Kingdom Two Crowns: Dead Lands guide
Bloodstained monarch abilities, mounts and progression in Dead Lands.
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Dead Lands adds a second layer to your loadout: the monarch has an ability, and the mount has its own ability. You still progress through five islands, unlock stone and iron, and use bombs to destroy the caves. Choose the ruler and mount for the job you are about to do.
The four monarchs and their abilities
| Monarch | First available | What the ability does |
|---|---|---|
| Miriam | Start | Freezes nearby Greed with a whip wave |
| Gebel | Island 2 | Transforms into a fast-flying bat |
| Alfred | Island 3 | Creates a decoy that can duplicate mount abilities |
| Zangetsu | Island 4 | Temporarily increases nearby troops’ attack speed |
On PC, hold W or the up arrow to use the monarch’s ability. Unlock the other rulers during the campaign, then use the ruler shrine to change character. In co-op, the same alternative character cannot be selected by both players at once.
Miriam can interrupt a group while your defenders deal damage. Gebel is useful for travelling, but transforming makes a riding hermit dismount; the dog is also vulnerable if you fly too close to Greed. Alfred gives you more from an active mount ability, such as another trap or barrier. Zangetsu supports an army rather than replacing it, and his effect does not boost ballista towers.
Mount stamina, speed and feeding
Bars show relative ratings, not measured speed or sprint times. Hover or tap a skill or Food for details. Finish feeding before a long trip; the well-fed reserve expires even while you stand still.
The starting undead horse has average speed and stamina and grazes on open-field grass. Its appearance does not give it the unrestricted feeding of Gamigin.
What each unlock does
Gems pay for the one-time unlock. Coins are a separate payment to ride a mount, activate a statue or carry a hermit. A hermit’s 1-coin ride does not include the building conversion. Technology prices do not include local town or wall upgrades. The starting horse is free.
Ranks: our practical priorities within each category and campaign. S = first pick, A = strong, B = useful, C = situational, D = low priority, E = weak, F = avoid. Hover or tap a rank for the trade-off; no tier is filled just to use every letter. Comparison sources.
| Unlock | Effect | Use / requirements | Rank | Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MiriamMonarchFree | Sends a freezing whip wave through nearby Greed. | Use the monarch ability to interrupt enemies while your mount or defenders deal damage. Available from the start. Starting monarch; later shrine changes cost 5 coins. | — | Island 1 · starting monarch |
| Archery statueStatue3 gems10 coins | Improves your archers’ accuracy. | Pay the coin offering after the gem unlock. The blessing applies across the campaign; reactivate it after losing the crown. | S tier: A first priority: better accuracy helps your main defenders and hunters throughout the campaign. | Island 1 |
| GamiginMount1 gem3 coins | Charges into Greed and can feed anywhere. Use its mount action offensively, then allow it to recover. Miriam’s freeze can help hold targets in place. | Damage Dealer SpeedSlow StaminaBelow average Can feed anywhere when stopped, including in winter. Allow recovery between charges. | A tier: Reliable recovery anywhere plus an offensive charge. Strong in Dead Lands, but slow between attacks. | Island 1 |
| Ballista HermitHermit3 gems1 coin | Converts a high-tier archer tower into a long-range ballista. | Carry the hermit to a triplet-or-better tower and pay for conversion. A builder operates the weapon; the former tower archers return to normal work. | A tier: Strong tower support when a good tower spot covers the approach. Poor placement or exposed crew lowers its value. | Island 1 |
| Stone mineTechnology10 coins | Unlocks stone technology across every island in this campaign. | Pay at the mine, then buy the local town and wall upgrades. The mine itself does not turn existing wooden walls into stone. | — | Island 2 |
| Scythe statueStatue1 gem7 coins | Lets farms support more plots and farmers. | Activate the blessing and leave enough clear space around the farm for the extra plots. | B tier: Good once you can staff spacious farms. It adds little before farming is established or where plots are cramped. | Island 2 |
| StagMount1 gem3 coins | Attracts deer so they follow you towards your hunters. Ride close to deer, then lead them back to your archers. | MovementEconomy SpeedFast in forest StaminaSlightly above average Grazes on open-field grass. It cannot feed beneath forest cover, despite travelling faster there. | A tier: An excellent early scout through forest, with deer income on the way home. It still needs open grass to feed. | Island 2 |
| Stable HermitHermit1 gem1 coin | Converts an upgraded farm into a stable for unlocked mounts. | Carry the hermit to a mill house. Construction costs 8 coins; mounts available at the stable cost 3 coins to switch to. | B tier: Convenient mount swaps and specialist access. Lower priority if one general-purpose mount already covers your needs. | Island 2 |
| DogCompanion1 coin dropped | Warns you which direction a Greed wave is coming from. | Listen to its barking and keep it away from live portals. It provides warning rather than fighting for you. Drop a coin on the fallen tree; recover the coin afterwards. | — | Island 2 |
| GebelMonarch12 + 3 coins | Transforms into a fast-moving bat. | Use the monarch ability to travel. A carried hermit dismounts; the dog can still be stolen if you fly too close to Greed. 12 to open the cage with an archer; 3 to first embody him. Later shrine changes: 5 coins. | — | Island 2 |
| Building statueStatue3 gems9 coins | Increases wall durability. | Activate the blessing, then let builders reinforce your walls. It does not automatically upgrade the wall tier. | A tier: Stronger walls buy time on every defended side. Still maintain your army and repair damaged defences. | Island 3 |
| BearMount3 gems8 coins | Damages wildlife and Greed with its charge attack. Run into targets to attack. Wildlife hits restore some stamina after the 2024 buff; keep enough reserve to retreat. | Damage DealerEconomy SpeedFast in forest StaminaLow Grazes on open-field grass. Hitting wildlife also restores some stamina; an empty route provides no targets for that recovery. | B tier: A useful hunting and damage specialist after the 2024 buff: wildlife hits restore some stamina. Low reserves still punish an empty escape route. | Island 3 |
| GolemMount2 gems12 coins | Summons a temporary barrier that obstructs Greed. Place it between a wave and your defences. The barrier delays enemies; it is not a permanent wall upgrade. | Blocker SpeedSlow StaminaLow Grazes on open-field grass. Recover before leaving your defences; the barrier does not refill stamina. | B tier: A defensive specialist for delaying a wave. Slow movement, low stamina and grass feeding limit scouting and escape. | Island 3 |
| Bakery / Plague Doctor HermitHermit4 gems1 coin | Creates Dead Lands’ version of the bakery, using potions to attract and recruit vagrants. | Convert a triplet-or-better tower and stock treats. These recruitment potions are separate from Norse Berserker potions. | S tier: Reliable recruitment from distant camps saves repeated journeys. You need a suitable tower and a supply of treats. | Island 3 |
| AlfredMonarch12 + 3 coins | Creates a decoy that distracts enemies and duplicates mount abilities. | Summon the clone, then use your mount action for effects such as extra traps, barriers or fire. 12 to open the cage; 3 to first embody him. Later shrine changes: 5 coins. | — | Island 3 |
| Iron mineTechnology20 coins | Unlocks iron technology, including the route to the strongest keep and the bomb. | Unlock stone first. Pay at the mine, upgrade your local keep, then prepare the bomb and its escort. | — | Island 4 |
| BeetleMount2 gems3 coins | Places larva traps that damage approaching Greed. Set traps on the route the wave will take. Alfred’s clone can duplicate its mount ability. | Damage DealerBlocker SpeedFaster in forest StaminaAbove average Grazes on open-field grass. Leave the trees to feed before a long trip. | A tier: Traps, solid stamina and forest travel make a strong defensive combination. Set up before the wave and leave forest to feed. | Island 4 |
| LizardMount3 gems10 coins | Creates fire on the ground that burns passing Greed. Use the mount action ahead of a wave, then leave enough stamina to retreat. | Damage DealerBlocker SpeedAbove average StaminaVery low Sunbathes while stopped on open ground; grass is unnecessary. Works during winter daylight too, most reliably near noon. Cannot sunbathe at night, in forest, inside caves or during a retaliation eclipse. | A tier: Strong damage and area denial against ground waves. Very low stamina and daylight feeding make long escapes risky. | Island 4 |
| Warrior HermitHermit2 gems1 coin | Converts a triplet archer tower into a recruitment point for one additional squad leader. | Carry the hermit to the tower and pay for conversion, then buy its extra shield. The new leader needs archers for a useful assault squad. | B tier: Useful extra assault capacity once you can equip another squad. Conversion, shields and archers make it an investment. | Island 4 |
| ZangetsuMonarch12 + 3 coins | Temporarily speeds up the attacks of nearby troops. | Use the monarch ability beside your fighting group. It does not boost ballista towers. 12 to open the cage; 3 to first embody him. Later shrine changes: 5 coins. | — | Island 4 |
| Knight statueStatue2 gems8 coins | Improves knights’ attack speed and coin capacity. | Activate the statue before relying on it in an assault; it does not recruit a squad for you. | A tier: Faster attacks and extra coin capacity strengthen assault squads. The old leaping attack was removed in 2021; you still need trained troops. | Island 5 |
| UnicornMount4 gems12 coins | Produces coins after grazing. Let it graze to support your income; coin production has its own cooldown. | Economy SpeedFast on plains StaminaAverage Grazes on open-field grass. Grass disappearing in winter limits both its feeding and coin income. | B tier: A useful income mount when grass is available. Winter feeding and lack of combat utility limit it as your only mount. | Island 5 |
| Horn HermitHermit3 gems1 coin | Adds a war horn to a strong wall, allowing reinforcements from the other side. | Carry the hermit to a suitable high-tier wall and pay for conversion. Sounding the horn costs 1 coin; troops from the other side stay until morning, leaving that side less protected. | C tier: Situational reinforcements for a threatened side. Travel takes time and the opposite side loses protection. | Island 5 |
No unlocks match. Try another island, type, tier or search.
Island 1: No gem chests here. Bring gems back from island 2.
Island 2: First technology upgrade. Free the dog before you leave.
Island 3: The merchant no longer appears from this island onward.
Island 4: Unlock iron, then upgrade your local keep for the bomb.
Island 5: No coin chests. Bring enough money for your purchases.
Island 5: Gamigin has a charge attack. The Beetle places traps; the Golem creates a barrier to slow the Greed. Keep those mount actions separate from the ruler ability when choosing a combination. Dead Lands does not give you the medieval Griffin, Warhorse or Draft horse. Finding the correct island does not fix the landmark’s exact position along it.
Starting portals on all five islands
Dead Lands uses the regular five-island exterior layout. The table counts small forest portals separately from the cliff entrance and dock portal. Cave nests and teleporters are excluded. Your pause map reflects what remains after previous attacks, rather than a fresh-map total.
Island 1
2portals totalIsland 2
4portals totalIsland 3
6portals totalIsland 4
8portals totalIsland 5
8portals totalTechnology, assaults and recovery
Unlock stone on island 2 and iron on island 4. Build up the local keep before expecting late-game equipment to appear. Use an ability to help an organised assault: a frozen group buys time, a decoy draws attention, and a troop-speed buff helps the escort fight. None of those removes the need for enough archers, builders and coins.
Destroy the small portals towards the mountain before buying the bomb at an iron keep. Budget 18 coins for the bomb, 5 for entering the cave and 5 for ignition. Save mount stamina for the escape. A mount that works well beside a wall can still be a poor choice for a long run out of a cave, so think about movement before committing.
If you lose a hermit, dog or gems, clear the cave on the island where the Greed took them. Island travel and returning for upgrades remain part of the campaign. Keep a record of what happened where; “we lost the hermit somewhere” is a much worse rescue plan than knowing which cave holds them.
Sources
Checked 20 October 2026. Official announcements establish campaign features; detailed routes and counts use the named community references. These are researched instructions, not a claim that we tested every route.
- Official Dead Lands overview
- Monarch abilities and controls
- Dead Lands mount differences
- Island discoveries and portals
- Bomb assault
- Rescuing captured companions
- Mount unlock and ride costs
- Hermit unlock and carrying costs
- Statue unlock and activation costs
- Stone / birch technology costs
- Iron / pine technology costs
- Dog rescue payment
- Character cages and Ruler Shrine costs
- Hermit building conversions
- Mount abilities
- Stables and Norse ranchers
- Bakery, potion, mead and wine recruitment
- Additional squad leader from the Warrior Hermit
- Horn-wall reinforcements
Mount travel and feeding checked 23 October 2026 against the community-maintained Kingdom Wiki mount comparison, Lizard sunbathing conditions, wolf howling and Unicorn / Kirin reference. These are researched comparisons, not our own timed mount tests.