Some recommendations come from player testing rather than official balance documentation. The browser and Ultimate Edition versions should not be treated as mechanically identical.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
For the strongest all-purpose route, use a Demon-first opening with Contribution, then take Infernal Magnet, add Ancestral Wisdom for mana, and transition into Undead control through Reaper’s Touch and The Lich King. That is the most reliable cursed treasure 2 best skills route for players pushing new stages and Brilliant ratings. If you are playing the older browser build, use the same priorities—economy, mana, control, then boss damage—but verify the displayed names and effects in your own skill tree.
Quick ranking
Best builds by player goal
There is no single perfect allocation because the best choice changes with the mission objective. A short early map rewards immediate resources, while a long late map rewards control, efficient tower upgrades, and tools for champions that cannot be frightened or frozen.
The ranking below is a recommendation based on the documented skill effects and community testing. It is not an official tier list. The Ultimate Edition guide rates Contribution, The Lich King, and Infernal Magnet especially highly, while a Steam discussion also reports a common Demon-first progression. (gamenguides.com )
- Fast clears and new players: Contribution → Ancestral Wisdom → Infernal Magnet. This gives you more opening resources and lets you establish towers or clear terrain sooner.
- Brilliant ratings: Contribution → Infernal Magnet → Reaper’s Touch → The Lich King. Prioritize reliable control and gem recovery over random damage procs.
- Bosses and champions: add Headhunting from Orc and keep enough Undead control to stall the wave. The documented testing rates Headhunting highly for later missions with many champions. (gamenguides.com )
- Low-mana or tight-space maps: Ancestral Wisdom first, followed by Undead tower-cost or control upgrades. Extra starting mana can fund mining, terrain removal, or an emergency spell.
- Maximum damage: begin with Contribution and Infamy, then take Frenzy and selected tower-cost reductions. This is faster when your placements are already consistent, but less forgiving if enemies leak.
| Goal | Recommended priority | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| General progression | Contribution → Ancestral Wisdom → Infernal Magnet → Reaper’s Touch | Balances opening economy, mana, gem safety, and damage. |
| Control-heavy defense | Ancestral Wisdom → Reaper’s Touch → The Lich King | Makes Undead towers more useful for slowing, frightening, and eventually freezing. |
| Boss stages | Contribution → Headhunting → The Lich King | Combines stronger openings with tools for high-health or resistant enemies. |
| Resource farming | Contribution → Infamy → Die and Deliver or Timber Yard | Improves early gold and rewards efficient wave completion or terrain clearing. |
The three tower factions—Undead, Demon, and Orc—are documented for the game, as are their separate upgrade paths. The ordering in this table is strategic advice, not a developer-prescribed build. (kongregate.com )
Stage plan
What to take early, mid-game, and late
Early stages are decided before your tower network is fully built. Put the first points into an opening-resource skill instead of chasing a high-tier effect. In Ultimate Edition, Contribution increases starting gold and is rated as a top first purchase; Ancestral Wisdom supplies starting mana and is particularly useful when you need to clear buildings or trees before placing defenses. (gamenguides.com )
During the middle of the campaign, begin specializing. Infernal Magnet is the practical choice when enemies can carry gems away, because returning gems during the gaps between waves can turn a near-loss into a clear. Reaper’s Touch is a strong one-point damage spike, while Undead Architect or similar cost-reduction effects help you establish control towers sooner. (gamenguides.com )
In late stages, stop spreading points evenly. Choose either a control plan or a damage plan, then use the remaining points to cover the map’s specific threat. The community guide notes that the final Undead bonus can give even basic Crypts a chance to freeze, while the Orc champion-damage option becomes more valuable when enemies resist fear or freeze. These effects are version-sensitive, so confirm the tooltip in your client. (gamenguides.com )
- First 5–10 points: buy opening gold or mana, not a niche trap effect.
- Next milestone: unlock gem recovery or a reliable crowd-control improvement.
- Before the final areas: add champion damage if the map contains resistant elites.
- Only then invest heavily in luck-based mines, clouds, or trap procs unless the stage specifically rewards them.
| Stage type | Preferred build shape | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Short, open map | Demon economy plus direct tower damage | Over-investing in maximum mana. |
| Long map with several lanes | Undead control plus one economy branch | Pure damage with no emergency spell resource. |
| Tight map with terrain | Starting mana plus efficient tower upgrades | Spending all mana before the first dangerous wave. |
| Final or champion-heavy map | Control, champion damage, and gem recovery | Assuming fear or freeze works on every enemy. |
If your edition allows free respec, change the build between missions rather than forcing one permanent allocation. GameClub specifically recommends experimenting because skill priorities vary by level and goal. (gameclub.io )
Execution
How to turn the build into a winning setup
1. Pause before the first wave and identify the map’s limiting resource. If you cannot afford the first useful tower, choose gold. If terrain or mining blocks your setup, choose mana. This decision matters more than a small late-game percentage bonus.
2. Build around a choke point rather than trying to cover every path equally. Use Orc damage towers where enemies stay in range, and use Undead towers where slowing or frightening causes enemies to spend longer inside the kill zone. The Ultimate Edition tower comparison describes Orcs as the range-focused faction and Undead as the crowd-control faction. (gamenguides.com )
3. Keep an emergency reserve. Do not spend every mana point on terrain removal if the next wave can contain a dangerous champion. Terror, Meteor, or the equivalent displayed in your edition can be more valuable than one extra tower level.
4. Respec after a failed attempt and change one variable at a time. If enemies reach the gem, test Infernal Magnet or stronger control. If you lose before the defense is built, test opening gold or mana. If only champions survive, add champion damage rather than rebuilding the entire tree.
The older browser version received a substantial rebalance, including skill effects, tower damage and range, upgrade costs, enemy health, and level balance. Therefore, treat older walkthroughs as placement references, not proof that every numerical recommendation still applies. (kongregate.com )
- Use the displayed tooltip as the final authority for your platform.
- Favor the first rank of a skill when it gives a much larger initial benefit than later ranks; several community tests identify this pattern in the Ultimate Edition tree. (gamenguides.com )
- Do not chase a faction’s final skill merely because it is expensive or late-unlocked; compare its effect with the map’s actual threat.
- For a first clear, reliability beats theoretical maximum DPS.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the best skill build for a first playthrough?
Use Contribution first for an easier opening, then Ancestral Wisdom for flexibility, followed by Infernal Magnet and Undead control. This route gives you resources, safer setup time, and a way to recover gems instead of relying only on damage. It is a recommendation for Ultimate Edition-style skills, not a guaranteed identical route for every release.
Should I max Demon, Undead, or Orc first?
For most players, start Demon for economy and damage, branch into Undead for control, and delay deep Orc investment until maps demand extra range, gold conversion, or champion damage. A Steam community discussion also describes Demon → Undead → Orc as a workable order, but that is player advice rather than official balance guidance. (steamcommunity.com )
Are luck-based skills worth taking?
Usually take one rank only when the first rank gives a noticeable improvement, then postpone the rest. Community testing rates several mine, cloud, and trap effects below the reliable economy and control options because their value depends on random triggers and enemy positioning. (gamenguides.com )
What should I use for boss or champion stages?
Keep a control core, add Headhunting or the equivalent champion-damage skill shown by your version, and reserve mana for an emergency spell. Later areas can contain enemies that are difficult or impossible to handle with fear or freeze alone, so pure crowd control becomes less dependable. (steamcommunity.com )
Why do online guides show different skill names?
Cursed Treasure 2 has multiple releases and rebalances. Kongregate’s archived browser page records a major re-balance, while the Ultimate Edition guide uses a different set of names such as Contribution, Ancestral Wisdom, and Infernal Magnet. Match guides to your platform and use your in-game tooltip when numbers conflict. (kongregate.com )
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.