Relay Rivals advanced tips: three stars and fast wins
To get three stars in every Relay Rivals battle, you must win in under two minutes while your core keeps at least 75% health. That means defending without losing your turret, then breaking the rival's turret and core fast. This page shows how, using the real rules behind the battle. New to the game? Read tips for beginners first.
Three stars: the plan
Your core cannot be hurt while your turret stands. So the easiest way to keep 75% core health is simple: do not lose your turret. Then the core star is safe.
For the fast star, you need the rival's core at 0% before the clock shows 1:00. A full turret has 1,200 health and a full core has 1,800. Here is how many hits that takes:
| Robot | Hits to break a turret | Hits to break a core |
|---|---|---|
| Drill Walker | 12 | 17 |
| Spring Jumper | 35 | 52 |
| Shield Cart | 38 | 57 |
| Rivet Ranger | 40 | 60 |
These are hidden numbers from the game's card data. The Drill Walker does triple damage to turrets and cores, so it breaks a turret in about 11 seconds of hitting. That is why most fast wins use a Drill Walker. See card stats for every number.
Escort the Drill Walker
The Drill Walker only fights robots that come very close. Everything else it walks past, straight to the turret. That is great for speed, but rival robots will hit it the whole way.
- Take the relay first, so you can use the forward pad.
- Send a Shield Cart from the forward pad.
- Send the Drill Walker right behind it, from the same pad.
- Add a Rivet Ranger or a Repair Beetle behind them.
- Keep cheap cards ready to stop rival robots that chase the group.
Robots from the forward pad start near the middle and head straight for the rival's base, so this group arrives much sooner.
Use the forward pad for support cards too
Anchor Pad, Pulse Net, Pop Rocket and Decoy Beacon all work right at the pad you pick. On the forward pad they work near the middle of the arena:
- Anchor Pad on the forward pad shoots at rivals walking to the relay.
- Pulse Net on the forward pad slows rivals trying to take the relay back.
- Pop Rocket on the forward pad hits a crowd fighting at the relay.
- Decoy Beacon on the forward pad pulls rivals away from your attack group for 10 seconds.
How the relay really works
- In the middle lane, your walking robots stop in the relay ring until the relay is yours. Then they walk on. This is why the middle lane is slower when the rival holds the relay.
- Robots on lanes A and C walk past the relay without stopping. If the rival owns the relay and guards it, a side lane is the faster way to its base.
- A capture needs 4 seconds without any rival robot in the ring. One cheap Boltling pair in the ring is enough to stop the rival's capture.
- Kite Drones fly over the relay without stopping and cannot capture it.
Read the bots
Bots follow clear rules. Use them:
- A Workshop warden saves charge. While its base is safe and its charge is low, it will not play cards that cost more than 3. Attack with a big group at once, not one robot at a time.
- A Lane sprinter likes the side lanes and its forward pad. Keep the relay so its forward pad stays closed.
- A Signal keeper rushes the middle until it owns the relay. A Broom Bot or Pop Rocket in the middle punishes its groups.
- When your robots are deep in a bot's half, the bot avoids its forward pad and defends. That is a good time for a second wave.
- Bots only play Pulse Net and Pop Rocket where at least two of your robots are close. Spread out a little to avoid them.
Every style is explained on rival styles.
Where rival rockets land
A Pop Rocket lands around a pad of the team that played it. So a rival rocket lands near the rival's home pads, close to its turret, or near its forward pad, close to the relay. If your group is attacking the rival turret, expect rockets there. Wait for the blast, then send the next wave.
Repair Beetles do not stack
Each robot can be repaired at most once a second. Two Repair Beetles on one group do not heal faster. Use one beetle per group. Remember that beetles cannot repair Anchor Pads, Decoy Beacons or cores.
Use your turret
Your turret shoots any rival robot near your base, flyers included, about every 0.75 seconds. When a big rival push comes, fight close to home so your turret helps. Then counter-attack while the rival waits for charge.
Charge budget for a whole battle
You start with 5 charge and gain 1 a second. In a three-minute battle that is about 185 charge in total. A fast win in under two minutes has about 125. Plan your big cards: a Drill Walker (5) plus a Shield Cart (4) is 9 charge, almost a full bar.
Keyboard players: order your crew
In battle, keys 1 to 6 pick the cards in the order of your crew slots. Put the cards you play most in slots 1 and 2, and your emergency answer (like Broom Bot) on an easy key. See building a crew.
More strategy games
Enjoy thinking ahead? The Solitaire guide has more card strategy for calm moments.
