Last Updated: July 27, 2026
Introduction
Frankenfish used to make my Boss Challenge board look much worse than it really was. My strongest Tatari were alive, my buffs were active, and the damage report still felt flat. The problem was not one weak attacker. The boss kept changing lanes, so half of my formation spent too much time aiming at empty water.
I now use one of two plans. If I have T3 Borelord, I force Frankenfish back into the first lane and stack my best damage around that kill lane. If I do not have the T3 Mole endpoint, I spread damage across all five lanes in a front-back zigzag so the boss always lands inside somebody's range.
The Borelord version has the higher ceiling. In the comparison behind this setup, it can roughly double the result of the spread version. That is not a promise for every account. The lock also depends on attack speed, knockback timing, support range, and a little luck. Still, it gives me a clear answer when Frankenfish keeps escaping.
For the rules I use before spending limited attempts, start with my Boss Challenge team guide.
Quick Answer
My best Frankenfish formation uses T3 Borelord to push the Water boss back toward lane one. Blitzmane adds Morale and another knockback. I put my strongest Lightning damage in that lane, then place Tideon and Hyphoria so their Fragile effects reach both the boss and the main attackers.
The rest of the board supports the lane from a distance:
- Cheerspring covers the front group with healing, attack, and defense support.
- Charflutter covers the back group with healing and an attack boost.
- Pandarrior and Rockong contribute across several lanes.
- Sonarbat applies Scouted and Bat: Fragile from a wide area.
- Galewether keeps cloud damage active as the boss shifts.
- Toucanzam links important Lightning attackers and supplies Charged support.
- Zapantler and a developed Unicorn-line DPS provide concentrated Lightning damage.
Without T3 Borelord, I do not fake the lock. I build a five-lane zigzag, put one strong Mantis-line attacker in a solo lane, and alternate front and back positions so Frankenfish's area attack does not punish several nearby Tatari at once. Galewether and Sonarbat become especially valuable because they can affect a large part of the board.
Why Frankenfish Keeps Stealing My Damage
Frankenfish is not difficult because it brings a crowded wave. It is difficult because it refuses to stay where I built my damage. A narrow attacker can look brilliant for a few seconds, then do almost nothing after the boss moves beyond its reach.
My best DPS loses uptime, and local buffs lose value at the same time. I stopped asking, "Which Tatari has the biggest number?" My better question is, "How many seconds can this Tatari actually hit Frankenfish?" The Borelord plan controls the boss. The spread plan controls my coverage.
My High-Ceiling T3 Borelord Formation
The key piece is T3 Borelord. Earlier Mole forms can move enemies, but the larger T3 attack area is what lets the claw reach Frankenfish from the required position and force it into the adjacent lane. I use that movement to return the boss to lane one before it travels across the board.
I place Blitzmane on the route because Thunder Roar adds knockback and grants nearby allies Morale damage support. Borelord handles the important lane change. Blitzmane helps keep the target away from the rest of the board while improving the attackers gathered around the kill lane.
Then I load lane one with the best damage that can keep firing into that position. My account can favor Zapantler, Voltmare, Boltallion, Galewether, or another developed Lightning DPS. Frankenfish is a Water boss, so Lightning pressure fits naturally, but I still judge each slot by range and actual damage.
The lock is not an excuse to place 15 attackers in one pile. I need Borelord to move Frankenfish, Fragile and attack support on the kill zone, and wide damage for the moments when the claw arrives late.
How I Build the Kill Lane
I treat the first lane as a small damage engine, not a parking space.
Borelord must reach the boss. If I place it one tile too far away, the whole idea collapses before damage becomes relevant. Blitzmane also needs a useful angle for Thunder Roar. I want the push to send Frankenfish toward the first lane, not bounce it into a new problem.
My highest DPS goes where it can attack after the push. I do not automatically put the highest-power Tatari at the very front. A fragile Unicorn or Deer that dies early cannot use its elemental advantage. I protect the carry and let the control pieces take the awkward positions.
Tideon sits where Haze Hex covers the boss. The cloud deals continuous area damage, adds Slow, and applies Fragile. Hyphoria goes close enough for Peaking Ring to reach the same zone. Its spores add another Fragile effect while granting attack speed and damage reduction to allies inside the ring.
That placement creates a tempting mistake: putting Hyphoria directly beside only the main carry. I prefer a tile that covers as many active attackers as possible. One perfectly buffed Tatari is nice. Four buffed Tatari hitting the same trapped boss are better.
My Support Placement
Cheerspring covers the front with healing, attack, defense, and its emergency response. Charflutter covers the back with healing and Flutter attack support. I split them instead of stacking both on the same group. Frankenfish can punish tight clusters, and my backline still needs help.
Sonarbat sits where Sonar Power reaches the kill lane. Perfectly Scouted pays out extra damage when the mark expires, while Bat: Fragile improves the whole team's pressure. Toucanzam supports the important Lightning pair with its Charged link. I aim that link at my developed Deer and Unicorn-line attackers instead of whichever units happen to stand nearby.
Pandarrior and Rockong are my coverage insurance when Frankenfish slips away. Galewether does the same through moving thunderclouds. The Unicorn and Sheep lines led the comparison, but the Unicorn had unusually heavy investment. Stars, food, tier, Dojo bonuses, and aura access can reorder the entire report.
Why Attack Speed Can Decide the Lock
The Borelord setup can still fail even when every Tatari is in the correct place. The claw must attack quickly enough to move Frankenfish before the boss reaches the far lanes.
A Lightning aura that raises attack speed can make the timing much steadier. On a developed account, Magnedart provides that team-wide Lightning aura. Other finished Lightning support options can also improve the cycle, depending on what the account owns.
When Frankenfish reaches lane five, I do not immediately blame Borelord's tier. I check:
- Did Hyphoria's attack-speed ring cover Borelord?
- Was the relevant Lightning aura active?
- Did Blitzmane push at a bad moment?
- Did Borelord spend too long attacking another position?
- Did one support die and break the timing?
Sometimes the answer is random combat behavior. I repeat a close setup before rebuilding it. If the boss escapes to lane five in three attempts, though, the lock is not stable on my account yet.
My No-Borelord Five-Lane Formation
When I do not have T3 Borelord, I spread the damage. Frankenfish will move, so every lane needs a credible attack window.
I use a zigzag shape:
- Lane one gets a front-positioned attacker.
- Lane two gets a back-positioned attacker.
- Lane three returns to the front.
- Lane four goes to the back.
- Lane five returns to the front.
The exact starting direction can flip. The important rule is that neighboring lanes should not place every Tatari in one tight horizontal block. Frankenfish's area damage can hit around its target. Alternating front and back positions reduces the chance that one attack punishes several adjacent pieces.
I also check range. A back-positioned melee Tatari can look safely spaced while contributing nothing. Every attacker must reach at least one common Frankenfish position, and the wide units should cover several.
Why I Leave the Mantis in a Solo Lane
I give Serrabloom or the best available Mantis-line form a lane by itself. The Mantis attacks quickly enough to trigger Frankenfish's next movement without needing a second local DPS.
That saves a strong attacker for another lane. It also limits the damage from the boss's area hit. Packing two expensive carries beside a Mantis that already handles the trigger is not extra efficiency. It is a donation to the fish.
The other lanes get enough damage to make Frankenfish move again. I do not need identical strength everywhere. Cheerspring covers the busiest front group, while Hyphoria supports another cluster. Rockong and Pandarrior touch several boss positions. Sonarbat and Galewether cover nearly the whole field.
Waveflutter is my control option. If Somno-Shot turns repeated nearby damage into Sleep, Frankenfish stays in one place a little longer. That creates another attack cycle for the local DPS. I use it when the surrounding attackers trigger the effect often enough; I do not add Butterfly to an isolated corner and hope.
The Two MVP Slots Without the Lock
My heavily invested Unicorn can still lead, but Galewether and Sonarbat are the safer expectations. Galewether's clouds keep dealing damage across changing positions. Sonarbat covers a wide area and turns team damage into a stronger Scouted payout.
If either one is underdeveloped, I replace the job with wide damage, continuous damage, or a debuff that reaches several boss positions. A narrow premium DPS can win one lane. It will not replace board-wide uptime.
My Five-Attempt Testing Routine
Boss Challenge attempts are limited, so I give each one a purpose.
Attempt one: I run T3 Borelord and note the boss lane plus damage order.
Attempt two: I move one support, usually Hyphoria or Toucanzam.
Attempt three: I test more attack speed, a better Borelord angle, or one stronger carry.
Attempt four: I run the no-Borelord zigzag as a stable baseline.
Attempt five: I repeat the winner. One lucky lock can flatter a bad setup.
I record four things: final damage, the lane where Frankenfish spent the most time, the first Tatari that died, and the top five damage dealers. Those notes tell me what to change. The final number alone only tells me that something changed.
Mistakes That Lower My Frankenfish Score
I tried the lock below T3. Earlier Mole forms do not reproduce Borelord's larger attack coverage. If the claw cannot reach the boss, the formation has no engine.
I stacked every attacker in lane one. The kill lane still needs support range, wide backup damage, and enough spacing to survive.
I ignored attack speed. A late knockback is almost the same as no knockback. Hyphoria coverage and a Lightning aura can decide whether Frankenfish escapes.
I spread the no-lock formation in a straight line. The boss's area hit punished neighboring Tatari together. The front-back zigzag fixed that exposure.
I put two carries beside Mantis. Serrabloom can trigger the next movement alone. I use the saved DPS in a weaker lane.
I copied somebody else's damage order. A deeply invested Unicorn can lead one account while Galewether or Sonarbat leads another. I trust my own report.
I changed four positions after one attempt. That gave me a new score and no explanation. One controlled change is slower for five minutes and faster for the rest of the event.
Which Formation Should I Use?
I use the T3 Borelord kill lane when the lock holds twice and the account has enough attack speed to keep it stable. It has the better ceiling because my strongest DPS and buffs keep working on one target area.
I use the zigzag when Borelord is below T3, when the boss repeatedly reaches lane five, or when concentrating damage causes too many deaths. The score can be lower, but a stable baseline beats a formation that succeeds once every ten attempts.
I do not rush Borelord only for one leaderboard day if the account still lacks core damage and support. I consider the T3 project when Frankenfish returns often enough to matter, the Rock materials are available, and the rest of my Boss Challenge roster already has useful Lightning damage, Fragile, and healing.
Final Take
My Frankenfish answer is simple: control the boss or cover the board.
With T3 Borelord, I push Frankenfish back into lane one, use Blitzmane as extra control and Morale support, stack Fragile around the kill zone, and keep wide attackers ready for imperfect timing. Attack speed is part of the formation, not a luxury.
Without Borelord, I alternate front and back positions across all five lanes. Serrabloom handles one lane alone, while Galewether, Sonarbat, Rockong, Pandarrior, and the support layer keep damage active as the boss moves.
I test both versions on my account. The kill lane has the higher ceiling. The zigzag has the lower entry requirement. The correct one is the formation that keeps Frankenfish inside useful range for most of the attempt.
FAQ
What is the best formation for Frankenfish?
My highest-ceiling formation uses T3 Borelord to push Frankenfish back into lane one. Blitzmane adds knockback and Morale, Tideon and Hyphoria apply Fragile, and wide attackers such as Galewether, Sonarbat, Rockong, and Pandarrior cover late movement.
Do I need T3 Borelord for Frankenfish?
No. T3 Borelord is required for the kill-lane lock, but a five-lane zigzag works without it. Alternate front and back positions, put enough damage in every lane, and use wide attackers that can keep hitting after Frankenfish moves.
Why does my Borelord formation stop working?
The usual causes are weak attack-speed support, missed Hyphoria coverage, a bad knockback angle, or random timing. If Frankenfish reaches lane five repeatedly, improve the attack cycle or use the spread formation.
Which Tatari deal the most damage against Frankenfish?
Galewether and Sonarbat are reliable because they cover a wide area. A well-invested Lightning Unicorn or Deer can lead the report, but stars, food, tier, aura access, and Dojo bonuses decide the order on each account.
How should I position a team without Borelord?
I alternate front and back positions across the five lanes instead of making one straight line. The zigzag reduces overlap from Frankenfish's area damage while keeping at least one useful attacker in every lane.
Is Borelord worth evolving to T3 for Boss Challenge?
It can be worth it when Frankenfish is a repeated leaderboard target and the account already owns useful Lightning damage, Fragile, healing, and attack-speed support. I do not delay several core projects only to build one specialized lock.