How to Raid in Merge a Black Hole — Raiding Guide

Raiding lets you attack other players’ bases in Merge a Black Hole and steal Cash they stored unsecured. It is one of three major income pillars alongside merging and offline generation — but unlike those, raiding is interactive, risky, and heavily influenced by how well targets lock their bases.

This guide covers when to start raiding, how to pick targets, what to bring, and how to protect your own loot while you are on offense.

When to start raiding

New players should prioritize merging and offline Cash first. Begin raiding when:

• Your merge grid produces steady passive income without constant babysitting.
• You understand base locks and have locked your own storage at least once.
• You can replace lost Cash from a failed raid within one merge session.
• Your hole tiers appear in the raiding tier list as viable attack options.

Raiding before you stabilize merge income often stalls progression — you spend Cash on raid consumables while neglecting tier chains that multiply everything long term.

How the raid system works

From the Raid menu, the game surfaces other players’ bases with indicators for potential reward, defense strength, and lock status. Successful raids transfer a portion of unsecured Cash from the target to you. Failed raids may cost time, consumables, or temporary debuffs depending on current balance — verify live values after each Sunday update on the updates page.

Raiding does not typically steal merged holes from the board, but draining stored Cash hurts targets who forgot to merge before logging off. Always raid unlocked or expiring-lock bases when possible; fully locked bases waste your attempt.

Target selection strategy

Smart target selection beats raw hole tier strength:

1. Sort by unsecured Cash — high storage + weak lock timer equals best ROI.
2. Avoid heavy defense loadouts flagged in the UI unless rewards justify the fight.
3. Hit players mid-rebirth who often forget to re-lock after resetting.
4. Skip allies and trading partners if your server community coordinates raids — reputation matters on recurring lobbies.

Scan targets after Sunday patches when many players experiment with new tiers and neglect base locks.

Loadout and merge tier priorities

Your raid loadout should mirror the tier list raiding section: prioritize holes with burst damage or steal multipliers over pure income tiers. Keep at least one high-income tier at home generating Cash while you raid with secondary slots.

Spend Stars from the Star Shop on raid-relevant boosts only after income upgrades are covered — see that guide’s priority table. Redeem FREESTARS and other codes toward permanent raid upgrades when the shop rotates them.

Raid timing and session flow

Efficient raiders batch raids between merge sessions:

1. Merge grid to current target tier.
2. Collect offline Cash (offline guide).
3. Lock your base with maximum timer.
4. Open Raid menu and clear three to five viable targets.
5. Reinvest stolen Cash immediately into merge purchases before you forget.

Avoid raiding during the final minutes of your play session unless your lock duration exceeds your AFK window — otherwise you return to a drained base.

Defending against raids while you climb

Offense without defense is a net loss over time:

• Always lock before AFK — read the full base lock guide.
• Upgrade lock duration before cosmetic base items.
• Bank Cash into merge tiers or rebirth prep instead of letting storage cap sit full and visible.
• After rebirth, re-lock immediately; rebirth animations distract many players.

Use the controls reference to bind raid and lock menus if you play on PC for faster reactions when counter-raiding during events.

Raid ethics and server politics

On busy servers, repeated raids against the same player spawn retaliation chains that hurt everyone. Many communities informal-rule: raid strangers, not guildmates. If you stream or create content, disclose that unlocked bases are fair game — viewers learn to lock.

Report exploit-based raid glitches through official XAF Games channels rather than abusing them; Sunday hotfixes wipe exploit gains routinely.

Quick raid checklist

• Merge income stable? → Yes before raiding.
• Base locked? → Required.
• Targets unlocked with high Cash? → Prioritize.
• Stolen Cash reinvested? → Do immediately.
• Post-Sunday balance checked? → Updates + tier list.

Raiding accelerates mid-game Cash but never outpaces a well-managed merge chain plus rebirth multipliers. Raid smart, lock always, and treat stolen Cash as merge fuel — not pocket money.