Vampire Survivorsis an addictive Bullet Heaven full of unique characters, weapons, and items. However, the beginner experience can be a slog, and while there’s no ‘wrong’ way to play, some strategies are better than others.
I’ll suggest a few builds in this guide that will aid novices in achieving their first win. Just keep in mind that the task becomes much easier once you’ve improved your base stats with Power-Ups.
Also, keep in mind that Gems are your lifeblood in Vampire Survivors. An aggressive playstyle will keep those gems and levels flowing regardless of your build.
Thanks to the random nature ofVampire Survivors, you have minimal control over what items you get when you level up (until much later, at least). Use these builds as a rough guide, and feel free to swap them from one to the other if required. You can treat any empty inventory spaces as “flex” slots for when you don’t get the items you need.
5N0 Future DPS Build
Pasquelina Belpaese
Passive Items
Runetracer (Included)
Santa water
Attractorb
King Bible
SpellBinder
Iscored my first win with Pasquelinathanks to the devastating power of her Runetracer and its evo, N0 FUTURE.Combinations win gamesinVampire Survivors, and it’s a recurring theme you’ll notice throughout the guide.
I recommend Pasqueline as shestarts with the Runetracer,and her special ability increases the speed of projectiles. That said, you can use these items with any character to a similar effect.
Don’t worry if you don’t get everything on the list, butyour first big essential is Armor. It synergizes with the Runetracer to make a deadly evo in theN0 FUTUREand boosts defense.
Santa Water is an excellent weapon for AoE damage, although you’re able to’t control it. Fortunately, it becomesLa Borrawhen combined with Attractorb. It may be a vanilla weapon, but it remains one of the best evos in the game!
The Crown is especially powerfulin new-player builds as it provides bonus XP so you may level up much faster. You’ll already be gathering more Gems than usual with Attractorb, so there’s a loose synergy here, even without an evo.
The final part of this build is the King’s Bible and Spellbinder, which combine to make theUnholy Vespers. This deadly evo offers even more protection from enemies that get too close for comfort, making you a killing machine if you stand still.
4Point Blank Whip Build
Antonio Belpaese
Hollow Heart
Santa Water
King’s Bible
Spellbinder
As a new player, you’ve probably noticed thatthe first playable character feels underpoweredcompared to anyone you unlock next. Unfortunately, he’s not some hidden"S-Tier" Survivor, but his base Might increases as he levels up, and you’re able to build him into a punchy close-range specialist.
Antonio starts with the Whip, which evolves into the vastly more powerful Bloody Tear when combined with the Hollow Heart. TheBloody Tear has a lifesteal effecton critical hits, an excellent survivability perk.
Santa Water and the Attractorbcombine to make La Borra, a lethal AOE attack that follows you. The best part is you can stand still so the pool surrounds your feet while you wreak havoc with your Bloody Tear.
We’re investing heavily into close-range power, so Garlic is an obvious choice and becomes theSoul Eaterwhen combined with Pummarola.
Finally, the King Bible and Spellbinder combine to make theUnholy Vespers. These cursed symbols surround your character with yet another defensive layer. If you manage to secure these four evo’s, you’re in a strong position to reach the end of the game and have two slots for flexibility.
3High-Scaling Axe Build
Lama Ladonna
Candelabrador
Magic Wand
Empty Tome
Clock Lancet
Lama Ladonna starts with the Axe, which hits enemies directly above her. The weapon may not look like much, but it deals great damage, whichscales nicely into the end game. We inject a bit of lethality into the Axe with the Candelabrador, which evolves it into theDeath Spiral.
Spinach is always a fantastic item to boost DPS as itboosts our Might stat. Since we’re taking it, we may as well take the Fire Wand as it’s part of a combination. The Fire Wand and Spinach evolve to makeHellfire, which lobs massive slow-moving projectiles.
The only downside to our Death Spiral and Hellfire is they shoot slowly. You can improve cooldown reduction with theEmpty Tome, which synergizes with the Magic Wand for significant single-target damage.
Finally, while they don’t synergize,the Clock Lancet is an excellent defensive weaponthat freezes enemies. You can safely walk through frozen enemies, and Hollow Heart will soften any damage as it boosts your health pool.
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2Mega Projectile Spam Build
Gennaro Belpaese
Duplicator
Lighting Ring
One of the best parts aboutVampire Survivorsis how many build types are viable. This time, we have a “Projectile” build, and while dozens of weapons in the game fit the category, these are all available early. We use Gennaro becausehe starts with a bonus “Amount” stat.
Amount governs how many projectiles your weapons fire, making it a considerable damage increase. Gennaro’s Knife evolves into theThousand Edgewith the aid of the Bracer, so it’s a mandatory part of the build. The Thousand Edge fires a never-ending stream of blades and deals decent damage. The Knife and its evo are also some of the few weapons that have directional aiming, which some players will enjoy.
On that damage note, we rely onSpinach to buff our Might statand take the accompanying Fire Wand, which becomes the superb Hellfire evo.
You might not have the Duplicator if you’re a brand-new player, but you’ll unlock it once you’vedefeated 5000 enemies. This item increases our Amount stat even further and pairs with the Lightning Ring to create the devastatingThunder Loop.
Finally, we bolster our defenses with the Hollow Heart for a larger health pool, and the combo with the Whip provides lifesteal. Keep in mind that theHollow Heart increases your max HPbut won’t replenish it automatically.
1The Gunslinger Union Build
Pugnala Provola
Phiera Der Tuphello
Eight the Sparrow
Lightning Ring
Spinach (optional)
Ebony Wings
Armor (optional)
If you don’t have Pugnala, you’re able to unlock her for purchase byfinding her coffin in the first stage, the Mad Forest. Pugnala starts with my favorite weapons in the game, the dual pistols.This build focuses on Union weapons, freeing slots when they evolve. If you play your cards right, this combination can comfortably stroll to the 30-minute mark.
Phiera Der Tuphello and Eight the Sparrow combine with Tirajisu to create thePhieraggi evo, a screen-clearing death ray. King Bible and Spellbinder create theUnholy Vespers. Having a close-range weapon with the pistols might seem odd, but you’ll be grateful for the protection if anything survives your ranged onslaught.
We like the Duplicator for the increased projectiles, so running Lightning Ring for theThunderloop evomakes sense. Empty Tome is another great item for the build, as it makes everything fire faster.
Finally, if you have access to the birds, you cancombine Ebony Wings and Peachone to create Vandalier. The Union benefits from the Duplicator and Empty Tome, deals immense damage, and fits nicely into our union-themed setup. You’ll have free slots to fill afterward, so take whatever you like as you approach the finish line.
Builds in Vampire Survivors are only limited by what you have unlocked. Once you’ve filled in yourPermanent Stat Boosts, most weapons are viable if you focus on evos and spend a couple of slots on survivability items.
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