Ready, set …
Grab your gear and your combat swagger - Courage’s Time Trial mode is here: waves of enemies, a relentless ticking clock, and the glory (and gear) you’ll earn if you can last …
What rewards are at stake, you ask? Well, you can farm loot all you want by rinsing and repeating – but also, Courage’s temporally tedious task is also a chance at some rare cosmetics - in honor of Courage himself.
Why just wield courage when you can wear it, too?
Notably, this is the first time you can earn cosmetics as a loot drop!
Here's how rewards work per each Trial:
- Earn chests by progressing through waves of monsters. The further you progress, the better the chests.
- Make it to the end, get a final chest with even better rewards (based on your score).
- Hard Mode ups the stakes - and ups your chances to reap better rewards.
New challenge. New (Time Trial) buffs. And more loot. What more could you ask for? Well, besides a breather; but you won’t get that here. Time Trial mode will be available for two weeks - starting from right now … Dive in before, well, time runs out …
The Basics
Your mission: survive endless waves of enemies while racking up points before the clock hits zero. Every kill gets you points, and quick kills in succession stack up your multiplier for bonus scores. But stall out—hesitate for just a few seconds—and that multiplier is toast.
What's better than testing your skills while you race against the clock? Why, doing it with friends, of course! To jump into Courage’s Time Trial – gather your group and check in with Courage, the Belfry’s boisterous battlefield mentor. Accept the Quest, and get ready for the action—once you start, the timer ticks down as you face waves of baddies.
This mode is live from Feb 25 8am Pacific to March 11 8am Pacific.
Think you’ve got what it takes to triumph in Courage’s Time Trial? Not so fast, Ace - first, you need to make sure to do the following:
- Make sure you've completed the essential, early quest, “A Return to Form” – which is your gateway to unlocking Danger Level 2 (DL2), granting you access to the map, and to the job board. You don't need to have completed any curios to have access.
- When you’re ready to jump into Time Trial Mode (and you’ve met the prerequisites) - first, go check in with Courage, your ever-enthusiastic battlefield mentor and accpet the Time Trials Quest. Second, interact with one of the training dummies to then jump into the game mode.
- Now you’re in the thick of it. The timer ticks down as you face waves of enemies … smash hourglasses to scrounge up extra seconds, grab buffs to better your battling, and stay alive to secure that sweet, sweet loot!
The Details
Fight with flair, finesse, and just a dash of desperation. Here’s a quick overview video of how Time Trial mode works.
- Time is Your Nemesis: Tick…tick…tick… –what are you waiting for?! Those waves of baddies aren’t going to slay themselves. Defeat enemies, grab buffs, smash hourglasses to stave off the buzzer. Every second counts, and one wrong move can leave you with nothing but regrets.
- New! Buff Shrines: Mid-run, Buff Shrines will appear, offering powerful pick-me-ups for you and your squad. Want to hit harder? Move faster? Wield lightning strikes with just a jump (for real)? Choose wisely—pick one buff, and the rest disappear!
- Dial Up the Danger: Choose your difficulty: Easy, Medium, or Hard. Got the *courage* to take on the ultimate challenge? Try Hard Mode. We dare you.
- Slay Swiftly to Score: Keep those kills coming to rack up multipliers—but hesitate too long, and your score resets. Speed and precision are your only allies here.
- Conquer the Clock, Claim Your Prize: Complete Courage’s quests to earn the (new) Courage gear set (among a bunch more loot) - so you can show off your Time Trial conquering prowess. The better you do, the better the loot!
Buff Up or Bow Out (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Consider the following details to count as game mode spoilers, a warning for those who’d rather take a crack at a Time Trial first and come back when you have an itch for more details.
But for you doomsday preppers out there - read on!
Shrines are your sanctuary - and now, also your secret weapon. They appear after certain waves and offer you buffs that can mean the difference between glory and failure. Each Shrine forces you to make a choice—pick the buff that suits your playstyle, and hope it’s enough to keep you alive.
If you’re rolling with fellow Aces - remember: first Ace to choose a buff, that buff is then applied to everyone.
Permanent Buffs: Boost your health, increase damage, add crit chance, and more. These last the entire match.
- **Max Power Increase** – Adds 1 bar of Focus.
- **Max Health Boost** – Increases health by 500 HP.
- **Max Umbra Increase** – Adds +1 to Umbra Charge.
- **Full Health Restore** – Instantly restores all health.
- **Damage Boost** – Increases damage output by 15%.
- **Critical Hit Chance Up** – Increases crit chance by 10%.
Temporary Buffs: Short bursts of power, like explosive dodges, poison attacks, or lightning-infused jumps. Use them wisely—they don’t stick around long.
- **Time Boost** – Grants +25 seconds on the timer.
- **Damage Surge** – Increases Might for 45 seconds.
- **Explosive Dodge** – Dodging causes an explosion (30 seconds).
- **Fire Attacks** – Attacks inflict fire damage (45 seconds).
- **Critical Strike Boost** – Increases critical hit chance (30 seconds).
- **Lightning Dash** – Dashing triggers a lightning strike (45 seconds).
I mean, I know we’re just talking about practice … but those rewards aren’t going to win themselves. Fight fast, or fail. Those are your only two options. And, don’t forget - like everything in Towerborne - glorious chaos is better with friends!
Definitely join us on Discord for plenty of boasting and battle strategy … share your winning scores and tactics for thwarting the clock! Your feedback will go into making Time Trial mode that much more exciting going forward.
Time waits for no one … see you out there, Aces!