Zafiast's Trap & Base Progression Guide. A companion to the Shellnut Guide (Baron and above). For anything lower than Lord, refer to MHBasics. Ranks listed are unlock ranks, not recommended buy ranks.
This guide includes only standard traps and bases. If you have Limited Edition (LE) gear with better or comparable stats, use those instead. When choosing between two traps of roughly the same cost, always go for more luck — it usually gives a better catch rate. (Luck vs power explanation.) In short, luck is better except against very strong mice, where power helps more.
BiS = Best in Slot, the most powerful trap available for that power type.
Traps
Physical
Mouse Hot Tub / High Tension Spring (Novice) → SAMT / NVMRC / Shrink Ray (Journeyman) → [optional Onyx Mallet (Grandmaster)] → Digby DrillBot (Legendary) → Rhinobot (Legendary) → Enraged Rhinobot (Legendary/Hero) → Sandstorm Monstrobot / Smoldering Stone Sentinel (anytime after Count) → [optional Chrome Monstrobot] → Charming PrinceBot (Archduke) → Legendary KingBot (Viceroy) [BiS]
You start the game with a Physical weapon; it's mostly used up to Baron. Pick one of the three Journeyman upgrades. An optional Onyx Mallet from Furoma helps with Derr Dunes; otherwise the next major upgrade is the Digby DrillBot → RhinoBot → Enraged RhinoBot (used for your first Warpath clear). After that, Physical is low priority until you reach FI. SSST works better on bosses (Digby/Limelight, Derr/Crunchy, MM, FW Wave 4); CMB works better everywhere else. Next is the Charming PrinceBot (after all Folklore Forest upgrades) — needed for Bountiful Beanstalk. Buy the LKB ASAP in BB.
Tactical
Either: Venus Mouse Trap (Master) → Mutated VMT (Master) → Ambush (Grandmaster) → Thorned VMT (Legendary) → Horrific VMT (Legendary)
or: Zugzwang's Last Move (Grandmaster) → Ambush (Grandmaster) → Zugzwang's First Move (Lord)
then: → Sphynx Wrath (Baron) → [optional Gouging Geyserite Trap / Chrome Sphynx Wrath (anytime after Count)] → Sleeping Stone Trap (Archduke) → Slumbering Boulder Trap [BiS]
Take the VMT route (recommended if you don't own ZLM) ending with HVMT, or the ZLM route ending with ZFM. Sphynx Wrath can be acquired anytime from Baron+. Get a GGT or CSW before FI to make life easier (or skip to rush a T1). GGT works better in ZT and Pinnacle Chamber, CSW everywhere else. At FI, get the Sleeping Stone Trap (T1) before Circlet of Seeking (A1); get the Slumbering Boulder (T2) only if you can afford its 115 Adorned Empyrean Jewels — make it your last Tier 2 trap as CPB and CA2 outperform it on LAI and Pirates.
Hydro
Net Cannon (Legendary) → Ancient Spear Gun (Legendary) → Steam Laser Mk I (Lord) → SLM2 (Lord) → SLM3 (Lord) → Queso Fount Trap (Count) → Rune Shark Trap (anytime after Count, usually Archduke) → School of Sharks → Chrome School of Sharks [BiS]
Hydro first appears on the S.S. Huntington IV and stays useful late-game. Start with Net Cannon over Harpoon Gun (extra luck). Grab the ASG in Tribal Isles to build the Steam Laser family. The QFT is the joint second-best Hydro and helps in many areas if obtained early. The final goal is the CSoS — send GWH golems to Sunken City for the Shark traps to save many hunts.
Shadow
Bottomless Grave (Master) → [optionally Creepy Coffin Trap (Master) → Clockapult of Time (Legendary)] → Interdimensional Crossbow Trap (Baron) → Dark Magic Mirrors Trap → Infinite Dark Magic Mirrors Trap [BiS]
Arcane
Obelisk of Slumber (Legendary) → [optional Obelisk of Incineration (Legendary)] → ACRONYM (Legendary) → Droid Archmagus Trap (Baron) → Event Horizon Trap (Duke) → Circlet of Seeking Trap (Archduke) → Circlet of Pursuing Trap → Chrome Circlet of Pursuing Trap [BiS]
Shadow and Arcane come as a package — areas using one often have the other work somewhat less effectively. Use Bottomless Grave to farm gold at the Laboratory & Mousoleum. Upgrade OoS → OoI → ACRONYM ASAP; this carries you to Baron. At Fort Rox, upgrade to Droid Archmagus before the IDCT. The best pre-FI weapons of each class are in Labyrinth & Zokor — the EHT is recommended (the Temporal Turbine is not, due to resource cost). At FI, get Circlet of Seeking (A1) before T1 only if you lack Arcane Golem and already have GGT/CSW; otherwise buy it right after T1. CA2 should be your second Tier 2 trap after CF2. The Dark Magic Mirrors Trap comes after all FoFo upgrades; buy the IDDMT when you can.
Forgotten
Ancient Box Trap (Hero) → Scarlet Ember Root Trap (Count) → Endless Labyrinth Trap (Duke) → Infinite Labyrinth Trap (Duke) → [optional Tome of the Mind's Eye Trap (Archduke)] → Thought Manipulator Trap (Archduke) → Thought Obliterator Trap (Archduke) → Chrome Thought Obliterator Trap (Archduke) [BiS]
Early Forgotten traps (up to ILT) are mostly obsoleted by Forgotten Charms (which turn any weapon Forgotten for 1 hunt). Use them when cost matters or specific charms are required. Build the Ancient Box Trap during Tribal Isles. Buy the SERT if you won't use Forgotten Charms in Labyrinth. The Labyrinth traps should be built while unlocking Moussu Picchu. At FI, the Forgotten series (F1, F2, CF2) is top priority — CF2 is required for FoFo. This is your first Tier 2 trap.
Draconic
Ice Maiden (Knight) → Blazing Ember Spear Trap (Count) → Dragonvine Ballista (Grand Duke) → Storm Wrought Ballista Trap (Grand Duke) → Chrome Storm Wrought Ballista Trap (Grand Duke) → Dragon Slayer Cannon (anytime after Grand Duke) [BiS]
Linear progression, used in only 4 areas: Dracano, Queso Geyser, Moussu Picchu, and Floating Islands. Ice Maiden is required for the Dracano adventure. Upgrade to BEST in Queso Geyser. The DVB family ends with the CSWBT (minimum for Epic eruptions) — one of the 3 weapons where the chromed version is highly recommended ASAP. Try to buy the DSC before FI.
Law
SLAC (Lord) → SLAC II (Lord) → Judge Droid Trap (Count) or Meteoric Prison Core Trap (Baron) → Ember Prison Core Trap (Count) → S.T.I.N.G → S.T.I.N.G.E.R [BiS]
Used only in Varmint Valley, Queso River and FI. SLAC II is cheap and serves at Frox (day) and early Queso Canyon. MPCT outperforms JDT but is harder to get, so most get a JDT first. Pick up the EPCT before FI (S.T.I.N.G has lower catch rates and is only a prerequisite for S.T.I.N.G.E.R, bought after A2).
Rift
Crystal Tower (Count) → Multi-Crystal Laser (Duke, with LGS) or MYNORCA (Grand Duke) → Timesplit Dissonance Trap (Grand Duke) → Celestial Dissonance Trap (Archduke) → Chrome Celestial Dissonance Trap (Archduke) [BiS]
The Crystal Tower is a basic Rift trap from Gnawnia Rift (if you have no LE Rift weapons). Upgrade to the Laser (Burroughs Rift) or MYNORCA (Furoma Rift). The TDT is unique — it requires a minimum of 1 billion points. The CDT can only be obtained in Valour Rift during a UU run; upgrade to CCDT ASAP.
Skipped weapons: mostly those used only briefly (Crystal Crucible, Dimensional Chest Trap) or too costly for their useful window (Clockwork Portal Trap, Reaper's Perch, Chrome Temporal Turbine).
Bases
Fan Base (Novice) → Dehydration Base (Journeyman) → Bamboozler Base (Grandmaster) → Aqua Base (Legendary) → Overgrown Ember Stone Base (Count) → [optional Fracture Base (Duke)] → Labyrinth Base (Duke) → Enerchi Induction Base (Grand Duke) → Attuned Enerchi Induction Base (Grand Duke) → [optional Adorned Empyrean Refractor Base (Archduke) → Royal Refractor Ruby Base (Viceroy)] → Prestige Base (Archduke) → Signature Series Denture Base (Ronza)
The Fan Base is free (like the MH Facebook page or claim it on the site). The Dehydration Base keeps bait fresh early. Consider a Bamboozler early until you get an Aqua Base on the SS Huntington IV — this carries you to Count (no LE bases). The OESB replaces it until you buy an AERB or upgrade the Prestige Base. The optional Fracture Base gives a basic Rift bonus before the EIB family. The Labyrinth Base is only for the Labyrinth. The Prestige Base is the best base in-game and can only be upgraded by hunting in VRift — if you won't do UU runs soon, get the AERB from FI to tide you over (or upgrade AERB → RRRB, a TE10.5 PB equivalent, if you have BB).
Skipped bases: Bamboozler, Explosive (short-lived), and Papyrus, Spellbook, Molten Shrapnel (too costly).
Other bases: many have specialised functions (Iceberg bases, Living Base). The SSDB (from Ronza yearly) is the best base by far but consumes a toothlet every hunt — usually reserved for VRift UU runs.
Addenda
Floating Islands FAQ
Pre-FI buying order: EPCT > QFT > ILT > EHT > CSWBT > DSC > CCDT > CSOS > SSST or CMB | CSW or [GGT (recommended)] (optional skip and just get T1).
What's needed for FI: EPCT, CSWBT, QFT, and EHT are mandatory. DSC, ILT, CSoS, GGT, and SSST are strongly encouraged. CTT is a nice bonus if you already have it.
FI/FoFo upgrade order: F1 > F2 > CF2 > CPB+DMMT > T1+A1 > (C)A2 > L1 > L2 > T2. Rush Forgotten first to hunt in FoFo, then get FoFo traps, then T1 and A1 as prerequisites for T2 and A2. (C)A2 first as it's more useful, then finish the cheap Law traps, then finally T2 to complete the set.
Base FAQ
Laby Base vs Compass Magnet Base? You can't skip the Laby Base even with a CMB. Laby Base is a Dead End Clue vaccine (50% chance to not get DEC); CMB is poor medicine that removes existing DEC (30% chance). Not catching the disease beats curing it badly.
Mino Base? Don't get it — convert the materials into Lantern Oil Charms instead. Superseded by AERB.
Clockwork Base? Get it only if you already have the Rift Base (from LG) or Fissure Base in your inventory. Otherwise follow the standard order.