20 Tips and Tricks for Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap

Image Credit: Robot Entertainment, Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap

So, the orcs are wrecking your carefully placed defenses, and you're questioning your life choices. It happens. But don’t worry—this guide with beginners tips and tricks will turn your desperate, last-minute barricades into a glorious meat grinder of destruction.

1. Prioritize Upgrading Key Traps, Not Everything

You might be tempted to spread your upgrades around like peanut butter—don’t. It’s way better to have a few overpowered traps than a collection of underwhelming disappointments.

2. Barricades: The Difference Between Victory and Panic Mode

Barricades don’t just block orcs—they tell them where to die. Use them to create narrow, brutal kill zones instead of letting the horde waltz through like they own the place.

3. Flyers Are the Worst—Auto Ballistas Are the Cure

Nothing’s more embarrassing than losing because you forgot about flyers. Place Auto Ballistas near the rift so they take care of airborne enemies while you focus on smashing things.

4. If You Play Solo, Use a War Mage With a Ranged Weapon

Yes, melee is fun. But when you’re solo, a ranged weapon means you don’t have to sprint across the map every time a flyer sneaks past. Work smarter, not harder.

5. Some Traps Are Like Peanut Butter and Jelly—Use Combos

Brimstone burns enemies, then Spike Traps stab them for extra pain. Layer different trap types for bonus Rune coins and that satisfying feeling of maximum destruction.

6. Extend Trap Paths for Staggered Waves

If enemies are coming from multiple directions, make one path longer. This prevents everything from arriving at once and overwhelming your defenses in a big, green stampede.

7. The Mini-Map: Your Crystal Ball of Doom

The mini-map tells you what’s coming before it ruins your day. Keep an eye on it so you don’t get surprised by a pack of Heavies when you were expecting regular orcs.

8. Cannons and Sentinels: Expensive, But Worth Every Coin

Sure, they cost a fortune, but they absolutely destroy tougher enemies. If you cheap out, don’t be surprised when a Mountain Troll walks right through your "carefully planned" defenses.

9. Headshots Hurt—Aim for the Face

Bigger enemies take more damage from headshots. So stop wildly swinging or spraying and actually hit them where it counts.

10. Rats Are Tiny, Evil Saboteurs

Rats may be small, but they will set off your traps early, leaving them useless when the real enemies arrive. Brimstone is the best way to eliminate these sneaky little nightmares.

11. Plan Your Loadout Before the Mission, Not After Screwing Up

You can change your trap selection before the battle starts, but once the waves begin, you're locked in. Don’t realize you needed more anti-air halfway through—think ahead.

12. Combat Isn’t Optional—Your War Mage Needs to Fight

This isn’t Orcs Must Die 1 where you could let traps do all the work. Get in there and fight. Your War Mage’s attacks make a huge difference.

13. Ghost Wisps Show You Exactly Where Enemies Will Go

These handy little guides reveal the enemy paths before the wave starts. If they turn red, that means your barricades have completely blocked the route, and the orcs will smash their way through. Adjust before they start breaking things.

14. Overdrive = Carnage. Use It Wisely

Your Overdrive meter lets you unleash absurd amounts of destruction, but it fills fastest when you chain traps and attacks together. Keep an eye on it and unleash it at the right moment.

15. Elemental Weaknesses Exist—Use Them or Suffer

Armored Orcs hate electricity. Mountain Trolls are weak to ice. Don’t just throw down traps randomly—exploit weaknesses like the tactical mastermind you are.

16. The More Damage Sources, The Better

More traps. More weapons. More destruction. The game rewards you for stacking damage types, so mix it up and enjoy the flood of Rune coins.

17. Physics Traps: More Than Just Orc Launchers

Yes, watching orcs get catapulted into the abyss is hilarious, but physics traps also keep enemies in your kill zones longer. The longer they stay, the more they suffer.

18. Use the First Few Waves to Experiment, Not Panic

Early waves are more forgiving, so use them to test new trap setups before the real chaos begins. Better to make mistakes in wave 1 than in wave 7.

19. The Rift Is Not a Backup Plan

Letting enemies through “just a little” isn’t a strategy—it’s how you end up watching the defeat screen. Defend that rift like your life depends on it (because it does).

20. The Floor Is Lava (If You Want It to Be)

Lava, Brimstone, tar pits—floor traps are ridiculously effective at slowing, burning, and softening up enemies. Don’t sleep on them.

Final Blurb

Winning in Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap isn’t just about spamming traps and hoping for the best. It’s about setting up brutal kill zones, playing smart, and making life absolutely miserable for the horde.

Follow these tips, and the only thing the orcs will be doing is dying in creative, painful ways. Now go forth, War Mage—and let the orc slaughter begin.

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