THE SHAPE OF A RUN
A Gambonanza run is 5 stages of 5 games each, so 25 games total. The 5th game of every stage is a boss checkpoint. You start on a 5x5 board with 3 pieces, and the board grows by a row after each stage you clear. This walkthrough follows that structure from start to finish.
Phase 1: Stage 1-2, Opening on the 5x5 Board
Goal
Build a working economy and a coherent Gambit direction before the first boss arrives.
What the opening actually looks like
- The board starts at 5x5 with 3 pieces drawn from your unlocked Collection
- You get a staging phase before each game: see the enemy layout, then place your pieces
- You earn money by winning games (capturing every enemy piece), plus Gold Tiles and specific Gambits
Action Checklist
- Pick your opening Gambit direction: pawn-tempo, tile-scaling, or economy
- Buy the tool that lets your army survive a bad trade before buying raw power
- Take one reliable economy Gambit early (Bug Catcher’s, Squirrel’s, Race Flag’s)
- Check the boss preview in the shop before you spend
First Gambit rule
Thunder’s Gambit (Legendary, $9) is the safest first pick when pawns are active: a pawn capture skips the enemy turn. If you cannot trigger your Gambits, they do nothing, so buy the one your board can actually use.
What to Avoid
- Stacking Gambits that pull in different directions. Pawn-tempo and tile-scaling rarely develop together in the first two stages.
- Spending every coin on power. Captured pieces are gone for the run, so recovery matters as much as strength.
- Ignoring the staging phase. Free information about the enemy layout is the point.
Phase 2: Stage 2-3, Mid-Run and Your First Bosses
Goal
Turn your Gambit direction into a consistent engine, then answer the boss modifier the shop previews.
Reading the boss preview
The shop shows the next boss in the lower-left corner. Read it before spending anything.
Boss disables Stock (Hikarul)? -> Land your key pieces NOW
Boss destroys Stock on capture (Jawby) -> Move value onto the board
Boss shuffles your setup (M3CH4GNU5)? -> Use simple, flexible formations
No boss shown yet? -> Keep building, manage pace
Common Pitfalls
- Thin board, few captures. Crumble pressure builds when your board is too passive, so keep enough pieces active to keep generating captures.
- Dead Gambit slots. If a Gambit stops matching your board, sell it. You can hold up to five, and a dead one wastes a slot.
- Over-buying before a boss. Spend on the modifier’s answer, not on generic power.
Phase 3: Boss Checkpoints
One-Liner Counters Per Boss
See the full Boss Guide for in-depth breakdowns. Quick reference:
| Boss | One-Liner Counter |
|---|---|
| Hikarul the Banished | Land everything before the fight, your Stock is dead |
| Botezarro | Check the mask color every turn before capturing |
| Jawby Fisher | Empty your Stock, keep Phantom bait |
| Judit Polgeisha | Flexible attackers, check threats after the reveal |
| Kev Borclick | Clear other threats, burn STASIS with safe waits |
| M3CH4GNU5 C4RL53N | Simple formations, no fixed-square plans |
| Tal the Cursed | Keep queens and rooks off cursed tiles |
| Mighty Kasparov | Protect your carry, trade only when clearly ahead |
Boss fight mentality
If you lose to the same boss repeatedly, the problem is usually your setup, not your moves. Swapping one Gambit to answer the modifier often does more than swapping ten pieces.
Phase 4: Late Stages and the Endgame
The board keeps growing
Every stage you clear adds a row to the board. By the late stages you have real space, which means longer threats, bigger traps, and nastier mistakes.
Transition Checklist
- Confirm your Gambit direction is still live (no dead slots)
- Keep a recovery route open (a Blessed tile, a spare piece, or recovery money)
- Watch the Stalemate Counter: if it reaches 3/3, the game ends even if you still have pieces
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Gambit slots | Filled with live, on-plan Gambits |
| Recovery | At least one way to replace a lost key piece |
| Board space | Enough active pieces to keep captures flowing |
| Core pieces | A strong attacker plus support you can protect |
If you cannot meet these, play for survival and value rather than a fast finish.
5 Mistakes Beginners Must Avoid
- “More pieces = better” - quality and protection matter more than headcount
- “I’ll save my Gambit for later” - if it is not helping your board, it is a wasted slot
- “I’ll skip the shop check” - the boss preview is free information, always read it
- “Pawn promotion is always good” - a promotion that breaks your board state can cost more than it gives
- “Losing a piece is fine” - captured pieces are gone for the run, so every trade should have a purpose
Sources & Updates
These strategies come from my own runs. Gambonanza changes with patches, so always double-check in-game. Join the discussion on Steam.