View source for Gauntlet

The '''Gauntlet''' is a fast-paced game mode added in Patch #15 (07/11/2026). It is unlocked by defeating the Swampland Hydra and is currently a standalone mode; it is planned to be fully integrated into the main story with the 1.0 release.

''"Challenge 6 bosses in this fast paced gamemode and make the most of your limited options to conquer them all."''

== Overview ==
* You choose between a handful of predetermined paths on a smaller map, so you have to make the most of limited options.
* You fight 6 bosses in a row. Each boss has several possible item loadouts that change from run to run.
* Every item you have unlocked in Woodland and Swampland is available from the start.
* There are events that only appear in the Gauntlet.
* There is no option to fight a boss early (removed in Patch #16).
* '''Banishes''' (since Patch #16): one banish re-rolls the whole bag/chest instead of a single item.
* After you have defeated the [[#Bosses|Shadow Knight]] once and met him a second time, his build is shown on every stage of the Gauntlet, so you can plan around it (Patch #16).
* Completing the Gauntlet with a weapon awards that weapon's Gauntlet [[Beginner's Guide#Weapon Mastery|mastery]].

== Bosses ==
The bosses are always fought in this order. Each run, a boss uses one of its possible loadouts. Stats, abilities and loadouts are as of version 0.9.45. The "Hard item" is the extra item the boss uses on Hard difficulty; it is shown in the compendium.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! style="width:1%;" | #
! style="width:200px;" | Boss
! style="width:1%; white-space:nowrap;" | [[File:Icon health.png]] Health
! style="width:1%; white-space:nowrap;" | [[File:Icon attack.png]] Attack
! style="width:1%; white-space:nowrap;" | [[File:Icon armor.png]] Armor
! style="width:1%; white-space:nowrap;" | [[File:Icon speed.png]] Speed
! Trait
! style="width:260px;" | Possible loadouts
! style="width:160px;" | Hard item
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 1
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Court Jester 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Court Jester'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 10 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 3 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 5 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 3 || Battle Start: Court Jester doubles the player's base attack, armor and speed || '''1:''' {{:Blackbriar Gauntlet|iconLink}}<br>'''2:''' {{:Marble Mirror|iconLink}}<br>'''3:''' {{:Leather Boots|iconLink}} || style="white-space:nowrap;" | {{:Blackbriar Gauntlet|iconLink}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 2
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Ironstone Jailer 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Ironstone Jailer'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 10 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 2 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 10 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 2 || Ironstone Jailer permanently destroys the player's first item || '''1:''' {{:Ironstone Armor|iconLink}}, {{:Ironstone Sandals|iconLink}}<br>'''2:''' {{:Fortified Gauntlet|iconLink}}, {{:Shield Talisman|iconLink}}<br>'''3:''' {{:Slime Armor|iconLink}}, {{:Acid Mutation|iconLink}} || style="white-space:nowrap;" | {{:Ironstone Armor|iconLink}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 3
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Bloodthirsty Thornmaw 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Bloodthirsty Thornmaw'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 30 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 4 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 0 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 0 || Battle Start: For each missing health the player has, Bloodthirsty Thornmaw takes 2 damage || '''1:''' {{:Crimson Cloak|iconLink}}, {{:Blackbriar Rose|iconLink}}<br>'''2:''' {{:Thorn Ring|iconLink}}, {{:Bramble Vest|iconLink}}<br>'''3:''' {{:Vampire Crest|iconLink}}, {{:Blood Rune|iconLink}} || style="white-space:nowrap;" | {{:Crimson Cloak|iconLink}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 4
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Arcane Golem 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Arcane Golem'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 30 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 3 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 30 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 0 || Exposed: Arcane Golem decreases all countdowns by 2 || '''1:''' {{:Arcane Bell|iconLink}}, {{:Riverflow Violin|iconLink}}, {{:Holy Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Grand Tome|iconLink}}<br>'''2:''' {{:Slime Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Silverscale Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Nerve Poison|iconLink}}, {{:Toxic Algae|iconLink}}<br>'''3:''' {{:Granite Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Stormcloud Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Sanguine Tome|iconLink}}, {{:Muscle Potion|iconLink}} || style="white-space:nowrap;" | {{:Arcane Bell|iconLink}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 5
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Demon Chef 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Demon Chef'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 60 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 4 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 10 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 5 || All food items trigger 1 additional time || '''1:''' {{:Combustible Lemon|iconLink}}, {{:Lemon Roast|iconLink}}, {{:Spiny Kiwifruit|iconLink}}<br>'''2:''' {{:Marble Mushroom|iconLink}}, {{:Limestone Fruit|iconLink}}, {{:Boiled Ham|iconLink}}<br>'''3:''' {{:Explosive Fish|iconLink}}, {{:Cherry Steak|iconLink}}, {{:Shark Roast|iconLink}} || style="white-space:nowrap;" | {{:Combustible Lemon|iconLink}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 6
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Shadow Knight 16x.png|96px|link=]]<br>'''Shadow Knight'''
| style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 80 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 5 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 5 || style="text-align:center; white-space:nowrap;" | 4 || A shadow of a past self || ''Varies'' – he has no fixed loadout; once you have beaten him, his build is shown in advance the next time you meet him || style="white-space:nowrap;" | -
|}

===Changes===
{| class="wikitable"
! style="width:110px;" | Date !! Changes
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap;" | 07/11/2026 || Gauntlet added (Patch #15)
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap;" | 08/05/2026 || Some boss loadouts changed to even out power levels; fixed a visual bug when using the golem before Ironstone Jailer (0.9.23)
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap;" | 10/16/2026 || Banishes added (1 banish re-rolls the whole bag); Shadow Knight build visible after defeating him once and meeting him again; "Fight boss early" removed (Patch #16)
|}