Some prices and item effects come from a specialist guide last updated in 2020, so treat platform-specific values as reference data rather than guaranteed current values. The Steam purchase-button fix is anecdotal and may not work on every display or operating-system setup.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
If Fieldrunners 2 can't buy items, first check that you are in the pre-mission loadout screen, have enough coins, and are pressing an unlocked item rather than a locked slot. On Steam PC, try leaving fullscreen, selecting a resolution that does not fill the display, buying the item, and then restoring fullscreen. This workaround was reported by a player in June 2025, but it is not confirmed as an official fix. During normal play, coins purchase consumables and some towers, while stars unlock other towers.
How the system works
What counts as equipment in Fieldrunners 2?
The game does not use a conventional character-equipment screen with armor, weapons, and permanent stat slots. Its practical equipment system is the mission loadout: tower types and consumable items chosen before a level. The Steam store describes custom loadouts, upgradeable weapons, airstrikes, mines, and other powerful items as core features.
Towers are placed during a mission and can normally be upgraded up to three times. Consumables are selected before the mission and used at the moment you need them. A mission allows a limited selection rather than your entire collection, so preparation matters more than carrying everything.
- Towers are permanent defensive placements for the current mission and use battlefield cash.
- Items are single-use emergency tools bought with the separate coin currency.
- Cards sit outside the combat loadout. They are achievement-style rewards, and some decks provide coins or item bonuses.
| System | When you choose it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tower loadout | Before the mission | Determines which defensive towers you can place. |
| Consumable item loadout | Before the mission | Lets you bring a limited set of single-use effects. |
| Battlefield purchases | During the mission | Uses cash earned from defeated enemies for towers and upgrades. |
| Cards and decks | From achievements or progression | Tracks accomplishments and can award bonuses. |
Calling everything “equipment” is convenient, but the verified game descriptions support a tower-and-item loadout system rather than persistent character gear.
Acquisition
How to unlock and buy towers and items
Coins come from mission performance and gameplay, and they can be spent on consumables or on selected tower unlocks. Stars come from completing maps at different difficulty levels and unlock a different group of towers. The two currencies are not interchangeable, so a star requirement cannot be bypassed merely by saving more coins.
The specialist item list records seven named consumables: Rewind, Deep Freeze, Smart Mine, Fire Fountain, Frostinator, Spanish Flu, and Santa Strike. It also lists discounted bundles. Because the guide is not a current developer manual, use those names as a reference for the original game and verify the displayed price in your own edition before spending.
- Rewind is suited to a failed setup because it returns the battle to an earlier point.
- Deep Freeze and Frostinator slow enemies and are strongest when towers can exploit the delay.
- Smart Mine removes most of a target’s health, making it useful against clusters but not always a guaranteed finisher.
- Fire Fountain and Spanish Flu are better emergency finishers because their listed effects can kill affected units.
- Santa Strike covers a broad area and is best saved for a dangerous mass of enemies or a sudden-death crisis.
| Item | Listed cost | Best use case |
|---|---|---|
| Rewind | 20 coins | Undo a poor setup or recover several bad waves. |
| Deep Freeze | 30 coins | Slow a dangerous group near supporting towers. |
| Smart Mine | 30 coins | Damage a dense cluster, including tough units. |
| Fire Fountain | 30 coins | Cover an exit and finish units that reach it. |
| Frostinator | 50 coins | Create a large slowing zone, especially in sudden death. |
| Spanish Flu | 50 coins | Clear a group when normal damage is not enough. |
| Santa Strike | 100 coins | Hit a broad section of the map during a crisis. |
For routine missions, prioritize towers and upgrades before expensive consumables. For sudden-death, endless, or elite-unit encounters, keeping one slowing item and one reliable finisher is a safer loadout.
Use cases
Build a loadout around the threat
The strongest loadout is determined by the map and enemy mix. Use slowing effects when enemies must travel through a long firing lane, area damage when units bunch at a bend, and a reset tool when the level’s pathing or tower placement has gone wrong.
Do not treat consumables as replacements for a sound maze. The item guide notes that many missions can be completed without them, while endless play and difficult sudden-death situations make emergency items substantially more valuable.
- Against fast runners, combine Deep Freeze or Frostinator with high-damage towers.
- Against a crowd near an exit, use Smart Mine for heavy damage or Fire Fountain for a more dependable finish.
- Against a large mixed group, Spanish Flu or Santa Strike can prevent a cascade of leaks.
- Against elite enemies, reserve an item rather than trying to repair a weak tower network after the unit has already reached the exit.
- For difficult experimentation, bring Rewind and use it only after observing how the current tower layout performs.
| Problem | Recommended approach | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fast units escaping | Slow them near a concentrated damage zone | Dropping a slow effect where no tower can reach. |
| Large clump | Use area damage or a broad strike | Spending a single-target answer on a whole wave. |
| One elite unit | Save a high-impact item for its approach | Using every consumable early. |
| Bad maze or failed placement | Use Rewind, then rebuild with the lesson learned | Repeating the same layout without checking paths. |
Pause before spending an item when possible. Read the active paths, identify the leak point, and place the effect where it buys the most time or catches the most units.
Progression extras
What cards do and what they do not do
Cards are achievement-like records rather than ordinary combat equipment. Steam achievements show rewards such as coin grants, a hardcore deck, a grunt deck, a world deck, an iron deck, and a whirly deck. Other cards simply record milestones, such as defeating units with one item or surviving a set number of rounds.
That means a card reward can improve your supplies, but it does not replace selecting towers and consumables for a mission. Check the card or achievement description in your version before assuming it grants a permanent combat effect.
- Use cards as progression targets when you need more coins or item stock.
- Do not expect every card to unlock a tower or change tower statistics.
- Achievement rewards can be especially useful early, when consumable prices compete with tower unlock costs.
The searched sources confirm achievement and deck rewards, but they do not provide a complete current card-by-card bonus table. Any unlisted card effect should be treated as unverified until it appears in-game.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I buy items before or during a mission?
Choose the consumable loadout before entering the mission, then use the selected items during the battle. Battlefield cash is primarily used for towers and upgrades placed during the mission.
Are items permanent equipment?
No. The listed items are single-use consumables. Towers are mission defenses, while cards and decks are progression rewards rather than character gear.
Why are some towers unavailable even though I have coins?
Some towers use star requirements, while others use coin requirements. Check the tower’s unlock label and earn the specified currency; having enough of the other currency will not satisfy it.
What is the best item for an enemy reaching the exit?
Fire Fountain is the safer listed exit finisher, while Smart Mine is better for removing most of a dense group’s health. Spanish Flu is a strong answer when several enemy types must be cleared immediately.
Does the fullscreen workaround always fix broken purchases?
No. It is a community-reported Steam workaround from June 2025, not an official guarantee. Try windowed mode and a different resolution first, then restart or verify the game if the interface remains unresponsive.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.