Dome Keeper: Infiltrator vs. Beastmaster Class Guide

In Dome Keeper, choosing between the Infiltrator and the Beastmaster comes down to active burst mobility versus passive minion management. Neither keeper uses conventional direct drilling. To succeed with either character, you must adapt to indirect excavation cycles, navigate around strict personal digging limitations, and invest your first wave of iron into their mechanical bottlenecks.

Indirect Mining Mechanics Compared

Standard keepers like the Engineer bore through rock tiles directly, while the Assessor shatters clusters using kinetic spheres. The Infiltrator and Beastmaster abandon direct manual drilling entirely, relying on explosive charges or commanded creatures.

Feature	Infiltrator	Beastmaster
Primary Excavation	Explosive shurikens and timed charges	Commanded creature digging (Catgoblin)
Movement Style	Omnidirectional jetpack with teleport beacons	Standard jetpack with minion-following pathing
Resource Transport	Manual dragging along tethered beacon lines	Autonomous minion transport to the dome
Wave Defense Return	Instant recall using teleport anchors	Slow return requiring early departure alarms
Primary Risk	Stalled momentum when charges deplete in dense rock	Zero manual digging capability if minions path poorly

Infiltrator: Burst Mining and Beacon Management

The Infiltrator relies on rapid hit-and-run mining cycles. Instead of grinding down individual blocks, you throw explosive shurikens into rock seams to blast multiple tiles simultaneously. This exposes resource clusters rapidly, allowing you to bypass dense strata in seconds.

The class's defining tool is the teleport beacon:

Instant Dome Recall: Deploy a beacon anchor at the base of your active mining shaft. You can mine until the wave timer is almost empty, then activate the beacon to snap instantly into the dome without wasting transit time.
Tethered Hauling: The Infiltrator cannot rely on minions to carry ore. You must manually drag iron and cobalt upward. Set up chained beacon paths along vertical shafts so your cargo does not get abandoned underground when defensive sirens sound.

Beastmaster: Autonomous Minions and Logistics Routing

The Beastmaster functions as a subsurface foreman rather than a manual laborer. You command underground fauna, such as the Catgoblin, directing them to targeted ore seams using commands and whip buffs.

Because minions dig and ferry ore autonomously, resource gathering continues in the background while you man dome weaponry during monster waves. However, this hands-off approach carries a significant drawback:

Zero Personal Digging: You have no manual drilling power. If your creatures get stuck in winding corridors or trapped behind uncleared stone, you cannot dig them out yourself.
Path Maintenance: You must scout ahead, mark high-priority veins, and carve clean, wide angles to prevent minion pathfinding from stalling against stubborn walls.

Early-Game Iron Upgrade Priorities

Both classes suffer severe early-game bottlenecks if you direct initial resources into general dome enhancements. Spend your opening iron on class-specific tools before upgrading dome shields or base health.

Infiltrator Priorities

Shuriken Recharge Rate: Invest your first four to six iron here to eliminate downtime between detonations.
Blast Radius: Widen your explosions early. Baseline blast radii frequently leave single-tile obstructions that trap your keeper and force you to waste extra charges.
Beacon Cooldown: Upgrade anchor recovery so instant recall is available for every combat wave.

Beastmaster Priorities

Minion Digging Efficiency: Baseline Catgoblins struggle heavily against dense tier-two rock. Upgraded digging power keeps your workforce moving through deeper strata.
Creature Movement Speed: Faster minions reduce transit delays between mining faces and the main shaft.
Hauling Capacity: Increase how much ore each creature can carry to ensure regular resource deliveries reach the surface before weapon upgrades become urgent.

Best Dome Loadouts and Game Modes

Match each keeper to the appropriate dome weapon and mission structure to complement their operational rhythms:

Select the Infiltrator for fast-paced Relic Hunt runs, prestige scoring, or short countdown timers. Instant beacon recall pairs best with weapon systems that demand immediate, manual attention—such as the Laser Dome or Sword Dome—allowing you to extract ore until the final second before combat begins.
Select the Beastmaster for Endless runs, large-scale maps, and high-maintenance defensive weapons like the Artillery Dome or Tesla Dome. Because these weapons require active tracking and continuous ammunition management during prolonged assaults, autonomous minions keep your economy functioning while your full attention remains on base survival.