- Always engage from maximum effective range
- Prioritize headshots for critical damage
- Use elevated positions for better sightlines
- Relocate after a few shots to avoid being flanked
- Save your secondary weapon for emergency close encounters
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the best character builds in Once Human. In this post-apocalyptic world transformed by the mysterious Stardust, your character build can make the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Whether you're focused on PvE content, competitive PvP, or a balanced approach, we've got you covered with optimized builds for every playstyle.
Each build in this guide includes detailed skill allocations, equipment recommendations, and strategic advice to help you maximize your effectiveness in the game. We've tested these builds extensively and updated them to reflect the latest patches and meta changes.
Before diving into specific builds, it's important to understand how character building works in Once Human. Unlike traditional class-based games, Once Human uses a flexible skill system that allows you to create highly customized characters based on your preferred playstyle.
Once Human features five main skill trees, each focusing on different aspects of gameplay:
As you gain experience and level up, you'll earn skill points that can be allocated across these trees. Most effective builds focus on 2-3 primary skill trees with minimal investment in others for essential abilities.
Your character's effectiveness is determined by a combination of skill allocations and equipment. Key stats to consider include:
The most effective builds in Once Human create synergy between skills, equipment, and mutations. For example, a build focusing on critical hits should combine skills that increase critical chance with weapons and armor that enhance critical damage.
You can respec your skill points at any major settlement for a resource cost. Don't be afraid to experiment with different builds until you find what works best for your playstyle.
PvE builds focus on efficiently clearing enemies, surviving against bosses, and completing challenging content. These builds prioritize consistent damage output, sustainability, and resource efficiency.
Ranged Combat Specialist
The Wasteland Ranger excels at taking down enemies from a distance, using superior mobility and precision to stay out of harm's way. This build focuses on maximizing ranged damage output while maintaining enough survivability for solo play. Perfect for players who prefer a tactical approach to combat.
Melee Tank Specialist
The Juggernaut is a frontline powerhouse that can absorb massive damage while dealing devastating melee attacks. This build prioritizes health, armor, and sustained damage output, making it ideal for players who prefer an aggressive, in-your-face playstyle. Excellent for tackling tough bosses and large groups of enemies.
Resource Gathering & Crafting Specialist
The Scavenger excels at gathering resources, crafting, and base building. This build maximizes your ability to collect and process materials efficiently, making it perfect for players who enjoy the survival and crafting aspects of Once Human. While not combat-focused, it includes enough defensive capabilities to escape dangerous situations.
The Wasteland Ranger build focuses on maximizing ranged damage output and mobility. Here's how to allocate your skill points for optimal performance:
The right equipment is crucial for maximizing the Wasteland Ranger's effectiveness. Focus on items that enhance critical damage, accuracy, and mobility.
The Precision Rifle offers excellent range and accuracy, perfect for taking down enemies from a safe distance. Look for mods that enhance critical damage and stability.
A reliable sidearm for close encounters when your primary weapon isn't ideal. Prioritize reload speed and handling for quick responses to threats.
Lightweight armor that offers a balance of protection and mobility. The mobility bonus helps you maintain distance from enemies and reposition quickly.
Enhances your ability to spot enemies at a distance and increases critical hit chance. The perception bonus helps identify threats before they spot you.
The Wasteland Ranger excels at picking off enemies from a distance and using mobility to avoid direct confrontation. Here's how to make the most of this build:
Follow this progression path to effectively develop your Wasteland Ranger from early to late game:
Focus on basic survival and establishing your ranged combat foundation:
Enhance your mobility and critical damage potential:
Perfect your build with advanced skills and top-tier equipment:
For the Wasteland Ranger build, ammunition management is crucial. Invest in the Ammo Crafting skill early and always loot ammunition from fallen enemies. Consider carrying multiple weapon types to diversify your ammo usage during extended expeditions.
PvP builds in Once Human require a different approach than PvE builds. These builds focus on burst damage, crowd control, and survivability against intelligent human opponents. The unpredictable nature of player encounters means these builds need versatility and quick response capabilities.
Stealth & Burst Damage Specialist
The Assassin excels at ambushing unsuspecting players with devastating burst damage before disappearing back into the shadows. This build prioritizes stealth, critical damage, and mobility, making it perfect for solo PvP and small-scale engagements. Not recommended for direct confrontations or large group fights.
Frontline Combat & Control Specialist
The Warlord is designed for frontline combat in group PvP scenarios. With high survivability and consistent damage output, this build can hold positions, control territory, and withstand significant punishment. Ideal for players who prefer direct confrontation and team-based PvP.
Mutation & Stardust Specialist
The Aberration harnesses the power of stardust mutations to gain unique abilities that can surprise and overwhelm other players. This high-risk, high-reward build offers powerful offensive and utility options but requires careful management of mutation levels. Perfect for experienced players looking for a unique playstyle.
Hybrid builds offer versatility by balancing different aspects of gameplay. These builds are designed for players who want to be effective in both PvE and PvP scenarios without having to constantly respec their characters.
Balanced All-Purpose Build
The Survivor is a jack-of-all-trades build designed to handle most situations effectively. With balanced investments across multiple skill trees, this build offers decent combat capabilities, resource gathering efficiency, and mobility. Perfect for solo players who want to experience all aspects of the game without constantly respeccing.
Tech & Combat Specialist
The Technomancer combines advanced technology with combat prowess to create a versatile build that excels in both PvE and PvP scenarios. By leveraging gadgets, traps, and energy weapons, this build offers unique tactical options that can surprise enemies and control the battlefield.
Solo builds are designed for players who prefer to tackle the wasteland alone. These builds emphasize self-sufficiency, versatility, and escape mechanisms to help you survive without backup.
Self-Sufficient Explorer
The Nomad is designed for players who enjoy exploration and self-sufficiency. With strong resource gathering abilities, environmental resistances, and mobility, this build allows you to venture into dangerous areas and escape when necessary. Perfect for solo players who want to explore the world and gather rare resources.
Stealth & Evasion Specialist
The Ghost specializes in avoiding detection and conflict altogether. With maximal investments in stealth, noise reduction, and evasion, this build allows you to navigate dangerous areas undetected and escape when spotted. Ideal for solo players in high-risk PvP zones or those who prefer to avoid combat.
Group builds are specialized to fill specific roles in a team environment. These builds sacrifice some self-sufficiency for enhanced effectiveness in their designated role, making them ideal for coordinated group play.
Support & Healing Specialist
The Medic focuses on keeping teammates alive and in fighting condition. With specialized skills in crafting medical supplies, applying treatments quickly, and providing buffs, this build is essential for any serious group tackling challenging content. While not optimized for solo play, a good Medic is invaluable in group scenarios.
Base Building & Defense Specialist
The Engineer excels at constructing and maintaining group bases, defensive structures, and advanced equipment. With specialized skills in building, crafting, and resource management, this build is essential for groups looking to establish a permanent presence in the wasteland. Engineers also provide valuable defensive capabilities during base raids.
Once you've reached the endgame content in Once Human, further optimization becomes crucial for tackling the most challenging activities. This section covers advanced build refinements, mutation integration, and specialized equipment setups for endgame content.
At the endgame level, properly integrating mutations into your build becomes increasingly important. Unlike early game where mutations are often avoided due to their risks, endgame builds can leverage controlled mutation to gain significant advantages:
Most endgame builds incorporate at least Tier 1 mutations, with specialized builds leveraging higher tiers for specific advantages. The Mutation Stabilizer equipment becomes essential for builds using Tier 2 or 3 mutations.
Endgame equipment often comes in sets that provide powerful bonuses when multiple pieces are worn together. These set bonuses can significantly enhance your build's effectiveness:
Choose set bonuses that complement your build's focus and playstyle. Sometimes mixing pieces from different sets provides better overall benefits than a complete set.
Legendary items with unique effects can completely transform how a build functions. These rare items often require specific activities or challenges to obtain:
Build your endgame loadout around these powerful items, as they often provide effects that cannot be obtained through normal skill allocation.
| Build Type | Stardust Anomalies | Mutation Trials | Faction Warfare | Architect's Labyrinth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasteland Ranger | Excellent | Good | Average | Good |
| Juggernaut | Good | Excellent | Good | Average |
| Assassin | Average | Average | Excellent | Good |
| Warlord | Good | Good | Excellent | Average |
| Aberration | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Survivor | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Endgame builds often sacrifice versatility for specialized performance. While these builds excel at specific content, they may struggle with other aspects of the game. Consider maintaining multiple gear sets to swap between based on your current activity.
For complete beginners, we recommend starting with "The Survivor" build. It offers a balanced approach to the game with decent combat capabilities, resource gathering, and survival skills. This versatility allows you to experience different aspects of Once Human while you learn the mechanics.
Focus initially on the Survival skill tree to improve your resource gathering and crafting, then gradually add points to Combat for better protection against enemies. This approach gives you room to experiment and find your preferred playstyle before committing to a more specialized build.
Yes, Once Human allows you to respec your character at any major settlement by visiting a Skill Mentor NPC. The cost increases with your level and the number of previous respecs you've done.
For your first respec, you'll need:
We recommend experimenting with different builds as you progress through the game to find what suits your playstyle best.
Mutations become increasingly important for endgame content, especially for the most challenging activities like high-level Stardust Anomalies and the Architect's Labyrinth. While early and mid-game content can be completed without mutations, endgame optimization often requires at least some mutation integration.
That said, mutations come with risks and side effects that need to be managed. Most endgame builds use Tier 1 mutations at minimum, with specialized builds leveraging higher tiers for specific advantages. The Aberration build is specifically designed to maximize mutation benefits while minimizing drawbacks.
If you're uncomfortable with the mutation system, builds like the Juggernaut and Wasteland Ranger can still perform well in most endgame content with minimal mutation usage.
For solo PvP survival, the Assassin and Ghost builds offer the best chances of success. Both focus on stealth, mobility, and evasion, which are crucial when outnumbered or in hostile territory.
The Assassin is better if you want to actively engage in PvP combat, as it focuses on burst damage and quick eliminations. The Ghost is superior if your priority is avoiding conflict altogether, with maximum investment in stealth and escape mechanisms.
For a more balanced approach that can both fight and flee effectively, consider the Survivor build with additional points in Agility for improved mobility.
To optimize for resource gathering, the Scavenger and Nomad builds are your best options. Both focus heavily on the Survival skill tree, which contains most of the resource gathering enhancements.
Key skills to prioritize include:
Complement these skills with specialized gathering tools and lightweight armor that doesn't restrict movement or carrying capacity. The Scavenger's Backpack is a particularly valuable item that significantly increases your carrying capacity.
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