Field manual · September 10, 2026
Castle Busters Defense Objectives: Units and Castle
Separate Castle Busters' two victory objectives and see why patch 1.17's poison-cloud visual fix does not establish a damage or radius buff.
Castle Busters lists two ways to win: eliminate every enemy unit or destroy the enemy castle. Patch 1.17 also corrected poison-cloud visuals to match the attack radius, but the note does not state a damage or radius buff.
Field order
Keep the two victory conditions separate
The official feature overview gives two victory conditions: eliminate every enemy unit or destroy the enemy castle. A match can therefore end through the unit objective even when the castle is still standing, or through the castle objective before every enemy unit is gone.
These rules identify the objectives. They do not establish a best defensive layout, structure health, attack path, firing line or upgrade order.
| Objective | Official win condition | What remains unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy units | Eliminate every enemy unit | Best target order or counter formation |
| Enemy castle | Destroy the enemy castle | Health, collapse rules or best attack path |
Field order
The poison-cloud change is a visual correction
Patch 1.17, published September 1, 2026, reports that the poison-cloud visual effect was corrected to fill the actual attack radius. The wording describes the displayed effect matching the existing radius; it does not announce more damage, a larger numerical radius or a new targeting rule.
This page has no verified before-and-after client capture, so it cannot show where the current boundary appears on a particular device. Read the live effect as a visual cue and keep its damage, duration and measurements unclaimed.
| Patch statement | Supported reading | Unsupported inference |
|---|---|---|
| Poison cloud now fills the actual attack radius | Visual effect corrected | Damage or radius buff |
Field order
Record the outcome before changing the defense
Before comparing a layout change, record the visible version and whether the match ended through the unit objective or the castle objective. Change one visible option only if the client offers it, then record the next result separately.
That comparison can describe one observed match. A reusable defense recommendation still needs the actual layout, opponent, change and repeatable result; foundation rules, firing geometry and movement tradeoffs remain outside the evidence for this page.
Records