Iron Marines+ Any% Fresh File Speedrun Campaign Route

To complete a fresh file Any% speedrun of Iron Marines+, select Casual difficulty, bypass all non-mandatory side content, and funnel all resources into mobile offense. A fresh file begins with an empty save slot containing zero hero levels, unspent tech points, or bonus credits. Finishing the campaign in real-time requires stripping away defensive turtling, moving hero units ahead to force encounter spawns early, and burning mission objectives before protracted enemy waves can materialize.

Core Rules and Campaign Setup

Every second in a fresh file run depends on immediate menu execution and minimal downtime between planetary sectors. Adhere to four operational rules across Sagan-1, Ascenda Peak, and Borealis:

• Select Casual Difficulty: Any% speedrun rules allow Casual mode. This lowers enemy health pools and incoming damage, enabling heroes and squads to run through enemy lines rather than holding defensive chokepoints.
• Skip Optional Operations: Bypass all Spec Ops missions and achievement hunting. The critical mission path yields enough tech points to fund required damage milestones.
• Skip Cutscenes Instantly: Tap through all dialogue sequences, mission briefings, and cutscenes immediately upon entry.
• Avoid Static Base Turrets: Do not spend Ether constructing stationary base defenses unless a stage objective strictly enforces base survival against a fixed timer. Invest all Ether into mobile infantry, mechas, and hero abilities that push objectives forward.

Early Game Routing on Sagan-1

The opening stages of Sagan-1 establish your run pace through precise hero micromanagement and target selection:

1. Lead with Taggins on Stages 1–3: Deploy Taggins at the head of your squad. Trigger his invulnerability shield to disregard enemy creep aggro and focus fire directly on alien spawners or main mission consoles. Pull your Riflemen behind him so they fire without taking damage. Minor creeps despawn or can be cleared while walking to the extraction point once the primary objective falls.
2. Field Snipers Immediately Upon Unlocking: Swap to or recruit Snipers as soon as they become available. Their attack range and single-target burst dismantle barrier nodes and high-priority threats before your units enter hazard ranges. Pair them with Taggins or frontline brawlers to absorb incoming fire while the Snipers clear the path.

Hero Movement and Spawn Triggering

Waiting for enemy waves to crawl toward your defensive perimeter slows mission completion. Use high-mobility heroes to step across invisible stage boundaries early, deliberately forcing enemy dropships and burrowers to spawn immediately.

Route your hero just ahead of your infantry to clear the fog of war. This allows your off-map support powers and artillery strikes to begin cooling down against incoming enemy packs before the camera recenters. When capturing objective beacons, stand on the edge closest to the next path forward, absorb the incoming fire, and sprint the moment the capture meter registers completion.

High-Impact Tech Tree Priorities

Tech points are scarce in a fresh file run. Spreading points evenly into squad armor or bunker durability dilutes your damage output. Channel all earned tech points into offense, cooldown reductions, and resource generation:

• Ether Extraction Rate: Upgrade Ether income first. Rapid resource income allows you to replenish fallen units and field tier-two combat walkers without waiting on mining cycles.
• Infantry and Hero Damage: Invest in direct ballistic and energy weapon damage. On Casual difficulty, damage upgrades hit one-shot thresholds against swarming units quickly, eliminating the need to kite enemies.
• Drop Cooldowns and Costs: Reduce the cost and recharge timers of combat drops and orbital strikes. These abilities clear clustered enemy chokepoints instantly without halting ground movement.
• Defensive Upgrades to Skip: Do not purchase base armor, bunker repair, or auxiliary turret enhancements. Your base rarely takes damage when your strike force stays on the far side of the map.

Boss Encampments and Phase Skips

Major boss encounters on Ascenda Peak and Borealis—including the Fell Bishop, Rob070, and the final campaign encounter—run on fixed health percentage thresholds. You can shorten or bypass minion wave routines by hoarding burst abilities before initiating each fight:

1. Pre-Position Ranged Squads: Station Snipers and heavy combat walkers along the arena perimeter right before triggering the activation boundary or cutscene. This ensures continuous fire while the boss performs its intro animation.
2. Unload Cooldowns at Once: The moment the boss becomes targetable, fire hero nukes, missile barrages, and orbital munitions simultaneously. Pushing boss health rapidly through phase thresholds cancels subsequent attack routines.
3. Ignore Sub-Spawns on Kill Objectives: When the victory condition requires killing the boss, do not swap targets to address summoned adds. Keep every auto-attack, squad shot, and support power locked onto the primary boss target until the victory screen triggers.