Builds & Level-up Priorities
A survivors-like build is decided at the level-up screen, one card at a time. Here are the core builds for every class, the opening priorities, the passives that carry them, and the card rules that decide what’s actually on the table.
Checked against v0.123.0Updated October 2026
The rules every build obeys
| Rule | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Active spell slots | 6 per run | Full slots stop new-spell offers — early picks define your run |
| Passive slots | 6 per run | Passives multiply everything; mixing damage + survival is standard |
| Ability max rank | 8 | A maxed core spell out-damages a spread of rank 1s |
| Passive max rank | 5 | +10%/level effects reach +50% at max — build around two, not five |
| Mobility spell | Unlocked at level 5 (key F) | Your first real escape — plan level 5 around reaching it smoothly |
| XP rate | 2× | Levels come fast early; card quality early compounds all run |
Core build by class
The default (first) build for each class — full values, a second build, rotation notes, race picks and zone routes live in each class guide. Editorial picks based on community-rebuild numbers (labeled per version; the original may differ).
| Class | Core spells | Passive core | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Cleave · Whirlwind · Execute · Thunder Clap | Blessing of Might · Power Word: Fortitude · Aspect of the Pack | 4/5 |
| Paladin | Consecration · Holy Shock · Hammer Of Wrath · Divine Shield | Blessing of Kings · Amplify Magic · Power Word: Fortitude | 5/5 |
| Hunter | Volley · Multi Shot · Serpent Sting · Concussive Shot | Blessing of Might · Aspect of the Pack · Arcane Intellect | 5/5 |
| Rogue | Blade Flurry · Rupture · Sinister Strike · Gouge | Blessing of Might · Blessing of Kings · Aspect of the Pack | 2/5 |
| Priest | Shadow Word Pain · Holy Fire · Power Word Shield · Holy Nova | Renew · Amplify Magic · Blessing of Wisdom | 4/5 |
| Shaman | Searing Totem · Magma Totem · Chain Lightning · Lightning Bolt | Amplify Magic · Blessing of Might · Aspect of the Pack | 4/5 |
| Mage | Frostbolt · Blizzard · Frost Nova · Cone Of Cold | Amplify Magic · Arcane Intellect · Blessing of Kings | 5/5 |
| Warlock | Corruption · Curse Of Agony · Immolate · Rain Of Fire | Blessing of Might · Power Word: Fortitude · Blessing of Kings | 3/5 |
| Druid | Hurricane · Moonfire · Insect Swarm · Entangling Roots | Amplify Magic · Renew · Blessing of Wisdom | 5/5 |
Build by class — priorities in detail
Editorial picks based on the community-rebuild numbers (labeled per version, the original may differ). Each card links to the full class guide with complete ability tables and two builds.
Warrior
In-your-face brawler with the widest control kit. Starts with Cleave; mobility: Charge (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Execute — Instantly kills non-boss enemies below 30% health — the best clear-speed multiplier in the melee kit.
- Whirlwind — Consistent all-around melee damage while you keep moving through the pack.
- Thunder Clap — Area damage plus a slow gives you the breathing room melee needs.
Passive core:
Blessing of Might (Damage) · Power Word: Fortitude (Max health) · Aspect of the Pack (Move speed)
Paladin
Holy artillery with the best panic buttons in the game. Starts with Hammer Of Wrath; mobility: Blessing of Freedom (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Consecration — Persistent ground damage under your kiting path pays for the whole run.
- Holy Shock — High damage on a short 2.5s cooldown — strong sustained single-target.
- Hammer of Justice — A reliable stun for the moments a pack gets too friendly (bosses resist it).
Passive core:
Blessing of Kings (Crit chance) · Amplify Magic (Area of effect) · Power Word: Fortitude (Max health)
Hunter
Kiting marksman — fastest trigger finger in the game. Starts with Arcane Shot; mobility: Aspect of the Cheetah (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Volley — Sustained area denial in a zone you choose — scales all run.
- Multi-Shot — Instant lane damage that keeps the horde from flanking you.
- Serpent Sting — Damage over time keeps ticking while you kite, free value on fast targets.
Passive core:
Blessing of Might (Damage) · Aspect of the Pack (Move speed) · Arcane Intellect (Haste (attack speed))
Rogue
High-tempo melee — the fastest blades, the biggest risks. Starts with Sinister Strike; mobility: Sprint (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Blade Flurry — Cleave is the only thing your attack speed was missing.
- Kidney Shot — A 3.5-second stun deletes the scariest enemy in any pack (bosses resist).
- Rupture — DoT keeps killing while you reposition — melee uptime without melee risk.
Passive core:
Blessing of Might (Damage) · Blessing of Kings (Crit chance) · Aspect of the Pack (Move speed)
Priest
The zoner — crowd control answers for every mistake. Starts with Smite; mobility: Fade (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Shadow Word: Pain — DoT that follows your kiting path — the backbone of priest damage.
- Power Word: Shield — Absorb bubble = one free mistake, always.
- Holy Nova — Point-blank area damage plus a release valve when surrounded.
Passive core:
Renew (Health regen) · Amplify Magic (Area of effect) · Blessing of Wisdom (XP gain)
Shaman
Battlemage with totems, chains and three flavors of shock. Starts with Lightning Bolt; mobility: Ghost Wolf (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Chain Lightning — Jumps enemy to enemy — the best wave-clear key in the pool.
- Searing Totem — Free sustained damage that fights while you kite elsewhere.
- Magma Totem — A pulsing fire patch that shreds dense late waves.
Passive core:
Amplify Magic (Area of effect) · Blessing of Might (Damage) · Aspect of the Pack (Move speed)
Mage
Deepest toolkit in the game — 11 abilities and a teleport. Starts with Frostbolt; mobility: Blink (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Blizzard — Sustained area slow plus damage — the best zone-control spell in the game.
- Pyroblast — 70 damage per cast turns bosses and elites into checkpoints.
- Frost Nova — A 2.5-second full stop for everything touching you.
Passive core:
Amplify Magic (Area of effect) · Arcane Intellect (Haste (attack speed)) · Blessing of Kings (Crit chance)
Warlock
War of attrition — DoTs, demons’ fire, and self-healing. Starts with Shadow Bolt; mobility: Howl of Terror (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Rain of Fire — Area denial that scales with enemy density — perfect for this genre.
- Death Coil — Damage plus 50% lifesteal keeps the attrition war won.
- Immolate — DoT that stacks with your other curses — total damage per target climbs fast.
Passive core:
Blessing of Might (Damage) · Power Word: Fortitude (Max health) · Blessing of Kings (Crit chance)
Druid
Balanced nature caster with the smoothest escape. Starts with Wrath; mobility: Dash (level 5).
Ability priority:
- Hurricane — Sustained channel damage into the densest part of the wave.
- Moonfire — Cheap DoT that spreads your damage across everything you kite past.
- Entangling Roots — A 4-second root is a dead chaser (bosses resist).
Passive core:
Renew (Health regen) · Amplify Magic (Area of effect) · Blessing of Wisdom (XP gain)
The three build phases
- Minutes 0–3 (levels 1–6): take wave-clear. Area spells (Blizzard, Volley, Consecration, Rain of Fire, Chain Lightning) turn the spawn curve into XP; single-target starts need their first area tool before the first boss (2:15 on the rebuild clock).
- Minutes 3–8 (levels 6–12): commit to a carry. Push your best area spell toward rank 8 and add exactly one survival tool — a slow, a stun or a movement passive. This is also when the mobility spell (F) arrives.
- Minutes 8–15: rank-ups only. Slots are full, so every card is a stat line: damage % on the carry first, cooldown % second, survival last. Bosses resist control at this stage — burst windows beat CC chains.
Reading a level-up hand
- New-spell cards are ranked by damage. The game estimates each candidate’s damage and colors the top third Epic, the bottom third Uncommon — rarity is a hint, not a rule.
- Rank-up cards name their spell and rank. A rank 4→5 on your carry usually beats a new rank-1 spell after the mid-game.
- Passives cap at 5 ranks — a fifth point in one passive is often worth less than a first point in a missing stat (e.g. a slow or magnet).
- R rerolls (3 per run) — the levels 6–12 stretch is where a bad hand costs the most.
Builds meet the meta layer
- Talents (between runs): every run pays talent experience; 51 points per class across three trees, milestones at 10/20/30, free respecs. Push one damage tree early — talents guide.
- Gear (between runs): bosses roll permanent class gear at 60% per piece, and rarity follows the zone unlock chain — pushing zones IS farming. Items guide.
- Zones (inside runs): the unlock chain runs Elwynn Forest → Duskwood → Warsong Gulch → Arathi Basin → Feralas → Gurubashi Arena → Alterac Valley → Blackrock Mountain → Gates of Ahn’Qiraj. Tight zones favor melee cleave; open zones favor kiting ranged kits — maps hub.
Passive pairings that always work
- Might + Intellect — for fast attackers (Hunter’s 1s shot, Rogue’s 0.85s swing, Shaman’s Lightning Shield): +10% damage and +8% haste per level compound on every tick.
- Amplify + Might — for ground and aura kits (Consecration, Blizzard, Rain of Fire, Hellfire, totems): wider fields mean more of the horde inside your damage.
- Fortitude + Renew — for melee and learners: +20% health and +0.5 regen per level is the difference between one mistake and a run.
- Wisdom + anything — +8% XP per level accelerates the level-up engine itself; strongest on slow-starting kits.
Passive slots: 6 per run, 5 ranks each — two or three pairings is a build, six half-picked stats is nothing.
Common build mistakes
- Collecting, not committing. Five rank-1 spells lose to two rank-5s — depth wins the scaling wall (minutes 4–11).
- Skipping survival entirely. Zero slows, stuns or movement passives means one trapped corner ends the run at minute nine.
- Taking a 6th active too early. A full slot board stops new offers — lock your sixth slot with a utility spell, not another damage clone.
- Building for bosses before wave-clear. Single-target starts need an area tool before the first boss on the rebuild clock — the horde, not the boss, kills runs.
- Ignoring rarity on new-spell cards. An Epic first offer is the game telling you what’s strong this run — don’t reroll it away reflexively.