The Multicast buff of the Cleric is vastly superior to the singlecast AoE of the Bard, even as early on as Floor 1000. Tombstones only increase BASE duration...they have no effect on duration booster skills bought with gold. My endgame Clerics typically have around 6k or more stacks PER CHARACTER, unlike the maybe couple of hundred stacks of the Bard, assuming both characters are at 0.01s cast speeds. Test it yourself: Compare two characters with the same Tombstones. Run the math on how long the buff should last, based on the duration booster skills purchased.
Also, you do get back 10% of your MP after each floor. It seems like too little when you're just starting out, but at higher clvl, it's actually too much. I think that's part of the reason Max MP per level is on a diminishing return. Either way, yes: Shields are halved at the end of each battle. The way around that is Self: Shield = No Shield, Use Skill: (shield skill of choice), then immediately follow that with Self: Shield = Shield < 50% (or whatever threshold you want to set), Use Skill: (shield skill of choice). Works like a charm for me.
Just make sure the last command on your list is something that would (or should) happen if everything else fails. I typically set Enemy Is Alive: Use Skill: Double Slash as the very last command, because I know it's free to cast and hits two targets. Everything above that last command will be processed first, and there is always at least one enemy if you're not in town.
You just have to understand the system, Gimmick. I'm running a solo build and I've already made it to the Corrupted Core, where I'm just about to start one-shotting entire waves (5k+ enemy levels). It's definitely possible. Also, this is an idle game: "Not playing" is how you play.
One of the causes for this is dropping below 0.01s cast speed. The other cause is leaving the game open too long. To avoid the crash, stay above 0.01s cooldowns and refresh the page daily. Keep in mind that, if you aren't set to accept cookies from Kong, doing so WILL wipe your save. It is always best practice to copy the export code to a notepad file, just in case.
So...after a bit of experimentation, I've come to the realization that I can hit 4 Imbue Class per run with my Mage/Gambler duo. Having the extra power output per Imbue Class is enabling me to push further into the Eternal Dungeon every time, which in turn gives me the extra points to sustain the Imbues. At this point, I'm keeping my 20k IP and spending anything else I make on Imbue Class. It's making every run shorter than the last.
The game needs cookies to preserve save data, unless you use the Export File command in the options menu. If your browser was totally reset, it would cause this problem.
These days, I don't have much need for more than the Mage and a Gambler to buff it. Three attacks, two of which are hullbusting multicasts with a massive SKL Rating scaling. To buff, start with a Bard for early buffs, swap to Cleric halfway, then ride out the rest of the game with a Gambler for massive level gain.
Mostly, what I use is a blend of classes with either strong buffs/debuffs, or multicast attacks. I tend to stay away from single-target, like the Berserker. Some will say it "does more damage". That might be true for a few levels, but it's quickly outmatched by multicast, who eventually wipe the entire enemy party in a single attack. Poor Berserker is hard-capped at 2 kills per attack cycle, which is 1/3 as efficient.
I've got my favorites, like everyone does. I've used the Deathknight before, especially during my early experiments with solo runs. It's "good", but not great. The lifesteal component of its main attack is super useful for low-IP players who want to stay alive long enough to add more heroes, or switch to the class they really want to play.
YaboyCharles2, it really just breaks down to knowing the system and experimenting with what gets you the best results. Over the last few years, I've studied every class and put together all kinds of combinations to see if they would work. I've written down attack speed breakpoints, puzzled out the formula for talent point distribution, etc, etc. The best thing you can do is find a strategy you're comfortable with and make sure you understand everything that's going on in the game. That will be more valuable than anything.
Mackaybb, please make sure your browser is set to accept cookies from Kongregate. This is where the save files are kept for your Kong games, so clearing them will also delete your saves. If you've already done that, I would try Google to determine what other causes there could be. When I had my trouble with saves, it was my browser settings at fault.
Rynshy, I'm not sure what would cause that. I can only report that I am not currently experiencing the problem you describe. Maybe ask about it on their Discord server?
You can also use Switch to cast a buff once per battle, but since that also has to be bought in the shop, it's an imperfect solution. It's been a while since I did the tutorial, and it's been updated since then, so I'm not sure if that information is covered there. Maybe a suggestion for Zero to implement?
Brilliand, unless they changed it, the shop should give you a free Default Core if you run out of gold. I'm glad they thought of that, because the situation you describe would not only be completely possible...but also a game-ender.
@lolerescut, that only works for drop-only cores/augs, as stated within the Kube itself. I'm referring specifically to the cores you can't use that way, such as the Default Core. I'm up to 360 of them now.