Builds in Valor Mortis are defined by your choice of weapons and/or Transmutations, as well as your skills and weapon/Transmutation upgrades. A carefully put together build will make your progress that much smoother, and you’ll need all the help you can get, particularly in the later stages of the game.
All builds on this page should serve you very well throughout the entire game. Melee damage falls off around Chapter 5, so it’s strongly recommended you farm the Remnant of the Iron Regiment with three weakpoints in Chapter V (Under the Bridge) for skill points and weapon materials, and then again for the same enemy in Chapter X (Chapel).
Use the Blunderbuss on its weak points twice, then finish it off with a deathblow for an extremely quick and efficient kill that can net you tens or even hundreds of thousands of catalysts in a short amount of time, dramatically accelerating your progress.
Note: While builds below will leave out either firearms or Transmutations, these can still be useful situationally, even with little to no skill tree investment or upgrades.
Best Spellblade Build
The Spellblade plays in close range and focuses on the Fire Transmutation for damage and crowd control, and the Rapier for supplemental melee damage, Nephtoglobin leech, and defense via parrying. Enemies like the Risen Sapeur, Risen Lancer, and Howler are especially vulnerable to Fire.
Stasis Transmutation is extremely useful against enemies that are immune to Fire or simply effective against it (e.g. Swarm Mother). And then there’s enemies like Carrion which are vulnerable to Fire, but not as vulnerable as they are to Stasis.
Note: Stasis is much more greedy for Nephtoglobin than Fire, so for good uptime, you’ll need the right Ambers and skills, and to take care to pick up Nephtoglobin Remnants constantly.
Don’t expect a ton of melee damage out of the Spellblade; your Rapier is moreso to leech Nephtoglobin to keep the pressure up (whether through parrying or attacking).
Rounding out this versatile package is a ton of Health, Physical Resistance, and healing buffs, which you’ll appreciate given how much time you’ll spend in melee range and how much you’ll be trying to parry.
Note that while guns aren’t a focus for this build, they will still come in handy situationally (e.g. the Pistol against Spewers or Blunderbuss against the three weakpoint variant of Remnant of the Iron Regiment, and The Orphan boss). Despite a lack of skill tree investment, they can still do serious work.
Best Skills for the Spellblade
Skills for the Spellblade come down to stacking Transmutation damage and Nephtoglobin, with everything else serving to round out its offense and defense. Invest in them in the exact order listed below.
For each skill you invest in, take the maximum amount of points each time. When you reach Maximum Health/Melee Damage and Nephtoglobin Sufferance/Transmutation damage, invest in these evenly.
Skill
Maximum Health
Nephtoglobin Extraction
Parrying Impact
Nephtoglobin Sufferance
Melee Damage
Melee Endurance Cost
Nephtoglobin Remnants
Nephtoglobin Sufferance
Status Buildup
Transmutation Damage
Physical Resistance
Maximum Health
Healing Effectiveness
Maximum Health and Melee Damage
Nephtoglobin Sufferance and Transmutation Damage
Best Weapon and Transmutation Upgrades
For melee weapons, go with Astute Quarta on Rapier, allowing you to leech Nephtoglobin upon parrying. Since you’ll be spending a fair amount in time in melee range so you can leech Nephtoglobin anyway, this is a natural choice.
As for Transmutations, go with Wildfire and Never-Ending Inferno on Fire. With these and the leech package, you should have no trouble with groups, and deal a ton of damage up close.
On Stasis, it’s less important since you won’t be using it very often, but Implosion, Control, and Drain are recommended. Implosion leans into it as a single target option, since you’re already covered by Fire for groups. Control is for utility, while Drain doubles up on your Health focus.
Shield is a potent option against certain enemies like Remnants of the Iron Regiment (cannon variant) and bosses. Absorb is great when you’re low on Nephtoglobin at range, while Impenetrable Defence can make tough bosses like The Orphan with devastating unblockable attacks a lot easier.
Weapon / Transmutation
Upgrade(s)
Rapier
Astute Quarta
Fire
Wildfire, Never-Ending Inferno
Stasis
Implosion, Control, Drain
Shield
Absorb, Impenetrable Defence
Best Ambers for Spellblade
The Ambers below will ensure you’re consistently topped up on both Health and Nephtoglobin. Limit Break pairs excellently with Maximum Health and Healing Effectiveness skill points.
Amber
Description
Location
Lunatic’s Grasp
Speeds up ignite and stasis buildup at the cost of lower resistance to these effects.
Chapter IV (Weeping Ledge); Chapter VII (Market Square); Chapter IX (Lift Shaft)
Limit Break
Converts the excess healing from a Ferrofluid Flask into temporary additional Health.
Chapter III (Fields)
Potent Concoction
Using a Ferrofluid Flask restores Nephtoglobin as well as Health.
Chapter II (Quarry); Chapter VII (Island of Whispers); Chapter X (Ramparts)
Equivalent Exchange
Sacrifice Health when Nephtoglobin is depleted.
Chapter V (Wolfsbane Field)
Bountiful Harvest
Nephtoglobin Remnants also restore Health.
Chapter VIII (Shamble Street)
Best Gun and Sword Build
The Gun and Sword build (mostly) ditches Transmutations in favour of guns, and can parry ranged shots. If you’re looking for a powerful, versatile build that rewards good aim and strong reflexes, this is the build for you.
The weakness of this build is you’re more susceptible to damage due to not taking points in Physical Resistance, and may require more flask usage when you do since you avoid Healing Effectiveness. Still, staying at range when possible and becoming proficient with parry will go a long way.
Best Skills for Gun and Sword
Endurance and ammo are both stacked as much as possible, so you’ll be able to attack, shoot, and dodge frequently. (By default, shooting doesn’t consume Endurance, but that changes dramatically when you use the excellent Dilated Moment Amber.)
Invest in the skills listed below in the exact order shown. For each skill you invest in, take the maximum amount of points each time. When you reach Maximum Health/Melee Damage and Maximum Firearm damage, invest in these evenly.
Skill
Maximum Health
Parrying Impact
Maximum Endurance
Melee Damage
Headshot Damage
Melee Endurance Cost
Maximum Endurance
Maximum Health
Ammunition Drop Chance
Critical Damage
Endurance Regeneration
Ammo Restock
Maximum Firearm Damage
Maximum Health and Melee Damage
Weapon and Transmutation Upgrades
The firearm selection here will ensure you always have the right option for any situation, whether it’s huge scary targets at long range you want to out-snipe, multiple enemies up close, or anything in between.
Weapon / Transmutation
Upgrade(s)
Rapier
Invigorating Seconda
Pistol
Resourcefulness, Robust Chamber, Automatic Mayhem
Musket
Scope
Blunderbuss
Collateral Damage
Best Ambers for the Gun and Sword
Because your Ambers so heavily favour firearms, and firearms are safer, you should favour ranged combat whenever possible (while minding your ammo).
Amber
Description
Location
Volatile End
Shooting an enemy’s weak point causes a damaging explosion.
Chapter III (Fields)
Lucky Shot
Using a Firearm has a small chance of not consuming ammo.
Chapter V (Poisoned Camp); Chapter IV (Last Sunlight); Chapter X (Traverse)
Marksman’s Bane
Allows you to parry bullets, granting a Pistol round on a successful parry.
Chapter III (Quarry)
Dilated Moment
Holding Aim slows time but consumes Endurance and lowers damage.
Chapter V (Under the Bridge)
Perfectionism
Increase damage when Health is full.
Chapter II (Demolished Path); Chapter IV (Old Mine); Chapter V (Under the Bridge)
Best Two-Handed Claymore Build
This two-handed build goes all in on the Claymore, which provides a complete package of melee damage, blocking, and Transmutations all in one weapon. If you like swinging a big sword but appreciate the ability to use Transmutations when the situation calls for it, you’re in the right place.
Best Skills for the Claymore
Fully investing into melee damage, block, and Transmutation damage for maximum sustain of offense.
Invest in the skills listed below in the exact order shown. For each skill you invest in, take the maximum amount of points each time. When you reach Maximum Health/Melee Damage and Nephtoglobin Sufferance/Transmutation damage, invest in these evenly.
Skill
Maximum Health
Nephtoglobin Extraction
Nephtoglobin Sufferance
Melee Damage
Blocking
Melee Endurance Cost
Nephtoglobin Remnants
Maximum Endurance
Status Buildup
Transmutation Damage
Maximum Health
Endurance Regeneration
Nephtoglobin Sufferance
Maximum Endurance
Maximum Health and Melee Damage
Nephtoglobin Sufferance and Transmutation Damage
Best Weapon and Transmutation Upgrades
The only weapon upgrade choice you need to make for the Claymore is between Willpower and Bulwark. While Bulwark makes you more versatile, the former pairs well with all the Endurance you’re stacking and is the better choice.
Against explosions and projectiles, you have the option of using the Indestructible Shell Amber and/or Shield Transmutation (note: swapping from/to Claymore is clunky), but simply tanking the damage via block is recommended.
Best Ambers for the ClaymoreAmber
Description
Location
Warrior’s Fury
Killing an enemy increases your movement speed and damage for a short while.
Chapter III (Marketplace); Chapter VI (Silent Cannons); Chapter IX (Lift Shaft)
Lunatic’s Grasp
Speeds up ignite and stasis buildup at the cost of lower resistance to these effects.
Chapter IV (Weeping Ledge); Chapter VII (Market Square); Chapter IX (Lift Shaft)
Potent Concoction
Using a Ferrofluid Flask restores Nephtoglobin as well as Health.
Chapter II (Quarry); Chapter VII (Island of Whispers); Chapter X (Ramparts)
Equivalent Exchange
Sacrifice Health when Nephtoglobin is depleted.
Chapter V (Wolfsbane Field)
Bountiful Harvest
Nephtoglobin Remnants also restore Health.
Chapter III (Fields); Chapter V (Under the Bridge); Chapter VIII (Shamble Street)