Horde Mode is considered one of the best endgame CHz farming methods in WAR RATS: The Rat em Up. Once your defenses are fully upgraded, Horde Mode can generate well over 100,000 CHz per hour during higher waves.
Most of the work is handled by your automated defenses, and in the meantime, you can repair structures, replace destroyed defenses, and collect CHz between waves.
Another major advantage is that Horde Mode is completely risk-free. Even if your run fails, you won’t lose your equipment or your overall Horde Mode progress.
This guide will go through the recommended Horde Mode setup, best equipment to bring, where to place defenses and how to maximize your CHz income over long sessions.
Best Loadout for Horde Mode
Before starting a run, make sure you have enough CHz to build your defenses. Around 20,000 CHz is a comfortable starting amount.
Primary Weapon
The Chaingun is the best all-around weapon with good sustained damage and a large ammo capacity, making it the strongest pick for Horde Mode. This means you will have to do fewer trips back to the campsite for ammo and you can focus on your defenses.
Secondary Weapon
Bring an explosive weapon to deal with groups of enemies. Good choices include:
- Flrat Cannon
- Ratzooka with the Fat Rat attachment
- Homing Ratzooka (a solid alternative)
These weapons help clear clustered enemies before they overwhelm your walls.
Throwable
An upgraded Sentry Gun is easily the most valuable throwable for this strategy. You’ll be deploying several of them throughout the match, and they make a huge amount of automatic damage.
Recommended Equipment
- Blast Shield
- Two HP Boosters
If you’re already using the Fat Rat attachment, you can replace one of these with another equipment option that better suits your playstyle.
Best Special Rats
The following companions work especially well in Horde Mode:
- Bomber Rat
- Artillery Rat
- Helper Rat
- Mechanic Rat
Among these, the Mechanic Rat is particularly useful since it can automatically repair damaged defenses.
Horde Mode Base Layout
Both lanes should use the exact same defensive layout.
+ X X + (S) + + + + + + + +
M W G W (S) G B W G M W B CLayout Legend
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M | Mines |
| W | Wall |
| G | Gunner |
| B | Mortar/Bomb |
| S | Sentry Gun |
| C | Campsite |
| + | Build this structure |
| X | Leave empty |
The important part of this strategy is not building the front-most Wall and Gunner. Everything else should be constructed on both lanes.
Once your base is complete, place your Sentry Guns in a line near the front Gunner position to create another layer of automatic firepower.
Upgrades are the most important to make this strategy work. This setup works for two lanes without a radio.
Use your remaining CHz after building to purchase as many upgrades as possible.
Prioritize them in this order:
- Right-side Gunner upgrades
- Left-side Mortar upgrades
- Everything else
The better your Gunners get, the less attention each lane will need further down the run.
Managing Resources
During the early waves, don’t expect to make a profit. Most of your CHz will go toward maintaining the base.
Focus your spending on:
- Replacing destroyed Walls
- Rebuilding Mines
- Deploying new Sentry Guns
- Repairing damaged defenses
Many players don’t begin generating consistent extra CHz until roughly Wave 35, so be patient during the early stages.
When Upgrade Prices Become Too Expensive
Upgrade costs gradually increase over time, which can make later upgrades significantly more expensive.
Here is a useful trick for you. Exit to the main menu and relaunch the game. The upgrade prices reset to their normal values for your next session. Now you can purchase another round of upgrades at a much lower cost.
This reset only applies once each time you reopen the game. You can use this trick to continue improving your defenses without spending excessive CHz.
Reaching a Fully Automated Defense
Once you reach around Tier 10 with your big upgrades, the setup becomes insanely efficient.
Usually at this point your defenses can handle both lanes with very little player interaction.
Waves last about five minutes each, so you have plenty of time to sit back and let your automated defenses handle the incoming enemies.
Between waves, simply:
- Collect dropped CHz
- Replace destroyed Mines
- Rebuild damaged Walls
- Deploy fresh Sentry Guns
- Repair structures if necessary
Then let the next wave play out.
Save Your Horde Mode Progress
When you’re ready to finish your session do not quit in the middle of a wave.
Instead:
- Collect all available pickups.
- Wait until the current wave finishes.
- Open the pause menu.
- Return to the Main Menu.
You will be returned to the nest when you reload your save later. Your Horde Mode progress will be kept.
Extra CHz Bonus Tip
The good thing with Horde Mode is that every enemy you kill will add to the score of your next New Game Plus or Skirmish run that you complete.
That extra score means more bonus CHz, so long Horde Mode sessions are a great way to prep for future playthroughs.
This is a Horde Mode strategy that is based on great automation, not constant fighting. You invest your CHz into the right weapons, position your defenses carefully, and prioritize Gunner upgrades. You’ll hit a point where your base does most of the work for you.
