Close Cliffs is an Endless Mode level in Orcs Must Die! 2.
Level Description[]
General:
- Entrance Rifts: 4
- Exit Doors: 1
- Rift Points: 30
- Starting Money: 8000
Traps:
Strategy[]
Traps, Topology[]
It is very effective to use lots of Push Traps for instant kills. (Buying the longer range options in your spellbook is crucial.)
As a good combo use Coinforges below Push Traps and configure them to grant their bonus after monsters leave them... in this case they leave while falling into the abyss. :-) Alternatively you can use tar to slow enemies down and thus gather more monsters in front of the Push Traps.
Also Spike walls are amazing in all four "closed" corridors of this map. Especially both coridors in the western(=left on the minimap) half of the map allow to place many of them. With Trap Reset Trinket (the passive effect is enough) they will push a big monster around like a pinball machine - even if the monster is too tough to kill (which will happen above wave 70). With whole groups of monsters or fast monsters you will see less of a "pinball effect", but Spike Walls overall use the corridors in this map very effectivly and make a huge difference. One exeption: If you want to go above wave 60 (for whatever reason), you may opt against them as they make each wave last much longer. As an example where not to use them, see this "wave 1000" video: http://youtu.be/BjS6e9Xwd10
Starting around wave 20, Spore Mushrooms become more effective than buying more of other traps. Remove occupied ones during countdowns. Except maybe when you catch Trolls - they regenerate health and have a decent punch - which effectivly makes them Guardians. But especially try hard to remove Mushrooms which caugth Earth Lords. Otherwise they will spawn two Earth Elementals (and later four Earthlings) on death - and they will NOT fight FOR you! If neglected, this will ruin even a big Mushroom field (1 Lord, 2 Elementals, 4 Earthlings = 7 Mushrooms!).
Spring traps seem to be an obvious pick, but they push the monsters too far at a few crucial positions in this map - back to solid ground. Floor Scorchers do not push as far and also burn a few orcs as a bonus, at least before monsters get too tough. But don't rely on either of those traps too much. They do not affect big enemies enough, which are your primary source of trouble.
More money for expensive traps can be gathered with the Scavenger Trinket. Develop a habit of activating it a few seconds after a wave starts, just before they start getting killed. It seems that the active ability of the Scavenger Trinket only affects monsters which are alive during activation - so do not use it before a fair amount of monsters has entered the map. The passive effect of the trinket alone is not worth carrying it, it seems.
Weapons, Monsters[]
Earth Lords do not come with each wave, but some waves do have 4 of them at once. Explosion damage is one option, Spore Mushrooms another. You will probably need both. And lots of Spike Walls.
Bone Amulet's primary attack will give you the most explosion damage per second, because it has no cool down. Together with Mana Rage you are able to kill two Earth Lords - althoug not after (about) wave 40.
Dwarven Missle Launcher's primary attack is also good but it DOES have a cool down. Blunderbuss' secondary attack also has explosion damage but it's amount seems to be mediocre in comparison.
A Crossbow will guarantee you to always kill Mr.Money (at least until about wave 60), which is very valuable. Use the Mana-generating specialization and aim for the head. It will grant you almost unlimited stun on one enemy. The Crossbow is not working as a replacement for a weapon with explosion damagae, though - thus only recommended additionally.
Waves[]
Although you have lots of money before the first wave, build the cheap Push Traps first. And the Coinforges to keep the money coming.
Wave 6 will suddenly increase the number of monsters, especially big ones. Save your mana (rage) for this one.
With wave 16 Cyclops Mages will appear. Be sure to have your Spike Walls in place, at least in both of the lower closed/indoor corridors.
Wave 19 will send a surprisingly big number of Gnoll Hunters your way. If possible, have a Mountain Troll captured to protect you(one appears at the end of a wave prior to wave 19) and a garden full of Spore Mushrooms. A spare Mana Rage will be useful, too! (with e.g. Bone Amulet) (To a lesser degree this also happens in wave 17 and a few others, but wave 19 has the highest concentration of Gnoll Hunters by far)
Soundtrack[]
Preparation Track :Lover's Quarrel
Battle Track :Skull Crush