Find the POINTs needed for S-Rank on both boards in Deltarune Chapter 3, farm easy rewards, improve battle scores, and learn how Pippins’ 1,500-POINT shortcut works.
Getting an S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3 can be tricky if you focus only on winning battles. During Mr. Tenna’s TV Time game show, your final rank also depends on how many POINTs you collect, your performance in the physical challenges, and the secret bonuses you discover.
Fortunately, you do not need a perfect score in every category to earn an overall S-Rank. You can compensate for a weaker battle by collecting extra POINTs, performing well in the Cooking Show or Rock Video, and finding optional bonuses.
There is also a shortcut. Pippins can sell you a counterfeit S-Rank for 1,500 POINTs, although the offer has specific conditions.
This guide explains the S-Rank requirements, the easiest repeatable POINTs farming methods, the scores to aim for in each minigame, and how to access the S-Rank room without unnecessarily replaying an entire board.
Quick tip: Before chasing a perfect battle score, check your POINTs, physical-challenge performance, and available secret bonuses. Improving a weaker category can be more efficient than replaying every encounter.
Spoiler warning: This guide covers optional rewards, the S-Rank room, and some secrets connected to Chapter 3’s hidden content.
Quickest Ways to Get S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3
If you want to improve your rank without spending hours repeating battles, concentrate on these five things:
- Avoid damage during combat. Learn enemy attack patterns, meet the required TP target, and avoid wasting turns.
- Collect extra POINTs. Answer quizzes correctly, explore every accessible room, and use Susie’s Power Croissant ability to collect weeds.
- Find secret bonuses. Look for the additional key on the Desert Board and the hidden photo and moss bonuses on the Island Board.
- Score well in the physical challenge. Aim for at least A-Rank in the Cooking Show or Rock Video while improving your battle and POINTs scores.
- Use Pippins if necessary. If you qualify for the offer, you can spend 1,500 POINTs to obtain a counterfeit S-Rank.
The most important thing to remember is that the game evaluates the board and its associated physical challenge together. Earning an S-Rank in every individual category is not mandatory.
Best practice: Treat these five actions as your pre-finish checklist. Collect accessible bonuses before advancing, build enough TP during combat, and check whether your minigame score can compensate for a weaker battle result.
Deltarune Chapter 3 S-Rank Requirements and Scoring System
TV Time contains two main rounds relevant to the S-Rank guide.
| Round | Game board | Physical challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Desert Board | Cooking Show |
| Round 2 | Island Board | Rock Video |
Each round has three scoring categories: battles, POINTs, and the physical challenge. Optional bonuses can also contribute to your overall rank.
The available ranks, from highest to lowest, are T, S, A, B, C, and Z. T-Rank is higher than S-Rank, so getting S does not mean you have reached the highest possible evaluation.
Key insight: A high POINTs score is only one part of your evaluation. Keep track of your battle and physical-challenge grades too, instead of assuming that reaching a particular POINTs total guarantees an overall S-Rank.
Deltarune Chapter 3 POINTs Requirements for S-Rank and T-Rank
The requirement depends on the board and whether you complete two or three battles. The following are the documented thresholds for the POINTs category, not the total requirements for your overall rank.
| Board | Battles completed | A-Rank | S-Rank | T-Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Board | 2 | 832 | 1,008 | 1,260 |
| Desert Board | 3 | 983 | 1,192 | 1,490 |
| Island Board | 2 | 872 | 1,056 | 1,320 |
| Island Board | 3 | 1,023 | 1,240 | 1,550 |
These figures are particularly useful if you are planning a farming route. For example, if you complete three battles on the Island Board, you need 1,240 POINTs for an S-Rank in the POINTs category and 1,550 for T-Rank.
You do not automatically receive an overall S-Rank by reaching one of these thresholds. Your battle and physical-challenge grades still matter.
Actionable tip: Use the threshold for your current board and battle count to decide how much farming you actually need. Once you have sufficient POINTs, focus on improving your weaker scoring categories instead of collecting unnecessary extras.
How Deltarune Chapter 3 Calculates Your Overall Rank
The game assigns numerical values to the individual ranks: Z is 0, C is 1, B is 2, A is 3, S is 4, and T is 5.
The documented scoring system then combines the battle results, twice the POINTs-category value, three times the physical-challenge value, and four additional points for each secret bonus.
An overall score greater than 24 normally qualifies for S-Rank. T-Rank has additional requirements, so earning a high numerical score alone does not guarantee it.
This explains why improving the Cooking Show or Rock Video can be more valuable than spending a long time trying to perfect every battle. The physical-challenge grade carries substantial weight.
Key insight: The physical challenge has a multiplier of three in the documented scoring system. When your battle score is already strong, improving the Cooking Show or Rock Video result can be a particularly valuable way to raise your total.
How to Improve Your Deltarune Chapter 3 Battle Rank
Battle performance considers three things: the number of turns used, the hits you take, and your TP when the fight ends.
The goal is to finish efficiently, dodge attacks, and reach the TP target shown on the battle’s meter.
Battle tip: Do not focus on defeating enemies as quickly as possible at the expense of your other scoring requirements. Monitor your TP, avoid unnecessary damage, and pay attention to the turn target for the encounter.
1. How to Avoid Damage and Improve Battle Scores
Avoiding damage is one of the easiest ways to improve a weak battle score. Watch the direction and timing of enemy projectiles, then move only as much as necessary to escape their attack patterns.
The Shuttah and Lanino-and-Elnina encounters allow two hits under their documented battle requirements, but you should still aim to avoid damage wherever possible.
Best practice: Learn an enemy’s attack pattern before trying to finish the encounter faster. Predictable movement and controlled dodging can help you avoid avoidable hits without wasting turns.
2. How to Build Enough TP Before Ending a Battle
Do not finish a battle immediately if your TP is below the required target.
You can build TP by defending and safely grazing enemy projectiles. Defending provides TP immediately when selected.
However, do not extend every battle unnecessarily. Additional turns can lower your score, so aim to reach the TP target without sacrificing your turn grade.
Important reminder: Balance TP and turn efficiency. An extra turn can be worthwhile when you need to reach the TP target, but extending a battle without a scoring reason can work against you.
3. Deltarune Chapter 3 Battle Turn, TP, and Hit Targets
The current Deltarune Wiki evaluation guide lists these turn and TP targets for strong battle performance:
| Encounter | Turn target | TP target | Hit allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Shadowguys | 3 | 70% | Avoid hits |
| 3 Shadowguys | 4 | 80% | Avoid hits |
| Lanino and Elnina | 7 | 80% | Up to 2 hits |
| 2 Pippins | 4 | 80% | Avoid hits |
| 3 Pippins | 4 | 80% | Avoid hits |
| Shuttah | 7 | 80% | Up to 2 hits |
Use these as targets when planning your fights, and check the grade displayed by the game after each encounter. The overall battle category combines your individual battle results, so one weaker encounter does not necessarily ruin the round.
Practical tip: Check the result after each encounter rather than waiting until the end of the board to evaluate your performance. This helps you decide whether to prioritize collecting POINTs or improving the physical-challenge grade in the remaining section.
How to Farm Easy POINTs on the Deltarune Chapter 3 Desert Board
The Desert Board offers several reliable ways to build your score without depending entirely on combat.
Farming strategy: Start with POINTs available through normal exploration and quizzes. Use repeatable farming methods when your score is still below the target you need, rather than spending time grinding before collecting the easier rewards.
How to Earn POINTs by Answering Every Desert Board Quiz Correctly
There are three quizzes on the Desert Board. According to the game wiki, answering all three perfectly rewards 900 POINTs in total.
Pay attention to the questions and confirm your answer promptly. Taking too long can cause Susie and Ralsei to choose incorrect answers, reducing the POINTs awarded.
This is one of the best opportunities to build your score through normal progression instead of grinding a single room repeatedly.
Quick tip: Prioritize the three quizzes during your first run through the board. Their reported combined reward of 900 POINTs makes them an important source of points before you spend time on repeatable farming.
How to Farm Weeds with Susie’s Power Croissant Ability
After obtaining the Power Croissant, Susie can pull weeds for 5 POINTs each.
The ability also lets her pick up and throw pots, but the repeatable weed collection is particularly useful when you are short on POINTs.
To farm:
- Obtain the Power Croissant after the falling-rocks area.
- Find an accessible room containing weeds.
- Let Susie collect the weeds.
- Leave the room and return to allow the weeds to respawn.
- Repeat until you have enough POINTs.
According to the Deltarune Wiki’s Power Croissant guide, the respawning weeds make unlimited POINTs farming possible on this board.
This is a predictable method if you want to make up for missing optional rewards or receiving a lower battle grade.
Best practice: Once you have the Power Croissant, remember the location of a convenient weed-filled room. Revisit it when your score needs a boost rather than searching the whole board again.
How to Find the Extra Key on Your First Playthrough
Secret bonuses contribute additional points to your overall evaluation. On the Desert Board, finding an extra key is one of these opportunities.
Be aware that the fifth key is only accessible after completing Chapter 3 and obtaining a Completion File. You cannot collect it during a fresh first playthrough, so do not waste time searching for it if this is your first run.
Explore optional rooms before entering the pyramid and completing the board.
Important reminder: Do not confuse the additional key available through later completion content with the keys you can obtain during an initial playthrough. Check accessible optional areas, but do not waste time searching for an item that is unavailable in your current progression.
How to Farm Easy POINTs on the Deltarune Chapter 3 Island Board
The Island Board provides another set of repeatable farming methods. If your score is low after the Desert Board, take advantage of these opportunities as you explore.
Farming tip: Explore the accessible Island Board rooms before moving into the final progression. Collect easy plant rewards and investigate photography opportunities while they are available.
How to Collect Blue Flowers and Respawning Weeds for POINTs
Blue flowers are worth 20 POINTs each, while most ordinary weeds yield 5 POINTs. Some specific weed locations provide a repeatable 1-POINT reward.
You can find these plants in several rooms while progressing through the Island Board. If Kris is controlling Susie’s in-game character during the controller-swapping segment, you can pull plants manually rather than waiting for Susie to collect them herself.
Some players use repeated room transitions to collect the same plants again. This is a useful alternative when you have already collected the obvious POINTs scattered around the board.
See the Island Board guide for details about the flowers and weed locations.
Actionable tip: Collect the higher-value blue flowers whenever you encounter them, then use respawning plants to close any remaining gap in your POINTs total. This combines exploration rewards with repeatable farming instead of relying on one method.
How to Farm POINTs by Photographing Shadowguys
Once you obtain the camera, photographing certain Shadowguys and snipers can award additional POINTs. The documented reward for photographing projectile-throwing Shadowguys is 10 POINTs.
Photographs also temporarily immobilize the relevant enemies, making this useful beyond simply building your score.
There is a special community-reported variation involving a bunny-eared Shadowguy. Players have reported earning 25 POINTs per photo from this encounter, but reports differ on exactly how the creature spawns.
Some players believe photographing six Shadowguy snipers triggers the transformation, while others report that its appearance is random. Treat this as a bonus farming opportunity rather than a guaranteed method.
You can compare player experiences in the Reddit discussion about spawning the bunny-eared Shadowguy.
Community-reported tip: Try the bunny-eared Shadowguy photography method if you encounter it, but do not make your entire S-Rank strategy depend on its appearance. The ordinary photography rewards remain an alternative when the special encounter is unavailable.
How to Find the Fourth Photo and Collect the Moss Bonus
The Island Board has two secret bonuses worth pursuing: taking the hidden fourth photo and eating moss.
You need three specific photos to progress toward Lover’s Peak, but the extra photo is an additional opportunity to improve your evaluation. Look for optional photo subjects while exploring the island instead of stopping as soon as you have the required photographs.
The moss bonus is another reason to investigate side rooms and interact with objects you might otherwise ignore.
These bonuses can help compensate for a lower score in battles or the physical challenge.
Exploration checklist: Before leaving an area, check for optional photo subjects, moss interactions, and other accessible bonuses. Small rewards can help improve your total without forcing you to repeat an entire battle.
How to Get S-Rank in the Deltarune Chapter 3 Cooking Show
The Cooking Show is the physical challenge for Round 1. You must collect falling food, stack it on Kris’s head, and serve customers while avoiding fire.
A higher score improves your physical-challenge grade and makes it easier to reach an overall S-Rank.
The documented score thresholds are:
| Cooking Show grade | Required score |
|---|---|
| S-Rank | 450 POINTs |
| A-Rank | 380 POINTs |
| B-Rank | 300 POINTs |
| C-Rank | 210 POINTs |
Score target: Aim for 450 POINTs if you are going for S-Rank in the Cooking Show. If that is difficult, an A-Rank at 380 POINTs is still a useful result when your battle and POINTs categories are strong.
Cooking Show Tips: Stack Food Early and Avoid Fire
A larger stack is worth more points, but it also makes Kris move and jump more slowly. Build a useful stack early in the challenge before fire becomes harder to avoid.
Jump over burning fire and serve customers without losing the entire stack. Missed food can also turn into fire, so avoid careless movement.
Best practice: Balance stack size against mobility. A large stack can increase your reward, but it becomes harder to maneuver. Avoiding fire and keeping your collected food is more useful than taking unnecessary risks for one extra item.
How to Earn Bonus POINTs from Cooking Show Special Guests
Lanino and Elnina occasionally appear as special customers. Serving them earns bonus POINTs, making them worth prioritizing when they appear.
Do not focus exclusively on building the biggest possible stack. Balance the potential reward against the increased difficulty of moving around safely.
Practical target: Aim for at least 450 points if you want an S-Rank in the Cooking Show. A score of 380 earns A-Rank and can still contribute to an overall S-Rank when your other scores are strong enough.
Actionable tip: Watch for special guests while planning your route. Serve them when you can do so safely, but do not sacrifice your entire stack or repeatedly hit fire just to chase a bonus.
How to Improve Your Deltarune Chapter 3 Rock Video Score
The Rock Video minigame is the physical challenge for Round 2. You perform alongside Susie and Ralsei while following the timing of the song.
You need to press the appropriate inputs in sync with Kris’s on-screen bars. Missing the timing breaks your combo and reduces your score.
The documented thresholds for the main Raise Up Your Bat performance are:
| Rock Video grade | Required score |
|---|---|
| S-Rank | 25,000 |
| A-Rank | 22,000 |
| B-Rank | 18,000 |
| C-Rank | 14,500 |
Watch the timing cues rather than pressing buttons as quickly as possible. Focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm, especially when the song becomes faster or changes its pattern.
If you struggle to reach 25,000 points, an A-Rank is still a useful target. You can compensate for the lower physical-challenge grade by collecting more POINTs, improving your battle scores, and finding the Island Board’s secret bonuses.
Rhythm-game tip: Prioritize consistent timing and combo preservation over frantic button presses. If you fall short of S-Rank in Rock Video, strengthen your other scoring categories instead of assuming the entire board is lost.
How to Buy a Counterfeit S-Rank from Pippins in Deltarune Chapter 3
If you fail to earn an S-Rank naturally, you may be able to purchase a counterfeit one from Pippins.
The merchant charges 1,500 POINTs and can be found in the red-carpet hallway south of the Green Room, near the golden Tenna statue.
The important distinction is that 1,500 POINTs is the purchase price, not the universal score requirement for earning a natural S-Rank.
Key insight: The counterfeit S-Rank is an alternative for qualifying players who miss a natural S-Rank. Keep the purchase price separate from the POINTs-category thresholds used to calculate your regular board evaluation.
Where to Find Pippins and Purchase the Counterfeit S-Rank
Return to the Green Room after completing the relevant board, then use the southern exit into the red-carpet hallway.
Look for Pippins near the golden Tenna statue. If your result and progression qualify for the offer, you can purchase the counterfeit S-Rank for 1,500 POINTs.
Quick tip: Check your available POINTs before visiting Pippins. Having enough POINTs is important, but the merchant’s offer also depends on your rank and progression.
Pippins’ Counterfeit S-Rank Requirements and Restrictions
The offer does not work after every possible result.
- Pippins offers the counterfeit S-Rank to players who receive A-, B-, or C-Rank on a board.
- If you receive Z-Rank, Pippins refuses to sell it.
- After Round 2, Pippins does not offer the counterfeit S-Rank unless you already received a real or counterfeit S-Rank in Round 1.
These restrictions matter if your goal is to unlock the S-Rank room on both boards. If you plan to use the shortcut during Round 2, make sure you have earned or purchased S-Rank during the first round.
The Green Room guide documents these merchant conditions.
Important reminder: If you plan to use Pippins as a backup strategy for Round 2, secure a real or counterfeit S-Rank during Round 1. Receiving Z-Rank can prevent the purchase option from becoming available.
How to Get 1,500 POINTs If You Cannot Afford Pippins’ Offer
Use the farming methods described above before relying on the shortcut. On the Desert Board, the repeatable weeds and quiz rewards can build your score. On the Island Board, flowers and repeatable photography opportunities can help increase your available POINTs.
Remember that the amount earned for a board evaluation is tracked separately from the currency you spend. Spending POINTs does not reduce the total already recorded for the current board, although it does reduce your spendable balance.
If you intend to buy the counterfeit S-Rank, save enough spendable POINTs for the purchase.
Best practice: If you intend to use Pippins’ shortcut, plan your farming around the 1,500-POINT cost. Collect the easier available rewards first, then use repeatable farming methods to make up any remaining shortfall.
What the Deltarune Chapter 3 S-Rank Room Unlocks
The S-Rank room is also known as the Star Changing Room. Accessing it is an important step toward Chapter 3’s optional content.
Inside, you can investigate the abandoned Original Game and its associated controller-related mystery. Discovering the OddController allows you to start exploring that hidden minigame.
However, earning or purchasing an S-Rank does not automatically unlock every secret reward. You still need to progress through the Original Game and complete the relevant objectives.
If your goal is the Shadow Mantle, follow the additional steps in our Deltarune Chapter 3 Shadow Mantle guide. The S-Rank room is the beginning of that process, not the end of it.
Key insight: Think of the S-Rank room as access to the next stage of optional content, not the reward that completes the entire secret route. Explore the Original Game and follow the additional objectives if you are aiming for the Shadow Mantle.
How to Recover If You Miss S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3
If you finish a board with a lower grade, do not immediately restart the chapter. First, check whether Pippins can offer you a counterfeit S-Rank.
If the merchant is unavailable or you cannot afford the purchase, look at the areas where you lost points.
Ask yourself:
- Did you miss a quiz reward or an optional key?
- Did you finish a battle before reaching its TP target?
- Did you take avoidable damage?
- Did you miss the hidden fourth photo or the moss bonus on the Island Board?
- Could you improve your Cooking Show or Rock Video score?
- Are there accessible rooms where you can collect additional POINTs?
Try to improve the weakest category first. A better minigame score or an extra secret bonus may be enough to push your overall evaluation above the S-Rank threshold without perfecting every battle.
If you need to replay a section, consider keeping a save before the relevant board or evaluation so that you can try a different scoring strategy.
Recovery checklist: Before restarting, identify the category that most needs improvement. Check your missing bonuses, battle grades, minigame score, and eligibility for Pippins’ offer. Choose the recovery method that addresses your actual shortfall.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deltarune Chapter 3 S-Rank
Is S-Rank the Highest Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3?
No. T-Rank is higher than S-Rank. However, S-Rank is important because it provides access to the Star Changing Room and its optional content.
Can You Get S-Rank Without Perfect Battles in Deltarune Chapter 3?
Yes. Your overall evaluation combines battle results, the POINTs category, and your physical-challenge score. Secret bonuses can also improve your total. You do not need S-Rank in every individual category to earn an overall S-Rank.
How Many POINTs Do You Need for S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3?
The POINTs-category requirement ranges from 1,008 to 1,192 on the Desert Board and from 1,056 to 1,240 on the Island Board for the two- and three-battle configurations listed in the evaluation guide. The exact requirement depends on the board and the number of battles fought.
Can You Buy S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3?
Yes. Pippins can sell a counterfeit S-Rank for 1,500 POINTs, but the offer depends on your rank and progression. A Z-Rank result does not qualify, and the Round 2 offer requires a real or counterfeit S-Rank from Round 1.
What Is the Easiest Way to Farm POINTs in Deltarune Chapter 3?
On the Desert Board, answer the quizzes correctly and use Susie’s Power Croissant ability to pull respawning weeds. On the Island Board, collect blue flowers, pull weeds, and photograph Shadowguys. The bunny-eared Shadowguy can provide a higher-value photo reward, but its appearance is not guaranteed.
Do You Need S-Rank to Get the Shadow Mantle in Deltarune Chapter 3?
S-Rank access is an important step in reaching the Original Game and its optional content. You must also complete the relevant route objectives. Getting S-Rank alone does not immediately award the Shadow Mantle.
Reader takeaway: You can work toward S-Rank through several different approaches. Focus on your current board’s thresholds, use reliable POINTs sources first, and keep the merchant’s restrictions in mind when planning your route.
Final Tips for Getting S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3
The most reliable way to get S-Rank in Deltarune Chapter 3 is to combine good battle scores with thorough exploration and a strong physical-challenge result. Collect quiz rewards, use Susie’s weed-pulling ability, take advantage of repeatable photography opportunities, and look for the secret bonuses before finishing a board.
If your score falls short, check whether Pippins can sell you the counterfeit S-Rank before restarting. Just remember that the offer has restrictions, particularly when you reach the second board.
With a clear understanding of the scoring categories and the right farming route, you can earn S-Rank more consistently and access the optional content hidden behind the Star Changing Room.
Final checklist: Collect easy POINTs before grinding, aim for the relevant battle and minigame targets, search for available secret bonuses, and confirm Pippins’ eligibility requirements before relying on the counterfeit S-Rank shortcut.
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