Zugzwang's Tower
Hunters can safely leave Zugzwang's Tower without resetting progress or losing Tower Amplifier. Seasonal Garden is “locked” if progress in tower has been made i.e. catching any mouse in Zugzwang's Tower. Retreating from tower by clicking the Retreat button would reset the Hunter's progress in tower and completely drain the Tower Amplifier of its charge.
Hunters in Zugzwang's Tower who capture the Technic King or Mystic King without Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm armed, or Chess Master without Stalemate Charm armed, will be moved to the Seasonal Garden.
| Zugzwang's Tower | |
|---|---|
| Region: Rodentia | |
| Minimum Rank: | Lord/Lady |
| Travel Requirement: | Zugzwang's Tower Key |
| Required Power Type: | Tactical |
| Number of Mice: | 13 |
| Shops: | None |
| Lose Gold: | Yes |
| Lose Points: | Yes |
| Lose Cheese: | Yes |
| Release Date: | 26 August 2010 |
| An ordered chaos consumes the enchanted tower as the technological chess mice do battle with their mystical counterparts, all under the auspices of a dark game master who hides in the shadows. Conquer both Kings to find what lurks beyond the chess board, but beware: this is a place of powerful magics, where things are not always what they seem. | |
Overview
Hunters can safely leave Zugzwang's Tower without resetting progress or losing Tower Amplifier. Seasonal Garden is “locked” if progress in tower has been made i.e. catching any mouse in Zugzwang's Tower. Retreating from tower by clicking the Retreat button would reset the Hunter's progress in tower and completely drain the Tower Amplifier of its charge.
Zugzwang's Tower is a Chess themed location in the Rodentia region requiring a minimum rank of Lord/Lady and the Zugzwang's Tower Key to enter.
Mice found in Zugzwang's Tower are part of the Wizard's Pieces group and are weak to Tactical power type.
Hunters rely on the Tower Amplifier's charge to give their Tactical traps the needed power to capture the mice found in this location. Each hunt within Zugzwang's Tower reduces the Hunter's Amplifier charge and reduces the power of their trap set-up.
Hunters must complete the Capture the Mystic and Technic Kings Adventure to obtain the Sandtail Call to Arms, which is necessary to gain access to the Fiery Warpath.
Hunters wishing to travel to the Crystal Library location must obtain a Crystal Library Card from the mice found in this location.
Encountering Mice
The mice found in Zugzwang's Tower are divided into a Technic group and a Mystic group and the mice within the groups become available in a specific order.
Example: All Mystic mice of a specific type must be captured before the next type of Mystic mouse can be encountered. Pawns of both types can be encountered immediately upon entering Zugzwang's Tower.
Order of encounter
- Pawns
- Knights
- Bishops
- Rooks
- Queens
- Kings
- Chess Master
Hunters must catch a specific number of each type of mouse within the Technic or Mystic group before the next type of mouse within the group is added to the mouse population.
- Catching 8 Pawns of one type adds Knights of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Knights of one type adds Bishops of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Bishops of one type adds Rooks of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Rooks of one type adds Queens of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 1 Queen of one type adds King of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching a King adds the Chess Master and removes most mice of that type from the attraction pool. Be noted that the Hunter need to use either Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm when catching the said King in order to prevent being transfered to Seasonal Garden upon catching the King.
- Hunters must arm Checkmate Cheese to encounter the Chess Master.
Tower Amplifier
Hunters can safely leave Zugzwang's Tower without resetting progress or losing Tower Amplifier. Seasonal Garden is “locked” if progress in tower has been made i.e. catching any mouse in Zugzwang's Tower. Retreating from tower by clicking the Retreat button would reset the Hunter's progress in tower and completely drain the Tower Amplifier of its charge.
Catching mice in the Seasonal Garden charges the Hunter's Tower Amplifier. A fully charged Tower Amplifier is recommended for Hunters to have a successful run in Zugzwang's Tower.
Hunters ranked Lord/Lady can charge their Amplifier to 150%.
Hunters ranked Baron/Baroness can charge their Amplifier to 160%.
Hunters ranked Count/Countess and above can charge their Amplifier to 175%.
Every catch of a Zugzwang's Tower Mouse will reduce the charge of the Hunter's Tower Amplifier from 1% to 10%, depending on the mouse captured.
Every Failure To Attract will reduce the charge of the Hunter's Tower Amplifier by 3%.
Failing to catch a mouse has no effect on the Tower Amplifier's charge.
The Amplifier will reset to 0% and the Hunter transfered to Seasonal Garden if the Hunter either:
- Catching a King with neither Checkmate Cheese nor Stalemate Charm armed
- Catching a Chess Master without Stalemate Charm armed
- Clicking on the Retreat button on the Head-up Display
Journal Entries
- Upon catching a Mystic King or a Technic King with any cheese besides Checkmate Cheese and without arming a Stalemate Charm, the Hunter is automatically transported back to the Seasonal Garden with the following message:
- Checkmate! I defeated a Technic King Mouse! I was transported to the Seasonal Garden.
- OR
- Checkmate! I defeated a Mystic King Mouse! I was transported to the Seasonal Garden.
- Upon catching a Chess Master without arming a Stalemate Charm, the hunter is automatically transported back to the Seasonal Garden with the following message:
- Checkmate! I defeated a Chess Master! I was transported to the Seasonal Garden.
Zugzwang's Tower HUD
The Heads-Up Display in Zugzwang's Tower shows the Hunter's current Amplifier charge, the maximum charge available to the Hunter, and the progress with the Technic and Mystic groups of mice.
Mousing over the Tower Amplifier reveals the following message:
- Every time you hunt in the tower, your amplifier will go down making your trap less powerful. To recharge your amplifier, retreat from the tower to return to the garden.
- Good luck and be sure to shout CHECKMATE when you capture a King!
Mousing over the Technic status display reveals the following message:
- These are the Technic mice you have caught since entering the tower.
- The mice must be caught in this order: Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, King.
Mousing over the Mystic status display reveals the following message:
- These are the Mystic mice you have caught thus far.
- Capturing either a Technic or Mystic King resets your progress and moves you back to the Seasonal Garden.
Mice
Mice in Zugzwang's Tower are all members of the Wizard's Pieces and are weak only to Tactical weapons.
Standard Cheese will attract all mice found in Zugzwang's Tower, except the Chess Master which is only attracted to Checkmate Cheese
Checkmate Cheese will increase the attraction rate of the highest ranked mouse Hunters are currently able to attract.
- Example: Hunters needing to catch a Rook in order to unlock the Queen can arm Checkmate Cheese to increase the odds of encountering a Rook.
Order of Encounter
Hunters must catch a specific number of each type of mouse within the Technic or Mystic group before the next type of mouse within the group is added to the mouse population.
- Catching 8 Pawns of one type adds Knights of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Knights of one type adds Bishops of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Bishops of one type adds Rooks of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 2 Rooks of one type adds Queens of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Catching 1 Queen of one type adds King of the same type to the attraction pool.
- Mystic King and Technic King
- Capturing the Mystic King or Technic King without neither Checkmate Cheese nor Stalemate Charm armed will cause the Hunter to be moved to the Seasonal Garden.
- When either King is captured with Checkmate Cheese and/or Stalemate Charm armed, Hunters will remain in Zugzwang's Tower and can attempt to capture the Chess Master.
- Catching a King will remove most mice of that side from the attraction pool, except:
- Pawn can be attracted using Standard Cheese
- Rook can be attracted using Checkmate Cheese
- The Chess Master can be attracted using Checkmate Cheese once the Hunter catches either a Mystic King or a Technic King and stay in the tower (by either using Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm).
- Capturing the Chess Master will cause the Hunter to be moved to the Seasonal Garden unless Stalemate Charm is also armed.
| Mouse | Points | Gold | Decrease in Tower Amplifier |
Loot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic Pawn | 8,800 | 890 | 1% | |
| Mystic Knight | 19,060 | 1,620 | 3% | Crystal Library Card |
| Mystic Bishop | 40,655 | 900 | 3% | Crystal Library Card |
| Mystic Rook | 72,600 | 2,277 | 5% | Crystal Library Card |
| Mystic Queen | 80,960 | 13,970 | 9% | Crystal Library Card |
| Mystic King | 98,670 | 8,560 | 10% | Hunting Research (10,000 points) Mystic Crystal Mystic Curd Torn Mystic Page |
| Technic Pawn | 7,200 | 1,090 | 1% | |
| Technic Knight | 15,590 | 1,980 | 3% | Crystal Library Card |
| Technic Bishop | 33,265 | 1,100 | 3% | Crystal Library Card |
| Technic Rook | 59,400 | 2,785 | 5% | Crystal Library Card |
| Technic Queen | 66,240 | 17,080 | 9% | Crystal Library Card |
| Technic King | 80,730 | 10,470 | 10% | Droid Jetpack Satchel of Gold (5,000) Technic Cheese Mould Torn Technic Page |
| Chess Master Requires Checkmate Cheese |
119,600 | 19,000 | 10% | Ancient Relic Master Bindings Zugzwang's Left Sock |
Hunting Strategy
Hunting Tips by Larry
Greetings, Mousehunter!
I hope you've got your Tower Amplifier charged, because the mice of Zugzwang's Tower are going to put up a fight unlike any other.
Long ago, the Tower mice became enchanted chess pieces in a game that never ends. The two teams, Technic and Mystic, use a clear strategy when attacking, much like real chess pieces. Catching eight Pawns releases the Knights. Catching two Knights releases the Bishops. Catching two Bishops releases the Rooks. Catching two Rooks releases the Queen, and catching one Queen releases the King.
Did you get all that? Don't worry if you didn't-- when you enter the tower, your Tower Amplifier also comes equipped with a progress bar to let you know how close you are to the King!
Each time you catch a mouse, or fail to attract, your Tower Amplifier's charge decreases. Once you begin to hunt in the tower, you cannot return to the Seasonal Garden until your Amplifier is drained unless you choose to retreat. Take heed that retreating will reset your Amplifier as well as all of your progress in the tower.
If your strategy is sound, and you capture the King, your progress will be reset and you will be whisked away to the Seasonal Garden. If however, you catch a King using the rare Checkmate Cheese then you shall remain in the tower and a greater adversary will await your challenge.
Adventure Book
The Hunter can complete steps of the following Adventures in Zugzwang's Tower:
Single and Double Runs
The primary goal of each tower run is to catch a King.
A Single Run is a run where the Hunter attempts to catch one King.
- Catching a King will reset the Amplifier and transfer the Hunter to Seasonal Garden.
- Hunters who wish to stay in the Zugzwang's Tower after catching a King will need to have either Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm armed when catching it.
- The Hunter can then attract the Chess Master in the tower with Checkmate Cheese. Catching a Chess Master will reset the Amplifier and transfer the Hunter to Seasonal Garden unless Stalemate Charm is armed.
- The caught King cannot be attracted again in the run, but the other King can be unlocked and attracted as normal, thus makes a Double Run possible.
A Double Run is a run where the Hunter attempts to catch both Kings.
- The Hunter needs to catch the first King with either Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm armed to stay in the tower.
- The other King can then be unlocked and attracted as normal.
- Hunters who wish to stay in the Zugzwang's Tower after catching the second King will need to have either Checkmate Cheese or Stalemate Charm armed when catching it.
- Since using the Checkmate Cheese will also attract the Chess Master, it is recommended that the Hunter has Stalemate Charm armed when attempt to catch the second King even with Checkmate Cheese to prevent unwanted Amplifier reset in case of catching the Chess Master before the second King.
Location-Specific Effects
Weapons
- Mystic Pawn Pincher: increases attraction of Mystic Pawn and decreases attraction of Technic Pawn. The Mystic Pawn Pincher also has increased effectiveness against Mystic Pawn and decreased effectiveness against Technic Pawn.
- Technic Pawn Pincher: increases attraction of Technic Pawn and decreases attraction of Mystic Pawn. The Technic Pawn Pincher also has increased effectiveness against Technic Pawn and decreased effectiveness against Mystic Pawn.
- Blackstone Pass Trap: has increased effectiveness against Mystic mice and decreased effectiveness against Technic mice.
- The Mystic Crystal, required for crafting this trap, is dropped as loot by the Mystic King.
- Obvious Ambush Trap: has increased effectiveness against Technic mice and decreased effectiveness against Mystic mice.
- The Droid Jetpack, required for crafting this trap, is dropped as loot by the Technic King.
- Zugzwang's Ultimate Move: has a chance to instantly catch if the Tower Amplifier is not at 0%.
Charms
- Uncharged Scholar Charm: catching a Chess Master with this charm armed will consume the charm and add a Scholar Charm to the Hunter's inventory, which can be used to attract Zurreal the Eternal in the Crystal Library.
- Rook Crumble Charm: provides a 300% power bonus against Mystic Rook and Technic Rook.
- Stalemate Charm: prevents Amplifier reset and allows the Hunter to remain in Zugzwang's Tower upon catching a Mystic King, Technic King, or Chess Master.
Shops
These are the shops found in Zugzwang's Tower.
Cheese Shoppe
| Item | Cost | Requirement | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Cheese | 100 gold | None | 100 gold |
| Brie Cheese | 200 gold | None | 200 gold |
| Gouda Cheese | 600 gold | None | 600 gold |
Trapsmith
| Item | Cost | Requirement | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboozler Base | 75,000 gold | None | 13,500 gold |
| Aqua Base | 115,000 gold | None | 20,700 gold |
| Spellbook Base | 1,296,000 gold 1 Master Bindings 3 Torn Technic Page 3 Torn Mystic Page |
None | N/A |
| Item | Power Type | Cost | Requirement | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zugzwang's Last Move | Tactical | 310,000 gold | None | 55,800 gold |
| Zugzwang's First Move | Tactical | 615,000 gold 1 Zugzwang's Last Move 1 Magic Feather |
None | N/A |
| Mystic Pawn Pincher | Tactical | 300,000 gold | None | 54,000 gold |
| Technic Pawn Pincher | Tactical | 300,000 gold | None | 54,000 gold |
| Obvious Ambush Trap | Tactical | 650,000 gold 1 Droid Jetpack |
None | N/A |
| Blackstone Pass Trap | Tactical | 650,000 goal 1 Mystic Crystal 4 Coal |
None | N/A |
| Reaper's Perch | Shadow | 2,767,750 gold 1 Reaper's Perch Blueprints 6 Onyx Stone 6 Rune |
None | N/A |
| Zurreal's Folly | Tactical | 1 Desert Travel Almanac 1 Encyclopedia Gnawnia 6 Luscious Lumber 1 Mesh Netting 3 Ectoplasmic Essence 3 Warp Nail 3 Runestone 1 Draconic Book 1 Lich Jewel |
None | N/A |
General Store
| Item | Cost | Requirement | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curds and Whey | 12 gold | None | 3 gold |
| Ionized Salt | 450 gold | None | 150 gold |
History and Trivia
- 26 August 2010: Seasonal Garden and Zugzwang's Tower was introduced to the Rodentia region.
- 26 Febuary 2019: Hunters can now leave Zugzwang's Tower without losing their amplifier or progress.
- 25 June 2019: The Stalemate Charm was introduced as part of the Ronza's Traveling Shoppe 2019 release.
- Zugzwang is a term from chess that describes a player being in a position where they are forced to move to a position of greater disadvantage.
Images
