Ram is the damage engine. Use speed and nitro support to make the impact count, then leave the collision instead of grinding against the target. Add Dash for repositioning and Top Mortar to attack the pursuit after your pass.
Build notes 0.9.8 fixed inconsistent Ram damage and introduced a delay before nitro regeneration begins after boosting. Plan a complete approach and exit; repeated tiny boost taps are not a free regeneration loop.
Wanderburg build list: compare all 9 loadouts →Complete loadout and each piece’s job
Keep the core pieces first. Add support only when your vehicle offers the matching slot; crew and captain are separate selections.
RamCore · frontCollision damage depends on speed. Its active adds speed and extra ramming damage.
Upgrade tree →
DashSupport · backA separate forward dash for repositioning. Aim toward a clear exit before using it.
Upgrade tree →
Top MortarSupport · topAfter passing the target, the rear volley can hit enemies following your escape route.
Upgrade tree →Captain and crew
- Learning the build: Norbert The Normal. Practice the collision route without a captain-specific movement or incoming-damage penalty.
- Aggressive variant: Duelist. Boosted melee hits gain damage, but incoming damage while boosting also rises. Use for clean passes, not head-on trading.
- Recovery crew: Carpenters. Provides recovery between passes. Its presence does not make prolonged contact safe.
What to unlock first
Equip Ram in the front slot. Add the back-slot Dash only if owned and available. Ram’s legendary upgrade is also named Dash, but that upgrade and the separate back-slot Dash module are different choices. A Ram-only core can start the plan without either one.
Key upgrades: what to pick and why
Use this as the direction for your draft. The alternatives below are choices to compare, not extra cards that must all fit into the same branch. Open a card for its exact target and tier details.
| Pick priority | Why it matters | When to choose the alternative |
|---|---|---|
| First special: Ability Duration | Gives a longer active window for an approach and impact. | Roundhouse Kick suits crowded collisions where a knocked enemy can push into more targets; it is not necessary for an isolated boss. |
| Next special: Ability Speed Boost | Supports the speed-driven impact. Only take more speed when you can still steer the approach. | Execute is an alternative for finishing low-health enemies rather than accelerating the opening hit. |
| Finishing branch: Ram — Dash | Adds a small dash to the Ram active. Relearn the spacing before committing it near a wall. | Mega Knockback is the space-making alternative. It can push a target away from a follow-up attack. |
Artifacts that make this build work better
The module core works before the full artifact package appears. Take a useful replacement when the named artifact is missing.
Bumper
Key damage synergyAdds melee damage based on speed. Pairs directly with the reason you accelerate before impact.
Catalyst
Nitro economyReduces boost consumption, leaving more fuel for the exit. Golden Catalyst is another option when offered.
Auxilliary Tank
Larger fuel reserveAdds maximum nitro. It increases capacity rather than refilling the tank by itself.
Golden Sword
Straight damageSupports melee damage when available; Iron Sword is a simpler alternative if Bumper is missing.
Build order: opening, middle and finishing picks
- Opening: develop Ram and practice side impacts against isolated targets. Prioritize controllable movement and a useful fuel reserve before adding more attacks.
- Middle: take Ability Duration, then choose speed or Execute according to your successful collisions. Look for Bumper and boost economy; add Dash only when you can use it safely.
- Finishing: choose the Ram legendary branch, improve the active you land, and add Top Mortar support. Spend cooldown picks when you are waiting on Ram between safe openings, not to justify unsafe repeated contact.
The combat rotation
- Pick a target with open space beyond its side and check your nitro reserve.
- Line up before boosting, activate Ram, then commit to one clean pass.
- Keep moving past the target; use the back-slot Dash only toward clear ground.
- If the enemy follows, fire Top Mortar behind you. Recover position and fuel before the next approach.
How to play the boss fight
Attack a side or an exposed angle after the boss commits to a movement or attack. Save enough nitro to leave, especially with Duelist. A successful hit is not permission to stay in contact. If the arena gives no acceleration lane, use the mortar during repositioning and wait for a better opening.
If a key piece is missing
Without Bumper, keep the same hit-and-run plan with Iron Sword or Golden Sword. Without the Dash module, reserve nitro for escape; do not replace it with another front module. Racer Ruth is a speed-focused captain option once you can handle her slower unboosted driving.
Do not break the build this way
Ram, Front Barracks and Teleporter all occupy the front slot. Avoid head-on trades and walls behind the target. Vampire Tooth heals through consumed units, not every Ram collision, so it cannot guarantee impact lifesteal.
Racer Ruth speed build: Ram, Dash and Arms
Use Wanderturm, Racer Ruth and Carpenters. Keep Ram in front and Dash at the back as the first two modules; Arms uses the side slot, while a top module is a later support choice. Racer Ruth gives 50% more speed when boosting and 15% less normal driving speed, so plan the approach and exit around the fuel you actually have.
Start with Bumper for speed-based melee damage. Hand Crank supports nitro recovery when you consume units, and Vampire Tooth can add recovery from consumption. These triggers need reachable small units: a long Ram hit against a large castle does not by itself refill the tank or heal you.
Develop Ram and Dash before spreading levels across all slots. The Dash Double Active legendary adds a second dash while reducing each individual dash time to 70%. Aim the full movement path through open space; two dashes are not automatically safer than one. Add Arms once the core works, benefiting from its 2.5-second base automatic interval in 0.9.13 and later.
For each pass, line up an exposed side, boost into the Ram hit, continue through clear ground and turn back only after checking health and nitro. Take a safe consumption route between passes. If the tank empties or enemies fill the exit, skip the next impact. The latest high-speed run still ended in Overtime; do not treat a one-shot video title as a guarantee against every boss.