Hourglass — Mechanics and Synergies

Hourglass is the Time tower that charges slowly and releases a large explosion. Its defining tradeoff is timing: a theoretical large hit helps only if the kingdom remains intact until the charge is ready. Patch 31 changed its late-game attack-speed progression, making older extrapolated damage or recharge tables unreliable without current testing.

What the reference establishes

The official Wiki describes a slow tower with a charged explosion. Its listed level values do not identify a current patch and do not form a safe current damage model. The Patch 31 announcement names the attack-speed rebalance but supplies no full replacement curve. Current base damage, charge duration and high-level output therefore remain unknown in this database.

That does not justify calling the card weak or strong at every stage. It establishes a timing constraint that a build must address. A support setup is successful when it reaches the explosion while preserving the important defensive state, not merely when several percentage buffs appear on the tower.

Protect the first charge

Ask what keeps enemy pressure away from the base during the wait. Existing troops, control effects and defensive support may buy time, but each consumes a plot or a card. A completed diagram should show those resources rather than dedicating every surrounding square to growth effects.

For a planning exercise, identify the earliest dangerous enemy, the current defender and the Hourglass location. If the first defender cannot hold, solve that problem before adding a speculative late-game support card. This is an editorial sequence rather than a measured difficulty-clear recipe.

Time support is not automatic output

Amplifier transfers received buffs to adjacent plots, while Orbiter copies enchantments from neighbouring troops. Their triggers differ. Orbiter being near an Hourglass does not establish that the tower copies troop enchantments. Build the support chain around the exact beneficiary and type, not around every Time card sharing a kingdom.

Quarry applies tower damage growth across the kingdom. A local Recycler can give a neighbouring plot HP and damage growth when cards enter the pit. These are documented growth relationships worth checking; neither is an exact simulator of charge timing or total explosion damage.

Multiplayer context

Inspect the opponent's opening pressure and the current seasonal pool before relying on a Rainbow support card. Async multiplayer does not guarantee that an old popular setup faces the same opponents or has the same available support. Patch 31 provides post-game build review, which is useful for inspecting a real loss and identifying whether charge timing or defence failed.

Sources and verification

The official card reference provides Hourglass's identity; Patch 31 records the latest relevant change. Checked through 0.9.8 on 13 October 2026. Compare trigger and placement rules in the card database, and use the King of Time guide for the broader deck context.