Hull Rupture Wave 5: Clear the First Boss Check
Treat wave 5 as a focused boss check: put your strongest turret where it covers the shared approach, add a second lane or a Barracks unit, and keep the Airlock defended. Upgrade the turret already covering the main lane instead of spreading weak fire across the hull.
Quick answer
Wave 5 is the first concentrated-defense check in a Classic run. Treat it as a boss problem rather than another ordinary wave: you do not need a rare perfect ship, but you do need enough fire in the right place and a fallback behind it.
What the wave asks for
The first boss arrives while your economy is still small. A defense that is spread evenly across the hull will often fail because no single lane does enough damage. A defense that is too concentrated can fail if the boss or its escorts arrive from a second approach.
The practical target is a small number of upgraded turrets covering the shared approach, plus one layer that can stop anything that gets through.
A stable three-turret setup
- Put the first turret at the front or top approach so it can fire into the first lane.
- Put the second turret on the other approach, not directly beside the first.
- Put the third turret next to the Airlock as the fallback.
- Upgrade the turret that already covers the main lane before adding a fourth weak turret at the back.
A workable shape is a few upgraded turrets on the main approach, plus a Barracks and at least one Juggernaut behind the Airlock. If the shop offers a different heavy unit or a strong entrance upgrade, use what you have; the shape matters more than the exact kit names.
When a Barracks is the better buy
If the shop offers a Barracks and the upgrade that greatly increases its damage, that can be a valid alternative to spending everything on another turret. An upgraded entrance room is another way to survive the first boss.
Choose the option that uses the resources you already have. Do not sell your entire production base for a single rare turret; the run still has 15 waves to go after this one.
Before the wave starts
- Make sure your workers are assigned.
- Keep the Reproducer and Human Storage running.
- Hold a small reserve to replace losses.
- Leave combat units or a strong Airlock layer as the last line.
- Check that your main turret is upgraded, not just present.
If the wave is already at the door, do not start a long construction project. Spend what you have on the lane that is actually being attacked.
If the attempt fails
Change the concentration of fire or the fallback, not the whole build. If the boss reached the Airlock with a sliver of health, one upgrade or one more unit behind the door may be enough. If the boss never took serious damage, the problem is the lane, not the last line.
Wave 5 is cleared when the boss dies and the run continues. Use the result as information: a defense that barely survived is a warning for the next boss check, not a finished build.