The unlockable classes inRabbit & Steeloffer a lot of new playstyles that can shine in both solo play and online games. The Bruiser’s aggressive mobility, the Defender’s abundance of bullet-clearing skills and the raw damage of the Ancient all feel distinct and powerful.

Getting access to these expanded classes can be a challenge. Like all unlocks in the game, they are tied to achievements. You won’t be able to try out the extra classes until you’ve mastered at least one of the starting options. Here’s what you need to know and some tips for each of the unlock quests.

The Ancient Rabbit uses her summoned pet to defeat two mice at once

How To Unlock New Classes

Each class is tied to one of the five zones, excluding the pale keep at the end of each run, and you can unlock a new class when you defeat the area’s boss on hard difficulty. All unlocks in the game can also be obtained bydefeating a certain number of bosses on any difficulty.

Playing on hard mode will let you unlock these faster, but is not required.

Ranalie combining stationary and rotating beams. The safe spot is to her left and rotating under her

10

20

30

40

Emerald Lakeside

50

The total number of bosses needed for the unlocksdoes not line up with the difficulty of the hard mode areas.The Red Darkhouse, for example, is a good deal harder than the Emerald Lake.

By the time you are ready to defeat your first hard mode boss,you’ll likely have already unlocked the Sniper, Spellblade, and maybe the bruiser.You can use them against the Hard Mode bosses to unlock the Defender and Ancient.

Area unlocks are not carried over between difficulties. You’ll be able tounlock new areas by defeating bosses, starting with Merran in the King’s Arsenal.

Tips For Defeating Hard Mode Bosses

The first boss you’ll fight in hard mode will present a bigger challenge than the final boss encountered in normal difficulty.Don’t get discouraged if you struggleto reach them on your first attempt.

Here are a few details on how each boss is expanded in hard mode and methods you’re able to use for defeating them:

Scholar’s Nest

Twili

The teleporter attacks Twili uses are more complex now. You can expect to havemultiple teleport timers going at once, requiring you to think further aheadto not be transported inside her other attacks. She’ll also borrow some rotating beams from Ranalie.

She still attacks slower than the other bosses and telegraphs her special attacks in frozen time.A high DPS build can wipe her outbefore too many stray bullets catch you.

King’s Armory

Merran

The enrage timer is a more present threat in this fight than the others.Druids will struggle to kill her before she uses her instant kill attacks, along with other classes that rely on a stationary target.

Get loot items that deal non-targeting damage. These will let you hit Merran while she’s otherwise untargetable.

Red Darkhouse

Ranalie

The spinning laserbeams Ranalie uses are easy to misjudge and you’ll have more of them to juggle at once.Most attacks will have only one or two safe spotson the entire screen and several fake ones that will be hit by the rotating beams.

Being forced into these tight areas means that aHeavyblade can protect an entire teamthrough the beams.

Churchmouse Street

Matti

Matti’s empowered move set is very much a test of precision and memory.Her patterns have very tight but well telegraphed margins, that you can learn and execute perfectly to avoid all damage.

Be careful of how being shoved interacts with other area attacks she uses.

Make sure you have a way of dealing burst damage toquickly defeat the minions she summonsduring her second phase. Their simultaneous attacks can quickly overwhelm even a skilled player.

Avy

Avy’s expanded boss pattern builds on her existing mechanics but uses more of them at once instead of one per attack.You’ll need to match colours while also dancing in place,or while tethered.

There are fewer patterns designed to trick the player, so you’re best facing her withwhichever character you’re most comfortable using.

Some of the bosses are easier to defeat using the classes unlockedby defeating others. TheBruiser’s flame hook primary is well suited to clearing Matti’s summons, while the Spellblade’s beam can hit Merran while she is hidden offscreen.