PASS THE FEAR // BEST BUILDS · PATCH 1.0.466
Four current blueprints you can take into your next run, each with its evidence level and a one-click planner link. Below them: the community tier snapshot, the build planner, and the in-run decision tool.
Marcus
A research route: create more shooting events, then test whether extra bullets and critical support produce a repeatable clear.
Weapon: Vintage Musket
Skills: Geminate Shot+ → Quick Fire → Triple Shot
Relics: Emperor's Holy Sword when Critical Chance is already part of the run
Tarot: The Emperor (Upright) when the run already has several Critical Chance sources
Jester
A research hypothesis around preserving Novice's Luck and converting Justice Heart into a short damage window.
Weapon: Vintage Musket
Skills: Ray of Luck → Divine Justice → I will be a Hero!
Relics: Emperor's Holy Sword for a possible crit package
Tarot: The Emperor (Upright) after collecting several Critical Chance sources
Jenny
A research route that tests whether unwanted weapon-room drops can become resources and bomb value without replacing a working loadout.
Weapon: Vintage Musket
Skills: Scrap Recycling or Simple Modification → Twin Bombs → Cluster Bomb
Relics: Sigil of Temperance when dismantling grants useful long-term value
Tarot: The Empress (Upright) for possible dismantle value
Stella
A research route that tests whether Tarot choices can consistently strengthen Starlight-enhanced shots in one weapon context.
Weapon: Vintage Musket
Skills: Triple Fate → Starlit Haste → Endless Star
Relics: Lovers' Gift when The Lovers and the Sub Weapon both add real value
Tarot: The Lovers when the Sub Weapon contributes a useful effect
COMMUNITY TIER SNAPSHOT
Launch-window consensus from independent outlets, reported — not measured by us. Full role notes on the hunter tier list.
| Tier | Hunter | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Long Tong | Amber fights permanently at her side; reported breath damage scales from the main weapon's elemental damage, and Fury adds a large burst window for bosses. |
| S | Jenny | Dismantle economy reportedly returns weapon parts over time, and Wildcat Bomb is cited as one of the strongest AoE ultimates in the game. |
| A | Elena | Dodge-triggered counter-fire gives high sustained damage in skilled hands; ceiling depends on dodge timing. |
| A | Jester | Novice's Luck avoids hits and Justice Heart buffs fire rate and reload — the most forgiving strong pick for newer players. |
| B | Marcus | Extra-shot engine is readable and consistent, but several triggers are RNG-dependent, so output varies run to run. |
| C | Lanny | Coin economy can guarantee rare shop access but demands heavy micromanagement, and his ultimate raises damage taken. |
| — | Stella | Not consistently ranked by launch-window outlets yet; her Tarot-interaction ceiling is real but harder to benchmark. |
Sources: Game Geek Fusion tier list (2026-07-28) · Destructoid Hunter tier list (launch)
RUN DECISION BETA // MARCUS
Describe the run, then compare the actual options in front of you. This beta makes one decision at a time and shows why.
Marcus is the first validated Hunter. Other Hunters return after their decision rules are tested.
Take Magician's Hat
These two are effectively tied
The gap is inside the noise of a fit score, so there is no honest winner here. Use the tiebreaker below instead of the ranking.
Take the one whose trigger you can name out loud right now. If you have to reason about when it fires, it will not fire often enough.
Early in a run, reliable value gets a bonus and conditional pieces are discounted.
On Normal a conditional pickup that might pay off is acceptable. Most failed runs here lose to an incoherent build, not to execution.
Look for reload, fire-rate, Bullet Attack, or another repeatable extra-shot trigger.
This is a transparent fit score, not a hidden damage calculation. Exact rarity, rolls and combat triggers can change the answer.
This run is saved on this device and in the URL.
How evidence is checked →BUILD LIBRARY
The planner answers the loadout; these pages cover the structure behind it — which Hunter, which weapon, and how a Pass the Fear build is assembled in the first place.
Categories
Shatter, Disruption, Growth, Embarkation, and Final Shot — what each family means and which picks feed it.
Hunters
The community launch ranking plus role notes: who is strong, who is hard, and why.
Weapons
Which weapon events actually feed your engine, and which ones only look strong on paper.
Starter
The Extra-Shot Crit route: the safest first build to learn the game's decision pattern.
CURRENT DATA BOUNDARY
The July 30 update changed trigger limits, Ultimate behavior, Transmutation items, and several Physical relics. Older route claims have been downgraded until they are retested.
QUICK ANSWERS
Direct answers first; uncertainty labeled where it exists. There is no single permanent best build — these are the current ones.
Community launch-window rankings put Long Tong (Amber companion) and Jenny (dismantle economy plus Wildcat Bomb) at the top. For a first clear, the Marcus Extra-Shot route remains the most readable. There is no single permanent best build — patches shift the answer, so each blueprint here shows its evidence level and last review date.
Players commonly organize builds around trigger and mechanic families: Shatter (Freeze payoffs from Frost weapons), Disruption (Lightning), Growth (stacking effects), Embarkation (run-start triggers), and Final Shot (last-bullet effects). Each weapon element also builds one Transmutation: Physical→Hemorrhage, Frost→Freeze, Lightning→Disruption, Acid→Corrosion, Fire→Ignition.
No. It scores transparent tag synergy — route fit, element coherence, and conflicts — and explains every warning. It does not invent DPS numbers for triggered effects.
Patch-sensitive choices lose confidence until they are reviewed. Officially changed items link to the patch note that changed them.