If you are new to the game I recommend playing it through fully on apprentice, then war mage.
When nightmare is available play each level on War Mage first to get 5 skulls as a practise round, then switch to nightmare for the same run.


Standard setup:

– Steel Weaver + first skill (Death Augmenter) to get more money from kills
(update it for either traps or archers where appropriate)
– lightning/fire (to be used where they enter and near traps)
– ice + sword (for trolls/hunters)
– fire ring for ice trolls

Standard wall setting:

– barricade leaving one space (a kill zone)
– tar
– mace
– grinders
– brimstone in front
– spring traps behind (sometimes) or archers (other times)

Lv 1 – The Hallway

Arrow Walls @ start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire
Mushroom for the Armoured Troll

Lv 2 – The Fork

Arrow Walls @ start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire
Mushroom for the Armoured Troll

Lv 3 – The Corner

Arrow Walls under low ceiling near start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire – Mace
Mushroom for Trolls
N.B. Keep an eye on time

Lv 4 – The Baths

Arrow Walls under low ceiling near start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire – Mace
Careful of orc archers
N.B. Time is an issue so don't use springs/wind belt

Lv 5 – Runner's Alley

Arrow Walls under low ceiling near start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire – Mace
Careful of orc archers and kobolds

Lv 6 – Overpass

Barricade right path to stairs
Arrow Walls under low ceiling near start
Brimstone – Tar – Lightning/Fire – Mace
Wind belt works well before you retreat behind your traps, but it's not necessary
Careful of kobolds and sappers

Lv 7 – Twin Halls

Block right path (beware announcement 'a barricade has been destroyed')
Standard setting after stairs on left path: barricade leaving one space – tar – grinders – spring traps behind
Arrow Walls and spring traps near start for extra help later on
Careful of sappers on wave 8

Lv 8 – Lunch Break

Barricade entrance at top of stairs + defend the end of the bridge
Standard setting: barricade leaving one space – tar – grinders – spring traps behind
Arrow Walls and spring traps near start for extra help later on
Careful of sappers on wave 8

Lv 9 – The Stream

Archers up top and at rift
Standard setting after right gate: barricade leaving one space – tar – grinders
Arrow Walls up high for fliers
Use wind belt if you like
Mushroom for trolls. Careful of kobolds and help archers with fliers.

Lv 10 – Sludge Hole

Down: 4 Push Traps each side, 1/2 Spring traps behind, 2 Arrow walls near entrance
Up: 3 arrow walls + a few paladins

Lv 11 – Chaos Chamber

Standard setting on both floors (do lower first): mace in middle – tar – brimstone – arrow walls – spring traps (no barricades)
Careful of kobolds, hunters and trolls (fire and ice)

Lv 12 – Chokepoint

On bridge: tar – brimstone – springs traps
Arrow walls covering end of bridge (and some archers behind)
Careful of kobolds. Mushroom for armored troll.

Lv 13 – The Arena

Tar - grinders - scorchers - paladins
at each door
Careful of kobolds

Lv 14 – The Balcony

5x archers on overpath near rift (and then 5 under that bridge) – fully upgrade them
Arrow walls low and high at end of bridge + brimstone
Zapper above forward overpath if you have it
Careful of kobolds

Lv 15 – The Tower

N.B. It's very long and time is a problem
Use brimstone and wall arrrows at entrances and use the logs on first 3 levels to speed things up
Standard setting higher up: barricades - mace – tar – grinders - archers behind
Don't use sword on ogres as there are too many. Freeze them when they are under the mace

Lv 16 – The Library

3 barricades diagonally (so they don't attack them) to block off one rift
Standard setting on other side: mace – tar – grinder – brimstone
Some wall arrows in front to help
Freeze ogres under traps

Lv 17 – The Bridge

Block right tunnel (replace if 'a barricade is down')
Archers upgraded on central ridge
Mace + brimstone under archers
Spring traps on bridges

Lv 18 – Killing Fields

Block left tunnel after stairs and the central passage top of the stairs
Set up under stairs right (no barricades): maces left to right (x4 eventually) – tar – wall arrows – brimstone
Set wall arrows and brimstone on left entrance for extra protection

Lv 19 – Rebirth

Maces + Tar + Arrow walls + shoot barrels above
Paladins after tar

Lv 20 – Gateway

2 maces after bridge + tar + arrow walls + fire ring for ice trolls
Archers above and at sides upgraded asap
Zappers + arrow walls + brimstone at bridge where they enter

Lv 21 – Hard Climb

Blockade right entrance below stairs where they enter – stagger last one so they won't attack barricades.
Blockade left entrance below stairs to rift
Standard set up in gap: tar – grinders – brimstone (last 2 essential for kobolds)
Then loads of archers fully upgraded up top between rifts (much better than zappers)
Take out ogres fast then lay down a lightning shower at traps before going top to help with numerous fliers (including a couple which can sneak by on the first two levels before you get your archers set up) + defend archers from hunters

Lv 22 – The Squeeze
Standard wall setting on both levels (upper first): barricade leaving one space – tar – maces – grinders
Watch for fliers from the top – they can kill you in a flash even on first wave
Then archers at rift and on top of stairs at lower level
Reinforce with arrow walls low and high

Lv 23 – Stairs of Doom

Standard wall setting right: barricade leaving one space – tar – grinders (for kobolds)
Jump left and kill orcs manually, then set up same standard wall setting left
Adding maces to both
Beware sappers in wave 3 – eventually place brimstone below to take care of them
Then place all archers above and at the top of stairs.
Watch for ogres and hunters. Use the 2 logs each side if you need them

Lv 24 – Finale

Fully upgrade all trap options first
Walls arrows x3 at each entrance (waves start north and go clockwise)
Then fully upgrade archers and place them around the rift.
Then upgrade paladins and place at each entrance to rift.
Brimstone below each rift entrance.
There is a log above each entrance for last wave trolls.
Use mushrooms on armoured trolls if you wish.

Lv 1 – Double Trouble

Steel Weaver + first skill (Death Augmenter)
Set up on each side before wave 3: 1 row of tar + 1 wall arrow + 1 archer at rift (for the kobolds are a major pain)
Then set up fully on one side: mace above tar (left to right) – one row of tar with zappers above – one final row of tar with mace or zappers above – and add 2 more wall arrows (and 2 more archers)
Manually defend other side with lightning + shot acid barrels
Gradually build up same trap defence there too

Lv 2 – Reverse Tower

Steel Weaver + first skill (Death Augmenter)
Upstairs set up tar - maces - scorchers - arrow walls
Down below near rift some archers
near lower door: tar - arrow walls - ballista - archers behind


Lv 3 – The Pit

Steel Weaver + first skill (Death Augmenter)
Blockade top of stairs and place the usual setup at other side:
tar – arrow walls (for annoying kobolds) – mace – brimstone
That's it. Easy.
Update all Weaver traps and keep adding arrow walls, tar, brimstone in that corner.
Place some ballista round the corner to help with Ogres and trolls, or just freeze them under the mace.

Lv 4 – Triple Down

Steel Weaver + first skill (Death Augmenter)
Blockade top of stairs on both sides and defend middle top of stairs.
Tar – arrow walls – zappers
Update all Weaver traps
Fill the square with zappers and tar. Easy.

Lv 5 – Great Gorge

Blockade small passage left of entrance and small passage after the right bridge
N.B. Watch for the Frost Troll on Wave 1
Set up under right arch near rift: tar – mace left-to-right – 2 grinders
Set up two barricades before and two after to force them all along the path of the mace
Place a spring trap after and update Weaver for traps ASAP – nothing will get through (1 or 2 trolls might get through early)
Then place zappers all along that hallway – by the end the trolls won't even reach the mace.
Now the fliers. On Wave 3, after killing 2 hunters, take them out with a mix of frost and fire. Eventually put your back to the rift and as it will constantly heal you you should survive. Place zappers above on three central rows.
Once your mace trap is secure you can focus entirely on the fliers and it becomes very easy. Watch out for lots of hunters near the end, but you should have all your central zappers up by then, so just kite the hunters under them and freeze them.