How do you unlock Cactus?

Kill 100 cactus enemies with Thorns damage. Desert Tier 1 runs are commonly used because cactus enemies spawn there.

Does Cactus scale with Thorns?

Yes. The spikes Cactus releases when you take damage scale with your Thorns value.

What synergizes with Cactus?

Thorns Tome and items that increase Thorns (e.g., Spiky Shield) pair well. Defensive, close-range builds benefit the most.

Cactus

⭐ COMMON ITEM

Effect: Shoots spikes when you take damage. Damage scales with Thorns. Unlock: Kill 100 cactus enemies with Thorns damage.

Quick tip

Early in the article we link back to the Items Database for quick browsing.

Rarity

Common (community consensus)

Trigger

When YOU are hit

Scales With

Thorns

Unlock

100 cactus kills via Thorns

🧪 How Cactus Works

Cactus turns taking damage into offense: whenever you’re hit, it emits spikes whose damage scales with your current Thorns value. This naturally rewards close-range, defensive play.

Mechanics

Triggers on incoming hits to you (contact/projectiles).
Spike damage increases with your Thorns (from tomes/items).
Best on builds that can safely take chip damage while retaliating.

🔓 How to Unlock Cactus

Run the Desert (Tier 1) map where cactus enemies spawn.
Ensure you have Thorns Tome online; let Thorns deal the killing blow.
Repeat until you accumulate 100 cactus kills by Thorns in total.

Player-tested routes include resetting if cacti don’t appear early and stacking defensive stats to survive while Thorns does the job.

🔗 Best Synergies

Thorns Tome

Directly increases the stat Cactus scales with—higher Thorns = stronger spikes.

See Thorns Tome →

Spiky Shield

Converts Armor into additional Thorns, multiplying Cactus spike damage over time.

Spiky Shield details →

Aegis (Weapon)

Fits close-range defensive play; historical patches tweaked cactus-vs-Aegis interactions, but the style remains complementary.

Aegis weapon page →

📋 Patch & Balance Notes

v1.0.7 (2025-09-03): “Cactus projectiles can no longer pierce Aegis; shoot fewer cactus projectiles.” (enemy behavior; affects Desert runs feel)

v1.0.17 (2025-10-24): General balance & performance updates; check recent notes when following older guides.