Gems of War is Infinity Plus 2's match three RPG where two teams of four trade turns on a single 8x8 board. Matching gems fills each troop's mana in that colour, matching skulls sends your front troop in to attack, and matching four or more gems hands you another turn. Over 1,400 troops and more than 30 kingdoms across Krystara sit on top of that one loop.
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. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Frostmage | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Necromancer | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Sunspear | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Archer | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Gems of War - Puzzle RPG tier list.
A-Tier: Titan
Titan is a top-performing option in Gems of War - Puzzle RPG.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Dawnbringer | A crafted weapon costing 20 mana across Blue, Red and Yellow that damages all enemies scaled by yellow allies and enemies, gives the team Barrier, and gains 2 Magic when 13 or more red gems are on the board. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Mana colours and spell casting | Six colours feed troop spells, and a troop only casts once its bar is full. |
How to Play Titan
Titan focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Dawnbringer does the damage and Mana colours and spell casting keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Frostmage
Frostmage is a strong option in Gems of War - Puzzle RPG.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Divine Protector | The hero weapon slotted into the standard Divines team alongside Infernus, Ubastet and Divine Ishbaala. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Skull damage | A skull match sends your first surviving troop to attack, measuring its Attack against enemy Armour and then Life. |
How to Play Frostmage
Frostmage focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Divine Protector with Skull damage and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Necromancer
Necromancer is a strong option in Gems of War - Puzzle RPG.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Essence of Evil | The Plaguelord class weapon, tied to a class rather than to a crafting recipe. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Extra turns from four and five matches | Matching four or more gems returns the turn to you, and chaining those turns is where the skill ceiling sits. |
How to Play Necromancer
Necromancer focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Extra turns from four and five matches covers the gap Essence of Evil leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Sunspear
Sunspear is a specialized option in Gems of War - Puzzle RPG.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Orb of Winter | The Frostmage class weapon, which pairs naturally with freeze teams built around Queen Mab and Kraken. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Traits and traitstones | Each troop carries up to three traits unlocked with Minor, Major, Runic, Arcane and Celestial traitstones. |
How to Play Sunspear
Sunspear focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Traits and traitstones rather than raw numbers, and Orb of Winter is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Archer
Archer is a specialized option in Gems of War - Puzzle RPG.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Doomed weapons | A weapon family traited with Forge Scrolls earned during Tower of Doom rather than with ingots. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Hero class and weapon | Your hero takes one of the four slots, carries a weapon such as Dawnbringer or Essence of Evil, and runs a class like Titan or Frostmage. |
How to Play Archer
Archer focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Doomed weapons and Hero class and weapon pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Frostmage: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Titan once you understand core mechanics and have access to Dawnbringer
- Keep a Necromancer setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Archer for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Build every team around covering four different mana colours. Two troops competing for blue means one of them sits at half mana all battle while the enemy casts freely.
- Run Valkyrie in any session where you need souls. Her spell gives 10 souls per cast, and three Warlocks behind her add 50 percent each through the Necromancy trait.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Guides
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Overview
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tier List
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Walkthrough
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Beginner's Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Tips & Tricks
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Weapons Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Combat Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Boss Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Maps & Locations
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Crafting Guide
- Gems of War - Puzzle RPG Classes & Characters
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