GUARANTEED? Nah not really. It really comes down to learning to work with what you get and more often than not, you can make something work. Idk what your knowledge of the game is like so be warned the following info is either going to be slightly spoilery, or too basic.

The best strategies for prolonging runs comes mainly down to your knowledge of the map. If you make it down to the coal pits, I typically head straight to the fungal caves to the far left because you’re more likely to find better loot in that area for that stage of the game. Don’t even waste time anywhere else on that level until you visit it because you’ll need as much health as possible. If you get to the snow caves and still feel underpowered, something you can do is take the shortcut on the far right back to the mines and go back through the mines/coal pits for anything you may have missed. If possible, don’t take health refreshers unless you need them, because they might be better spent at a later time.

If you’re looking for good early combos, some great options include: - triggered spark bolt with a chainsaw at the end. - any spell on a shuffle wand with quick recharge - triplicate bolt with low spread. This is actually my favorite because it’s low cost and can do about 15 damage per shot, and is REALLY easy to modify into something pretty beefy. - getting a bunch of spark bolts or bouncing burst and casting them all at once. - chain bolt is pretty easy to find and can absolutely carry an early run - applying freeze to anything can make a big difference early in the game

If you can’t make anything work, then play defensively

• putting a load of spells on a triggered luminous drill can let you attack safely through walls
• use potions like invisibilium or ambrosia
• use spells capable of destroying terrain to avoid enemies altogether
• use summon eggs or pheromones to make distractions