October 21, 2025: Added a Megabonk build for Megachad that recently broke the Lv. 1000 mark.
What are the best Megabonk builds to run? If you're climbing to T3 with no clear build in mind, you're going to have a bad time. Anything more is downright impossible. Making any serious progress in the latest roguelike shoot 'em up to make a splash on Steam means going in with a level head, clear expectations, and a sound strategy. These are the best builds in Megabonk to do it with.
Any self-respecting Megabonk build is made up of weapons, stacks of items, and a focused selection of four stat-boosting tomes. Sound familiar? Check out the best Vampire Survivor build or our Vampire Survivor weapon evolution guide to learn how the game that spawned a genre handled things. Just getting started? Our Megabonk tier list can give your runs a clearer focus.
The best Megabonk build
Once you start to unlock top-tier characters like Bandit, Sir Chadwell, and Vlad, you can expedite rapid runs by pairing them with the four weapon and tome spreads listed in the best Megabonk builds below, with the bolded choice on Bandit viewed as the best of the bunch:
| Character | Weapons | Tomes |
| Bandit | Dexecutioner, Aura, Katana, Black Hole | XP, Luck, Cursed, Size |
| Bandit | Dexecutioner, Aura, Aegis, Blood Magic | Damage, XP, Quantity, Size |
| Sir Chadwell | Corrupted Sword, Black Hole, Hero's Sword, Dexecutioner | Size, XP, Cooldown, Luck |
| Noelle | Frostwalker, Flamewalker, Lightning Staff, Aegis | Damage, Cooldown, XP, Luck |
| Tony McZoom | Wireless Dagger, Tornado, Bone, Lightning Staff | Knockback, Quantity, Precision, Damage |
| Sir Chadwell | Corrupted Sword, Wireless Dagger, Bananrang, Lightning Staff | Damage, Size, Quantity, Proj. Speed |
| Vlad | Blood Magic, Lightning Staff, Dexecutioner, Black Hole | Size, XP, Luck, Cooldown |
| Megachad | Aura, Dexecutioner, Lightning Staff, Katana | XP, Luck, Chaos, Cursed |
What is the best Megabonk build?
As you can hopefully see from the table above, the best Megabonk build typically starts with Bandit and his Dexecutioner.
Whether paired with Aura, Katana, and Black Hole, or Aura, Aegis, and Blood Magic, players have been able to push the clock beyond the three-hour mark. Size and XP are the best Tomes to go with for these long-plays, with Luck and Cursed working best with the Katana/Black Hole effort.
For a safer attempt, run Damage and Quantity with the lasting power of Aegis and Blood Magic.
Megabonk weapon and tome combos
Below is a table listing Megabonk build templates. While they don't take a specific character into account, they should give you an idea of which tomes pair well with a particular weapon. That should make it easier to clear specific weapon challenges for some new unlocks.
| Weapons | Tomes |
| Aura | Thorns, Crit, Damage, Cooldown |
| Bananarang | Lifesteal, Size, Crit, Quantity |
| Blood Magic | Size, Quantity, Crit, Cooldown |
| Bow | Crit, Quantity, Damage, Cooldown |
| Chunkers | Quantity, Size, Speed, Duration |
| Dexecutioner, Aegis | Quantity, Size, Lifesteal, Damage |
| Dice | Precision, Lifesteal, Quantity, Cooldown |
| Flamewalker | Lifesteal, Duration, Damage, Quantity |
| Frostwalker | Size, Lifesteal, Duration, Crit |
| Katana | Size, Crit, Quantity, Lifesteal |
| Lightning Staff | Quantity, Damage, Cooldown, Lifesteal |
| Poison Flask | Size, Quantity, Lifesteal, Damage |
| Revolver | Precision, Damage, Cooldown, Lifesteal |
| Slutty Rockets | Precision, Size, Quantity, Damage |
| Space Noodle | Speed, Knockback, Duration, HP |
| Aegis | Thorns, Duration, Shield, HP |
| Axe | Size, Damage, Quantity, Lifesteal |
This isn't an all-encompassing list of Megabonk weapon and tome pairings just yet. Some, like the Sniper, are simply ill-equipped to deal with some of the later threats, meaning you're almost always better off waiting for one of the weapons above when leveling up, busting open chests, and interacting with maoi statues.
What's the best Megabonk item?
You might have noted that the best Megabonk builds above make no mention of items.
It's not that they're inconsequential to your chosen combination of weapons and tomes, but with no fixed limit on how many you can have, lengthy late-game runs result in collecting dozens of different items.
You also have next to no control over what drops. And with the pool expanding as you unlock more, it simply makes more sense to focus on what you can control versus what you can't.
Exhausted after a three-hour Megabonk build run? Check out the best PC games for something new to wind down with.