Kin and Conquest Cunning Haste Build

The Kin and Conquest Cunning Haste build treats speed as both defense and DPS: you invest in the Cunning skill path, extend Haste duration with nodes like Gale Runner, and use movement tech—Wind Walker merges and Determination replacements—to spend more time in optimal proximity range and less time eating full combo strings. This is the polar opposite of face-tanking with Thorns; it rewards players who read enemy tells and value faster floor transitions on the climb toward the Evil Geomancer.

Pair this guide with the Cunning path breakdown, blessings priorities, and controls setup for clean inputs at higher difficulties.

Build overview

Cunning Haste wins when:

• You maintain high Haste uptime during packs and bosses.
• Proximity swings land during entry windows, then you exit before counterattacks.
• Level-up Blessings amplify attack speed, movement, or on-hit effects that reward frequent swings.

Developer balance notes raised base Haste duration to five seconds and made Gale Runner add +5 seconds of Haste duration—plan your tree around those numbers when estimating uptime.

Key Cunning nodes

Work through the Cunning path before scattering Survival points unless you need a single defensive node for a known boss hit.

Haste (baseline) — Core buff for attack and movement tempo. Every subsequent Cunning pick should answer: “Does this help me enter Haste more often or stay powerful while it is active?”

Gale Runner — Extends Haste duration significantly (+5s per changelog). One of the highest-impact nodes for this archetype.

Wind Walker and Determination — Wind Walker nodes were merged in 0.5.2, with a second node slot replaced by Determination. Read current tooltips (hold the expand button) to see exact movement bonuses—this build assumes you take the merged path early for repositioning between ore nodes and patrol routes.

Later Cunning tiers — Demo updates unlocked deeper tree tiers; continue down Cunning for damage multipliers that assume you are already fast, not for raw effective health.

Avoid assuming exact node names beyond public changelogs—verify in-game after 1.0 patches.

Weapons and gear

Fast builds favor weapons with reliable swing timing and good single-target burst during Haste windows. Books and Staffs can excel if range lets you start attacks safely before committing to melee proximity for finishers—compare options on the weapons tier list once unlocked.

Upgrade priorities:

1. Damage during Haste — Dead packs reset positioning; slow kills mean more mistakes.
2. Movement-related stats if gear offers them—synergy beats raw paper numbers you cannot feel.
3. Minimal defensive padding — one modest Survival pick or a health Blessing prevents one-shot errors on higher difficulties.

Do not neglect shop upgrades while chasing speed; incremental gold from mining still fuels growth.

Blessing selection

Permanent Blessings should compound attack tempo or on-hit chains:

• Chain Lightning — Documented in Steam patch notes; jumps between nearby targets when you cluster enemies—excellent after you pull packs together during a Haste window.
• Direct damage or attack speed — When tooltips clearly describe swing frequency or damage.
• Conditional effects — Pick only when you already play the trigger (e.g., frequent kills, proximity stacks).

The demo era offered roughly nineteen blessings; 1.0 expands the pool. Use best blessings and the Blessing Picker rather than gambling on names you have not tested.

Movement and proximity fundamentals

Kin and Conquest combat is proximity-based: the Fox swings when enemies are in range regardless of build. Cunning Haste adds rules:

• Open with Haste when approaching packs so your first swing chain completes faster.
• Circle strafe around slow enemies; higher difficulties increase non-boss movement speed—respect the run-select tooltip.
• Use auto-move or keyboard if mouse dragging causes overshoot—see controls guide.
• Mine during lulls—idle automation settings can move the Fox while you plan the next Haste entry.

Floor pacing and difficulties

Early floors — Practice Haste uptime on known patrol paths; learn where ore nodes force awkward angles.

Mid floors — Elite enemies punish greedy Haste extensions; exit range when windups begin even if Haste seconds remain.

Higher difficulties — Faster foes demand cleaner exits. If you fail repeatedly, borrow one Survival node (Thorns or Absorb-friendly picks) without abandoning Cunning focus—hybrid points are valid.

Totems — Do not activate risky totems at spawn; reposition first. Speed builds die to careless golden totem triggers as often as slow builds.

Sequence objectives using the walkthrough when bosses require phase movement instead of raw DPS.

Vs Survival builds

Factor	Cunning Haste	Survival
Skill tree	Cunning depth	Survival depth
Playstyle	Kite, burst windows	Reflect, sustain
Bleed damage over time	Weak if you never stop	Strong in packs
Learning curve	Input-heavy	Positioning-heavy

Switch from beginner build to Cunning Haste when dodging feels natural and clears feel slow—not when you still die to basic patterns.

Sample progression checklist

1. Unlock core Haste and Gale Runner on the skill tree.
2. Pick a weapon with consistent damage during buff uptime.
3. Choose offensive Blessings that match pull style.
4. Push one difficulty tier with the tooltip read first.
5. Add minimal Survival if elite floors require it.
6. Revisit builds hub after major patches for node changes.

Endgame: speed vs the Evil Geomancer

Final climbs against the Evil Geomancer test whether your speed translates to boss mechanics or only trash clear. Keep Haste for add phases, but respect scripted attacks—Cunning builds lose runs by treating bosses like open-world packs.

Kin and Conquest rewards mastery of movement within proximity rules. This build is for players who want the mountain to feel fast without ignoring incremental upgrades, Blessings, and the gear that makes Haste windows lethal.