Retcon Guide

This page is a User Guide
It represents one editor's approach to a subject.
It is not in any way "official", nor is it necessarily maintained by Wiki editors
Take this information with a grain of salt.

This guide assumes you are somewhat familiar with the mechanics behind Retcon.

If you want to experience the joy of overcoming Retcon and discovering its ins and outs on your own, immediately press the "back" button on your browser or close this tab/window, then continue enjoying Twilight Heroes.

If you want help and don't mind spoiling a little of Retcon's mystique, keep reading.

Note: The information here is mostly accurate as of November 2010. So, it may be a little out of date on specifics.

What do I get out of Retcon?

There are several rewards for whaling on the Mick endlessly, including:

Quest rewards. Quest items such as the Skeptic Sandals are removed, but you get to keep Gold Coins, Blue Chip, bonus skill points etc. if you haven't sold/used them.
Medals of Mettle, based on the difficulty of your run. These can either be combined to make a fairly useful early-game accessory or to buy powerful gear/bonuses at Nocturne's shop.
If your run was worth more than 1 mettle, you get to "perm" one skill you have learned so far and keep it for all of your subsequent runs(except no-permed skill ones, of course). The base mettle has to be worth more than 1, getting bonus mettle for completing space station is not enough to give you a permed skill.
More skill points on your next runs. You will have as many bonus skill points as runs you've done previously, spread over levels 2-11.
Bragging Rights for "maso" runs, those set to maximum mettle. Bragging rights for if you make a one of the Top Ten scoreboards as well.
The most important: Lulz!

Before Retcon

All optional, but these precautions may save you a lot of trouble later.

If you have positronic computers, swap them with electronic ones. You're going to lose whatever you have installed in your computer labs.
Obtain as many as you can/want of the "items" to pull (listed below).
If you don't want extra items cluttering up your Deep Storage screen, clear out your inventory by putting stuff in your Momento case, storing it in Hideout (don't forget it's there), or selling it.
Make sure your Sidekick has at least the skills Jujitsu expert, Documentarian, Flea market trader and Egyptian knife fighter/Karate expert.

Pick Your Retcon

Not all retcons are created equal. An evaluation of the merits of each.

Class

Here is a generalization of the various strengths and weaknesses of each class. Over time, as you perm up the skills from each, class differences in skills become less relevant.

Naturalist

Pros: Very powerful offensive skills, Taming, high HP, great buffs, decent combat stats.
Cons: Limited self-healing, late-game normal attack can be inaccurate.

Elemental

Pros: Powerful offensive spells, versatile buffs, high PP, can swim in Porcelain Bay naturally.
Cons: Weak combat stats, low HP.

Gadgeteer

Pros: Excellent combat stats, offensive spells weaken enemies.
Cons: Offensive spells do little damage, some permed skills don't benefit other classes much.

Psion

Pros: Excellent combat stats at low level, high PP, good farming skills, good offensive spells, higher aura capacity.
Cons: Low HP, weak combat stats at high level.

Part of the fun of retcon is trying them all and combining their skills together. Beginners might find it easy to go with naturalist, since they have the easiest time taking down tough bosses and level up quickly thanks to Taming.

Items/Pulls

You have several options.

All items available immediately (-4 mettle)- While it may be tempting to immediately have access to any powerful gear and consumables you have, the -4 mettle will set you back quite a bit if you plan on shopping at Nocturne's. If you couldn't care less about mettle medals, though, this does cut down on a lot of hassle/strategizing.
Max pulls (10/day) and get a break after 48 hours of patrolling(-2 mettle)- Similar to the previous option. Most low-mettle retcons don't last 40 hours, let alone 48, so again, if mettle is not a concern, you might as well go for the above.
Max pulls (10/day) (0 mettle)- This is the baseline option. If you find you have too many items to grab, go for the "some pulls" option instead.
Some pulls (5/day) (+2 mettle)- This option requires much more consideration and efficiency than "max pulls", since you only have 5.
No pulls (+5 mettle)- A very difficult option, since, aside from free pulls, you'll have to loot or purchase almost all items you want, including certain quest-required items.

Skills

All permed skills available (0 mettle)- This is a good option for later runs, considering some permed skills benefit greatly.
Permed skills remembered, but only class skills can have skill points applied (+2 mettle)- Having your non-class permed skills left at lv. 0 isn't that bad, especially if you want to focus on putting SP into class skills you believe are equally worthy.
No permed skills remembered (+5 mettle)- The only permed skill you could possibly have on your first retcon is Precompletion_Pro, which isn't of much value compared to the extra mettle, so your first retcon run won't suffer with this option. However, part of what makes repeated retcons easy is the extra permed skills. If you want a fresh challenge, this is the option for you.

Food

Both caffeine and sugar (0 mettle)- No sacrifice made. Not a bad idea, especially if you want to finish the retcon fast.
Decaf (no caffeine) (+3 mettle)- Statistically, this is less efficient than Diet. With sugar only, you get only .5-1 hours a day for 3 mettle, unless you decide to pull high-level sugar items. Compare this with the 2-3 hours a day for +2 mettle, and Decaf pales in comparison to Diet.
Diet (no sugar) (+2 mettle)- This is the option probably best suited for those who want a small challenge with regard to turns.
Naturally hyper: no caffeine or sugar, but +1 hour/day (+3 mettle)- Slightly better than decaf, since you gain 1 hour automatically and reliably, whereas with decaf, you can get anywhere from 30 to 85 minutes (less without Sugar Purifier). Still not as efficient as Diet, however.
Abstainer (no caffeine, no sugar) (+5 mettle)- With this, you will only receive 45-60 turns a day, plus level-up time bonuses, but if you can stand it, the +5 mettle will be well worth the extra mile.

SideKick/Understudy

Sidekick with you from the beginning (0 mettle)- The sidekick can provide a bonus to defense, items/chips, damage-dealing and any other number of things, and if you're struggling with no sidekick, this can be a good choice.
Sidekick has to be recruited at level 9 (+2 mettle)- This isn't too great a sacrifice, given that your sidekick, being based on your level, is fairly weak anyway until you hit level 9. On the other hand, short help is better than no help. It depends on how much you enjoy the benefits of what the low-level sidekick can bring you.

Items to Pull

Recommended. Note: Naturalists fare better with melee weapons, Gadgeteers should stick to ranged weapons, and Elementals and Psions are good with either, as with them, (ranged weapons tend towards more reliable but less damaging, and melee tends towards less reliable but more damaging). Special Note: Items that are either Items of the Month (IotM) or that come from an IotM are usually superior to their normal equivalents. However, many of them have high level requirements or can't be used during pull-restricted runs.

Utilities

Mister Tea - Extremely efficient use of caffeine, gives 3 whole hours. Requires level 5, but coffee shop items should do in the meantime.

Scalpel energy drink, Bray energy drink- Same as the above, but requires level 6 and is even more powerful. Don't forget to fill up the 2 caffeine you will have left after two drinks!

Blue chip, gold coin - Basically a ton of instant chips. Two gold coins can easily carry you through all of Retcon if you are careful.

Stroopwafel - If you picked a sugar-included option, this is the most efficient of the common sugar items. Granted, you can't use it until level 7, but it's still efficient.

Frosted cocoa-fruity marshmallow blasts- Sugar that is harder to get than stroopwafels, but very worth it. Slightly more time per day, lower level requirements and consists of two item pulls for the daily dose of sugar, instead of three.

Eye podule/SQUID player - Both useful for getting free XP from SQUID disks. Eye Podule has a slightly higher level requirement, but gives slightly more XP. Of course, it is possible to rely on picking up a squidopus player or octopus player instead.

Bonus skill points, pre-prepared skill points - Self-explanatory. Best to wait until later in the game to pull and use these.

Brewmeister's master potion - A very powerful buff item if you're having trouble getting past a particular boss.

Ticketmaster's ticket punch - A good one-shot damage item if you're having trouble damaging a particular boss. The free XP doesn't hurt either.

Night cap, deluxe Lux Leather chair, Wiggum wigwam - Eventually, you'll have to rest at one point or another. These will make resting a lot more effective. The last two are generally superior to night cap, but can be hard to find. Night cap requires level 5, others don't have a level requirement.

Early Game Equips

Paradime device - +2 PP and +1 HP regeneration *and* +5 dodge. No level requirement. Definitely worth a pull.

Talisman - Pick your Talisman of choice and immediately change it at level 1, so you don't lose any AP (it says -5 XP, but you don't actually lose any). The Swedish Navy Wrench is notable for its dodging and reflex bonuses. special wooden cup can backfire on you, but it does give a mighty +3 XP per turn.

Icicle - Good early-game melee weapon. Requires only level 2.

Filigreed foil hat, gold-plated poncho, gilded leggings - Excellent early-game equips, probably the best you can do until level 4. You don't have to pull these if you're willing to spend Gold Foil making them yourself instead.

coil of rope, 'hip' t-shirt - These are good "just in case" items in the event that you find fights too easy. Either one, or both, will make your fights harder and provide zero/almost zero defense, while at the same time giving you +3.5/+5 XP per fight. No level requirement.

Supersolid mettle medal - Excellent early-game accessory. It's a free pull too (see below).

Electronic computers, positronic computers - If you have them, bring them in, and save yourself some time looking for components during the level 5 quest. For software to use when not decrypting, personal copy of the internet is good for harder (and thus more rewarding) fights, Garcia's Traffic Avoider software‎ can speed up certain quests, IMyself blog software will give free XP, though not as much as the personal copy of the internet, and GigantoFirm LookOut Calendar simply saves time (a turn or two per day)

Number one fan - Restores 3 PP AND has a 6 point spell damage bonus. A very worthy choice if you are burning through PP too quickly. Still useful through the mid-game.

Rolled Doll dahl- An offhand source of +noncombats, which should speed up quite a few quests. Also, no level requirement and stays useful for most of your run.

embossed emblem-Provides an incredible +4 XP boost, as well as a slight edge in combat. Indispensable for level grinding. Requires level 4.

Mid Game Equips

Lexura Infinides D-8 - PP regeneration and range 4. No level requirement.

Bass-O-Matic 77 - Pull this so you can ask for loot (a whopping 2500 chips) from the Go Fish mid-quest reward and still have an easy time beating up Troutmaster.

Harbor pearl/sub-ma-car - If you aren't an Elemental, pull one of these so you can breathe water. Otherwise, you'll either have to equip the Bayside Dive Shop items, which are both a hassle and a disadvantage, or you'll have to fight in the difficult Docks area to get the Harbor Pearl again. Save some trouble.

Mighty quill/Repeating rifle/Recoil foil rifle/Foil foil - All are very powerful weapons and will remain so for a while. Requires level 5.

Foyal crown - The bonus to base metal drops may be useless inrun, but the +7 XP/turn will speed you up a bit. Requires level 8. Could also be assembled if you grab a royal crown at level 9 and still have foil left.

Karma charm - Immensely useful for spell-reliant heroes. Still useful if you want to save PP healing or buffing. Requires level 5.

Blue Elsa's blue blade, Biff Socko's socks, Big Earl's suspenders, gothy black dress, Malappropriator's ski beanery, The Shark's darts. Requires levels 4-7.

datapants- +5 XP AND slightly reduced time? Sign me up. Requires level 6.

Phial of Samuels - Arguably one of the best accessories in the mid-game during normal patrolling. Extra item drops, a ton of PP restored every turn and, as icing on the cake, more maximum PP.

Anything from Nocturne's Shop - Much better than most normal looted/chip-bought equipment you can get at those levels. Requires levels 5-9.

Verse of the dodo/PDA- Bonus to XP = shorter retcon. Same bonus, but the Verse of the Dodo is superior for it's slightly lower level requirement at level 6, where the PDA is level 7.

Jetpack/Pegasus/Hot rodimus - These are useful for getting to the Rejected Rogue Ranch. The jetpack requires the Passable Pilot skill, the pegasus requires level 12, and the hot rodimus requires level 15.

Personal copy of the internet/ other software - The Internet is particularly useful because it is never consumed when installed. Anyway, if you need to make your foes tougher so they give you more XP, use Internet. Otherwise, don't. Other software just saves you time that would be spent looking for data plates. The +noncombat software(Garcia's Traffic Avoider software)could also speed up quests significantly.

Sneakiers -The +noncombat on these shoes can speed up the level 8, 9 and 10 quests significantly. Requires level 8.

Binoculars - Hey, more items! More effective at its job than any other available option. Requires level 7.

work gloves - Not many significant gloves in the mid-game. This is one of them. No fumbles is extremely useful if you don't have high reflexes. Requires level 6.

Late Game Equips

Chuck van Arnolde's tank top, Delilah's shears, Doctor Worm's surgical gloves, The Baroness's stiletto boots, The Tenderizer's hammer, Kookoo's pie pitcher, the golem's Glock, chalkboard shield, Thundarr's photon blade - All villain drop items. Not as powerful as the two categories below, but still better than normal loot/purchases. Requires levels 8-13.

brick wall - If you need a cheap source of damage absorption, this could be an useful offhand. The strength penalty is irrelevant if you use ranged weapons. Requires level 9.

xentrium breeches, xentrium breastplate-If worn together, very effective at reducing patrol time, at the cost of decreased combat ability. If you have only one, you might as well use the Universal Unitard of Ultimate Utility instead since it gives the same time bonus as one xentrium clothing piece well as an XP bonus. Require level 10.

Prefontane's shoes, xentrium boots- Both are footwear that reduce patrolling time. Prefontaine's Shoes have a superior time bonus, but are only equippable at level 10, which Xentrium Boots can be used at level 7.

Anything the hint giver trades Rejected Rogue Ranch items for - Probably the best non-IotM set of items you can obtain at level 10. Requires level 10. Of special note are the Universal Unitard of Ultimate Utility, Diamond Dagger of Derring-Do and Stiletto Shoes of Stealthy Subtlety, which, although outclassed in sheer combat ability by other gear, will shorten your retcon quite a bit with their respective time/XP, XP and non-combat rate bonuses.

Quizzically Quivering Quadraphonic Quad-Quadrant-A good off-hand for increasing both damage and defense. Requires level 11.

Anything the Wade-bot Base trades Space Station items for - Probably the best non-IotM set of items you can obtain at level 12. Requires level 12.

Paddlebot logo/Fordbot logo - Excellent stat bonuses. Requires level 9.

High-jump boots/Gnat gloves/Barrel full of monkeys (monkeys not included) - Necessary during the level 11 quest, speeds up part of the level 10 quest and allows you to explore the roofs of downtown area, which brings some very good enemy drops.

Relaxing flats - These provide some amazing PP/HP regeneration, great for patrolling, although they're available when retcon should be almost over. Requires level 10.

Free Pulls

There are items that you can pull regardless of how many normal pulls you have left, and do not take up your pulls. A few are noteworthy:

White elephant gift and Razzberry sticker (can assemble together to create the buff item Pink elephant)
Heavy mettle medal- Decent stat boost. Good early game accessory.
Supersolid mettle medal - Large stat boost. Excellent early game accessory.

Skills to Perm

Every retcon, you can choose one skill to pull, making the game much easier.

These are the most important skills to learn. All skills have their merits, but these are the most useful for a smooth retcon. Partially based on Valera's and Cristiona's opinions.

First Aid/Knit Flesh/Knit Bone- You only need one of these. Knit Bone is the most efficient, but usually overkill at low-levels. Knit Flesh is well suited to low-levels due to low PP cost, but it the least efficient. First Aid is between both of them. FA can also be used in combat, but it's value there is debatable.

Also Useful

Upgrade Armor - Very flexible and cheap bonus to various stats. Motorized is good for certain areas, Resistance is good for certain bosses and areas, and Superabsorbance is general use.

Stone Armor - A much needed bonus to various elemental resistances, especially electricity.

Firestorm/Psionic Blast - Similar to Lightning Bolt. These are too expensive/overkill for early game, and still PP-expensive late game but they pack a better punch than lightning bolt/mind jab. Note that Psionic Blast is weak or useless against robots, even with Electronic Understanding, so Fire Storm is generally preferable. Having both is best, so that if one enemy resists one, you have the other.

Metal Detector - Extra items. 'Nuff said.

Armadillo Armor - Damage absorption can be a beautiful thing, especially with enough skill points. Not as persistent as Battle Armor, but still useful.

Starfish Regeneration - Generally speaking, PP is better than HP, so Starfish takes a backseat to Proper Hydration. Still a worthy skill to perm.

Aura: Mystery, The Fire Within - Only good for "casters"- characters who rely on spells rather than weaponry for damage.

Aura: Vigor - At high levels, it's the best choice for that second aura slot if you're not going to be casting spells much.

Shock Grenade - Good for softening up enemies and bosses and even does a little damage as a bonus.

Detachment - Mostly good for bosses, since the increased turn length detracts from using it during normal patrolling. The damage reduction is pretty good still.

Sniper - If you like using ranged weapons, this passive gives up to +25 ranged damage and +30 init, which could help immensely with tough fights.

Fire Shield - Incredibly powerful IF you dump 10 skill points in it. At an almost-guaranteed 27 fire damage per activation, it allows you to really soften up most enemies.

Sugar Purifier - Gives you a few more turns per day if you have sugar enabled. Can't hurt.

Quick Quest Shortcuts

A few quests have faster alternative options to completion. These together should save you roughly 20 to 50 turns.

Level 2 Quest- You can get away with skipping the steel knuckles if you have at least 30 HP and Psionic Blast or Firestorm permed when you take on Big John Steele.
Level 4 Quest- Mob Instigators never show up during non-combats, so put on your +combat gear and buffs.
Level 5 Quest- Having a computer, preferably positronic, before the quest begins should speed it up. When searching for the keycard and later the capo key, having +combat and +item detection enchantments really speeds things up.
Level 7 Quest - When you encounter the first, select the "Investigate the Shouting" option. You'll immediately gain access to Zion's Tears without having to encounter the other events. After encountering A Familiar Figure, having +item drop enchantments should help you get Horns of Zion to speed up the needed Archon fights.
Bayside Level 8 Quest - After encountering the locked door, complete the other level 8 quest, adventuring in the Byzantine Interior of the Base until you receive the Frostheim keycard. Saves you the trouble of having to take out Livia's henchmen.
Level 10 Quest- See the quest notes.
Level 11 Quest - Equip a motorcycle before you enter the Evil, Inc. Building. Make sure you have a good backup vehicle. Skips four combats right away.

Dealing with General Situations FAQ

Q: A boss is kicking my ass!
A:

Load up on skill buffs and item buffs and double check your equipment is properly suited for the boss.
If you don't have a sidekick, consider getting a temporary combat-based one.
If you are a naturalist, just hit them repeatedly with Charge of the Bovine/Trample of the Rhino/Maul of the Cave Bear. Problem solved.
If you have some good offensive spells but are losing in normal combat, consider using those spells and changing your equipment loadout to improve intellect, defense and spell damage.
If you have a powerful damaging item like TNT or Ticketmaster's Ticket Punch, use them.
If you are engaging in normal weapon combat, use a glob of goo, rank bun, webbed sand or a Gadgeteer/Elemental weakening spell to soften them up.
Make sure you don't have any negative combat-related buffs on you, such as Listless, Weakened or Concussed. Internal Injuries and Needs Stitches are fine.
Go somewhere else, level up, come back, get revenge.

Q: An area is kicking my ass!
A: Don't go there. Find someplace better suited for your level. If you have any foe toughness enhancers, though, remove them and it might just work.

Q: An area I *must* be in is kicking my ass!
A:

Check your equipment to see if it could be better. Remove foe toughness increasing items.
Level up and come back.
Make sure you don't have any negative buffs on you.
If you're a Psion or Elemental, consider using offensive spells instead. Modify equipment accordingly.
If you have the skills and the PP for it, spam Charge/Trample/Maul.

Q: I can't get an item! It just won't drop!
A: Equip items/software that improve drop rate and combat encounter rate.

Q: I need a specific encounter!
A: Equip items/software that improve noncombat encounter rate and just be patient.

Q: How should I restore HP/PP? I keep running out!
A: There are eight ways, in rough order of time/money /PP efficiency.

Increase your regeneration. Skills, equipment, and certain buff items can all do this. Totally free, and if done right, can end up fully restoring HP/PP while you patrol!
Level up. You restore HP and PP fully when leveling up, so try leveling up once you are out of PP and low on HP.
Steal it. Get an HP stealing or PP stealing item and basically heal yourself when beating up foes.
Rest. It only costs time, and if done with a Night Cap/Deluxe Lux Leather Chair/Wiggum Wigwam, can be extremely effective.
Use Items. If you get them from patrolling, it's free. Don't bother buying such items; the hospital costs less.
Use healing skills. Sometimes, if you need HP, restoring PP and then using skills to heal is more efficient. Remember that the Karma Charm also improves the cost and effect of healing spells.
Visit the Hospital/Enlightenment Center. It costs quite a bit of cash, but there's no time cost.
Set your sidekick to "message therapist". There are much better uses for your sidekick, though.

Q: How do I solve this quest? I forgot!
A: Either check your journal for a hint, or consult this wiki.

Q: ARRRRRGGGGGG MASO IS KILLING ME!!!
A: In "Account Settings" you can drop any number of the restrictions on your run. Of course, this will reduce your mettle award, but if you don't like Maso, the mettle sacrifice should be worth it.

Specific Retcon Walkthroughs

Day by Day Walkthrough and Optimization Tips by Penguinpyro (60% complete): Penguinpyro's Retcon Walkthrough

Elemental Guide by Strlikecrazy (about two third's complete): Retcon as an Elemental

Pulls Guide by Zillow: The Retconners Guide to Twilight Heroes

Finally...

Ask people in the forums/chat for advice and use your common sense!