Builds, clans, and artifacts overview
A source-led Tears of Metal build framework covering confirmed heroes, Emblem synergies, upgrades, and 100+ artifacts without inventing pre-release item data.
Last verified against official sources:
This page covers confirmed systems and preparation only. It will not publish names, values, or outcomes that have not been reproduced in the release build.
What makes a build
Paper Cult confirms four ingredients: multiple playable heroes, powerful upgrades, Emblem synergies, and more than 100 artifacts. The launch build will determine how those ingredients combine, how often they appear, and which effects share rules. Until then, a useful build guide should provide a method, not a tier list.
| Ingredient | Officially confirmed | Still unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Hero | There are multiple unique playable heroes. | Complete roster, starting kits, stats, and unlock conditions. |
| Emblem | Campaigns include Emblem synergies. | Emblem names, thresholds, stacking rules, and availability. |
| Upgrade | Powerful upgrades can be combined during campaigns. | Upgrade pool, rarity, caps, rerolls, and persistence. |
| Artifact | There are more than 100 artifacts used to create distinctive builds. | Names, exact effects, rarity, sources, and interactions. |
A safe build-testing framework
Once the game releases, test builds in a repeatable order. This does not assume any hidden formula; it creates enough context to tell whether a combination actually helped.
- Lock the scenario. Record the hero, environment, objective, party size, and any visible challenge setting.
- Copy the text. Log each Emblem, upgrade, and artifact exactly as the game presents it, including conditions.
- Name the intended result. Examples of neutral test goals are crowd control, single-target damage, survivability, or battalion support. These are test categories, not confirmed in-game roles.
- Observe the trigger. Note whether an effect activates on hit, defeat, time, damage taken, objective state, or another condition shown by the game.
- Repeat before ranking. A single successful campaign is not enough to declare a build reliable.
Artifact guide framework
The artifact catalog will be populated from the release build. Each entry needs evidence for the fields below; empty cells are intentional, not missing pre-release content.
| Field | Verification rule |
|---|---|
| Name and effect | Transcribe the current in-game wording and capture the build version. |
| Acquisition | Reproduce the source or condition; do not infer it from one appearance. |
| Persistence | Check whether discovery, ownership, or effect survives a campaign. |
| Synergy | Test the claimed interaction with the same hero and scenario when possible. |
| Limits | Record caps, exclusions, or stacking behavior only when displayed or reproduced. |
Artifact countThe only current count we publish is “more than 100,” matching Paper Cult's Steam description. A numbered checklist would imply a complete launch catalog that is not yet public.
Are clans a confirmed system?
No clan system is described on the official Steam listing or official game page captured on July 15, 2026. Searchers may use “clans” to mean Scottish groups, Emblem families, factions, or a multiplayer clan feature, but those meanings should not be merged without evidence.
This page will use the game's own terminology after release. If the launch build includes a system explicitly named clans, it will receive a separate verified section. Until then, there is no clan tier list, clan bonus table, or clan unlock guide here.
How build recommendations will be graded
Evidence required
- Exact effect text and game version.
- Hero, party size, campaign context, and objective.
- At least one repeat that confirms the interaction.
- A clear note when a conclusion is provisional.
Claims we will avoid
- “Best” builds based only on trailer footage.
- Untraceable artifact names or numerical values.
- Assumed rarity or drop rates.
- Synergies copied from an unverified pre-release database.
Build questions before launch
How many artifacts are in Tears of Metal?
Paper Cult states there are more than 100 artifacts. The exact launch total and full catalog are not yet confirmed.
Do builds carry between campaigns?
Permanent soldier skills and settlement upgrades are confirmed. The official description does not clearly state which hero upgrades, Emblems, or artifacts persist, so the build persistence rules remain unverified.
Are there different playable characters?
Yes. The official listing confirms multiple unique playable heroes, but it does not provide a complete launch roster in the captured text.
The first post-release pass will document the game's exact build vocabulary, the artifact inspection screen, and whether Emblem thresholds or stacking rules are visible.