Guide
Weapons & Upgrades
Hero Havoc has three separate power systems: temporary weapons you find during a run, upgrade cards you choose when you level up, and permanent Hero Lab boosts bought with banked coins. Here is what each one does and when to take it.
Temporary weapons
Weapon crates drop from defeated monsters and are guaranteed from boss-tier villains. Stand on a crate and press E (or simply walk over it on touch devices). A weapon replaces your basic attack until its ammo runs out.
Laser Rifle
Fast piercing laser bolts.
- 60 shots
- 16 damage
- 0.12s between shots
- pierces 1
Best all-round pickup. The pierce lets one shot hit a line of monsters, so wait until a group lines up before firing.
Energy Sword
Huge close-range glowing slashes.
- 40 shots
- 45 damage
- 0.25s between shots
- pierces 4
Enormous damage but you must be in their face. Ideal for clearing a crowd around you, risky against ranged Goo Throwers.
Freeze Ray
Chilly shots that slow monsters down.
- 50 shots
- 12 damage
- 0.18s between shots
- pierces 2
- slows enemies
The slow matters more than the damage. Use it to hold a boss or a Runner pack in place while your hero's own attack finishes them.
Rocket Launcher
Cartoon boom rockets with splash damage.
- 18 shots
- 60 damage
- 0.7s between shots
- splash 90
Only 18 shots, so aim at clumps and let the splash do the work. Do not fire it at a single Runner.
Level-up upgrade cards
Monsters drop XP. Fill the bar and you are offered three random cards, and you keep the one you pick for the rest of that run only.
Hero Vitality
+20 max health (and heal 20).
Strongest early pick on higher difficulties — it also heals you the moment you take it.
Quick Boots
+10% movement speed.
Movement is survival. Two of these makes kiting the swarm much easier.
Power Fists
+15% basic attack damage.
Scales with everything, including weapon-free stretches. Take it on fast-attack heroes.
Focus Core
-10% special cooldown.
Best on heroes whose special clears crowds, so it comes back before the next wave peaks.
Split Shot
+1 projectile per basic attack.
Huge on ranged heroes; nearly doubles a single-shot hero's clear speed.
Hero Magnet
+20% pickup radius.
Quality of life that becomes real damage — you stop walking into danger to collect XP and coins.
Permanent Hero Lab boosts
Coins collected in a run are banked even if you lose. Spend them in the Hero Lab; each extra level of a boost costs 60% more than the last.
Tough Suit
+15 starting health per level.
Level 1: 120 coins · Level 5: 786 coins
Rocket Boots
+4% move speed per level.
Level 1: 140 coins · Level 5: 918 coins
Power Core
+6% attack damage per level.
Level 1: 160 coins · Level 5: 1049 coins
Coin Magnet
+20% pickup radius per level.
Level 1: 100 coins · Level 3: 256 coins
Second Wind
Get back up once per run at half health.
Level 1: 600 coins · one purchase
Starter Kit
Begin every run holding a Laser Rifle.
Level 1: 350 coins · one purchase
Survival strategy
- Keep circling. Standing still lets the swarm surround you. Move along the outside of the crowd and pull it into a line.
- Bank a special for the wave spike. Every fifth wave is a boss and the waves just before it are dense — do not waste your special on stragglers.
- Buy Second Wind early. One free revive per run is worth more than any single stat level while you are learning the boss patterns.
- Farm on Rookie, push on Legend. Rookie drops far more health pickups; Legend and Nightmare pay 1.35× and 1.7× rewards.
- Deal with Goo Throwers first. Ranged enemies chip you while you handle the crowd, and their shots are what usually ends a good run.
Next up: bosses and survival tips.