TBH: Task Bar Hero Runes Guide: Unlock Every Hero Slot Fast

TBH: Task Bar Hero starts you with a single hero and a deceptively deep progression system underneath. The game does not explain it well, but your single biggest early upgrade is not a piece of gear or a skill point — it's a second body on the battlefield. Getting that second Hero Slot, and eventually a third, requires navigating the Runes tree with a clear plan. Spend gold in the wrong order and you'll stall your progression for longer than necessary. This guide lays out exactly what to buy, when to buy it, and what to do once your party grows.

Rune of Command unlocked

How does the Runes tree work in TBH: Task Bar Hero?

The Runes tree becomes available the moment your first hero hits Level 3, which takes roughly five minutes of active play. Once unlocked, a Runes symbol lights up at the bottom of the Hero menu. Click it to open the tree, where you spend gold on permanent passive upgrades that affect your entire formation.

Nodes in the tree cover a wide range of effects: combat stats, gold income per kill, chest drop rates, inventory capacity, offline reward multipliers, and the Hero Slot upgrades that this guide focuses on. The tree is organized by direction, and understanding which direction does what saves you from wandering into upgrades that won't help you right now.

The south path is where you're headed first.

What is the exact path to unlock the second Hero Slot?

Hero Slots are gated behind Rune of Command nodes, which sit further down the south path of the Runes tree. You cannot jump straight to them. Two prerequisite nodes must be purchased first:

• Rune of War: 100 gold
• Rune of Growth (one level): 200 gold

After those two purchases, the first Rune of Command node becomes available. Unlocking it adds a second Hero Slot and lets you deploy a second hero through the Formation menu. Total cost to reach this point: 300 gold plus the Rune of Command's own cost, which is accessible very early in a session.

For a deeper breakdown of which hero to slot in that second position, the TBH: Task Bar Hero beginner's guide covers starting class choices and early formation priorities in detail.

Deploy your second hero here

How do you unlock the third Hero Slot?

The third slot is a significant investment. After securing the first extra Hero Slot, you need to unlock two Rune of Expansion nodes before the final Rune of Command node appears. That final node costs 150,000 gold.

That number looks intimidating early on, and it should — this is a medium-term goal, not something you rush straight toward. The mistake most players make is hoarding every piece of gold toward 150,000 without touching anything else. That approach actually slows you down, because cheap economy Runes improve your gold income while you save.

A smarter path looks like this:

1. Reach Level 3 to unlock the Runes tree
2. Buy Rune of War for 100 gold
3. Buy one level of Rune of Growth for 200 gold
4. Unlock the first Rune of Command for your second Hero Slot
5. Build a stable two-hero party and farm consistently
6. Max the stage-boss Rune of Wealth (three levels at 200, 300, and 500 gold — adds +30 gold per boss kill, pays for itself after roughly 34 boss rewards)
7. Grab Rune of Repose for 100 gold if you close the game regularly (unlocks offline gold and XP rewards)
8. Pick up any economy or XP Runes costing 1,000 gold or less that improve gold per kill or chest drop rates
9. Continue south through the Rune of Expansion nodes
10. Save to 150,000 gold and unlock the final Rune of Command

Which economy Runes are worth buying before hitting 150,000 gold?

Not all detours are equal. These specific nodes offer strong returns without derailing your Hero Slot savings:

• Rune of Wealth (boss gold): Three levels costing 200, 300, and 500 gold. Each level adds +10 gold per stage boss kill. At 1,000 gold total, the investment pays back after about 34 boss rewards.
• Rune of Wealth (flat gold per kill): Costs 1,000 gold and adds +1 gold per kill. Breaks even after 1,000 kills, which happens fast on active stages.
• Rune of Wealth (percentage gold per kill): Worth picking up when cheap, but don't over-invest while enemies still give small gold amounts.
• Rune of Exploration (common chest drop chance): Harder to calculate exact value, but more chests means more gear to equip, synthesize, or sell through Alchemy.
• Rune of Repose: Just 100 gold. Unlocks offline rewards including gold and experience. Essential if you're not playing actively for long stretches.

Should you unlock the extra Skill Slot before the third Hero Slot?

No. The additional Skill Slot, which sits to the right of the third Formation slot and costs 50,000 gold, is a meaningful upgrade but a worse early investment than the third Hero Slot.

A third hero brings entirely new attacks, a fresh set of equipment slots, and brand-new skills. That's more combat value than a second skill slot on an existing hero, especially because early-game heroes rarely have enough skill points to make heavy use of secondary skills anyway. Lock in all three Hero Slots first, then circle back to the Skill Slot.

Path to the third Hero Slot

What's the best party once all three Hero Slots are open?

With three slots available, the most reliable free-to-play setup is Knight, Ranger, and Priest. Knight absorbs damage from the front, Ranger delivers consistent high-speed damage, and Priest keeps the party alive through healing and support. This combination handles both farming efficiency and survivability on harder stages.

For two-hero stages during the grind to the third slot, strong pairings include Knight + Ranger, Knight + Priest, or Priest + Ranger. Which one to run depends on the gear you've accumulated. If you have strong offensive equipment, Knight + Ranger pushes stages faster. If survivability is the issue, either combination involving Priest stabilizes your runs.

For free-to-play players building toward a full roster, the recommended unlock order is Sorcerer first, then Knight, then Ranger. The Priest class is available as free DLC and worth grabbing early. If you're open to paid DLC, Hunter is the standout option over Slayer.

Check out the best team combinations guide for a full breakdown of hero pairings, including premium roster options.

How do you farm gold fast enough to reach 150,000?

The fastest gold comes from farming the highest stage your current party can clear consistently, not from pushing into stages you might fail. Failed stage bosses drop no chests, and chests are your primary source of gear to sell through Alchemy in the Cube.

Alchemy converts unwanted items directly into gold. The Cube unlocks at Level 4, and once it's available, running Alchemy on excess gear is the most reliable way to accelerate your Rune purchases. Use Alt + Left Click to lock items you want to keep before running auto-fill, since locked items won't be swept into the Alchemy slots.

For players looking to convert their gear progress into actual Steam Wallet funds, the TBH: Task Bar Hero guide on earning Steam money explains how to farm and sell high-rarity items on the Steam Market.

Alchemy converts gear into gold

Why can't you add more heroes even after unlocking a class?

This is the most common point of confusion. Buying or claiming a class gives you access to that hero, but it does not increase the number of heroes you can deploy simultaneously. You need a Rune of Command node for each additional slot.

If heroes still won't deploy after purchasing the Rune, check these:

• Confirm your hero has been unlocked through the Formation tab (there's a gold cost to unlock each character before deploying)
• Make sure the hero has actually been placed into an open slot, not just unlocked
• Verify the Rune of Command node is fully purchased and not just highlighted in the tree

Once a hero is deployed, you can reposition them using the arrow buttons in the Formation menu with no cooldown. Swapping a hero out entirely carries a 60-second cooldown, so plan position changes before a tough stage rather than mid-run.

For a complete look at everything else the game doesn't explain well, the full TBH: Task Bar Hero guide collection covers the Cube system, gear farming, pets, and more.