Answer Three Ways

For Rune-blade in The Sphinx (Thornreach, room 180). This guide earns Answer Three Ways. The Steam and mobile builds track achievements; the web build does not.

Not filmed yet. This route was checked by replaying it through the game’s own achievement judge, which awarded the achievement, but no video of it exists. The turn list below is read from that replay.

The rule

Win The Sphinx (room 180); positive direct hero damage lands during each riddle index 0,1,2; zero guard-blocked hits against her. Riddle 0 hit originates within 1 and riddle 1 from distance at least 3 as actual guard requires. Distances count a diagonal step as one tile.

Before you begin

The verified run used the Rune-blade kit after 179 draft picks, one for each earlier room, in the order below. Every pick is one the game offered at that point. A different draft gives a different kit, and the script may then need changes.

The script

face down
cast ward rune
step right
wait
face left
cast slash
face right
cast rune throw
face right
cast spear form
face right
cast rune throw
face right
cast spear form
face right
cast rune throw
step right
face right
cast thrust
face right
cast needlepoint
step right
face right
cast thunder blade
face right
cast reaping cut
face right
cast overload cut
step right
face up
cast rune throw
step up
face up
cast thrust
face up
cast needlepoint
face left
cast slash
step up
step up
face right
cast rune throw
step right
step right
face right
cast thrust
face right
cast needlepoint
face right
cast rune throw

Enter it exactly as shown, keeping the indentation, and press Play. The verified run took 30 turns, 50 executed instructions and 50 rows and finished with 52 HP.

Turn by turn

1. Turn 1: Cast Ward rune.
2. Turn 2: Step right.
3. Turn 3: Wait.
4. Turn 4: Cast Slash.
5. Turn 5: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Sphinx for 14.
6. Turn 6: Cast Spear form. Spear form hits the Sphinx for 9; Thorns hits the Sphinx for 1.
7. Turn 7: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Sphinx for 12.
8. Turn 8: Cast Spear form. Spear form hits the Sphinx for 9; Thorns hits the Sphinx for 1; You lose 2 HP to the Sphinx.
9. Turn 9: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Sphinx for 12.
10. Turn 10: Step right.
11. Turn 11: Cast Thrust. Thrust hits the Sphinx for 17.
12. Turn 12: Cast Needlepoint. Needlepoint hits the Sphinx for 19.
13. Turn 13: Step right.
14. Turn 14: Cast Thunder blade. Thunder blade hits the Sphinx for 23; Thorns hits the Sphinx for 1; You lose 7 HP to the Sphinx.
15. Turn 15: Cast Reaping cut. Reaping cut hits the Sphinx for 29.
16. Turn 16: Cast Overload cut. Overload cut hits the Sphinx for 28 and it dies.
17. Turn 17: Step right.
18. Turn 18: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Spore pod for 14.
19. Turn 19: Step up.
20. Turn 20: Cast Thrust. Thrust hits the Spore pod for 17.
21. Turn 21: Cast Needlepoint. Needlepoint hits the Spore pod for 17 and it dies.
22. Turn 22: Cast Slash.
23. Turns 23 to 24: Step up (2 times).
25. Turn 25: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Vine snare for 14.
26. Turns 26 to 27: Step right (2 times).
28. Turn 28: Cast Thrust. Thrust hits the Vine snare for 17.
29. Turn 29: Cast Needlepoint. Needlepoint hits the Vine snare for 20.
30. Turn 30: Cast Rune throw. Rune throw hits the Vine snare for 5 and it dies.

What to watch

• The Sphinx has to take damage in each of her three riddles, and none of those hits may be blocked. Riddle 0 needs a hit from within 1 tile and riddle 1 a hit from at least 3 tiles away.
• The verified run attacks her from turn 5 to turn 16 with Rune throw, Spear form, Thrust, Needlepoint, Thunder blade, Reaping cut and Overload cut, then clears the spore pod and the vine snare. It ends with 52 HP.

If it does not unlock

The achievement is checked on a replay of a won run. Win the room with a script that follows the rule above; a run that does not meet every clause wins the room and earns nothing.