Combat handbook · Builds & boss tactics
A setup should solve the problem you actually face. If you run out of stamina, improve recovery; if distant enemies control the fight, keep a ranged answer ready. Start with your favorite weapon, then spend points around its rhythm instead of copying a finished tree.
| Style | Core plan | Gear and skill priorities | Common failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee / warrior | Stay close only when you can read the enemy; block or evade, then punish recovery. | Choose a weapon whose attack speed and reach suit you; balance damage with health, stamina, and survivability. | Chasing through hazards or spending all stamina before the enemy’s next telegraph. |
| Ranger / bow | Open at range, reposition when enemies close, and keep a melee fallback. | Match bow, arrows, and skill investment to your intended range; 1.0 adds Puncture, Barrage, Survival Instinct, Eternal arrow types, and ranged aim-assist options. | Running out of arrows or firing while boxed into a corner. |
| Mage | Use spells for different ranges and switch to a wand or defensive option when pressured. | Test spell tiers, Eternal versions, summons, and wand heavy attacks; build enough mana and survivability for the encounter. | Standing still to cast while a fast enemy closes distance. |
| Co-op support | Split target focus and cover each other’s blind spots. | Coordinate ranged pressure, frontline control, healing windows, and summons. | Everyone chasing the same target while a dangerous ranged enemy remains active. |
Choose weapon perks by the whole build
Weapon affixes are useful when they reinforce your actual loop: stamina recovery if repeated attacks exhaust you, elemental or damage bonuses that match the skill tree, or durability support for a long expedition. Compare the weapon’s level, moveset, damage type, and perk synergy together. A higher rarity is not automatically an upgrade if it pushes you into a damage type or attack pattern your build does not support. Keep one alternate weapon for enemies that resist or punish your main option.
Boss fight protocol
- Read the journal and enter at an appropriate progression point; repair gear and make inventory space for the trophy.
- Observe the boss’s opening attacks from a safe distance and identify which telegraphs are dodgeable, blockable, or require repositioning.
- Use short damage windows. Preserve stamina for the next dodge, and avoid greedily extending a combo.
- When adds appear, remove the ones that interrupt healing or threaten your escape route; then resume boss focus.
- After a defeat, change one variable—weapon range, food, armor, skill points, or approach—so the retry teaches you something.
For damage weaknesses, named boss spawns, and drop tables, use the current interactive boss reference below rather than a static universal ranking. Enemy variants and values are patch-sensitive. Turn on or adjust aim assist in the settings if ranged targeting feels unreliable; Keen Games says controller aim assist is enabled by default while mouse and keyboard aim assist is disabled by default.
Use these best builds as starting points. Change one skill at a time, then try the setup in a familiar fight before you carry it into a longer expedition.
Sources: Official 1.0 combat changes · Current boss locations and damage data · 1.0 build and skill reference