Obsidian Entertainment's hit survival exploration game Grounded sees players shrunken down to the size of insects as they attempt to survive in what is, at times, a very inhospitable backyard. With plenty of RPG mechanics, there are many different ways in which players can approach the game. A wide variety of weapons, armor, and mutations enable deep customization and can vary playstyles dramatically.
From powerful melee classes to light and dextrous archer builds, players have sought all kinds of combinations of tools in order to craft the most effective "builds." While it is up to each player which style or build they would prefer, some do carry advantages that are hard to compete with in terms of sheer power within the game. These are some examples of the most fun and experimental builds in Grounded.
6 Stun Prodder
The Stun Prodder is one of the more eccentric and interesting builds to play and represents a fun challenge for players who may be looking for an alternative approach to the game. While it is still relatively overpowered, the Stun Prodder build focuses on stunning enemies and bludgeoning them once they are in their stunned state. This works either against single or multiple enemies since the upgraded Prod Smacker has an Area-of-Effect ability.
As a primary weapon, the maxed-out Stun Prodder will provide a powerful charge and will be capable of causing great damage to enemies too. The Entomologist Badge accessory will further this damage output, and Black Ox Armor will provide adequate protection. Meat Shield, Coup De Gras, Cardio Fan, and Trapper Peep.r make for the best mutations with this build.
5 SpiderBard
This interesting summoner build focuses on maintaining a distance from enemies and getting a legion of small spiderlings to do all the work instead. It is a diverse build, enabling players to utilize many different weapons and experiment with different playstyles all the while grounded in a summoner build. The aim is to cause chaos and overwhelm enemies with a variety of attacks from different sides, all the while debuffing enemies and gaining extra reinforcement throughout.
Using the Bard's Bow and Whittle Widowling Charm in combination with the Bard's Tudor, Moth Armor and a combination of the Sharpshooter, Mom Genes, and Bardic Inspirations mutations are the basis for this build, though players can also use Apex Predator to summon wasps or Mansterious Stranger to summon Mants.
4 Corrosive Spear
This build centers around the use of spears and corrosive damage to wear away enemies' defenses as well as mitigate any incoming damage - it is also especially useful when dealing with termites, particularly with salty damage. Many of the elements required to craft the items in this build are relatively easy to acquire, making it an interesting and fun build for newer players looking to experiment with varied builds.
The build uses any spear, though the Rusty Spear packs decent enough damage, combined with Fire Ant Armor and a Fire Ant Shield for that extra corrosive bonus. In addition to this, Thor's Pendant will provide a 10% bonus to almost all of the player's stats. As for mutations, Javellineer will provide extra spear damage, along with Trapper Peep.r which can provide bonus critical chances. Meat Shield is also recommended as this build is focused on being up close with enemies.
3 Ultimate Archer
While much of Grounded's gameplay and mechanics may lead players to prefer a melee build, there are still many interesting ways in which players can construct highly effective ranged builds. The Ultimate Archer seeks to utilize all of the game's best weapons and perks for ranged builds, leading a deadly, assassin/hunter-like build that will enable fans to pick enemies off from afar without ever putting themselves in real danger.
Using the Insect Bow along with Feather Arrows will be extremely effective in combination with a maxed-out Sharpshooter mutation. The Marksman's Cap will also provide additional bow damage, and the Aphid Slippers will provide a bonus to movement speed, allowing for the Ultimate Archer to traverse the surrounding environment quickly, while simultaneously unleashing a hail of devastating ranged attacks.
2 Ox Wizard
The Ox Wizard is a versatile build making use of staffs and strong armor, resulting in a great balance of both offensive and defensive capabilities. Utilizing the ability to freeze, burn and shock enemies, this build is capable of taking on most enemies in the game. For flying enemies, the Sour Staff can shock them out of the sky, while the Spicy Staff and Mint Staff will also deal with various enemies vulnerable to their respective damage types.
The Ox Wizard utilizes all three Staffs and switches between them, while also equipping the Entomologist Badge accessory will provide a bonus to damage output. The Ox Wizard, perhaps unsurprisingly wears Black Ox Armor from head to toe, and for mutations, Meat Shield and Spicy Safety will increase survivability, while Cardio Fan and Buff Lungs will increase stamina. Finally, Whittle Wizard is essential for this build as it will increase the power of all staffs.
1 Poison Widow
As many players will know, poison can be one of the most effective damage types to use in the game as it will affect the majority of enemies and can stack up on a single target. Even after the latest patch in which poisons were nerfed slightly, it is still the best overall damage type around which to arrange a character build.
This build centers around using the Widow Dagger with a shield. Sarah's Charm can be equipped to make this melee build easier to maintain. The Mask of The Mother Demon will provide bonuses to poison, as will the Widow Spaulder and Widow Leggings. In addition to this, the Assassin, Meat Shield, and Coup De Gras mutations will also accentuate the strengths of this particular build.
Grounded is currently available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.