The create-lobby menu asks for mode, map, act, and difficulty before you queue. Rewards and material drops are previewed there. Read that preview. It is more current than any written drop list.
Story
Story is the progression spine. Acts unlock in order. Sakamoto is the launch map and is reported to end with an Uzuki boss. HxH, added October 1, gates areas with rubble. Each act drops its own materials, so you farm a specific act for a specific craft instead of repeating your favorite room.
Defend
Defend is the hold-the-line mode. Sakamoto Defense is the shipped example. Patch notes mention players falling under the map or getting stuck behind rubble in these modes, and those cases were fixed. If your client still does it, that is a bug to avoid by positioning, not a strategy.
One October 1 combat write-up describes Defend as protecting a target. The patch notes do not spell out a defense objective in that much detail, so treat the exact win rule as whatever the lobby shows.
Infinite
Infinite keeps sending waves until the team wipes. Boss timing, the leaderboard, and material drops are on the Infinite guide.
Rules that apply in every mode
- Group enemies, then spend area cooldowns.
- Only two enemies can attack you at once.
- The guard bar breaks if you block too many hits. A perfect block is free and knocks enemies back.
- Rubble takes at most 30% damage per hit.
- The last Story wave, and Infinite's scheduled bosses, do not flinch. Give them room while skills are down.
- Two slots can be swapped mid-run. The swap-in bonus is +20% damage for 4 seconds.
- Parry exists alongside the guard bar. Use it when you know the swing. It does not replace positioning.
Dodge, block, and basic attacks are all part of the kit. Standing still and mashing skills is how the boss deletes you on the first clear.