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For most runs, start with a Defense-cancel build built around Bold Strike, then add Deafening Cry for control and Berserk when you can safely manage Internal Damage. Choose Crushing Combo instead when your priority is a repeatable Power-to-Special burst, or Boomerang Axe when you want safer ranged contribution. Solo players should spend at least one talent choice on survival; co-op teams can lean harder into control and coordinated burst.
These recommendations apply to Ravenswatch version 1.06, released with the Kintarō DLC on October 12, 2026. There is no published universal win-rate, damage-per-second test, or official tier ranking for Kintarō, so “best” here means the strongest build for a stated job rather than a measured leaderboard result.
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What changed in version 1.06
Version 1.06 introduced Kintarō and his companion Kuma, eight abilities, two Ultimates, and 26 unlockable Talents. The update also reworked existing talents and discarded runs that were already in progress when the patch arrived. A build copied from an earlier version may therefore use different effects or fail to match the current talent screen.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe official patch summary describes the character as “Dual Gameplay with Kintarō and Kuma.” The two are not separate health pools: the official product description says that Kintarō and Kuma share the same health bar, although they take damage differently. Treat every defensive decision as a decision about one combined resource.
#1 Best Overall
- BANISH THE NIGHTMARE FROM YOUR REALM; The Nightmares are spreading within Reverie, corrupting everything in their path
- You must hone your skills and find the strength to defeat the creatures of the Nightmare using unique hero abilities
- To defeat the Nightmare and reach the final chapter, you will need a strong build, focus and excellent teamwork
- The world of Reverie is built on old folk tales and legends; from the Three Little Pigs to Norse mythology to One Thousand and One Nights
- Run after run, play as different heroes, make the most of the upgrades and items you find, and explore
How Kintarō and Kuma actually play
Kintarō switches between mounted and dismounted combat. Kuma attacks automatically while Kintarō is on foot, while Kintarō gains a different set of attacks and movement tools when riding. Damage dealt to Kuma becomes Internal Damage on Kintarō, so allowing Kuma to absorb hits is not a way to create a free tank.
| State | Main tools | Best use | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mounted | Charge, Leap, blocking Roar, and mounted attacks | Crossing a room, starting a fight, blocking a dangerous attack, or repositioning | Kuma can take damage that is transferred to Kintarō as Internal Damage |
| Dismounted | Axe attacks, Whirl, Pound, Double Leap, and Kuma’s automatic claw attacks | Close-range pressure, finishing a pack, and exploiting openings created by control | You lose mounted mobility while committing to melee animations |
Leap also provides an intangible transition, which makes it a defensive movement rather than only a gap closer. Roar blocks attacks for a short window. Use both to avoid damage when possible; do not assume that Berserk’s damage scaling justifies standing in attacks.
Build 1: Defense-cancel damage (the best all-purpose route)
Bold Strike is the most reliable centerpiece for a general-purpose build. It triggers when Kintarō cancels Defense with an Attack and adds a blocking, high-damage finisher. The interaction gives you damage and a defensive moment in the same rhythm: establish Defense, read the enemy’s response, then cancel into Attack when the finisher will connect.
Recommended talent order
- Bold Strike: take this first when it appears. The build has little identity without the Defense-to-Attack finisher.
- Deafening Cry: choose it when packs are difficult to control or ranged enemies are creating unsafe approaches. Its area damage during Defense lets you affect several targets while holding the defensive stance.
- Berserk: add it when you have a dependable plan for carrying Internal Damage without reaching lethal health. It converts safely managed Internal Damage into more damage.
- Brutal Taming: select this when your first Ultimate is a major part of the run’s damage plan.
- Hardened Skin or Strong-Willed: take one when survival, rather than damage, is ending attempts. Preserving attack uptime is usually worth more than a fragile damage increase.
Core combat loop
- Approach mounted and use Charge to enter on your terms rather than walking into the middle of a pack.
- Use Roar when an attack is about to land or when you need a brief block to hold a group in place.
- Activate Defense and let Deafening Cry damage nearby enemies if you selected it.
- Cancel Defense with Attack to trigger Bold Strike. Aim the finisher through the densest part of the group.
- Use Leap or Double Leap to leave the exchange before Kuma accumulates avoidable damage.
- Remount, reposition, and repeat instead of forcing a dismounted combo while Internal Damage is already high.
The loop is intentionally short. Kintarō’s shared health system punishes long, uncontrolled trades, while Bold Strike rewards a clean defensive read followed by a committed attack.
Rank #2
- BANISH THE NIGHTMARE FROM YOUR REALM: The Nightmares are spreading within Reverie, corrupting everything in their path. You must hone your skills and find the strength to defeat the creatures of the Nightmare using unique hero abilities inspired by characters from folk tales and legends.
- DYNAMIC GAMEPLAY: To defeat the Nightmare and reach the final chapter, you will need a strong build, focus and excellent teamwork. Increase your fighting power in battles then face the level boss when you feel ready… or when you no longer have a choice.
- DARK TALES: The world of Reverie is built on old folk tales and legends. From the three little pigs to Norse mythology to One Thousand and One Nights, the best-known tales are revisited in a dark-fantasy style and add their timeless appeal to the atmosphere of Ravenswatch.
- HIGH REPLAY VALUE: Run after run, play as different heroes, make the most of the upgrades and items you find, and explore a randomly generated map with new activities and new enemies.
- 2021, Curse of the Dead Gods, a game developped by Passtech Games, published by Focus Home Interactive.
Current example route
A current BuildMaker example called “Def (Bold Strike)” uses Unchained Beast, Bold Strike, Deafening Cry, Berserk, Giant Carp Suplex, Forest Spirits, Energy Discharge, Hardened Skin, Strong-Willed, and Brutal Taming. It pairs defensive and damage magical objects. This is a documented route you can use as a starting template, not a measured tier ranking: the example does not establish a universal win rate or damage benchmark.
Build 2: Power-to-Special burst
Crushing Combo is the direct alternative to Bold Strike. It improves Special shortly after Power, so the build is about making those two inputs happen in quick succession. Mounted Charge is a natural Power trigger: hit the group, then cast Special before the timing window closes.
Rotation
- Line up Charge so Kuma and Kintarō enter the same cluster.
- Trigger Power with Charge or another available Power source.
- Cast Special immediately while Crushing Combo is active.
- Use Whirl or Pound after the burst only if the group is controlled and your health pool can support the commitment.
- Leap out, remount, and wait for the next safe Power window.
This route is strongest when enemies stay grouped and you can keep both halves of the character aligned. In solo play, a missed Charge can leave you in the center of the pack with Kuma taking damage; in co-op, allies can hold targets in place while you prepare the sequence.
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When to choose Crushing Combo
- Choose it for a clear, repeatable burst pattern rather than a defensive counterattack.
- Prioritize area or cooldown magical objects when they appear, but do not force a specific object: shops and drops are random.
- Let a teammate group enemies before you Charge in co-op.
- In solo runs, keep a Leap available so a failed Power-to-Special sequence does not become a prolonged damage trade.
Ranged alternative: Boomerang Axe
Boomerang Axe adds a bouncing axe hit when Power triggers. The projectile can strike nearby enemies repeatedly, giving Kintarō a way to contribute while staying mounted or repositioning before melee. It is a practical alternative when your run has poor access to safe close-range openings.
Rank #3
- You must hone your skills and find the strength to defeat the creatures of the Nightmare using unique hero abilities inspired by characters from folk tales and legends.
- To defeat the Nightmare and reach the final chapter, you will need a strong build, focus and excellent teamwork.
- Increase your fighting power in battles then face the level boss when you feel ready… or when you no longer have a choice.
- The world of Reverie is built on old folk tales and legends. From the three little pigs to Norse mythology to One Thousand and One Nights.
- Run after run, play as different heroes, make the most of the upgrades and items you find, and explore a randomly generated map with new activities and new enemies.
Use Boomerang Axe for clustered targets, then move rather than standing still to watch every bounce. It does not replace the need to manage the shared health bar; the value is that you can apply pressure without immediately committing to Axe, Whirl, or Pound range.
Solo build priorities
Solo Kintarō has no teammate to cover a missed block or hold enemies while Kuma recovers. Protect the shared health pool first, then optimize damage.
Choose the stance that solves the immediate problem
- Stay mounted when Charge, Roar, or Kuma’s mobility is the safest answer. Roar can block a short burst of incoming attacks, and Leap can make the transition intangible.
- Dismount when Axe pressure plus Kuma’s automatic claws can finish a pack quickly and the enemy’s dangerous attacks are on cooldown.
- Leave early when Internal Damage is accumulating faster than you are killing targets. Remounting is a recovery decision, not a retreat that wastes the build.
Solo talent rule
Take at least one defensive or sustain option on a dangerous map. Hardened Skin, Strong-Willed, and Deafening Cry all help preserve the health bar in different ways: direct durability, greater tolerance for mistakes, and control while defending. Berserk is attractive only when you can intentionally carry Internal Damage and still remount or reposition before it becomes fatal.
A solo Bold Strike setup usually feels safer than a pure Crushing Combo setup because Defense and the finisher answer the same attack window. Crushing Combo remains excellent when you are confident at lining up Charge and can end groups before Kuma takes repeated hits.
Rank #4
- UK PSN account may be required for any online features
Co-op build priorities
In co-op, Kintarō is a mobile controller and burst initiator. Use Kuma to line up Charge and Roar, hold enemies in a predictable space, then dismount for Axe pressure or a Defense-cancel finisher while allies attack the opening.
Coordinating Bold Strike
- Call the Defense window so teammates know when the block is active.
- Let allies attack from the sides while you keep the pack in front of the Bold Strike finisher.
- Use Roar to create a safe moment for a teammate’s long cast or revive attempt.
Coordinating Crushing Combo
- Ask teammates to group or pin targets before your Charge.
- Trigger Power only when the group will remain inside Special’s effective area.
- Use the burst to start a team focus-fire sequence, then leave before Kuma absorbs unnecessary follow-up hits.
Tell every teammate that Kintarō and Kuma share one health bar. Kuma is not an independent tank whose damage can be ignored. Coordinate around Internal Damage, remount windows, and Roar blocks. Kintarō supports online co-op, but no official source publishes a required party composition or co-op tier list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing Ultimates and supporting talents
Kintarō has two Ultimates. The current BuildMaker Bold Strike example includes Giant Carp Suplex and Forest Spirits, with Brutal Taming to support the first Ultimate. Use that as a compatibility clue rather than a mandatory pairing: select the Ultimate whose activation fits your chosen loop and the room layouts you are seeing.
Energy Discharge appears in the same example as an additional damage talent. It is most useful when your run already has enough survivability to keep attacking. If health loss is the reason attempts end, Hardened Skin or Strong-Willed should take precedence over another marginal damage effect.
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Magical objects: make decisions from the run you have
There is no fixed object list that can be called best for every Kintarō run. Shops and drops are random, so evaluate each object against three questions:
- Does it improve the chosen trigger? Cooldown or area effects are valuable for Crushing Combo because they create more Power-to-Special opportunities.
- Does it protect the shared health pool? Defensive effects are more valuable when Kuma is being hit during every approach.
- Does it support your actual stance mix? A bonus that requires repeated melee commitment is weaker if you are using Boomerang Axe to stay at range.
The documented “Def (Bold Strike)” example uses both defensive and damage magical objects. That balance is a useful default for solo play; co-op groups that reliably control enemies can shift more of their random object choices toward burst.
Known version 1.06 issue: Trait can break the Attack combo
The version 1.06 patch notes report that using Kintarō’s Trait can interrupt the Attack and break the Attack combo. If a sequence appears to drop even though your timing was correct, the Trait interruption is a known explanation. Do not immediately rebuild around a presumed execution error.
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- Reserve Trait for a neutral moment rather than inserting it between Attack inputs.
- If a Bold Strike attempt fails, return to Defense and re-establish the cancel instead of mashing through the interrupted animation.
- Use the next safe Charge or Roar window to reset your positioning.
- Keep your version in mind when comparing guides: advice written before October 12, 2026 may describe a different talent layout or behavior.
Quick decision guide
| Your priority | Start with | Why | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reliable all-purpose solo damage | Bold Strike | Defense, block, and finisher share one controlled exchange | Do not let Internal Damage accumulate while waiting for the perfect finisher |
| Area control on dangerous packs | Bold Strike plus Deafening Cry | Defense can damage and control nearby enemies | Deafening Cry does not make Kuma’s health transfer disappear |
| Fast coordinated burst | Crushing Combo | Power followed quickly by Special produces a clear team focus window | Missed alignment leaves you exposed |
| Safer ranged contribution | Boomerang Axe | Bouncing axe hits pressure clusters while you reposition | It is an alternative trigger, not a substitute for movement |
| Survival-limited runs | Hardened Skin or Strong-Willed | More health tolerance preserves future damage opportunities | Replacing every damage talent with defense can slow clears |
| Ultimate-centered plan | Brutal Taming | Supports a run built around the first Ultimate | Choose it only when the Ultimate is actually being used often |
What “best” does not mean here
No authoritative publication currently supplies a Kintarō win-rate table, controlled damage-per-second benchmark, or universal highest-ranking build. The Bold Strike, Crushing Combo, and Boomerang Axe routes above are goal-based recommendations derived from the documented mechanics. Your map, talent offers, magical-object drops, difficulty, and party coordination can change which route performs best in a particular run.
For a first attempt, use Bold Strike, add Deafening Cry, take a defensive talent if the map is punishing, and select Berserk only after you understand how much Internal Damage you can carry. Switch to Crushing Combo when your group reliably creates Power windows, or to Boomerang Axe when staying mobile and applying safer pressure matters more than maximum melee burst.
Quick Recap
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