Endgame Builds
Two creator loadouts from the pre-release build, tested the day before launch — not a tested ranking, but two complete endgame setups that have proven themselves against the hardest content. Both pair with the Tier List and Best Builds pages for gear comparisons.
Why these two
Both builds come from creators with pre-release access who tested them the day before launch. Mattitude's Awesomeaxe setup cleared every boss on Hard, making it the most proven hardcore option, while The Dungeon Fish's potion engine also cleared every boss on Hard — but with a far more forgiving playstyle. Neither placement is a lab-tested ranking; treat both as field-proven templates you can adapt as pieces drop.
Build 1 — Awesomeaxe crit (Mattitude)
Weapons: Awesomeaxe (70% chance of Strength on hit, roughly doubling damage), Shooting Star bow (20% melee evade).
Armor: Twisted Warden Blindfold or Hivemind Hardhat, Twisted Warden Vest, Rimefrost Longjohns, Monstrosity Stompers.
Artifacts: Fighter's Flute, Warrior Drums, Warding Chimes.
How it works: The Awesomeaxe's Strength-on-hit doubles your strikes while the Flute makes every hit crit and the Drums multiply those crits further. Keep the Flute and Drums active together and maintain Warding Chimes for damage immunity. The Hivemind Hardhat's +70% positive-status duration pushes Chimes toward near-permanent uptime, and Twisted Tooth covers the artifact soul costs.
Weakness: Soul management. If you run dry — especially during the Sift's Endure phase — you lose your defense entirely.
Build 2 — Redstone Wrecker potion engine (The Dungeon Fish)
Weapons: Redstone Wrecker with jump cancels (built-in Fire Aspect wave plus Crash Landing knockback), Shooting Star bow (20% melee evade).
Armor: Hivemind Hardhat, Humbler Carapace, Humbler Greaves, Disciple Wraps.
Talismans: Fist of Iron, Twisted Tooth, Glowstone Flask.
Artifacts: Turtle Master's Mandolin, Fighter's Flute, Warrior Drums.
Enchantments: Bottomless Brew, two copies of Ancient Alchemy, Health Synergy.
How it works: This is a self-funding machine. Bottomless Brew lets potions stack to 4 while two copies of Ancient Alchemy return 60 souls each per potion — so every potion you drink hands you 120 souls, enough to keep the Flute, Drums, and Mandolin running indefinitely. Health Synergy tops off 35% of your max health each time you use an artifact, the Humbler Carapace amplifies that healing by 40%, and the Mandolin halves incoming damage for a mere 20 souls. Jump-cancel with the Redstone Wrecker to keep its built-in 80%-damage wave rolling without needing Lightning Surge.
Weakness: It forgives mistakes but still takes the hits that Warding Chimes would ignore outright.
Rotation in practice
Awesomeaxe crit: Open every fight with axe swings until the 70% Strength chance procs — once it does, your damage roughly doubles. Then pop Fighter's Flute and Warrior Drums together so every hit lands as an amplified crit, and keep Warding Chimes cycling for damage immunity. If you chose the Hivemind Hardhat, its +70% positive-status duration pushes Chimes toward near-permanent uptime; the Twisted Warden Blindfold instead trades that uptime for another +45% melee crit damage. Twisted Tooth keeps the soul income flowing, and the Shooting Star bow's 20% melee evade covers you between Chimes windows.
Potion engine: Drink potions early and often — there is no reason to ration them. Each potion returns 120 souls (Bottomless Brew stacking to 4, two Ancient Alchemy copies returning 60 each), so you can afford to run all three artifacts on every cooldown. Use the Flute and Drums for burst windows and the Turtle Master's Mandolin whenever you expect sustained pressure. Every artifact use also heals you for 35% of max health via Health Synergy, amplified another 40% by the Humbler Carapace. Jump-cancel the Redstone Wrecker's combo to keep its built-in 80%-damage wave rolling without spending an enchantment slot on Lightning Surge.
Warding Chimes vs Turtle Master's Mandolin
The choice between the two signature defensive artifacts defines your playstyle: Warding Chimes costs 40 souls with a 15-second cooldown and blocks all damage while active — meaning no damage some of the time, which rewards careful soul management; Turtle Master's Mandolin costs 20 souls with a 5-second cooldown and halves incoming damage for you and your allies — half damage all of the time, which is far easier to play and also protects the party in multiplayer. For most players, the Redstone Wrecker potion engine is the easiest build to play — it asks for nothing more precise than drinking potions and jump-cancelling.
How to get the pieces
Heroes cap at level 100, and Soul Storms are the prime source of endgame gear: storm gear never rolls common, and specials/uniques carry three modifiers instead of the usual two. The Hivemind Hardhat comes from a first-area quest, and per Mattitude the Redstone Monstrosity always drops the Redstone Wrecker. Bosses are refightable roughly a minute after their rune resets, so target-farming specific drops is realistic. The Shooting Star bow appears in both builds as the defensive ranged pick — its 20% melee evade has no real substitute. For everything else, farm with your best available gear and check the Tier List for which rolls to keep.
