- Dicevaders units only attack when their column's die is scored, so placement matters more than raw strength.
- Budge changes a die by +1/-1; Chrono rerolls dice or the shop.
- Molt multiplies your entire attack at the end of scoring, making it the strongest scaling stat.
- Mini dice from pair synergies create chain reactions that can multiply damage dramatically.
- Beat pilots by stacking molt and mini-dice engines before Act 4.
How Units Work in Dicevaders
Dicevaders is a dice-based roguelike deck builder where your alien army is laid out on a grid of columns. Each turn you roll three dice, and only units in scored columns contribute attack equal to unit strength times dice power. This makes grid placement, column control, and dice manipulation the core of every unit strategy.
Video Highlights:
- Full tutorial walkthrough of the roll, budge, and freeze mechanics
- Swarmer chains and Martian scaling in action
- Mini-dice and molt engine reaching 12x attack multipliers
- Pilot boss fights and the heart/extra-turn system explained
Your attack formula is simple: units in the scored column × dice power. A column of units totaling 30 strength with a die showing 1 deals 30 damage. Raise either side of that equation and damage scales linearly, but molt and multipliers break the game open.
Always check which columns have units before spending budge. A perfect roll on an empty column deals zero damage. Move or place units to cover every die you can score.
Key Unit Types and What They Do
Units in Dicevaders fall into rough functional archetypes based on their on-score, on-death, and passive behaviors. Knowing which archetype a run needs is the difference between stalling at 2,000 defense and melting a pilot.
| Unit | Role | Key Effect | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Migo | Fodder / economy | No special effect; fuels Book of Death and sacrifice effects | ★★ |
| Swarmer | Scaling attacker | Counts strength of all connected swarmers | ★★★★ |
| Martian | Molt scaling | Gains strength from each budge/chrono spent (15 per use) | ★★★★★ |
| Echo | Burst damage | Spend power to gain 500 strength | ★★★★ |
| Boomer | Resource engine | On death, gains 3 budge | ★★★ |
| Meteor | Column payoff | Triggers after launching a pair in its column | ★★★ |
| Fallen Angel | Artifact XP | On death, gives 10 XP to all artifacts | ★★★ |
| Sponge | Shield holder | Spend power for 50 strength; destroys itself if empty | ★★ |
Effects like Pitchfork ("destroy a non-token unit, give all units +15 strength") only work on real units. Token units spawned by other units or artifacts do not count. Sacrificing tokens wastes these payoffs.
Sacrifice Builds
- Pitchfork buffs all units on destroy
- Sacrifice effects feed strength upward
- Pairs with Book of Death Migo economy
Molt Engines
- Stack molt artifacts per pair/triple
- Martian converts resources to strength
- Reaches 7x to 12x attack multipliers
Mini-Dice Chains
- Toad Head: pairs grant mini dice
- Mini dice trigger more column effects
- Best scaling in longer runs
Step-by-Step: Building a Winning Unit Grid
Cover Your Columns Early
In the tutorial and first planet, buy cheap units to fill every column. Empty columns are wasted dice. Money does not carry over between turns, so spend it every shop phase.
Pick One Scaling Engine
Commit early to either molt stacking, mini-dice pairs, or sacrifice buffs. Splitting resources across engines leaves every column underpowered by the mid-game.
Manipulate Dice Relentlessly
Budge dice toward pairs and triples in your strongest columns, freeze dice you want to keep, and use Chrono to reroll the rest. Broken (frozen by enemy effects like Hyper Freeze) dice cannot be budged.
Level Artifacts With Purpose
Artifacts gain XP from shop picks and units like Fallen Angel. Time Capsule at level 7 replaces itself with a random legendary, so funnel XP into it when available.
Prepare for Pilots
Before each act-ending pilot, expand tiles, remove weak Migos, and ensure every scored column has real units. Pilots punish open tiles and unfocused grids.
When a target is already reached, skip remaining turns for +10% shop rarity. Leaving money unspent can be a strategy too, some artifacts grant strength or molt for unused money when you leave the shop.
Pilot Fights and Run Goals
Pilots are act-ending bosses with special abilities that disrupt your dice and board. Hyper Freeze locks dice so they never reroll; others spawn autobombs or reduce defense values. Losing to a pilot costs one heart and grants an extra turn, but running out of hearts ends the run.
| Pilot Mechanic | Effect | Counterplay |
|---|---|---|
| Hyper Freeze | Dice cannot reroll or unfreeze | Budge frozen dice into pairs; shield key units |
| Autobomb spawns | 500-strength bombs on random tiles | Use as free strength, keep tiles filled |
| 50% defense pilot | Halves effective target defense | Stack molt multipliers for burst turns |
| Extra turn penalty | Continued failure drains hearts | Bank budge/chrono for guaranteed follow-up |
The game confirms that all runs are winnable with skill and intuition. If a pilot seems impossible, pivot your build toward legendary artifacts, which scale far better than commons as difficulty rises.
Run Milestones:
- Fill every column with a real unit by turn 3
- Commit to one scaling engine before the first pilot
- Reach Time Capsule level 7 for a legendary artifact
- Stack at least 5x molt before Act 4
- Defeat a pilot without losing a heart
FAQ
Q: How does unit attack work in Dicevaders?
Units only attack when their column's die is scored during your turn. Total damage equals combined unit strength in that column multiplied by the dice power shown, then multiplied by any molt you have stacked.
Q: What is the best unit in Dicevaders?
The Martian is one of the strongest units because it gains 15 strength for every budge or chrono you spend, turning your dice resources into permanent attack. Swarmer chains and Echo are also top-tier depending on your build.
Q: What does molt do?
Molt is separate from dice power. It multiplies your total attack for the turn at the end of the scoring phase, so stacking molt artifacts can turn a modest roll into a 10x or higher damage spike.
Q: What happens if I fail a pilot fight?
You lose one heart and receive an extra turn to retry the same target. If you run out of hearts, the run ends. Bank resources like budge and chrono before the final turn to secure the kill.