Endless mode is the most replayed content in Guts & Blackpowder. Compact maps cycle through escalating zombie waves until the team collapses �?and every fifth wave pays Francs while respawning fallen allies. Understanding Endless map layouts, wave scaling math, and spawn compositions separates casual survivors from efficient Franc farmers. This page covers every Endless arena, the formulas governing difficulty, and loadout recommendations tied to our weapons and game modes guides.
All Endless Maps
| Map | Layout | Difficulty | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Church | Single building with staircases | Easy | Beginner farming, learning wave flow |
| Trenches | Narrow trench lines with chokepoints | Medium | Optimal Franc farming, Sapper tar plays |
| Courtyard | Open central courtyard with walls | Medium | Blunderbuss crowd control |
| Bridge | Linear bridge with limited retreat | Hard | High-skill teams, challenge runs |
| Ruins | Multi-level destroyed town | Hard | Vertical combat, runner management |
Wave Scaling Formulas
Endless difficulty increases predictably each wave. While exact spawn values are tuned by developers during patches, the community-documented scaling follows these general formulas:
Zombie Spawn Count
Total shamblers and runners per wave approximate:
Spawn Count = 8 + (Wave × 3)
Wave 1 spawns roughly 11 zombies. Wave 10 spawns approximately 38. Wave 20 pushes near 68 simultaneous threats if the team has not cleared previous stragglers. Special zombie slots add on top of this base count.
Special Zombie Introduction
| Wave | Special Additions |
|---|---|
| Wave 1�? | Shamblers only |
| Wave 3+ | Runners mixed in (1 per wave, scaling) |
| Wave 6+ | Bombers appear (1 every 2 waves) |
| Wave 10+ | Zappers added to spawn pool |
| Wave 15+ | Igniters begin spawning |
| Wave 20+ | Cuirassiers possible each wave |
Franc Payout Formula
Franc rewards trigger at every fifth wave:
Franc Payout = 15 + (Wave ÷ 5) × 10
Wave 5 pays roughly 25 Francs. Wave 10 pays about 35. Wave 20 pays approximately 55. Hardcore Endless doubles all payout values. Additional Francs come from healing (Surgeon), saving grabbed soldiers, and kill participation throughout the run. Combine wave payouts with our Francs farming guide for session planning.
Inter-Wave Timer
Between waves, teams receive a brief preparation window �?typically 15 seconds at low waves, shrinking to 8 seconds by wave 15. Use this time to reload, redeploy tar bottles, heal injuries, and reposition Sapper barricades. Musicians should stay near the firing line during prep so drum buffs are active when the next wave spawns.
Map-Specific Strategies
Old Church is the training ground. Staircases create natural chokepoints where a single blunderbuss Seaman holds the upper landing while Infantry fires from below. Farm here until you consistently reach wave 10 before moving to harder arenas.
Trenches is the Franc farming king. Narrow passages maximize tar bottle value and blunderbuss spread. Stack Sapper barricades at trench bends and assign one Surgeon to the rear with full bandage stacks from the utilities shop. Most Hardcore farming groups target wave 15�?0 on Trenches for optimal Francs-per-hour.
Courtyard demands perimeter awareness. Open sightlines help musket and carbine players but punish teams without a dedicated crowd-control player. Position Musicians centrally for maximum buff radius.
Hardcore Endless Considerations
Hardcore modifier doubles Franc payouts but increases zombie damage. A grab that costs half health in normal mode can down a player outright in Hardcore. Only queue Hardcore after your team reliably reaches wave 10 on normal difficulty. The investment in shop gear �?carbine, bandage stacks, tar bottles �?pays for itself within two successful Hardcore sessions compared to normal mode grinding.
Related Pages
- Maps hub �?all map categories.
- Objective maps �?campaign map list.
- Game modes �?Endless vs Holdout vs Hardcore.
- Endless build guide �?optimized class loadouts.
- Shop and Francs �?spending your wave earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Endless waves pay Francs?
Every fifth wave (5, 10, 15, 20�? triggers a Franc payout and respawns all dead players. Plan your shop purchases around these milestones.
What is the best Endless map for Franc farming?
Trenches and Old Church are the most popular farming maps due to compact chokepoints. Hardcore mode doubles payouts �?see game modes.
How many zombies spawn per wave?
Spawn count scales with wave number using the formula: base count + (wave × multiplier). Exact values are listed in the wave scaling section below.
Do special zombies appear in Endless?
Yes. Runners appear from wave 3, Bombers from wave 6, and Zappers from wave 10 onward. Cuirassiers and Igniters appear at higher waves.
What loadout works best for Endless?
Carbine or blunderbuss for DPS, full bandage stacks for Surgeon, tar bottles for Sapper. Full details on our weapons and Endless build pages.