Orcs Must Die 4X2 High Score Strategy Guide

Orcs Must Die 4X2 High Score Strategy Guide by Rogotin

I’ve had this under my hat for a while now – I’ve pounded out high scores and those I shared this with have reached top of every scoreboard in the game. Varitions of it are being used by every #1 scorer in the game – and it is being used to extend MASSIVE scores on The Tower.

What is / Why call it 4×2?
Its called 4×2 because it uses a minimum of 4 total traps to function, and usually 2 barricades minimum. The objective of the setup is not to get high combos on Ogres to increase your score, the objective is to raise your AVERAGE MEAN combo to push your combo score up, achieving a massive point score.

Things you need to know BEFORE using the 4×2:

Chia Chugging –
Coined at some point by the users of RobotEntertainment forums, Chia Chugging is the act of returning to your rift to maximise your chia. This allows you to repeat things like lighting storm over and over without dropping a storm – maximising your combo potential. This is very important for …

Lightning Overload –
Lightning Overload is the act of double storming a section, this creates an overlap of storms giving double the chance of hitting lightning on seperate targets. While this doesn’t add +1 combo point. This does add a combo point to several different targets maximising your average combo potential. Simply cast a storm with the lightning ring, run back, chia chug, cast another storm over the first. Rince, repeat.

Bladestaff Massacre – 
The blade staff is HIGHLY desirable in almost all scenarios. Stepping on the tar with the grinder and swinging furiously at anything that steps into your killzone increases your combo score hugely. Learn to dance while swinging, moving back and forth out of ogres swing range and then forward again to maximise the kill potential of such techniques.

Archer Staggering –
Archers in a line are not the most efficient way to place them. Archer staggering is the art of placing archers in random locations. This staggers their fire, and means they won’t hit the same orc. For each archer you put in the same line, you have a high chance of hitting the same orcs at the same time. You want to place your archers around a corner so that they can only see the kill zone, far enough away from the kill line that your archers will mostly kill things that step on your tar, or as far away as humany possible and staggered alternating as much as possible also.

Burning Pitch Steel Weaver:
This is a mandatory, must acquire asap, need to get as soon as possible, have to use upgrade. It is by far the greatest combo modifier in the game and you will be using it for every single attempt at high scoring.

The 4×2 and its use:
The 4×2 by design is used in areas where there are usually 2-3 space opening, and a minimum of 1 wall available for placement. Idealy you also want a roof but it is not necessary. IF you have a roof available it is highly desirable as swinging mace is almost mandatory to maximise a high combo scenario.

THE SETUP:
On a 3 section opening, a good example is upstairs on the tower. You want a basic 2 barricade wall with a barricade size opening next to the wall. This is your ‘entrance point’. The orcs will all clamber into this small area and step onto your instant kill zone.
From here, two basic traps are almost always mandatory. The ‘entrance point’ is almost ALWAYS completely empty. You may however use brimstone or floor spikes to assist in your combo prowess, different traps have different effects. In this particular variation it is the best setup I have found for many maps, and should create a basic killzone for people to play with while learning the 4×2 tactic.
In a room with an empty wall space, 3 blocks of trap slots and a wall the setup should look something like this.

Basic 4×2 Setup with a swinging mace.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/crucifiedgothic/2011-12-26_00002.jpg
Basic 4×2 Setup with Brimstone attachment:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/crucifiedgothic/2011-12-26_00003.jpg
Where to stand while swinging your staff:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/crucifiedgothic/2011-12-26_00005.jpg

Varying the 4×2:
The basics of the 4×2 is pretty solid, but there are several variations that are used or have been used. Removing the spike trap, adding a spring trap instead of the brimstone, adding brimstone and floor scorcher, all create a kill point when stepping on the tar. The mandatory scenario is a minimum of 4 traps hitting one single strike zone, with a line of archers.
These rows (of choice) simply get repeated untill a minimum of 3 rows with swinging maces, or 5 rows with ground traps are set up. If set up properly you should run x7 combos on most orcs that step into the kill zone. And x9 ish on Ogres that run through. If you are not running an average of x6 at LEAST then you need to adjust your archers or your trap timing.

Addition from Doc Shmok himself:
You want loads of weak traps (floor spikes) and you want always on trap (tar and grinder [until it gets stuck]). The zapper might be good but it’s frequency of hits is low. The mace has a high frequency of hits and is a good end point killer. Given the games logic, there is also a possibility that certain non upgraded traps will help your attempts. Upgraded floor spikes will slow Orcs down and the archers will hit them killing them before the combo box. The auto baliista (which has a 12x bug) has a massive range upgraded, that will make it hard in some scenarios to place them within range. Also watch your pathing, if the mobs are dense you want many archers, if the mobs are loose you want less archers. If possible hide your archers so they will hit in the very last moment. With ORC archers you can get repeated 8x out of them (ie the Baths) Also, stretching out orcs into a thin line can assist in maxing combos. Barricades and well placed tar can thin out a group of orcs and make it so that you’re facing very thin lines of orcs instead of large groups for maximum combo.

WARNING – 
The players who hit #1 using this technique have all attempted variations and altering positions of archers and timings of trap placement. A HUGE portion of this game is down to luck and luck alone. You need to repeat the sequence over and over untill you achieve massive scores.

Shifting traps around:
The only traps that are absolutely static are the grinder, the tar, and the barricades. If you remove any of these you will absolutely nulify any chance of achieving a high score. Any of the other remaining sections can be cut and pasted by your choice of trap, everything from spikes to steam, brimstone to spring trap.

Tips:
Its in the archers. Putting up the right number of archers, in the right order and the right stagger pattern will achieve huge variations in your combo points. Move things around, shift things back and forth, alternate setups. Try different traps – have fun. Be #1.

And of course, a video of the 4×2 in action curtesy of Myself and Doc Shmock:
Gateway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkNYeSk6mo4&feature=youtu.be
WM Hallway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cozw_Nu0Qok&feature=youtu.be

This is just a very simple guide to explain how it was done – the 4×2 is restricted by your imagination only, it runs entirely on trial and error. Our scores were done after in some cases hundreds of attempts. Good luck and enjoy the game.

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