Guide for New Players
This is a guide geared mainly to gamers new to ZpellCatz. The guide's primary focus is to assist players in gaining a basic understanding
of how the game is played and to share some tips and tricks.
Contents:
Hero Class & Path Class
So you want to start playing and you have no idea which classes to choose? Here's a quick overview:
- Random: Every class combination is viable. The default class combination is randomly selected when clicking "New Game". Why not let fate decide?
- AoE room clearer: Dark Mage (Mage + Twilight) has decent AoE spells that clear rooms quickly. Boss fights may take a little longer due to low single target damage.
- Tank: Archdruid (Druid + Tranqulity) uses melee spells and offers good survivability. Stack lofs of "Life on Hit" and you're good to go!
- Boss killer: Do you want to show bosses who the boss is? Elemental Shaman (Shaman + Fury) if you prefer offensive gameplay, Forest Shaman (Shaman + Tranquility) if you'd rather have too much defense than too little.
Familiars
Familiars are bat companions that support your cat hero on their adventures. They are CPU controlled by default, but you can connect a gamepad for local multiplayer /
"Couch Co-op". The first thing you should do after the intro scene is to visit Drac in the north of the village and pick a Familiar.
- Loki: Unlocked at the start of the game. Offensive Familiar. Usually a good match for Mages or offensive Druids.
- Amon: Unlocked at the start of the game if you own the Supporter Pack DLC. Thanks for the support! Good all-rounder.
- Bashu: Unlocked with 1 Mana Essence. Defensive Familiar. A good choice if you need a tank or if you need more "Life on Hit" as a Druid.
- Bemoth: Unlocked with 2 Mana Essences. Offensive Familiar. Usually a good match for Dark Mages or Shamans.
- Ferra: Unlocked with 6 Mana Essences. Very defensive Familiar. A good choice if you need a tank or if you want to focus on "Defense" (e.g. Tranquility).
- Moloc: Unlocked with 9 Mana Essences. Very offensive Familiar. Kills quickly. Dies quickly.
So, which Familiar should you take with you? If the Familiar is played by another player, I would personally suggest Loki. Loki's abilities are just fun because they
have a long range and a large area of effect. If the Familiar is CPU controlled, I would suggest Bashu or Ferra and build them as defensively as possible so that they
survive for a long time.
How to Survive
So you are dying a lot and you need help to survive? Here we go!
- Use your resources: Do you have empty gem casket slots? Socket a gem for bonus stats. Do you have any Dust left? Upgrade your socketed gems. Do you have Fish Sticks / Magic Tuna left? Craft an epic item.
- Prefer flat stats in early game: Items with intelligence, mind, vitality, spell power, defense or hit points are great for the first few dungeons.
- Resistances: Most of the dungeons are focuses around 1 or 2 damage elements. Observe what elements enemies and bosses use and look for items with the corresponding resistances.
- Healing: "Life after Kill" is good for dungeon clearing, "Life on Hit" is great during boss fights. The amount healed of your Healing Potions is based on your hit points. Therefore, stacking hit points is also a good way to heal.
- Player skill: Enemies and bosses use fixed patterns in their attacks. It helps to watch enemies closely and learn the patterns, especially with unknown bosses.
- Farming: Don't feel like observing enemies and memorizing patterns? No problem! ZpellCatz is an ARPG, so just go to the last dungeon (with a boss!) and farm it 3 times. After that, current dungeons should be much easier.
Epic Items
Epic items are very powerful and you will find enough resources to craft some tier 1 and tier 2 epics throughout the game. Here's some info regarding epic items.
- Tier 1 epic items commonly drop and most of them are craftable. Level range: 1 - 20
- Tier 2 epic items drop from time to time and most of them are craftable. Level range: 20 - 44
- Tier 3 epic items rarely drop and can't be crafted. Level range: 45
- You need Fish Sticks to craft tier 1 epic items and Magic Tuna to craft tier 2 epic items.
- Crafting is cheaper when the base item is of normal quality (white, no bonus stats).
But what epic items to craft? Since the great folks at Maxroll haven't written a ZpellCatz guide yet (and may never do so), here are
a few epic items that I would personally craft.
Tier 1
- Mage: Scepter of Doom, Infernal Pages, Hell's Knowledge, Flaming Bonnet, Magic Silk, Life Giver, Cursed Gloves, Progress
- Druid: Glowing Stick, Wooden Scourge, Evasive Shield, Ancestor's Tower, Iron Forehead, Skull of the Titan, Bat Coat, Hand of the Guardian, Steel Foot
- Shaman: Stake of Wounds, Ocean's Bible, North, Cloak of Tribes, Summit's Grip, Cold Feet
- Twilight: Thorn of Shadows, Twilight Teachings, South, Dark Fabric, Cursed Gloves, Skilled Step
- Tranquility: Protective Branch, Calm Sentinel, Shield Enhancer, Safeguard, Life Giver, Hand of the Guardian, Stroll
- Fury: Storming Club, Storm Caller, Raging Thunder, Furious Cap, Precision, Deadly Fist, Ashen Hands, Rushing Spur
Tier 2
- Dark Mage: Verses of Suffering
- Forest Mage: Winter Mute
- Fury Mage: Bone Talon, Dark Shock
- Mage: Shadow Moon, Eternal Flame, Eternal Darkness, Cruel Priest, Magus Step
- Fury Druid: Heat Shield
- Druid: Emerald Vision, Elemental Repulse
- Shadow Shaman: Frost Burn
- Forest Shaman: Sanctum of the Forest
- Elemental Shaman: Permafrost, Elemental Discharge
- Shaman: Eternal Snow, Mana Protector, Cold Warden
- Twilight: Frailty, Aching Light
- Tranquility: Spider Leg, Banner of Survivors, Defiant Guardian, Adaption, Spider Blood Gloves, Pink Leaf Socks
- Fury: Eye of the Wyrm, Blazing Pages, Blazing Hat, Tantrum, Storm Runners
- Any Class: Gift of the Deceased, Angel's Kiss, Devil's Embrace, Secundus
Tips & Tricks
- Bosses drop gems: Only a few gems can be bought from the merchant or are obtained as a quest reward. All others can only drop from bosses. If you want to farm, you should always choose a dungeon with a boss.
- Rare gems: There is a low chance that a boss drops a rare gem. Some rare gems can only be found in certain dungeons (e.g. the gem "Coral Eye" only drops in the "Coral Palace" or randomly in the Intermediate Realm later).
- Stash your normal items: The blacksmith services are cheaper on normal quality (white) items. Move any unused normal items (including your starter gear) to the stash. You might use them later on e.g. to craft an epic item.
- Purchase base items: You want to craft an epic item but you didn't find the right base item? The merchant sells all types of base items (excluding jewelry) in special quality.
- Farm "Temple Ruins" for jewelry: The bosses of the "Temple Ruins" dungeon always drop normal quality jewelry (ring / necklace).
- Familiars love unused jewelry: Your Familiar has item slots for rings and necklaces. Don't forget to check if any unsed jewelry might be an upgrade for your Familiar.
- Fix epic item drops: Around level 28, bosses start dropping low level epic items with a 100% chance. Sell them for Fish Sticks or put them in the shared stash for your alts.
- Respec: Unsatisfied with your build? In the later part of the game, the merchant offers a respec to reset your allocated skill points.
- Too many Thalers? In the early game, you can buy better items or upgrade your special items to rare quality with Thalers. Later on, use your Thalers to buy random special quality jewelry or to buy Dust to upgrade your gems.
- Too many Fish Sticks? In the early game, you should use your Fish Sticks to craft tier 1 epic items. Later on, Fish Sticks can be used to buy Magic Tuna or Catnip.