Stonewards Best Upgrades & Early Builds Guide
Which upgrades and builds are strongest in Stonewards Early Access? We break down verified changes to forging, rings, tomes, and community-tested picks.
Last verified: September 25, 2026 — Game version: Stonewards Early Access 0.2.2 hotfix on top of 0.2.0 “Later Summer” (current). Facts come from official Steam sources and verified player reports.
Stonewards uses randomized roguelite upgrades that change each run. Some upgrades are always useful, while others depend on your class and team composition. This guide explains the verified upgrade systems in Early Access, highlights changes from recent patches, and notes which builds players are currently favoring.
How Upgrades Work
Between waves, you spend mined resources at the forge to craft arrows, repair defenses, and buy upgrades. Upgrades appear as random options, so you cannot force the same build every run. Stack bonuses that match your class: melee damage for Warriors, mining speed for Miners, charge reduction for Archers and Mages, and companion buffs for Hunters.
Verified Patch Changes That Affect Builds
| Patch | Change | Build impact |
|---|---|---|
| Hotfix 0.1.5 | Blacksmith max level raised from 101 to 999 | Late-run scaling is much higher |
| Hotfix 0.1.4 | Hunter companion attack and health increased | Hunter pet builds are stronger |
| Demo 0.1.9 | Craft Speed upgrade changed from flat to percentage reduction | Faster crafting at high levels |
| Demo 0.1.9 | Chest rarity system overhauled | Loot quality scaling changed |
| Demo 0.1.8 | Time frozen during solo runs | Solo kiting builds are safer |
| Hotfix 0.2.2 | Gold Ring multiplier capped at 200x; companion kills can crit and drop Gold; Artificer bombs now crit and take the Berserker buff | Gold is still a long-term investment, but it has a ceiling; bomb and Hunter builds got stronger |
| Hotfix 0.2.1 | Permanent Gold Upgrade and Gold Ring now scale multiplicatively; Gold Ring raised to +8% per upgrade; Precious Treasures became +20% chance per upgrade; Forge Boost lowered | Gold compounding is the headline economy change |
| Version 0.2.0 | Gold Bonus multiplies the Gold you earn instead of raising Gold-drop chance; Difficulty Ring pulled from the pool; values above 100% can trigger twice | Any pre-0.2.0 economy advice is stale |
What the 0.2.x Patches Changed for Builds
Three shifts matter if you are working from older advice:
- Gold went from a chance to an amount, then went multiplicative. 0.2.0 turned Gold Bonus into a multiplier on Gold earned rather than a higher chance of Gold appearing; 0.2.1 made the Permanent Gold Upgrade and the Gold Ring scale multiplicatively; 0.2.2 capped the resulting multiplier at 200x.
- Values above 100% stack activations. An effect over 100% can trigger more than once per roll (150% gives one guaranteed activation plus a 50% chance of a second), so pushing a proc past 100% is worth more than the old flat reading suggested.
- Extreme values pay less. Jump Height, Movement Speed, Sprint Speed, melee and ranged attack speed and Digging Speed all got stronger diminishing returns at the top end, and Knockback Chance and Dodge stop appearing as choices once they reach their effective maximum.
Strong Early-Game Choices
Melee frontline
Warrior and Miner are reported to feel the strongest in solo play. Prioritize health, attack damage, and knockback. Knockback chains let you keep monsters away from walls while you repair.
Mining economy
Miners should stack mining speed and resource-gain upgrades. More ore means more arrows, more repairs, and more upgrades for the whole team. Gold Coin missions were rebalanced in 0.1.4, so economy builds are more viable than in the demo.
Ranged damage
Archer and Mage need charge-time reductions and damage boosts. Community feedback says ranged classes feel slow when playing solo because charge windows are long. In co-op, a teammate covering you makes these builds much more effective.
Hunter companion
The Hunter’s companion was buffed in 0.1.4 (attack and health), and later patches kept improving it: 0.1.7 raised the damage gained per upgrade, made the companion move faster and travel farther, and let it be healed at the Fireplace (with the Fireplace upgrade) and by the Healer. In 0.2.2 companion kills can crit and drop Gold, enemy projectiles hit the companion correctly again, and the pet no longer chases enemies outside the playable battle area - which used to leave it dying somewhere it could not be revived. Look for companion attack and health upgrades, plus movement speed so the pet can intercept enemies before they reach walls.
Rings and Tomes
Rings and tomes are equipable loot found in chests and the shop. Hotfix 0.1.4 added clearer descriptions for their effects. Some tomes boost rare cave-resource drops, which can snowball if the whole team stacks them on one player. The exact drop rates and full list of effects are not yet confirmed by the developer.
From Community Gameplay
Recorded co-op sessions show how build choices play out in practice. These observations are based on community gameplay, not official patch notes:
- Dig strength and movement speed define the economy. Once dig strength stacks, a single break can support two profitable mining trips instead of one. Players recommend pushing to the pink wall layer, then searching nearby for diamonds and emeralds (The Boys are Dwarves, 01:25; 03:07; 03:28).
- Heal-on-crit is a self-sustaining build. Several players stacked crit rate and crit damage so that heal-on-crit procs could replace healing drinks (The Boys are Dwarves, 01:45; 02:57).
- Ballista damage scales defenses. The automated defending ballista appears as an upgrade vote and can carry waves with enough investment (The Boys are Dwarves, 05:24; 05:31).
- Rings are capped at four per run. You cannot endlessly stack ring effects; choose the four that best fit your role (The Boys are Dwarves, 37:46).
- Rarity matters more than the label. A higher-rarity version of a fitting effect can outperform a lower-rarity version of your ideal effect (The Boys are Dwarves, 04:58).
- Specialize within the team. In co-op, one player can carry resource-bonus rings and tomes while others take combat upgrades; four identical builds are not automatically strongest (The Boys are Dwarves, 05:47).
- Speed drinks and beer provide temporary movement speed. Players used these before long mining runs or to get back before the wave (The Boys are Dwarves, 24:48; 36:26).
Builds to Avoid Early
- All-damage, no-repair builds: walls will break and end the run.
- Ranged-only solo builds: current balance makes melee more forgiving.
- Ignoring ammo: even the best weapon is useless without arrows.
This is an editorial recommendation based on verified patch notes and player reports. For the basics of crafting, see our forge upgrades guide.
Sources
- Official Steam store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4502710/
- Official Steam announcements hub: https://steamcommunity.com/games/4502710/announcements/
- Steam Community discussions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4502710/discussions/
- The Boys are Dwarves gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-XuIMMYeW8
Fan-made guide. This site is not affiliated with Banana Tiger Studio, Steam, or Valve; all game content and media belong to their respective owners.