9 Kings: How to Beat the Ninth King and Complete a Run

To beat the Ninth King and finish a run in 9 Kings, you must survive nine progressive years by controlling your compact 3x3 grid, investing in immediate frontline bulk, thinning early-game clutter, and converting your entire board into combat power for the final battle.

3x3 Grid Placement and Tile Adjacency

Your kingdom never expands beyond nine total tiles. Because space is permanently capped, every structure must either protect your board or multiply adjacent tile output. Place aura structures in the center tile to broadcast bonuses across all eight surrounding plots, while positioning defensive combat buildings directly against enemy advance routes.

Avoid placing resource buildings or fragile ranged units on outer frontline edges where charging waves enter. Always reserve at least one flexible tile plot so you can reposition or replace buildings as enemy compositions shift.

Early Drafting Priorities (Years 1 to 3)

The opening three years test your raw board tempo. Early enemy monarchs send fast rush attacks that quickly chew through an undefended kingdom.

• Draft frontline bulk first: Prioritize high-health melee blockers, such as Iron Soldiers, before drafting speculative scaling perks.
• Cap early economy: Draft at most one income engine (such as a Farm or Mine) during the first three years. Funnel all other picks into direct combat strength or raw stats.
• Skip narrow combat perks: Reject situational cards unless they immediately reinforce the unit types currently on your board.

Synergy Scaling and Deck Thinning (Years 4 to 6)

During Years 4 through 6, enemy unit density and health pools spike significantly. Unfocused boards with scattered low-tier units will get overwhelmed. Pick one core combat engine and stack multipliers around it:

• Attack speed scaling: Stack speed buffs on backline ranged Ballistas to melt incoming lines.
• Armor retaliation: Pair defensive vanguard units with damage-reflection buffs to punish dense waves.
• Spell amplification: Funnel center-tile aura boosts into magical Spires to wipe enemy clusters.

Simultaneously, thin your deck using Executioner effects, glassing cards, and removal mechanics. Remove low-tier Year 1 recruits and obsolete utility cards. Trimming your deck ensures high-tier unit upgrades, duplicate multipliers, and defensive spells appear consistently in your hand.

Wave Counters for Years 7 and 8

Monarchs in the penultimate years deploy elite specialists and area-of-effect spells. Inspect incoming wave compositions before the round begins and adjust your tiles accordingly:

• Mass Swarms: Position cleave units or area-damage Spires squarely in the main rush lane, using staggered secondary blockers to catch stray units.
• Armored Brutes: Align single-target damage dealers, such as upgraded Ballistas or high-focus magic units, directly across from heavy armor to kill them before they reach your front wall.
• Ranged Volleys: Place high-health tanks or defensive barriers on exposed corner tiles to absorb incoming sniper fire and shield your backline carries.

Beating the Ninth King in Year 9

The final confrontation pit your kingdom against massive waves led by the Ninth King's elite vanguard. Long-term resource growth is useless in the final round; your goal is immediate, all-in combat survival.

1. Dismantle economic structures: Demolish or sell peripheral Mines and Farms to open board space for high-tier bastions, offensive spires, or secondary blockers.
2. Consolidate aura multipliers: Reorganize your buff buildings so all offensive and defensive stat boosts converge directly onto your primary carry units.
3. Trigger defensive buffs early: Cast shields, damage reflection, and protective spells the moment the Ninth King's vanguard enters combat range.
4. Target the monarch: Direct your backline artillery and heavy summons onto the Ninth King’s commander unit to break the assault and secure the run.