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Enshrouded

EDITORIAL TIER LIST

Build Tier List

Skill-tree builds ranked for solo progression, boss fights, and co-op roles.

Game version:
Update 8 / v0.9.1.2
Reviewed:
Sep 9, 2026
10 entries

Tier board

S

Best in class. Build around these first.

A

Strong and reliable in most situations.

B

Useful in specific situations or party roles.

Scope

Ten builds that combine the twelve skill clusters (Warrior, Tank, Barbarian, Athlete, Ranger, Assassin, Beastmaster, Survivor, Wizard, Trickster, Healer, Battlemage). Enshrouded has no locked classes: every build is a set of connected nodes you can respec, so the names are ours.

How we rank

Ranks weigh solo safety, boss damage, crowd control, gear dependence, and how much a mistake costs. Update 8 reset skill trees and made more than 80 skills upgradable, so every rank assumes upgraded core nodes.

SS TierBest in class. Build around these first.

SRanged damage · Solo safety

Sniper Ranger

  • Solo
  • Safe
  • Beginner friendly

Marksman and Sharpshooter add 30% ranged damage, Multi Shot spreads arrows, and Sneak Attack turns the first shot into a +900% opener. The safest way to clear Embervale solo.

Why it ranks here

  • Starts every fight on your terms from range
  • Bows and the Ranger tree scale together all game

Tradeoffs

  • Arrow economy and a weak melee fallback
Skill trees
Ranger + Assassin
Core skills
Marksman, Sharpshooter, Multi Shot, Sneak Attack
Weapons
Bow (+ dagger backup)

How to get

Ranger tree first, then the Assassin nodes on the same side of the tree.

SCaster damage · Boss control

Storm Wizard

  • Boss
  • Crowd control
  • Late game

Chain Lightning for packs, Lightning Channel for bosses, and Terror turning spell crits into 4-second stuns: the highest-control damage build in the game.

Why it ranks here

  • Chain Hit gives every crit a second target
  • Stun-locks bosses with Lightning Channel's 0.3s ticks

Tradeoffs

  • Fragile until Magic Shield and Eternal spells unlock
  • Charge farming before the Eternal versions
Skill trees
Wizard + Trickster
Core skills
Chain Hit, Terror, Counterstrike
Weapons
Staff (+ wand backup)
Spells
Chain Lightning, Lightning Channel, Heal Channel

How to get

Wizard tree for crit and element scaling, Trickster for Terror and Counterstrike.

AA TierStrong and reliable in most situations.

AMelee anchor · Co-op frontline

Sword & Board Tank

  • Co-op
  • Forgiving
  • Beginner friendly

Nemesis pulls enemy attention, Earth Aura cuts damage taken by 10%, and a shield answers everything else. The build that lets a group make mistakes.

Why it ranks here

  • Thick Skin scales constitution with the Flame level
  • Swift Blades keeps one-handed attacks quick

Tradeoffs

  • Lowest kill speed among the top builds
Skill trees
Warrior + Tank
Core skills
Nemesis, Earth Aura, Thick Skin, Swift Blades, Veteran
Weapons
One-handed sword + shield

How to get

Warrior tree for damage and speed, Tank tree for Nemesis, Earth Aura, and Thick Skin.

ATwo-handed burst · Stun pressure

Barbarian Greatsword

  • Burst
  • Stun
  • Solo

Update 8's reworked two-handed chains plus Whirlwind Crescendo finishers and Blood Rage (+20% melee after a kill) make this the hardest-hitting melee build.

Why it ranks here

  • Heavy attacks double damage and stun on every weapon
  • Shockwave punishes enemies after a parry

Tradeoffs

  • Commitment-heavy: a mistimed swing costs health
Skill trees
Barbarian + Warrior + Athlete
Core skills
Whirlwind Crescendo, Blood Rage, Shockwave, The Warrior's Path
Weapons
Greatsword or two-handed hammer

How to get

Barbarian tree for Shockwave, Whirlwind Crescendo, and Blood Rage; Warrior and Athlete nodes fill the gaps.

AStealth burst · High skill

Dagger Assassin

  • Burst
  • High skill
  • Solo

Silent Stride lets you close unseen, Sneak Attack lands +900% backstabs, and Slice And Dice hands a 50% bow bonus to finish runners. Brutal when it works, thin when it does not.

Why it ranks here

  • Deletes single dangerous enemies before fights start
  • The dagger focus special adds a mid-fight burst

Tradeoffs

  • Groups and bosses that cannot be backstabbed expose the build
Skill trees
Assassin + Trickster
Core skills
Sneak Attack, Silent Stride, Slice And Dice
Weapons
Daggers + bow

How to get

Assassin tree for Sneak Attack, Silent Stride, and Slice And Dice; Trickster or Ranger nodes to taste.

ACaster damage · Area control

Frostfire Wizard

  • AoE
  • Kiting
  • Mid game

Eternal Fireball for packs and Eternal Ice Bolt to slow whatever survives. Less boss control than the Storm Wizard, but the strongest map-clearing caster from Lv17 on.

Why it ranks here

  • Two elements cover most resistances
  • Eternal charges from Lv17 end charge farming early

Tradeoffs

  • 2.0s Fireball casts need space
Skill trees
Wizard + Trickster
Core skills
Pyromaniac, Subzero, Chain Hit
Weapons
Staff
Spells
Eternal Fireball, Eternal Ice Bolt, Heal Channel

How to get

Wizard tree with both Pyromaniac and Subzero, then Chain Hit.

BB TierUseful in specific situations or party roles.

BCo-op support · Sustain

Support Healer

  • Co-op only
  • Support

Water Aura heals everyone in a radius, Divine Surge makes heals crit, and Righteous Fire turns every heal into damage. Excellent in a group of four, pointless solo.

Why it ranks here

  • Keeps melee allies alive through boss mistakes

Tradeoffs

  • Almost no personal damage
  • Chain Heal and Heal Beam charges burn mana fast
Skill trees
Healer + Wizard
Core skills
Water Aura, Divine Surge, Righteous Fire
Weapons
Staff
Spells
Heal Channel, Chain Heal, Heal Beam Channel

How to get

Healer tree for Water Aura, Divine Surge, and Righteous Fire; Wizard nodes for mana and crits.

BExploration utility · Co-op flex

Beastmaster Explorer

  • Exploration
  • Co-op
  • Utility

Wild animals stop attacking, Vukah lend a hand, and Runner plus Arachnoid make the map cheaper to cross. A traversal build, not a combat one.

Why it ranks here

  • Fastest exploration and gathering loop
  • Good Metabolism restores 30% more from orbs

Tradeoffs

  • Needs a damage tree for anything past mid-game bosses
Skill trees
Beastmaster + Survivor
Core skills
Calm Spirit, Beast Master, Vukah Culture, Runner, Arachnoid
Weapons
Any (bow recommended)

How to get

Beastmaster tree for Calm Spirit, Beast Master, and Vukah Culture; Survivor tree for Runner, Arachnoid, and Good Metabolism.

BMobility melee · Aerial attacks

Athlete Skirmisher

  • Mobile
  • Fun
  • Mid game

Double Jump into Crash Down Attack AoE, Kick to fill stun bars and knock enemies off ledges. Entertaining and mobile, but less consistent than the shield or two-hander builds.

Why it ranks here

  • Unmatched vertical mobility in fights and traversal

Tradeoffs

  • Aerial commits are punished by ranged enemies
Skill trees
Athlete + Warrior
Core skills
Double Jump, Crash Down Attack, Kick
Weapons
One-handed sword or axe

How to get

Athlete tree for Double Jump, Crash Down Attack, and Kick; Warrior nodes for base melee damage.

Sources checked

Update 8: Forging the PathHotfix #42 / v0.9.1.2Official Enshrouded Wiki (spells, weapons, skills)