// documentation

Field Manual

▸Overview

STRONGHOLD is a 3D tower-defense game. You defend a glowing Core on a floating island from waves of UFOs and ground monsters across 8 worlds. Build and upgrade towers along the path; clear every wave before the enemy reaches the Core.

It is fun-first — the entire game is playable for free in the browser, with no wallet and no sign-up. $HOLD is an optional layer that adds permanent progression, cosmetics, and skill-based competition for players who want more.

›8 themed worlds across 6 biomes (grass, snow, lava, desert, waste, crystal)
›6 tower types and 11 enemy types — flying UFOs and walking monsters
›Lobby, Workshop skill tree, achievements, and a save profile
›Mobile-first, runs in any browser, no install

▸How it works

›Pick a world from the lobby. Earn stars (1–3 per world, based on lives left) to unlock harder ones.
›Build your defense — drag towers anywhere off the path. Upgrade and combine 6 tower types.
›Hold the line — survive every wave before enemies reach the Core. Clear all waves to win.

Two currencies are kept strictly separate so gameplay and economy never blur:

Gold (in-run)

Spent on building & upgrading towers during a single run. Resets each run. Not a token.

$HOLD (meta)

Persistent across your account. Earned from wins, tournaments, staking. Spent on permanent upgrades, NFTs, and PvP entry.

▸Towers

Six tower types, each with a distinct role. Combining them is the heart of strategy.

Turret

Fast single-target rattle gun. Cheap, reliable. 🪙45

Cannon

Splash damage, good versus clusters. 🪙60

Ballista

Long range, heavy single hit. 🪙80

Catapult

Huge splash, slow lob. 🪙110

Frost

Chills and slows enemies. 🪙70

Tesla

Lightning that arcs between foes. 🪙130

▸Worlds & enemies

Each world is a distinct biome with its own path layout and enemy mix, unlocked by total stars earned.

Verdant Vale

Grass · diff 1 · open

Frostbite Pass

Desert · diff 2 · ★2

Tangle Thicket

Waste · diff 3 · ★5

Glacier Maw

Snow · diff 4 · ★9

Sunscar Highlands

Lava · diff 5 · ★14

Crystal Reach

Crystal · diff 6 · ★20

Emerald Abyss

Grass · diff 7 · ★27

Eternal Rime

Crystal · diff 8 · ★35

Enemies split into flying UFOs (scout, zipper, swarm, fighter, shielded, healer, tank, splitter, phantom, boss) and walking ground units (grunt, runner, brute, imp, warlord). Frost slows them; Tesla chains; Cannon and Catapult clear clusters.

▸$HOLD economy

$HOLD is utility plus status — never a yield promise. Earning is capped and skill-gated; sinks are designed to outpace faucets.

Earn (capped)

›Daily dungeon clears — a daily wallet cap kills bot-farming.
›Weekly tournament — top the leaderboard, split the prize pool. Skill, not grind.
›Staking — Garrison yield from the fee pool plus in-game boosts.
›Referral — invite a friend who clears World 1, earn a one-time bonus.

Sink (burn / pool)

›Permanent Workshop upgrades burn $HOLD.
›Cosmetic and Commander NFT mints.
›Tournament entry fees feed the prize pool (zero-sum).
›Prestige resets and difficulty re-rolls burn for extra rewards.

⚠ SINK ≥ EARN — deflationary by design. Prize pools are zero-sum (entry fees redistribute to winners). There are no fixed-return or guaranteed-reward mechanics.

▸The Arena (PvP)

Competition is the retention engine and the reason $HOLD has demand.

›Async leaderboard — everyone plays the same seeded world each week. Score = waves survived + clear time + lives left. No real-time needed; anti-cheat via replay verification.
›Weekly reset — a fresh ladder every week gives a reason to return daily.
›Seasonal tournaments — $HOLD entry; top finishers split the pool and earn an NFT trophy.
›Guilds (later) — stake together and climb the guild rankings.

▸Roadmap

Phase 0 (now)

Build & brand — game complete; name, ticker, domain, logo, socials locked.

Phase 1

Free launch — playable web at strongholds.fun + viral X campaign + leaderboard beta.

Phase 2

$HOLD live — token launch and weekly tournaments go live, creating real demand.

Phase 3

Expand — NFT heroes & skins, guilds, mobile (PWA).

▸Tech

Engine

Three.js + Vite — web, mobile-first, no install

Chain

Solana — fast and cheap, game-friendly

Token

$HOLD (SPL)

Progress

Off-chain by default; on-chain when you opt in

Wallet

Optional — play the whole game without one

▸FAQ

Do I need a wallet to play?

No. The entire game is free and playable with no wallet. A wallet is only needed if you want to convert progress to $HOLD, join paid tournaments, or buy NFTs.

Is $HOLD pay-to-win?

No. $HOLD buys permanent upgrades and cosmetics, but core dungeons are beatable for free with skill. Competitive ladders are seeded and skill-scored.

How do I earn $HOLD?

By clearing dungeons (daily-capped), placing on the weekly leaderboard, or staking. Earning is skill-based and limited to keep the token deflationary.

When does the token launch?

In Phase 2, after the free game is live and the leaderboard is in beta. Watch the official X and Telegram for the announcement and contract address.

STRONGHOLD is a game. $HOLD is a utility token for in-game progression, cosmetics, and competition — it is not an investment, security, or a promise of profit. Token mechanics may change before and after launch. Always verify the contract address on official channels and never trust unsolicited links. Play responsibly.