It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing that we will be sunsetting Crusaders of the Lost Idols in May 2022. This was not an easy decision. While we will no longer be adding any additional new content to the game beyond this date, all existing content will remain available and events will continue to run, albeit with no new Crusaders. The last new Tier 7 Crusader will arrive in Nate’s Candy Conundrum, launching on April 7th, and the last endless Season, Season 7: Sunset, will launch on May 4th.

The Codename Entertainment team is very proud of Crusaders of the Lost Idols. It has been an important part of Codename for the last seven years and will continue to have a cherished legacy at the company. We are grateful to everyone who has supported the game, and for the wonderful connections, we have made with the community: from Erika and Kat’s Crusaders Weekly stream to the hundreds of Community Q&As and beautiful coloring sheets shared by you all. Thank you for joining us on this adventure. Many Codename team members have worked on Crusaders at some point during their tenure, and it has a special place in all of our hearts, but most especially the sunsetting team: Erika, Kat, & Wilson.



While we are sad to announce the conclusion of Crusaders, we want to send it off with a bang. All accounts active within the past two years will receive a DLC package that includes over $100 of in-game items. This pack includes:

• Red Panda taskmaster
• Sea Slug taskmaster
• Springy's Golden Epic slot 3
• Unlock for Springy
• Unlock for Torakichi
• Unlock for Shir Brio
• Unlock for The Alluring Viragallant
• Unlock for Garnet
• 5 Tier 7 Christmas chests
• 5 Torakichi chests
• 5 Tier 6 Educational chests
• 5 Tier 6 Gardener's chests
• 5 Tier 6 Superhero chests
• 5 Runic Grab Bags
• 5 Epic Trinket chests
• All-new 7 day 50% Idol buff card (Endurance Training can apply)

We will be retiring support and discontinuing the creation of new updates for Crusaders of the Lost Idols in a staggered process between April 7th and May 4th. We plan to keep the servers for Crusaders running for as long as we are able. After the sunset, legacy events will turn on at the appropriate time but will not have any new content or Crusaders added. We will also be making some oft-requested quality of life updates before sunset.

• Weekend Promos: Friday, April 8th will see the last weekend promo and newsletter and accompanying weekend chest.
• Events: Nate’s Candy Conundrum Tier 7 will be the final event to have new content added, e.g. new objectives and a new Crusader. Nate’s Candy Conundrum Tier 7 will run from April 7th-19th.
• Seasons: Season 6: The Clocktower is set to end on Thursday, April 28th. Crusaders of the Lost Idols will have an ultimate endless season; Season 7: Sunset, launching on Wednesday, May 4th. This season will have endless rewards for those who choose to continue playing.
• Support: The in-game ticket page will close as of April 14th. Tickets will be answered until then. After April 15th, if you have issues with the game please email crusaders@codenameentertainment.com. We will be checking this intermittently to address major issues.

We would like to encourage our Crusaders community to try our other formation strategy management game: Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. You can use the following code in Idle Champions to unlock the Celeste Starter Pack. You can find more info on entering codes in Idle Champions here.

MRHQ-KRX9-WKGH

Additionally, all existing Crusaders of the Lost Idols players who have been active within the past two years will find another code that you can enter in Idle Champions with the same Steam or CNEGames account. That code will unlock a collection of Champions, Champion Chests, Familiars, and Potions to help speed your progress. You can find that code by loading up your Crusaders game. The code includes:

• Unlocks for the following Champions: Spurt (Slot 3), Krull (Slot 6), Black Viper (Slot 7), Hew Maan (Slot 8), and Nova V'Ger (Slot 11)
• Spurt Chests: 16 Gold Spurt Chests with 2 guaranteed Shiny equipment cards
• Krull Chests: 16 Gold Krull Chests with 2 guaranteed Shiny equipment cards
• Black Viper Chests: 16 Gold Black Viper Chests with 2 guaranteed Shiny equipment cards
• Hew Maan Chests: 16 Gold Hew Maan Chests with 2 guaranteed Shiny equipment cards
• Nova Chests: 16 Gold Nova Chests with 2 guaranteed Shiny equipment cards
• Two Familiars: Baby Spurt & Iris the Beholder
• Two Week-Long Buff Potions to increase your gem drops by 50% and your gold find by 100%.

We are proud of all of the work that went into Crusaders of the Lost Idols, and for the amazing community that developed from the game. We appreciate all of your support through the years, and we hope to welcome you to the Idle Champions Community!

Thank you for this adventure,

Codename Entertainment

To address some of the questions, we've made a Sunsetting FAQ for you to read.

Merci is nothing if not tenacious. After six years of trying to find a match for a Valentine's Day outing, he's still game to try and try again with help from his ever-growing collection of friends.

This year Merci's new friend is Audre DeLarveie!

It's time for Merci's Mix-Up 7!

Merci's Mix-Up 7 runs until Tuesday, February 22nd, introducing Audre DeLarveie and bringing back Rosoideae, Alacrity the Matchmaker, Rocky the Rockstar, Sally the Succubus, Warwick the Warlock, Katie the Cupid, Frankie the Demon Crooner, and Ishtar!

New Tier 7 Crusader: Audre DeLarveie

Tags: Event, Dwarf, Elf, Female, Support, Gold

A long time ago, and just around the corner in a cozy little cottage, a dwarf and an elf loved each other very much and they had a daughter, whom they named Audre. They raised her with love and taught her to be kind and polite, but polite doesn't mean agreeing with everything people ask of her. She also developed a backbone.

One day, you're walking along the street and past the cottage where Audre is sitting outside with a table and a stack of pamphlets.

"Could I talk to you about people's rights?" she asks, holding out a pamphlet to you.

Intrigued, you read the pamphlet a bit. "This is really well-thought-out. What's the catch?"

She grimaces. "What do you mean, catch? Everyone deserves fair treatment, no matter their background or views, but we're not there yet. There's still more work to do."

You think about it for a second. "That makes sense. We could use your spirit," you say. "Wanna come with us? We travel through a lot of universes, you could get your message spread pretty far."

Audre crosses her arms and thinks for a minute, looking at her cottage. "March with pride across the multiverse? Count me in. Hannah, I'm going on an adventure!"

Hannah stepped out of the cottage and walked over to Audre and you. "Of course you are," she said, giving Audre a hug and kiss. "But come back from time to time, all right? I'll miss you."

"A herd of stampeding alien trash pandas couldn't keep me away," Audre smirked. "I'll come back in my downtime." Turning to you, she said, "Let's go!"

Audre has joined the party.

New Tier 7 Objectives

Recruit Audre DeLarveie | Audre DeLarveie takes up a slot in the formation. Rocky the Rockstar and Sally the Succubus take up spots in formation and can't be removed. Only 3 Crusaders at a time can do DPS. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Beat area 650.

Big Game Meet and Greet | Warwick the Warlock and Katie the Cupid take up spots in formation and can't be removed. Truck occupies a spot in the formation. If there's an equal number of male and female Crusaders in the formation, the formation gets a 2e5% DPS boost. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Washed Up on World's Wake to complete. Beat area 750.

The Heart's Flames | Frankie the Demon Crooner and Ishtar take up spots in formation and can't be removed. Ishtar's Fire and Rain upgrade starts as purchased. All non-boss area quest requirements are now "Kill 10 of Ishtar's Fire Sprites." Note: This will require having cleared the objective Washed Up on World's Wake to complete. Beat area 800.

Chasms of Emotion | Alacrity the Matchmaker takes up a spot in formation and can't be removed. The formation has been changed. Note: This will require having purchased the max level of the Arithmagician Talent to complete. Beat area 850.

The Road to Self Care | Rosoideae takes up a spot in formation and can't be removed. Taskmasters can't be placed to click monsters. Four self-doubt golems spawn, each with an annoying ability. A life coach occupies a slot in the formation and provides a 100% gold buff for each golem killed, stacking additively. Note: This will require having purchased the max level of the Arithmagician Talent to complete. Beat area 900.

More info

You'll have until Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022 at 12:00 PM Pacific Time to complete Merci's Mix-Up 7!

For more info on previous Merci's Mix-Up Crusaders and objectives check out the Merci's Mix-Up Tier 6 blog post.

Equipment for event Crusaders can be found in Silver and Jeweled Valentine's Chests, which you can earn from objectives and the free play or buy in the shop. Each non-recruitment objective will drop a chest for its given tier of Crusaders, and free play will drop All Tier chests. Gear for Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, Tier 5, Tier 6, and Tier 7 Crusaders will only appear in All Tier chests once you've unlocked the respective Crusaders. You can select the tier of chest you buy in the shop when you go to purchase chests with real money or event currency.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree -- how angry are thy branches...!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree -- how much you embody the rage of nature and bring the wrath of the elements down upon us all!

Once again The Nate Before Christmas blesses our doors, and this year we are visited by a bouncy bundle of joy: Springy, the Patchwork Plush.

The Nate Before Christmas Tier 7 introduces Springy, the Patchwork Plush and brings back Odile, Snowflake Defender, Frosty the Snowman, RoboSanta, The Dark Helper, RoboRudolph, Xander the Xmas Dragon, Wrena the Fair and Kris, the Enraged Elemental!

New Tier 7 Crusader: Springy, the Patchwork Plush

Tags: Event, Support, Gold, Animal, Male, Supernatural

A new day, a new planet. You've been trekking through the tangled weeds, grasses and trees from the portal opening when you almost trip on a hard flat object in the ground. Glancing around, you see the foliage isn't as dense and you can make out a structure in the distance. As you approach, you note a sign that says " G M L" on it mounted on the side of the structure.

You see a door and step inside, smelling an oddly familiar cinnamon and popcorn scent on the stale air. It's an alien mall! And some franchises are just that powerful. You walk in further, eyes adjusting to the gloom of dirty skylights.

A rustling noise draws your attention. Something seems to be approaching you. As it gets closer you hear a rhythmic thumping and the tinkle of something metal hitting the tile floor. It thumps into a brighter patch of light and you see a kangaroo plushie made of assorted fabrics just before it jumps on you and you thud to the floor.

"Friend?" the creature asks.

"If I say yes, will you get off me?"

The kangaroo ducks their head and carefully steps off you. "Sorry. It's been ages since someone visited."

"You're here all alone?"

The kangaroo hops. "There's the occasional mouse that I stomp on, but they don't talk, so they don't count."

You scratch your head. "My friends and I are travellers, and we're a pretty large band. In the spirit of the season, would you like to join us?"

"Would I still get to stomp things?" they ask.

You smile. "Definitely."

Springy, the Patchwork Plush has joined your party.

New Tier 7 Objectives

Recruit Springy | Springy takes up a slot in the formation. RoboSanta and Frosty the Snowman start in the formation, and can't be removed. For every cast of Storm Rider, up to 500 casts, Frosty gets a 15% DPS boost, stacking multiplicatively. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Beat area 650.

Island of Misfit Presents | RoboRudolph and The Dark Helper start in the formation and can't be removed. The formation has been changed. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Washed Up on World's Wake to complete. Beat area 750.

Krampus is Watching | Xander the Xmas Dragon and Wrena the Fair start in the formation and can't be removed. Krampus spawns randomly on non-boss areas and marks 3 random Crusaders with coal, disabling their DPS for 6 seconds. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Washed Up on World's Wake to complete. Beat area 800.

Carpet of Pine Needles | Kris, the Enraged Elemental starts in the formation and can't be removed. Pine spirits randomly spawn. For every spirit exorcised, Kris provides a 10% gold buff, stacking additively. Note: This will require having purchased the max level of the Arithmagician Talent to complete. Beat area 850.

My Snowman and Me | Odile, Snowflake Defender starts in the formation and can't be removed. Monsters drop less gold. A snowman occupies a slot in the formation. The snowman freezes every Crusader except for Odile. Frozen Crusaders don't contribute upgrades. A hot chocolate monster spawns on every non-boss area, the first time you enter the area. For every 88 hot chocolate monsters killed, the snowman freezes one less Crusader. Note: This will require having purchased the max level of the Arithmagician Talent to complete. Beat area 900.

More info

You'll have until Wednesday, Dec 29th, 2021 at 12:00 PM Pacific Time to complete The Nate Before Christmas 7!

For more info on previous The Nate Before Christmas Crusaders and objectives check out the The Nate Before Christmas 6 blog post.

Equipment for event Crusaders can be found in Silver and Jeweled Christmas Chests, which you can earn from objectives and the free play or buy in the shop. Each non-recruitment objective will drop a chest for its given tier of Crusaders, and free play will drop All Tier chests. Gear for Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, Tier 5, Tier 6, and Tier 7 Crusaders will only appear in All Tier chests once you've unlocked the respective Crusaders. You can select the tier of chest you buy in the shop when you go to purchase chests with real money or event currency.

Today's update includes eight new Tier 5 Objectives in the Grimm's Idle Tales campaign! Power up and tell yourself a tale as old as time...

Grimm's Idle Tales Tier 5 Objective Updates

Not in Kansas Anymore

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • All boss areas now have 4 waves of monsters before the boss, and the Bossing Around talent is disabled.
  • All bosses are replaced by the Silver Slipper boss monster.
  • All companions start in the formation in area 1 and rearrange every 50 areas.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 525.
• Awards 625 rubies.

What Big Teeth You Have

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • All Crusaders except those with the Magical tag can be used.
  • Gold find is disabled for longer after a wolf is killed.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 525.
• Awards 625 rubies.

Sleeping Beauty

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • Starting at area 26, 12 of the first 36 bench seats are put to sleep.
  • Sleeping bench seats now change every 50 areas.
  • Monsters move quicker towards the formation.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 525.
• Awards 625 rubies.

Down the Rabbit Hole

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • The White Rabbit and Mad Hatter now change spots every 50 areas.
  • The Mad Hatter supports the Queen of Shades and will disable the upgrades of adjacent Crusaders for every 15 Card monsters killed.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 575.
• Awards 675 rubies.

Let It Go

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • The Snow Queen's heart is even colder now.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 575.
• Awards 675 rubies.

I Like Potatoes

• All changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • All Crusaders except those with a Dragon tag can be used.
• Reach Area 575.
• Awards 625 rubies.

The Lion King

• All changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • Only Crusaders affected by Artaxes Roar! can do DPS.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 575.
• Awards 675 rubies.

Holiday Hoopla

• Most changes from Tier 4 remain in effect.
  • New for Tier 5:
  • The Grinch now moves every 50 areas
  • In addition to Bush Whacker and Nate Dragon, only Tier 2 and Tier 3 event Crusaders can be used.
  • Areas get harder much more quickly.
  • Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete.
• Beat area 575.
• Awards 675 rubies.

Enjoy these new challenges!

There be treasure in these walls...lots of water, but also treasure! If you're ready to take up the task, read on for what changes come with season 3: The Waterways!

Season 3: The Waterways

The Dungeons are open again with season 3: The Waterways!

We've changed up the following formation this season:


Dark Dwellers

Other Changes for Season 3

Dungeon Points, Dungeon Coins and Idol Bonus limit Extended - The cap on the Dungeon rewards has been increased from area 14,000 to area 15,000.

Changes to the Idol Bonus - We've adjusted the Idol bonus from the lower areas of a dungeon objective to be a bit more generous for players new to the dungeons.

More Awesome Rewards! - Both the free and the Benefactor's pass route have had their reward amounts tweaked considerably, with more crafting materials, cooler buffs and drops for the Rune System to help your progress and start using those 5th slot runes!

Quality of Life Changes! - We've added some much-requested quality of life changes to the Dungeons, including seeing how many weekly objectives you have left on the objective selection screen!

Season 2 Skins Now Available! - If you missed getting these skins during the previous season, you can now purchase them for Dungeon Coins!

5th Slot Runes Debut

Season 3 also marks the debut of the 5th slot runes. Throughout the season, we'll be releasing the 5th slot runes in batches, starting with the base 20 Crusaders.

The 5th slot runes unlock awesome power for the Crusaders, with most of them buffing existing upgrades. The higher the level, the better the bonus!

The 5th slot on a Crusader is unlocked using the Arcane Geode, found from Dungeon rewards and through a weekly mission in the mission system.

Enjoy!

Merci is nothing if not tenacious. After five years of trying to find a match for a Valentine's Day outing, he's still game to try and try again with help from his ever growing collection of friends.

This year he's bringing in the flowers: Rosoideae!

It's time for Merci's Mix-Up 6!

Merci's Mix-Up 6 runs until Tuesday, February 23rd, introducing Rosoideae and bringing back Alacrity the Matchmaker, Rocky the Rockstar, Sally the Succubus, Warwick the Warlock, Katie the Cupid, Frankie the Demon Crooner, and Ishtar!

New Tier 6 Crusader: Rosoideae

Tags: Event, Demon, Flora, Tank, Support, Male, Female

They’re a rose bush demon! What does that mean, what is their job? Trundle around every Valentine's distributing rose bouquets due to popular demand? Or the opposite - they visit now-flowerless rose bushes and console them?

Rosoideae is a tank rosebush, here to support other demon and flora Crusaders! When you want to bring them into your formation, you can find them in slot 32.

New Tier 6 Objectives

• Recruit Rosoideae |Rosoideae takes up a slot in the formation Rocky the Rockstar and Sally the Succubus take up spots in the formation and can't be moved. Only Rocky does DPS. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 600.


• Driver's License | Warwick the Warlock and Katie the Cupid take up spots in formation and can't be moved. The formation has been changed. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 650.


• Dearest 0x0000FF | Frankie the Demon Crooner takes up a spot in formation and can't be moved. Only Demon or Flora Crusaders can be used. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 675.


• Mom Cherry |Ishtar takes up a spot in formation and can't be moved. Only Royal Crusaders can be used. Tired Mom monsters spawn, living for a short amount of time, and don't count as a kill or drop items for area progress. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Reach area 700.


• You Broke Me First |Alacrity the Matchmaker takes up a spot in formation and can't be moved. The formation only does DPS when Alacrity has all 3 Imps out. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Reach area 725.

More info

You'll have until Tuesday, February 23rd at 12:00 PM Pacific Time to complete Merci's Mix-Up 6!

For more info on previous Merci's Mix-Up Crusaders and objectives check out the Merci's Mix-Up 5 blog post.

Equipment for event Crusaders can be found in Silver and Jeweled Valentine's Chests, which you can earn from objectives and the free play or buy in the shop. Each non-recruitment objective will drop a chest for its given tier of Crusaders, and free play will drop All Tier chests. Gear for Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, Tier 5, and Tier 6 Crusaders will only appear in All Tier chests once you've unlocked the respective Crusaders. You can select the tier of chest you buy in the shop when you go to purchase chests with real money or event currency.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree -- how angry are thy branches...!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree -- how much you embody the rage of nature and bring the wrath of the elements down upon us all!

Once again The Nate Before Christmas blesses our doors, and this year we are visited by a princess of snow: Odile, Snowflake Defender!

The Nate Before Christmas 6 runs until Tuesday, December 29th at 12PM PST, introducing Odile, Snowflake Defender and bringing back Frosty the Snowman, RoboSanta, The Dark Helper, RoboRudolph, Xander the Xmas Dragon, Wrena the Fair and Kris, the Enraged Elemental!

New Tier 6 Crusader: Odile, Snowflake Defender

Tags: Event, Magical, Female, Healer, Supernatural, Gold, Good

In the Realm of Berwin, Odile was the first-born daughter of Queen Odessa and King Ambros. The Realm of Berwin, also known as the Domain of Winter, was one of the four realms dedicated to fighting the dark spirits of the otherrealm and protecting the spirits of the seasons. Not only were the royal family of Berwin already strong ice magic users, but when Odile was born, the Spirit of Winter itself appeared and bestowed some of its magic upon her.

As she grew up, Odile began training in secret with her mother, but it soon became apparent that her powers were much stronger than Odessa's, even in one so young. Whispers of Odile's power made their way to the otherrealm where the Spirit of Destruction, Glut, had been resting for many years. Glut sent minions out to investigate the rumours surrounding Odile. One small shadow spirit succeeded and brought the news to its master.

Glut attacked the realm of Berwin, laying waste to the area as he made his way to capture Odile, bringing an air of blight to the once pristine world. Odessa and Ambros managed to hold off the first wave of dark spirits, but Glut had grown in power in its time away. To buy some time and save their people, the royals decided to send Odile away, wiping her memory and transporting her to Earth. Craving the power within, Glut abandoned its siege and followed Odile's trail through the realms though it would take time to find her.

Odile, now living with her new glamoured family as Odette, continued to grow up and lead a normal, mundane life. But Glut's minions eventually stumbled into the right realm and found the missing princess, causing the Spirit of Winter to break the seal her parents had placed. Odile remembered her powers, her family, and with her memories regained, she stepped into her role of Snowflake Defender, ready to help the Crusaders on their quest.

New Tier 6 Objectives

• Recruit Odile, Snowflake Defender |Odile takes up a slot in the formation. Frosty the Snowman and RoboSanta take up spots in the formation and can't be moved. Only Crusaders affected by Frosty's Chilling Power or RoboSanta's Expensive Toys will do DPS. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 600.


• Chocolate Spaghetti | RoboRudolph and the Dark Helper take up spots in the formation and can't be moved. Businessmen spawn randomly and target a random Crusader while they're alive. Targeted Crusaders will have their DPS reduced to 0 while the businessman who targeted them is alive and for 10 seconds afterwards. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 650.


• Guardians Risen | Xander the Xmas Dragon takes up a slot in the formation and can't be moved. A fiery escort takes up a slot in the formation and changes positions every 100 areas. Fireball monsters spawn randomly and provide either a debuff or buff when killed. These stacks persist until you reset the world. Note: This will require having cleared the objective To Infinity and Beyond on Ghostbeard's Greed to complete. Reach area 675.


• It's a Wonderful Life | Wrena the Fair takes up a slot in the formation and can't be moved. Only Wrena does DPS. The formation has been changed. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Reach area 700.


• Stygian Christmas | Kris, the Enraged Elemental takes up a slot in the formation and can't be moved. Cerberus monsters spawn randomly and live longer than normal monsters. Note: This will require having cleared the objective Bullet Hell on Ready Player Two to complete. Reach area 725.

More info

You'll have until Tuesday, December 29th at 12:00 PM Pacific Time to complete The Nate Before Christmas!

For more info on previous Nate Before Christmas Crusaders and objectives check out the Nate Before Christmas 5 blog post.

Equipment for event Crusaders can be found in Silver and Jeweled Christmas Chests, which you can earn from objectives and the free play or buy in the shop. Each non-recruitment objective will drop a chest for its given tier of Crusaders, and free play will drop All Tier chests. Gear for Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, Tier 5, and Tier 6 Crusaders will only appear in All Tier chests once you've unlocked the respective Crusaders. You can select the tier of chest you buy in the shop when you go to purchase chests with real money or event currency.

Get ready to tackle the Clocktower and power up your Crusaders with the all-new Rune System! What's the Rune System you ask? Keep reading to find out!

Season 2: The Clocktower

The Dungeons are open again with season 2: The Clocktower!

We've changed up the following 3 formations:


Playing It Old School


Free For All


Sunday Stroll

Other Changes for Season 2

Rotating Dungeon Points and Dungeon Coin Bonuses Improved - They've been increased up from 10% to a 125% bonus.

Dungeon Points, Dungeon Coins and Idol Bonus limit Extended - The cap on the Dungeon rewards has been increased from area 10,000 to area 14,000.

Changes to the Dungeon Points and Dungeon Coin drops - The drop formulas have been tweaked a bit, due to the changes in the bonuses, but they also start earlier now.

More Awesome Rewards! - Both the free and the Benefactor's pass route have had their reward amounts tweaked considerably, with more crafting materials, cooler buffs and drops for the Rune System to help your progress!

More Achievements - We've added more achievements for going deep on the Dungeon objectives, plus the Season 2 completion achievement!

Lil' Reaper Now Available! - If you missed getting this cutie during the previous season, you can now purchase it for Dungeon Coins!

Extra Levels Beyond Level 25! - The season itself still ends at level 25, but you've got some extra levels to chase for even more crafting materials!

Introducing the Rune System

Epic gear being elusive? Or Legendary gear taking a while to level up again? Runes are here to give you a power kick and make some changes to your play!

The Runes

There are five types of Runes available to slot on your Crusaders: Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Soul. What power each unlocks depends on the Crusader you're assigning the rune to, otherwise each type of rune is identical.

You can level up runes by dragging a rune to the Merge box in the rune inventory, or by dragging a rune of the same level and shape onto a rune slot on the Crusader that already has a rune assigned to it. Merging runes to reach level 6 and higher will cost 1 Legendary Catalyst each time in addition to the two runes of the same level and shape.

Rune Screen

The Rune screen is where all the magic happens. You can choose between viewing the list of Crusaders in the Formation, Crusaders who have Runes Slotted, and All Crusaders. Clicking on a Crusader from the list will bring up their personal slots and the list of their rune bonuses.

You can unlock the slots on a Crusader in any order. The first slot is free, and the rest will cost Legendary Catalysts, increasing in cost as you unlock more slots. Once a slot is unlocked, you can slot in a Rune and start seeing the benefits of the bonus.

Crusaders' Runes provide different effects based on their role, such as Gold Find for Gold Finders Crusaders. That applies to the first 3 slots.

Slot 4 on every Crusader provides them with a mission system boost. There are 4 possible effects that slot will unlock:

• Increase the Gold won from Gold Missions.
• Increase the EP won from EP Missions.
• Chance that the rewards from the mission can be doubled.
• Reduce the duration of missions longer than 2 hours in original duration.

Slot 5 on every Crusader will have a buff unique to them, which we will be adding over time.

Once assigned to a slot on a Crusader, you normally cannot remove a Rune, just upgrade it. There is a rare item, Rune Solvent, that will allow you to remove all slotted Runes from a particular Crusader. You can find Rune Solvents from a mission in the mission system.

How to Acquire Runes

You'll be able to get Runes by opening Runic chests, and specific Rune types of certain levels as rewards from some season milestones. You can also get the Runic chests from the following locations:

• The real money Chest Store, from the Runic chest tab.
• Up to 2 chests per week from the Ruby Exchange.
• Up to 3 chests per week from the Challenge Token store.
• Up to 3 chests per week from the Dungeon Depot.
• Up to 2 chests per week from the Mission System.
• Season reward milestones.

Have fun with the new season and the new Rune System!

Hail Crusaders!

You may have heard whispers about "uncapped objectives" swirling around this year and wondered what they were. Well, wonder no more! It's time to descend into The Dungeons!

Welcome to The Dungeons

What are the Dungeons you might ask? Well, it's a set of 10 new objectives for you to enjoy, with a major bonus: no maximum DPS cap! That's right, you can now see how far your formation building will take you without running into an invisible wall! The Dungeons are available to try once you've completed the From the Ashes Tier 3 Objective in the Mischief at Mugwarts campaign.

These objectives come with all-new formations that range from 12 to 15(!) spots to place your Crusaders, challenging you ascend to new heights while expanding your creativity. And getting deeper into these objectives is good, as it will net you more rewards in the form of Dungeon Coins, an all-new currency arriving with this update. Dungeon Coins can be spent on various items in the new Dungeon Coin shop, The Dungeon Depot, helping you gain even more additional power to push your formations even further.

10 New Formations

We wanted to give you a brief introduction to the 10 new formations, so without further ado, here they are!



Playing it Old School
This formation will look familiar to most players, as it's a take on Ready Player Two with the bottom spot of the middle column removed, leaving it with 13 spots for you to build your formation with. But we have faith you can make it work!



Free for All
This formation features two columns of 4 Crusaders each for you to experiment with, as you build a formation that works with the 12 spots you have available.



Fun and Games
Two columns of 4 again, but with different adjacent spots for the center two spots and the extra front spot gives you some more variety in this formation of 13 Crusaders.



Under Fire
Another riff on the Ready Player Two formation, but this time with the center 2 spots having more adjacent spots than in the original.



Sunday Stroll
Another 13 spot formation for you to try out, starting big on the outside and going in to the lone center spot. How far can this formation take you?



Dark Dwellers
14 spots for you to play with in this N-shaped formation, featuring 3 columns of 4 Crusaders each and a couple Mindy friendly spots, but those two solo spot columns might prove tricky to craft around.



Making Waves
The first 15 spot formation of the new formations. Ride the wave as you make this formation work.



Jungle Journey
Another 15 spot formation, with columns of 4 and more of your Crusaders clustered together. We're excited to see how you can take advantage of this shape to push as far as you can.



Achieve Flight
With 14 spots and a column of 4, this evil eye formation might not be so evil after all, especially with its Mindy friendly spots.



Dungeon Crawl
The final new formation is also 14 spots for you to fill, with yet another column of 4, flanked by columns of two and bounded by columns of 3 Crusaders.


We hope you enjoy busting out your formation crafting with these new formations!

New Rotating Buff System

But we can hear you ask, why would I do any objective other than the ones with the excellent 15 spot formations?

Good question player! Well, the Dungeons also feature a rotating buff system. So of the 10 objectives, 3 will be assigned a buff to give you a bonus for doing that objective. The buffs will rotate to 3 different objectives every time you reset the world off of an objective in The Dungeons. So you can benefit from doing an objective with a smaller formation if you do it while it has the buff that you currently want.

The three buffs that will rotate are:

• Bonus Idols - Gain anywhere from 0.01% of your current total Idols at the time you reset the world, up to 3% depending on how deep you get before resetting the world on an objective when it has this buff. Ka-ching!


• Bonus Dungeon Coins - Gain 10% more Dungeon Coins from this reset when you choose an objective that has this buff. Dungeonlicious!


• Bonus Dungeon Points! - Gain 10% more Dungeon points from this reset when you choose an objective that has this buff. Cryptastic!

Dungeon points, you ask? Let's continue on to the next section.

New Season: The Crypt

The Dungeons update will also introduce our new 'Seasons' mechanic to the game and our first season: The Crypt! Complete the whole season and in addition to the in-game achievement for beating it, you'll unlock our adorable new Crypt-themed taskmaster, Li'l Reaper.




So what's the short and long of it?

• If you have access to the Dungeons objectives, you can participate in the season.



• You have 12 weeks to earn enough Dungeon Points to clear all 25 levels and earn all the prizes, including Li'l Reaper.



• For our first season, The Crypt, Dungeon points are only earned from completing objectives in the Dungeons.



• The deeper you go on an objective, the more points you get.



• You can do 15 objectives for Dungeon points a week for free, letting you choose when you can invest your time in earning those points.



• If you need additional runs to earn your Dungeon points, you can spend Dungeon Coins in the Dungeon Depot to access additional runs for the week.

Want even more goodies than you can earn for free? You can support Crusaders by purchasing the Mysterious Benefactor's pass at any time. You'll immediately be able to claim any premium rewards you've already unlocked and you'll be able to claim the others as you meet the season goals.

We're looking forward to your feedback on this new addition to Crusaders! Get your delving on!

F.A.Q. for Dungeons and The Crypt Season

• Q: What are the Dungeon objectives?
  
  A: They are a series of new objectives for you to test your mettle against. The maximum number cap has been removed, so you can go as far as your heart desires and see what your true DPS is in these all-new formations.



• Q: How do I access the Dungeons objectives?
  
  A: Once you've completed the Tier 3 Objective From the Ashes in the Mischief at Mugwarts campaign, objectives for The Dungeons will become available from the campaign selection screen.



• Q: Why no bonus boss Idol drops?
  
  A: Because the bonus boss Idols drops are based on the areas reached and the maximum number cap has been removed for these objectives.



• Q: Will I get progress towards my Free Play Bonus by doing these objectives?
  
  A: No, these objectives do not count towards that bonus, as these are special types of objectives and that bonus is for rotating through the free plays on the permanent themed campaigns.



• Q: What do I get from doing the Dungeons objectives?
  
  A: You get the all-new Dungeon Coins to purchase items from the new Dungeon shop; and Dungeon points for the current season. The debut season is The Crypt.



• Q: Can I only do these objectives once?
  
  A: No, you can do each objective multiple times. The only limit is your weekly allowance of runs.



• Q: How do I see my season progress?
  
  A: You can click on the all-new Dungeons button on the Rosette tab at the bottom of the screen, the one with your Achievements, Stats and Challenges information.



• Q: Why is the season geared towards veterans? How can I make progress?
  
  A: The season is meant to be additional end game content, but we still want mid level players to have access to the dungeon objectives. You can still earn points, especially if you take advantage of the buff that gives more Dungeon Points from a reset. You do also have the twelve weeks to try and get up into the higher echelon of power, and you can purchase extra runs for Dungeon Coins in the later weeks if you've managed to raise your power levels by then.



• Q: What happens if I can't complete the first season?
  
  A: The top prize for the season will become available for Dungeon Coins in the Dungeon Coin store a few weeks after the season completes.



• Q: Do I have to claim the rewards right when I unlock them?
  
  A: No, you can wait to claim them until you're ready to use them. However, if the season has ended, any unclaimed rewards will automatically be claimed at the end. Rewards will be awarded if you are in the game when the season ends, or the next time you log in if your game is closed when the season ends.



• Q: If I purchased the Mysterious Benefactor's pass during the previous season, do I get the rewards in the current season?
  
  A: No, but you keep all of the permanent rewards you've earned from the old season.



• Q: How do I buy the Mysterious Benefactor's pass?
  
  A:
  • Launch Crusaders of the Lost Idols.
  • Navigate to the current season's dialog.
  • Click on the purchase button.
  • Benefit!



• Q: What if I buy the Mysterious Benefactor's pass late in the season?
  
  A: You will receive all of the rewards up to your current level, retroactively, and you can claim them at any time after you've purchased the pass.



• Q: What happens when the season ends?
  
  A: All the rewards you haven't claimed yet will be auto-claimed.
  
  If you are currently on a dungeon objective that would get you points for the season, those points will be applied to the new season once you reset that objective.

Demonic sweets once again threaten the Crusaders, as they hop into yet-another parallel universe beset by evil Easter candy.

Who better to help fight evil candy than a dentist? Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist is here to help bring his unique blend of buffs to your formation -- welcome to Nate's Candy Conundrum 5!

This year's event runs until Tuesday, April 21st at 12PM PDT, introducing Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist and bringing back Bridget the Painter, Biff the Magic Rabbit, Baenarall, Angel of Hope, Sisaron the Dragon Sorceress, Alan the ArchAngel, and RoboRabbit!

New Tier 5 Crusader: Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist

Dental problem got you down? Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist is here to help! This orc may be a specialist when it comes to tusks, but tusks are just overgrown teeth, right? That's totally the same thing.

Dr Almquist increases Global DPS for each Evil Crusader with his Laughing Gas, and brings Ceiling Protectors to give an overall boost to Global DPS for the formation.

When Dr. Almquist performs a Wisdom Extraction, the first boss kills in an area will drop decayed teeth, which provide a stacking Global DPS increase that persists through adventures. Topical Numbing increases the chances for these teeth to drop.

With Tusk Sharpening Dr. Almquist increases DPS every 25 levels over and including area 200, and when there are Gold Fillings, Dr. Almquist increases Gold Find for each stack of Wisdom Extraction!

New Tier 5 Objectives

• Recruit Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist | Dr. Almquist, Tusk Specialist takes up a slot int he formation. There must be an equal number of Orc and non-Orc Crusaders in the formation (+/- 1).
  Reach area 400.


• Chocolate Factory | A chocolate scientist occupies the center slot in the formation. Experimental chocolate monsters attack the formation.
  Reach area 450.


• Easter Lilies | A lily collector occupies a slot in the formation. She gives monsters a chance to drop lilies when they are defeated. For every lily collected, she increases the DPS of all the Crusaders.
  Reach area 475.


• Resurrection | A strange Easter Bunny occupies the center slot in the formation. The Easter Bunny spawns increasingly large waves of monsters in each area. Reach area 500.


• Greet the Sunrise | Sun monsters attack the formation. When killed, they either buff your Gold or your DPS.
  Reach area 525.

Help! Where’s the Loot?

Equipment for event Crusaders can be found in Silver and Jeweled Easter Chests, which you can earn from objectives and the free play or buy in the shop. Each non-recruitment objective will drop a chest for its given tier of Crusaders, and free play will drop All Tier chests. Gear for Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4 and Tier 5 Crusaders will only appear in All Tier chests once you've unlocked the respective Crusaders. You can select the tier of chest you buy in the shop when you go to purchase chests with real money or event currency.

What About Older Event Crusaders?

Previously-available Superhero Spring Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 Crusaders are once again available to unlock as part of Nate's Candy Conundrum 5. For more information about those Crusaders, check out our Event Blogs from previous years:

• Alan the ArchAngel & RoboRabbit (Tier 1)


• Baenarall, Angel of Hope & Sisaron the Dragon Sorceress (Tier 2)


• Biff the Magic Rabbit (Tier 3)


• Bridget the Painter (Tier 4)

Players will have until Tuesday, April 21st at 12:00PM PDT to complete Nate's Candy Conundrum 5.