This guide includes late-game systems and hero details that may require unlocks. Exact damage values and balance can change between patches, and the official sources do not provide a complete current tier list.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Start with Ninn if you want the most forgiving route: level Cosmic Orb, take Ice Queen and Frost Nova upgrades, prioritize Magic Power and Spell Acceleration, then add health, Spirit, or Magic Armor. For a faster physical route, use Allure with Dual Katana, Rising Sun, and Rising Charge; prioritize Physical Power, Attack Speed, Critical Chance, and Movement Speed. In every run, keep your weapon families coherent, secure one defensive layer before high corruption, and use equipment reforging to remove stats that do not support your damage type.
START HERE
Choose a class and damage identity
Scarlet Tower heroes have a unique primary weapon, two passive abilities, glyph choices, a racial passive, and an ultimate. Their primary weapons belong to weapon factions that function like classes during a run. The important early decision is whether your core damage is Physical or Magic, because every weapon and fusion keeps one damage type.
The ten hero options documented across the current references are Vylat, Ninn, Lance, Rhys, Allure, Veromus, Lyah, Maeve, Amelia, and Crowley. Vylat, Veromus, and Maeve favor Bloodmancer weapons; Ninn and Amelia favor Elementalist weapons; Lance and Lyah use Alchemist weapons; Rhys is aligned with Paladin; and Allure and Crowley use Smith weapons. This classification is useful for talent and weapon planning, but it is not a traditional party-role system.
- Ninn: Magic damage, crowd control, elementals, shields, and freezes. Best first recommendation.
- Allure: Physical damage, fast clearing, dash aggression, and strong scaling from attack speed.
- Rhys: Physical frontline route with health, defense, knockback, and faith-based support.
- Lance: Ranged physical damage with critical-hit and prison-control options.
- Amelia: Burst magic damage with an unusually strong opening window, but she is less forgiving if that window is wasted.
| Hero | Core weapon | Best identity | Primary stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninn | Cosmic Orb | Magic control and summons | Magic Power, Spell Acceleration, Magic Armor |
| Allure | Dual Katana | Physical clear and dash damage | Physical Power, Attack Speed, Critical Chance |
| Rhys | Hammer of Justice | Durable physical vanguard | Health, Armor, Physical Power |
| Lance | Celestial Bow | Ranged physical critical damage | Physical Power, Critical Chance, Attack Speed |
| Amelia | Chrono Staff | Opening burst and time control | Magic Power, Spell Acceleration, Health |
The hero weapons, damage types, and abilities are documented facts. The stat priorities and hero recommendations are practical build advice rather than an official ranking.
BEGINNER ROUTE
Ninn build: the safest all-rounder
Ninn’s Cosmic Orb is a Magic weapon that explodes on impact. Its later ranks add knockback, apply Chill, and increase area damage. Her Tsunami ultimate freezes enemies and heals allies caught by the wave. Ice Queen summons an elemental and improves its casting interval, while Frost Nova supplies another recurring freeze.
For a new run, take Cosmic Orb levels whenever they appear, then prioritize Ice Queen and Frost Nova. Choose glyphs that add more freezing, explosion damage, or persistent ice zones. The goal is not maximum single-target damage; it is to keep enemies slowed or frozen while your orb, elemental, and secondary weapons work safely.
- Early run: Cosmic Orb, one reliable area weapon, and one defensive or healing option.
- Mid run: Magic Power first, then Spell Acceleration so collected weapons cycle more often.
- Defensive pivot: add Magic Armor against magical threats, Health when hit damage is the main problem, and Spirit when healing or shields are carrying the run.
- Ultimate timing: save Tsunami for dense waves, elite pressure, or a boss phase where freezing creates space.
| Stage | Priority | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Cosmic Orb ranks and experience range | Improves immediate clear speed and reduces dangerous contact. |
| Stabilization | Ice Queen or Frost Nova | Adds summons and repeatable crowd control. |
| Scaling | Magic Power and Spell Acceleration | Strengthens every magic weapon while reducing weapon downtime. |
| High corruption | Health, Spirit, or Magic Armor | Prevents one mistake from ending the run. |
Ninn’s control tools make her less dependent on perfect movement. Her ability to breathe underwater is also specifically useful in Leviathan’s Lair.
DAMAGE ROUTE
Allure build: fast physical clearing
Allure’s Dual Katana creates a piercing physical projectile. Rising Sun activates after enough rapid kills and creates a damaging aura, while Rising Charge overcharges the dash, greatly increasing its range and damage and granting brief invulnerability. This makes the hero strongest when you keep moving through enemy packs rather than standing still.
For an Allure build, level Dual Katana toward its extra projectile and projectile-speed upgrade. Then select Rising Sun glyphs according to your needs: Burning Rush improves movement and attack speed, Sun Shield adds a safety buffer, and Fire and Soul trades health for more damage. Rising Charge glyphs are the aggressive option, but the immunity-focused base effect is valuable in difficult runs.
- Prioritize Physical Power and Attack Speed before adding specialized critical stats.
- Take Critical Chance and Critical Damage after your main weapon is clearing normal enemies comfortably.
- Use Movement Speed to make Rising Charge safer and to maintain distance from night-time enemy surges.
- Choose Sun Shield for learning or high corruption; choose Fire and Soul only when your healing and defenses are already reliable.
- The Allure’s Fury power-up is a strong burst option because it makes all damage critical for a short duration, but its unlock requirement should be checked in-game.
| Play style | Skill choices | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Safe attacker | Dual Katana, Sun Shield, defensive talents | Lower peak damage, better recovery. |
| Aggressive clearer | Dual Katana, Burning Rush, Fire and Soul | Excellent speed and damage, but health becomes a resource. |
| Dash specialist | Rising Charge glyphs and Movement Speed | Strong repositioning and elite control, but less passive damage. |
Allure is a strong choice when you enjoy active movement and short attack windows. It is less forgiving than Ninn because its best output depends on staying close enough to trigger kill-based passives.
STATS AND GEAR
How to spend stats without weakening the build
Physical Power increases physical damage, while Magic Power increases magical damage. Attack Speed reduces the delay between main-weapon attacks. Spell Acceleration reduces the cooldown between collected weapons. Critical Chance controls how often hits critically strike, and Critical Damage controls the bonus when they do.
The three council resources provide useful directional bonuses. Faith gives Physical Power, maximum health, Attack Speed, and Luck. Occultism gives Spell Power, Magic Armor, Spell Acceleration, and Greed. Perseverance gives Critical Damage, Armor, Movement Speed, and Gathering Range. These bonuses make Faith a natural fit for Allure or Rhys, while Occultism is the cleanest match for Ninn or Amelia.
- Physical route: Physical Power, Attack Speed, Critical Chance, Critical Damage, then defense.
- Magic route: Magic Power, Spell Acceleration, Magic Armor, then Health or Spirit.
- Summon route: Magic Power, Spell Acceleration, Summon Limit, Health, and defensive stats. Confirm the exact summon interactions in the current in-game tooltip.
- Do not overvalue Greed or Luck during a difficult push unless your damage and survival are already stable.
- For equipment, use the Blacksmith to upgrade gear, replace poor stats, and pursue set bonuses. Reforge away from the opposite damage type and from stats your hero cannot meaningfully exploit.
| Build need | Best stat direction | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Main weapon damage | Matching Physical Power or Magic Power | Splitting both damage types too early. |
| More weapon casts | Spell Acceleration | Using it on a hero whose main weapon is already doing all the work. |
| More primary attacks | Attack Speed | Building it on a route dominated by collected weapons. |
| Survival | Health, Armor, Magic Armor, Spirit | Waiting until late game to add any defense. |
The community reference lists caps for several defensive and timing stats, but it also notes that some cap information is based on testing rather than a complete developer specification. Treat exact caps as reference data, not guaranteed patch-proof rules.
RUN PLAN
A practical route from first level to Nightmare
Begin by identifying the hero’s damage type and taking the primary weapon whenever it appears. Add one area-clear weapon and one safety tool rather than filling every slot with overlapping damage. Once ordinary enemies die comfortably, specialize into the hero’s passive abilities and council resource.
Before attempting high corruption or Nightmare, farm equipment from the maps available to you and activate useful set bonuses. The Ashen Nightmare update added more than 70 equipment pieces, enchantment and reforge systems, boss-exclusive items, and Nightmare Mode. That means a late-game route should be adjusted around the gear you actually own instead of copied as a fixed list.
- Level 1 to 3: secure the primary weapon and an area-control or mobility option.
- Early middle: take the first passive or glyph that fixes your main weakness, such as freeze uptime, attack speed, shield generation, or movement.
- Late middle: commit to one damage family and begin replacing off-theme upgrades with banishes or better options.
- Boss preparation: keep an ultimate available, remove low-value enemies from your path, and avoid spending your only defensive cooldown before the boss arrives.
- Nightmare preparation: favor consistent defense and gear synergy over a fragile damage ceiling.
| Goal | Recommended route |
|---|---|
| First clear | Ninn, magic damage, freeze control, balanced defense. |
| Fast farming | Allure, physical damage, attack speed, movement speed. |
| Durability test | Rhys, health and armor, knockback, faith bonuses. |
| Magic burst | Amelia or Ninn, Magic Power, Spell Acceleration, defensive fallback. |
No official developer tier list was available in the sources checked. The route comparisons here are recommendations based on documented weapons, passives, stats, and update systems rather than a claimed official ranking.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the best beginner build in Scarlet Tower?
Ninn is the safest recommendation. Use Cosmic Orb, Ice Queen, and Frost Nova, then build Magic Power and Spell Acceleration before adding Magic Armor, Health, or Spirit.
Is an Allure build good for high corruption?
Yes, but it demands more movement and timing than Ninn. Use Dual Katana, Rising Sun, and Rising Charge, then prioritize Physical Power, Attack Speed, and enough defense to survive failed dashes.
What stats should Ninn use?
Start with Magic Power and Spell Acceleration. Add Magic Armor against magical threats, Health when raw damage is the issue, and Spirit when shields or healing are central to the route.
Should I mix Physical and Magic weapons?
You can, but a focused run is usually more efficient. Physical and Magic weapons use different power stats, so mixing them early spreads upgrades across two scaling paths.
What changed build planning in Ashen Nightmare?
The update added equipment sets, boss-exclusive items, enchantment and reforging through the Blacksmith, new heroes, new maps, new passives, and Nightmare Mode. Late-game routes should therefore include gear targets as well as weapons and talents.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialOfficial Scarlet Tower v2.0.4 patch notes
- OfficialScarlet Tower Steam store page
- CommunityScarlet Tower Comprehensive Guide 2.0.9
- ReferenceScarlet Tower Heroes reference
- ReferenceScarlet Tower Weapons reference