9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Nothing

King of Nothing focuses on single-unit enhancement and poison application. This strategy builds around creating one overwhelmingly powerful unit while using poison to handle enemy swarms. The approach has become more manageable with recent perk system changes.

Required Perks

You need Agricultural x3, Protector x2, and more than one way to reroll. Extra perks are nice, but they're not necessary to carry out the main plan.

Strategy Execution

Roll for Spell while avoiding Stone as an opponent. Your starting hand must contain Soldier or Paladin units. Place your castle at the edge of your back row and position your chosen unit in the middle. Surround this unit with two Farms, upgrading one immediately.

Focus initial upgrades on your primary unit rather than surrounding structures. Select Poison Thorn as your first augment to resolve early-game damage issues and simplify Nothing and Progress encounters.

Unit Enhancement

Acquire Libraries as quickly as possible and place them adjacent to your primary unit. During year 11 rainbow rounds, select Gigantify for your unit. Obtain Carnage cards and apply at least 10 stacks before adding Poison stacks.

Paladins can function without additional poison if you acquire early Temple or additional Gigantify effects. Avoid adding Reinforce, Vampirism, or other enchantments as they interfere with Library targeting until year 33.

Augment Selection

Poison Thorn serves as your mandatory first augment, solving low DPS problems and turning Nothing and Progress into manageable encounters. For subsequent augments, always choose Double HP (Feast) when available, with doubling poison as a weaker alternative.

Loot Priorities

Target Nothing for Unit cards, then Wildcard, then Farm options. Blood provides Carnage opportunities. Nature offers Procreate, Clone, and late-game Poison application after year 30.

Spell provides Library and Offering cards. Greed offers Bank and Over-invest options. Progress provides Overhaul opportunities. Stone offers Cauldron for placement behind the castle or between the castle and the unit.

Alliance Management

Spell serves as a mandatory ally. Nature, Greed, and Progress function as beneficial friends. You face no particularly problematic enemies. Never ally with Stone.

Tips for Success

Your single enhanced unit becomes capable of handling entire enemy armies when properly upgraded.

Libraries provide the scaling mechanism for your unit's power growth. Timing Carnage and Poison application correctly determines late-game success.

Also, check our other guides below:

• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Progress
• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Blood
• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Stone
• 9 Kings Guide | How to Beat King IX as King of Spell