Orcs Must Die 3 – Best AFK Skull Farming Build Guide

This is a method for collecting Skulls in the game that’s made to be super easy and needs very little effort. You can get about 3 Skulls in just 3 minutes. All you have to do is set it up a bit, and then hold down the left mouse button.

AFK Skull Farming Guide

Can you believe you can both watch Netflix and collect Skulls at the same time?

Here’s the main idea: You’ll keep replaying the first mission, North Wing, over and over.

Many others have suggested using this mission to grind for skulls. While there are faster ways to beat this level, I aimed to create a method that requires minimal effort.

I set up a trap strategy using only the starting coins, and after that, you just have to stand in one spot without moving the mouse. You can get 3 Bonus Skulls each time for a Perfect Victory and being Untouchable. It takes about 3 minutes, so roughly 1 minute per Skull. The actual Skulls per minute can vary because you might get the occasional random Skull drop, and you need to consider how quickly you can set up. I did this on Warmage difficulty.

I tested various setups, and this is the only one that has been completely reliable as far as I know. Other setups would sometimes result in taking damage or some enemies slipping past. However, feel free to try out different approaches and see what works best for you.

The Loadout

Here’s a list of traps and items you’ll need for this setup, along with their required upgrades. You can potentially skip a few, but for consistent results, I recommend using all of them once you have the necessary Skulls:

• Bladestaff: No upgrades are needed. You won’t use the secondary ability or healing.

• Trap Reset Trinket: This is optional, but having the unique upgrade for increased passive reset speed can help with the Grinder.

• Barricade: Upgrade it to the needed level so they’re cost-effective.

• Ceiling Laser: This is crucial. You’ll need to maximize the cost reduction and apply the fire damage upgrade.

• Grinder: This is to handle occasional medium orcs that get too close. I maxed out the Cooldown upgrade and selected the Slow unique upgrade. You might be able to get by without upgrades, but I haven’t tested that.

• Tar Trap: Max out Slow and add bonus fire damage for more effective lasers. There were a few instances where I forgot to place it, and it was still fine, so it might be optional.

The Setup

Begin by putting a barricade in the front right corner, and then place another one diagonally across from it.

Next, position two ceiling lasers on the left side. You’ll need to rotate them once. Make sure not to place them too far forward or backward. A helpful tip is to align the end of the laser with the wooden beam on the ceiling.

After that, set the Grinder in line with the last pair of lasers.

Lastly, put a Tar Trap between the front and middle sets of lasers.

The Breakdown

This is what the full setup looks like.

Another angle.

Position yourself by standing slightly away diagonally from the bottom right laser, as shown in the image. It doesn’t need to be very precise; the Bladestaff has enough range to keep you safe in this general area.

Start the wave, and then simply hold down the left-click (Normal Attack) with the Bladestaff. The range and attack speed will prevent enemies from bypassing the choke point or reaching you. At the end of the third wave, press ‘G’ once more to start the final wave. Holding down the left-click and pressing ‘G’ are the only actions required, so you can watch a movie or do something else while you grind for Skulls.

Additional Remarks

I hope this guide proves helpful for anyone looking to earn Skulls more easily. It’s quite straightforward, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.

Additionally, I’d like to share a tip for newer players who can quickly earn Skulls by taking advantage of the Endless mode new high score bonus. Here’s how it works:

• Launch the mission and defeat just one enemy, then intentionally fail.
• Relaunch the mission, this time defeat only two enemies, and intentionally fail.
• Repeat this process with 3 kills, 4 kills, and so on.

Please note that this method is not repeatable because it only works when you beat your previous record and won’t work if you’ve already played these missions casually. Nevertheless, it can be a faster way to earn Skulls in the short term.