Be The Final Boss Wave Speedrun Tactics: Reach Wave 25 in 20 Minutes

The wave speedrun meta in Be The Final Boss is the discipline of clearing the maximum number of waves in the minimum amount of time, with the explicit goal of either claiming the weekly leaderboard or farming the maximum coins per hour. The top speedrunners reach Wave 25 in roughly 20 minutes and Wave 50 in roughly 45 minutes, which is roughly 30-40% faster than the typical pace. This speedrun tactics guide breaks down the exact build, the minion cycling rhythm, the wave skip mechanics, and the skill tree path that the top 100 leaderboard runners use to set their times.

The reason speedrunning matters beyond leaderboard chasing is that time-to-coins is the real metric of farming efficiency. A BOSS who reaches Wave 25 in 20 minutes earns roughly 2,500 coins in a single session, while a BOSS who takes 35 minutes to reach Wave 25 earns the same coins but spends 15 more minutes doing it. The speedrun tactics roughly double your coin velocity per hour, which is the difference between maxing the skill tree in 10 sessions versus 20.

Speedrun Philosophy and Pacing

The speedrun philosophy in Be The Final Boss is to spend the minimum possible time on each wave while maintaining 100% castle HP and full Population. The discipline is the opposite of the casual play style — instead of carefully placing every minion and upgrading after every wave, speedrunners place minions in batch, fire their weapon only at priority targets, and rely on the skill tree multipliers to handle the wave pressure automatically.

The pacing follows a tight rhythm. Wave 1-5 should take roughly 30-45 seconds each, for a total of 3-4 minutes. Wave 6-15 should take roughly 45-60 seconds each, for a total of 8-10 minutes. Wave 16-25 should take roughly 60-90 seconds each, for a total of 10-12 minutes. The total Wave 25 clear should land at 20-25 minutes, which is the leaderboard threshold.

Speedrun Time Benchmarks

The time savings come from three places: faster minion placement, automatic minion cycling, and skipping non-essential upgrades. Each is detailed below.

Speedrun Skill Tree Path

The speedrun skill tree path is different from the standard path because it prioritizes Population and Economy over Castle Defense. The reasoning is that speedrunners do not need the extra HP cushion because they clear waves faster, and they need the Treasure Wave funding to keep the coin velocity high.

The recommended speedrun path is:

• Population 1-4 by Wave 6 — unlock the eight-minion cap as fast as possible

• Economy 1-2 by Wave 8 — start compounding wave rewards

• Boss Power 1-2 by Wave 10 — boost weapon damage for boss fights

• Castle Defense 1-2 by Wave 16 — pre-boss preparation

• Economy 3 by Wave 18 — Treasure Wave funding

• Castle Defense 3 by Wave 22 — boss enrage survival

The total cost is roughly 2,800 coins, which is slightly more than the standard 1,800 coins path but includes Economy 3 instead of Boss Power 3. The trade-off favors Economy because Treasure Wave funding accelerates the next round of upgrades.

Pre-Match Skill Tree Preparation

For speedruns, the skill tree should be pre-allocated before queueing. The skill tree allocation screen lets you spend coins on nodes directly, and the allocation persists across matches. A BOSS who enters a speedrun with the full Population 4 + Economy 3 + Castle Defense 3 build online saves roughly 2,800 coins of in-match spending, which means more coins for the Treasure Wave payouts.

The discipline is to spend 5 minutes before the speedrun allocating the build, then queue into a server with the allocation already online. Most speedrunners keep a screenshot of their allocation for reference, then verify it before each speedrun attempt.

Speedrun Minion Cycling

The minion cycling rhythm is the single biggest time saver in speedruns. Instead of placing minions one at a time and upgrading after every wave, speedrunners place minions in batch at the start of each wave band, then let the AI handle the wave.

The cycling rhythm is:

• Wave 1 — place starter tank at the chokepoint

• Wave 2 — place second minion (ranged)

• Wave 3 — place third minion (ranged)

• Wave 4 — upgrade starter tank once

• Wave 5 — place fourth minion, upgrade second minion once

• Wave 6-10 — place fifth through eighth minion as Population unlocks

• Wave 11-15 — batch upgrade all minions once

• Wave 16-20 — focus fire weapon on priority heroes, let minions auto-clear

• Wave 21-25 — prep for boss, place Doomfist at slope apex

The batch approach saves roughly 3-5 seconds per wave compared to per-wave upgrades, which compounds into 2-3 minutes over a Wave 1-25 run.

Minion Cycling for Specific Heroes

The minion cycling rhythm changes slightly when specific hero archetypes appear. The key archetypes and their counters are:

• Stun heroes (Wave 11+) — place your tank one tile forward to prevent stun path openings

• AOE heroes (Wave 16+) — spread minions across 4-5 tiles to minimize AOE damage

• Elite heroes (Wave 21+) — focus fire weapon on the elite, let minions clear the rest

• Boss (Wave 25/50) — dedicate 70-95% of damage to the boss, let minions handle spawns

The counter-cycling adds roughly 1-2 seconds per wave when an archetype appears, but it prevents minion line collapses that would cost more time. The discipline is to recognize the archetype within 1-2 waves and adjust the cycling accordingly.

Speedrun Weapon Firing Discipline

The weapon firing discipline in speedruns is to fire only at priority heroes, not at every hero you see. Most beginners fire their weapon constantly, which depletes the ammo and forces them to wait for regen. Speedrunners fire only at heroes that would otherwise slip past the minion line and damage the castle.

The priority hero list for speedruns is:

• Aura Mage — buffs nearby heroes by 15% per stack

• Healing Cleric — heals other heroes for 30 HP per second

• Phantom Assassin — burst damage on castle, can two-shot a tank

• Siege Golem — high HP, slow movement, takes forever to kill naturally

• Soul Drainer (Wave 70+) — reduces soul generation on death

Firing only at these five hero types saves roughly 5-10 ammo per wave, which means more ammo for boss fights. The discipline is to identify priority heroes within 0.5 seconds and fire immediately, then resume minion placement.

Ammo Regen Timing

Ammo regenerates at 1 shot per 5 seconds during combat and 1 shot per 2 seconds between waves. The speedrun discipline is to spend all ammo during the wave, then let it regen during the inter-wave window. This gives you full ammo for every wave and saves the in-combat regen time for emergency shots.

The exception is during Wave 25 boss and Wave 50 boss, where the boss damage rotation requires sustained firing. In these cases, accept the slower regen and fire as fast as possible.

Wave Skip Mechanics and Shortcuts

The wave skip mechanics in Be The Final Boss are limited — you cannot skip waves entirely — but there are two shortcuts that speedrunners use. The first is the fast-clear shortcut, where you place a high-damage minion composition that clears the wave in roughly 30 seconds instead of the typical 60 seconds. The composition is Doomfist + 5 ranged minions + 2 tanks, which is the highest AOE damage composition available.

The second shortcut is the inter-wave skip, where you skip the inter-wave reward animation by tapping the next-wave button immediately. Most beginners watch the animation, which costs roughly 3-5 seconds per wave. Speedrunners tap immediately and use the saved time for minion placement. The total time saved across Wave 1-25 is roughly 75-125 seconds.

Map Selection for Speedruns

The map you queue into affects speedrun time significantly. The fastest maps are the bridge chokepoint maps, which funnel every hero through a single tile and let your minion line clear waves in roughly 30 seconds. The slowest maps are the open-field chokepoint maps, which require spreading minions across 4-5 tiles and take roughly 60 seconds per wave.

The matchmaking queue assigns maps randomly, but bridge chokepoint maps appear in roughly 60% of queues. The other 40% are split between fork, open-field, vertical, and castle-adjacent. Speedrunners typically queue 2-3 times until they hit a bridge chokepoint, then commit to the speedrun attempt.

Speedrun Boss Strategies

The Wave 25 boss and Wave 50 boss are the two largest time sinks in speedruns. The strategies for each are slightly different from the standard approach.

Wave 25 Boss Speedrun

The Wave 25 boss takes roughly 60-90 seconds in a speedrun, which is roughly 30-60 seconds faster than the standard clear. The speed is achieved by:

• Pre-placing the L-shape minion formation before the boss spawns

• Firing the Voidcleaver at the boss the moment it appears

• Using the Castle Invulnerability potion at the enrage transition

• Focusing 95% of damage on the boss during enrage

The discipline is to treat the boss as a pure DPS check, not a tactical fight. Speedrunners do not adjust minion positions during the boss — they fire the weapon and let the pre-placed formation handle the rest.

Wave 50 Boss Speedrun

The Wave 50 boss takes roughly 90-120 seconds in a speedrun. The strategy is similar to Wave 25, but with the doubled regular spawns requiring more minion line maintenance. The speed is achieved by:

• Pre-placing Doomfist + 3 tanks + 5 ranged minions before the boss spawns

• Using the Meteor weapon for AOE coverage on regular spawns

• Firing the Void Sovereign at the boss during enrage

• Using the Castle Invulnerability potion twice if available

The doubled regular spawns make Wave 50 harder to speedrun than Wave 25, but the disciplined preparation keeps the time under 2 minutes.

Speedrun Coin Velocity Math

The coin velocity math for speedruns is straightforward. A BOSS who reaches Wave 25 in 20 minutes earns roughly 2,500 coins (1,800 base + 700 from Treasure Wave + event bonuses). A BOSS who reaches Wave 25 in 35 minutes earns the same 2,500 coins but spends 15 more minutes doing it. The speedrun roughly doubles your coin velocity per hour.

The 20-session vs 10-session difference is the practical value of speedrunning. The discipline roughly halves the time investment for every major milestone, which is the difference between treating Be The Final Boss as a casual hobby and treating it as a serious progression track.

Common Speedrun Mistakes

The most common speedrun mistake is over-upgrading minions. Beginners who are new to speedrunning often continue their per-wave upgrade habit, which adds roughly 2-3 seconds per wave and breaks the batch cycling rhythm. The discipline is to batch upgrade every 5 waves, not every wave.

The second most common mistake is firing the weapon at every hero. The ammo depletion forces speedrunners to wait for regen during the boss fights, which costs more time than the saved firing time. The discipline is to fire only at priority heroes and let the minion line handle the rest.

The third most common mistake is not pre-placing the boss formation. Speedrunners who place minions during the boss spawn lose roughly 15-20 seconds to repositioning, which breaks the 60-90 second boss clear time. The discipline is to pre-place the L-shape formation during Wave 24, then verify it before the boss spawns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast can I clear Wave 25 in Be The Final Boss?

The top speedrunners clear Wave 25 in roughly 20 minutes, which is the leaderboard threshold. Casual play takes 30-40 minutes. The speed is achieved through batch minion cycling, weapon firing discipline, and pre-allocated skill tree builds. The full speedrun tactics are documented in this guide and the Soul Generation Optimization guide.

What skill tree path is best for speedrunning Be The Final Boss?

The best speedrun path prioritizes Population and Economy over Castle Defense. The recommended path is Population 1-4 by Wave 6, Economy 1-2 by Wave 8, Boss Power 1-2 by Wave 10, Castle Defense 1-2 by Wave 16, Economy 3 by Wave 18, and Castle Defense 3 by Wave 22. The total cost is roughly 2,800 coins.

What is the fastest map for speedrunning in Be The Final Boss?

The bridge chokepoint maps are the fastest, appearing in roughly 60% of matchmaking queues. These maps funnel every hero through a single tile, which lets your minion line clear waves in roughly 30 seconds. The slowest maps are open-field chokepoints, which require spreading minions across 4-5 tiles.

Should I fire my weapon at every hero in Be The Final Boss?

No. Fire only at priority heroes (Aura Mage, Healing Cleric, Phantom Assassin, Siege Golem, Soul Drainer). Firing at every hero depletes your ammo and forces you to wait for regen during boss fights. The ammo discipline saves roughly 5-10 shots per wave, which means more ammo for the Wave 25 and Wave 50 boss fights.

Can I speedrun the Wave 50 boss in Be The Final Boss?

Yes, but it is harder than speedrunning Wave 25. The Wave 50 boss takes roughly 90-120 seconds in a speedrun, which is achievable with pre-placed formations, the Meteor weapon for AOE coverage, and the Castle Invulnerability potion. The doubled regular hero spawns make Wave 50 harder to speedrun, but the disciplined preparation keeps the time under 2 minutes.