Keep a route back to the statue, avoid duplicating every teammate’s job, and fix the cause of a failed run before changing your entire loadout.
Choose coverage before chasing damage
The game’s official objective is to protect the statue while picking enemies out of the incoming crowd. A useful starting plan is to keep someone aware of the approaches while other players deal with an active fight.
There is no mandatory team formation in this guide. The practical question is whether everyone can answer, “Who is watching the statue right now?” If the answer is nobody, chasing one target further away is usually the wrong priority for the team.
A repeatable loop for ordinary runs
Observe
Compare the next arrivals with the ordinary examples you have just seen. Stay close enough to understand what is approaching the objective.
Engage with an exit
Before committing to a threat, identify where you can move next. Do not let an unfamiliar attack trap you against the route you need to defend.
Recheck the statue
After the immediate fight, look back at the objective and remaining crowd. One successful encounter does not mean the approach is clear.
Adjust deliberately
Use the next quiet moment to check your equipment and current class description. Buy for a problem you can name rather than filling slots at random.
Turn preferences into useful jobs
These are editorial team habits. They are not formal game roles, hidden bonuses or a required composition.
| If you prefer… | Give yourself this job | Watch out for… |
|---|---|---|
| Careful aiming | Keep a clear view of a threat without forgetting the incoming crowd. | Following a distant target until the objective leaves your view. |
| Close-range combat | Keep a route to the statue and help finish threats that are already identified. | Committing before you understand the attack or class drawback. |
| Supporting teammates | Check who needs help while keeping your own escape route. | Assuming support equipment replaces the need to recognise enemies. |
| Fast movement | Use mobility to restore coverage when the team spreads out. | Moving quickly without checking where you will stop. |
Diagnose the last loss
| What happened | What to practise next |
|---|---|
| You missed the disguise | Repeat the face, colour and torso inspection on the same character type. |
| You lost sight of the statue | Shorten your chase and decide who keeps the approach in view. |
| A tool behaved differently than expected | Read its current description and test it before building the run around it. |
| A boss attack surprised you | Study that encounter on the same difficulty, then change your positioning. |
About old seven-wave charts
The older community Waves page describes a seven-wave progression and specific boss stages. The official game now advertises a major overhaul. We have not established that every old wave, boss threshold or reward condition remains the same after SMILE MORE.
Use the current run’s announcements to identify what is happening next. This guide is a defence routine, not a promised wave-by-wave clear or a guaranteed badge route.