Timberborn is a city-builder where you lead a colony of beavers surviving in a post-human world ravaged by ecological collapse. The core challenge is water management — rivers periodically dry up during droughts, and your colony must store enough water and food to survive. Unique to Timberborn is vertical building, where structures stack on top of each other like beaver lodges. Two playable factions (Folktails and Iron Teeth) offer different playstyles, and the district system lets you manage sprawling settlements across the map.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folktails | A | Build near rivers, use waterwheels for power, maintain diverse food sources with beehives and gardens. | Waterwheel, Beehive, Rooftop Garden, Irrigation Tower |
| Iron Teeth | S | Reshape terrain with dynamite, build industrial powerhouses, support high population density. | Dynamite, Engine, Industrial Water Pump, Large Storage |
| Water Engineer | S | Plan water infrastructure first, build dams and reservoirs before expanding population. | Dam, Floodgate, Levee, Water Pump, Irrigation Tower |
| Farmer | A | Plant diverse crops within irrigation range, cook food for nutrition bonuses, stockpile for droughts. | Farm Plot, Irrigation Tower, Farmhouse, Grill (for cooking) |
| Forester | A | Maintain tree farms upstream, ensure continuous wood supply, balance cutting with planting. | Forester building, Lumberjack Flag, Wood Storage, Planting areas |
A-Tier: Folktails
The nature faction has beehives (food), waterwheels (power), and rooftop gardens. Their eco-friendly buildings are cheaper but less productive. Best for beginners due to forgiving food production and lower complexity. The Folktail Waterwheel provides reliable early-game power near rivers.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Floodgate | A controllable water barrier that can be raised or lowered to control river flow. |
| Core Gear | Waterwheel, Beehive, Rooftop Garden, Irrigation Tower | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Water storage, food variety, natural power generation | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | water management | Water flows physically through the map following terrain height. |
How to Play Folktails
Build near rivers, use waterwheels for power, maintain diverse food sources with beehives and gardens.
The nature faction has beehives (food), waterwheels (power), and rooftop gardens. Their eco-friendly buildings are cheaper but less productive. Best for beginners due to forgiving food production and lower complexity. The Folktail Waterwheel provides reliable early-game power near rivers.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Floodgate and water management creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Waterwheel, Beehive, Rooftop Garden, Irrigation Tower amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Water storage, food variety, natural power generation) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Iron Teeth
The industrial faction has dynamite (terraforming), engines (power without water flow), and higher-density buildings. Iron Teeth can reshape the landscape to redirect rivers and create custom reservoirs. More powerful late-game but requires better planning to avoid early drought deaths.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Dam | A permanent barrier that blocks water flow, creating reservoirs behind it. |
| Core Gear | Dynamite, Engine, Industrial Water Pump, Large Storage | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Industry output, dynamite supply, engine fuel | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | beaver factions | Folktails are the nature-friendly faction with rooftop gardens, beehives, and natural power sources (waterwheels). |
How to Play Iron Teeth
Reshape terrain with dynamite, build industrial powerhouses, support high population density.
The industrial faction has dynamite (terraforming), engines (power without water flow), and higher-density buildings. Iron Teeth can reshape the landscape to redirect rivers and create custom reservoirs. More powerful late-game but requires better planning to avoid early drought deaths.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Dam and beaver factions creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Dynamite, Engine, Industrial Water Pump, Large Storage amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Industry output, dynamite supply, engine fuel) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Water Engineer
Regardless of faction, mastering water engineering determines survival. Dam placement, reservoir sizing, and floodgate timing are the most important skills. A Water Engineer player uses levees and dams to create artificial lakes that outlast even the longest droughts.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Water Pump | Extracts water from adjacent water tiles for beaver drinking and irrigation. |
| Core Gear | Dam, Floodgate, Levee, Water Pump, Irrigation Tower | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Water storage capacity above all else | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | drought cycles | Droughts stop all river flow for a set number of days. |
How to Play Water Engineer
Plan water infrastructure first, build dams and reservoirs before expanding population.
Regardless of faction, mastering water engineering determines survival. Dam placement, reservoir sizing, and floodgate timing are the most important skills. A Water Engineer player uses levees and dams to create artificial lakes that outlast even the longest droughts.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Water Pump and drought cycles creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Dam, Floodgate, Levee, Water Pump, Irrigation Tower amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Water storage capacity above all else) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Farmer
Food production specialists focus on diverse crop rotation and irrigation systems. Different crops provide different nutrients — beavers need food variety for wellbeing. Farms near irrigation towers survive droughts better than rainfed plots. Farmers use the Farmhouse assignment to prioritize crop tending.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Dynamite | Iron Teeth exclusive — destroys terrain blocks, allowing you to dig channels, create reservoirs, and redirect rivers. |
| Core Gear | Farm Plot, Irrigation Tower, Farmhouse, Grill (for cooking) | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Crop diversity, irrigation coverage, food storage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | vertical building | Beavers can stack buildings on platforms, creating multi-story structures. |
How to Play Farmer
Plant diverse crops within irrigation range, cook food for nutrition bonuses, stockpile for droughts.
Food production specialists focus on diverse crop rotation and irrigation systems. Different crops provide different nutrients — beavers need food variety for wellbeing. Farms near irrigation towers survive droughts better than rainfed plots. Farmers use the Farmhouse assignment to prioritize crop tending.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Dynamite and vertical building creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Farm Plot, Irrigation Tower, Farmhouse, Grill (for cooking) amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Crop diversity, irrigation coverage, food storage) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Forester
Wood is the primary building material and fuel source. Foresters plant and harvest trees in managed forests, ensuring sustainable wood supply. Planting trees upstream also helps with water retention. The Forester building automates tree planting in designated areas.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Levee | A raised wall that holds back water like a dam but can be built at custom heights. |
| Core Gear | Forester building, Lumberjack Flag, Wood Storage, Planting areas | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Sustainable tree planting, harvesting efficiency | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | district system | Large colonies are divided into districts, each with its own population, resources, and production chains. |
How to Play Forester
Maintain tree farms upstream, ensure continuous wood supply, balance cutting with planting.
Wood is the primary building material and fuel source. Foresters plant and harvest trees in managed forests, ensuring sustainable wood supply. Planting trees upstream also helps with water retention. The Forester building automates tree planting in designated areas.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Levee and district system creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Forester building, Lumberjack Flag, Wood Storage, Planting areas amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Sustainable tree planting, harvesting efficiency) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Iron Teeth — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Folktails once you understand core mechanics and have access to Floodgate
- Keep a Water Engineer setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Forester for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Build water storage before the first drought arrives — check your difficulty settings for drought timing. On Normal, the first drought hits around day 6-8, so have a dam and reservoir operational by day 5.
- Vertical building multiplies your usable space — stack housing 3 levels high to free ground space for farms and industry. Beavers navigate stairs as efficiently as flat paths.
- 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.
