SHORT ANSWER
Start with Long Tong's Amber / one-element pressure route
This is a reported high-ceiling route, not a measured guarantee. Use its coherent element plan and keep a survival fallback ready.
How to use this result. Start with the route that matches this difficulty's risk profile, then adjust for the drops and failure point in your current run.
What changes at Reality
The current high-end tier. Its Steam achievement rate is higher than Hell in this capture, so it must not be presented as a clean progression-retention statistic; use it as an independent signal.
Choose one element and keep Amber active.
A Fire weapon, Dragon Breath, and companion or Fire support.
Check: The route should feel like one engine, not a gun plus an unrelated pet.
Raise companion event frequency.
Multiple Dragon Breaths, Ever-Burning Dragon Flame, Fire rate, and survival.
Check: If Fury is ending the run, take safety before another damage multiplier.
Use the element chain for elite and boss windows.
Element-matched relics, companion damage, and a reliable burst card.
Check: A second element is a last resort, not an upgrade path.
Boss and crowd priorities
Bosses reward sustained Fire pressure and Ever-Burning coverage. Use Fury as a finishing window and keep the weapon firing while Amber works.
Let Dragon Breath and spread effects handle packs while the main weapon preserves safe spacing. If rooms overwhelm you, choose coverage before the highest boss ceiling.
When the recommended core is missing
Keep the element your current weapon and relics already support, then prioritize companion uptime, frequency, and survival.
Do not: Do not hold an empty slot for one exact Fire gun while Amber is already contributing with another element.