Tap Titans 2 Advance Start Calculator
Optimize your advance start strategy with precise calculations for maximum efficiency in Tap Titans 2. Input your current stats to get personalized recommendations.
Ultimate Guide to Tap Titans 2 Advance Start Strategy (2024)
Advance Start is one of the most powerful mechanics in Tap Titans 2, allowing players to begin each run at a higher stage than their current maximum. When used correctly, this feature can dramatically increase your progression speed, relic income, and overall efficiency. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your Advance Start strategy.
How Advance Start Works
Advance Start lets you begin a new run at a stage up to 10% of your current Maximum Stage (MS). The formula is:
Advance Start Stage = Current MS × (Advance Start % / 100)
The Advance Start percentage increases as you progress through the game:
- Initially starts at 1% (Stage 1 of your MS)
- Increases by 1% every 500 stages
- Maxes out at 10% (Stage 4500+)
Why Advance Start Matters
Proper use of Advance Start provides several key benefits:
- Faster Progression: Skip early stages where you’re overpowered
- More Relics: Higher starting stage means more relics per run
- Better Tournament Performance: Start closer to your push potential
- Efficient Farming: Optimize for specific farming goals (relics, equipment, etc.)
- Time Savings: Reduce time spent on unnecessary early stages
Optimal Advance Start Strategies by Playstyle
| Playstyle | Optimal Advance Start % | Primary Focus | Secondary Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clan Ship | 8-10% | Maximize clan raid damage | Pet levels, aura set bonuses |
| Pet/Hero/OM | 6-8% | Balance pet damage and hero DPS | Mythic set bonuses, weapon damage |
| Hero Shotgun | 5-7% | Hero damage output | Critical strike chance, splash skip |
| Shadow Clone | 7-9% | Clone attack frequency | Mana regeneration, skill levels |
| Hybrid | 6-8% | Varies by dominant damage source | Equipment optimization, artifact levels |
Advanced Techniques for Maximum Efficiency
1. Stage Skipping: Some players use Advance Start to skip to stages where they can efficiently farm specific equipment or complete quests faster. For example, if you need equipment from stage 3500 but your MS is 5000, you might advance start to 3400 (8% of 4250 if you temporarily reduce your MS).
2. Tournament Optimization: During tournaments, your Advance Start percentage is based on your tournament MS, not your global MS. This creates opportunities to:
- Push your tournament MS higher than normal to increase your Advance Start percentage
- Use Advance Start to farm tournament tokens more efficiently
- Balance between pushing for higher brackets and maintaining efficient farming
3. Relic Farming Patterns: The most efficient relic farming typically involves:
- Advance starting to 80-90% of your optimal farming stage
- Using skills to quickly reach your farming stage
- Activating Chesterson chance and relic bonuses
- Prestiging at the optimal stage (usually where relic income starts to drop off)
4. Mythic Set Optimization: Your Advance Start strategy should account for your mythic sets:
| Mythic Set | Impact on Advance Start | Optimal Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Aura | Increases all damage, allowing higher Advance Start % | 30+ |
| Labyrinth | Boosts splash skip, enabling higher starting stages | 20+ |
| Mage | Improves mana efficiency for skill-based builds | 25+ |
| Warrior | Enhances hero damage for HS/OM builds | 30+ |
| Rogue | Increases critical damage for CS/PHoM | 20+ |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced players sometimes make these Advance Start errors:
- Over-advancing: Starting too close to your MS can make runs take longer than necessary
- Ignoring playstyle: Using the same Advance Start % for all builds (CS needs higher % than HS)
- Forgetting tournaments: Not adjusting strategy for tournament MS vs global MS
- Neglecting equipment: Not considering which stages drop your needed equipment
- Static approach: Not adjusting as you progress through different stage ranges
Mathematical Foundations of Advance Start
The optimal Advance Start percentage can be calculated using several game mechanics:
1. Stage Health Scaling: Monster health increases exponentially. The formula is approximately:
Health = BaseHealth × (1.15)stage × (other modifiers)
2. Damage Scaling: Your damage depends on:
- Hero levels (linear growth)
- Weapon level (exponential growth)
- Artifacts (multiplicative bonuses)
- Skills and pets (additive/multiplicative)
3. Relic Efficiency: The relic income per hour follows a logarithmic curve based on:
- Stage reached
- Time to reach that stage
- Chesterson chance
- Relic bonuses from artifacts
Our calculator uses these relationships to determine where your damage output will allow you to progress efficiently from your Advance Start stage.
Equipment Farming with Advance Start
Advance Start can be particularly powerful for targeting specific equipment:
- Identify needed equipment: Check which sets you’re trying to complete
- Determine drop stages: Each equipment piece drops in a specific stage range
- Calculate optimal start: Advance to just below the drop range
- Use skills to reach target: Activate War Cry and other damage boosts
- Prestige when complete: Once you have the equipment, prestige to lock in progress
For example, if you need the “Crown Egg” (drops at stages 3000-3500) and your MS is 5000:
- Maximum Advance Start = 5000 × 10% = 500 (stage 4500)
- But you want to farm stage 3000-3500
- Optimal Advance Start = 2900 (8% of 3625 if you temporarily reduce MS)
Advanced Start in Different Game Phases
Early Game (MS < 1000):
- Advance Start % is very low (1-3%)
- Focus on pushing MS rather than optimizing Advance Start
- Use Advance Start primarily to skip tutorial stages
Mid Game (MS 1000-10000):
- Advance Start becomes more useful (3-7%)
- Begin experimenting with different start percentages
- Focus on balancing push progression with relic farming
Late Game (MS 10000-50000):
- Full 10% Advance Start available
- Optimize for specific goals (tournaments, equipment, relics)
- Develop different strategies for different playstyles
End Game (MS 50000+):
- Advance Start becomes essential for efficient play
- Micro-optimize start percentages based on exact build
- Use Advance Start to target specific mythic equipment
Clan Considerations
Your clan’s performance affects your Advance Start strategy:
- Clan Quest Rewards: Higher level clans provide better rewards that may allow higher Advance Start percentages
- Clan Ship Damage: In CS builds, clan damage directly impacts how high you can Advance Start
- Tournament Brackets: Clan mates’ MS affects your tournament bracket placement
- Shared Stages: Clan mates can help you push further to increase your Advance Start potential
Future Updates and Meta Changes
The Tap Titans 2 meta evolves with each update. Recent changes that affect Advance Start include:
- New Artifacts: Some artifacts specifically boost early-stage performance
- Mythic Set Rebalancing: Changes to set bonuses may alter optimal strategies
- New Heroes: Additional heroes can change damage curves
- Skill Adjustments: Changes to skill durations or cooldowns affect push potential
- New Game Modes: Events like the Fairy Realm can provide temporary boosts
Always check patch notes and community resources to stay updated on how these changes might affect your Advance Start strategy.