Rat King build guide

The Big Cheese

by bottomless pit supervisorVersion 33Updated Oct 8, 2026Guide #842085

Search this name in the in-game build browser. Several guides can share a name, so check the author and update date.

Observed usage

Match statistics · filters applied except game mode

Published guide

As written by the author · latest version · not affected by filters

In-game favourites: 28 (as last synced by the API; not match usage)

Author's notes

the whole of long island will hear the impending bell of doom (very annotated and updated often)

Item categories

1start
Author's category · 8 items · simple L>R, play it careful in lane, apply pressure with nade/rats and tank troops with barrier
1. 1
  Close Quarters
  pretty nice for a chill lane - sell second or upgrade later
2. 2
  Extra Regen
  pretty comfortable purchase - sell first
3. 3
  Opening Rounds
  really nice damage+spirit but can be sold later tho
4. 4
  Bullet Resist Shredder
  more shred on rats + good res in lane - this or battle vest
5. 5
  Enduring Speed
  very good movement for sewer boxes - could get extra health before this too
6. 6
  Fortitude
  keeps you on the map for as long as possible and massive hp for barrier
7. 7
  Fleetfoot
8. 8
  Superior Duration
  longer rats + flag for long fights - this or bullet lifesteal
2lane optionsoptional
Author's category · 4 items · good stuff to consider
1. 1
  Grit
  more barriers and lots of options with this item
2. 2
  Healbane
  easy to apply with rat swarm but rare purchase
3. 3
  Restorative Shot
  really good with extra regen - buy over CQ if hard lane
3core
Author's category · 7 items · not exactly a L>R so get what you want/get other items, rather then buying in order
1. 1
  Heroic Aura
  more buffs on top of the flag buffs, seems op
2. 2
  Spirit Resilience
  amazing vs spirit like geist or sinclair or few others
3. 3
  Berserker
  really good in long fights (which we want)
4late bonusesoptional
Author's category · 5 items · alternative/bonus items to consider
1. 1
  Spellbreaker
  alternative for unstop if not too much cc
2. 2
  Inhibitor
  good alternative for siphon bullets if no antiheal
3. 3
  Silencer
  good replacement for frenzy if too much spirit dmg
5dmg coreoptional
Author's category · 4 items · >BRS/Duration/Heroic/Witch
1. 1
  Battle Vest
  really good tempo for more gun dmg - alt for BRS
2. 2
  Vampiric Burst
  get bullet lifesteal instead of superior duration and this
3. 3
  Escalating Resilience
  feel like this item was literally made for this character - get this over heroic aura
6vs gunoptional
Author's category · 2 items · options
1. 1
  Metal Skin
  vs haze or wraith mostly
2. 2
  Plated Armor
  vs too many onhits + good synergy with barrier
7vs spiritoptional
Author's category · 2 items · helpful
1. 1
  Dispel Magic
  if too much disarm/slow or silence
2. 2
  Counterspell
  vs annoying cc/abilities if needed (good vs drifter)
8spirit optionsoptional
Author's category · 3 items · bonus stuff
1. 1
  Surge of Power
  more barrier + good fire rate and move speed - decent enduring speed replacement
2. 2
  Greater Expansion
  more ult to fight in (this+scourge is great)
3. 3
  Transcendent Cooldown
  this is now the only way of lowering ult cooldown
9other extra stuffoptional
Author's category · 12 items · read the annotations for most of these / i kinda just tossed some items in here that i didnt wanna look for in the shop / enjoy :D
1. 1
  Ballistic Enchantment
  amazing for big groups, great buffs / alt for berseker - WORKS WITH THE ULT RATS / strong on nade too
2. 2
  Point Blank
  Built from Close Quarters
  nice lil health buff if you wanna keep close quarters
3. 3

Categories appear in the author's order. Only the editor's default Early, Mid and Late sections are marked as game stages; the author's own categories keep their names. “Built from” links come from the game's item recipes.

Published ability order

Published ability order: unlocks and upgrades in the author's order, one row per ability in slot order
Scrap GrenadeScrap Grenade	Scrap Grenade: Ability unlocked, step 1				Scrap Grenade: 1 AP upgrade, step 5	Scrap Grenade: 2 AP upgrade, step 6