Mastering the Bloody Barbarian and Other Game-Changing Builds in Soulstone Survivors

Soulstone Survivors is an action-packed roguelite that lets you ascend from humble beginnings to god-like prowess in record time. Imagine taking a character from Path of Exile from level 1 to 99, but all in about 20 minutes. Here, you can live out any power fantasy you can envision—maybe you’re a Wizard mastering elemental forces, a divine Paladin, or an Engineer launching nukes. This game has it all.

After years of honing it with feedback from our PC player community, we’re thrilled to announce the game is finally launching on Xbox Series X|S on June 17, 2025. We’ve also put out a demo on Xbox Series X|S, bursting with tips to help you craft fascinating character builds and extract every ounce of joy from them.

One of the standout features of Soulstone Survivors is the freedom it offers to sculpt your character just how you like, letting you pit your creation against the challenges of the Void. If your build isn’t working out, no worries—tweak it and try again until you nail the perfect one.

We’ve designed the game to push the boundaries of what a character can do. For instance, if your critical chance exceeds 100%, you start landing multiple crits. Another unique attribute is multicast, which enables you to unleash multiple copies of a skill at the same time—imagine launching a barrage of Chain Lightning or Flurry attacks simultaneously. Going beyond 100% in multicast lets you cast two, three, or even ten copies of the same skill in one go. While other games might limit these stats, Soulstone Survivors encourages you to experience the true might of god-like capabilities.

Though you can dive in swiftly with basic character setups, the game truly excels when you dig deep into its systems, creating builds that break the conventional mold. We’re continually blown away by the creative builds our community shares on Discord, often introducing us to strategies we hadn’t anticipated!

### Buffs Are Your Friends

Buffs are special enhancements that provide advantages in combat. For instance, with each stack of “Prowess” you gain, your damage increases by 1%. While specializing in one buff could be effective, a strategic mix can yield better results. Several power-ups allow you to gain additional buffs when others are triggered. For instance, “Devastating Strikes” lets you gain extra Aptitude stacks (boosting your critical damage) for every Prowess stack you collect.

### Negative Effects Are Your Friends Too

Contrary to buffs, negative effects weaken enemies, allowing you to multiply your damage output exponentially. “Poison,” a standout effect, deals continuous damage and, upon the target’s death, spreads its remaining damage to nearby foes. “Fragility” ups the damage an enemy takes with each stack. Diversifying your negative effects is usually more effective than maxing out one.

### Consider Your Skill Types

Skills fall into categories like Fire or Electric, and understanding them can significantly boost your power. You might choose a focused build where power-ups amplify a skill type’s damage by as much as 50%. Or, you might prefer blending different types, as some power-ups allow one type of skill to trigger another. Your ideal strategy depends on your preferred playstyle.

### Try Out Different Stuff!

With elements like skill trees, Runes (pre-run artifacts with unique effects), weapons (crafted as you progress), and your character’s ascension skill (temporary god-like abilities), there’s a lot to experiment with. Testing various combinations will help you identify what clicks for you. Allow me to share my favorite—a secret Bloody Barbarian build!

### The Bloody Barbarian Build

Don’t underestimate the Barbarian, your first character in the demo. Specializing in melee, he wields skills like Swing, Thrust, and Earth. These are ideal for creating wild buff synergies.

Here’s how to craft this build:

– Select the Barbarian and his Barbaric Cleavers.
– Find skills that enhance your Finesse, like Double Slash.
– Prioritize the “Scent of Blood” skill.
– Sit back and watch the adventure unfold!

Now let’s break it down: The Barbaric Cleavers, your starting weapon, features “Whirlwind” for extensive damage and grants both “Bulwark” to boost block power and “Finesse” to enhance multicast chances.

As you play, seek out Swing-type skills for extra “Finesse.” Earth skills are a great fit since they offer “Colossal,” expanding your attack range. Don’t forget “Scent of Blood,” a Barbarian-exclusive skill that boosts attack speed with your “Finesse” stacks.

At this point, your swing of skills offers plenty of “Finesse” turning you into a multicast powerhouse. Earth skills widen your attack area, and “Scent of Blood” skyrockets your attack speed. The result? A whirlwind of destruction, leaving screens of enemies in your wake. “Subdue,” based on your “Finesse” stacks, serves as a brilliant finisher, dealing overwhelming damage.

As you advance, integrating runes like the Synergetic and Multicast Mastery Runes will intensify this setup. Though they’re not in the demo, even without them, you’ll cleave through foes effortlessly.

Remember, this is just one among many possibilities in the demo. You could try a Lightning-focused Thor Barbarian build, unleash the destructive power of a Dirty Barbarian, or set the battlefield ablaze with the Pyromancer, also available in the demo.

Dive into Soulstone Survivors on Xbox Series X|S and let your imagination run wild with build ideas, buffs, and power fantasies. Explore the demo today and see what you can create!