To unlock the hero sword, you need to defeat a stage boss without picking up any items, powerups or using shrines. This is actually not a very strict challenge and I want to save you time so you don't try to make it harder than it is.

This guide is not long because this challenge just APPEARS hard. It's really not hard.

You CAN pick up EXP
You CAN take any tomes, weapons offered from being leveled up
You CAN take pots (This will be important for your EXP intake)
You CAN walk past a charge shrine
You CAN accidentally touch a box (As long as you have banish)

You CANNOT pick up purple rage buffs, nukes, magnets, money boosts, healing hearts
You CANNOT buy from merchants (you get items obviously)
You CANNOT take stats buff from a charge shrine or difficulty totems
You CANNOT accept an item from a box, moai, or shady merchants

You can pick anyone, but I highly recommend bandit, calcium and monke. Robinette can also work since you won't spend much gold. Since you are not about to deal with increased mob counts, having that extra jump is not necessary.

Yes you CAN TAKE WEAPONS and their upgrades. Long or short range doesn't really matter as long as you have attraction tome.

• Sniper rifle - High burst damage
  
• Dexcutioner - High burst damage
  
• Katana - Overall good damage
  
• Aegis - Tanks hits to make your life easier

Top picks

• ATTRACTION TOME - Much like the AFK challenge, you do not have ability to use EXP magnets.
  
• Attraction tome, even at level 1 will have 75% extended pickup range, and as big as 200%+ in just three levels, allowing to absorb 90% of the exp of what you can hit.
  
• LIFESTEAL / BLOODY TOME - With no item like burgers or lifesteal items to sustain you, it's vital to have some forms of sustain.
  
• CRIT TOME - Burst damage
  
• QUANTITY TOME - A staple for everything

Mid picks

• EXP Tome - Not really necessary, the boss will still be a walk in the park for you as you absorb quite a bit of HP.
  
• DAMAGE TOME - If you are out of options or dont run into crit tome, this is not that bad of a choice
  
• ATTACK SPEED - If you are confident about not getting hit, bloody can be swapped for more damage.
  
• SHIELD TOME - Alternative to lifesteal
  
• CHAOS TOME - Can drop you a mixture of lifesteal, pickup range or extra jumps that's otherwise not available due to no shrines, but the downside is that it's random.

As long as you pick up EXP and level to at least about lv 30, you will whack the boss without issues.

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