Punch Upon a Time Long Live the King Guide
Hold the throne, deny the opposing squad, and cycle focus fire every ten seconds.
Long Live the King is the canonical king-of-the-hill mode in Punch Upon a Time. One pilot sits on a throne at the centre of the arena; that pilot is the King. The King’s squad earns points for every second the King stays alive on the throne. The squad with the most throne time when the timer ends wins the round. This page covers throne control, focus fire, Pocket Items, and the team compositions that hold the throne.
How the round plays
The round starts with one pilot from each squad seated on the throne in 30-second rotations. The squad that wins the throne rotation earns the throne for the next 30 seconds. If the King is eliminated mid-rotation, the throne becomes neutral and any pilot can claim it.
The optimal strategy is to cycle the King within your squad every 30 seconds. Fresh Kings start with a 2-second damage shield, so cycling prevents the opposing squad from focusing down a single target.
Throne control and focus fire
The strongest Long Live the King strategy is focus fire. When an opposing squad member sits on the throne, your squad calls a target and burns them down with coordinated special attacks. Most successful focus-fire sequences take 6–8 seconds, which means you can deny the throne to one opponent and reclaim it before the timer advances.
If your squad is the King, the priority is to protect the King. One defender stays near the throne at all times; the other two pilots pressure opposing Kings and prevent them from cycling.
Pocket Item picks
The strongest Pocket Items for Long Live the King are:
- Freeze Wand — freezes any opposing pilot who approaches the throne during a King rotation.
- Big Top Hat — area denial around the throne. Pair with a defender for maximum coverage.
- Shield Charm — absorbs one focus-fire combo if your King is caught mid-rotation.
Avoid healing Pocket Items in Long Live the King — the throne rotation is faster than the healing cooldown.
Best characters
The strongest Long Live the King characters are tanks and supports who can hold the throne under pressure:
- Sleeping Beauty — her Thornfield ultimate creates a damage zone around the throne.
- Three Little Pigs — his Brick House ultimate grants a 30% HP shield for 8 seconds.
- Goldilocks — her Porridge Storm ultimate drops healing zones around the throne.
For the offensive side, Pinocchio and Frog Prince are the strongest focus-fire pilots because they can dive the throne from across the map.
Common mistakes
The two most common Long Live the King mistakes are single-target focus (cycling the same pilot and letting the opposing squad learn your timing) and throne abandonment (leaving the throne neutral because no one wants to sit). Always cycle, and always have a designated King for the next rotation.
Round length and scoring
Long Live the King rounds last 3 minutes. The squad with the most throne time at the buzzer wins. Ties go to sudden-death overtime, where the first King rotation wins the round. Most squads rotate the King every 30 seconds, so a typical round has 6 rotations per squad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
How long does a Long Live the King round last?
Most rounds last 3 minutes. Sudden-death overtime adds another 30 seconds if the throne time is tied at the buzzer.
Can the King be healed while on the throne?
Yes — support characters can heal the King from off the throne, and Goldilocks's ultimate drops healing zones that the King can walk through.
What happens if the King is eliminated?
The throne becomes neutral. Any pilot can claim it, but the new King does not receive the 2-second damage shield that fresh rotations grant.