Mastering the Bloody Barbarian and Other Game-Changing Builds in Soulstone Survivors

Imagine diving into the world of Soulstone Survivors, an action-packed roguelite that sweeps you from a humble peasant status to a deity-like figure in record time. Picture leveling up like in Path of Exile, but instead of taking forever, you’re reaching dizzying heights in just twenty minutes. Whatever power fantasy you’re into – whether it’s wielding elemental magic as a Wizard, standing heroically as a holy Paladin, or causing chaos as a bombastic Engineer – you’ll find it all wrapped up in this game.

We’ve been tirelessly working on this for years, gathering insights and feedback from our loyal PC gamers, and finally, we’re thrilled to announce it’s coming to Xbox Series X|S on June 17, 2025.

If you’re eager to get a taste of what’s in store, there’s a demo available now on Xbox Series X|S. We’ve also thrown in some nifty tips to help you kickstart your adventure and maximize your fun.

What makes Soulstone Survivors truly stand out is the freedom it gives players to craft their characters however they like, and then pit them against the perils of the Void. If the first build you try isn’t working out, no sweat – you can tweak and experiment until you nail that flawless setup.

The game is designed to push your creativity to the limits. Imagine your critical hit chance soaring beyond 100%, leading to multi-crits galore. Take multicast, for instance – it’s an attribute that lets you fire off several instances of the same skill at once, like Chain Lightning or the dagger-flurrying Flurry. And when this multinumber exceeds 100%, you’re launching skill copies left and right! Unlike many games that put a ceiling on such stats, Soulstone Survivors invites you to experience the thrill of wielding truly god-like power.

While it’s easy enough to jump in with a basic character build, the real magic unfolds when you delve into the complexities of the system, creating mind-blowing builds. We’re constantly wowed by the community’s ingenuity and creativity – nothing excites us more than seeing a player craft a wild new strategy on Discord that we hadn’t considered!

Buffs Are Your Friends

Buffs, or positive effects, are key to enhancing your character’s abilities against foes. For instance, each stack of “Prowess” bumps up your damage by 1%. Zeroing in on a specific buff can be a robust strategy, yet combining several buffs can offer synergistic boosts. Some power-ups even have the added benefit of triggering other buffs. Take “Devastating Strikes”: it grants you an Aptitude stack, raising critical damage, for every Prowess stack you gain.

Negative Effects Are Your Friends Too

Negative effects play a crucial role by weakening your adversaries. Using them smartly can amplify your damage output by tenfold, or even hundreds of times, depending on your combination. “Poison” is a classic, dealing steady damage which spreads when the poisoned enemy dies. Meanwhile, “Fragility” increases the damage received by enemies per stack. It’s wise to apply a variety of these effects to maximize your potential.

Consider Your Skill Types

Every skill or attack has a type, like Fire or Electric. To truly amplify your strengths, pay attention to these types. A focused build on a specific skill type might benefit from power-ups that boost damage by up to 50%. Alternatively, mixing different skill types can trigger power-ups that chain skills, like when casting an Electric skill gives you a chance to unleash a Fire one. The choice boils down to your preferred play style!

Try Out Different Stuff!

Don’t limit yourself – there are countless elements to explore, such as the skill tree, Runes (special artifacts you equip pre-run), crafted weapons, and your character’s ascension skill, which grants temporary god-like powers after unlocking key abilities.

The fun really starts when you play around with different combinations, figuring out what works and what doesn’t for your unique style. Just between us, I’ll share my secret Bloody Barbarian build!

The Bloody Barbarian Build

The Barbarian might be the first character in the demo, but underestimate him at your peril. Specializing in melee combat, he has access to Swing, Thrust, Slam, Electric, and Earth skills – all ripe for some exciting buff synergies.

Here’s the game plan for this build:

– Choose the Barbarian with his first weapon, the Barbaric Cleavers.
– Seek skills that grant Finesse buffs, like Double Slash.
– Don’t miss out on acquiring the skill Scent of Blood.
– Sit back, relax, and enjoy the spectacle!

Let’s unpack this a bit. All Barbarian weapons have their perks, but for this build, the Barbaric Cleavers work wonders. This weapon comes with Whirlwind, a skill boasting a significant damage area, alongside two buffs: Bulwark (which boosts block power) and Finesse (which hikes your multicast chance).

When you start, aim for Swing skills, as they often bolster your Finesse. Earth skills mesh beautifully here, granting the Colossal buff that enlarges your attack area. Make sure to keep a spot in your arsenal for Scent of Blood – a Barbarian-exclusive skill that ramps up your attack speed by leveraging your Finesse stacks.

With your Swing skills generating a multitude of Finesse stacks, your multicast goes through the roof, meaning your skills hit multiple times over a wide range, bolstered by Earth skills boosting your Colossal effect. Scent of Blood ties it all together by using those same Finesse stacks to further enhance your attack speed. Can you envision the frenzy?

Soon, you’ll be spinning wildly, eliminating hordes of enemies in seconds. Adding a skill like Subdue to the mix, which depends on Finesse stacks for its devastating impact, can serve as a perfect cherry on top, capable of dealing with immense damage.

In the full game, take this build further with a few choice runes. The Synergetic Rune enhances power-up synergies, while the Multicast Mastery Rune amplifies multicast effectiveness. While these aren’t in the demo, even without them, your foes will fall effortlessly.

And we’re just scratching the surface. Beyond exploring other characters, like the electrifying Thor Barbarian or the Pyromancer raining fiery chaos, the demo is just the beginning. There’s a vast array of builds, buffs, and power fantasies in Soulstone Survivors waiting to be unleashed. Dive into the demo on Xbox Series X|S and let your imagination run wild!