Wounded: one hit, Tardigrade, Nightmare unlock

Editorial strategy: recommendations below follow the cited character rules; the source table records the underlying facts.

Build and shop priorities

Wounded requires a different purchase test: will this choice prevent contact or remove enemies before they reach you? The one hit rule means ordinary health stacking is not the foundation of the build. Its shop filtering also removes items focused on several conventional defensive stats. Our editorial opening favors consistent coverage, sufficient reach, and controllable movement. The starting Tardigrade is a limited shield, so do not treat it as permission to walk through a crowd. Choose attacks that remain useful while repositioning and avoid a plan that requires standing in touching distance to deliver every hit.

Unlock and clear reward

One Nightmare clear unlocks Wounded. Clearing with Wounded then unlocks Railgun. Those are two different progression steps: the character is not needed for the first Nightmare clear. The character source and patch coverage explain the shield and shop restrictions; use those rules when choosing purchases rather than adapting a health based build unchanged.

Character source:Win a run in Nightmare difficulty. Clear reward:Railgun.

Danger 5 decisions

On Danger 5, a shield consumed early in the wave changes the rest of that wave immediately. Switch to a more conservative route after contact and prioritize an exit over another material pickup. Tardigrade does not turn repeated self damage into a sustainable defense. Check the Tardigrade interaction page before combining it with a source of recurring damage to the player.

Nightmare risk planning

Nightmare advice is to favor visibility and escape space over maximum theoretical damage. Wounded cannot absorb an uncertain collision while inspecting an unfamiliar hazard. Move before a gap closes, keep attacks active during retreat, and reserve reroll spending for purchases that materially improve control. Additional difficulty is a reason to protect the shield and routing plan, rather than to assume damage alone will prevent every hit.

Compare the weapon classes and available stats, unlock entry, Danger 5 rules, and Nightmare changes before adapting the loadout.