Untangling the Iron Tangle

This article contains unmarked spoilers for Book 3.

System Message. Posting Book 8 spoilers will result in "acceleration" per our rules.


“I couldn’t imagine how anybody could make sense of this confusing bullshit. I had the sense whoever designed this let it get away from them. I hoped the same asshole wasn’t in charge of the next floor, too.”[1]

System Message: This is our best attempt at untangling this mess of a floor. The floor is designed to be viewed in 3D, so here is the best attempt at describing it in a spreadsheet format.

For details about the Fourth Floor, see: Fourth Floor

Map

Iron Tangle Map by ShadowsOnStars
Iron Tangle Map by ShadowsOnStars

Imagine a target with 436 rings. Each ring is a station number with 1 being the outermost ring and 436 being the target. At ring 10 we have the Trainyard ring, with a number of train yards ranging from A to at least Q, but possibly more. The colored trains come from these yards and travel towards 436, the bullseye in the middle. Multiple colored lines can come from one train yard. As the train winds its way towards the center, it crosses other lines at transfer points, marked with blue X's.

Stairwells are at stations 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72. All crawlers were spawned into the level beyond station 72, so a big part of the level is how to travel backwards. One way is to travel via an Exit-only cavern, which on this map is marked at a blue line running all the way back to a trainyard. (Exit-only caverns allow monsters to travel back to the nearest base 5 number station, but also have a "rollercoaster" back to the trainyard).

Named trains like the Nightmare express sit on top of this mess and travel in wild patterns. Keep in mind, this whole thing was designed to be viewed in 3D and this is a 2D drawing. There's also some rules to saferoom locations, Desperado Club / Club vanquisher locations, but those aren't strictly map related.

Stops on the Iron Tangle

Tracking all the Lines
Number Name Connection Locations Mobs / NPCs
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 Trainyard Train Conductors and Porters enter the train
11 Transfer Station
12 [2] [3] Jikiniki Peak Station 12
  • Escape Velocity line (runs backwards)
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
 Stairwell Location Jikininki Generator
13[2] Transfer Station
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
 Safe Room Location
14
15 Exit-only Cavern
16
17 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
18[2] Barren Station
19 Transfer Station
20 Exit-only Cavern
21
22
23 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
24 [4] Krakaren Staion
  • Escape Velocity line (runs backwards)
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
 Stairwell Location Krakaren Crotch Dumplings
25 Exit-only Cavern
26
27
28
29 Transfer Station
30 Exit-only Cavern
31 Transfer Station
32
33
34
35 Exit-only Cavern
36 [3] Wrath Ghoul Station
  • Escape Velocity line (runs backwards)
 Stairwell Location Wrath Ghoul
37 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
38
39
40 Exit-only Cavern
41 [5] Transfer Station
42
43 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
44
45 Exit-only Cavern
46
47 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
48 Festering Ghoul Station
  • Escape Velocity line (runs backwards)
 Stairwell Location Festering Ghoul's combine and transform into Province Boss
49
50 [6] Not an Exit-only Cavern
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
 Tiny room, leading to 9 platforms
51
52
53 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
54
55 Exit-only Cavern
56
57
58[6]
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
 No Mobs (weird)
59[6] Transfer Station
  • 27 different lines
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
60[6] Employee Station
  • All colored Lines stop there
  • Homeward Bound Employee Only line
  • Supposed to have dormitories, shops, restaurants for Iron Tangle Employees
  • Actually abandoned station
61 Transfer Station
62
63
64
65 Exit-only Cavern
66
67 Safe Room Location
68
69
70 Exit-only Cavern
71 Transfer Station
72 [3]
  • Escape Velocity line (runs backwards)
 Stairwell Location Blister Ghoul Generator
73 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
74
75 [3] [7] Crash Interdiction Teams
  • Vermillion Line
76
77
78
79 Transfer Station
80 Exit-only Cavern
81[8] Sirin Station - Red Line Red Line Drek
81 [9] Unknown Station - Yellow Line Red Line Cave Mudge Bonker or Shock Chomper
82[8] Mora Station - Red Line Yellow Line Psycho Sticker
82[9] Unknown Station - Yellow Line Yellow Line Cave Mudge Bonker or Shock Chomper
83[8] Transfer Station - Royal Court of Princess Donut Location Safe Room Location
83[10] Transfer Station - Brynhild's Daughters's Location
  • Orange
  • Indigo
 Safe Room Location
83[8] Transfer Station- Nightmare Express Fifth Stop Location Safe Room Location
84[8] Rusalka Station - Red Line Red Line
84[11] Phantom Kangaroo Station - Yellow Line Yellow Line Pollyslog
85 Exit-only Cavern
86 [11] Unnamed Station - Yellow Line Snakeheads
87[11] Snakeheads
88[11] Mothman Station Skinned Mollies
89[11] Transfer Station
  • Yellow Line
  • Indigo Line
89[2] Transfer Station
  • Tangerine Line
  • Escape Velocity
90 Exit-only Cavern
91
92
93
94
95 Exit-only Cavern
96
97 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
98
99
100 Exit-only Cavern
101 [12] Transfer Station
  • Vermillion Line
  • (Stopped Line)
  • (Stopped Line)
102
103 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
104
105 Exit-only Cavern
106
107 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
108
109 Transfer Station
110 Exit-only Cavern
111
112
113 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
114
115 Exit-only Cavern
116 [11] Banshee Station - Yellow Line Cornets
117
118
119
120 Exit-only Cavern
121
122
123
124
125 Exit-only Cavern
126
127 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
128
129
130 Exit-only Cavern
131 [13] Transfer Station
  • Yellow Line
132
133
134
135 Exit-only Cavern
136
137 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
138
139 Transfer Station
140 Exit-only Cavern
141
142
143
144
145 Exit-only Cavern
146
147
148
149[14], [15] Transfer Station Gore-Gore
150 Exit-only Cavern
151 Transfer Station
152
153
154
155 Exit-only Cavern
156
157 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
158
159
160 Exit-only Cavern
161
162
163 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
164
165 Exit-only Cavern
166
167 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
168
169
170 Exit-only Cavern
171
172
173 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
174
175 Exit-only Cavern
176
177
178
179 Transfer Station
180 Exit-only Cavern
181 Transfer Station
182
183
184
185 Exit-only Cavern
186
187
188
189
190 Exit-only Cavern
191 Transfer Station
192
193 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
194
195 Exit-only Cavern
196
197 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
198
199 Transfer Station-Daniel Bautista [9]
  • Azure
  • Brown
200 Exit-only Cavern
201
202
203
204
205 Exit-only Cavern
206
207
208
209
210 Exit-only Cavern
211 Transfer Station
212 [11] Unnamed Station - Yellow Line Goateo
213
214
215 Exit-only Cavern
216
217
218
219
220 Exit-only Cavern
221
222
223 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
224
225 Exit-only Cavern
226
227 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
228
229 Transfer Station
230 Exit-only Cavern
231
232
233 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
234
235 Exit-only Cavern
236
237
238
239 Transfer Station
240 Exit-only Cavern
241 Transfer Station
242
243
244
245 Exit-only Cavern
246
247
248
249
250 Exit-only Cavern
251 Transfer Station
252
253
254
255 Exit-only Cavern
256
257 'Transfer Station Safe Room Location
258
259
260 Exit-only Cavern
261
262
263 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
264
265 Exit-only Cavern
266
267
268
269 Transfer Station
270 Exit-only Cavern
271[16] Transfer Station
  • Camel Line
  • Cobalt Line
  • The Eviscerator
272 [16] Unnamed Station - Camel Line- Meadow Lark
  • Camel Line
 Gross Atomizers
273
274
275 [16] Exit-only Cavern - Meadow Lark
  • Camel Line
 Krakaren Clone (Fourth Floor) and Pooka
276- [16]
277 [16] 'Transfer Station Safe Room Location
278
279
280 Exit-only Cavern
281 [17] Transfer Station- Mauve Line Nodd - Bopca Proprietor
282
283 [9] [16] Transfer Station-Nightmare Express Second Stop Mall Food Court Safe Room Location Babababoon
283 [9] Transfer Station - Nightmare Express Fourth Stop Safe Room Location
284
285 Exit-only Cavern
286
287
288
289
290 Exit-only Cavern
291
292
293 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
294
295 Exit-only Cavern
296
297
298
299
300 Exit-only Cavern
301
302
303
304
305 Exit-only Cavern
306
307 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
308
309
310 Exit-only Cavern
311 Transfer Station
312
313 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
314
315 Exit-only Cavern
316
317 [10] Transfer Station - Daniel Bautista
  • Yellow Line
  • Emerald Line
  • Misery Line
 Safe Room Location
318
319
320 Exit-only Cavern
321
322
323
324
325 Exit-only Cavern
326
327
328
329
330 Exit-only Cavern
331 Transfer Station
332
333
334
335 Exit-only Cavern
336
337 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
338
339
340 Exit-only Cavern
341
342
343
344
345 Exit-only Cavern
346
347 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
348
349
350 Exit-only Cavern
351
352
353 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
354 Chupacabre Station - Yellow Line Yellow Line Brain Amoeba
355 Exit-only Cavern
356
357
358
359 Transfer Station
360 Exit-only Cavern
361
362
363
364
365 Exit-only Cavern
366
367 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
368
369
370 Exit-only Cavern
371
372
373 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
374
375 Exit-only Cavern
376
377
378
379 Transfer Station
380 Exit-only Cavern
381
382
383 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
384
385 Exit-only Cavern
386
387
388
389 Transfer Station
390 Exit-only Cavern
391
392
393
394
395 Exit-only Cavern
396
397 Transfer Station Safe Room Location
398
399
400 Exit-only Cavern
401 Transfer Station
402
403
404
405 Exit-only Cavern
406
407
408
409 Transfer Station
410 Exit-only Cavern
411
412
413
414
415 Exit-only Cavern
416
417
418
419 Transfer Station
420 Exit-only Cavern
421 Transfer Station
422
423
424
425 Exit-only Cavern
426
427
428
429
430 Exit-only Cavern
431 Transfer Station
432
433 [15][2][6] Terminus Station - Transfer Station

Recommended all passengers disembark

Safe Room Location Station Mimic
434 Barren Station
435 End of the Line Employees depart and portal to Trainyard Kravyad
436 Abyss Station

Continuity Error

During the Vermillion Line Rescue, Carl asks why the trapped crawlers at station 101 don't hike to 102 and use the Exit only cavern to escape. There is not an Exit only cavern at 102, but there is one at 100. [12]

References

  1. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 30)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 17)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 22)
  4. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 27)
  5. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 19)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 18)
  7. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 25)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 1)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 4)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 3)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 5)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 21)
  13. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 7)
  14. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 10)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 11)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 15)
  17. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Chapter 23)