Pick a job before a module

A search for the “best build” often hides a more useful question: what ends your runs? If crowds surround you, look for coverage. If projectile bursts force you away from your target, try a defensive response. If you reach the boss but cannot survive, examine healing and driving before swapping all your damage modules.

The following choices are editorial interpretations of patch notes, not results of controlled gameplay tests. Module access, upgrades, your vehicle and the encounter still matter. Keep a reliable damage option while testing a change.

Problem Documented change A useful test
Crowds overwhelm you 0.9.14 increased Electric Mage’s base auto-attack targets from 5 to 7. Try it for coverage; watch whether the remaining enemies still block your route.
Projectiles interrupt your attack 0.9.9 made Force Mage’s active ability cancel incoming projectiles. Compare runs where you save the active ability for a dangerous volley.
You need time to reposition 0.9.9 gave Wizard Crew auto attacks a three-second slow. Check whether that window helps you escape rather than assuming it raises damage.
You want a faster automatic attack 0.9.13 shortened the Side Arms base interval from 3.0 to 2.5 seconds. Compare it at the same upgrade level; an interval change alone does not rank its total damage.

Repair Wrench: check your health scale

Patch 0.9.14 changed Repair Wrench from a percentage heal to a flat 25 HP heal. A guide that still calls it a 25% heal describes the old effect.

For the arithmetic alone, 25% of 100 HP equals 25 HP. Below that health scale, 25 HP is larger than 25% of the same number; above it, smaller. This comparison does not establish the artifact’s activation frequency or the amount of health you will actually recover. Read its current in-game description before planning around it.

The practical question is whether one activation repairs enough of the damage you typically take. Record the heal you see and your maximum HP; do not compare only the percentage on an older wiki.

Recheck older recommendations

Some launch-era combinations changed quickly. Back Turret’s maximum attack-speed boost was reduced in 0.9.10, following earlier Back Turret and Tankbert adjustments in 0.9.6. Front Barracks had damage-upgrade fixes and an active-ability buff in 0.9.9. Advice written before these updates needs a version check.

Allied units gained immunity to fire, stun and knockback in 0.9.14. This removes one source of interference, but does not prove that an allied-unit setup is stronger in every encounter. Overtime stun resistance also changed; a control strategy that feels effective early may behave differently later.

Compare one change at a time

  1. Note the patch, vehicle, captain, biome and difficulty.
  2. Write down what failed: being trapped, repeated hits, slow boss damage or lost control.
  3. Swap one module or artifact that directly addresses that failure.
  4. Keep the rest of the setup and your comparison conditions as similar as possible.
  5. Use the damage-number option added in 0.9.13 when it helps you see individual hits. Treat a few lucky runs as a clue, not a final ranking.

If the option you need does not appear, check the reroll unlock bonus before spending attempts. If driving rather than damage is ending your runs, read Controls and Nitro.

Sources

Our steps and comparisons are editorial guidance. Source verification does not mean these steps have been tested on every game setup.