6 starter builds · 8 core archetypes · 8 essence categories
Don't theorycraft yet.Pick one and commit.
Six essence and archetype pairings that carry a new account. Each one is a complete starter recipe: the essences to slot, the subclass to commit to, the skill points to spend first and the gear to craft. Read one, build it, branch out later.
- StrikerFlame
- GuardianHoly
- CasterArcane
- ControllerStorm
- AssassinShadow
- HealerNature
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Updated ·patch v2.0.9
How to use this page
Six starter recipes. Each one tells you which essences to slot, the archetype and subclass to pick, the stat blend to allocate toward, where a hero's first 10 skill points go, and what to craft first. Pick one for your first hero and follow it. Theorycrafting can wait until the first build is working.
Read this first
Your essences pick your archetype
Recruits arrive without a class. Once a hero has both essence slots filled, the game offers the three archetypes that best match those essences. Two essences from the same category steer you toward that build. Got the wrong one? Member Detail has Change Archetype (500 gold, or free with an Archetype Reroll Scroll), but it resets the skill tree. More in How your class is chosen.
Skill points belong to each hero
Every hero starts with 5 SP and earns 1 more per essence sub-level, so 10 SP comes quickly. Each equipped essence also adds a small branch to that hero's tree with no tier requirement, which is why every build below spends its first 5 SP there.
Subclasses open from one core passive
Each subclass path needs rank 1 of one specific core passive. After 4 SP in that path, its tier-2 active opens. Pick the subclass in the hero's Build Preset so its stat blend applies; until then the hero uses the base archetype's blend.
Thresholds count total stats
Stat thresholds like Bloodlust at 400 VIT read the hero's full battle stats, so gear, essences and skill passives all count, not just the points you allocate.
Stat blends: a hero's basic attack reads two stats (or three for some subclasses), weighted toward the primary. Pouring points into the primary is fine for damage. What you give up by ignoring the secondary is the archetype's signature passive and its thresholds. Plan a hero's points with the Build Planner, or read the full system on Stats.
Hit harder, burn longer
For players who like pressing one button and watching things melt.
Slot: Fire, Sun or Inferno (all three also burn on hit). Any Flame essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Lead with ATK: it is the bigger half of your damage, and every 100 ATK adds a 3% chance of a free follow-up attack. Put the rest into VIT for HP and regen. At 400 VIT, Bloodlust makes every kill heal you for 10% of max HP, and Berserkers get Pre-emptive Strike (act first) at 250 SPD instead of the usual 300.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Ember Touch (1), then Inferno Strike ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Flame branch
- 2.Warrior's Grit rank 1 (1). This core passive opens the Berserker path
- 3.Inner Fury ranks 1-3 (3): fury stacks on every attack
- 4.Reckless Power rank 1 (1). That makes 4 SP in Berserker, which opens tier 2
Next: Rampage rank 1 (3 SP): a multi-hit attack that scales with fury stacks.
Craft and build first
- ▸Tin Sword (Tin, Driftwood, Rat Hide), then a Warband Greataxe (Copper, Birchwood, Boar Hide) once the Workshop is level 2
- ▸Refine Tin into Copper in the Workshop (5 to 1)
- ▸Iron Forge for ore and a Hunter Lodge for hide, if your home region allows them
Why it works for new players
Burn ticks for 8% of the target's max HP each turn and ignores DEF, so it hurts armored enemies as much as soft ones. Ember Touch costs 1 SP and gives every attack a 15% chance to burn, and Inferno Strike burns every target it hits.
Watch out for
Reckless Power trades DEF for ATK, so a Berserker is fragile until VIT climbs. Keep a Guardian in the front row. The Soul Descent dragon bosses are immune to burn.
Indestructible front line
For players who like never losing a member, even when the fight goes long.
Slot: Light, Life, Hope, Aegis or Oath. Any Holy essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Bulwark swaps Guardian's ATK + VIT blend for DEF + VIT. Lead with DEF (every hero gets 1% damage reduction per 100 DEF, up to 20%) and put the rest into VIT, which powers Aegis Pulse: a shield worth 8% of max HP per 100 VIT. 300 DEF unlocks Reflect Aura, 400 VIT unlocks Last Stand (survive one lethal hit at 1 HP, once per battle), and 500 DEF makes a Bulwark immune to stun and freeze.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Sacred Armor (1), then Divine Aegis ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Holy branch
- 2.Fortified Body rank 1 (1). This core passive opens the Bulwark path
- 3.Iron Stance ranks 1-3 (3): a big DEF bonus
- 4.Endurance rank 1 (1). That makes 4 SP in Bulwark, which opens tier 2
Next: Iron Wall rank 1 (3 SP): party-wide damage reduction for 2 turns.
Craft and build first
- ▸Fieldstone Shield (Fieldstone, Tin, Driftwood) and an Oath Band
- ▸Warband Plate (Copper, Boar Hide, Sandstone) once the Workshop is level 2
- ▸Quarry for stone, but only a Mountains or Desert home region allows one
Why it works for new players
A Guardian in the front row taunts, so enemy attacks are forced onto it instead of your damage dealers. Divine Aegis shields the whole party, cleanses a debuff and adds a little regen. It is the easiest way to stop losing fights you should win.
Watch out for
Damage is low on purpose. Pair it with a Striker or Caster to do the killing. The taunt only works from the front row.
Big spells, short cooldowns
For players who like watching one cast hit the whole enemy line.
Slot: Staff, Rune or Wisdom (Wisdom also cuts cooldowns by 25%). Any Arcane essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Evoker swaps Caster's INT + ATK blend for INT + SPD. Lead with INT: it drives spell damage and cuts cooldowns by 1% per 100, up to 25%. Put the rest into SPD for crit chance (2% per 100, up to 40%) and faster turns. At 500 INT, Field Magic makes the Caster's splash hit every enemy instead of just the neighbours.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Arcane Focus (1: +10% spell damage, 1 turn off cooldowns), then Arcane Nova ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Arcane branch
- 2.Arcane Intellect rank 1 (1). This core passive opens the Evoker path
- 3.Volatile Energy ranks 1-3 (3): more AoE damage
- 4.Arcane Overload rank 1 (1). It adds damage but lengthens cooldowns, so stop at rank 1. That makes 4 SP in Evoker, which opens tier 2
Next: Cataclysm rank 1 (3 SP): a huge AoE hit on a long cooldown.
Craft and build first
- ▸Quartz Charm first, then an Arcanist's Wand (Garnet, Birchwood, Orc Fang) and a Circlet of Focus once the Workshop is level 2
- ▸Gem Mine for Quartz and Garnet (it becomes the Crystal Mine in 2.1.0)
- ▸Trophy Hall for Orc Fangs and a Lumber Mill for Birchwood
Why it works for new players
Arcane Nova hits every enemy and resets your allies' cooldowns when it lands a kill. An Arcane essence also mutates the skill in its slot (slot 1 mutates skill 1, slot 2 mutates skill 2), taking a turn off its cooldown or giving it a chance to cast twice.
Watch out for
Squishy. Keep a Guardian in the front row and the Caster behind it. Ambush quests (enemies 20% stronger) punish a Caster with nobody to hide behind.
Lock the fight down
For players who like controlling the pace and denying enemy turns.
Slot: Hammer (10% stun on attack), Tempest (18% stun when hit) or Lightning. Any Storm essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Dominator swaps Controller's INT + SPD blend for INT + ATK. Lead with INT and put the rest into ATK for harder hits on stunned targets. The Controller's own thresholds are about slows (Mass Debuff at 400 INT, and Tempo Stun+ at 300 SPD, which lets slows stun), so a little SPD is still worth having.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Static Field (1), then Thunderstorm ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Storm branch
- 2.Control Mastery rank 1 (1). This core passive opens the Dominator path
- 3.Iron Grip ranks 1-3 (3): longer stuns
- 4.Lockdown rank 1 (1): stunned targets take more damage. That makes 4 SP in Dominator, which opens tier 2
Next: Shackle rank 1 (3 SP): stuns one target for 2 turns.
Craft and build first
- ▸Arcanist's Staff (INT + ATK) and a Garnet Pendant (INT, ATK and SPD)
- ▸Gem Mine for Garnet (it becomes the Crystal Mine in 2.1.0)
- ▸Trophy Hall for Orc Fangs and a Lumber Mill for Birchwood
Why it works for new players
A stunned enemy loses its turn. Thunderstorm shocks every enemy and stuns the ones that were already shocked, and Lockdown makes your whole party hit stunned targets harder.
Watch out for
Elite enemies shrug off essence statuses for 3 of every 10 actions, including their first 3, and a status already on a target 3 or more times lasts a turn less when reapplied. Automatons, War Machines, Drift Constructs and anything with the Titanic affix cannot be stunned. Bring a Striker for damage.
Crit, curse, kill
For players who like big crit numbers and finishing off low-HP targets.
Slot: Dark, Deep or Corrupt (curse on attack), or Blood and Hunger (lifesteal). Any Shadow essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Reaper swaps Assassin's ATK + SPD blend for ATK + INT. Lead with ATK and put the rest into INT. Crit chance starts at 0%, so do not zero SPD: every 100 SPD adds 2% crit. Lethality, traits like Cunning and some essences add more.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Shadow Mark (1: crits curse the target), then Soul Reave ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Shadow branch
- 2.Lethality rank 1 (1): crit chance and crit damage. This core passive opens the Reaper path
- 3.Killing Instinct ranks 1-3 (3): bonus damage to low-HP targets
- 4.Merciless rank 1 (1): much bigger crits. That makes 4 SP in Reaper, which opens tier 2
Next: Death Mark rank 1 (3 SP): the marked target takes 30% more damage from everyone for 3 turns.
Craft and build first
- ▸Copper Blade (Copper, Birchwood, Boar Hide) for ATK and SPD
- ▸Garnet Pendant for INT and ATK
- ▸Iron Forge for ore and a Gem Mine for Garnet, if your home region allows them
Why it works for new players
Soul Reave hits hard, curses the target and heals you for half the damage, so the Assassin can stay up without a healer. A cursed target takes 10% more damage from your whole party.
Watch out for
Shadow Mark only fires on crits, and crit chance starts at 0%, so the build feels slow until Lethality and SPD climb. Curse refreshes rather than stacks. Golems are immune to curse.
Heal the party, poison the enemy
For players who like keeping everyone alive while the enemy wears down.
Slot: Snake or Venom (poison on hit), or Renewal and Turtle (defensive). Any Nature essence unlocks the branch below.
Stat priority
Druid is a 3-stat subclass. Lead with INT for heal power: at 400 INT, Group Heal heals everyone once per battle when two allies drop below 80%. VIT powers Empath Bond (+6% healing per 100 VIT), and SPD powers Nature's Pace, which gets the Druid to its next turn faster after each heal. At 300 SPD, Cycle of Life makes every 3rd heal splash onto the rest of the party.
First 10 skill points
- 1.Starting 5 SP: Natural Remedy (1), then Bloom of Life ranks 1 and 2 (2 + 2) in the Nature branch
- 2.Inner Light rank 1 (1): INT and VIT. This core passive opens the Druid path
- 3.Regrowth ranks 1-3 (3): stronger heal-over-time
- 4.Natural Armor rank 1 (1): allies with a heal-over-time gain DEF. That makes 4 SP in Druid, which opens tier 2
Next: Rejuvenation rank 1 (3 SP): a long heal-over-time on two allies.
Craft and build first
- ▸Straw Robe (Straw, Wheat, Driftwood) and a Straw Talisman
- ▸Cedar Bark Armor (Birchwood, Flax, Barley) once the Workshop is level 2
- ▸Herbalist Hut for fiber (any region allows one), plus a Farm and a Lumber Mill
Why it works for new players
Bloom of Life heals the whole party over time and poisons every enemy in one cast. Quests only roll injuries on 1- and 2-star results, so a healer that keeps the party healthy saves you injuries as well as defeats.
Watch out for
Golems are immune to poison, and a Druid's own damage is low. Pair it with a damage dealer and let poison do the rest.
Building a party
Commit your first hero to one build, then fill around it. A safe first party is a front-row Bulwark, one damage dealer (Berserker, Evoker or Reaper) and a Druid. The Bulwark taunts, the Druid keeps injuries down, and the damage dealer ends fights quickly. Add a Dominator once you start running boss raids.
Why these six and not others?
Eight archetypes are always open. These six are the most straightforward of them. Summoner and Ranger are the other two, and they work fine; they just did not make the starter cut. Four more unlock during their season and then stay unlocked: Shapeshifter (spring), Warden (summer), Enchanter (autumn) and Phantom (winter). Corrupted, Brawler and Marshal are earned late through Soul Descent and the Proving Grounds. Frost and Void essences are left out because their payoff is slower, not because they are weak. When your first build is working, the full archetypes and essence mutations pages list every combination.
See also: Getting Started · How your class is chosen · Essences · Status effects · Enemy Families