Outward is an open-world survival RPG where you play as an ordinary person — no chosen one narrative, no power fantasy. You're a villager paying off a debt while exploring a hostile world where every expedition requires preparation: food, water, warm clothes, healing supplies, and a plan. The game's defining feature is its consequence system — dying doesn't reload a save but triggers a unique defeat scenario (dragged to a bandit camp, rescued by a stranger, washed ashore). Magic isn't innate; you must sacrifice max health permanently to gain mana through a dangerous ritual. The Definitive Edition includes the Soroboreans and Three Brothers DLC expansions, adding new regions, mechanics, and faction content.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | A | Drop backpack before combat, use two-handed power attacks to stagger enemies, manage stamina between swings. | Brand Greatsword, Ammolite Armor, Predator Leggings |
| Mage | S | Place sigils on the ground, cast combo spells through them for amplified effects, manage mana and cooldowns between casts. | Jade Lich Mace (mana cost reduction), Mage Robes, Lexicon |
| Rogue | A | Coat weapons with poison, apply status effects through quick hits, dodge enemy attacks while effects tick damage. | Fang Weapons (dagger), Horror Bow, Poison Rags, Trap items |
| Shaman | A | Cast boons before combat for stat enhancement, place totems at fight locations, engage with enhanced melee. | Manticore Greataxe, Shaman Armor, Wind Boon sigil |
| Mercenary | B | Adapt gear and abilities to each situation rather than specializing. Carry diverse equipment for diverse challenges. | Versatile weapon, Medium Armor, basic spells, survival kit |
A-Tier: Warrior
Melee builds using heavy weapons and armor. The Warrior Monk breakthrough (faction-dependent) adds physical damage bonuses. Two-handed weapons like the Brand Greatsword deal massive damage per hit. Slow but devastating with proper stamina management.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Brand Greatsword | A fire-enchanted greatsword dealing physical + fire damage with every hit. |
| Core Gear | Brand Greatsword, Ammolite Armor, Predator Leggings | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Physical Damage, Impact, Stamina Management | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | survival RPG | Survival mechanics include hunger, thirst, temperature, sleep, and disease. |
How to Play Warrior
Drop backpack before combat, use two-handed power attacks to stagger enemies, manage stamina between swings.
Melee builds using heavy weapons and armor. The Warrior Monk breakthrough (faction-dependent) adds physical damage bonuses. Two-handed weapons like the Brand Greatsword deal massive damage per hit. Slow but devastating with proper stamina management.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Brand Greatsword and survival RPG creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Brand Greatsword, Ammolite Armor, Predator Leggings amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Physical Damage, Impact, Stamina Management) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Mage
Magic requires sacrificing max health at the Conflux Mountain ritual to gain mana. Spell combos (placing a fire sigil then casting spark) create powerful AoE effects. The Philosopher breakthrough increases mana and spell damage. The most versatile endgame build.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Horror Bow | The best bow in the game with highest base damage and built-in decay damage (armor-reducing effect). |
| Core Gear | Jade Lich Mace (mana cost reduction), Mage Robes, Lexicon | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Mana Pool, Spell Combinations, Cooldown Management | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | no hand-holding | No quest markers, no minimap icons, no GPS waypoints. |
How to Play Mage
Place sigils on the ground, cast combo spells through them for amplified effects, manage mana and cooldowns between casts.
Magic requires sacrificing max health at the Conflux Mountain ritual to gain mana. Spell combos (placing a fire sigil then casting spark) create powerful AoE effects. The Philosopher breakthrough increases mana and spell damage. The most versatile endgame build.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Horror Bow and no hand-holding creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Jade Lich Mace (mana cost reduction), Mage Robes, Lexicon amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Mana Pool, Spell Combinations, Cooldown Management) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Rogue
Dagger and bow builds emphasizing speed and status effects. Rogue breakthrough gives backstab damage bonuses. Apply poison and bleed through coated weapons, then dodge while effects do the work. Less frontline damage but safer combat through kiting.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Jade Lich Mace | A mace that reduces mana costs by 15% while equipped. |
| Core Gear | Fang Weapons (dagger), Horror Bow, Poison Rags, Trap items | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Attack Speed, Status Effect Application, Dodge Timing | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | backpack management | Your backpack determines carry capacity but also affects combat — wearing a large pack slows dodge rolls and movement. |
How to Play Rogue
Coat weapons with poison, apply status effects through quick hits, dodge enemy attacks while effects tick damage.
Dagger and bow builds emphasizing speed and status effects. Rogue breakthrough gives backstab damage bonuses. Apply poison and bleed through coated weapons, then dodge while effects do the work. Less frontline damage but safer combat through kiting.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Jade Lich Mace and backpack management creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Fang Weapons (dagger), Horror Bow, Poison Rags, Trap items amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Attack Speed, Status Effect Application, Dodge Timing) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Shaman
A hybrid build using totems and elemental boons. The Cabal Hermit breakthrough provides wind infusion. Shaman builds use boons (self-buffs) and totems (placed AoE effects) for sustained combat advantage. Requires setup time but very strong in extended fights.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Manticore Greataxe | A greataxe dealing poison damage on hit. |
| Core Gear | Manticore Greataxe, Shaman Armor, Wind Boon sigil | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Boon Duration, Totem Effectiveness, Mixed Stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | split-screen co-op | The entire game is playable in local split-screen co-op with a second player. |
How to Play Shaman
Cast boons before combat for stat enhancement, place totems at fight locations, engage with enhanced melee.
A hybrid build using totems and elemental boons. The Cabal Hermit breakthrough provides wind infusion. Shaman builds use boons (self-buffs) and totems (placed AoE effects) for sustained combat advantage. Requires setup time but very strong in extended fights.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Manticore Greataxe and split-screen co-op creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Manticore Greataxe, Shaman Armor, Wind Boon sigil amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Boon Duration, Totem Effectiveness, Mixed Stats) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
B-Tier: Mercenary
Jack-of-all-trades build using a mix of combat, magic, and survival skills. The Mercenary approach doesn't specialize, making it weaker at any single thing but adaptable to every situation. Best for first playthroughs when you don't know what challenges await.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Fang Weapons | A weapon set crafted from manticore fangs with built-in poison. |
| Core Gear | Versatile weapon, Medium Armor, basic spells, survival kit | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balance across all stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | faction quests | Three mutually exclusive factions (Blue Chamber Collective, Heroic Kingdom of Levant, Holy Mission of Elatt) each offer a unique quest line and rewards. |
How to Play Mercenary
Adapt gear and abilities to each situation rather than specializing. Carry diverse equipment for diverse challenges.
Jack-of-all-trades build using a mix of combat, magic, and survival skills. The Mercenary approach doesn't specialize, making it weaker at any single thing but adaptable to every situation. Best for first playthroughs when you don't know what challenges await.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Fang Weapons and faction quests creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Versatile weapon, Medium Armor, basic spells, survival kit amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Balance across all stats) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Mage — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Warrior once you understand core mechanics and have access to Brand Greatsword
- Keep a Rogue setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Mercenary for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Drop your backpack (dedicated key) before every fight. The movement speed and dodge improvement is dramatic and can be the difference between life and death.
- Sleep in towns or use the Camping skill in safe areas. Sleeping in the wild triggers random ambush events that can kill you before you wake up.
- 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.
