Mew's Guardian Guide
Mew's Guardian Guide
Complete Journey to Guardian Mastery
Quick Overview
Everything you need to know about guardians in one place
What is a Guardian?
A guardian is a permanent familiar that follows you around and assists in PvE combat using skills. They're your ultimate companion in Trickster Online!
Time Investment
First guardian (legendary): ~10 days with minimal prep. With good preparation: 3-5 days. You can start at level 65!
Main Process
1. Card Identification (CID) → 2. Soul Seed Quest → 3. Guardian Creation → 4. Empathy Building
Pro Tips
Always CID BEFORE planting your seed! Collect items beforehand. Research your build. Ask the community for help!
Who is Mewsie?
My IGN is Mewsie and I am a collector of fashion-related items. I have 9 guardians at the time of this guide on rTO alone (3 legendaries including one spinel, 3 superior, 1 normal, and 3 mighty), all of them I like to use to fit my itch for fashion. I also was able to make a legendary in a day (CID+build) on CoraTO. If you see me running around, feel free to say "Hello"! I will not hesitate to help if I possibly can. I've lead more Tricksters on this topic than I'd like to admit, so I figured "Why not make an all-encompassing guide?".
Guide History
This guide has been a work in progress since around 2017-2018, and I never intend to call it finished—there is always more information to learn. I originally held this on the rTO forums, and then on a stand-alone document after.
My Goal
My goal is to be the most descriptive guide out there so it's a one-stop-shop for your guardian needs! From a decade old player and the proud owner of currently 9 guardians on rTO and 2 legendaries and 1 mighty on CoraTO, here is my in-depth and fantastic guide into the wonderful world of guardians.
About This Guide
Are you stuck on your guardian? Do you not know where to start? Do you want insider tips and tricks to speeding up the process? Do you like pictures and a comprehensible layout for your guides? Look no further! Mew's got you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
All your guardian questions answered
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a guardian? | A guardian is a familiar that permanently follows you around and assists in PvE (NOTE: NOT PvP) using skills. |
| How do I know what skills my guardian can use? | The skills are marked by a green flag at the top-left hand corner. It looks like  (if available). You can also right-click the skill at NPCs to see if it's guardian-compatible. |
| How long will it take? | Short answer: My first legendary took 10 days with minimal prep. My second took less than 3 days. Long answer: Depends on prep, type, and method. The more you research and collect items beforehand, the quicker the process goes. You can technically start this whole thing at level 65. |
| What is empathy? | Empathy is a "secret" point system that builds your guardian's stats. You can't see empathy directly, but you can see the results in a build graph similar to your MyView. The system tracks your actions to determine your guardian's final stats. |
| What is secret empathy? | Secret Empathy is a complex system that gives your guardian seed +1 for each type except one, which will be +2. This is pure RNG. You won't be able to see the empathy until after it hatches, which is where the "Secret" comes from. You gain secret empathy through CID and fortune telling. |
| What's the best guardian for me? | Depends on your playstyle! For bossing and endgame content, check the cookie-cutter build. Otherwise, pick what speaks to your soul - you'll be stuck with it! Do more research to find your best fit. |
| Should I go for legendary first? | On CoraTO, it's worth a slight DPS boost. You can get full SCs within 800-1k cards. Make sure you CID first! However, the DPS increase is relatively small compared to the effort required. |
| I DON'T want legendary first! | CID BEFORE PLANTING YOUR SEED! Get the SCs first, card farm first, then worry about building later. Don't soft-lock your character while trying to get all the SCs! |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the red Empathy Aura Combo meter on my Build screen? | IGNORE IT. IT'S JUST A COMBO METER. It's information overload. It's not an EXP bar! |
| Do the number of actions have to be exact? | Yes, more or less. You want to be as accurate as possible to reduce your margin of error. Empathy (EM) is exact, SEM is unknown (thought to be exactly 2k but estimated at 1.6k with regular actions). |
| Do I need CID/Secret Empathy? | For Regular/Mighty/Superior: You'll need about 800 cards to get a complete set. After that it depends on how you do CID/if you do anything fortune-related/anything else SEM-related. For Spinel: You need about double of everything. Tip: If you're only going for regular/mighty/superior, then you'll need about 800 to get a complete set of SCs. |
| Why Cookie-Cutter Build? | Lucky Fist is based on enemy HP rather than internal stats, making it ideal for something that can't buff itself. This is meta for CoraTO because much of the endgame, including custom content bosses, are based around incredibly high HP bosses (over 300 million HP). You tell me you wouldn't want something that does basically 1/6 of that every 30 seconds for just a slight grind investment, versus hammering away with your Paula doing 3.5k damage if you're lucky with PvP equipment + compositions + tempers after waiting 3.5 minutes for CH5 to appear... |
| What is squiggle? What is 90 DA? | Squiggle refers to the picture emote of a jumbled squiggle made when your character exclaims "Nothing is here!" and makes an angry motion. 90 DA refers to the DA stat, and how much you need in total. This allows you to always have a concrete result from drilling, which is either "Item is found!" with the lightbulb, or the Squiggle. |
| Additional Important Information | Second Guardian: You must purchase a Soul Ticket for another guardian slot (MyShop > Pet&Drill > Guardian) Runes: You can't replace the top-left rune or add one to the green slot (original development never got that far) Spinels: Are naturally the hardest to obtain Spinel Package: Sold in MyShop > Pet&Drill > Guardian, comes with seed AND map (don't need to buy another!) |
Mistake #1: Planting Seed Before CID
Problem: Can't get Secret Cards after planting
Solution: Always complete CID questline first, get all Secret Cards before touching your seed
Mistake #2: Incorrect Empathy Counting
Problem: Guardian stats don't match expectations
Solution: Use external counters, double-check action counts, be precise with numbers
Mistake #3: Wrong Guardian Type Choice
Problem: Regret after seeing other guardian types
Solution: Research thoroughly, ask community, consider your playstyle and time investment
Success Tips
- Plan Ahead: Collect all materials before starting
- Ask Questions: Community is helpful and experienced
- Take Breaks: Guardian creation is a marathon, not a sprint
- Document Progress: Keep notes on what you've done
- Have Fun: Enjoy the journey, not just the destination
Card Identification Questline
Your gateway to Secret Cards and guardian creation
Prerequisites
- Level 65+, 2nd job+
- One of each Arcana Card (4 total)
- 5 Harkon Shards
Go to Poppouri Cave - Rainbow Cave. Anyone can teleport to the crawlspace.
She'll ask for each Arcana Card individually. After each card, fight the corresponding monster.
Go to Moss Cave with your 5 Harkon Shards after the last test.
Get your Card Identification Skill!
About CID:
Card Identification is the natural method to getting Secret Cards and secret empathy points for your soul seed. You must CID if it is your first guardian to gain Secret Cards, unless you buy them from other players. You can also get other goodies such as compound stones, potions, and chaos feathers, all scaled based on the level you get to.
Diagram of the CID interface
Example of a card with life information when right-clicked
Game Elements:
- Stage: How many cards this playthrough you've used without losing all your lives
- Life: How many times you can fail before it boots you from this minigame
- Life bar: Diagram of the lives you have comparatively
- Playing Cards: As all boardgames, this is where you play
- Card in use: This is the card you used this round
- Combo: How many pairs in a row you've discovered. You can get extra lives with better combos
- Symbol: (see: Top-right of revealed cards) - These are based on suites you'd find in a normal card-game along with 4 colours each. These are how you know what to pair with if you don't want to hover over the board all the time
- Pair: Same-symboled, same-imaged cards. Your goal.
CID - Q&A:
Q. How many cards will I need?
The answer is simple: No one knows. You will need an upwards of 1,000, guaranteed, if you're going for a legendary. If you're going for just regular/mighty/superior, then you will need about 800 to get a full set. After that is up to how you CID/if you do anything fortune-related/anything else SEM-related. The only difference is Spinel where you need about double anything.
Q. Do I need to CID/get secret empathy?
The only ones that need SEM are Legendary and Accomplished, however, all of the guardians need Secret Cards, which can only be obtained mainly by CID. Neither of these mentioned guardians do anything but change appearance, have a different title, and can hold a certain amount of skills more/less than others.
Q. Should I do CID first or after setting up my EM?
You should CID first. This will affect how you set up your EM completely, and if you're going for an Accomplished guardian, make-or-break your guardian plans in general since that relies on that +2 as the final.
Soul Seed Questline
Growing your guardian's foundation
Prerequisites
- Level 135+, 3rd job
- Questionable Letter in Inventory
- CID questline finished (you DON'T need all SCs!)
- Access to Mirage Island Field 6
- 10x each: Iron Knight's, Brass Knight's, Bone Fighter's, Bone Warrior's, and Bone Magician's Souls
- 15x each: Cobra Flower, Tooth Flower, Mud Bigfoot, and Lotus Wormhole Seeds
Soul Locations
All required souls can be found in various Vamp Castle locations. If you got 3rd job naturally, you probably have some already!
Seed Locations
All required seeds are obtained in Swamp areas. Plan a farming session to collect all 60 seeds efficiently!
Soul Guardian Questline
Bringing your guardian to life
Prerequisites
- Level 180+, Third Job
- Matured Poseidon Seed
- Harkon
- Honey Tea
- All 16 SC cards for the Secret Space Map
Get all 16 Secret Cards and check the "Secret" tab in MyView to access Janus's Secret Hideaway - Memory of Flames.
Go to Memory of Flames with Honey Tea and Harkon. Kill the Red Flame Monster for Janus.
Janus will send you to Eclipse, who will ask for an "Unknown item" which is your Honey Tea.
Eclipse sends you to Don Danihen, who requires you to kill your Doppleganger which mirrors your level after talking to the Abraxas Mirror.
Finishing that, talk to Little Rosaline until she sends you back to Janus, who will give you your completed guardian!
Prerequisites
- One or more existing guardians
- Harkon (NOT needed in CoraTO!)
- Soul Ticket (if beyond your 2nd guardian)
- Space Map
- Poseidon OR Spinel Seed (maturity doesn't matter)
It's incredibly simple: Use the Space Map with your new guardian seed, talk to Janus, give him the Harkon (if required), and you're done!
Card Identification & Empathy System
Building your guardian's personality and stats
Prerequisites
- CID skill
- Monster and Character Cards
- Patience and strategy
About CID Minigame
Card Identification is a memory matching game where you pair identical cards. Success gives you Secret Cards, empathy points, compound stones, potions, and chaos feathers!
Card Pricing
General cards: 15k-40k galder. Up to 300k usually means skill mastery cards. Don't let people overcharge you!
Card Sources
Character cards come from general questing. A fresh character through Azteca gives ample cards to start with!
Empathy Explained
Empathy is a hidden point system that builds your guardian's stats. You can't see it directly, but results appear in a build graph similar to MyView.
There's 4 types of regular empathy: Power, Charm, Magic, and Sense. Each of these correlate with the 4 different types of characters in the game.
Your new best friend: The Guardian WIP Build screen
Regular Empathy Chart - Shows how to gain different types of empathy
You gain empathy by doing several things like viewing character profiles, consuming potions, drilling, and more. Each action contributes to different empathy types.
You gain secret empathy by using a card for CID, getting past stage 3 in CID, matching 2 SC tiles to gain a SC in CID, and any fortune read from Stella.
What SEM is going to do to your seed is give it +1 for each type except one, which will be +2. This, to the extent of my knowledge, is pure RNG. You won't be able to see the empathy until after it hatches, which is where the "Secret" comes from. It's up to you to mark that last 3 flashes caused by CID/fortune-telling. But, you must, must, must finish with CID and not Fortune-Telling. If it no longer glows at Fortune-telling, CID until it stops flashing from doing so.
Guardian SEM guide. Note that you need to level SEM twice (~2000 points). Big THANK YOU to KusangiKyo for the text in Red!
- THE SEM IS RANDOM. YOU CANNOT PREDICT THIS. PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLASHES!
- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE LIFE OF YOUR CARDS! YOU COULD BE WASTING YOUR HARD-EARNED/SPENT CARDS!
- YOU CANNOT SEE SEM POINTS UNTIL AFTER YOU HATCH SO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLASHES!
Secret Empathy (SEM) - Critical Information
What is SEM: Secret system that gives +1 to each type except one, which receives +2. It's completely RNG!
How to gain SEM:
- Use a card in CID
- Pass stage 3 in CID
- Combine 2 SC tiles to gain an SC in CID
- Any fortune reading from Stella
Required points: ~2000 SEM points (estimated 1.6k with regular actions)
Complete Empathy Table
Exact values for precise empathy building:
| Action | Power | Magic | Sense | Charm | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View character profile | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | Private profile via spam-click |
| Consume 2500 HP in potions | +1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | HP potions give 1 Charm for every 2 Power |
| Consume 2500 MP in potions | 0 | +1 | +1 | 0 | Only at level 3+ |
| Drill - "Nothing is here!" | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | Squiggle tile with 90 DA |
| Drill - Find item | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | Drill with items |
| Earn galder | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | GALDER affects the seed! |
| Use attack skills | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Combat skills |
| Use magic skills | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 | Magic skills |
| Use sense skills | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | Sense skills |
| Use charm skills | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | Charm skills |
Guardian Types & Looks
Choose your guardian's type based on difficulty of accomplishment and appearance
Compare Guardian Types
Use the slider below to compare guardian types by difficulty level
Different guardian types and appearances
Guardian Types at a Glance
| Type | Points Required | Difficulty | Best For | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 4~12 points |
|
First-time guardian makers, casual players | Cannot be 3,3,3,3 (creates superior) |
| Mighty | 13~15 points |
|
Players wanting more power without legendary commitment | Best starting build for bossing |
| Legendary | 18~19 points |
|
Dedicated players, endgame content | Requires CID completion |
| Superior | 8, 12, or 16 points (2,2,2,2), (3,3,3,3), or (4,4,4,4) |
|
Experienced players seeking optimization | Requires precise stat management |
| Accomplished | 16 points (4,4,4,4) |
|
Guardian masters, min-maxers | Requires both CID and precise hatching |
Detailed Information by Type
Click on each guardian type to see detailed information
Regular Guardian
Requirements: 4~12 points
Difficulty: Easiest to accomplish
Best For: First-time guardian makers, casual players
Mighty Guardian
Requirements: 13~15 points (easiest is 14 points)
Difficulty: Moderate to accomplish
Best For: Players wanting more power without legendary commitment
Legendary Guardian
Requirements: 18~19 points, requires CID
Difficulty: Challenging to accomplish
Best For: Dedicated players, endgame content
Superior Guardian
Requirements: 8 (2,2,2,2), 12 (3,3,3,3) OR 16 (4,4,4,4) AFTER hatch
Difficulty: Very challenging to accomplish
Best For: Experienced players seeking optimization
Accomplished Guardian
Requirements: 16 point builds (4,4,4,4) AFTER hatching AND CID
Difficulty: Extremely challenging to accomplish
Best For: Guardian masters, min-maxers
NOTE: IF YOUR SEM'S +2 LANDS ON YOUR DESIRED TYPE, YOU CAN NOT, I REPEAT, CANNOT GET THAT GUARDIAN.
1. Do the SEM process first
2. PAY ATTENTION to the flashes (you CANNOT do this build without this knowledge)
3. When you finish SEM, start with EM
4. Need to make it 3 across all stats except for the SEM's +2
Guardian Type Decision Helper
Not sure which guardian type is right for you? Answer these questions:
How much time can you invest?
What's your experience level?
What's your goal?
Based on your selections, we recommend: Select options above
Guardian Builds & Strategies
Optimize your guardian for different content
Why Cookie-Cutter Build?
Lucky Fist is based on enemy HP rather than internal stats, making it ideal for something that can't buff itself. This is meta for CoraTO because much of the endgame, including custom content bosses, are based around incredibly high HP bosses (over 300 million HP).
You tell me you wouldn't want something that does basically 1/6 of that every 30 seconds for just a slight grind investment, versus hammering away with your Paula doing 3.5k damage if you're lucky with PvP equipment + compositions + tempers after waiting 3.5 minutes for CH5 to appear...
Purpose
THE meta build for CoraTO endgame content, events, KOI/KRO, and all boss hunting. Optimized for maximum effectiveness.
Stats Focus
The best build for this is 3263, or 3 power, 2 magic, 6 sense, 3 charm. This works for most characters, but you may want to adjust one or two stats, depending on your character type.
+2 Sense Legendary with Cookie-Cutter Build
Squiggle Tile (Spam click with 90 DA in "Nothing is Here!" spot)
Build Process (Standard Method):
- View character profiles (preferably private, via spam-click): 2 Charm
- Consume 7.5k HP potions: 3 Power, 3 Charm
- Consume 5k MP potions: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 1 Sense, 3 Charm
- Drill with items (spam-click squiggle tile until level 3, then drill WITH items until 6): 3 Power, 2 Magic, 6 Sense, 3 Charm
Condensed Build Version:
- 7.5k HP Potions: 3 Power, 1 Charm
- 5k MP Potions: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 1 Charm
- AFK Drill: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 6 Sense, 1 Charm
Essential Skills:
Power Skills
- Shockvibe and Luck Breaker (1st power npc; magic/sense chars with input)
- Faint (Buff 2nd npc) OR
- Shockwave (power/charm chars, can also be used for magic/sense for additional boss damage without player input - preferred for CoraTO End Game Events)
Magic Skills
- Mana Arrow (lv 10) - 1st Mage NPC
- Arrow Rush (lv 10) - 1st Mage NPC
Sense Skills
- Stone Strike (lv 10) - First Sense Job NPC
- Armor Destroyer (1) - First Sense Job NPC
- Lucky Seven (10) - First Sense Job NPC
- Shield Breaker (10) - Lion 2nd job NPC
- Lucky Fist (10) - Lion 2nd job NPC
Charm Skills
- Skunk Pouch - 1st charm NPC
Skill Order Guide (Magic/Sense with input on left; Regular on right)
Guardian Runes - Used to enhance your guardian's abilities
Cochma and Louis Runes - Buy Louis first!
HD Gameplay Mechanics
Understanding the Shadow World mechanics and gameplay
Example: First-Time CID Session
Scenario: Level 80 Sheep going for their first legendary guardian
Preparation:
- Collected 1,200 cards (mix of +1, +2, +3 life cards)
- Checked Poseidon's Blessing locations for SC bonus
- Brought plenty of potions and food
Strategy:
- Stage 1: Use high-life cards (+5, +4) to learn the patterns
- Stage 2+: Switch to +3 life cards for consistency
- Memory technique: Focus on card positions, not images
- Result: Got 14/16 Secret Cards in 800 cards, completed set with trading
Example: Efficient Card Farming
Best Locations by Level:
- Level 65-80: Azteca Field 1 (Tomahawk Cactus) - Easy, good drop rate
- Level 80-100: Vamp Castle Gate (Vamp Bat) - Higher level cards
- Level 100+: Megalopolis (Harpy) - Best card variety
Pro Tips:
- Farm during 2x drop events for maximum efficiency
- Use Detect to find card-dropping monsters faster
- Check card life values before CID sessions
Example: Efficient Soul Farming Route
Vamp Castle Soul Collection (30 minutes):
- Iron Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B1 → Kill Iron Knights near entrance
- Brass Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B2 → Center area has highest spawn
- Bone Fighter/Warrior/Magician: Vamp Castle B3 → Clear systematically
Optimization: Use AoE skills, bring plenty of potions, party with friends for faster clearing
Example: Swamp Seed Collection
Efficient Seed Route (45 minutes):
- Cobra Flower: Swamp 1 → North-east corner has best spawn rate
- Tooth Flower: Swamp 2 → Center area, respawns quickly
- Mud Bigfoot: Swamp 3 → Western side, use Detect skill
- Lotus Wormhole: Swamp 4 → Scattered throughout, be patient
Pro Tip: Collect all 60 seeds in one session to avoid multiple trips
Example: First Guardian Timeline
Day 1-3: Preparation Phase
- Complete CID questline and collect Secret Cards
- Farm souls and seeds for Soul Seed quest
- Obtain Harkon from Blacksmith Marx questlines
Day 4: Soul Seed Quest
- Complete Mirage Island access if needed
- Turn in all materials to get mature Poseidon seed
Day 5: Guardian Creation
- Use Secret Space Map to access Memory of Flames
- Complete Doppelganger fight (scales to your level)
- Receive your first guardian!
Example: Doppelganger Fight Strategy
Level 180 Sheep vs Doppelganger:
- Preparation: Full buffs, best equipment, plenty of potions
- Strategy: Doppelganger mirrors your stats exactly
- Key Points: Use terrain, kite if ranged, burst damage if melee
- Difficulty: Scales with your level - higher level = harder fight
Pro Tip: Consider doing this quest at a lower level if you're struggling
Example: Cookie-Cutter Build Empathy
Target Stats for Sense Guardian:
- Sense: 6 (2,000 Sense actions)
- Charm: 5 (1,600 Charm actions)
- Others: 4 each (1,200 actions each)
Action Examples:
- Sense: Use Detect, Lucky Fist, Shield Break repeatedly
- Charm: Dance, use charm-based skills
- Power: Physical attacks, power skills
- Magic: Cast spells, use magic skills
Example: Empathy Session Planning
2-Hour Empathy Session:
- Location: Megalopolis (safe, no monsters)
- Setup: Macro or manual clicking, comfortable position
- Actions per hour: ~600-800 (depending on method)
- Breaks: Every 30 minutes to avoid fatigue
- Tracking: Keep count or use external counter
Pro Tip: Do empathy building while watching movies or listening to music
Example: Choosing Your Guardian Type
Scenario 1: Casual Player
- Recommendation: Regular or Mighty Guardian
- Reasoning: Less time investment, still effective
- Skills: 8-10 skill slots, good for basic builds
Scenario 2: Hardcore Player
- Recommendation: Legendary Guardian
- Reasoning: Maximum skill slots, best stats
- Investment: 800-1000 cards, 2000+ empathy actions
Scenario 3: Collector/Fashion Player
- Recommendation: Spinel Guardian
- Reasoning: Unique appearance, prestige
- Warning: Double the requirements of regular guardians
Example: Cookie-Cutter Meta Build
Core Skills:
- Lucky Fist: Main damage skill (% HP based)
- Shield Break: Reduces enemy defense
- Detect: Utility for finding items/monsters
- Heal: Sustainability
Why This Works:
- Lucky Fist scales with enemy HP, not guardian stats
- Perfect for high-HP bosses (300M+ HP)
- Consistent damage regardless of equipment
- Works well in both solo and party content
Example: Specialized Builds
Support Guardian Build:
- Focus: Charm-based skills
- Skills: Heal, Mental Up, Blessing, Dance
- Role: Party support and healing
DPS Guardian Build:
- Focus: Power/Magic skills
- Skills: High-damage attacks, buffs
- Role: Maximum damage output
Example: HD Preparation Checklist
Before HD Starts:
- ✓ Popeye Anenome Card in inventory
- ✓ Mind's Eye skill learned
- ✓ Full potions and food
- ✓ Best equipment equipped
- ✓ Party members coordinated
During Preparation Phase (2 minutes):
- Apply all buffs (Mental Up, Blessing, etc.)
- Position near your assigned statue
- Coordinate with team on voice chat
- Check guardian skills are ready
Example: HD Battle Strategy
Defense Phase Strategy:
- Priority 1: Keep statues alive at all costs
- Priority 2: Clear shadow monsters efficiently
- Priority 3: Prepare for Chronos boss phase
Team Roles:
- Tanks: Draw monster aggro away from statues
- DPS: Focus fire on high-threat monsters
- Support: Heal statues and party members
- Guardians: Use Lucky Fist on bosses, support skills on team
Example: HD Rewards Planning
Gloom Mode Farming (Beginner):
- Goal: Shadow equipment for alts
- Time: 15-20 minutes per run
- Difficulty: Low, good for learning
Boss Mode Farming (Advanced):
- Goal: Maximum Chronos shards
- Time: 30-45 minutes per run
- Requirement: Coordinated team, good equipment
Harkon Defense
Learn about Harkon Defense and Poseidon's Blessing
About Harkon Defense (HD)
Harkon Defense is a mini-game mode centered around tower defense and guardian combat. You can use this game mode to get decent/BIS equips (depending on your class), exclusive fuses, pets, and access to custom exchanges including MS Stone exchange and Token of True Trickster exchange during events.
Prerequisites & Setup:
Required Items:
Popeye Anenome Card - From Ghost Blue Field 1- Mind's Eye Skill - From Eclipse in Event Garden
How to Access HD:
- Get Popeye Anenome Card: Farm Ghost Blue Field 1, drops from Light Pink Coral (NOT cash boxes)
- Obtain Mind's Eye: Speak to Eclipse in Event Garden
- Wait for Alerts: Watch for messages 10 minutes, 2 minutes, and at start time
- Go to Specified Town: Use Mind's Eye in the announced location
- Find Stella: Check minimap for 2-3 new red dots, hover to find Stella
- Enter Sanctuary: Talk to Eclipse when she appears
HD Alert - 2 Minutes Warning
Shadow World Open - Entry Available
Sanctuary Lost - Entry Closed
HD Gameplay Mechanics:
HD Interface - General Diagram
Battle Flow:
- Preparation Phase: ~2 minutes to buff after entering
- Defense Phase: Protect Harkon statues from shadow monsters
- Boss Phase: Chronos appears near the end (only source of Chronos shards)
- Completion: Successfully defend all statues for Poseidon's Blessing
HD Difficulty Modes:
Gloom Mode
Difficulty: Lowest
Best For: Shadow Equipment farming
Rewards: Shadow Equips, basic shards
Normal Mode
Difficulty: Medium
Best For: Balanced farming
Rewards: Moderate shards, mixed equipment
Boss Mode
Difficulty: Highest
Best For: Maximum shard farming
Rewards: Best shard rates, rare equipment
Rewards & Exchange:
Where to Exchange:
Go to Mega Shop and use Mind's Eye. Next to Rosemary, you'll find Stella ready to exchange shards and equipment.
Available Exchanges:
- Regular Exchange: Shards for equipment and items
- Custom MS Stone Exchange: Special CoraTO exchange system
- Token of True Trickster: Event-based exchange (limited time)
Blessing Effects
When you successfully defend a Harkon Sanctuary in its entirety, you get a Poseidon's Blessing. This nerfs the monsters in a given area as well as increases SC chances with CID! Yes, it's true! Check your map before you CID!
General Map of the Towns and where their Clover would be if they had Poseidon's Blessing
Clover Map showing Tapasco
Practical Examples & Scenarios
Real-world examples of guardian mechanics in action
Example: First-Time CID Session
Scenario: Level 80 Sheep going for their first legendary guardian
Preparation:
- Collected 1,200 cards (mix of +1, +2, +3 life cards)
- Checked Poseidon's Blessing locations for SC bonus
- Brought plenty of potions and food
Strategy:
- Stage 1: Use high-life cards (+5, +4) to learn the patterns
- Stage 2+: Switch to +3 life cards for consistency
- Memory technique: Focus on card positions, not images
- Result: Got 14/16 Secret Cards in 800 cards, completed set with trading
Example: Efficient Card Farming
Best Locations by Level:
- Level 65-80: Azteca Field 1 (Tomahawk Cactus) - Easy, good drop rate
- Level 80-100: Vamp Castle Gate (Vamp Bat) - Higher level cards
- Level 100+: Megalopolis (Harpy) - Best card variety
Pro Tips:
- Farm during 2x drop events for maximum efficiency
- Use Detect to find card-dropping monsters faster
- Check card life values before CID sessions
Example: Efficient Soul Farming Route
Vamp Castle Soul Collection (30 minutes):
- Iron Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B1 → Kill Iron Knights near entrance
- Brass Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B2 → Center area has highest spawn
- Bone Fighter/Warrior/Magician: Vamp Castle B3 → Clear systematically
Optimization: Use AoE skills, bring plenty of potions, party with friends for faster clearing
Example: Swamp Seed Collection
Efficient Seed Route (45 minutes):
- Cobra Flower: Swamp 1 → North-east corner has best spawn rate
- Tooth Flower: Swamp 2 → Center area, respawns quickly
- Mud Bigfoot: Swamp 3 → Western side, use Detect skill
- Lotus Wormhole: Swamp 4 → Scattered throughout, be patient
Pro Tip: Collect all 60 seeds in one session to avoid multiple trips
Example: First Guardian Timeline
Day 1-3: Preparation Phase
- Complete CID questline and collect Secret Cards
- Farm souls and seeds for Soul Seed quest
- Obtain Harkon from Blacksmith Marx questlines
Day 4: Soul Seed Quest
- Complete Mirage Island access if needed
- Turn in all materials to get mature Poseidon seed
Day 5: Guardian Creation
- Use Secret Space Map to access Memory of Flames
- Complete Doppelganger fight (scales to your level)
- Receive your first guardian!
Example: Doppelganger Fight Strategy
Level 180 Sheep vs Doppelganger:
- Preparation: Full buffs, best equipment, plenty of potions
- Strategy: Doppelganger mirrors your stats exactly
- Key Points: Use terrain, kite if ranged, burst damage if melee
- Difficulty: Scales with your level - higher level = harder fight
Pro Tip: Consider doing this quest at a lower level if you're struggling
Example: Cookie-Cutter Build Empathy
Target Stats for Sense Guardian:
- Sense: 6 (2,000 Sense actions)
- Charm: 5 (1,600 Charm actions)
- Others: 4 each (1,200 actions each)
Action Examples:
- Sense: Use Detect, Lucky Fist, Shield Break repeatedly
- Charm: Dance, use charm-based skills
- Power: Physical attacks, power skills
- Magic: Cast spells, use magic skills
Example: Empathy Session Planning
2-Hour Empathy Session:
- Location: Megalopolis (safe, no monsters)
- Setup: Macro or manual clicking, comfortable position
- Actions per hour: ~600-800 (depending on method)
- Breaks: Every 30 minutes to avoid fatigue
- Tracking: Keep count or use external counter
Pro Tip: Do empathy building while watching movies or listening to music
Example: Choosing Your Guardian Type
Scenario 1: Casual Player
- Recommendation: Regular or Mighty Guardian
- Reasoning: Less time investment, still effective
- Skills: 8-10 skill slots, good for basic builds
Scenario 2: Hardcore Player
- Recommendation: Legendary Guardian
- Reasoning: Maximum skill slots, best stats
- Investment: 800-1000 cards, 2000+ empathy actions
Scenario 3: Collector/Fashion Player
- Recommendation: Mix of guardian types
- Reasoning: Different appearances, variety
- Investment: Multiple guardian slots, varied builds
Example: Cookie-Cutter Meta Build
Core Skills:
- Lucky Fist: Main damage skill (% HP based)
- Shield Break: Reduces enemy defense
- Detect: Utility for finding items/monsters
- Heal: Sustainability
Why This Works:
- Lucky Fist scales with enemy HP, not guardian stats
- Perfect for high-HP bosses (300M+ HP)
- Consistent damage regardless of equipment
- Works well in both solo and party content
Example: Specialized Builds
Support Guardian Build:
- Focus: Charm-based skills
- Skills: Heal, Mental Up, Blessing, Dance
- Role: Party support and healing
DPS Guardian Build:
- Focus: Power/Magic skills
- Skills: High-damage attacks, buffs
- Role: Maximum damage output
Example: HD Preparation Checklist
Before HD Starts:
- ✓ Popeye Anenome Card in inventory
- ✓ Mind's Eye skill learned
- ✓ Full potions and food
- ✓ Best equipment equipped
- ✓ Party members coordinated
During Preparation Phase (2 minutes):
- Apply all buffs (Mental Up, Blessing, etc.)
- Position near your assigned statue
- Coordinate with team on voice chat
- Check guardian skills are ready
Example: HD Battle Strategy
Defense Phase Strategy:
- Priority 1: Keep statues alive at all costs
- Priority 2: Clear shadow monsters efficiently
- Priority 3: Prepare for Chronos boss phase
Team Roles:
- Tanks: Draw monster aggro away from statues
- DPS: Focus fire on high-threat monsters
- Support: Heal statues and party members
- Guardians: Use Lucky Fist on bosses, support skills on team
Example: HD Rewards Planning
Gloom Mode Farming (Beginner):
- Goal: Shadow equipment for alts
- Time: 15-20 minutes per run
- Difficulty: Low, good for learning
Boss Mode Farming (Advanced):
- Goal: Maximum Chronos shards
- Time: 30-45 minutes per run
- Requirement: Coordinated team, good equipment