Passtech Games and Nacon released Ravenswatch on 26 September 2024 after roughly eighteen months in Early Access. Nine heroes taken from folklore, among them Little Red Riding Hood as Scarlet and the fallen monkey king Sun Wukong, fight the Nightmare across three procedurally arranged chapters. Each chapter gives you three days and three nights to grow stronger before its Master Nightmare arrives.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Beowulf | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Aladdin | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Melusine | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Sun Wukong | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Ravenswatch tier list.
A-Tier: Scarlet
Scarlet is a top-performing option in Ravenswatch.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Grandmother's Souvenir | Scarlet's ultimate, and the payoff for building around her night form. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Three days and three nights per chapter | A visible clock runs through three full day and night cycles, and everything you do in that window decides how strong you enter the boss fight. |
How to Play Scarlet
Scarlet focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Grandmother's Souvenir does the damage and Three days and three nights per chapter 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: Beowulf
Beowulf is a strong option in Ravenswatch.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Raging Chain | Beowulf's ultimate, matching his sword and shield frontline role. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Talent picks on every level up | Over 200 talents exist and you choose one each time you level, shaping a hero's four abilities into a specific build. |
How to Play Beowulf
Beowulf focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Raging Chain with Talent picks on every level up 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: Aladdin
Aladdin is a strong option in Ravenswatch.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Magic Carpet | Aladdin's ultimate, letting him fly while damaging enemies underneath. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Day and night hero forms | Several heroes change entirely when night falls. |
How to Play Aladdin
Aladdin focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Day and night hero forms covers the gap Magic Carpet 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: Melusine
Melusine is a specialized option in Ravenswatch.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Wisp Ballet | Melusine's ultimate, built around the orbs and water zones she places around the battlefield. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Magical items from wells and shrines | Around 50 magical items are scattered across the maps, held by wells, health shrines, sacrifice shrines and locked chests that need keys. |
How to Play Melusine
Melusine focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Magical items from wells and shrines rather than raw numbers, and Wisp Ballet 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: Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong is a specialized option in Ravenswatch.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Plague of Rats | The Pied Piper's ultimate, sending his swarm out to attack and trap enemies rather than hitting them directly. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Four player online co-op | Up to four players share one map and one clock, with matchmaking available. |
How to Play Sun Wukong
Sun Wukong focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Plague of Rats and Four player online co-op 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 Beowulf: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Scarlet once you understand core mechanics and have access to Grandmother's Souvenir
- Keep a Aladdin setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Sun Wukong 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.
- Read the map colours before you move. Green activities are the accessible ones meant for early in a chapter and red ones are the hardest, so saving red for day three converts your accumulated talents into free progress.
- Treat the three day clock as your real resource. Combat power is easy to find, but a hero who wandered the map inefficiently arrives at the Master Nightmare several levels short no matter how well they fight.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Ravenswatch Guides
- Ravenswatch Ravenswatch Overview
- Ravenswatch Tier List
- Ravenswatch Walkthrough
- Ravenswatch Beginner's Guide
- Ravenswatch Tips & Tricks
- Ravenswatch Weapons Guide
- Ravenswatch Combat Guide
- Ravenswatch Boss Guide
- Ravenswatch Maps & Locations
- Ravenswatch Crafting Guide
- Ravenswatch Classes & Characters
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