Builds

Commentary: This list is built with both PvP and PvE in mind. There are a bazillion permutations of builds, so this list just focuses on the most viable builds that you are most likely to see, and leaves out the special children like COL Spears. I've personally played every build in this list, most of them pretty extensively.

S Tier
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If you see one of these in PvP it is permitted by congressional decree to shit your pants without shame.

Focus Pistols - Mad Focus, mad DPS, mad exotic damage options, mad defences, mad flexibility, lighting-fast aim spell, doesn't miss. Early game is complete ass. Weapon acquisition can be tricky. Harder than the other two S-tiers because it needs a bunch of weird mutations, but the strongest of the bunch.

END Whips - The OG PvP ass-kicker. Tons of focus, tons of dodge, full PC coverage, great exotic damage options, easy weapon acquisition, guaranteed damage in bleed mods. No true weakness. Used to have issues with DPS but the Toxic Scourge fixed that and then some.

Focus Fists - Absolutely incredible DPS, both exotic and non-exotic. Gnarly Wrestle. Massive focus. Full PC coverage. Easy weapon acquisition. Has a weakness in its mediocre dodge, but its power more than compensates. Also got some ultra-strong exotic options recently.

A Tier
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These builds are top-of-the-line without being comically overpowered. They have a good mix of abilities and great DPS.

END Clubs - Very close to S-tier. Good focus. Superb DPS. Very flexible. Great wrestle. Easy drugging. Held back from supremacy by its so-so exotic options.

SEN Clubs - Plays almost identically to END Clubs but misses out on the Wrestle and drugs in favor of Dodge, which makes it easier to play.

Bleeder Fists - Not too far off from its big brother Focus Fists, but de-emphasizing Focus takes away some of its top-end teeth. Way easier to play though.

SEN Spears - Monster focus and dodge. Easily the best defences of any class in the game. Weapons tend to have difficult acquisition. So-so exotic damage.

SEN Blades - Superb damage and exotic options. Good dodge, good focus. Good weapon variety. Weapon acquisition can be tricky. Drugging can be sketchy. Has problems against Screech.

BRN Pistols - Great DPS and exotic options. Incredible flexibility. Loses its top-end teeth without the backing of Focus. Tough early-game. Can't drug. But hey, you're still Pistols.

SEN Medic - Huge exotic DPS. Trivial weapon acquisition. Superb dodge, great focus. Natural Empath synergy. Can struggle in PvE. Needs to watch out for Screech. Sketchy drugging.

Science shit - Weirdest class in the game by miles. Very hard to play. Tons of exotic damage, but slow as balls. Huge Brains, but massive stat variety. Acquisition is all over the place.

BRN Clubs - Great damage. Choppy defences. Atrocious Focus. The easiest BRN build. Sketchy drugging. Has trouble with mutation planning, always side-eyeing Swollen Brain, Brute Strength and Brainslug. If you are exclusively PvE this is easily S-tier.

BRW Spears - Huge DPS, easy weapon acquisition, good focus, good wrestle, good defences. No good exotic options. Struggles to answer PC0.

BRN Whips - Good exotic damage options. Great PC coverage. Solid defences. Very flexible. Troubled by Screech. Can't drug well.

B Tier
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These builds can all get through the game without any trouble and are perfectly capable of kicking butt in PvP, but they all have a flaw that holds them back from true greatness.

SEN Rifles - Good defences and Focus, but struggles with DPS. Faces a choice between slow and exotic or fast and easily soaked. Suffers hard against Screech. Has trouble drugging.

BRN Rifles - BRN Pistols but a bit worse in every regard. Can stack DnW after a feint which makes people incredibly angry (and is therefore very funny) but otherwise not that interesting.

BRN Spears - Good defences and flexibility. Gets rolled by grab. Struggles to put out DPS. This build is very slow-paced and quite dull to play.

BRW Blades - Monster DPS, monster exotic options. Poor defences, feels incredibly fragile to play. Irredeemably awful focus. Huge fun factor though.

END Medic - Good exotic DPS and flexibility. OK focus too. Poor defences. Gets absolutely deleted by grab. Redeemed by being the only Medic build that can easily disengage from a Screech and drug up.

BRW Whips - Has the full complement of Whips advantages but the BRW often ends up being a waste. The Cinderlash isn't good enough to warrant this build, but it can sideclass into Throw which is very cool.

END Blades - Good DPS and exotic options. So-so defences. Gets some Focus. Gets rolled by grab. Good drugging but struggles to actually put those numbers to work.

BRN Blades - Very similar to END Blades. Atrocious defences and zero focus in exchange for BRN abilities.