- Choose a leveling build that works before its rare items arrive. Early skill access, reliable survival and enough mana matter more than an endgame damage screenshot.
- There is no verified fastest class under equal gear and playtime here. The routes below are practical starting points drawn from specific player reports, with later patches kept in view.
Pick a starting route you can support
| Class | Starting approach | Condition to check |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | A direct-attack setup with Deadly Hook; consider Half Moon Slash as mana support improves | Do not assume a Thorns showcase works without its supporting equipment. |
| Monk | Furious Fist with Spirit Stream as one reported early pairing | Check survival first; a later lightning/orb route needs mana support. |
| Hunter | Poison Shot and Steady Shot before building around Venom Bolt | Favor bonuses that help your equipped attacks while the final skill lineup is incomplete. |
| Sorcerer | Consider a cold route if a later lightning recommendation is unavailable | Use the cold attacks you have and compare their output with your equipment bonuses. |
Check access before copying a later build. The October leveling discussion is a useful warning: one player recommended lightning Sorcerer, while the original poster could not yet use the recommended skill. A strong later build does not solve an earlier unlock gap.
Build around the equipment that dropped
Before committing to a damage type, check which attacks your equipment actually supports. In the early-boss discussion, DankWestern recommends looking at the character’s Details to see the damage bonuses already supplied by gear. Silverrend’s Hunter example instead favors broadly useful Basic, Strong and All Damage bonuses while building toward a poison lineup. Both approaches tie the build to what is currently available.
For a fresh character, prefer a functioning attack and recovery loop over a list of rare-item dependencies. If the build needs a specific Legendary effect to solve its damage or mana problem, treat that effect as a transition point. Keep the current setup until you own the item and can compare a full run.
Resolve the bottleneck before adding more damage
| Symptom | Next comparison |
|---|---|
| Your character stops using the intended attack | Check the attack’s mana cost and whether your recovery keeps up. |
| Ordinary enemies die, but the boss kills you | Compare defensive equipment and recovery on that encounter. |
| A large group takes too long to clear | Try an available attack that reaches more of the group, keeping the rest of the setup stable. |
| An old build guide assumes a missing Legendary | Use a route without that dependency until the item is available. |
The gear conditions in community examples are substantial. HoneyDrake’s October 1 Monk route used mana-on-kill support before emphasizing lightning critical chance and orb speed; the extra-orb ring was described as helpful but unnecessary. September Warrior reports, meanwhile, connect successful Thorns runs to supporting armor and warn that Half Moon Slash can demand more mana investment.
Compare complete runs, not just the highest hit
Choose one repeatable encounter
Use the same stage, difficulty, consumables and character mode for both setups.
Change one part of the build
Keep the comparison small enough to identify whether a skill, defensive choice or gear interaction helped.
Measure the whole run
Record time, experience gained and deaths. Include slow bosses and recovery time rather than stopping at a large damage number.
Keep the setup that fits your farming session
For unattended farming, favor the setup that keeps finishing runs without intervention. Save the more demanding setup for a session you can actively watch.
Patch 1.0.1 added separate Overall and Current DPS displays in Training Grounds. That can help compare attacks, but a dummy result is not an XP-per-hour result: travel, enemies and survival still matter in an actual stage.
Recheck old recommendations after balance changes
Version 1.0.2 increased Ice Shards damage, strengthened Poisoned and reworked Golden Palms, among other class changes. Earlier leveling reports remain useful for understanding gear and resource problems, but their claims that one class is easiest are not a current comparative test. Use the class-specific leveling guides for a narrower route, then judge it against your own full runs.
Sources and scope
Steam PC material retained on 10 October 2026, including official hotfix 1.0.2a where relevant. Community observations are attributed; no current-client gameplay test.
- Review status
- Source-reviewed
- Game version
- Steam PC; 1.0.2a baseline, older observations identified in the text.
- Checked
- Method
- Individual retained-text review, first draft and editorial revision; no gameplay verification. Retained source bundle checked for this release; no current-client gameplay test.
- Steam discussion: builds for leveling community
Conditional Sorcerer and Hunter leveling examples.
Checked
- Steam discussion: getting past early bosses community
Monk skill pair and matching damage bonuses to equipment.
Checked
- Steam discussion: early Warrior builds community
Hook, mana demands and gear-dependent Thorns.
Checked
- Steam discussion: Monk progression and mana community
Lightning route requires resource support.
Checked
- Deskrawl official balance updates first-party
Recent changes and separate current DPS counter.
Checked