Clash of Critters Horde Invasion Guide September 2026

The recent Clash of Critters update changed the way players approach Horde Invasion. One of the biggest changes is that players can no longer use two Lawn Mowers at the same time. Before the update, having one Lawn Mower for each player could make boss waves much easier and allowed some players to reach very high scores.

That strategy is no longer available, but there is another setup that can give you a strong chance of pushing your Horde Invasion score much further. The key is a card called Parting Gift. If you and your teammate can both get the right card early enough, you can keep your Tatari units coming back and make much better use of your resources throughout the run.

How Parting Gift Helps in Horde Invasion

Parting Gift is the main part of this strategy. When a Tatari dies, Parting Gift gives you 100 Energizer back. That refund is extremely useful because the returned Energizer can be spent on another Tatari. Instead of simply losing a unit after it dies, you get resources back that can be used to replace it.

For this strategy to work properly, both players should have Parting Gift. Getting it early is also important. Ideally, you want both players to obtain it around Wave 5. Getting the card much later, such as Wave 10, is less useful because if your team can already survive until that point without it, you may have enough power to handle the difficulty without relying on the Parting Gift setup.

How to Farm Parting Gift

Parting Gift is a blue card, so you can save a lot of time by checking the first boss reward during Wave 5. When the first boss appears on Wave 5, check whether the available card is Parting Gift. If it is not a blue card or does not give you the option you need, there is little reason to spend a long time on a bad run.

Instead, move your troops to one side and allow enough enemies to pass through so the run ends. Then start another attempt. This works especially well when you are playing with the same teammate. If both players remain in the queue after using their available attempts, you can continue running Horde Invasion together instead of constantly looking for a new partner.

With enough time, you can repeat the process for several hours and keep checking Wave 5 until both players get the Parting Gift card.

Save Your Tatari Upgrades Until Wave 5

Once you have Parting Gift, you need to manage your Tatari units carefully. One important rule is to avoid upgrading all of your Tatari units too early. The goal is to keep some weaker units available so they can die and trigger the Parting Gift refund.

Having ten Tatari units on the field gives you plenty of chances to take advantage of the mechanic. Try to delay unnecessary upgrades until you reach Wave 5.

There is also a card called Equalizer that can instantly bring your Tatari units up to Level 4. If you happen to get this card, it can provide a useful power boost without requiring you to spend as many resources on individual upgrades.

Keep Three Weak Units in Front

Once Parting Gift activates, you want to make sure some of your weaker units are positioned where they can die easily. A useful setup is to move your stronger units one row backward and place your three weakest units toward the front.

The exact units will depend on your lineup, but weaker choices such as Sunflower, Shroom, and Wave Flutter can be used for this purpose.

The reason for doing this is simple. You want these units to get defeated more often so Parting Gift can return Energizer to you. Try not to invest too heavily into Sunflower early on. Once she reaches Level 3 and gets her first skill, she can begin healing other units. That can make it harder to keep your front units weak enough to trigger the refund consistently.

You should also make sure your Cheerling is not touching the weak units positioned at the front.

Upgrade Your Strong Units First

While your weaker Tatari units are being used to generate refunds, your resources should mainly go toward the units that need to survive and deal damage. Start with your frontline units first. A strong example of the priority is:

• Mantis
• Owl
• Frog

Once your frontline is in a better position, start investing in your main damage dealers.

Units such as Poop Beetle, Tidian, and Bud Bow can then receive upgrades as you build up your damage output.

The basic idea is to keep your important units strong while leaving several weaker Tatari units available for the Parting Gift mechanic.

Aim for Level 7

As the run progresses, work toward getting your important units to Level 7. You may need to put a few extra levels into the weaker units if the front line starts collapsing too quickly, but avoid spending too many resources on them early.

Once your other units are at Level 7, you can start bringing the remaining units up as well.

This is where the strategy starts becoming much stronger because you have a reliable frontline, enough damage to clear enemies, and weaker units that can continue generating Energizer when they fall.

Do Not Ignore Level 8

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during a high-score attempt is skipping an opportunity to push your Tatari units to Level 8. If you already have most of your setup at Level 7 and reach the point where a card can increase your Tatari level to Level 8, it can be worth taking.

You may have to choose between this upgrade and other powerful cards such as a boss killer or Underdog. However, when you’re already pushing toward your personal limit, the additional level can make a major difference.

A run that reaches around Wave 740, for example, could potentially go even further with the right Level 8 upgrade.

Lawn Mowers Are Still Useful

The update removed the ability to use two Lawn Mowers at once, but that does not mean Lawn Mowers are bad.

If you get the opportunity to upgrade to Level 8 and a Lawn Mower becomes available, it is still worth considering.

The important difference is that you can no longer rely on having two Lawn Mowers on the field. The old double-Lawn-Mower strategy was extremely powerful because it could destroy bosses much more easily.

Now, a single Lawn Mower should be treated as a valuable bonus rather than the entire foundation of your strategy.

RNG Plays a Big Role

Even with the correct strategy, Horde Invasion is still heavily influenced by RNG.

You can have one run where everything goes wrong and you only reach around Wave 500 or 600. Another attempt with better cards and upgrades can push you beyond Wave 700.

Because of this, don’t immediately assume that a bad run is caused by your teammate. Sometimes the cards and chips simply do not give you the tools you need.

The difference between a mediocre run and a high-score run can come down to getting the right combination of cards at the right time.

Find a Teammate Around Your Skill Level

For this strategy, having a reliable teammate is extremely important.

Ideally, find someone who is around the same progression level as you and is willing to spend a few hours repeating Horde Invasion attempts.

The goal is not necessarily to complete every run. You are looking for the right RNG combination, especially the early Parting Gift setup.

If both players can get Parting Gift around Wave 5, the run becomes much more promising. From there, focus on your frontline, maintain your weak Tatari units, and use the refunded Energizer to keep your setup running.

The removal of double Lawn Mowers definitely changes Horde Invasion, but it does not mean high scores are impossible. The Parting Gift strategy gives players another way to stretch their resources and keep their Tatari units useful throughout a long run.

The most important part is getting Parting Gift on Wave 5 for both players. From there, keeping weaker units in front allows them to die more often and refund 100 Energizer, while your stronger units can focus on surviving and dealing damage.

There is still a large RNG factor, so expect some failed runs. Keep trying with a consistent teammate, reset bad setups quickly, and wait for the cards and upgrades to line up. With the right combination, you can still push toward very high Horde Invasion waves even without the old double-Lawn-Mower setup.