How to Beat Nightmare Mode 201 In Heroes vs. Hordes

TLDR;

• The "Poor Man's Warlord" build, optimized for the Knight.
• How to leverage the Knight's Forge upgrades, including slow effects and pushback.
• A V-shaped kiting pattern to manipulate horde spawns for better survival.
• The importance of slowing enemies and earning experience in wave one to power through waves two and three.
• Tips on managing resources like gems and revives.

Nightmare Mode 201 in Heroes vs Hordes is brutal. It's a challenge that pushes you to rethink your builds, strategies, and approach to every wave. If you've been stuck, like I was, trying to make progress in patch 2.6.8, things got a little easier in patch 2.7.0 thanks to changes in horde health and slow resistance. After trying countless strategies, I've found one that works, even without top-tier gear: what I call the Poor Man's Warlord build.

Here's how I cleared Nightmare Mode 201 and how you can, too.

The Build: The Poor Man's Warlord

This build is traditionally meant for the Warlord, but it works well for the Knight with the right tweaks. The key is a mix of Knight items, rogue items, and a couple of Wizard items.

The goal is to clear enough of the horde in wave one to level up, making waves two and three more manageable.

Here's what makes this build tick.

Choose Knight as the Hero

The Knight is surprisingly viable in Nightmare Mode. His biggest drawback—slower movement speed—is irrelevant here since movement is capped at nine. Additionally, his five-star Forge upgrade is game-changing. This week's arena sword reward allowed me to upgrade to a five-star sword without using super tokens, which was a major boost.

Get Slow and Pushback

The Knight's Forge upgrade unlocks a 25% chance to slow enemies, critical in Nightmare Mode due to reduced horde health and less slow resistance. Combine this with the Evolved Rune Sword, which provides pushback, and you have a build that can control the horde better than most.

Key Early Chapter Weapons

Focus on upgrading your sword and getting Frost Nova from the Frost Wand. By the end of wave one, I was sitting at level 21, with both the Evolved Rune Sword and Evolved Ice Wand ready for wave two.

Wave One Strategy

Wave one is all about survival and leveling up. The kiting pattern I used, learned from Hox Sapana on Discord, is a V-shaped movement:

• Move up and to the right.
• Then down and to the left.

This pattern manipulates where the horde spawns, keeping them manageable. The turtles spawn from the north and south, while east-west spawns are minimized. Clearing wave one with no revives is non-negotiable—you'll need those revives for the chaos of wave two.

Wave Two: Mayhem and Disappointment

Wave two is the hardest part of Nightmare 201. The horde comes at you from all sides, and there's little breathing room. The Knight's ultimate ability, which provides armor, is your best friend here.

My strategy was to focus on:

• Kiting effectively with the same V-shaped movement.
• Relying on the slow and pushback from my gear.
• Using revives wisely—I aimed to use no more than one or two before wave three.
• If you don't have at least 500 gems for revives, don't even attempt this run. You'll need them, especially if your gear isn't heroic-tier.

Wave Three: Easier but Still Deadly

Surviving wave two is the biggest hurdle. Wave three, while still challenging, is more manageable. The major threats here are:

1. Flocks of Seagulls: These come in fast and furious, but if you survive the first 15 seconds, they slow down.
2. Tigers: These enemies are more kite-able, giving you some breathing room.

The key here is to play carefully and avoid unnecessary hits. At this stage, you're likely low on gems, so every second of survival counts.

Lessons Learned

Clearing Nightmare 201 took me over 50 attempts, and I've learned a few key lessons along the way:

• Gear Matters: I'm still running two pieces of non-mythic gear. Players with fully upgraded heroic gear (especially Warlords) can easily clear this level, but for the rest of us, every upgrade matters.
• Practice Your Kiting: The V-shaped kiting pattern was a game-changer for me. Master this, and your survival odds increase dramatically.
• Plan Your Gems: Have at least 500 gems ready for revives. Anything less, and you'll struggle to make it through.

Conclusion

Clearing Nightmare Mode 201 with the Knight felt incredible. The mix of strategy, persistence, and luck finally paid off. For those without access to the Warlord or Clockwork Mage, the Knight offers a viable alternative.

If you're still stuck, keep practicing, upgrading your gear, and refining your kiting. Nightmare Mode is called that for a reason—it's the toughest challenge in the game, but beating it is worth every effort.

And remember, always do your adventures!