Marcus
01Marcus Extra-Shot Crit Engine
A research route: create more shooting events, then test whether extra bullets and critical support produce a repeatable clear.
STARTVintage MusketCOREGeminate Shot+ · Quick Fire
PASS THE FEAR // BEST BUILDS · PATCH 1.0.466
Pass the Fear best builds, ready to copy.
Pick a hunter, see the core icons, and open a working route. Use the decision tool when the next offer is already on screen.
7 HUNTERS / ONE PATCHPick the next item. Keep the run alive.
Jester
02Jester Crit Window
A research hypothesis around preserving Novice's Luck and converting Justice Heart into a short damage window.
STARTVintage MusketCORERay of Luck · Divine Justice
Jenny
03Jenny Dismantle Bomb Loop
A research route that tests whether unwanted weapon-room drops can become resources and bomb value without replacing a working loadout.
STARTVintage MusketCOREScrap Recycling or Simple Modification · Twin Bombs
Stella
04Stella Starlight Tarot Route
A research route that tests whether Tarot choices can consistently strengthen Starlight-enhanced shots in one weapon context.
STARTVintage MusketCORETriple Fate · Starlit Haste
Long Tong
05Long Tong Amber Companion Engine
The clearest reported high-power route: let Amber repeat your weapon's elemental pressure, then add companion uptime and one element instead of splitting the plan.
STARTEmber SparkCOREAmber · Armor-Burning Dragon Flame
Elena
06Elena Silver Arrow Mark Route
A timing-heavy route: mark priority targets, shoot, then use the next dodge to create the Silver Arrow window.
STARTDemonhunter CrossbowCOREHunting Mark · Auto Trigger
Lanny
07Lanny Coin-to-Power Route
Turn coins into a controlled power curve: build income first, then spend on the window that makes the reserve matter.
STARTVintage MusketCORELanny's Piggy Bank · Trading Expert
COMMUNITY TIER SNAPSHOT
Who is strong right now
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 // 7 HUNTERS
What choice is on your screen?
Describe the run, then compare the actual options in front of you. This beta makes one decision at a time and shows why.
The skill choices are drawn from the current seven-hunter data pool. The score is a transparent fit model, not a damage simulator.
Take Magician's Hat
MarcusNormalPatch 1.0.466Relic chest
These two are effectively tied
Marginally ahead
Magician's Hat
23 fit scoreThe gap is inside the noise of a fit score, so there is no honest winner here. Use the tiebreaker below instead of the ranking.
Tiebreaker
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.
Difficulty rule
On Normal a conditional pickup that might pay off is acceptable. Most failed runs here lose to an incoherent build, not to execution.
Second choiceWar Horn22 fit score
Lowest fitEmperor's Holy Sword2 fit score
Next target
Look for reload, fire-rate, Bullet Attack, or another repeatable extra-shot trigger.
Cross-checked game dataConfidence: Low
This is a transparent fit score, not a hidden damage calculation. Exact rarity, rolls and combat triggers can change the answer.
This run stays on this device. Copy share link creates a clean share URL.
How evidence is checked →BUILD LIBRARY
Go deeper than a single pickup
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
Build categories explained
Shatter, Disruption, Growth, Embarkation, and Final Shot — what each family means and which picks feed it.
Hunters
Hunter tier list & roles
The community launch ranking plus role notes: who is strong, who is hard, and why.
Weapons
Best weapons & priorities
Which weapon events actually feed your engine, and which ones only look strong on paper.
Starter
Marcus beginner build
The Extra-Shot Crit route: the safest first build to learn the game's decision pattern.
Practical
First run field guide
A three-question pickup test for turning the next offer into a real build decision.
Economy
Shop and reroll rules
What to buy, when to reroll, and when preserving the run is worth more than rarity.
Review
Failed-run review
Find the first broken link and change one thing on the next attempt.
Co-op
Co-op role guide
Split damage, coverage, and economy jobs before both players take the same item.
CURRENT DATA BOUNDARY
Patch 1.0.466 is under active review
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
Common build questions
Direct answers first; uncertainty labeled where it exists. There is no single permanent best build — these are the current ones.
What is the best build in Pass the Fear right now?
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.
What are the five build categories?
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.
Does the planner calculate exact damage?
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.
What happens after a game update?
Patch-sensitive choices lose confidence until they are reviewed. Officially changed items link to the patch note that changed them.