Shop Titans is Kabam's free to play shop management RPG, on Steam since 5 May 2020, where you craft gear and sell it to the adventurers walking through your door. You run blueprints through workers, haggle at the counter, then send heroes into dungeons to bring back components for the next tier. There are 18 hero classes to recruit and blueprint lines that run from the tier 1 Squire Sword all the way to tier 16 pieces like the Unearthed Blade.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Knight | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Thief | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Cleric | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Sorcerer | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Shop Titans tier list.
A-Tier: Soldier
Soldier is a top-performing option in Shop Titans.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Squire Sword | The tier 1 sword and the first blueprint most players craft. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Blueprint crafting and energy | Every item comes from a blueprint with an energy cost, a resource cost and a craft timer, and all three climb by tier. |
How to Play Soldier
Soldier focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Squire Sword does the damage and Blueprint crafting and energy 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: Knight
Knight is a strong option in Shop Titans.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Arming Sword | The tier 2 sword, revealed by crafting enough of the tier below it. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Item quality and fusion | Items craft at Normal quality and can be pushed up through Superior, Flawless, Epic and Legendary. |
How to Play Knight
Knight focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Arming Sword with Item quality and fusion 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: Thief
Thief is a strong option in Shop Titans.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Gladius | Tier 3, and the point where a sword needs steel as well as iron. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Counter haggling | Customers arrive with an offer and you can accept, haggle or refuse. |
How to Play Thief
Thief focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Counter haggling covers the gap Gladius 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: Cleric
Cleric is a specialized option in Shop Titans.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Cutlass | Tier 4, and it consumes a finished lower tier sword alongside its raw materials. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Hero questing in dungeons | Heroes and Champions are sent into dungeons to bring back components. |
How to Play Cleric
Cleric focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Hero questing in dungeons rather than raw numbers, and Cutlass 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: Sorcerer
Sorcerer is a specialized option in Shop Titans.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Excalibur | A tier 12 sword sitting alongside Titan Sword and Opulent Brand in the same tier. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Guild city investment | Guilds pool gold into shared city buildings and run events such as Lost City of Gold on top of that. |
How to Play Sorcerer
Sorcerer focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Excalibur and Guild city investment 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 Knight: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Soldier once you understand core mechanics and have access to Squire Sword
- Keep a Thief setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Sorcerer 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.
- Never leave a crafting slot empty. Shop Titans is a throughput game and idle slots are the one loss you cannot buy back later, because time is the only resource gold does not purchase.
- Rotate the resources you craft with so no single bin drains while others sit at capacity. Spreading crafts across iron, wood, leather and herbs keeps every bin producing value.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Shop Titans Guides
- Shop Titans Shop Titans Overview
- Shop Titans Tier List
- Shop Titans Walkthrough
- Shop Titans Beginner's Guide
- Shop Titans Tips & Tricks
- Shop Titans Weapons Guide
- Shop Titans Combat Guide
- Shop Titans Boss Guide
- Shop Titans Maps & Locations
- Shop Titans Crafting Guide
- Shop Titans Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Shop Titans, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Builds: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Builds: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Builds: simulation game with similar mechanics
