• The builds I'll be showcasing aren't focused to do maximum dps. They'll do enough damage for smooth and fun gameplay throughout the stages.

• Triple melding is unlocked after the main campaign. This is when you'll actually get to build experiment to the fullest potential. Until then, even if you can't replicate the builds 100%, dual melding could still make them work.

• Certain items I used are obtained late game (mostly Heroic tier), but you may encounter lower tier items that serve similar functions with lower stats. The heroic tier hat that I often use is usually just for boosted dps.

• Rune slots are always flexible. You'll be changing them around to meet your needs.

• Laggy gameplay is stressful. Through testings I know exactly which item interactions cause lag. I could make all my builds do extra things, but if lag becomes unmanageable it's not worth it. I'm all for as lag-free as possible, effective, and stylish gameplay. For slightly laggy builds, I made them with player control in mind.

• With the patch on 9.05, off-hand melding is no longer possible and now a legacy. It's unfortunate that we lost a solid slot for creativity. Soulance still performs well for movement speed. Reducing despair now requires Crusader's Dirge or Kelemonvo's Bane power move.

• Some screenshots below show gears on the bottom side of inventory. They are bossing sets for late game.

On the higher floors of Path of Wotana, mob scaling quickly escalates. You might find the game nudging you to sacrifice theme-focused builds just to be able to kill both normal mobs and bosses. This can easily make your modified build feel awkward. The most efficient way to counter this is to figure out which stats you don't need for bossing, and then make a separate item meldings that are useful for it. Carry around a bossing set in your inventory to quickly swap into them when you encounter a boss. A couple to a few slots will do the job.

As a side note, past 20k? or 30k? floors of Wotana every floor starts to give you despair. I just carry around a duplicate book meldings swapping out one book for Crusader's Dirge to always keep despair meter at zero.

TELEPORT. STUNLOCK. MAKE THEIR VITALS EXPLODE.

Commentary
This is a quite stylish and satisfying build even compared to crazy projectile builds. The screenshot does not do justice. It's extremely mobile and fluid. You'll feel like a martial art master.
Unfortunately Necrovale does not like builds that don't run on-hit emissions. That makes this fun build hard to play on the higher floors of Wotana. It's still one of the best choices until late game.

Playstyle
Teleport into enemies. Break their poise proccing explosion. Stunlock. Ignite DoT kills them off.

• Passive Emission: Explosion when enemy's poise is broken.

• Debuff: Ignite. Sunlit. Shock. Freeze. Stun.

• Utility: Fast teleportation. Instantly breaks enemy's poise. Extended stun duration resulting in stunlocking enemies.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal. Enemy stunlock = they can't swing.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Spiked Knuckles- High poise damage
Melding - Unruly Bow - Attacks +3. Sequence +3
Melding - Finn's Needle - Teleportation
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3325426385

EVEN THE SMALLEST CUTS CAN FELL GIANTS. EVERY CUT WILL CARVE THEM UNTIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT..


Commentary
Pure physical damage build has almost no spot in this game. DPS on stat screen rarely matters alone as it is designed to be a base stat to other form of attacks that multiply on top of it. There's only one physical attack that does this and that is dagger emission. Although I stated that I prefer lag-free build, currently there is no other option for an effective physical build. I have fine-tuned it to minimize lag with player control while still keeping style and damage. Keep in mind that with this kind of build higher attack speed easily causes too much lag making it unplayable. Once you get used to controlling power move frequency, it will run smoothly. If you prefer player control based style instead of mindlessly holding down attack key, give this one a try. Sunstrike and moonstrike are only there to deal with enemy's evasion and defense on high floors of Wotana.

Playstyle
Power move is the main form of attack. Activate it to shoot a barrage of arrows and daggers cutting them from every direction. Hold down attack command, move around, tap on shift (power move) whenever you spot an enemy. Usually one activation towards the direction of enemies does the job. Past 10,000th floor of Wotana it requires more spamming. Controlling power move frequency is key. Use off-hand to quickly reposition.

• Active emission: Daggers

• Debuff: Sunlit. Moonlit.

• Utility: Fast and bouncing projectiles. Power move can be used with hp.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit heal 100% uptime.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Swift Bow - Highest projectile speed in the game. Least lag and effective power move for this build proven through testings.
Melding - Wo Mur Ran - Projectile bounce for multiplied damage and comfort.
Melding - Vance's Peeler - Almost guaranteed legendary crit.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3331232718

FROZEN WITH SHOCK. THAT'S THE LAST THING THEY'LL FEEL.

Commentary
Freeze is a defensive debuff that slows down enemies. At first glance it's the weakest one out of all the elements. Don't let it fool you. In fact it's the only element that can be equipped with an instant kill mechanic called shattering. With every projectile having a % chance to kill regardless of hp, this build guarantees one shotting. The downside of shattering is that bosses are immune to it. To counter that, this build has unlimited usage of power move to nuke bosses even in late game. Lighting was mixed in for a boost of damage.

Playstyle
Dash and summon an avalanche. Instantly shock, freeze, shatter, and turn enemies into bursting ice pillars. Stay on top of bosses and spam the power move as its cost is now a bit of hp which will be healed back up constantly with crits.

• Active emission: Lighting strike.

• Passive emission: Ice burst.

• Debuff: Freeze. Shock. Sunlit.

• Utility: Fast dashing with every attack. Seeker projectiles. Ice projectiles split into smaller projectiles upon contact. Long range and fast projectiles. Power move can be used with hp.

• Offense: Shattering. Explosive power move.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit heal.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Primordial Wand - Pretty. Projectiles split upon contact tripling the attack count.
Melding - Showman's Bow - Attacks + 2. Use Chaff Launcher for +12 attacks if you don't lag.
Melding - Torch of Elana - Projectile speed. Sunstrike.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3330049915

FOCUS. BREATHE. LET YOUR STRIKE SPLIT INTO A THOUSAND LIGHTNINGS.

Commentary
Fast slashes with built-in lightning strike proc even more lighting strikes that leech health back to you with 100% uptime with above 100% crit chance. Mobbing set runs on fast teleportation for speed while the bossing set doubles dps and utilizes off-hand mobility. There's a rather odd effect with this build where damage seems to become multiplicative the longer you attack. I wonder if shock debuff stacks with this build somehow?

Playstyle
Activate off-hand for burst of speed. Slash-teleport into enemies. Lightning procs spreading in wide radius erasing mobs.

• Passive Emissions: Lighting storm.

• Active Emissions: Lightning Call.

• Retaliation Emission: Lighting ward.

• Debuff: Shock. Ignite(trivial). Sunlit. Moonlit.

• Retaliation Attack: Lightning Ward.

• Defensive Layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal 100% uptime.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Ramiel's Shamshir - After every slash, summons lighting strike. Shockstrike.
Melding - Bloodletter - Highest crit rate item in game.
Melding - Flamejet Staff - Attack speed. Firestrike.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3328884149

YOU SHALL FEAR THE NATURE, FOR IT DOES NOT FEAR YOU.



Commentary
I'm proud of this one, so it gets extra screenshot spots. By the game's map design, knockback builds start from a huge disadvantage. Despite the fact, I was dead set on making Mangrove staff work and I finally landed on a combination that clicked. Much love for this build for its style and uniqueness. It performs very well late game even without a bossing set.

Playstyle
Summon giant lightning tornadoes that explode on enemy knockback. There is nothing else you need to do but to take screenshots.

• Active Emissions: Lightning Call. Explosion on knockback.

• Debuff: Shock. Sunlit. Moonlit.

• Utilities: Dash on attack. Seeker and bouncing projectiles. Projectiles are built with large aoe and duration providing semi-stunlock and knockback.

• Defensive Layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal. Bouncing projectiles means more hits more healing.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Mangrove Staff - Built-in projectile bounce. One of a kind projectile.
Melding - The Heirloom- Highest raw damage weapon in the game.
Melding - Wand of Delano - Projectile speed. Attack rate: 6. Moonstrike.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3328956180

SPREAD THE FLAMES. WATCH THE WORLD BURN.

Commentary
Due to minimum on-hit effects, this build runs smoothly. I was surprised to see almost absence of lag even when I was filling the entire screen with hundreds of fire projectiles. This build is extremely fast, geared for maximum comfort while being overpowered for quite a while. At the time of posting this build I didn't even need to optimize rune slots. Do keep in mind that due to lack of items that boost ignite damage, you'll need to transition into something else much much later in the game. Until then this is a must try.

Playstyle
Zoom around spitting endless fireballs. Ignite the entire dungeon. Watch it all burn.

• Passive Emission: Explosion caused by all attacks

• Debuff: Ignite. Sunscorch. Sunlit.

• Utility: Fast dashing with every attack. Seeker and bouncing projectiles. Long range and fast projectiles.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal. Heal on enemy death.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Flamejet Staff - Aesthetically pleasing. Attack speed. Firestrike.
Melding - Torch of Elana - Projectile speed. Sunstrike.
Melding - Unruly Bow - Attack count +3. Sequence +3.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3322678818

THERE IS NO ALLOY THAT CAN WITHSTAND SUCH IMMEASURABLE HEAT.


Commentary
While trying to configure a bossing set for Pyromania build, this monster was born. Out of all my theme-focused builds, this one takes the cake for dps and sound effects. It's a metal clanking melt everything up-close style of play. The transition from comfortably ranged style to melee felt a lot smoother than I expected. If you enjoyed Pyromania but started to need more damage or enjoy cling clank melee fire style, this build should serve you well.

Playstyle
Continuously slash forward dropping meteors and shooting fire daggers. I recommend usage of main and off-hand at the same time for much less lag. In Trial of Arrogance or Lilybog, try to tap main attack on as few mobs as possible.

• Passive Emission: Explosion caused by all attacks

• Active Emission: Meteor. Fire daggers.

• Debuff: Ignite. Sunlit. Moonlit.

• Utility: Fast dashing with every attack. Seeker daggers.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Lava Chopper - Firestrike. Extra meteor emission.
Melding - The Heirloom - Highest raw damage weapon in the game.
Melding - Flamejet Staff - Firestrike. Attack speed.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3328299802

IT IS SAID THIS WEAPONRY WOULD BRING THE END OF WARS... OR THE WORLD.

Commentary
This build is practically an upgraded version of Pyromania with a different theme. The original idea was to make a build with a projectile as big as possible proccing every elemental emissions allowing one shotting enemies with a single shot fired. Once it was made, I had to face the issue of unavoidable lag. A single shot with an aoe large enough to hit multiple enemies proc'd multiple emissions on all of them freezing the game in certain rooms. To make it playable, I took it down a notch getting rid of ice and explosion emissions. And as a compensation for losing two cool emissions, I made a multi-shot version for mobbing and a single shot aoe nuke version for bossing. Soulance is a must mobility off-hand for this build.

Playstyle
Fire a couple shots into entrances of rooms. Projectiles travel far that the enemies will already be dead off screen. If you don't want to control your shot frequency, hold down both main and off-hand attacks causing natural delay between shots as you dash around.

• Active emission: Lighting call. Meteor call.

• Debuff: Freeze. Shock. Ignite. Sunlit. (Moonlit is optional)

• Utility: Fast and bouncing projectiles. Combination of singularity and fork allows extended range. Propels backward on attack allowing kiting.

• Defensive layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit heal.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - Chaff Launcher - Attack count: +12.
Melding - Arc Staff - Fork + singularity provide doubled range. Shockstrike.
Melding - Torch of Elana - Projectile speed. Sunstrike.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3331962925

I'M DONE KILLING. BUT I CAN'T STOP THEM. PLEASE MAKE THEM STOP!!

Commentary
Simple and powerful without cluttering screen. It turned out to be quite an efficient AOE afk build. I found out that these passive saws interact with other gears in unique ways where it can take advantage of what isn't normally possible or supposed to be disadvantageous. It also doesn't lag as much as it should.

Playstyle
Use off-hand for mobility. Just run straight through mobs, or stand around. Use main weapon to crit heal and deflect projectiles. If you want even more damage on bosses, run around them counterclockwise.

• Passive Emission: Buzzsaws

• Active Emissions: Lighting call. Meteor call. Explosion.

• Defensive Layer: Each hit cannot exceed 10% of your max hp. Crit Heal. Melee attacks reflect projectiles back to enemies with boosted damage.

Weapon Melding Choice
Main weapon - The Heirloom - Highest raw damage in game. Buzzsaws are unaffected by its downside.
Melding - The Bloodletter - Highest crit rate in game.
Melding - Flamejet Staff - Attack speed.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3333044049

• Main melee attack: Damage modifier. Attack speed. Crit. Legendary crit. Execution.

• Main ranged attack: Damage modifier. Attack speed. Crit. Legendary crit. Execution. Seeker(less misfire). Attack size(less misfire). Bounce bonus damage. Damage gain(only if it hits enemy more than once). Range. Projectile speed(indirectly).

• Ignite DoT: Damage modifier. Burning effect. Sunscorch effect.

• Active Emissions: Damage modifier. Emission effect. Attack speed. Crit procs ONLY if the attack that triggers them crits. Execution. Other active emissions triggering each other. Projectile emissions are affected by all the modifiers under main ranged attack.

• Passive Emissions: Damage modifier. Emission effect. Execution.

Moving damage is the same as damage modifier when you're moving.

Main hand weapon's base damage affects all damage types.

Any bonus damage debuff on enemies seem to stack additive, not multiplicative, at the end practically equating to another damage modifier.

More attack count and sequence don't seem to boost dps but rather split damage evenly. This can often drop dps if they don't all connect enemy's hitbox. There are still upsides of more reliably proccing crit and giving better coverage of a map.

Everything here is up to date as of 1.0 drop. I've explored all that I can for now including the builds that didn't make it to the list due to viability issues late-late game. It is my greed that drives me to say that I wish more items were viable. But I guess I've had a lot of fun making these builds. I hope that the dev drops more interesting items for players to explore in the future.
Hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3322924038