How To Get Tougher Times in Risk of Rain 2

In the brutal, bullet-hell environments of Risk of Rain 2 (ROR2), survivability is paramount. Among the plethora of items available, Tougher Times stands out as a crucial early-game defense mechanism. Represented by the iconic teddy bear, this Common (White) tier item grants a stellar power-up that can dramatically increase a character's longevity by giving them a chance to completely negate incoming damage.While veterans likely unlocked this item long ago, new players may be clueless about its requirements and, more importantly, its unique stacking mechanics. Understanding how the item calculates its block chance is vital, as it operates under a principle often misunderstood by the community. This guide will walk you through the simple process of unlocking Tougher Times and provide a deep dive into its effective usage in ROR2.

Risk of Rain 2: How To Get Tougher Times

Unlocking Tougher Times: The Learning Process

The method for unlocking the Tougher Times item is poetically appropriatefor a rogue-lite game—it requires learning through failure.

The Learning Process Challenge

• Requirement: To unlock Tougher Times, you must complete the in-game challenge titled "The Learning Process."
• Goal: The requirement for this challenge is simple: Die five times.
• Reward: Once you fulfill this requirement (which for many beginners will happen naturally very early in their career), the challenge is completed, andyou are rewarded with:

• Unlocks Tougher Times for future runs.
• One Lunar Coin.

Once unlocked, Tougher Times immediately enters the general pool of Common(White) items and can be acquired in any run through standard itemcontainers, drops, and printers.

Understanding the Power: How Tougher Times Works

Tougher Times is the modernized version of the original Risk of Rain's "Tough Times" item, which granted a flat armor stat. This new versionoffers an infinitely more valuable defense: a chance to completely block damage.

Item Description

The item description for Tougher Times reads:

15% (+15% per stack) chance to block incoming damage. Unaffected by luck.

The Misconception: Diminishing Returns

The wording “+15% per stack” is the source of significant misunderstanding in the community. Manyplayers assume that stacking multiple Tougher Times linearly adds up the block chance, suggesting that seven stacks (7 x 15% = 105%) wouldguarantee a 100% chance to block damage.

This assumption is incorrect.

Tougher Times adheres to a fundamental principle in game design known as diminishing returns. Instead of simply adding the percentages, the game calculates the effective chance to block based on the cumulative chance to fail the block.

The Stacking Formula

The cumulative chance to block damage (C) with multiple stacks (N) iscalculated using a formula designed to ensure the chance never actuallyreaches 100%:

Where $0.85$ represents the base 85% chance not to block the incoming damage.

Practical Examples:

Stacks (N)	Theoretical Linear Block	Actual Effective Block (C)
1	15%	15.00%
2	30%	27.75%
4	60%	47.79%
7	105% (Incorrect)	67.94%
10	150% (Incorrect)	80.31%

As you can see, each subsequent stack provides a smaller absolute increase to the overall block chance, meaning you would need hundreds or even thousands of Tougher Times to get mathematically close to a 100% block rate (a number unattainable in a normal run).

Efficient Usage and Strategy

Given the diminishing returns, how should players approach Tougher Times?

• Never Pass it Up: Even with diminishing returns, Tougher Times is an exceptionaldefensive item. Each additional teddy bear increases your effective HPwithout relying on healing or armor stats. You should never pass up on another Tougher Times item you find, especially in the early to mid-game, as the defense it provides is universally beneficial.
• Early Stacks are King: The first few stacks provide the largest return on investment. The leap from 15% to 27.75% (Stack 2) is a huge defensive increase for one item.
• Universal Defense: Because the block chance applies to all incoming damage—including falls, environmental hazards, and bossattacks—it is a great foundation for any character, regardless of theirnative defense or healing skills.
• The Unattainable Goal: Do not waste valuable time or resources attempting to hit 100% blockchance. Focus on acquiring a balanced inventory, but always prioritizeTougher Times when choosing between defensive Common items.

By understanding the math behind the teddy bear, players can efficiently build strong defensive runs in Risk of Rain 2, allowing them to survive the increasingly brutal difficulty scaling of the higher stages.

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