The Final Siege — Map Guide
The Final Siege is Mission 08 — the campaign finale. Every enemy type from every map appears here simultaneously. Three paths converge on a dark fortress shrouded in fire and night. At Wave 5, the Reinforcement Wave mechanic resurrects every enemy you've already killed. Witchcraft Barriers appear and vanish between waves, reshaping chokepoint geometry unpredictably. And waiting at the end is The Final Witch — a three-phase boss that summons catapults at 50% HP and rewrites the fight entirely. This is the game's conclusion, and it is designed to test everything you've learned.
Map Overview & Terrain
The Final Siege is set at the gates of a dark fortress under a moonless night sky, illuminated only by the glow of fire effects from burning siege machinery and magical barriers. Three enemy approach paths cut through the fortified outer courtyard and converge at the fortress gate where your base is located.
The map's layout is described as a complex fortress. Unlike Deep Forest's three completely separate narrow paths, The Final Siege's three paths share partial walls and periodically merge at junction zones before splitting again. This means a tower placed at certain junction positions can provide coverage across two paths simultaneously — a critical resource efficiency that you must identify and exploit given the map's wave density.
Two defining terrain features make this map structurally unique. First, Witchcraft Barriers — magical glowing walls that appear and disappear between waves, physically altering the path geometry and tower placement options from wave to wave. A Defender that was blocking a perfect single-tile chokepoint in Wave 4 may find that chokepoint walled off in Wave 6 by a newly appeared barrier, forcing repositioning mid-run. Second, the Reinforcement Wave at Wave 5 — every enemy cleared in Waves 1 through 4 respawns once simultaneously. The reinforcement enemies have the same HP and abilities as their originals but appear in one combined surge rather than spread across waves.
Map Layout Diagram
Three spawn points feed three paths that converge at the fortress gate. The left path (Path 1) carries heavy ground units. The centre path (Path 2) is widest and carries the highest enemy volume. The right path (Path 3) carries fast enemies and aerial units. All three merge before your base. Witchcraft Barriers (dashed outlines) alter junction geometry between waves.
Best Chokepoint Positions
Three paths require three coverage points. However, the Witchcraft Barriers mean your chokepoint positions must be verified before each wave — a barrier may appear or disappear, altering which tiles are available. The positions below are the most stable across all eight waves; they remain valid through all barrier configurations.
The left path carries heavy-HP armoured units — Frost Berserkers, Tundra Yetis, and Root Elementals all appear here. Your main party (Defender + Healer + Archer #1) belongs at Chokepoint A. This position is the most barrier-stable of the three — Witchcraft Barriers rarely block the left path entirely. Keep your primary Defender here throughout all eight waves. Healer two tiles behind, Archer on the adjacent support tile.
The centre path is the widest and sends the most enemy volume — it's the primary feed for the Reinforcement Wave surge at Wave 5. An Archer #2 and secondary Defender both belong here. Watch barrier state between waves: a Witchcraft Barrier can close a gap in the centre path, briefly creating a near-impassable zone that bunches enemies. This bunching creates an opportunity for AoE or chained Archer fire — but it also means the Reinforcement Wave surge may be delayed and then arrive in one large spike when the barrier clears.
The right path carries fast enemies and aerial units — Bat Swarms, Forest Goblins at sprint speed, and Ice Wolves. A Lone Ranger Archer with high attack speed is the correct coverage here, not a Defender. Fast enemies on the right path bypass a slow-blocking Defender — they arrive faster than the Defender can body-block the full width of the path. The Archer kills them before they stack. Keep Archer #3 isolated for Lone Ranger activation.
Before starting each new wave, spend two seconds checking which Witchcraft Barriers are currently active. The barriers change state in the inter-wave pause — what was open in Wave 3 may be closed in Wave 4. A barrier closing on your Defender's tile displaces it exactly like the Forest Warlock's vine walls. Always verify your Defender is on the correct tile at the chokepoint before the wave timer expires.
Wave-by-Wave Breakdown
Eight waves before The Final Witch. The enemy roster draws from all previous maps. Wave 5 is the Reinforcement Wave — all Wave 1–4 enemies respawn once as a combined surge. Waves 7 and 8 introduce boss-lead and final-push configurations that foreshadow The Final Witch's mechanics.
| Wave | Enemies | New Threat | Priority Action | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic units from Maps 1–3 · All 3 paths active · Low HP variants | Witchcraft Barriers introduced | Establish all three chokepoints on stable tiles. Note barrier state before the wave — check again at wave end. Do not build your formation around tiles adjacent to barrier zones. | Low |
| 2 | Goblins + Vine Crawlers + Forest Trolls · Paths A and B primary | Forest Trolls (high HP, slow) | Forest Trolls on Path A require sustained Archer fire. Barriers shift — confirm Chokepoint A tile still valid after Wave 1 barrier change. Use inter-wave to Cauldron any Common item. | Low |
| 3 | Frost Berserkers + Skeleton Archers + Bat Swarms · All paths | Frost Berserkers (armoured sprint) · Skeleton Archers (ranged) | Skeleton Archers fire before reaching the chokepoint — reposition Healer further back. Frost Berserkers need fire damage to bypass armour absorption. Bat Swarms on Path C require Archer #3 to be in place before this wave. | Medium |
| 4 | Root Elementals + Poisoned Thornbacks + Ice Wolves · Dense · All paths | Poisoned Thornbacks (2-tile poison aura) | Poisoned Thornbacks extend aura to 2 tiles. Move Healer to 3-tile separation from Defender. Ice Wolves on Path A will surge in packs — use Tangy to throw them back. Final wave before Reinforcement Wave: maximise kill efficiency to reduce reinforcement count. | Medium |
| 5 | REINFORCEMENT WAVE — All Wave 1–4 enemies respawn simultaneously · Combined surge across all 3 paths | Reinforcement Wave mechanic triggers | Every enemy killed in Waves 1–4 respawns once, all simultaneously, split across the three paths. The more efficiently you cleared Waves 1–4, the larger the reinforcement surge. This wave requires every tower at full HP entering it. Activate Iron Fortress, ensure Healing Circle is pulsing, and maintain path discipline. Do not abandon a chokepoint to chase a straggler — hold all three positions. | Reinforcement |
| 6 | Elite variants of all types · High HP · Witchcraft Barriers shift heavily | Elite all-type roster · Barrier state changes most dramatically this wave | Barriers change state more frequently during Wave 6 than any other wave — up to three changes during the wave itself, not just between waves. Verify tower positions at each barrier shift. Elite Root Elementals have triple the HP of standard variants. Prioritise magic/fire damage items. | High |
| 7 | Boss-lead units — Witch Cultists + Armoured Warlocks · Paths A and B · Precede the boss pull | Witch Cultists (magic damage aura) · Armoured Warlocks (ranged magic) | Witch Cultists emit a magic damage aura that damages nearby towers — they function like the poison enemies on Deep Forest but with magic damage instead. Arcane Ward or Healer magic resistance items become important. Clear this wave quickly and completely before approaching the boss. | High |
| 8 | Final Push — All elite types + Witch Cultists · Maximum density · Final wave before boss | All enemy types at maximum density simultaneously | The hardest pre-boss wave in the campaign. Every enemy type at elite tier, all three paths at maximum density. After clearing: full heal on all towers, final Cauldron use, pre-pull checklist for The Final Witch. Do not rush the boss pull. | Pre-Boss |
| Boss | The Final Witch · Three phases · 3 catapults at 50% HP · Campaign finale | The Final Witch | See boss section below. Full phase breakdown, catapult timing, and survival tips are detailed there. | Boss |
Key Mechanics: Reinforcement Wave & Witchcraft Barriers
Reinforcement Wave — Wave 5
The Reinforcement Wave is The Final Siege's most distinctive mechanic. At the start of Wave 5, the game calculates the total number of enemies killed during Waves 1 through 4 and spawns that exact number as a single combined wave. Each respawned enemy retains its original HP value, enemy type, and path assignment — but they all spawn simultaneously at their respective spawn points rather than in the spread pattern of the original waves.
The practical implication: a player who efficiently cleared Waves 1–4 with zero enemies leaking through will face a larger Reinforcement Wave than a player who played slowly and let some enemies escape (but took base damage). Efficient clearing is still correct — the gold income and survival of the first four waves outweighs the reinforcement surge penalty. The Reinforcement Wave is survivable with a properly positioned, item-equipped formation. What kills players is entering Wave 5 with depleted tower HP from a hard Wave 4.
Witchcraft Barriers — disappearing walls
Witchcraft Barriers are semi-transparent magical walls that appear and disappear on a preset schedule tied to the wave transition clock. Each barrier has a defined on/off pattern that repeats — they are not random. However, the patterns are complex enough that memorising them on a first run is impractical. The reliable approach is to check barrier state in every inter-wave pause and to position towers on tiles that are valid in both barrier states (open and closed) for the segments relevant to your chokepoint positions.
A barrier appearing on an enemy path creates a temporary blockage that forces path enemies to accumulate behind it. When the barrier disappears, the accumulated enemies surge through simultaneously — functionally identical to Frostpeak Tundra's avalanche surge, but triggered by magic rather than environment. A barrier on a tower tile displaces the tower to the nearest adjacent valid tile — the tower does not die, but it moves off the chokepoint, potentially allowing enemies past. Watch for barrier change audio cues (a distinctive magical hum that precedes each transition by 2 seconds) and reposition displaced towers immediately.
Recommended Tower Setup
Item Priorities for This Map
The Final Siege requires a versatile item loadout. No single damage type covers all enemy types present — magic damage handles undead, armoured, and magic-resistant variants, while fire damage is essential for Frost Berserker armour. Defensive items are non-negotiable given the Reinforcement Wave density.
Priority items for this map
Healing Circle + Iron Fortress are mandatory on this map. The Reinforcement Wave and the dense eight-wave roster make sustained Defender survival a hard requirement, not a luxury. Without Healing Circle pulsing between waves, the Defender enters the Reinforcement Wave at depleted HP and collapses under the surge volume.
Pyromancer's Quiver on one Archer bypasses Frost Berserker armour absorption and provides baseline fire damage against multiple resistant enemy types simultaneously. It is the highest-versatility offensive item for this specific enemy roster.
Arcane Ward on the Defender becomes critical for Waves 7–8 when Witch Cultists emit magic damage auras. Without magic damage reduction, the cultist aura drains the Defender's HP between Healer pulses. Arcane Ward reduces this continuous damage to a manageable level.
Ivy Bow on Archer #1 can interrupt Armoured Warlock cast animations in Waves 7–8, preventing their heavy magic bolt volleys from landing. On a boss map where resource efficiency matters, preventing damage is more valuable than dealing extra damage.
The Final Witch — Boss Phase
The Final Witch is the campaign's final boss — a powerful witch-type entity that combines the mechanics of every previous boss into a single encounter. She does not walk towards your base like regular enemies. She stands at the deep fortress courtyard, and you must bring the fight to her. The fight has three distinct phases, each escalating in ability complexity.
Complete phase breakdown of The Final Witch including Phase 1 standard assault, Phase 2 catapult coordination (3 catapults spawn at 50% HP and bombard the arena), Phase 3 Witch's Curse and campaign finale sequence. Full item recommendations, phase transition survival tips, and post-clear guide.
→ Read The Final Witch Boss GuidePhase overview — inline summary
The Final Witch opens with a sustained Magic Bolt Volley — rapid-fire magic projectiles aimed at the nearest tower in range. Barrier Surge is a special ability unique to the map: she activates multiple Witchcraft Barriers simultaneously around the arena, instantly altering your tower positions and potentially displacing Defenders. Witch's Presence is a passive aura that reduces all tower stats by 5% while she is alive — a minor but cumulative reduction that grows meaningfully over a long fight. Push her to 66% HP as fast as possible before the aura penalty compounds too heavily. This is your clean damage window before Phase 2 adds the catapult layer.
At 66% HP, three catapults spawn on the elevated fortress platforms flanking the arena. They begin bombarding the arena floor on a 6-second rotation cycle — each catapult fires at a different zone, creating a moving pattern of AoE impact zones that your formation must avoid. The Witch continues using Magic Bolt Volley during this phase. Curse Mark is a new ability: she marks one tower with a glowing sigil — after 4 seconds, the marked tower takes 200% of all damage dealt to it during the mark duration. The counter is to move the marked tower out of the Witch's firing arc for those 4 seconds. Managing catapult impact zones while maintaining Defender position is the core challenge of Phase 2. The Defender at Chokepoint A needs to shift position dynamically as impact zones move — the Healer must move with it to maintain aura coverage.
At 33% HP, the catapults are destroyed automatically and Phase 3 begins. Witch's Curse is applied to your entire formation simultaneously — every tower's healing received is reduced by 50% for the remainder of the fight. Healing Circle pulses at half output. Direct heals at half output. This is the most dangerous mechanic in the campaign. The Defender must have Healing Circle active and Iron Fortress Taunt working at maximum efficiency entering Phase 3 — the halved healing means any prior HP deficit becomes unrecoverable. Final Barrier Storm activates all Witchcraft Barriers simultaneously, creating chaotic overlapping displacement of your entire formation. Reposition every displaced tower the moment barriers activate. Magic Nova is a large AoE centred on the Witch's position — move all towers more than 4 tiles from her position the instant you see the charging animation. The fight ends fast from 33% if you maintain damage output. Keep Archers firing continuously and focus every offensive resource on the final HP segment.
Common Mistakes on This Map
Entering the Reinforcement Wave with depleted HP
Wave 4 is the most demanding pre-reinforcement wave — Poisoned Thornbacks with 2-tile auras and Ice Wolf packs. Players who push hard through Wave 4 without checking tower HP between waves enter the Reinforcement Wave at 60–70% HP on their Defenders. The Reinforcement surge hits all three paths simultaneously from the start. A Defender that enters Wave 5 at partial HP dies within the first 20 seconds. Mandatory full heal between Waves 4 and 5 is the single most important action on this map.
Not watching Witchcraft Barrier changes between waves
Barriers change state silently in the inter-wave pause if you're not watching. Players who set up perfect chokepoints in Wave 1 and don't check again find in Wave 4 that their Defender has been displaced by a barrier that appeared on its tile, or that a previously blocked chokepoint approach is now open. Two seconds of visual inspection before each wave is all it takes to prevent barrier-caused disasters.
Bringing a single-damage-type item loadout
Players who reach The Final Siege from Frostpeak Tundra often still carry pure fire or pure physical damage loadouts. The Final Siege contains undead enemies (bleed immunity), armoured enemies (armour absorption), and magic-resistant Root Elementals — all in the same wave. A pure fire loadout is useless against undead, and a pure physical loadout deals half damage to armoured Berserkers. Hybrid items or separate damage-type items on different Archers is the correct approach.
Not moving marked towers during Curse Mark
Curse Mark in Phase 2 is telegraphed clearly — the marked tower glows visibly for the 4-second duration. Players who don't notice the mark take 200% damage on that tower for four full seconds, which is usually enough to delete an Archer or the Healer outright. The Defender can sometimes survive a mark with Iron Fortress and Healing Circle active, but no other tower can. As soon as you see the sigil, move the marked tower out of the Witch's line of fire for exactly 4 seconds.
Trying to sustain during Phase 3 Witch's Curse with a depleted Healer
Witch's Curse at 33% HP cuts all healing by 50%. If your Healer entered the fight with depleted HP or is positioned outside Healing Circle aura range of the Defender, the 50% cut brings sustain below survival threshold. The single most effective preparation for Phase 3 is ensuring Healing Circle is active and the Healer is within 180 units of the Defender before the fight starts — not after Phase 3 triggers. By Phase 3, there is no time to reposition.