Beginner's Guide — Getting Started, Rune Tree & Cube Tips

TBH is a lightweight idle hack‑and‑slash RPG that runs in your taskbar; you field up to three heroes who fight automatically while you work. This page explains the essential early decisions and systems new players must understand so progress is smooth and efficient.

First steps (install, claim Priest, basic settings)

Install from Steam (Windows 10/11 64‑bit). The game window docks near the taskbar and keeps running while minimized.
Claim the free Priest DLC from the Steam store immediately — it is free and materially improves early party options.
In Settings: enable Auto‑retry so stages automatically relaunch when you fail.
Familiarize yourself with the small window hotkeys (useful on multi‑monitor setups) and back up your save via Status → Data Management → Export if you plan to play on multiple devices.

Pick a starter hero and why it matters

You start with one hero slot. Good beginner choices:
- Knight — frontline tank, forgiving and keeps party alive.
- Ranger — fast attack speed, clears waves quickly and earns gold fast.
- Sorcerer — strong AoE if you prefer burst magic play.
Priest is a free DLC healer/buffer and becomes indispensable once you have a second slot; claim and add Priest as soon as you can deploy another hero.

Immediate priorities (first hour)

Level your first hero to unlock key systems:
- Level 3 unlocks the Rune Tree (permanent account progression).
- Level 4 unlocks the Hero‑dric Cube (item systems).
First purchases in the Rune Tree:
1. Second hero slot (Rune of Command path).
2. Third hero slot (the final slot costs roughly 150,000 gold along the path — save toward this).
3. Automation nodes (auto‑open chests) and gold/XP bonuses after slots.
Use Cube → Alchemy to sell duplicate/garbage gear for gold early rather than synthesis. Alt + Left‑Click to lock items before Auto Fill to avoid accidental sales.

Rune Tree — how to treat it

Runes are permanent account upgrades bought with gold. They control party size, automation, offline rewards, gold/XP income, chest drop chance, inventory space, and more.
Early rune priorities:
1. Unlock hero slots (second, then third).
2. Auto‑open chests (Far North branch).
3. Gold and XP income nodes, then chest drop chance.
4. Inventory/stash expansions and offline rewards.
Do not spend heavily on scattered +1% stat nodes until you have the third hero slot unlocked — more heroes provide bigger early returns.

Party building and formation

A simple, reliable beginner template (recommended):
- Knight (front) + Priest (mid/back healing & buff) + Ranger (back DPS)
Positioning matters: put tankier heroes in front and ranged in back. If a Ranger is clipping frontline (getting targeted), adjust positions rather than immediately swapping heroes.
Deploying a new hero has a cooldown; reordering positions has no cooldown.

Hero and skill management

Assign skill points after each level; unlock core active skills before small stat nodes.
Use the second active skill slot rune when available — it’s a major power spike for heroes.
Play each hero to at least Level 5 to learn their behavior before committing to long‑term builds.

Hero‑dric Cube — the item hub

Cube unlocks at level 4 and provides eight functions; early game focus:
- Alchemy: convert unwanted gear to gold (primary early income source).
- Synthesis: nine same‑rarity items → higher rarity (use later when you have stable rune income).
- Crafting, Decoration, Engraving, Inscription, Removal, Offering unlock later as you level the Cube.
Use Alchemy to fund Runes early. Learn the Cube modes before using Auto Fill; lock any gear you want to keep.

Farming and stage progression

The game has 3 Acts × 4 difficulty tiers. Clear an Act on Normal before jumping to Hard; difficulty spikes between tiers.
If you hit a wall, use the Portal to return to an earlier, comfortable stage and farm gear/XP rather than forcing the harder stage.
Early recommended farming stages: Act 1 stages in the mid‑to‑late range (community staples like 1‑7 to 1‑9) for consistent drops and pet unlocks.

Offline vs active play

TBH is optimized to be left running (minimized) but closing the game is not the same as minimizing it. Keeping the game open (or running on Steam) gives much stronger progress than fully closing it.
Offline rewards exist but are supplementary; many important rewards (like chest drops) require online play to collect.

Cube and long‑term resource tips

Save white/strong white base items you might later synthesize or craft around; early players should prioritize gold for the Rune Tree over aggressive synthesis.
When ready to synthesize, set Cube target level appropriately — synthesis result rarity is set by Cube level range, not input item levels.
Use Cube Alchemy to convert duplicates to fund the third hero slot and automation runes.

Milestones roadmap (0–10 hours)

Hour 0: Install, claim Priest, pick Knight or Ranger, enable Auto‑retry.
Hour 1–3: Reach level 3 → open Rune Tree; buy second slot and unlock Priest; reach level 4 → Cube and switch to Alchemy.
Hour 3–6: Farm a comfortable stage via Portal, accumulate gold; save toward third slot.
Hour 6–10: Unlock third hero slot, build Knight + Priest + Ranger trio, raise Cube level and begin targeting synthesis/crafting for better gear.

Common beginner mistakes

Ignoring the Rune Tree: unlocking hero slots and automation early is far more impactful than small stat rune purchases.
Using Synthesis too early: prioritize Alchemy to fund runes until you can afford automation and slot unlocks.
Forcing an unwinnable stage instead of portal‑farming earlier stages to gear up.