Insurmountable

Insurmountable

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<2.0 Update> Quick and Easy Guide for Insurmountable (Normal Diff)
By Silly Clown
Just a few things I learned from trial and error. Which perks stood out, which items performed well, etc.

This guide data mainly applies to normal difficulty.
   
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Guide Part
Before we get started...
You have to MANUALLY PICK EACH TILE to travel on if you want to succeed in this game. I was letting auto pathing do the job on my first few runs, which turned out was getting me killed. Zig-zagging up a set of stair-formed tiles (6 tiles) is much more energy efficient than climbing up a tile 5 tiles high (2 tiles). Like-wise, it is also advisable to avoid risky tiles by manually going around the tile.



NEW 2.0 INFO (on normal diff)

1. There are three types of missions
1 - Climb the summit -> then head down to an exit tile below
2 - Scan and find anomaly -> Then (maybe) backtrack to leave
3 - Head to to location -> mission ends (The best type, only happens on final mission)

I had a bad habit of using all my gear/stats on the last leg of the climb, thinking the run might end at the top, it never does. Make sure to have some reserves after completing the first climb part of the mission.


2. Missions and Exp - When a mission has a colored backpack on it, completing it with that character awards bonus exp. Don't be like me, I never noticed this until I was on the third and final mountain and missed out on some sweet points. Get whatever team upgrade you want, they are so weak and the amount of points you get to spend are so few that it won't matter what you get in the end really.


3. My winning climber - Scientist
Starting gear - Tent, rope, food (trade for another tent), flashlight (cave search event), and 2 equip (read belows)
Strategy - Rush the two abilities - Research (3hrs for exp) -> Tinker. Tinker lets you make a tool/equipment or upgrade an existing one for 5 hours and energy. My strategy is to bring a helmet (reduce health loss) and climbing picks (reduce energy during 2+ high climbs) at the start of each run and upgrade those two ASAP. Really, pick the gear that best works with the mission modifier (Cold, stormy, eerie). The goal is to survive as many bad tile events with the helmet by reducing hp damage, and when combined with the Scientist perk that gives him energy/exp per bad tile event you can chug through a horrible Death Zone path a little longer than other climbers.

If you have the luxury during the run, also craft warm gloves v2 and a grappling hook. Activate both grappling hook (-energy during climb) and safety rope (ignore hazard tile) makes reckless climbing safe and economic for a few hours, best for a Death Zone hustle.


OLD STUFF BELOW

My winning strategy

1. Journalist - Has the best starting skill in the game which lets you ignore both weather and danger tiles. Best used for unavoidable night exploration with bad weather.

2. Rush consumable specialization + gain sanity on consumable use. This perk lets you ignore herbs (freeing inventory) and easily maintain the sanity bar at the same time.

3. Energy saving passive + Hiking stick + 2 types of boots = Most efficient energy saving on flat terrain & 1 tile climbs. I was on the 3rd mountain and was able to climb for 2 days straight thanks to this fuel economy build.

BONUS. If you don't have an oxygen tank by the time you tackle the DEATH ZONE... your chances of survival is very slim. This is the most RNG reliant part of the run.
My winning strategy
3 Comments
HeroikHan 29 Apr, 2022 @ 5:30pm 
Figured I would chime in with my V2 strats.
Always bring a flashlight. The amount of extra loot from cave events makes this the single most useful item.
Scientist is extremely powerful, though my strategy differs from above.
You need the mad scientist perk, and use it on cooldown. Select what you need the most, often the strongest power is stacking speed.
I save all my level ups until I get to the death zone.
Once you get to the death zone, rest up before you cross the threshold I take the energy saving ability from the death zone event, and pop all my level ups. I try to hit the two temporary buffs that give time cost reduction, this is -45% time cost. Try to also stack other time cost abilities.
Now you've become the worlds fastest climber. Oxygen and heat will not be an issue, but you will have to balance your mad scientist buff based on how much energy you have and need.

I used this strategy to beat the game on the middle difficulty in about 3 hours.
HeroikHan 12 May, 2021 @ 4:34pm 
I'll add my normal difficulty tips.
Night spec is pretty strong on normal ONLY. It negates a lot of the heat penalty of travelling at night, and the 35% energy reduction at night allows you to pair with boots/gloves/master abilities to climb for free at night, making quick mountain ascents a breeze.

If you don't have an oxygen tank getting to the death zone, choose quick ascent and take the most direct path up and out of the zone you can, without destroying your energy. Do not sleep, and do not detour for events. If you happen to hit events, take the fast option or consider passing them up.
Even if you run out of oxygen, you are unlikely to die if you push through quickly.
SombreroRondO 3 May, 2021 @ 11:22pm 
About point 2, I had problems with sanity only on eerie routes - only there you lose sanity all the time and it's rather easy to get it back with shrines, herbs, lookout points. If i would try to recommend one best ability, it would be gain energy on POI - no need to sleep, no fear of going far away for some event, easy finding lots of consumables without energy loss. Without oxygen tank you should simply go straight for the summit without sleeping etc., but wait before death zone for full oxygen. Before base camp after summit there's always place to gain oxygen (out of death zone) - but third mountain is still risky without this item.
And generally it's logical after your first tip, but everyone should look at the mountain before climbing to find most "stairs-like" ascend. Great idea with your guide