Solo Nightmare Virtual Realm
(No Secret Units)
Struggling with Nightmare Mode? Here is how to solo it using only Kriatu and standard units. No Ragna or Sun Jin Wu required.
Required Team
You only need these 3 core units.
Kriatu
The only DPS you need. His mechanic with Magician cards scales damage infinitely.
Fastcart (Speedwagon)
Mandatory for economy. Place him centrally to buff range/cost of nearby units.
Virtual Idol
Not 100% strictly needed, but makes the run much faster with buffs.
The "Pure Damage" Build
Forget Crit build. Follow this exact setup.
Trait: Astral
Do NOT use Duelist. Use Astral. It allows DOT (Damage Over Time) to stack. Since Magician Path gives Kriatu a bleed effect, Astral makes his damage scale to millions.
Stats: Full Damage
Reroll your stats for Damage. Crit Damage is less consistent right now. Raw Damage scales the bleed better.
Required Relic
Passive: "Every 5 attacks increase DOT damage by 20% for 10s".
This is key for melting bosses.
Card Selection Strategy
The RNG manipulation guide.
Start: Magician Only
Your FIRST card must be Magician. If you don't get it, restart. Magician cards buff Status Effects (which Kriatu uses to bleed).
The "God Card": Fortune +1 Placement
If you see a Fortune card that gives +1 Placement, pick it immediately over anything else. It allows you to place another Kriatu or Idol.
Late Game: Damage Trade-off
Once units are maxed, look for Fortune cards that say "Double Upgrade Cost, +100% Damage". Since you are already maxed, the cost increase doesn't hurt, but the damage boost is massive.
Step-by-Step Playthrough
Place Fastcart first. Place Kriatu next to him to benefit from discounts. Upgrade Fastcart ASAP.
Pick Magician cards (Corruption/Radiation) to stack slows and DOTs.
Place Virtual Idol near Kriatu. "Spam" other units tightly around Fastcart if you get Range Buff cards (Lover Cards) that scale based on nearby units.
Ensure Kriatu covers track bends to maximize hit time.
If you followed the build (Astral + Magician Path), Kriatu will deal 70M - 115M damage per hit due to stacked bleeds. The Nightmare boss will melt instantly.