Field notes from the boardwalk
Pier Tactics
Practical ideas for placing defenders, choosing upgrades and making the most of each lantern charm. None of it changes the rules; it simply helps you read the channel.
Where to post defenders
Corners are gold
A post on the inside of a bend covers two stretches of water at once, so every shell spent there works twice as hard.
Layer the nets
Put a net just before your strongest heron. Slowed fish stay in range longer and fall before they reach the next bend.
Otters love crowds
Otters splash everything near their target. Place them where schools bunch up, such as right after a slowing net.
Guard the last stretch
Keep one defender close to the nest as a final line. It catches the stray pike that slip past everything else.
When to upgrade
Upgrade the busiest post
A defender that is always firing earns more from an upgrade than a new post in a quiet corner.
Watch the catfish waves
From the third wave catfish mix in, and later waves bring more of them. Raise heron levels before then.
Use the calm
The pause between waves is your workshop. Spend it upgrading instead of calling the next wave early.
Playing each charm
Lantern Purse
Spend the extra shells at once on a second heron at the first bend.
Warm Hearts
Three spare hearts let you take more risks with greedy upgrades.
Heron's Bargain
Cheaper herons reward a heron-heavy line along every bend.
Double Dazzle
Double points make each stopped fish count; protect your hearts for the end bonus.
Carnival Head Start
The head start is banked already, so play a safe, steady defence.
Sleepy Tide
A slower tide gives every defender more time; nets become even stronger.
Otter Companion
Build around the free otter with a net just before it.
Long Twilight
Longer rests mean more time to plan, so upgrade between every wave.
Every charm lasts for the current browser session only and never has any value outside the game.