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Wuthering Waves (WuWa)
Total Defense Test Stage Guide | Tidal Defense Simulator
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Total Defense Test is the third Deathtrap stage in Deathtrap Mode of the Tidal Defense Simulator event in Version 2.6 of Wuthering Waves. See Total Defense Test's map layout, best combat machines, best tactics, and tips on how to complete the stage in this guide!
List of Contents
Total Defense Test Map Layout and Enemies
| Total Defense Test Map and Enemies Information | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| No. of Waves | Infinite |
| List of Enemies |
 Corrupted: Tambourinist Corrupted: Tambourinist HP: 3,000
SPD: 100 DMG: 10 Passive - Invisibility Effect: This Tacet Discord doesn't trigger Combat Machines on the wall and ceiling. Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Deathsound - Contamination This Tacet Discord releases Frequency Contamination on the spot when defeated. Combat Machines cannot be deployed on contaminated grids, and deployed Combat Machines on these grids become disabled. |
 Flautist Flautist HP: 7,500
SPD: 100 DMG: 10 Domain - Malfunction Effect: This Tacet Discord periodically disables nearby Combat Machines. Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time |
 Lumiscale Construct Lumiscale Construct HP: 4,000
SPD: 100 DMG: 10 Domain - Barrier Effect: This Tacet Discord periodically grants a Shield to several nearby Tacet Discords. The Shielded Tacet Discords are immune to slow while the Shield exists. Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time |
|---|---|---|
 Corrupted: Lumiscale Construct Corrupted: Lumiscale Construct HP: 4,000
SPD: 100 DMG: 10 Domain - Barrier Effect: This Tacet Discord periodically grants a Shield to several nearby Tacet Discords. The Shielded Tacet Discords are immune to slow while the Shield exists. Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Deathsound - Contamination This Tacet Discord releases Frequency Contamination on the spot when defeated. Combat Machines cannot be deployed on contaminated grids, and deployed Combat Machines on these grids become disabled. |
 Fae Ignis Fae Ignis HP: 3,500
SPD: 400 DMG: 5 Passive - Burn This Tacet Discord has higher HP but continuously loses it over time. |
 Fusion Prism Fusion Prism HP: 1,500
SPD: 200 DMG: 5 Domain - Shelter This Tacet Discord periodically increases the DEF of several nearby Tacet Discords. |
 Aero Prism Aero Prism HP: 2,000
SPD: 200 DMG: 5 Domain - Acceleration This Tacet Discord periodically increases the Speed of several nearby Tacet Discords. |
 Havoc Prism Havoc Prism HP: 1,200
SPD: 200 DMG: 5 Deathsound - Summon This Tacet Discord summons one Chop Chop: Headless and three Tick Tacks when defeated. |
 Spectro Prism Spectro Prism HP: 1,200
SPD: 200 DMG: 5 Deathsound - Healing Effect: When defeated, this Tacet Discord heals nearby Tacet Discords for a certain amount. Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time |
 Aero Predator Aero Predator HP: 600
SPD: 150 DMG: 1 Wrath This Tacet Discord starts with a slow Movement Speed. The lower its remaining HP, the faster it moves. |
 Cruisewing Cruisewing HP: 75
SPD: 600 DMG: 1 Velocity This Tacet Discord moves faster. |
 Electro Predator Electro Predator HP: 300
SPD: 200 DMG: 1 Shield This Tacet Discord has a Shield that blocks damage. When Shielded, it is immune to Slow. |
 Glacio Predator Glacio Predator HP: 400
SPD: 200 DMG: 1 |
 Tick Tack Tick Tack HP: 100
SPD: 200 DMG: 1 |
 Chop Chop: Headless Chop Chop: Headless HP: 800
SPD: 150 DMG: 1 |
Total Defense Test is an Infinite stage where enemies come from three different spawn points and grow stronger as you continue beating its waves. The layout of the map changes as you progress through this stage, so you have to proactively adjust your setup based on the current wave's enemy pathing.
Dangerous Tacet Discords
| Tacet Discord | Stats | Abilities |
|---|---|---|
|
Corrupted: Tambourinist
|
HP: 3,000 Movement SPD: 100 DMG: 10 |
Passive 1:
Passive - Invisibility This Tacet Discord doesn't trigger Combat Machines on the wall and ceiling. Passive 2: Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Passive 3: Deathsound - Contamination This Tacet Discord releases Frequency Contamination on the spot when defeated. Combat Machines cannot be deployed on contaminated grids, and deployed Combat Machines on these grids become disabled. |
|
Corrupted: Lumiscale Construct
|
HP: 4,000 Movement SPD: 100 DMG: 10 |
Passive 1:
Domain - Barrier This Tacet Discord periodically grants a Shield to several nearby Tacet Discords. The Shielded Tacet Discords are immune to slow while the Shield exists. Passive 2: Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Passive 3: Deathsound - Contamination This Tacet Discord releases Frequency Contamination on the spot when defeated. Combat Machines cannot be deployed on contaminated grids, and deployed Combat Machines on these grids become disabled. |
|
Flautist
|
HP: 7,500 Movement SPD: 100 DMG: 10 |
Passive 1:
Domain - Malfunction This Tacet Discord periodically disables nearby Combat Machines. Passive 2: Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Passive 3: None |
|
Lumiscale Construct
|
HP: 4,000 Movement SPD: 100 DMG: 10 |
Passive 1:
Domain - Barrier This Tacet Discord periodically grants a Shield to several nearby Tacet Discords. The Shielded Tacet Discords are immune to slow while the Shield exists. Passive 2: Passive - Adaptation This Tacet Discord becomes immune to Paralysis/Frozen/Confusion when its HP drops below 50% for the first time Passive 3: None |
Your main challenges in Total Defense Test are the Dangerous Tacet Discords with special skills that can directly affect how Combat Machines work. The Tambourinist, in particular, can bypass Freeze Jets due to its Invisibility, rendering your setup useless if you can't remove this Passive.
In Total Defense Test, Corrupted versions of Tacet Discords will appear in the stage. These variants have the same stats, but have an extra skill called Deathsound - Contamination that corrupts tiles and machines in the grid, effective for the entire stage run.
Total Defense Test Best Combat Machines
Recommended Combat Machines
 Freeze Jet Freeze Jet Type: Ceiling
Cost: 500 Base ATK: 21 Cooldown: 6 Periodically ejects a freezing burst, dealing Glacio DMG and Slowing Tacet Discords within the range. |
 Frost Spout Frost Spout Type: Wall
Cost: 300 Base ATK: 135 Cooldown: 6 Periodically ejects cryogenic air, dealing Glacio DMG and Slowing Tacet Discords within range. |
 Glacio Beacon Glacio Beacon Type: Ground
Cost: 200 Base ATK: 0 Emits artificial chilling currents, Slowing any Tacet Discords moving past the device. |
 Hologram Echo: Junrock Hologram Echo: Junrock Type: Ground
Cost: 300 Base ATK: 600 Cooldown: 8 Periodically summons a Junrock Echo that explodes when approached by Tacet Discords, dealing AoE Physical DMG. |
 Repulsion Field Repulsion Field Type: KU-Roro Weapon
Base ATK: 0 Cooldown: 15 Generates a repulsion field, knocking back targets within the range. |
 Speed Shooter Speed Shooter Type: KU-Roro Weapon
Base ATK: 60 Automatically fires projectiles in a row, dealing low Fusion DMG. |
 Vortex Generator Vortex Generator Type: Wall
Cost: 250 Base ATK: 12 Cooldown: 6 Emits an artificial vortex that periodically draws Tacet Discords toward the front of the device and removes their Shield. |
 Whirlpool Device Whirlpool Device Type: Ceiling
Cost: 300 Base ATK: 28 Cooldown: 8 Periodically generates a whirlpool that pulls in Tacet Discords, removing their Shield and suspending small ones while it lasts. |
You want to go for Glacio and Aero Combat Machines, as they are highly effective at dealing with hordes of enemies and are excellent for gaining control of key areas in the map to help you finish each wave.
Freeze Jets and Glacio Beacons are best paired with each other, as both will significantly slow and freeze enemies while whittling down on their HP bars. Junrock Holograms are great for adding burst AoE damage, and Frost Spouts add more crowd-control.
Vortex Generators and Whirlpool Devices will be effective for removing shields, with the Vortex Generator being necessary to remove the Invisibility Passive from Tambourinist. Lastly, get Repulsion Field to knock enemies out of the map, then switch to Speed Shooter for passive damage.
Total Defense Test Best Tactics
Recommended Tactics
| Tactic Set | Tactic Name |
|---|---|
| Universal Tactics |
・Ceiling Boost ・Glacio Boost ・Machine Optimization ・Enhanced Frozen ・Hunting Trap |
| Saturation Fire |
・Exposed Weakness ・Glacio Boost (ATK/Crit Rate/Crit DMG) ・Glacio Synergy ・Suppression Tactics |
| Silver Bullet |
・Money Talks ・Budget Optimization ・Shell Credit Boost (ATK/Crit. Rate/Crit. DMG) ・Lean Mode |
| Echo Synergy |
・Echo Boost (Glacio) ・Echo Boost (ATK/Crit. Rate/Crit. DMG) |
You want to buff Freeze Jet as much as possible while also managing your Sim Credits to account for the increasing difficulty per wave. Ceiling Boost will be one of the best Tactics to pick up, as it significantly enhances damage dealt by Combat Machines.
When Glacio-related buffs are available, we suggest taking them. Tactics such as Final Burst, Suppression Tactics, and Out of Moves are especially great for improving status effects like Frozen and Slow, which will help you with wave management.
Total Defense Test Stage Tips
| Total Defense Test Recommended Tips |
|---|
|
|
Take Note of Key Areas in the Map
| General Layout of Enemy Pathing | |
|---|---|
 Waves 1 to 6 |
 Wave 7 |
 Waves 8 to 10 |
 Waves 11 to 15 |
 Wave 16 |
 Waves 17 to 20 |
When you progress through the Total Defense Test, enemy pathing will vary quite a bit depending on the Wave.
We suggest placing your Combat Machines at the recommended Control Points to manage enemies coming from different spawn points, as they will eventually converge in these key areas.
Maximize Ceiling Space for Freeze Jets
Freeze Jets track enemies as long as they are within range. Place as many Freeze Jets as you can on the ceiling, as their crowd-control and damage build on top of each other, making it great for wave management.
For rounds where there are a lot of shielded enemies, such as Wave 15 where Lumiscale Construct is present, we suggest replacing these Freeze Jets with a few Whirlpool Devices and placing some Vortex Generators on the walls.
Defend One Spawn Point While Waiting for Enemies to Merge
While control points can generally manage the wave for all spawn points, we still suggest reducing enemy numbers with KU-Roro's weapons whenever possible.
Go to a spawn point, ideally one that is further from the Control Points, and try to defeat as much as you can by knocking them out of the map.
Purchase Matrix Command: Modulation in KU-Money's Shop
Matrix Command: Modulation is a strong item to get when you encounter it in KU-Money's Shop, as it replenishes 5 Energy for the Matrix. This is a great safety measure that you can save for crucial moments when your Matrix is running low, such as Wave 20 where Tambourinist is present and can bypass Ceiling defenses.
You can access this by holding the Tab button and selecting the item. Then, use it by pressing C. Do note that Energy cannot exceed 20, so you should only use it when your Matrix gets damaged.
Proactively Adjust Your Setup in the Stage
 General Setup |
|
| Ceiling Machines | This makes up about 70% of your setup. Focus on adding Freeze Jets first, then replace 1 to 2 with Whirlpool Devices for every 8 Freeze Jets. Place them at the center for better coverage. Invest in them first. |
|---|---|
| Wall Machines | Vortex Generators and Frost Spouts are primarily supplementary, and are used to remove shields, provide crowd-control, and remove Invisibility from Tambourinist. Add them once your Ceiling and Floor Machines are set up, or if multiple shielded enemies are in the wave. |
| Floor Machines | Floor Machines add extra damage and slows to enemies while all of them are being dealt with by your ceiling machines. Glacio Beacons are mainly supportive for your other machines, whereas Junrocks are used for burst AoE damage. Focus on this second after placing Freeze Jets. |
As you progress through the stage, enemy paths will change quite a lot. Remove Combat Machines you previously placed and relocate them to control points where you can cover as much as possible.
Do note that removing Combat Machines will refund all of your Sim Credits, so there is no downside to transferring them to another location!
▲ Key Areas in Total Defense Stage ▲
Use KU-Roro's Weapons to Reduce Enemy Numbers
KU-Roro's weapons are excellent tools to have that the player gets to control similar to Skills in the Overworld. Repulsion Field is especially useful throughout all stages, as it can knock enemies out of the map which automatically defeats them.
Use Repulsion Field on Medium enemies when possible, as they are harder to defeat with their abilities. On the other hand, large enemies will not be affected by this, so use Speed Shooter instead to reduce their HP bars.
Prioritize Taking Out Medium and Large Enemies
Medium and Large enemies are significantly harder to defeat because of the abilities they have that can bypass some of your defenses.
Medium enemies are easier to target, as you can knock them out with Repulsion Field. This will be rendered useless, however, by large enemies. Focus on knocking smaller enemies surrounding them instead, so your Combat Machines can focus on attacking them.
Total Defense Test Stage Information
Basic Information
| Stage Information | |
|---|---|
| Stage Type: Deathtrap |
Threat Level: Deathtrap |
| Rewards | |
|
No Rewards
|
|
| All Challenge Goals | |
 Waves Held Back More Than or Equal to 5 Waves Held Back More Than or Equal to 10 Waves Held Back More Than or Equal to 20 |
|
Wuthering Waves Related Guides
Tidal Defense Simulator Event Guide
Pass Guardian Stages
| Threat: Overlord | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Abyssal Pass |
 Sunken Ruins |
||||
| Threat: Elite | |||||
| Lone Bridge |
Forsaken Court |
 Crumbling City |
|||
 Abyssal Pass |
 Mazed Aisle |
 Sunken Ruins |
|||
| Threat: Common | |||||
| Lone Bridge |
Forsaken Court |
Crumbling City |
|||
| Abyssal Pass |
Mazed Aisle |
Sunken Ruins |
|||
Deathtrap Mode Stages
| Combat Drill |
Synergy Drill |
| Total Defense Test (Infinite Mode) |
|
All Tidal Defense Simulator Guides
| List of Tacet Discords |
 List of Machines |
| Machine Tier List |
- |
Comment
7 
Anon 3 months
Anon 3 monthsI was a bit stuck because Flautist was always escaped my setup on every run. Then I remembered that the HP can exceed 20, so I just ignored them and pay the penalty by buying recovery item as soon as KU store was available.
Author
Total Defense Test Stage Guide | Tidal Defense Simulator
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Update to my comment: the problem was resolved by not attacking bottom left area brutally early on. You can pretty much yoink every single spawn from that spawn area, but to remove invisibility, you'd want some feeder for the Vortex Generator to engage because Tamborinist alone won't engage Vortex Generator.