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Augments
Augments are the big swing of every run. Where a single Mod nudges your numbers up, an Augment unlocks an entire playstyle — chain explosions, lightning that hops between Targets, a Combo meter that snowballs, a Heat bar that keeps climbing — and switches on a whole family of synergy Mods in the Shop. Pick the right one for your Tool and difficulty, and your score stops growing and starts exploding.
Quick facts
- Count: exactly 7 Augments — Detonator, Arc Module, Combo, Arctic Pod, Critical Scope, Overkill, Heat
- Where you get them: at an Augment available node on The Monolith (look for the
icon) - Pre-installed on Tools: Combo (Pistol), Overkill (Shotgun), Heat (SMG) — you start with these, no node required
- Hidden upside: an Augment unlocks its synergy Mods in the Shop — "Augments will also give access to additional mods in the Shop."
- They stack: a Tool tracks its Augments in a set, so you can run several at once and let their effects combine
- One per run focus: your first Augment is the spine your build grows around; commit early and buy toward it
A Detonator-style chain reaction: one shot pops a cluster of Targets into a wall of points.
How you get Augments
Climbing The Monolith, you choose your path up the tower one node at a time. When you reach an Augment available node, that Wave offers you an Augment as its reward:
In-game, the tutorial puts it plainly: "A signifies that an Augment is available here." And crucially — "Augments will also give access to additional mods in the Shop."
The Elite Hack alternative. At an Augment node the game offers a trade: "Alternatively, you can pick a powerful Elite Hack." So an Augment stop can become an Elite Hack stop instead — a playstyle-defining Augment, or a flat run-wide power-up. Read your build and pick the one that does more for it. See Hacks for all 8 Elite Hacks.
That second line is the whole point. An Augment doesn't just add an effect — it switches on a category of Mods that were dormant before. Take the Detonator and the Shop starts offering explosion Mods (TNT, Dominos, Collateral Damage); take Arctic Pod and the ice Mods appear. Your Augment choices shape the rest of the run, and because Augments stack, every one you pick adds both an effect and a new family of synergy Mods to the pool.
Three Augments are pre-installed, not chosen. Combo, Overkill, and Heat come built into specific Tools from the start — the Pistol has Combo, the Shotgun has Overkill, and the SMG (internally the
autoTool, fully automatic) has Heat. You'll see that Augment's synergy Mods in the Shop the moment you start a run with that Tool — see Tools. The other four are picked at Augment nodes.
What counts as a "synergy Mod"
Throughout this page, a synergy Mod means a Shop Mod that is locked behind the Augment — it only appears in the Shop once you own that Augment. These are the only Mods the Augment "unlocks."
A different thing exists too: permanents (run items you find at Permanent nodes, like Strong Coffee or Firestarter). Many permanents theme around an Augment, but they are not unlocked by it and are not Shop Mods — so they are listed on the Tips & Strategy and run-item pages, not here. Where a popular permanent is easy to confuse with a synergy Mod, this page calls it out.
The 7 Augments at a glance
| Augment | In-game name | What it does (in-game) | Best on |
|---|---|---|---|
 Exploding | Detonator | "Targets explode when hit." | Shotgun, dense Waves |
 Lightning | Arc Module | "When hit, a target can zap a nearby target." | Pistol, spread-out Targets |
 Combo | Combo | "Each consecutive hit increases multiplier by 1x." | Pistol (pre-installed) |
 Freeze | Arctic Pod | "Hitting a target freezes nearby targets." | Crowd control, big multipliers |
 Critical Hit | Critical Scope | "Targets have a 20% chance of doubling their total score value." | Any Tool, steady scaling |
 Overkill | Overkill | "Adds 1x for every additional hit on a target." | Shotgun (pre-installed) |
 Heat | Heat | "Each level of Heat adds to your Multiplier." | SMG (pre-installed), fast shooters |
Detonator — Exploding
In-game: "Targets explode when hit."
Every Target you shoot bursts, and the blast can take out the Targets around it — and every Target the explosion catches is more points. This is the strongest crowd-clearer in the game, especially on Waves that throw tight packs of Targets at you. Note what the game actually says: hits cause an explosion that spreads to nearby Targets — it does not auto-clear the whole screen.
Synergy Mods (only available in the Shop once you own Detonator):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 TNT | Explosion radius increased by +0.5m per level — bigger blasts catch more Targets |
 Spark Plug | First shot in your mag gives a % bigger explosion |
 Dominos | "Exploded targets also explode." — true chain reactions (Unique Mod) |
 Collateral Damage | Targets score +6 per level when hit by explosions |
 Mortar | Adds +3 per level for each extra Target hit with one explosion (Pistol/Revolver) |
 Grand Finale | Adds +1x per level to Targets hit by explosions, and that bonus grows +1x more every 5 seconds of the Wave |
 Glitchy C4 | Hitting a Glitch explodes the whole arena (Unique Mod) |
Not a synergy Mod: TurboCharger (radius grows each shot) and Exploding Rounds (shots explode on the environment) are permanents, not Detonator Shop Mods — don't go shopping for them.
When to pick it: Take Detonator on the Shotgun (pellets + explosions is brutal) or any time the Waves are crowded. Stack TNT for radius and Dominos for chains, then add Collateral Damage or Grand Finale to turn all those extra hits into real score.
Tip: Explosions count as indirect hits, so they feed other systems — Overkill counts them as extra hits, and lightning can spread off them. A Detonator + Overkill Shotgun is a classic snowball.
Arc Module — Lightning
In-game: "When hit, a target can zap a nearby target."
Hit one Target and lightning can leap to a neighbor — and with the right Mods, to another, and another. Where the Detonator clears clusters, the Arc Module reaches Targets that are spread out, turning a single accurate shot into a chain across the arena. It pairs beautifully with the precise, single-shot Pistol.
Synergy Mods (only available in the Shop once you own Arc Module):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 Chain Lightning | Lightning can jump 1 more time per level — longer chains |
 Harness Power | Adds +3 score per level for each jump the lightning makes |
 Battery | Lightning-hit Targets get +2 score, and that bonus increases each Wave (Unique Mod) |
 Voltage Amp | "Lightning can jump any distance." — no Target too far (Unique Mod) |
 Electrolysis | +% chance of a Coin whenever lightning arcs |
Not synergy Mods: Fork Lightning (arc to two Targets), Capacitor (extra arc on your last shot) and Static Overload (bonus when there's nothing left to arc to) are permanents, not Arc Module Shop Mods.
When to pick it: Great on the Pistol and on Waves where Targets are scattered. The build's heart is more jumps (Chain Lightning) feeding a per-jump scorer (Harness Power or Battery). Add Voltage Amp so distance never breaks your chain.
Tip: Lightning is indirect damage, so the Targets it zaps still feed your Overkill (extra hits) and can set off Detonator explosions. Layered correctly, one bullet can cause a chain that explodes.
Combo
In-game: "Each consecutive hit increases multiplier by 1x. Misses reset your combo. Default max combo is 3x."
Combo is the discipline Augment. Land hits in a row and your multiplier climbs; miss once and it's gone. It's pre-installed on the Pistol, where every shot counts, and it rewards clean, accurate play more than any other Augment. Raise that max combo cap and learn not to whiff, and the payoff is huge.
Synergy Mods (built into the Pistol; also unlocked by the Combo Augment):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 To The Moon | Increases your max Combo by 4x per level — the most important Combo stat (Pistol/Revolver) |
 Combo Skipper | Each hit adds 2x to combo instead of 1x (Unique Mod) |
 Combo Buoy | Raises your minimum Combo by 2x per level so misses hurt less (cannot exceed max) |
 Curtain Call | Doubles max Combo after enough seconds have elapsed in a Wave |
 Magic Beans | Raises max Combo, and it grows +1x every Wave (Unique Mod) |
 Combo Saver | Gives 1 Combo Save per Wave per level — a buffer that eats a miss without resetting |
 Reckless Climber | Combo climbs +3x extra per level each increase, but reloading resets it — high risk (Pistol/Revolver) |
Not synergy Mods: Strong Coffee (start each Wave at Max Combo), Charged Spring (reload adds +2x Combo) and Combo Glitch (a Glitch hit maxes your Combo) are permanents, not Shop Mods. Summit (+2x while at Max Combo) is a real Shop Mod, but it isn't gated by the Combo Augment, so it isn't a Combo synergy Mod either.
There's also an eighth Combo-gated entry, Ridiculous Combo (
comboMaxGrowerTrial) — a Trial-only duplicate of Magic Beans that won't show up in a normal run.
When to pick it: It's already yours on the Pistol. Build it by raising max Combo (To The Moon, Magic Beans) and protecting your streak with Combo Saver and Combo Buoy.
Tip: A normal reload (pointing your Tool down) does not break your Combo. But Reckless Climber flips that: it resets your Combo on reload in exchange for faster growth. Only take Reckless Climber if you've planned your reloads.
Arctic Pod — Freeze
In-game: "Hitting a target freezes nearby targets."
Shoot a Target and the ones around it freeze. Frozen Targets score extra when you hit them and let you build a field of high-value points from a single well-placed shot. It's part crowd control, part multiplier engine, and one of the most rewarding Augments to scale.
Synergy Mods (only available in the Shop once you own Arctic Pod):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 Chiller | Adds +3x per level to frozen Targets — your core scorer |
 Igloo | Ice-splosion radius increased by +0.25m per level — freeze more at once |
 Ice Sculpture | Adds +1 per level to Targets hit directly for each other Target currently frozen |
 Icepick | Loads 1 round when you hit a frozen Target directly (Unique Mod) |
 Frozen Treasure | +% chance of a Coin when you hit a frozen Target |
Not synergy Mods: Frost Shots (freeze-splosion on the environment) and Frozen Glitch (frozen-Glitch hits worth double) are permanents, not Arctic Pod Shop Mods.
When to pick it: Pick Arctic Pod when you want reliable, scalable crowd scoring. The engine is Chiller (+3x on frozen Targets) plus Igloo to spread the freeze wider, and Ice Sculpture rewards you for filling the screen with ice. Icepick keeps you topped up by reloading off direct frozen hits.
Tip: Don't confuse the Heatwave Curse with your Augment. Heatwave says "You can no longer freeze items in the Shop" — that disables the Shop's freeze-an-item-to-buy-later feature, not your Arctic Pod combat freeze. Your Freeze build keeps working.
Critical Scope — Critical Hit
In-game: "Targets have a 20% chance of doubling their total score value."
The most flexible Augment. Every Target you destroy rolls a 20% chance to double its entire score — base points, ADDs, multipliers, all of it. There's no special playstyle to learn; it just makes the build you already have hit harder, on any Tool. Push the crit chance high enough and your run feels like it's constantly jackpotting.
Synergy Mods (only available in the Shop once you own Critical Scope):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 Calipers | +20% Critical Hit chance per level — the bread and butter |
 Whetstone | Adds +10% crit chance, and it grows more every Wave (Unique Mod) |
 Last Stand | Adds +% crit chance after enough seconds have elapsed in a Wave |
 Coup de Grace | Last round in your mag has +100% Critical Hit chance (guaranteed crit, Unique Mod) |
 Torsion Spring | Instantly reload whenever you land a Critical Hit (Unique Mod) |
 Sharpened Pickaxe | Critical Hits give +1 Coin per level |
Not synergy Mods: Loaded Dice (+crit chance per mag slot) and Glitch Guarantee (guaranteed crit on Glitches) are permanents, not Critical Scope Shop Mods.
When to pick it: A safe, strong pick on any Tool, and a brilliant multiplier on top of a Combo or Heat build. Stack crit chance (Calipers, Whetstone) toward as close to guaranteed as you can get, then let Torsion Spring reward your crits with instant reloads to keep firing.
Tip: Critical Hit doubles your total value, so the more ADD and MULTIPLY Mods you've stacked, the more each crit is worth. It scales with everything — that's why it's the easiest Augment to slot into a run that's already going well.
Overkill
In-game: "Adds 1x for every additional hit on a target."
Overkill rewards over-shooting. Every extra hit a Target takes before it dies adds +1x to its score — so the more bullets (or pellets) you pour in, the bigger the payoff. It's pre-installed on the Shotgun, where a single trigger pull lands several pellets at once, and it plays incredibly well with anything that multiplies your hits.
Synergy Mods (built into the Shotgun; also unlocked by the Overkill Augment):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 Boxing Gloves | Adds a flat multiplier when a Target is destroyed with 3+ hits. The in-game tooltip shows "2x", but it actually starts at 5x (base 3 + 2) and grows by +2x per level — 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13x (Unique Mod) |
 Speed Bag | Loads a shell when a Target is destroyed with 3+ hits (Unique Mod) |
 Chisel | Each additional hit on a Target gives +% chance of a Coin |
When to pick it: Natural on the Shotgun (multiple pellets = instant overkill) and great on the rapid-fire SMG. It also loves indirect damage — explosions and lightning count as extra hits, so an Overkill build paired with the Detonator or Arc Module racks up bonus multipliers for free.
Tip: Pair Overkill with high-pellet Shotgun Mods or any "more shots" effect. Every additional projectile that lands on a Target is another +1x — width and fire rate are your friends here.
Heat
In-game: "Firing and hitting targets increases your Heat, which slowly fades away. Each level of Heat adds to your Multiplier."
Heat rewards aggression and rhythm. Keep firing and hitting and your Heat climbs — and every level of Heat is straight multiplier. Stop shooting and it cools off. It's pre-installed on the fast-firing SMG, which can build Heat faster than anything, and it turns "never stop shooting" into a winning strategy.
Synergy Mods (built into the SMG; also unlocked by the Heat Augment — all SMG-only):
| Mod | What it does |
|---|---|
 Blow Torch | Heat gained is increased by 50% (Unique Mod) |
 Beanie | Heat fades times slower — hold your multiplier longer |
 Time Out | Heat does not decrease while reloading (Unique Mod) |
 Anchor | Cartridges fire slower — and the slower fire rate increases the Heat you generate |
 Propeller | Cartridges fire faster — more shots per second to keep Heat climbing |
Not synergy Mods: Firestarter (start each Wave with banked Heat) is a permanent. Preheat (reloading builds Heat), Hot Streak (hits add Heat, misses remove it) and Crucible (Coins from Heat) are real Shop Mods, but they aren't gated by the Heat Augment, so they aren't Heat synergy Mods.
When to pick it: Built for the SMG and any high-fire-rate, high-accuracy run. The plan is simple: build Heat fast (Blow Torch, Propeller) and keep it from fading (Beanie, Time Out). Anchor is the contrarian pick — it slows you down but each shot generates more Heat. Because Heat is pure multiplier, it stacks cleanly on top of Critical Hit.
Tip: Heat fades during dead air, so your downtime is the enemy. Time Out (no decay while reloading) and Beanie (slow fade) keep your multiplier alive between bursts — grab them early if Heat is your engine.
Choosing the right Augment
There's no single "best" Augment — there's the best one for your Tool, your difficulty, and the Mods you're being offered. And since Augments stack, a strong run often layers two or three. A quick guide:
- Want crowd clear? Take Detonator (clusters) or Arctic Pod / Freeze (control + scaling).
- Playing precise, single-shot Pistol? Combo and Arc Module / Lightning reward your accuracy.
- On the Shotgun or SMG? You already have Overkill or Heat — lean into them and consider stacking Critical Hit on top.
- Want a safe, scales-with-anything pick? Critical Scope / Critical Hit doubles whatever you've already built.
- Love an aggressive, never-stop-firing flow? Heat is your engine.
Once you commit, build toward your Augment in the Shop — buy its synergy Mods, raise their levels, and keep a healthy stack of ADDs and MULTIPLYs so each magnifies the other. (And remember: Mod levels can climb past the usual cap via Super Sockets and Hacks, and the values keep scaling.) That's how "small decisions snowball into massive score explosions."
See also
- Mods — the full Mod system and how to arrange them (ADDs before MULTIPLYs)
- Tools — which Tool comes with Combo, Overkill, or Heat pre-installed
- Hacks — the Elite Hack you can take instead of an Augment at an Augment node
- Sockets — the Super Sockets that push your synergy Mods past the level-5 cap
- The Monolith — the tower run, node types, and where Augments appear
- Tips & Strategy — building a run that snowballs, plus the permanents that theme around each Augment