We’re not interested in any old build though. We’re looking for the best build in the game, the one that makes you feel like the most powerful and unstoppable force in all of Paris. Below we’ll walk you through our pick for the best build in Steelrising, with in-depth explanations on how to go about getting the right stat setup, weapons, armour, modules, and more.
Best build in Steelrising: Agility and Counterattack build
There are several different paths to becoming an unstoppable force of machinery in Steelrising, but our favourite so far is definitely the Agility and Counterattack build. This build focuses heavily on using flurries of quick attacks to immobilise enemies, and also relies on the Counterattack skill of the Nemesis Claws weapon set to keep the pressure up against even the most powerful bosses. If you commit to this build, obtaining the correct equipment and building up the right attributes, then not only will you become a tremendously powerful force capable of decimating most enemies in seconds, but it’s also an extremely fun and satisfying way of playing through the game.
Attributes: Agility, Durability, and Vigour
Central to this build is a focus on the Agility attribute above all else. Ideally your Agility should always be about double your next highest stat for much of the game, because you’ll be using a weapon that scales with Agility, and you need to deal as much physical and immobilisation damage as possible to make full use of this build. The other stats worth focusing on are Durability and Vigour, both of which are useful for overall survivability. Durability increases Health and Balance, which is very useful for any build; and Vigour is particularly useful for this build as it increases Endurance and Critical Damage, which dovetails perfectly with a build designed for relentless quick attacks. Because Agility and Vigour are both important attributes for this build, we recommend that you choose Dancer as your Steelrising starting class - although it doesn’t matter terribly if you pick a different class.
Weapons: Nemesis Claws and Charleville 1789 Shield Musket
Your weapon of choice for this Agility-based build should be the Nemesis Claws, which you thankfully unlock very early on in the game from a chest in Saint-Cloud, shortly before you fight the Unstable Lightning Ram. The Nemesis Claws scale strongly with your Agility stat, and the basic 5-hit combo is perfect for dealing lots of immobilisation damage because the 4th hit in the combo actually strikes the enemy three times. So actually you’re hitting the enemy 7 times with each full combo, which is fantastic for quickly immobilising enemies ready for a wind-up heavy attack. The other major benefit of the Nemesis Claws is that its special skill is Counterattack. Counterattacking is more forgiving in Steelrising than certain other soulslikes, so it’s not too difficult to pull off consistently. Each counterattack allows you to keep the enemy on the backfoot and chain together devastating combos until even the largest of titans ends up immobilised and at your mercy. You should look to upgrade the Nemesis Claws as early as you can, purchasing a Bizmuth Block from a Vestal Boutique as early as possible to enable the upgrade to Level 4. As a secondary weapon, I like to keep the Charleville 1789 Shield Musket as a backup, at least for the early-game. Although I don’t use it much, it’s great for dispatching enemies at range, and the fact that it doubles as a shield thanks to its special skill makes it invaluable for protecting against enemies whose attack patterns you don’t yet know well enough to counter them.
Modules: Fortifying Counter and Efficient Charging
The most important Module I’ve found for this build is the Grade 3 Fortifying Counter Module, which you can purchase from any Vestal Boutique in La Cité for 3000 Anima. This powerful Module replenishes a decent portion of your Health with every successful Counterattack - and since you’ll be Counterattacking a lot with this build, it’s a fantastic boon to have on your side. Other Modules are less essential to this build, although I would recommend adding an Efficient Charging Module as well. This Module increases the physical damage of your fully charged attacks, which works well here because you’ll often use fully charged attacks to capitalise on an enemy’s immobilisation.
Armour: Grand Veneur Set with Muscadin Bicorn
Armour is less important for builds in Steelrising than in many similar games, and as a rule of thumb you should simply opt for whichever armour piece gives you the most protection. The Muscadin Bicorn is a very good early-game hat option - you’ll obtain it from a chest in the same area of Saint-Cloud where you find the Nemesis Claws, and it will remain the most protective hat you own for most of the game. As for the rest of your clothing, I’d recommend the Grand Veneur set, which you can find from two different chests in The Tuileries. These armour pieces provide great physical protection, and they also give you a considerable boost to your Balance stat. Put all the above pieces of gear and attributes together, and you’ve got one hell of a Steelrising build. I used this exact build to storm through the entire game. It didn’t take all the challenge away from the game, but it did make me feel extremely powerful and graceful (like a Dancer, you might say), and more than capable of tearing through pretty much any enemy or boss I came across. If you want to read up more on the Nemesis Claws and other powerful tools of destruction, check out our guide to the best weapons in Steelrising and where to find them!
