Skul: The Hero Slayer is SouthPAW Games' action roguelite, out of Early Access on 21 January 2021. You play the lowest-ranking skeleton left standing after the Imperial Army and the Adventurers Guild sack the Demon King's castle, and your entire moveset lives in the skull on your shoulders. Carry two at a time, swap between them on a cooldown, and each swap completely changes how you attack. A run climbs five stages, from the Forest of Harmony up through the Grand Hall, the Black Lab and the Fortress of Fate to the Sanctuary, where the First Hero of Carleon is waiting.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common items | S | The Forest of Harmony and Grand Hall, where any stat is better than an empty slot | The lowest of the four item grades, and worth more than their reputation suggests early in a run because they still carry Inscriptions. |
| Rare items | A | Committing to a damage type by the Black Lab | The middle grade, where item effects start to be worth building around rather than just accepting. |
| Unique items | A | Locking a build in before the Fortress of Fate | Strong single effects that can define how the rest of a run is played. |
| Legendary items | B | Runs that already have a clear damage direction to amplify | The highest grade and the most polarising. |
| Quintessence | B | Covering the weakness your skull pairing does not, usually escapes or crowd control | A separate slot holding exactly one activated item. |
S-Tier: Common items
The lowest of the four item grades, and worth more than their reputation suggests early in a run because they still carry Inscriptions. Three Common items pushing the same Inscription beat one unrelated Unique.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | The Forest of Harmony and Grand Hall, where any stat is better than an empty slot |
| Key Mechanic | Two skull slots and swapping |
| Recommended Build | Little Bone |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Common items: Pairs naturally with Little Bone thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Rare items
The middle grade, where item effects start to be worth building around rather than just accepting. Still cheap enough to appear regularly, so this is usually where an Inscription stack actually forms.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Committing to a damage type by the Black Lab |
| Key Mechanic | Skull grades and awakening |
| Recommended Build | Grim Reaper |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Rare items: Pairs naturally with Grim Reaper thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Unique items
Strong single effects that can define how the rest of a run is played. Unique is also the skull grade that unlocks a second skill, so the word carries weight in two systems at once.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Locking a build in before the Fortress of Fate |
| Key Mechanic | Items, inscriptions and Quintessence |
| Recommended Build | Gambler |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Unique items: Pairs naturally with Gambler thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Legendary items
The highest grade and the most polarising. Several Legendary items, particularly those built around status effects, do almost nothing unless the rest of your build already supports them, so picking one up blind can be a downgrade.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Runs that already have a clear damage direction to amplify |
| Key Mechanic | Dark Quartz traits |
| Recommended Build | Archlich |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Legendary items: Pairs naturally with Archlich thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Quintessence
A separate slot holding exactly one activated item. Effects range from short invincibility to a knockback that resets a crowded room, and because you can only carry one, swapping means giving something up.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Covering the weakness your skull pairing does not, usually escapes or crowd control |
| Key Mechanic | Adventurers and stage bosses |
| Recommended Build | Living Armor |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Quintessence: Pairs naturally with Living Armor thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Forest of Harmony
- Rare items → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Unique items → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Common items → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- The swap is an attack. It deals damage and moves you, so weaving it into a combo rather than treating it as a menu action roughly doubles your effective damage in the early stages.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Skul: The Hero Slayer Guides
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Skul: The Hero Slayer Overview
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Best Builds
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Tier List
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Walkthrough
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Beginner's Guide
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Tips & Tricks
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Combat Guide
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Boss Guide
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Maps & Locations
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Crafting Guide
- Skul: The Hero Slayer Classes & Characters
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