9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Progress

King of Progress requires precise conditions and represents one of the most challenging strategies. This approach demands specific starting conditions and often requires multiple restart attempts. Success depends on unit synergy and proper timing.

Required Perks

You need Scientific x4, Innovator x2, Opportunist x1, and Bellicist x2. You can substitute the final two perks based on preference, with crit providing survival benefits and money enabling early rerolls.

Nature Strategy

Roll for Nature while having Rat in your starting hand and avoiding Stone as an opponent. Spell is manageable but not preferred.

Place your Base on a backline edge slot and position your Rat between your Base and the opposite edge slot. Apply both Reinforce cards to this Rat.

Search for additional Rats, Clones, and Earthworks cards. Use Earthworks on secondary Rats, never on the Reinforced original.

Connect new Rats to your original to create a leveling chain where each new Rat increases all existing Rats' levels.

Stone Strategy

Roll for Stone while having Executioner or Rat in your starting hand and avoiding Nature as an opponent.

Place your Base in the middle of the back row with Executioner one slot lower to the left or right. Apply Reinforce to the Executioner and search for a Rat to place below the empty slot.

If you do not encounter Stone within the first 3 years, restart immediately. When facing Stone, prioritize Earthworks for Rat enhancement.

After acquiring one or two Earthworks, search for Cauldron placement adjacent to your Base, Executioner, and Rat.

Augment Selection

Prioritize Poison Thorns, then doubling Rat level, then doubling crit damage. Once you pass year 10, augment selection becomes less critical for success.

Manual Base Control

Control your Base manually during early encounters, as it provides enough impact to secure wins. When facing Stone early, your manually controlled Base can eliminate all Balistas independently.

Loot Priorities

Target Progress for Rat and Overhaul cards when you already possess multiple Rats. Nature provides Clone opportunities. Stone offers Earthworks and Cauldron when other options are unavailable.

Alliance Management

You must have Nature or Stone as allies. Nature and Blood serve as beneficial friends. Progress and Spell represent problematic opponents. Never take Stone as an enemy.

Tips for Success

This strategy requires stars to align perfectly. Restart immediately if starting conditions are not met.

The Rat leveling chain creates exponential power growth when executed properly. Manual-based control during the early years can determine success or failure.

Also, check our other guides below:

• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Blood
• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Stone
• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Spell