Overview
- Type: Base Ball (unlocked after clearing BONExYARD)
- Effect: Deals 3.0× damage on hit, then self-destructs. 3-second cooldown.
- Default character: The Shade
- Standalone Tier: B
- Evolution Tier: S
Rating
Dark is the highest single-hit damage base ball — 3× burst on impact. The trade-off is it self-destructs and sits on a 3-second cooldown, making it a glass cannon that can't spam. In isolation it's a B-tier pick, but its evolution tree is enormous (8 paths), several of which are top-tier.
The main reason to pick up Dark early is to unlock Phantom (curse stacker), Assassin (pierce + back-hit bonus), Vampire Lord (bleed + lifesteal), or Flicker (passive screen AoE). Any of these can anchor an entire run.
The Shade's default ball and primary enabler. Even outside of The Shade, Dark is a high-priority ingredient for flexible mid-game pivots.
Evolution Paths (priority order)
Phantom = Dark + Ghost [S-tier]
Applies Curse on hit (100–200 dmg burst after 5 hits). Feeds into Banshee evolution. Core of curse-stack builds.
Assassin = Iron + Ghost or Dark [S-tier]
Pierces forward; +30% bonus damage from back hits. Further evolves to Sniper (Assassin + Shotgun). Synergizes with Ethereal Cloak.
Vampire Lord = Vampire + Dark or Bleed [S-tier]
Applies 3 bleed stacks on hit; consumes 10+ stacks to heal 1 HP. Ingredient for Nosferatu.
Flicker = Light + Dark [A-tier]
Every 1.4s, deals 1–7 damage to all active enemies on screen. Self-contained passive AoE — great in long encounters.
Incubus = Charm + Dark [A-tier]
4% chance charm for 9s; charmed enemies spread Curse to neighbors. Path to Satan.
Banished Flame = Dark + Burn [B-tier]
Darkflame stacks (max 6), 1–30 dmg/s + 1–100 burst on expiry. Niche but powerful in the right build.
Sacrifice = Bleed + Dark [B-tier]
4 bleed stacks (max 15) + Curse. Reinforces bleed builds.
Noxious = Wind + Dark or Poison [C-tier]
Pierce + poisons nearby in 2-tile radius. Low priority unless building DoT.
Best Passives
- Ethereal Cloak: synergy with pierce evolutions (Phantom, Assassin)
- Hourglass: amplify the 3× burst further
- Silver Bullet: stack bonus before wall with the big first hit
Best Characters
- The Shade: default ball; dark-build specialist
- The Repentant: Dark × Freeze for Vampire Lord or Assassin pivots
Pickup Priority
B-tier standalone, S-tier as evolution ingredient. Always worth taking when The Shade or aiming for Phantom/Assassin/Vampire Lord builds.