Tears of Metal Builds

Emblem clans & action slots

Each emblem attaches to an action slot — typically light attack, heavy attack, or special actions. Stacking the same clan raises tier progress on that slot and pushes toward family combo unlocks. EA includes four clans; future updates add full families with cross-clan synergies.

On the pre-campaign screen you preview which upgrade path you will pursue. Treat that choice as a contract for the first act unless a legendary artifact forces a pivot. Full clan names and drop tables live on the emblems guide — Stage 3 builds focus on archetypes that work regardless of patch renames.

Artifacts, charms, and battalion gauge

Artifacts are the second half of every Tears of Metal build — 100+ options that stack passives on top of emblem combos. Prioritize artifacts that amplify your committed clan (strike damage on strike emblems, troop buffs on battalion emblems).

Your 3-bar special gauge feeds battalion commands: one bar for tactical orders, three bars for a wide AoE panic clear. Builds that stack battalion emblems get more value from single-bar commands; strike builds often hoard three bars for fodder emergencies. See the gauge UI below — timing commands during elite stagger windows separates clean runs from threat-level spikes.

Elite-first routing

Smart routing beats raw DPS. The game rewards ignoring fodder and deleting elite objectives to progress faster — a time saver on repeat farming for village currency. Build for burst elite damage first, AoE second. This is why Elite Hunter and Frontline Breaker archetypes rank S-tier in EA while pure fodder-farming setups fall to B-tier unless you are deliberately raising threat for loot.

Wallace — Battalion Swarm details

Stack battalion clan emblems on light and heavy slots first, then grab troop-damage artifacts from elite rooms. Wallace's wide sword arcs already clear fodder — battalion emblems turn your AI squad into the main DPS layer while you parry captains.

Spend one gauge bar on reposition commands before each elite pack; save triple-bar AoE for objective defense during rescue events. This build carries co-op lobbies that lack a dedicated Ruadh player.

Ruadh Stonecrusher — Frontline Breaker details

Frontline Breaker is the definitive Ruadh setup: triple strike clan emblems plus any artifact that adds armor break or stagger. Heavy hammer chains already knock shields — emblems multiply that into boss-phase length cuts.

Add a healing charm if your co-op partner runs Glass Cannon. Ruadh's built-in ally heal covers mistakes but not sustained focus fire from Act II elites. Pair with walkthrough boss notes for Gilles and later acts.

Vanguard Tracker — Elite Hunter details

Elite Hunter prioritizes strike upgrades on light attacks for poke damage, then mobility emblems for reposition. Skip battalion-heavy setups unless you run solo without Wallace or Ruadh — Vanguard needs range, not troop AI tuning.

This build shines on threat-controlled routes where you know elite locations. Random long paths without clan commit drop to B-tier quickly; see beginner guide for threat-level basics.

Role-based emblem etiquette

Agree in lobby who commits to battalion emblems — only one player needs tier 3 troop buffs. The second player should run strike or mobility so elite deletes happen before threat spikes.

Revive windows punish spread builds. If a teammate dies mid-Act II, a committed S-tier clan recovers faster than diluted emblem tiers. Full squad strategy on the co-op guide.

Act I — commit or fail

Act I teaches emblem shrine routing. By the time you face Gilles, you should already know whether this run is Frontline Breaker, Battalion Swarm, or Balanced Vanguard. If you reach Gilles with four different clans equipped, reset mentally — finish the run for village currency, not for build pride.

Wallace players can safely run Guardian Anchor until Gilles dies, then swap hero and rebuild toward strike or battalion on the next campaign. Ruadh players should enter Act I mid-map with strike emblems already on heavy slots.

Act II — elite tempo

Act II introduces denser elite packs and the Vanguard Tracker rescue — exactly where Elite Hunter builds pay off. Artifacts that add stagger or troop command cooldown reduction outperform raw crit here because objective timers punish slow kills.

Co-op squads should sync emblem tiers before entering Environment 12. A Ruadh on tier 3 strike while a Wallace still spreads clans creates a damage split that extends waves — communicate clan picks in lobby chat or Discord LFG from community/discord.

Act III — artifact ceiling

Act III assumes tier 3 clan combos and at least two S/A artifacts from the artifacts tier list. Pivot only if a legendary drop completes a previously impossible hybrid (battalion + strike on Ruadh, for example).

Threat level management matters more than marginal DPS. A B-tier spread build at threat 4 will wipe; an S-tier committed build at threat 2 clears with revives left. See walkthrough for node pacing.