In No Rest for the Wickedwhen you’re diving into the game for the first time, it can be an extremely tough time but the right build can make the difference between thriving and barely scraping by. In this guide for the brutal action rpg game, we will be taking a look at one of the early game builds that can help you when you’re starting out and will help you on your journey.
No Rest For the Wicked Cleric Build
Unlike most RPGs, No Rest for the Wicked does not have a class system that determines the initial spread of your attributes. Instead, you start out with 10 points in all attributes, and your build will depend on which attributes you invest in as you level up.
In this guide, we will be sharing how to put together a build that utilizes the Faith attribute as the main stat, creating the Faithful build to use in the early game (level 1–10).
Gear and Spells
For the Faithful buildwe will be using the Cleric’s Mace, a one-handed mace. This is a weapon that can drop very early in the game from enemies and is reliable without the need to modify it much, making it one of the best early-game weapons.
The Cleric’s Mace comes with the Thrust rune by default, which costs 100 focus points and can be used with any one-handed weapon. It is an offensive spell, and when used, you will thrust forward, covering a little more distance compared to your normal attacks. This spell will stagger most enemies without the need to break their poise bar.
This is extremely useful, especially in the early game when you do not have a lot of stamina, creating a window for you to land your attacks or regain stamina without having to worry about getting attacked.
The second spell, we will be using Crushing Flurry in this build. This rune spell comes with the Nail-Laden Club weapon, which is also an early-game drop that can easily be found from enemy loot.
Crushing Flurry is another offensive spell, costing 100 focus points. When used, it unleashes a powerful flurry of attacks that can easily break the poise of even the heaviest enemies while doing a decent amount of damage.
The Cleric’s Mace and the Nail-Laden Club have slightly different movesets, and you can use either weapon as your main weapon depending on your preference, but I generally favor using the Cleric’s Mace.
For the third spell, we will be using the Fire Throw spell. This is a ranged spell that will help you with some of the enemies, especially the ranged enemies that will run away whenever you try to close the distance. This spell costs 50 focus points and will throw your weapon forward like a boomerang dealing fire damage, damaging the enemies both on the way forward and backwards.
Although this spell does not deal a huge amount of damage, it is good because it gives you a ranged option for this build.
The fourth spell, we will be using the Heal aura spell. This spell can be bought for 97 copper coins from Eleanor once you’ve reached Sacrament. It is one of the most useful spells in the game, as it allows you to conserve your food supply when exploring and makes managing the Hunger Limit easier in boss fights, massively bolstering your survivability.
This spell requires at least 25 focus points to cast and will keep healing you and draining your focus as long as you hold down the spell-casting button.
This particular combination of spells grants you a ranged option while also providing a much-needed source of healing.
Alternatively, you can use the Heat Enchantment spell in one of your spell slots. This spell gives your weapons fire damage for its duration and can considerably boost your damage, especially against enemies with low fire resistance. The Heat Enchantment spell can be found on the Azure Blade and extracted from it.
In the Offhand slot, we will be using a shield and in the early game, only light shields drop commonly and the Radiant start is a good starting shield offering good defense while blocking.
If you don’t want to use a shield, you can equip a shortbow in the offhand slot, giving you more ranged options in addition to the Fire Throw. It’s especially helpful for enemies on ledges or finishing off those that try to run.
Armor Pieces
For armorit’s better to go for leather pieces, and if you don’t have a high equip loadconsider using cloth pieces in the gloves or leg slots. The goal is to keep your weight class in the Normal range to avoid the slow heavy roll, which has fewer invincibility frames.
It’s nearly impossible to avoid going into the Heavy class if you wear Mesh armor at this stage of the game, but if you’re comfortable with heavy rolling, you can use Mesh armor for added protection.
For gear enchantmentsfocus on affixes that help with stamina and focus management. Ideally, you want increased focus gain, stamina gain, or decreased focus/stamina cost. Try to avoid afflictions such as decreased focus gain.
Rings
In the early game, you’ll have limited ring slots and few options, depending on your loot drops. Ideally, look for a Feather Ringwhich increases your equipment load by a set percentage, enabling heavier armor without going into the Heavy class.
Another great option is the Agility Ringwhich increases movement speed and reduces stamina cost—very helpful when starting out.
Gems
Although you won’t find many gems early on, you should focus on infusing those that bolster your stats, such as the Chipped Emerald or Chipped Jewel, which increase Max HP, Stamina, or Focus.
Other good gems include Small Skull, which can regenerate Health in Combat , and Chipped Topaz or Chipped Jade that can increase focus gain or Stamina Recovery respectively.
For weapons, I recommend infusing a Chipped Ruby to increase the fire damage of Fire Throw or your overall damage if you’re using Heat Enchantment.
In the early game, you can infuse the gems that you come across or save them for later use as they do not play a crucial role in the build.
Consumables
While no consumables are essential for this build, they can help with tough early-game encounters. Stamina and Focus potions will aid resource management, while bombs provide a ranged option against groups, elites, or bosses.
Stat allocation
As mentioned earlier, this build focuses mainly on the Faith attribute. However, putting all your points into a single stat early on can be detrimental.
It’s better to spread points between Health, Staminaand Focus while gradually increasing Faith. For example, put one point into Faith and the other two into a mix of Health, Stamina, or Focus.
IIt’s also smart to invest a point or two into Equip Load to avoid slipping into the Heavy weight class.
By leveling this way, you’ll be less fragile and better able to absorb damage without sacrificing offense. By level 10, your attributes should ideally be:
- 15+ in Health, Stamina, and Focus
This will give you:
- 200 or less Equip Loadto stay in the Normal weight class
- 120+ HPgreatly improving survivability
- 60–70 Staminafor easier resource management
- 150+ Focusso you can cast spells more effectively
Final Thoughts
No Rest for the Wicked can be an unforgiving experience if you start off on the wrong foot. The Faithful build offers a solid foundation to carry you through the early game.
It focuses primarily on maceswhich are great for interrupting enemy attacks—but their slower speed can make fighting agile foes more challenging.
Fortunately, the flexible nature of rune spells helps cover that weakness, giving you both ranged tools and offensive pressure.
Just keep in mind that since this build stays in the Normal weight class, it’s neither the most agile nor the most tanky. You’ll still need to time your dodges carefully—getting caught in a combo often means death.
So, this wraps up my guide to put together the Faithful build for No Rest for the Wicked. I hope you find this guide helpful on your journey through the island of Sacra. If you have any more tips you would like to add or share or additional questions, please leave them in the comments below!!
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