Permanent modes
Story stages, Badge Dojo, Boss Challenge, and Zobo Horde.
Clash of Critters Beginner Progression Guide 1.0
The revised guide by 一瓶矿泉水oO, translated and reflowed from the core loop and resources to T2/T3 priorities and a practical stage-pushing formula.
This guide is exclusively licensed by “一瓶矿泉水oO” to TataDex · tatadex.org. It is a structured, translated reflow of the revised PDF and preserves the author’s opinions and attribution.
01Part I · Learn the game
The core loop and the author
The author, 一瓶矿泉水oO (Xiaoshui), creates Clash of Critters guides under the same name across social platforms. The core loop is to play marbles, earn candy and event items, and turn those resources into Tatari progression.
Team events
They rotate every three days. A regular teammate is recommended. Usually the final day forms teams for the next event; Camp Treasure Hunt teams up on the same day.
Gold Rush
Island and Grand Gold Rush are the main auto-battle PVP modes. Grand League Gold Rush follows every three Island rounds.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 4
02Read the community shorthand
Common terms
These terms recur in guides, team discussions, and event chat.
Starter trio
Fire Lizard, Cat Ice, and Firefruit Frog.
T3
A Tatari’s third form/stage, shown as red quality.
Generalist
A pick that works in almost every mode.
D1 / D2 / D3 / D4
Difficulty levels 1–4 in the updated Zobo Horde.
All-out assault
A Gold Rush rally: repeated personal attacks plus a team attack, spending substantial energy for a stronger offensive buff.
Boss / Dojo / Horde / Push
Short for Boss Challenge, Badge Dojo, Zobo Horde, and story-stage pushing.
Energy / Rainbow energy
Attack consumables for Island and Grand Gold Rush, respectively.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 4
03Part I · Resources
How the main items work
Separate permanent progression resources from event consumables and temporary items that expire.
Candy
Level-up experience earned from marbles and events.
Marbles
The main game item, used to obtain event consumables.
Wish boxes
Essential selectable boxes earned from events or purchases.
Shining fruit
Universal food worth +15 satiety, with a 0.4% chance to make a Tatari shiny.
Cookies
Universal food worth +1 satiety. It can be processed into lunch boxes; the author recommends crafting them daily.
Regular energy
Attack energy for Island Gold Rush; it resets each cycle.
Rainbow energy
Attack energy for Grand Gold Rush. It can be accumulated beforehand and resets when the event ends.
Double XP
When the icon appears, save marbles and use them during the short double-candy window.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 5
04Part II · Beginner progression
T2 priorities by element
This order mainly supports Dojo progress; you do not need exactly 25 T2 units before starting T3. Prioritize the starter trio and Star Egg Rabbit.
Water
Prioritize the first two
Upgrade the first two first; the remaining three prepare for T3.
Fire
Fire Lizard first
If resources are tight, choose Matchstick or Tadpole. Tadpole leans Horde, Fox leans stages, and Lobster leans Boss. Be cautious with Tadpole T3.
Grass
Mantis first
For Horde and Boss, build Seed for damage and Panda for support. Keep Sunflower and Mushroom at T2 first.
Rock
Rock Lizard and Monkey first
If boxes are scarce, Turtle can help open Dojo. Many Rock units are late-game; the new Tatari was untested, so keep a slot for support unit Crispy Noodles.
Electric
Star Egg Rabbit first
Electric Horse needs T3. Electric Lion is an important low-box frontline, while Electric Deer is the preferred damage option.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 7
05Part III · T3 strength and roles
Water T3 strength and roles
For free-to-play accounts, the starter trio still offers the best value. Main picks cover multiple modes; niche picks are better left to natural progression.
Core jobs
Support
Two support picks cover Story, Boss, Dojo, and Horde; one also works in Gold Rush.
Damage
Both damage picks cover Story, Boss, and Dojo; one also covers Horde and Gold Rush.
Frontline
The main frontline covers all modes; the third leans Horde, with other modes unproven.
Niche and natural growth
Be conservative with boxes
A T2 option can work in Horde D2 but has better alternatives. The Drunkard-boss counter and Dojo unit should grow naturally.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 9
06Part III · T3 strength and roles
Grass T3 strength and roles
Grass has broad coverage, but niche picks and Owl call for conservative box investment.
Core jobs
Frontline
The core frontline covers Story, Boss, Dojo, Horde, and Gold Rush.
Damage
The main damage picks cover several modes; Poison Flower is a rising Horde pick.
Support
Support covers Story, Boss, Dojo, and Horde. Owl is not complete until T4.
Niche and natural growth
Prefer natural growth
Some frontliners are sufficient at T2 for Story and are not worth boxes; other niche picks are low priority.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 10
07Part III · T3 strength and roles
Fire T3 strength and roles
Fire combines reliable generalists, functional support, and version-risk picks.
Core jobs
Support
One unit is labeled damage but functions more as support across Story, Boss, Dojo, and Horde.
Damage
Three main damage picks cover different combinations of the five major modes.
Frontline
The core frontline works across all modes; one carries a possible nerf risk next season.
Niche and natural growth
Wait for balance
Some picks await a post-nerf comeback or have narrow Boss/Horde jobs; an early Story/Dojo frontline can stay at T2.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 11
08Part III · T3 strength and roles
Electric T3 strength and roles
Electric has all-mode support, damage, and frontline picks, plus narrow Boss and damage-fill options.
Core jobs
Support
The core support covers all modes; the other covers Story, Boss, Dojo, and Horde.
Damage
The main damage options cover Story, Boss, Dojo, Horde, and Gold Rush.
Frontline
The core frontline covers all major modes.
Niche and natural growth
Natural growth
Lucky Cat will not make you rich. Other niche slots include early-Story damage, a Boss attachment, and a possible S2 comeback.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 12
09Part III · T3 strength and roles
Rock T3 strength and roles
Rock includes a former generalist but trends late-game and mode-specific. Check the team gap before investing.
Core jobs
Damage
Damage picks cover different combinations of Story, Boss, Dojo, Horde, and Gold Rush; one was once a generalist.
Frontline
Two core frontliners cover Story, Boss, Dojo, and Gold Rush.
Support
Some support picks are mainly used for Boss.
Niche and natural growth
Use for specific jobs
Some units appear only in Boss or occasional Dojo play; Horde experiments were limited and the new Tatari remained unproven.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 13
10Part IV · Stage pushing
A practical stage-pushing formula
Build the skeleton first, then swap around counters and stage mechanics. Rarity is not the only answer—blue cards can perform reliable jobs.
1 · Place the core
Place the early three-core or late six-core units first, then add frontline and damage around counters.
2 · Swap flexibly
Mushroom can sometimes be replaced by Bat, for example against Bucket and Fish monsters.
3 · Hold the lanes
Bonefish + Cat Ice can usually hold one lane. Use Mantis + Sunflower, or a T3 Snake/Monkey plus a frontline, for the other.
4 · Do not ignore blue cards
Chicken, Capybara, Squirrel, and Electric Doodle Dog can all be useful.
Early three-core formation
The early formation from the revised PDF.
Late six-core formation
The late formation from the revised PDF.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 15
11Part IV · TataDex
TataDex mini program
A free companion for players: look up data, read guides, build teams, and manage card exchanges in one place.
Tatari index
Full action sets and skill video animations.
Guides and teams
Player guides and stage formations that make clear strategies easier to find.
Practical tools
Card exchange, team builder, treasure calculator, redeem codes, and more.
Original features
Tatari eggs, official-Tatari pairing, and the fusion of new wild Tataris.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 16
12Thank you for reading
Follow the author if this helped
一瓶矿泉水oO uses the same name across platforms. Once verification is complete, the byline will link directly to the verified creator profile.
View the revised source pagePDF p. 17
This guide is exclusively licensed by “一瓶矿泉水oO” to TataDex · tatadex.org. It is a structured, translated reflow of the revised PDF and preserves the author’s opinions and attribution.