When it comes to wave-based arena shooters, Brotato is one of the best and most hardcore among fans of the genre. It pits them against untold numbers of foes and expects them to survive with nothing but the builds they craft on the fly.
As with most arena shooters, Brotato is a roguelike that offers players upgrades and weapons occasionally as they defeat enemies and waves and work their way through the current level. These are random for the most part, which makes creating a powerful character very challenging. However, there are certain Brotato builds that players can aim to craft as they play that will help them smash any level, wave, and enemy as they push to beat the game’s highest difficulty.
Related: Brotato beginners’ guide – tips and tricks
The 10 Best Brotato Builds
Below, we’ve listed our ten best Brotato builds based on our experience with the game. Each build has been tested across all difficulties and provides a reliable amount of damage and survivability to get players through every run they attempt. They’re listed in no particular order because each one has its value for players of various skill levels.
#10. Three Spears, Three Slingshots & Generalist Class
A great starting Brotato build is to combine three Spears and three Slingshots for the Generalist class. This offers a fantastic combination of ranged and close melee combat solutions, with a weapon for every situation. Spears can fend off close-up foes, while the Slingshots will blast them away before they reach the player character.
The Primitive bonus from these weapons gives players a health boost that will see them through the early game. It’s also going to provide a faster attack speed to keep enemies at bay for longer until more frequent streams show up. The Spiky Shield can be swapped in for the Spears if players want more defensive items that’ll also provide some knockback, getting enemies ready for a Slingshot hit.
#9. Six Spears
While a Brotato build that uses six Spears looks massively inefficient, it’s actually incredibly powerful. This weapon has the furthest reach of any melee offering and can deal multiple hits to enemies in a straight line, perfect for massive clumps of foes.
Spears are also good for the early game and can be upgraded to be superior for the mid to late game. It’s all about how players invest in them and try to use them as they float around the arena killing everything that comes near them.
#8. Six Sticks
For a Brotato build that gets stronger over time, players should look at the Stick. This primitive melee weapon gains power with every Stick players gather and can be even more useful in the hands of the Wildling or Lumberjack classes. These classes have a damage bonus against enemies but suffer in damage taken. A massive collection of sticks will make them strong enough to go the distance.
#7. Six SMGs (Submachine Guns)
Six SMGs are perfect for those who want a Brotato build that looks to exploit the Lifesteal effect. Their damage starts low but can be upgraded to make them more than viable. The Lifesteal effect comes into play to help layers recover with every enemy they damage. In fact, we’ve seen this many SMGs clear out an entire wave with the use of the Bandana and Ricochet upgrades.
#6. Six Shotguns
The Shotgun is one of the most powerful firearms in Brotato and should be used in a build where it’ll fit. Each shot appears weak because of the spread of numbers on-screen, but those numbers add up to some serious power, especially when upgraded with multiple Shotguns and range or speed add-ons.
The Multitasker can hold up to twelve Shotguns at once, making them almost unstoppable. This level of damage will make light work of pretty much any wave of enemies, and players will thank themselves for picking it up.
#5. Six Fists
Fists are a bold choice for a Brotato build, but the benefit from increased dodge thanks to the unarmed bonus. This weapon can also deal knockback to foes, allowing players to shift around them and get attacks in without taking hits. It’s possible to upgrade Fists with Flaming Brass Knickles or a Power Fist, both of which work fantastically well for the Brawler.
#4. Six Wrenches
For players looking for a great Engineering Brotato build, there’s no better weapon than Wrenches. These can be used to put up a turret that will annihilate enemies as they approach. The best part is that Wrench upgrades improve turrets, but turrets don’t damage nerfs, so they can continue to deal high damage for as long as they last.
Of course, going with Engineering sacrifices many damage upgrades that other classes can benefit from, so this is a bold choice for anyone to make. Still, for those looking for a run and build that’s different and will give them a challenge, there’s no need to look any further.
#3. Six Tasers
Tasers make for a Brotato build that slows enemies and gives players a ton of resources thanks to their harvesting boost. Don’t hold out for damage from these weapons, though, because it’s all about enemy slowing. The best class for them is the Mage because they work well alongside the Wand, giving players the power to slow and then hit with fire damage to burn anything in sight. This buys time to get a Flamethrower, at which point the game is won.
#2. Six Pistols
Pistols are one weapon that can’t be beaten for sheer power and attack speed combined in a Brotato build. Enemies fall in just a few shots, and the rate of fire is pretty nice as well. Upgrading Pistols allows shots to pass through enemies and deal more damage as the bullets continue to travel.
That’s not to say players have to stick with the Pistol, though. They can switch out one or two for the SMG and Minigun to help them develop a Lifesteal build. Rocket and Nuclear Launchers can even be brought in to help buff that damage and make for an unbeatable build.
#1. Six Slingshots
The one weapon no one expects to see as the focal point for a Brotato build is the Slingshot. Upgrades to this weapon add bounces, and bounces add kills because they see projectiles fly around the arena and off every enemy. Players will need to become proficient with the Slingshot to make the most use out of it, but once they are, it’s deadly.
One aspect of Slingshots players may not know is that they have the Primitive bonus, which buffs Max HP. This is a second chance in a way, helping players push on in a run for longer and, hopefully, making it to the end even against impossible odds.
