If you’re new to Squad Busters and eager to learn how to build squads and win matches, you’re in the right place. This guide will provide all the essentials to help you start on the right foot.

The Objective of Squad Busters

In every match of Squad Busters, your goal is simple: collect as many gems as possible before the 4-minute timer runs out. Gems can be collected through hidden loot, the gem mine, or by defeating monsters and other squads.

The Basics for Getting Started

When you download Squad Busters, you’ll be guided through a basic gameplay tutorial, including how to move your squad, attack monsters, collect squad members, and use the turbo button to win a match. Beyond these controls, several key elements will be crucial to your strategy.

HUD Overview

• Upper Left Corner: Player count, which decreases as squads are eliminated. It helps you gauge if it’s worth fighting for gems or playing defensively.
  
• Middle of the Screen: Match timer, counting down from 4 minutes.
  
• Upper Right Corner: Shows the number of coins you’ve collected and the price of the next character chest.
  
• Lower Right Corner: The turbo button for quick movements and the transparent star icon representing your spell slot.
  

Once you unlock the Battle Bag, another button will appear above the turbo button, which we’ll explore later.

Choosing Characters and Forming Squads

Upon hitting “Play,” you’ll see a list of characters that will be available during the match. Some will be locked, and their availability will change every time you play. Character selection is important, as it influences how you build your squad.

Character Types and Their Roles

1. All-Rounders: Balanced in attack and defense (e.g., Barbarian, Shelly).
   
2. Suppliers: Specialize in gathering gold and gems quickly (e.g., Goblin, Greg, Penny).
   
3. Speedsters: Offer turbo boosts for quick movement (e.g., Chicken, Hog Rider, Max).
   
4. Defenders: High hit points and lead the squad to protect others (e.g., El Primo, Nita).
   
5. Attackers: Deliver strong offensive capabilities (e.g., Colt, Witch, Archer Queen).
   
6. Healers: Restore squad health during matches (e.g., Pam, Battle Healer).
   

Tips and Strategies for Starting a Match

Each match begins with players randomly placed on the map, starting with a free squad member. Your priority will be to collect coins by defeating monsters, destroying crates, and chopping trees to open chests. Each opened chest offers you the chance to add new squad members, and the price increases progressively as you add more.

Chest Price Progression

• Starts at 3 coins, then 5 coins.
  
• Increases by 5 coins up to 30 coins.
  
• Afterwards, it increases by 10 coins to a maximum of 50 coins per chest.
  

Character Fusion

Collecting three identical characters automatically fuses them into a stronger, single unit, reducing the size of your squad and the price of subsequent chests. However, fusing too early can leave you vulnerable, as larger squads might easily overwhelm a single powerful unit.

Using the Battle Bag

The Battle Bag becomes accessible after 1 minute of play. It offers four items:

• Reroll: Refreshes chest options.
  
• Key: Opens a free chest when low on coins.
  
• Epic Key: Opens a chest full of epic characters.
  
• Fusion Key: Provides a fully fused character.
  

Using these items triggers a cooldown, so it’s wise to use them strategically. Remember, adding a character with a key raises the chest price to the next tier.

Building a Powerful Squad

To dominate a match, aim to build a strong, balanced squad. Every character displays a health circle above their head, and some have an outer pink ring that indicates their special power attack, which charges over time. Larger squads are typically stronger, but you’ll need to assess the strength of enemy squads before engaging in battle.

Be careful when a squad member takes damage, as this slows down their movement speed and may cause them to separate from the group, becoming easy targets. If a squad member is eliminated, you’ll drop a portion of your gems, which you’ll need to recollect or risk losing them to other players.

Turbo Button and Spells

The turbo button is crucial for both offense and defense, allowing for sprints and faster attacks. However, it’s wise to conserve your turbo for emergencies or escapes. Speedster characters or collected turbo boosts can help recharge it faster.

Spells are found randomly on the map and can be used to attack or defend. Each spell appears as a silver star with its image on top. When collected, you can either activate it or hold and drag it to a specific location for targeted use.

Unlocking Spells and Mega Units

Spells can be unlocked through time-limited events or purchased with coins. If you’re facing tough competition, you might come across Mega Units, which are stronger and larger than fusions, offering unique abilities. Mega Units like Chicken, Dragon, and LT Gray are consumable and can significantly alter the outcome of a match.

The Gem Pass and Chests

Squad Busters includes a season pass called the Gem Pass, which offers free and premium rewards like coins, chests, and items for your Battle Bag. Progress through the pass by collecting gems during matches, eventually leading to unlocking the Mega Bank and additional Mega Units.

You’ll earn a chest based on your performance at the end of each match. Chest types include Common, Rare, and Epic, containing characters of varying rarities. Maintaining a top-5 streak in multiple matches unlocks bonus chest spins, enhancing your chances of getting rare items.

Progressing in Squad Busters: Squad Journey

Your main progression track in the game is called Squad Journey. Unlock new worlds, characters, and rewards by completing achievements that provide Portal Energy. You’ll unlock new abilities and appearance changes as you evolve characters from Baby to Classic, Super, and Ultra forms.

Character evolution is key to progressing. Each form requires ten copies of the previous form, which can be collected from chests. However, players can fast-track this by getting a Squad Busters account with characters included. Besides character evolution, evolving also unlocks unique abilities and increases Portal Energy.

Worlds, Maps, and Modifiers

Squad Busters features different worlds: Green, Desert, Royal, and Beach, with Ice World arriving soon. Each world has unique maps, enemies, and challenges, often affecting gameplay style. Map branches contain chest spawn points, trees, and crates, with modifiers that change match dynamics, such as:

• Loot Goblin Rush & Pinata Party: Flood the map with loot.
  
• Double Trouble: Pulls double characters from each chest.
  
• Tree Giants & Whack-a-Mole: Spawn large bosses in the center.
  
• Doppelgangers: Change your squad to the character you pick from a chest.
  
• Royal Haunt: Enables you to control a horde of Royal Ghosts for an added offense.
  

Modifiers change the rules, making every match unique and requiring you to adapt your squad-building strategy accordingly.

Taking a Break: The Plaza

The Plaza is where you can relax and customize your game environment. By collecting hammers in matches, you can build decorations and statues of your favorite characters. The Plaza also offers daily freebies like character chests and coins and weekly challenges for extra rewards.

The Best Ways to Spend Coins

Coins are the premium currency in Squad Busters, and while they can be used for various in-game purchases, the best value lies in refilling your chest tickets before matches, especially if you’re on a top-5 streak.