Dome Keeper: Sword Dome Endless Mode High-Score Guide

To survive late waves and push past 140,000 points in Dome Keeper Endless Mode using the Sword Dome, invest your initial Iron directly into drill speed and Keeper mobility, transition into blade reach and rotation upgrades before wave scaling outpaces your base damage, and preserve Cobalt exclusively for emergency late-game repairs.

Sword Dome Combat Mechanics

The Sword Dome replaces the hitscan tracking of the Laser with directional melee strikes. Managing waves effectively requires alternating between wide swings, aimed lunges, and active projectile blocking.

Upgrading blade length and rotation speed reduces the aim penalty of the weapon, allowing you to intercept aerial attackers in the upper corners of the screen without waiting for them to reach the dome surface.

Early-Cycle Resource Prioritization

Alien health and density scale continuously in Endless Mode. Spending combat resources too early weakens your economy, while neglecting weapon reach leaves the dome vulnerable to mid-game swarms. Allocate your resources based on the cycle stage:

• Cycles 1–3: Spend your initial Iron on Drill 1 as soon as you find your first vein. Dig through the top two dirt layers immediately to uncover gadgets and relic chambers.
• Cycles 4–6: Put your next Iron into Keeper movement speed and carry capacity to cut down transit time between the dome and your dig site.
• Cycles 7 and Beyond: Shift secondary Iron into blade extension, sword damage, and dome shields once resource generation stabilizes.

Manage your rare resources conservatively:

• Iron: Primary material for drill upgrades, carry capacity, movement speed, and weapon enhancements.
• Water: Governs upgrade pacing and gadget utility.
• Cobalt: Emergency preservation resource. Allow passive shielding to absorb early chip damage rather than spending Cobalt on minor repairs. Reserve Cobalt for high-wave cycles where incoming damage spikes can deplete dome health rapidly.

Managing Wave Timers and Return Transitions

As Endless Mode progresses, the warning windows between enemy attacks shrink. To avoid taking uncontested hull damage while trapped underground, structure your mine with clear vertical shafts and direct horizontal tunnels.

Carrying heavy mineral loads significantly reduces your Keeper's flight speed. If the combat alarm sounds while hauling ore from deep layers, abandon the haul to reach the weapon station before monsters hit the glass. When utility options like the Lift or Teleporter appear, use them to separate your movement speed from resource delivery.

Target Hierarchy During Mixed Swarms

High-density waves spawn diverse enemy compositions simultaneously. Attack encroaching threats in this sequence to protect dome integrity:

1. Diving and Explosive Units: Intercept flying self-destruct units immediately with a wide blade sweep before they reach the dome glass.
2. Backline Ranged Spitters: Eliminate long-range acid shooters using an extended thrust before they settle into a steady firing pattern.
3. Heavy Ground Pounders: Align downward charged stabs through the armor of slow ground smashers once aerial threats are down.
4. Residual Melee Scrappers: Clear remaining light ground units with low horizontal sweeps before the wave ends.

Between active swings, angle your blade outward toward incoming projectile fire to prevent chip damage.

Late-Game Upgrade Progression

To sustain deep Endless Mode runs and push toward high-score thresholds, finalize your build through the following terminal upgrades:

1. Long Blade and Heavy Thrust: Extends melee reach to strike artillery at the edge of the screen, removing threats before they attack.
2. Sword Speed and Control: Increases rotation speed to let you pivot between high-angle flyers and low ground attackers without leaving gaps in defense.
3. Shield Overcharge and Inversion: Absorbs stray impacts passively, freeing you to focus your weapon on priority targets.
4. Cobalt Dome Hardening: Once drill and primary sword paths are capped, allocate surplus Cobalt into maximum dome health and rapid repair nodes to endure prolonged late-wave assaults.