This How to Carry Bonus HP Into Every Fight in Escape from Duckov guide covers a clever way to temporarily boost your maximum HP during missions by taking advantage of how HP totems apply and remove their bonuses. It is particularly effective on higher difficulties, where every point of health and mobility matters.
How the Trick Works
HP totems increase your maximum health, but when you unequip them mid-mission, the game only adjusts your max HP value, not your current HP. This creates a window where you can keep the extra HP as temporary “overflow health,” letting you start each fight with more than your character’s official maximum.
This method is most effective when using the HP 3 Totem, which gives a large boost but normally slows your movement. With this trick, you get the HP without the speed penalty.
What You Need
To perform the trick, bring the following into a mission:
- HP 3 Totem (for the main HP boost)
- A second equipped totem (HP 2 Totem works well alongside it)
- A third totem stored in your dog’s backpack
Any totem can work as the swap-out option. For example, Headshot 2, Crit, Aegis, or any offensive or utility totem you prefer using in combat.
Step-by-Step: Stacking Bonus HP
Equip the HP 3 Totem before entering the mission
You want the max HP increase active when you begin.
Inside the mission, open your dog’s pack and swap HP 3 with your third totem
Replace the HP 3 Totem with the totem stored in your dog’s inventory.
Your max HP will drop, but your current HP stays the same
If done at full health, you keep the extra HP as bonus temporary health.
Example: You may now show 105/80, meaning you have 25 bonus HP above your normal cap.
Repeat after each fight
-
- Re-equip HP 3
- Heal to full HP
- Swap HP 3 out again
This allows you to carry stacked bonus HP from fight to fight without movement speed loss.
Why This Is Strong
- You enter every encounter with extra health, increasing your survival odds.
- You avoid the movement speed penalty of the HP 3 Totem once the temporary HP is stored.
- Works extremely well in long missions where multiple engagements drain resources.
- Pairs well with armor and defensive talents, amplifying the effect of every extra health point.
Important Notes
This only works during missions. It will not activate at base.
The trick is most valuable on higher difficulties such as Extreme or when facing tough bosses.
Combining this with the Survivor talent, Aegis totems, or high-armor gear makes the extra HP even harder for enemies to break through.
HP 2 Totem can also be used for this trick, but the benefit is smaller compared to HP 3.