Squad Busters Ultimate Beginner’s Guide (June 2024)

So, as you review each character you unlock, you’ll understand their specific roles better, each complementing the others depending on the map layout and battle instances.

Evolution

Another big aspect of the characters is their Evolutions, meaning each can grow to become more powerful and effective (ability-wise only; stats remain the same regardless of Evolution to preserve game balance).

There are a total of four (4) Evolution tiers in Squad Busters, each being:

Obviously, higher-tier Evolutions become increasingly difficult to achieve because better duplicates are harder to get from Reward Chests. Still, it’s not the end of the world because other factors can still contribute to you winning in-game matches, such as character Fusions, party combinations, and map modifiers (not just straight-up combat).

Megas

Apart from the characters, Megas are dangerous one-time units that are extremely scary when summoned! They’re easy to distinguish on the map due to their ginormous size, dealing astounding amounts of damage.

Megas can quickly turn the tide of a battle if you’re losing units left and right, but the downside is that Megas are considered consumables, meaning you’ll permanently lose one (1) charge of their use when triggered (account-wide).

Furthermore, Mega units have an unbelievably low chance of spawning inside Battle Chests (chests that are provided on the map, to add more units to your party). As such, getting them during gameplay might seem like hitting the jackpot, but you’ll risk losing them for nothing if you decide to summon them when they’re least needed (e.g. if you’re already guaranteed to be among the top three (3) survivors during a match).

Squad Busters’ Gameplay

Picture this; you spawn as a single unit on a randomly picked spot on a map with randomized modifiers (re-read the sentence slowly if you need to). You have another nine (9) players competing against you on the map, each vying for a respectable finish (1st, 2nd, etc.) come the session’s end.

The way to get there is by accumulating the highest amount of Gems throughout the match, which are green-colored rare materials that can only be acquired by:

• Farming in-game resources (chopping trees, treasure hunting, etc.)
• Following specific loot-based Battle Modifiers (e.g. Loot Goblin Rush where special goblins drop Gems)
• Defeating medium-level Monsters and above (small Monsters don’t drop Gems)
• ‘Busting’ other players’ squads (a.k.a. defeating another player’s entire party)

To grow your squad, you must enlist more units by opening Battle Chests all over the map. However, each unit you recruit will cost different amounts of Coins depending on the size of your current party.

To get more Coins, you need to:

• Defeat monsters, including Bosses
• Gather resources by recruiting Suppliers

At predetermined time intervals, huge vines will gradually appear around the map’s edges, slowly reducing the arena’s space to force players towards the middle section where a big Gem Mine will appear for anyone to clutch their Gem collection during the last stretch.

The match ends when the in-game timer runs out, and the players are then ranked based on their Gem counts (rewards are then shared accordingly).

That is the gist of Squad Busters‘ replayable gameplay loop, further elaborated by the following elements:

Combat/ Battling

A huge part of Squad Busters‘s gameplay revolves around combat; defeating monsters and other players alike.

Fighting is simple; you un-tap your finger or leave the screen alone, and any enemy entering your squad’s circular range will be attacked automatically.

Take note; your squad will NOT ATTACK while moving! So, if your party’s on the run, they’re vulnerable to foes’ attacks if you move them inside their threat zones.

While you might want to avoid fights if necessary, combat is essential for Coin farming whereby:

• All defeated monsters drop Coins
• Accumulated Coins are then needed to open Battle Chests to recruit new units

As you add more units to your party, the next Coin price increases. This process repeats until the price caps at 50 Coins for the tenth (10th) character and beyond.

Fusion

While you might be tempted to increase your squad size as quickly as possible, it’s recommended that you mix your party with Fusion characters as well.

Essentially, by recruiting the same unit three (3) times, a Fusion is triggered, merging them to create one (1) similar unit but with higher Damage and Health stats.

Besides the stat increases, a Fusion character is more proficient at what they do. For example:

• A Fusion Medic provides stronger heals to the whole squad.

As such, if you have two (2) similar units in your party, it’s advisable to prioritize their Fusion instead of recruiting a new one, depending on the circumstances and team composition.

Battle Modifiers

One of Squad Busters‘s appeals is its replayability that’s tied to randomized Battle Modifiers on maps. These are special gameplay mechanics that change the way you compete against others, such as more frequent Spells popping up from the ground via Spell Overload, or more Turbo for you to collect thanks to Turbo Overload.

Spells

Spells are advantageous power-ups that appear on a map every once in a while. They give you the edge for different engagements, like throwing a huge Bomb onto enemies to inflict AoE damage or applying Freeze to slow them down.

World Environmental Elements

Squad Busters‘s maps vary according to the world in which you’re playing. These Worlds are unlocked as you progress through your Squad Journey levels, with different locations offering unique challenges and biomes, such as Beach World’s unlockable Battle Modifier, the Angry Vines.

Regardless, certain elements remain the same across all Worlds:

• Monster tiers (Small, Medium, Boss, Super Boss, Special)
• Resources (trees, Battle Chests, etc.)
• Gem Mine (during the last stretch of a match)

That being said, some environmental aspects behave differently, like destructible bridges that you can use to hamper an enemy squad’s pursuit. So, keep an eye out for distinct objects with in-game interactions, particularly those unique to their respective Worlds.

Online PvP

As explained in the beginning, Squad Busters is an online battle royale that shifts the genre’s dynamic toward a party-based, cartoonish design befitting Supercell’s other notable mobile titles.

So, the game is predominantly played with other players, meaning it’s extremely competitive despite its seemingly loony art style. The game’s offline segments are restricted to these two (2) parts only:

Everything else is purely multiplayer, but there are no punishments for losing matches (a.k.a. ranked lowly once a game ends), so everyone can still have fun regardless of age! In fact, joining a session only takes a few seconds, with each match lasting four (4) minutes.

Match Rewards

Although Squad Busters doesn’t punish you for an abysmal match rank, there are incentives to achieving respectable positions. These reward your good play and success, making your efforts feel appreciated.

Reward Chests

If you have some Chest Tickets available, you’re guaranteed a Reward Chest per match. Reward Chests have different tiers, each being:

• Common (Blue)
• Rare (Gold)
• Epic (Purple)

All Reward Chests given will start at their Common rarity but can be enhanced/ upgraded by using boosts/ power-ups rewarded from actual gameplay performance (your in-game rank after a match). This matters because better Reward Chests offer higher chances of obtaining rare characters or getting more duplicates of a single unit!

Hence, by finishing a session with a high rank, you’ll progress through the game faster through unit Evolutions or stronger unit choices.

Gems

Even better, the Gems you collect via gameplay get carried over to your main account! Plus, you’ll get even more Gems by ranking highly after a match, with all of them transferred to the Gem Pass that you’ll unlock later.

Portal Energy

Portal Energy is an exclusive resource shared with you after completing Book achievements, unlocking new discoveries (Battle Mods, Monsters, etc.), and embracing character Evolutions.

Accumulated Portal Energy directly progresses your Squad Journey level, which is required for you to access different Worlds, more characters, and distinct game features (Battle Items, Plaza Upgrades, etc.)!

By playing well, you’ll be making quick strides at gathering more Portal Energy, eventually pushing your Squad Journey level higher at a much faster rate.

Progression

Since we’ve covered many Squad Busters basics, it’s time to check out its multiple account progressions.

Squad Journey

Utilizing Portal Energy as its resource, Squad Journey is Squad Busters‘s primary leveling system where in-game content is locked behind. Each level-up unlocks different stuff for you to enjoy, including new characters, different Worlds, and gameplay utilities!

Challenges

If you’re confused about what to do next, give Challenges a go! Basically, they are guidelines telling you the next batch of activities you need to focus on.

There are three (3) types of Challenges in Squad Busters, each being:

• Beginner’s Challenge
• Daily Challenges
• Weekly Challenges

As their names imply, the Beginner’s Challenge teaches you the ropes while Daily and Weekly Challenges provide the tasks you need to complete every time you launch the game.

All their tasks reward you with amazing things, including locked units, Gems, and even emotes!

Gem Pass

As a Free-To-Play (F2P) game, Squad Busters adopts a Battle Pass system as well, like many others on the market. Here, the F2P option is called the Gem Pass, giving you free resources, units, and other goodies as you level up its progression bar by accumulating those precious Gems.

Super Pass

For juicier prizes, getting the premium Super Pass is the way to go! You’re promised even more valuable loot as rewards, on top of the Gem Pass’s items you’ve unlocked simultaneously!

Tips & Tricks

There’s no harm in sharing a few nifty tips & tricks that might prove useful for many Squad Busters newcomers. While there are actually many of them, we figured these five (5) should do fine to kick things off.

#1 Training

You might be tempted to jump straight into the action after creating an account and finishing the tutorial. But, it might be wiser for you to experiment with things in a safer and more peaceful environment via the Training section.

It’s stress-free and you can get a good grasp of the basics better. To enter the Training area:

1. Enter the Squad menu.
2. Click on any character’s overview.
3. Open the character’s Details option on the left side of the screen.
4. Press the bull’s-eye and arrows icon to enter the Training phase.

#2 Top-5 streaks

By getting straight top-5 finishes, you’ll receive an extra Reward Chest power-up per match. This doesn’t include additional ones based on your actual rank yet!

Thus, by playing well, you can enhance your Reward Chests more than usual!

#3 Reduce Battle Chest prices

A Fusion not only improves a particular type of character, but it also reduces the Coin price of the next unit to be recruited from a Battle Chest!

This works because a Fusion directly reduces your current squad size, which, in turn, makes the next unit’s Coin price cheaper.

#4 Coins from the Plaza

The Plaza is the main hub where all your unlocked characters hang out and chill on Squad Busters‘s primary screen.

Occasionally, a character may drop Coins for you to collect by tapping the unit directly, so you can passively accumulate Coins by having many characters unlocked and interacting at the Plaza!

#5 Use Turbo sparingly

The Turbo feature is a superb tool for your party to catch up to fleeing enemies, run away from dangerous ones, or collect resources quickly. That being said, it’s not infinite and depletes rather rapidly.

Make it a habit to press the Turbo intermittently instead of holding its button down. This way, not only will you have some spare Turbo left for emergencies, but you’ll also restore it to maximum capacity faster.

Conclusion

Squad Busters proves to be among the most fun mobile game releases in 2024, and rightfully so!

If you’re itching for a PvP game that’s easy to get into while boasting immense replayability, Squad Busters might be the one!