Swamp
Leaves behind tar blobs over time. Enemies who walk into tar blobs are dealt {[min_tar_damage]} - {[max_tar_damage]}, are slowed by {[slow_pct]} for {[slow_len]} seconds and gain 1 stack of poison (max {[max_poison_stacks]} stacks). Each stack of poison deals {[min_poison_damage]}-{[max_poison_damage]} damage per second. This ball and its tar blobs also deal {[min_earthquake_damage]}-{[max_earthquake_damage]} damage to nearby units.
Swamp Ball Guide
Quick Reference
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recipe | Poison + Earthquake |
| Effect | Periodically drops tar blobs. Enemies entering tar blobs receive damage, a slow debuff, and 1 poison stack (stackable up to max). Each poison stack deals damage per second. The ball itself and its tar blobs also deal passive damage to nearby enemies |
| Category | Zone Control / DOT |
| Tier | A |
Rating
Swamp is an A-tier evolved ball created from Poison and Earthquake. It is one of the most mechanically complex balls in the game, featuring multiple overlapping effects: tar zone deployment, slow debuffs, stacking poison DOT, and passive aura damage from both the ball and its tar blobs.
The three core strengths are:
- Tar blob placement — Swamp continuously drops tar on the field; enemies stepping on blobs take immediate damage, get slowed, and gain a poison stack
- Poison stack accumulation — Each additional tar contact adds another poison stack up to the cap, multiplying per-second poison DOT
- Passive nearby damage — The ball and each active tar blob continuously damage adjacent enemies even without direct contact
Swamp rewards patience and positioning. Its power ramps with time as tar covers more ground and poison stacks accumulate on enemies, making it exceptional in prolonged engagements and boss fights.
How to Obtain
- Recipe: Poison + Earthquake
Both parents are strong on their own. Craft Swamp when you want a sustained zone-denial build rather than the faster burst of each parent individually.
When to Pick
- Long encounters where DOT has time to accumulate
- Dense enemy groups that will inevitably walk through tar fields
- Boss fights where you can max-stack poison and maintain it
- Builds focused on slowing and controlling enemy movement
Best Characters
| Character | Synergy | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Endurance/sustain builds | S | Tar + poison scale strongly over time; long rounds let Swamp reach full potential |
| Multi-ball users | A | Multiple Swamp balls stack tar blobs faster, accelerating poison accumulation |
| Movement-denial builds | A | Slow from tar synergizes with any strategy that punishes slowed enemies |
Recommended Passives
| Passive | Synergy |
|---|---|
| Poison damage up | Directly increases DPS from each poison stack |
| Poison stack cap increase | Higher stack cap means higher peak poison DPS |
| Slow amplification | Extends and strengthens tar blob slow to further restrict movement |
| AOE size increase | Enlarges tar blob coverage and passive nearby damage range |
| DOT duration extension | Keeps poison active longer, maintaining stacks between tar contacts |
Tips
- Layer tar on choke points — repeatedly target the same area to concentrate tar blobs where enemies must walk
- Build stacks before boss focus — use early-wave tar to pre-establish zones; in boss fights, focus on maintaining max poison stacks
- Combine slow with other attacks — slowed enemies are easier to hit with other balls; Swamp's debuff benefits the whole build
- Stack multiple Swamp balls — two or three Swamp balls in the same area fill the field with tar much faster, accelerating stack buildup
TL;DR
Swamp merges Earthquake's zone setup with Poison's DOT, deploying tar blobs that slow enemies, apply stacking poison, and deal passive area damage. A-tier zone-control specialist. Scales hard over time and in extended boss fights.