Map numbering and some stage names have changed in community guides and later menu updates. Where a number is commonly used but not consistently displayed in current references, this guide labels it as community shorthand rather than a guaranteed in-game name.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Start with The King on Normal, then clear Ragefist Chieftain and The Joint Revenge as they unlock. Use the map-selection menu once it becomes available. After the classic route, treat Meat of the Matter, the elemental areas, The Summoner vs. His Backyard, and The Triple Tribulation as separate progression checks rather than one simple linear campaign. Community labels usually call Meat of the Matter map 7, The Summoner vs. His Backyard map 13, and The Triple Tribulation map 14, but the game’s named titles are the safer way to identify them.
Route planning
A practical progression order
Do not rush into every newly unlocked challenge. First make one dependable classic formation: a main damage dealer, a support pair that increases damage or attack speed, and at least one slowing or stunning unit. This gives you a baseline for deciding whether a failure comes from insufficient damage, poor placement, or a mode-specific restriction.
Clear The King on Normal, then use its rewards to strengthen the units that will carry Ragefist Chieftain. After Ragefist Chieftain Normal, move into The Joint Revenge Normal. When that route is stable, clear the harder versions in the unlock order rather than spreading resources across every map at once.
A good farming loop is usually more valuable than a risky first clear. If a later stage takes repeated manual spell use and still fails near the end, return to an earlier stage that your carry can clear consistently. Farm the resource you actually need, then retry the difficult map with a measurable upgrade.
- Step 1: Build one reliable damage lane instead of leveling the entire roster evenly.
- Step 2: Add crowd control where enemies first reach your damage zone, not automatically at the chest.
- Step 3: Keep support units adjacent to the carry if their bonuses depend on placement.
- Step 4: Test Normal before investing heavily in Hard or Nightmare.
- Step 5: Save late-game challenge attempts for teams that already clear the relevant classic route comfortably.
| If you are stuck on | Check first | Recommended response |
|---|---|---|
| Early classic maps | Carry level and support placement | Farm The King or Ragefist Chieftain before replacing the whole team |
| Meat of the Matter | Elemental damage restrictions | Use non-elemental damage, control, and support units |
| Elemental challenges | Enemy element and mode rules | Build around the required counter element and read the stage condition |
| The Summoner vs. His Backyard | Late-game damage and boss pressure | Treat it as an endgame check, not an ordinary next map |
| The Triple Tribulation | Multiple boss waves and sustained damage | Use a specialized formation and expect repeated farming first |
Use a named-stage route: classic maps first, then the challenge whose reward fixes your current bottleneck. This is more efficient than following a numbered list without checking what the stage actually demands.
Named areas
What the major stages are for
Meat of the Matter is commonly called map 7 by players. It is a notable progression wall because elemental units are not a safe answer there; community guidance consistently recommends non-elemental damage, slowing, stunning, and support. A formation that worked in the first classic maps may therefore fail even when its levels look high enough.
The elemental areas include Ice Queen's Tempest or Ice Queen's Storm, Wrath of the Volcano Goddess, and Kami Pantheon's Retribution. These are not interchangeable versions of the classic route. Their enemy and damage rules make element selection important, so inspect the stage before spending coins on a new carry.
The Evil Summoner and Master's Challenge also change the normal preparation loop. The Evil Summoner resets or limits parts of your usual setup, while Master's Challenge begins with an empty board and gives you choices during the run. These modes test decision-making as much as raw monster level.
The Summoner vs. His Backyard is the stage most often called map 13. It is a late-game normal-map check and is associated with unlocking Icarus after clearing the required version. The Triple Tribulation is commonly called map 14 and is another endgame stage built around heavy boss pressure. Because these labels come mainly from player references, verify the title shown in your own map menu before copying a formation.
- Map 7: Meat of the Matter, a non-elemental and control-focused wall.
- Map 13: The Summoner vs. His Backyard, a late-game normal stage.
- Map 14: The Triple Tribulation, a high-pressure endgame stage.
- Pirate Cats vs Queen Mela: a separate campaign with pirate-only progression and Fish Coins.
- Master's Challenge: a run-based challenge with a mostly empty starting board.
| Named area | Planning priority | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Meat of the Matter | Non-elemental damage and control | Reusing elemental attackers from earlier maps |
| Ice Queen's area | Lightning or the current stage counter | Assuming one universal team works |
| Wrath of the Volcano Goddess | Fire-related counter planning | Ignoring the stage's enemy rules |
| The Summoner vs. His Backyard | Late-game sustained damage | Treating it like a routine map clear |
| The Triple Tribulation | Boss coverage and endurance | Building only for the first waves |
Recent updates have moved or adjusted some named areas, and community sources do not always agree on whether a stage should be called an ordinary map, a challenge, or an alternate difficulty. Use the current title and difficulty shown in-game as the final authority.
Efficient clears
How to plan each run
Before pressing Start, identify the stage's route shape and the first point where enemies become dangerous. Put your strongest damage unit where it can cover the longest portion of the path, then place slowing or stunning units just before that damage zone. This increases the number of attacks enemies receive without sacrificing the end of the route.
Keep one emergency spell available for the wave most likely to leak. Spending every spell early can make a run look safe until a boss or fast enemy reaches the chest. If the same wave causes the failure repeatedly, move control earlier or replace a low-impact attacker instead of simply adding levels to every unit.
For challenge maps, record what persists and what resets. Some modes preserve star bonuses, charms, or parts of your roster; others reduce monsters to level 1 or give you a limited selection during the run. A formation recommendation from a classic map may therefore be irrelevant even when it uses the same monsters.
- Use the strongest carry in the position with the most useful range overlap.
- Place support units where their buffs cover the carry and, if possible, a second attacker.
- Use control near the first choke point rather than stacking every stun at the chest.
- Pause before a boss wave and keep at least one spell for the leak condition.
- Farm the easiest stage that gives the resource you need consistently.
| Goal | Route choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock content | Follow the classic order | Normal clears open later maps and difficulties |
| Strengthen a general roster | Farm a stable classic stage | Lower failure risk and predictable rewards |
| Learn challenge mechanics | Start with The Evil Summoner | It introduces rules different from ordinary maps |
| Unlock pirate units | Play Pirate Cats vs Queen Mela | Its campaign has its own currency and roster |
| Push endgame stages | Prepare specifically for maps 13 and 14 | Late stages need specialized damage and boss control |
A map is ready when you can clear its difficult wave without exhausting every spell. If the clear depends on perfect timing every run, farm one stage earlier until the formation becomes repeatable.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the correct map order?
The dependable opening order is The King, Ragefist Chieftain, and The Joint Revenge. After that, the route branches into elemental, challenge, campaign, and late-game stages. Follow unlocks in the map menu rather than assuming every numbered map is a direct continuation.
What is Summoner's Greed map 7?
Players commonly use map 7 to mean Meat of the Matter. It is known as a progression wall because elemental attackers are not a reliable solution there. Use non-elemental damage, support, slowing, and stunning instead.
What is Summoner's Greed map 13?
Community guides commonly call The Summoner vs. His Backyard map 13. It is a late-game stage, so the exact team depends on your current roster, charms, upgrades, and the difficulty shown in your version.
What is Summoner's Greed map 14?
Map 14 usually refers to The Triple Tribulation. It is an endgame boss-pressure stage and should be approached as a specialized challenge rather than a normal farming map.
Which map should I farm?
Farm the latest stage you can clear consistently with little or no emergency spell use. Choose by resource: classic maps are useful for general progression, The Evil Summoner is associated with challenge resources, and Pirate Cats vs Queen Mela uses Fish Coins for its campaign.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- CommunitySummoner's Greed Wiki: Classic Maps and unlock order
- CommunitySummoner's Greed Wiki: Maps category
- CommunitySummoner's Greed Wiki: The King
- CommunitySummoner's Greed Wiki: Master's Challenge
- CommunitySummoner's Greed Wiki: Pirate Cats vs Queen Mela
- OfficialGoogle Play listing and recent update history
- OfficialApple App Store listing and update notes
- CommunityCommunity reference for map 13