 4:20Ice Skeleton Magefrom 4:20Ice Gravefrom 6:20Minotaurfrom 6:20Water Wyvernfrom 8:20

04Which elements to bring

The table shows, for the 13 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 Frozen Plains, Fire pays off the most. For the full matchup rules, see Element Chart.

05Bosses

• 3:00 mid-boss: Skeleton Lord.
• 6:00 mid-boss: Scathelocke, Skeleton Knight, one at random (never the same as at 3:00).
• 9:00 guardian: Frost Lord. 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 Frost Lord 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 3; 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 3: Fury of the Ice

Fury of the Ice

A band of northern hunters went after the Frost Lord, and only the echo of their horn came back. Follow their tracks across the Frozen Plains.

The first time you take on Frozen Plains on Normal, solo, while Grimm the Barbarian hasn't joined your town yet, the run turns into the story.

At 3:30 you find a frozen war camp with Grimm the barbarian sealed in a block of ice. Carry torches from the campfire to light the three braziers around him to melt the ice; stray too far from the fire and the cold builds until you freeze for a moment. The Frost Lord's icy breath sweeps a huge area, but it can't reach you behind a pillar of ice.

Beat the guardian and step into the portal, and Grimm joins your town; from then on you can switch to the Barbarian 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

• Ice skills are weaker here: lots of monsters are Ice-type themselves (Ice Ant, Frozen Zombie, Ice Skeleton Mage, Ice Grave, Water Wyvern), and Ice hits them for only ×0.6.
• Fire is the best deal: Fire hits both Undead and Beasts for ×1.6, and the Ice-type monsters here don't resist it.
• Stay off the ice lakes when it snows: you're already slowed, and slipping on top of that gets you surrounded fast.
• Ice ×1.5 while it snows: Ice-type monsters hit harder too, so dodging their fans of ice bullets matters even more.
• You're slowed near the Frost Lord: his Chill Aura slows you when you get close, so melee classes should hit and run.

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

09FAQ

Why do I keep slowing down in the Frozen Plains?

That's the blizzard: while it snows here, anyone who isn't Ice-type is slowed by 25%. The snow stops after about a minute; meanwhile, stay off the ice lakes and clear the monsters around you first.

Can the snow freeze me to death?

No. Snow takes 1.2% of your max health every 2 seconds, but it can't bring you down.

Which element should I bring to the Frozen Plains?

Fire is the safest, at ×1.6 against both Undead and Beasts. Ice is often resisted here.