Tips for Getting Three Stars in Kingdom Rush Origins: Royal Gardens (Level 5)
Royal Gardens
This level is cool because you get an extra hero, Alleria Swiftwind. You don't get to keep her after the level, but it is fun to work with two heroes. And, you'll need them both on this one!
You'll unlock the level 4 barracks, called Bladesinger Hall. There is already one barracks tower, upgraded to level 2 for you when you start the level. That makes it easy to get the Bladesinger Hall tower and check out its features.
Placing Your First Towers
There are four different directions from which your enemies will arrive, and you have two routes to defend. This is what makes this level a little more difficult than the others. You will have to utilize your barracks wisely in this level, but be careful, because in wave 13, a lot of Hyenas will come through. Those are the ones that evade soldiers and run faster when they encounter them.
Catapults
Periodically, catapults will come from two different spots on the right of the screen. The place where the grass looks a little worn is where you'll see these guys. They launch stones into your barracks, dealing damage to your soldiers. If you don't upgrade your barracks, the catapults can kill your soldiers with a single blow. You can destroy catapults with your lightning, but you have to decide if it's more important to use your lightning on enemies that can pass through and cost you lives. The catapults retreat after a couple launches so you never can eliminate them.
Royal Gardens Achievement
An easy achievement is waiting in this level. There are three shrubs that change when you tap them. Make all three the same shape, (I like to make them all dinosaurs) and you'll gain the scissorfinger achievement! Do this early in the level before the waves get really big.
Where to Place Towers
Here's the final placement of towers that worked for me. It's important not to have barracks at the very end because of the Hyenas on wave 13. Mages and Archers are important because a lot of flying enemies will come through starting on wave 7.
Twilight Harasser
You'll only see one new enemy introduced on this level and it's not a very bad one. They are called Twilight Harassers and the main thing to note about these guys is that they can shoot arrows and they "shadow jump." Because they have a ranged attack, make sure your barracks also have a ranged attack, which you can do by upgrading them to at least level 2 before the Twilight Harassers arrive on wave 9. The shadow jumping just means they disappear for a second and reappear somewhere else on the path. They don't have a very long range though. These guys are not too difficult to deal with.
The Furious Tempest
Once you beat this level, use your three stars to get your final lightning upgrade (if you've been focusing on it as you go). The Furious Tempest requires three stars and is really great in the upcoming levels because it throws additional random bolts at enemies you weren't even aiming at. It's a really good weapon to have.