Fieldrunners 2 for iPad for iPad: Puzzle Mode Laser Strategy

To clear puzzle levels in Fieldrunners 2 for iPad for iPad, use your allotted barrier towers to wall off safe walking routes and redirect all incoming runners into stationary laser fields. Because puzzle towers do not shoot, every creep must be eliminated by environmental hazards before reaching the exit.

How Puzzle Mode Alters Standard Mechanics

Puzzle levels remove direct weapon damage and economy management. You do not purchase upgrades, collect gold from fallen creeps, or sell structures mid-round. Instead, you begin each stage with a fixed number of non-firing towers that act strictly as physical barriers.

Fieldrunner artificial intelligence consistently takes the shortest open route from the spawn gate to the goal. Your objective is not to build a prolonged firing maze, but to close off open lanes so that crossing a lethal laser beam becomes the shortest remaining route to the exit.

Core Board Features and Placement Rules

Before placing towers, evaluate the layout of permanent map elements. Natural obstacles and laser gates cannot be moved, making them the anchor points for your barricades.

Board Feature	Structural Role	Placement Strategy
Laser Emitter Line	Lethal hazard zone	Keep open so incoming runners are forced to step onto the beam.
Natural Rocks	Permanent obstacle	Anchor barricade walls to rocks to minimize tower consumption.
Open Detour Lanes	Safe runner shortcut	Place towers directly in these gaps to deny bypass routes.
Spawn Entrances	Creep entry point	Leave open breathing room so paths funnel smoothly toward hazards.
Exit Perimeter	Goal line	Never block entirely; route the final open trajectory into a laser.

Step-by-Step Path Redirection

Because your tower count is strictly limited, placing barricades in wide open spaces will exhaust your inventory before all bypasses are sealed. Place towers in narrow choke points between environmental rocks and laser emitters to shut down wide lanes with minimal resources.

Observe the default path: Trace the route creeps follow when the map has no player-placed towers.
Find the safe detour: Note the open corridor runners take to skirt around the laser beam.
Plug the detour gap: Place a barrier tower into the narrowest choke point of that safe route.
Check the dynamic path line: Look at the dotted trail on the screen to confirm the route now cuts across the laser beam.
Preserve leftover inventory: Save remaining towers to handle secondary paths or alternate spawns instead of reinforcing already closed lanes.

Handling Multi-Lane and Split Spawns

Advanced puzzle stages introduce multiple spawn gates running simultaneously. If you block only one side, the opposite flank will rush unobstructed to the goal.

Centralized kill zones: When layout permits, place towers to merge both lanes into a single central laser gate.
Separated lane routing: If the map separates spawns with impassable terrain, treat each lane as an isolated puzzle and divide your tower count evenly to cover each laser independently.
Staggered entry angles: When creeps enter a shared laser from opposing sides, angle your blocking towers so they do not collide at the choke point, ensuring continuous movement into the beam.

Pre-Wave Path Verification

Puzzle levels require zero leaks for a win. Before starting the wave, inspect the board edges and dynamic path indicators to confirm success:

Scan outer borders: Ensure no single-tile perimeter gap exists around the outside edges of your tower walls.
Verify all trajectories: Check every spawn point to confirm all visible trajectory lines lead directly into laser beams.
Adjust before starting: If a path indicator circumvents a hazard, pick up the misplaced tower and shift it to the open breach before triggering the round.