Vanessa on this most recent patch is the most versatile character with many builds that have a lot of flexibility, tempo, and the ability to evolve into a one-shot build in the late game. In this guide you will learn how to pilot Vanessa flexibly in order to maximize your potential of a strong build that scales to the late game and provides the potential for 10-win games.
Example final build
Early Game (Days 1 – 4) – Strong Items Now, Good Items for Later
I always choose gold start (2 income + 12 gold, Vanessa items are way too good right now)
Weapons shop is very valuable; can help you find one of the most OP early tempo starts of (Sharkclaws/Trebuchet/Zoarcid)
Medium shop is also very valuable early game, it contains Sharkclaws, Orange Julian (late game powerhouse), Life Preserver (early game item to cheese wins), and Star Chart (for docks event). You can also pick up Powder Keg or Rowboat and hold onto them for later.
Other less valuable medium items that can help your tempo in the early/mid game: Katana (fast weapon to charge Trebuchet), Cutlass (similar idea to Katana), Volcanic Vents (in order to charge Zoarcid), and Card Table (to buff Sharkray later on).
Small items shop is also very valuable, Dive Weights/Shot Glasses enable your Trebuchet (and possibly Sharkray in the future if you decide to go that angle in mid game).
Valuable small items:
- Dive Weights
- Shot Glasses
- Zoarcid
- Silencer (for the possible Single Weapon build if you are able to find an Orange Julian)
- Pop Snappers
- Lighter
- Calico (scales well with Sharkray+ weapons for early game tempo)
- Jellyfish (can enable your Sharkray in the middle/late game)
- Grenade (high damage and burst for early victories)
- Bolas (similar idea to grenade)
- Revolver/Narwhal (Low CD weapons to help charge Trebuchet)
- Vanessa’s Amulet
In the early/mid game the most important part is to secure the early combo of Zoarcid/Trebuchet/Sharkclaws, securing them early will almost guarantee a smooth early game with very minimal losses.
However, by far the most important item in this combo is Sharkclaws, find any opportunity to upgrade them. If Trebuchet/Zoarcid cannot be found, a board of Sharkclaws + fast small weapons are usually enough. (Sharkclaws is + 10 damage per swing at bronze, upgrading 10 damage per upgrade, this is very over-tuned and likely to be nerfed in the future)
Usually try to hunt for skills that will give you flat damage, flat crit is also decent (in preparation for mid/late game)
Feel free to get creative with other options if you can’t find the premier tier. Cannonade can be good early in a pinch and also synergizes with fast small weapons.
Example Day 4 board
Mid Game (Days 5 – 9) – Finding a Direction
Why is gold start so valuable? Because Vanessa is very flexible with many strong build options. You need the gold to buy good items and to store them on what paths you can take.
Your middle/late game transition depends greatly on what items you are able to find in the early game.
Did you hit Orange Julian/Silencer/Crow’s Nest/ (and/or) Rowboat/Captain’s Wheel? Then consider a Single Weapon build (candidates are Sniper Rifle, Cutlas, Flagship, Shiny Fang if lucky, Submersible can work in a pinch)
Single Weapon builds mainly depend on finding an early Orange Julian and being able to scale it.
Did you hit Dive Weights, Shot Glasses, Seadog’s Saloon, Holsters, Card Table? Then consider going Sharkray and taking advantage of Vanessa’s multiple quick hasting options.
However, in the middle game the core of Trebuchet/Zoarcid/Sharkclaws can take you safely to the late game. By mid game a board with that strong core plus Dive Weights, Shot Glasses, other small burn items, other small weapons, and Holsters could even get you there with no losses.
In some instances, you may decide to substitute Sharkclaws with a Sharkray (depending on if you have hit Dive Weights/Shot Glasses/Holsters) or Powder Keg (if you have Heated Shells/Hot Spot/Incendiary Rounds). See our Powder Keg build guide for more info on how to pull off that explosive high risk high reward build!
An example of a prototypical Trebuchet/Zoarcid build is below, I was able to take this board to 10 wins:
This build should get you through the mid game without a scratch
Late Game (Day 10+) – Going All-In
At this stage it is suggested to consider going all-in on either Sharkray or powder keg. The game right now is centered on fast one-shot builds in the late game, and this is what Vanessa specializes in.
Powder Keg can be run with Trebuchet like the above example, even if you cannot find obsidian/crit enchant on it, or cannot get it to 100% crit chance, the damage and burn from Trebuchet can often carry you through. The same can be said for Sharkray.
However, if other items enable your Powder Keg/Sharkray better than Trebuchet/Zoarcid, you can always transition.
For Powder Keg, any item that can get it to 100% crit chance or decrease its cooldown should be considered.
For Sharkray, Card Table will give your Sharkray multicast, which can often enable one-shots in the late game. Seadog’s Saloon can also be considered but cannot be run with Card Table.
There are other builds that you can transition into given the right circumstances. If you can find a Probiscis and some damage scaling for it, the combo of Shot Glasses and Probiscis can be very potent. Other items to consider in this build would be: Clamera, Seadog’s Saloon, Dock Lines, Tripwire, and Figurehead.
Final Thoughts and Example Builds
With this flexible strategy, you should be able to reliably get to 7 wins, and more often than not have a chance to go for 10 wins.
Check out the screenshots below for some example 10-win builds that you can draw inspiration from for your games. Happy climbing!
Sharkray/Trebuchet/Zoarcid +
This build features the core combo plus an incredibly strong supporting cast including Dive Weights, Shot Glasses, Holsters, and a Shiny Narwhal!
Powder Keg
This explosive one-shot build is unmatched in the late game. See our Powder Keg build guide here to learn how to pilot it to perfection!
Single Weapon build with Orange Julian
This new item’s late-game scaling is very potent in Vanessa’s classic Single Weapon build. Try Rowboat for an unexpected charging surprise!
Here’s another Orange Julian build, this time with Flagship, Holsters, Dive Weights, and Crow’s Nest. Late-game fights are often determined by who starts their combo first, which is why I’m running Holsters even though they’re just hasting one item!
Thanks for reading this guide, hope to see you out there on the ladder playing the strongest hero!
🖋 Author: Mao Dib 📅 Published May 1st, 2025
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