Risk of Rain 2 is Hopoo Games' roguelike third-person shooter where difficulty scales continuously with time — the longer you play, the harder it gets. Each run starts with basic stats and escalates through random item pickups that stack for absurd synergies. With 12 playable survivors, 110+ items, and the choice between fighting the final boss or looping for infinite scaling, every run creates unique power fantasies. The game's musical score by Chris Christodoulou is legendary, perfectly matching the escalating chaos.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntress | S | Sprint constantly, fire homing attacks, blink through danger, never stop moving. | Soldier's Syringe, Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Shatterspleen |
| Loader | S | Grapple to a distant point, charged punch for massive impact, barrier absorbs retaliation. | Bands (Runald's + Kjaro's), Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine |
| Railgunner | A | Scope in, hit Weak Spots for massive damage, Concussion Device for crowd control. | Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine, Lens-Maker's Glasses |
| Void Fiend | A | Build corruption through kills, switch forms for power spikes, manage timing. | Items that trigger on-kill (Infusion, Fresh Meat), attack speed, proc items |
| Mercenary | A | Dash between enemies, Eviscerate for i-frames and damage, chain kills for resets. | Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Old Guillotine, Berzerker's Pauldron |
S-Tier: Huntress
The fastest survivor with homing attacks and Sprint-while-shooting passive. Flurry (alternate primary) + Glaive creates chain lightning-style clear. Arrow Rain provides AoE. Phase Blink gives i-frames. The best speed-farming character and consistently strong.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Crowbar | Deals +75% damage to enemies above 90% health. |
| Core Gear | Soldier's Syringe, Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Shatterspleen | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Crit items > Attack Speed > Movement Speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | item stacking | Items stack infinitely and multiplicatively. |
How to Play Huntress
Sprint constantly, fire homing attacks, blink through danger, never stop moving.
The fastest survivor with homing attacks and Sprint-while-shooting passive. Flurry (alternate primary) + Glaive creates chain lightning-style clear. Arrow Rain provides AoE. Phase Blink gives i-frames. The best speed-farming character and consistently strong.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Crowbar and item stacking creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Soldier's Syringe, Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Shatterspleen amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Crit items > Attack Speed > Movement Speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Loader
A melee powerhouse whose Thunder Gauntlet punch scales with distance traveled. Grapple + charged punch one-shots most enemies even on Monsoon. Loader's barrier on hit provides natural survivability. The highest single-target burst in the game.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Soldier's Syringe | +15% attack speed per stack. |
| Core Gear | Bands (Runald's + Kjaro's), Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Proc chance items > On-hit effects > Mobility | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | teleporter events | Each stage has a Teleporter that summons a boss when activated. |
How to Play Loader
Grapple to a distant point, charged punch for massive impact, barrier absorbs retaliation.
A melee powerhouse whose Thunder Gauntlet punch scales with distance traveled. Grapple + charged punch one-shots most enemies even on Monsoon. Loader's barrier on hit provides natural survivability. The highest single-target burst in the game.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Soldier's Syringe and teleporter events creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Bands (Runald's + Kjaro's), Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Proc chance items > On-hit effects > Mobility) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Railgunner
A sniper with massive single-shot damage from the Supercharge rail. Weak Spot hits deal critical damage without crit items. Concussion Device provides utility knockback. Excels at boss killing but struggles with swarms without items.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Shaped Glass | Doubles your base damage but halves your max health. |
| Core Gear | Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine, Lens-Maker's Glasses | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Damage per hit > Backup Magazines (for more shots) > Mobility | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | hidden realms | Secret areas accessible through specific actions: Bazaar Between Time (blue portal from Newt Altar), Void Fields (Void Portal in Bazaar), Gilded Coast (Altar of Gold), A Moment Fractured (Celestial Portal), and Commencement (final stage). |
How to Play Railgunner
Scope in, hit Weak Spots for massive damage, Concussion Device for crowd control.
A sniper with massive single-shot damage from the Supercharge rail. Weak Spot hits deal critical damage without crit items. Concussion Device provides utility knockback. Excels at boss killing but struggles with swarms without items.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Shaped Glass and hidden realms creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine, Lens-Maker's Glasses amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Damage per hit > Backup Magazines (for more shots) > Mobility) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Void Fiend
A dual-form character that switches between Corrupted (powerful) and Normal states. Managing corruption meter is the core mechanic. Corrupted Form abilities hit harder and have different effects. The most mechanically complex survivor.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | 57 Leaf Clover | A legendary item that rolls item proc chances twice, using the better result. |
| Core Gear | Items that trigger on-kill (Infusion, Fresh Meat), attack speed, proc items | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Corruption management > On-kill items > Attack speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | character unlocks | 10 of 12 survivors are unlocked through specific challenges. |
How to Play Void Fiend
Build corruption through kills, switch forms for power spikes, manage timing.
A dual-form character that switches between Corrupted (powerful) and Normal states. Managing corruption meter is the core mechanic. Corrupted Form abilities hit harder and have different effects. The most mechanically complex survivor.
What makes this build work: The synergy between 57 Leaf Clover and character unlocks creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Items that trigger on-kill (Infusion, Fresh Meat), attack speed, proc items amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Corruption management > On-kill items > Attack speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Mercenary
A melee survivor with i-frame dashes and an ultimate that makes you invulnerable. Eviscerate is a get-out-of-jail ability. Blinding Assault chains between enemies. High skill ceiling — incredible when mastered but punishing when mistakes are made.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Brilliant Behemoth | All attacks explode for 60% base damage in an AoE. |
| Core Gear | Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Old Guillotine, Berzerker's Pauldron | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Crit items > On-kill items > Attack speed | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | looping | After Stage 5, you can choose to loop (restart from Stage 1 at higher difficulty) or fight the final boss. |
How to Play Mercenary
Dash between enemies, Eviscerate for i-frames and damage, chain kills for resets.
A melee survivor with i-frame dashes and an ultimate that makes you invulnerable. Eviscerate is a get-out-of-jail ability. Blinding Assault chains between enemies. High skill ceiling — incredible when mastered but punishing when mistakes are made.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Brilliant Behemoth and looping creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Old Guillotine, Berzerker's Pauldron amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Crit items > On-kill items > Attack speed) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Loader — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Huntress once you understand core mechanics and have access to Crowbar
- Keep a Railgunner 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
- Speed is everything — don't linger on stages. The difficulty timer runs constantly. Each minute spent exploring makes every future enemy harder. Complete stages in 5-7 minutes ideally.
- Printer gambles can snowball a run — 3D Printers convert random items of the same tier into a specific item. If the printer offers a great item, dump your weak items into it.
- 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.
