Against the Storm is a roguelike city-builder where you establish settlements in a perpetually stormy fantasy world on behalf of the Scorched Queen. Each run drops you into a new procedurally generated map with different biomes, species compositions, and available buildings. You must balance the Queen's Impatience (a loss timer) against Reputation (a win condition) while managing three to four different species with conflicting needs. Between runs, the meta-progression Citadel grows with permanent upgrades. It's the game that answered the question: what if city-builders had permadeath?
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humans | A | Set up cooking infrastructure early, build a Temple when available, reliable workers for any production chain. | Bakery (for Pie), Temple, Human Housing, Farmfield |
| Beavers | S | Assign Beavers to production buildings for efficiency bonuses, satisfy with crafted Biscuits and engineering. | Workshop, Lumber Mill, Engineering Station, Beaver Housing |
| Lizards | A | Keep Lizards near the Hearth for warmth bonus, feed them Skewers from hunted/gathered meat. | Grill (for Skewers), Hearth proximity, Lizard Housing |
| Harpies | B | Send Harpies to explore distant Glades, produce Crystallized Dew, keep their housing area open. | Crystalizer, Harpy Housing (elevated), open space near buildings |
| Foxes | A | Assign Foxes to trade buildings, produce Pickled Goods, leverage trade for Reputation. | Trading Post, Pickling Station, Fox Housing |
A-Tier: Humans
Humans are the most versatile species, working efficiently in most buildings. They desire Pie, Porridge, and access to a Temple. Human housing is standard-sized and easy to place. Their Resolve bonuses come from cooked food and religion services. Humans are the safe pick for any run.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Trading Post | The Trading Post allows you to buy and sell goods with visiting traders. |
| Core Gear | Bakery (for Pie), Temple, Human Housing, Farmfield | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Complex food production, religion service, housing | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | roguelike city building | Each settlement is a self-contained run lasting 30-90 minutes. |
How to Play Humans
Set up cooking infrastructure early, build a Temple when available, reliable workers for any production chain.
Humans are the most versatile species, working efficiently in most buildings. They desire Pie, Porridge, and access to a Temple. Human housing is standard-sized and easy to place. Their Resolve bonuses come from cooked food and religion services. Humans are the safe pick for any run.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Trading Post and roguelike city building creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Bakery (for Pie), Temple, Human Housing, Farmfield amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Complex food production, religion service, housing) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Beavers
Beavers have the best production bonuses — they work faster in Workshops, Lumber Mills, and engineering buildings. Their desire for Biscuits and Engineering services makes them the strongest production species. Beaver housing is larger but provides comfort bonuses.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Cookhouse | One of the most versatile food buildings, the Cookhouse produces multiple recipe types including Skewers, Biscuits, and Porridge depending on available ingredients. |
| Core Gear | Workshop, Lumber Mill, Engineering Station, Beaver Housing | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Industrial building access, Biscuit production, engineering | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | reputation system | You win by earning Reputation points (filling the Reputation bar before Impatience fills). |
How to Play Beavers
Assign Beavers to production buildings for efficiency bonuses, satisfy with crafted Biscuits and engineering.
Beavers have the best production bonuses — they work faster in Workshops, Lumber Mills, and engineering buildings. Their desire for Biscuits and Engineering services makes them the strongest production species. Beaver housing is larger but provides comfort bonuses.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Cookhouse and reputation system creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Workshop, Lumber Mill, Engineering Station, Beaver Housing amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Industrial building access, Biscuit production, engineering) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Lizards
Lizards excel in harsh biomes due to their warmth preference. They desire Skewers (easy to make from meat/insects) and Warmth service from Hearths. Lizards work faster near the Hearth, making them ideal for central base operations. They're the easiest species to keep happy.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Brewery | Produces Ale from grain or berries, satisfying the Leisure need for multiple species. |
| Core Gear | Grill (for Skewers), Hearth proximity, Lizard Housing | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Meat/insect food supply, Hearth warmth range, housing near center | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | blueprint drafting | After discovering Glades (forest clearings), you choose from randomized building blueprints. |
How to Play Lizards
Keep Lizards near the Hearth for warmth bonus, feed them Skewers from hunted/gathered meat.
Lizards excel in harsh biomes due to their warmth preference. They desire Skewers (easy to make from meat/insects) and Warmth service from Hearths. Lizards work faster near the Hearth, making them ideal for central base operations. They're the easiest species to keep happy.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Brewery and blueprint drafting creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Grill (for Skewers), Hearth proximity, Lizard Housing amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Meat/insect food supply, Hearth warmth range, housing near center) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Harpies
Harpies have unique needs — they want Crystallized Dew (harder to produce) and dislike enclosed spaces. Their housing is elevated and requires open surroundings. Harpies excel at scouting and gathering from distant Glades. Harder to satisfy but provide unique Reputation bonuses.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Workshop | Produces Planks, Fabric, and other processed goods from raw materials. |
| Core Gear | Crystalizer, Harpy Housing (elevated), open space near buildings | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Crystallized Dew production, open space management, scouting | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | storm cycle | The Blightstorm periodically intensifies, causing villagers to lose Resolve (happiness). |
How to Play Harpies
Send Harpies to explore distant Glades, produce Crystallized Dew, keep their housing area open.
Harpies have unique needs — they want Crystallized Dew (harder to produce) and dislike enclosed spaces. Their housing is elevated and requires open surroundings. Harpies excel at scouting and gathering from distant Glades. Harder to satisfy but provide unique Reputation bonuses.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Workshop and storm cycle creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Crystalizer, Harpy Housing (elevated), open space near buildings amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Crystallized Dew production, open space management, scouting) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Foxes
The DLC species, Foxes are traders and diplomats. They desire Pickled Goods and benefit from Trading Post access. Foxes provide Reputation through trade-related Orders and work faster in trade buildings. Their flexibility makes them strong in trade-heavy runs.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Rain Collector | Collects rainwater during storms, providing a free water source that can be used for cooking, brewing, and farming. |
| Core Gear | Trading Post, Pickling Station, Fox Housing | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Trade infrastructure, Pickled Goods, trade route access | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | species management | Four species (Humans, Beavers, Lizards, Harpies, and Foxes in DLC) have different housing preferences, food desires, and service needs. |
How to Play Foxes
Assign Foxes to trade buildings, produce Pickled Goods, leverage trade for Reputation.
The DLC species, Foxes are traders and diplomats. They desire Pickled Goods and benefit from Trading Post access. Foxes provide Reputation through trade-related Orders and work faster in trade buildings. Their flexibility makes them strong in trade-heavy runs.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Rain Collector and species management creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Trading Post, Pickling Station, Fox Housing amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Trade infrastructure, Pickled Goods, trade route access) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Beavers — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Humans once you understand core mechanics and have access to Trading Post
- Keep a Lizards setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Foxes for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Pick blueprints that match your species composition — if you have Lizards, prioritize buildings that produce Skewers or provide warmth. Mismatched blueprints waste production capacity.
- Complete easy Orders first for quick Reputation — Orders like 'Produce 10 Planks' or 'Have 20 Villagers' give Reputation that counters rising Impatience. Ignore expensive Orders until you have infrastructure.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
