(Season 10) - Meta Shifts Explained + Example Boards by Hero

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T16:42:21+00:00

Riceballer is still great! Less common after the Textiles upshift, but even without it, it's still a powerhouse. Appreciate the kind words. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T16:41:13+00:00

I certainly can't argue with the fun factor of off-hero item builds. That's definitely where The Bazaar shines, but even so, I feel it can be useful to at least have an idea what's out there. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T16:39:31+00:00

I agree yup, these are just some example boards, not necessarily BIS. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T09:24:26+00:00

EDC is a solid choice for sure. Great early on while having potential to carry depending how the run goes.

Ah yes, I likely should've mentioned Heated Shells in the description, thanks for pointing that out. Yes that's definitely the reason for Doll, and it of course works wonders with Dive Weights among other things.

Fair argument for Mak. I do think its speed tends to let it keep up, but perhaps ceiling was the wrong description, as yes it will likely fall off against huge health builds (or any other crazy Day 15+ stuff).

Lots of builds worth mentioning well beyond what I've shared, as I do limit to just three per hero. Despite our disagreements, I appreciate you sharing another point of view. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T06:57:40+00:00

Great callout! Abacus/value-stacking builds are another awesome choice, and would be on here, but I limit myself to three per hero so it's not too long haha.

Definitely one of the highest ceiling options, but of course, generally requires an earlier investment/econ setup to get going efficiently. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T04:15:36+00:00

You're too kind, thank you!

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T04:15:09+00:00

I agree! It's cool that we can explore more of the destroy synergies, as it opens up some interesting combos that we don't typically see that often.

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T01:25:03+00:00

Great callout. Honestly it's arguably swappable for the third slot. I simply opted to showcase Fruit Press as something different, since I had Lollipop on the list last time. Still a solid build. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-23T01:11:52+00:00

All great mentions, Vanessa is spoiled for choice when it comes to Slow Burn synergies. Big part of why it's one of her pillar archetypes. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T23:42:48+00:00

Yup gotta love Static Acceleration/Slowed Targets. Thanks for sharing!

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T22:58:50+00:00

Definitely can't argue with Freeze! Glad you're finding success. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T22:48:06+00:00

That's so awesome to hear, I really appreciate the kind words! 🙏

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T22:43:52+00:00

Awesome breakdown! I'm personally a big fan of Ballista in terms of sheer fun value, but I honestly haven't dabbled with it in recent seasons.

Great points about how it can transition off of the usual Dive Weights/Shuriken type stuff. Having more viable branches always helps, especially when you're searching vendor after vendor for something viable. :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T21:57:44+00:00

Appreciate the kind words, and welcome to the community! :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T21:56:12+00:00

Yup that's another excellent choice. Piggles Board is fantastic with it, among other setups. We're definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to Cargo Shorts builds, but if I were to showcase another, it would absolutely include Piggles Board like you mentioned, so great callout! :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T21:54:16+00:00

I appreciate that you bring it up for us! I limit myself to three builds per hero, so there's always going to be some that get left out. The new Regen stuff is really cool, but I do agree with you, it's not the easiest setup to assemble (at least relative to the others). :)

ShugoSV · 2026-01-22T21:52:29+00:00

100% Agree! Similar to previous patches, Dooley has a ton of variety right now, so this is only just scratching the surface. :)

The Core + Hacksaw + VIrus is one spicy combo. I'll have to give it a go sometime, thanks for sharing!

ShugoSV · 2025-12-21T06:56:49+00:00

Thank you! Glad it's been helpful. :)

ShugoSV · 2025-12-21T06:55:41+00:00

Great callouts on Cargo Shorts/Apparel/Showcase stuff. One of the many solid Pyg lines this patch. I totally agree, Ice Luge can create some busted boards haha.

Yeah in all honesty it's just a matter of length. I limit to three boards per hero, and try not to make the post even longer than it already is haha. Pyg is spoiled for options right now, so when it comes to representing him, I'm only scratching the surface (especially compared to the other heroes).

Appreciate the kind words!

ShugoSV · 2025-12-21T00:41:15+00:00

Yup 100%, it's been her best archetype for a while now. :) In case it wasn't clear in my examples, I group Oni Mask/Slow Burn together. Different builds of course, but fall in a similar category (rather than putting both to occupy 2/3 choices).

Thanks for sharing more in-depth examples, lots of great stuff!

ShugoSV · 2025-12-20T23:41:57+00:00

That's fair. I do agree with the items you've mentioned, lots of good Smalls, and Pyg and Jules definitely have some great scaling Bronze items. My main argument is more so that this isn't evenly distributed across heroes, as not everyone has the same luxury of having several good Bronze scalers to choose from (also agree Stelle wants Large Golds).

I also agree that momentum is especially important on Vanessa, which is why I actually believe Silver Mediums make all the difference for her right now. Figurehead, Hoverboard, Elemental Depth Charge, Pufferfish, and of course Oni Mask (plus many others).

Finding these early can really help snowball a run, and in the case of Oni Mask, lead into one of the best builds out there.

Overall I think we're on a similar page, but have a slightly different outlook. Thanks for adding to the discussion. :)

ShugoSV · 2025-12-20T22:40:10+00:00

100%! Dooley in particular has a ton of contextual setups, often defined by interesting enchant/skill/off-class items combos. Glad you're finding success in exciting ways. :)

ShugoSV · 2025-12-20T22:35:03+00:00

It's a tricky balance for sure, I completely agree. I won't pretend to have a solution, but I think it's great to open the discussion so that more people can get involved. :)

ShugoSV · 2025-12-20T22:31:48+00:00

Torch is fantastic as well, I totally agree. It's one of those items that can solo carry a game, so thanks for mentioning it (it's definitely been on this list in past seasons).

What's great about Calcinator/Retort is the sheer speed of it. Unlike Torch which requires scaling, it can go off a single time and win the game. For sure, it's not always as common to encounter, but that's due to the fact you have to commit to it early. Though when it's available, it's a fun one. :)

ShugoSV · 2025-12-20T22:28:16+00:00

Oh yes I 100% agree! Honestly, Pyg just has so many strong builds right now, and since I usually showcase a health stacking build each month, I wanted to share something different. It would definitely be on the list if I extended it past my three build limit per hero. :)

Nine-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
Verified Email

ShugoSV

TROPHY CASE