- Anime universe tower defense update: Introduces a high-stakes stealth and ambush mode called the Persona Expedition.
- Stealth Mechanics: Hide in designated cover spots and dash between shadows to avoid detection and maintain the upper hand.
- Boundless Joker: Unlock the 0.1% drop rate Boundless Joker (Trickster) unit by defeating the False King boss.
- Phantom Evolutions: Collect Arcana items (Magician, Lovers, Chariot) from locked rooms to obtain and evolve your characters.
- Key Extraction Rule: You must successfully reach the extraction zone to secure your hard-earned rewards and keep your loot.
Anime Universe Tower Defense Update: Expedition Mode Overview
The latest anime universe tower defense update brings a massive gameplay overhaul with the introduction of the Persona-themed Expedition mode (also referred to as the Extraction Spot). This specialized mode shifts away from traditional lane defense, combining stealth exploration, locked-room puzzles, and tactical turn-based ambush battles. Players must navigate a complex maze, gather keys, defeat elite guards, and defeat the final boss before extracting with their loot.
Video Highlights:
- Stealth Mechanics: Learn how to successfully dash between cover points to ambush patrolling shadow guards.
- Locked Room Loot: Discover how to spend objective points to unlock Arcana chests containing exclusive units.
- Boss Strategy: Watch a full walkthrough of the False King boss fight and how to secure the Boundless Joker drop.
- Evolution Showcase: See the step-by-step process of evolving Skull, Ann, and Morgana into their final Phantom forms.
Expedition Loadout Point System
Unlike standard modes, the Expedition mode limits your loadout using a strict point-budget system. High-tier units consume significantly more points, forcing players to strategize and balance their teams carefully.
| Unit Rarity | Point Cost | Loadout Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Boundless & Higher | 50 Points | Bring only one carry unit to anchor your team defense |
| Secret | 30 Points | Powerful alternative if you lack Boundless units |
| Mythic | 15 Points | Great for utility, farming, or secondary DPS |
| Legendary | 5 Points | Perfect for cheap buffs or early-game defense |
| Epic | 3 Points | Used to fill remaining slots if points are tight |
You have a maximum budget of 100 points to construct your entire loadout. Bringing hybrid units is highly recommended because certain rooms feature air-based enemies with no dedicated air placement spots.
Mastering Stealth, Ambush, and Locked Rooms
Navigating the Golden Palace requires patience and careful movement. Patrolling shadows cover the corridors; getting spotted fills their alert meter and drags you into disadvantageous combat.
Stealth and Combat Rules
- Cover Spots: Blue indicators show designated hiding spots. Entering cover makes you completely invisible to patrols.
- Dashing: Use the dash mechanic to cross open corridors between cover spots without raising the alarm.
- Preemptive Strikes: Sneaking up behind an unaware shadow and initiating combat grants you the first turn and an immediate tactical advantage.
- Locked Rooms: Defeating guards yields keys. Use these keys to unlock sealed doors containing high-tier Arcana chests.
| Room Type | Key Required | Potential Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Ambush | No | Gold, basic EXP, and progression points |
| Locked Room | Yes | Arcana Chests (Magician, Lovers, Chariot) |
| Elite Guard Room | Yes | High-tier evolution materials and unit drops |
| Boss Arena | 10 Progression Points | Boundless Joker (0.1% base / 15% pity drop) |
You cannot enter the boss room immediately. You must defeat standard and elite enemies to accumulate 10 out of 10 progression points before the boss arena gates will open.
How to Unlock and Evolve All Phantom Units
The core goal of this anime universe tower defense update is to collect, evolve, and master the new Phantom-themed units. Each unit corresponds to a specific Arcana card that you must collect from locked chests.
Skull (Chariot)
- Base Unit: Obtained via Chariot Arcana
- Evolution Item: Chariot Evolution Card
- Role: Physical DPS with high critical rate scaling
Ann (Lovers)
- Base Unit: Obtained via Lovers Arcana
- Evolution Item: Lovers Evolution Card
- Role: Burn applicator and crowd control specialist
Morgana (Magician)
- Base Unit: Obtained via Magician Arcana
- Evolution Item: Magician Evolution Card
- Role: Wind-shear DPS and support follow-up attacker
Step-by-Step Evolution and Trial Walkthrough
To fully unlock the potential of your Phantom units and prepare them for Joker's team-wide buffs, follow this progression path:
Gather Base Units
Run the Golden Palace Expedition and prioritize finding locked rooms. Open chests to obtain Skull, Ann, and Morgana.
Farm Evolution Cards
Re-enter the Expedition and target Elite enemies. Collect the matching Chariot, Lovers, and Magician evolution cards.
Complete the Evolve Quest
Evolve all three units in your inventory. This unlocks the special admin trial quest required for the ultimate key card.
Secure the Special Key Card
Equip all three evolved Phantom units in your active squad, complete the trial match, and claim your Special Room Key Card.
Before committing to high-tier evolutions, transfer your best damage and range stats onto your base units. Use the mining room to gather stat chips for optimal S-rank transfers.
Joker (Trickster) Boundless Unit Showcase
Joker is the ultimate prize of the anime universe tower defense update. Classified as a Boundless unit, Joker acts as the central pillar of the Phantom team, transforming his allies into high-speed follow-up attackers.
Joker's Passive Abilities and Upgrades
| Ability Name | Effect Description | Tactical Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Leader of the Team | Grants +50% damage to all Phantom units in range | Massive scaling for Skull, Ann, and Morgana |
| Allied Follow-up | Allies attack when Joker attacks (15s Cooldown) | Doubles your active DPS output during boss phases |
| Wild Card Summon | Summons a phantom companion with 3 attack variants | Permanent buffs and fear application on enemies |
| Only Hope of Humanity | Accumulates Hope Charge across matches (+10 per boss kill) | Grants permanent range, boss damage, and buff scaling |
Enemies afflicted by Joker's Fear status effect will walk backward and begin attacking other enemies on the path, providing unmatched crowd control.
Phantom Companion Attacks
Once fully upgraded, each Phantom unit summons their unique companion to dominate the battlefield:
| Companion | Attack 1 | Attack 2 | Permanent Amplification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsene (Joker) | Eiha (Fear & Stun) | Bufou (Freeze) | Permanent 50% damage boost to Trickster |
| Captain Kidd (Skull) | Matarukaja (Team Buff) | God's Hand (AoE DPS) | +30% damage and +20% range bonus |
| Carmen (Ann) | Agi (Burn) | Dormina (Stun) | Increases burn damage by 25% on afflicted targets |
| Zorro (Morgana) | Garu (Wind Shear) | Lucky Punch (Triple Crit) | Increases wind shear damage to 80% over 7 ticks |
Expedition Goals Checklist
Use this checklist to track your progress through the new Expedition update content.
Expedition Milestones:
- Beat the Golden Palace and successfully extract for the first time
- Obtain Skull, Ann, and Morgana from Arcana chests
- Evolve all three basic Phantom units using matching evolution cards
- Defeat the False King and obtain the Boundless Joker unit
- Unlock Joker's active Ambush ability at max upgrade level
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I get the Boundless Joker unit?
Joker is a rare drop from the False King boss in the Expedition mode. He has a 0.1% base drop rate and a guaranteed pity drop after 8 successful boss runs.
Q: Why did I lose all my loot after completing a run?
You must use the designated Extraction Spot to exit the match. Leaving the game early or failing to extract before the timer runs out will forfeit all rewards earned during that run.
Q: How does the Ambush active ability work?
Unlocked at max upgrade, Ambush freezes the map and allows Joker and his active Phantom allies to take turns executing high-damage abilities, culminating in a 1,000% damage team attack.
Q: What is the best stat setup for Joker?
Prioritize Damage and Range stats. Joker's passives scale heavily off his base damage, and his Leader of the Team buff requires allies to be positioned inside his attack range.