Cube System Explained

The Hero-dric Cube is TBH's crafting and item customization system. It's one of the most powerful tools in the game — and one of the most confusing for new players. This guide breaks it down into plain English.

8 Cube Functions

What Is the Hero-dric Cube & How It Works

Think of the Cube as a workbench where you can transform, upgrade, and customize your gear. It lets you do things like:

• Turn useless common items into useful materials
• Combine low-rarity gear into higher-rarity gear
• Add custom stats to your equipment
• Change the appearance of your items

The Cube has its own level (separate from your hero levels) that unlocks new operations as it increases. You level up the Cube by using it — every operation grants Cube XP.

How to Unlock Every Cube Feature

Not all Cube features are available from the start. They unlock based on your Cube level:

All 8 Cube Operations

1. Alchemy

What it does: Breaks down unwanted items into crafting materials.

This is your recycling bin. Throw in gear you don't need, get materials back. Higher rarity items yield more and better materials. This is why you should never sell common materials — alchemy is the primary source of mid-to-late-game resources.

Pro tip: Alchemize all common and uncommon gear you're not using. Sell nothing unless you're desperate for gold.

2. Synthesis

What it does: Combines multiple items of the same rarity to create one item of the next rarity tier.

This is how you move up the rarity ladder without relying on drops. The exact formula is 9 items of the same rarity → 1 item of the next rarity tier (9:1 synthesis rule).

Important warning: The synthesis result is random — it may not produce the class or equipment slot you want. You could put in 9 Rare swords and get a Legendary staff that no one in your party can use.

Expected sale value: The expected sale value of a synthesized item is only about 1/3 of the total sale value of the 9 items used as materials. When gold is tight, selling raw items through Alchemy is better than Synthesis.

Gold priority: Rune Tree > Synthesis. In the early game when gold is scarce, your gold should go to the Rune Tree first — specifically hero slots and the Awakening Rune. Synthesis is a mid-to-late-game activity for when resources are abundant. Don't synthesize yourself into poverty while your hero slots are still locked.

Equipment Rarity Spectrum

TBH gear progresses through the following rarity tiers:

Pro tip: Save duplicate gear of the same type and rarity. Synthesizing 9 Rare Swords guarantees a Legendary Sword — you control the output by controlling the inputs. However, if you mix different types (e.g., 5 swords + 4 staves), the result is completely random.

3. Crafting

What it does: Creates brand new gear from materials. Unlike synthesis, you don't need existing gear — just materials.

Crafting recipes are discovered as you play. The game doesn't show you the recipe list — part of the fun is experimenting with material combinations. The community has documented most recipes; you can find them on the Discord or the TBH wiki.

Key advantage: Crafting is the primary way to get accessories (rings, amulets, belts) — they drop very rarely in the early game. While weapon and armor drops are common from stage farming, accessories almost exclusively come from crafting.

How it works: You use specific materials to craft gear of a specific type and level. The rarity is random, but the gear type is controllable — you choose whether to craft a ring, sword, or armor piece. This controllability makes crafting the most reliable way to fill specific equipment gaps in your party.

4. Decoration (Cosmetic)

What it does: Changes the visual appearance of your gear without affecting stats.

Pure fashion. If you like the look of a low-level sword but need the stats of your current weapon, decoration lets you transfer the appearance. No gameplay impact.

5. Engraving

What it does: Adds a fixed stat bonus to an item. Each engraving is permanent and consumes an engraving material.

Engravings are guaranteed stat additions — no RNG involved. The catch: each item has a limited number of engraving slots, and the materials are rare. Use engravings on gear you plan to keep long-term.

6. Inscription

What it does: Adds a randomized stat bonus. Unlike engraving, the result is random — you might get +5% ATK or +2% HP.

Inscriptions are the gambling mechanic of the Cube. They cost less than engravings but the outcome is unpredictable. Use inscriptions on mid-tier gear and engravings on your best items.

7. Extraction

What it does: Removes an engraving or inscription from one item so you can apply it to another.

Extraction is how you move valuable stat bonuses from old gear to new gear. It's expensive but prevents you from losing rare engravings when you upgrade to a better base item.

8. Offering

What it does: Sacrifice items to gain Cube XP. The XP scales with item rarity — a Legendary item gives far more XP than a Common one.

Offering is how you speed-level your Cube to unlock higher-tier features. It's the fastest way to reach Cube level 10 (for Immortal Synthesis and Steam Market access) and level 50 (for Celestial Synthesis).

Best Cube Upgrades to Prioritize First

1. Alchemize everything you don't equip. Build up your material stockpile from day one. Don't sell items — alchemize them.
2. Synthesize your way to Legendary. Once you have 3-4 Rare items of the same type, synthesize them into a Legendary. Legendary is the minimum rarity for Steam Market trading.
3. Offer spare rares to level up your Cube. Getting to Cube 10 is a priority — it unlocks Immortal Synthesis and, more importantly, the ability to trade on the Steam Market.
4. Save engravings for Immortal+ gear. Don't waste permanent engravings on anything below Immortal rarity. You'll replace that gear too quickly.

Top Cube Tips for Advanced Players

• Material hoarding pays off. Common materials seem useless for the first 20 levels, but alchemy recipes at higher Cube levels require massive quantities of base materials. Keep everything.
• Cube XP is fastest via Offering. If you want to rush Cube level 10, offer every Rare+ duplicate you don't plan to synthesize. The XP-per-item curve heavily favors higher rarities.
• The Steam Market opens at Cube 10. This is the milestone that lets you sell Legendary+ items for real Steam Wallet funds. For completely free-to-play players, this is how you earn spending money in the game.
• Synthesis output is influenced by input. Three Rare Knight Swords → one Legendary Sword (Knight-compatible). Three random Rare items → one random Legendary. Control your inputs to control your outputs.