A crusade is a short roguelite run. The skill is knowing when to stop.
The flow
Enter, clear a room, take the path that pays. Each room risks health for reward. The boss waits at the end, and you arrive with what you kept.
Push vs bank
Push when your weapon is strong and your hearts are full. Bank and leave when low. A crusade you finish with less is still a win; one you die in is nothing.
The greedy room
The room that ends a run is the one past your limit. A chest behind hard enemies, a fight at low health. Skip it. The next crusade is reachable.
Resources first
Take the resources that fuel the cult. A crusade that banks wood and faith did its job even if you left early. The boss can wait for a stronger you.
The combat guide covers the dodging that keeps a crusade alive room to room.
Pace the descent
Each crusade is a branching path of rooms; pick the route by what you need — combat for resources, the healing heart room when hurt, the prisoner room for recruits. Tarot cards (curses and boons) stack, so read each before you take it; a bad curse compounds across the run. The boss room at the end drops a relic, so clear it even if you skip side rooms.
Know when to leave
If a room is going wrong, retreat toward the exit rather than fight to the last follower. A crusade that ends early still banks what you gathered; a wipe loses it. The combat guide covers the dodging that keeps each room winnable.