In Once Human, your gear and weapon choices define your strength in battle. Whether you’re taking on corrupted beasts in PvE zones or raiding player settlements in PvP, having a well-synergized build is the difference between surviving and starting over.

This guide covers four of the most effective builds in the current version of Once Human, with detailed info on weapons, gear mods, synergy effects, and playstyle tips. From AoE-focused clearing builds to DoT damage and critical burst setups, each loadout here is tested for both solo and team play.

If you’re new to the game, check out our Beginner’s Guide for Once Human for a comprehensive introduction!

1. Shrapnel Burst Build – Best for PvE Crowd Control

This build focuses on area-of-effect (AoE) damage using shrapnel-triggering weapons and deviation-enhancing gear. Great for clearing waves of enemies during events, dungeons, or mutant raids.

Core Weapons:

• SOCR – The Last Valor
• Effect: Every 4th shot has a chance to generate shrapnel explosions, dealing AoE damage.
• MPS7 – Outer Space
• Effect: 25% chance to trigger Power Surge, increasing fire rate and energy recharge.

Gear Mods:

• Helmet – Deviation Expert: Boosts frequency and range of deviation-based effects like shrapnel.
• Gloves – Elemental Overload: Increases elemental AoE damage and energy gain.
• Boots – Kinetic Control Boots: Helps maintain mobility while kiting enemies.

Strategy:

• Fire in controlled bursts to maximize shrapnel procs.
• Use against large packs of enemies or clustered mobs.
• Keep moving—most AoE enemies are melee.

Recommended For: Dungeons, corrupted camps, team PvE clearing.

2. Burn DoT Build – Best for Bosses & Sustained Damage

The Burn build focuses on damage over time using fire-based weapons. It’s perfect for PvE bosses and PvP attrition fights, as enemies slowly melt under your persistent burn effects.

Core Weapons:

• KVD – Boom! Boom!
• Effect: 18% chance to inflict burn; killing a burned enemy causes an explosion that spreads burn further.
• DE.50 – Wildfire
• Effect: Chance to trigger Bull’s Eye and apply additional burn damage on weak spots.

Gear Mods:

• Helmet – Lingering Flames: Extends burn duration by several seconds.
• Gloves – Flame Resonance: Increases burn damage and spreads it to nearby targets.
• Backpack – Fuel Injected: Adds energy regeneration on burn kills.

Strategy:

• Start by tagging as many enemies as possible with burn.
• Let the fire do the work while you dodge and reposition.
• Focus on crowd overlap for explosive kill chains.

Recommended For: Boss fights, elite mobs, PvP territory control.

3. Frost Vortex Build – Best for Crowd Control and Slow Effects

This build turns you into a frost-themed controller, locking down enemies and punishing movement through frozen terrain. Strong in both solo and group scenarios.

Core Weapons:

• M416 – Silent Anabasis
• Effect: 10% chance to summon Frost Vortex, dealing AoE ice damage and slowing enemies.
• AWS.338 – Bullseye
• Effect: 70% chance to mark weak spots and trigger massive crits.

Gear Mods:

• Helmet – Frost Core Amplifier: Boosts Frost Vortex damage and slow radius.
• Gloves – Ice Trigger Loop: Reduces cooldowns on frost-based procs.
• Boots – Arctic Walkers: Grants resistance to slow effects and boosts crit against frozen enemies.

Strategy:

• Use the Vortex to immobilize groups or deny choke points.
• Snipe marked targets with Bullseye during freeze windows.
• Synergizes well with teammates using AoE or fire.

Recommended For: Defensive holdouts, corrupted zone PvE, support builds in co-op.

4. Power Surge Crit Build – Best for PvP Burst & Mobility

This is a fast-paced crit-based build that rewards aggressive, mobile play. By combining weapons with high Power Surge triggers and crit damage, you can burst down enemies before they react.

Core Weapons:

• MPS7 – Outer Space
• Effect: 25% chance to trigger Power Surge, increasing fire rate and crit chance.
• SOCR – Outsider
• Effect: Rapid single-target damage; best used while moving.

Gear Mods:

• Helmet – Target Lock Visor: Adds crit chance when aiming at marked enemies.
• Gloves – Rapid Fire Sync: Increases reload and fire speed after Power Surge.
• Boots – Combat Maneuver Boots: Boosts sprint speed and movement accuracy.

Strategy:

• Stick and move—engage, burst, and reposition.
• Use your mobility to pick off priority targets in PvP.
• Time Power Surge windows for kill confirms.

Recommended For: PvP skirmishes, raid attacks, mobile burst builds.

Final Tips for Optimizing Your Build

• Sync weapon effects and mods: Choose gear that directly enhances your weapon’s elemental or status effects.
• Keep upgrading: Rarity and enhancement level dramatically boost effectiveness—don’t run outdated gear.
• Craft backup loadouts: Having a secondary element-based build helps you adapt to mutant types or PvP counters.

Each build in Once Human excels in different scenarios, whether it’s boss fights, wave clear, or fast PvP takedowns. Experiment with each loadout, fine-tune your gear mods, and swap builds depending on mission type or enemy resistance.

And for the best possible experience—lag-free aiming, multi-instance farming, and fast inventory management—play Once Human on BlueStacks. Optimize your gameplay with full control support and ultra-smooth FPS.