Ninety Thousand Acres (NTA) Basic Dig Guide With Archer And Shield Troops

Digging land is the most repetitive activity in Ninety Thousand Acres (NTA), but it’s also where you can lose troops for no reason if you send your legions in the wrong order. This guide covers which archer troops and shield troops to prioritize, how to set up your dig formation, and how to handle each boss, based on real dig experience - so you can dig faster while keeping your troop losses low.

Table of Contents

• 1. Why Troop Order Decides Dig Efficiency
• 2. Archer Troop Priority Order
• 3. Shield Troop Priority Order
• 4. Standard Dig Formation: 4 Archers + 1 Tank
• 5. Syncing March Speed Between Tank And Archers
• 6. Gear Worth Prioritizing For Digging
• 7. How To Handle Each Boss While Digging
• 8. How To Dig Non-Stop Without Losing HP
• 9. Common Mistakes When Digging
• 10. FAQ

1. Why Troop Order Decides Dig Efficiency

In NTA, one legion holds up to 9 units. When you dig a wasteland tile, wild monsters spawn and attack in the order you send your legions in. Send them in the wrong order, and your tank legion (high HP, low damage) ends up absorbing every single monster, while your archer legions (high damage, low HP) can get wiped out before they even get to contribute. Do it right, though - let your ranged legions clear monsters first - and the tank only has to mop up whatever’s left, which is a much easier job.

2. Archer Troop Priority Order

If you’re not sure which archer troop to build first, follow this priority order:

1. Crossbow
2. Heavy Crossbow
3. Hunter
4. Repeating Crossbow
5. Longbow
6. Fire Bow
7. Poison Bow

Of the 4 archer legions used for digging, the Hunter troop deserves special attention - it can passively buff continuous HP regeneration when equipped with the right gear, which keeps your dig chain from getting interrupted by having to retreat and heal (more on this in section 8).

3. Shield Troop Priority Order

Your shield legion acts as the tank, absorbing damage so your 4 archer legions don’t have to. Build priority:

1. Large Shield
2. Shield Hammer
3. Shield Axe
4. Shield Sword
5. Shield Spear

You only need one tank legion for digging - there’s no need to build multiple shield troops at once unless you’re planning for a separate big-boss or PvP composition.

4. Standard Dig Formation: 4 Archers + 1 Tank

The standard dig formation is 4 archer legions plus 1 shield (tank) legion - 5 legions total. The order you send them in matters a lot:

• Step 1: Send in all 4 ranged archer legions first to clear out most of the wild monsters from a distance.
• Step 2: Send the tank legion in last.

With this setup, by the time monsters reach the tank there are usually only 1-2 left, so the tank takes much lighter damage. Your archers also end up moving around less, since the monsters have already been pulled into range early on.

5. Syncing March Speed Between Tank And Archers

Crossbow-based archer legions march quite slowly, while your tank legion marches a few seconds faster. If you send both at the same time, the tank will arrive first and take the monsters’ opening attack alone - which defeats the whole point of the ordering in section 4.

The fix: slot one crossbow unit into the tank legion itself. This slows the tank legion’s march speed down to match the crossbow unit, guaranteeing the tank always arrives after your 4 archer legions as planned.

6. Gear Worth Prioritizing For Digging

Two pieces of gear are worth investing in first for digging:

• Dark Radiance Armor: reduces incoming damage by 80% for 5 turns - extremely cost-effective, and basically a must-have if you dig often.
• Bronze Shield: instantly restores 30% max HP once HP drops below 50%. Since HP resets at the start of every new dig, this instant heal effect helps your troops survive many consecutive dig rounds.

7. How To Handle Each Boss While Digging

Each boss in the wasteland has its own mechanic, so you need to flip your formation order accordingly:

• Goat Boss: Send in only your 4 archer legions - never bring the tank legion. The Goat’s skill throws a random unit and deals damage based on that unit’s max HP; if a high-HP tank unit is present, this damage becomes strong enough to wipe out your remaining archer legions.
• Ngong Tiger Boss: Send the tank legion in first, then the 4 archer legions. If the archers go in first, the Tiger’s stomp-and-cleave skill will reach all the way to your archer row and hit hard.
• Sewer Rat Boss: Also send the tank legion in first, followed by the archers - same principle as the Ngong Tiger.

Note: these are exceptions to the general “archers first, tank last” rule in section 4, which applies to regular wild monsters. For bosses, always check the skill mechanic before sending your troops in.

8. How To Dig Non-Stop Without Losing HP

Deep in the wasteland you’ll run into Hedgehogs - monsters that reflect damage back at attackers. Archer legions that hit Hedgehogs usually need to retreat and heal, breaking your dig chain.

Solution: prioritize the Hunter troop among your 4 archer legions. With the right gear equipped, the Hunter can passively buff continuous HP regeneration for the whole squad while digging, letting your troops survive many consecutive rounds without needing to return to base to heal - even when repeatedly running into Hedgehogs.

9. Common Mistakes When Digging

• Sending the tank legion in before the 4 archer legions against regular wild monsters, exposing your archers to unnecessary damage.
• Sending the tank legion into a Goat Boss fight, wiping out the entire archer squad.
• Forgetting to slot a crossbow unit into the tank legion, letting the tank arrive early and absorb the opening attack alone.
• Skipping Dark Radiance Armor and Bronze Shield even when you have the budget, causing troops to lose HP faster than necessary on every dig round.

10. FAQ

How many legions does a standard dig formation need? 5 legions: 4 ranged archer legions and 1 shield (tank) legion, each holding up to 9 units.

Why shouldn’t the tank legion go in first against regular wild monsters? Because the tank deals low damage, so sending it first slows down clearing and forces the archer legions to move around more to reach targets.

Which bosses require a different formation order than normal digging? The Goat Boss only uses the 4 archer legions, no tank. The Ngong Tiger Boss and Sewer Rat Boss are the opposite - tank first, archers after.

Which gear should be farmed first for digging? Dark Radiance Armor (80% damage reduction for 5 turns) and Bronze Shield (heals 30% HP once below 50%) are the two most worthwhile investments.

Which archer troop lets you dig non-stop without retreating to heal? The Hunter troop, thanks to its passive continuous healing buff when equipped with the right gear - especially useful against damage-reflecting Hedgehogs.

Summary

Efficient digging in Ninety Thousand Acres isn’t about building the strongest legion - it’s about getting the order right: 4 archer legions clear monsters first, the tank follows, a crossbow unit keeps march speed synced, and boss fights need their own formation logic. Add Dark Radiance Armor, Bronze Shield, and a Hunter troop into the mix, and you can dig for many consecutive rounds without your chain breaking from HP loss.

If you often get ambushed while digging or find yourself outnumbered 1-vs-4 over contested land, check out Ninety Thousand Acres: Mind-Game Tactics To Win A 1-vs-4 Fight for more strategies on turning the tables when you’re outnumbered.