There are a number of build paths for players to take inOnce Human, and for those who want to passively melt health bars with little to no downtime, then using the Burn effect is the way to go. It’s the only DoT-based effect in the game thus far, and it’s quite good at its job.

Burn builds aren’t terribly complicated to use, and while they mostly lack upfront damage by default, these can become ridiculously strong with the right mods and some ofthe best weaponsOnce Humanhas to offer. This guide covers all the important things you need to make a Burn build work.

KAM Crank on a crafting table in Once Human

Updated Jun 16, 2025 by Marc Santos:The mid-August update for Once Human introduced several balance changes to multiple weapons, Cradle effects, Deviant bonuses, and more. This Burn build has remained mostly unchanged despite all of those buffs and nerfs, but some of its parts did get affected. We’ve updated this guide to account for those balance changes, and we’ve added a new section that explains the strengths and weaknesses of this build for those who are planning to use it.

Note

Prioritize building Status and Elemental DMG

Once Human’s1.1 patch nerfed the bonus crit rate provided by theLong Axewhen it hits a target with a heavy strike. It’s still a decent option, but players who want an alternative to this weapon can use the Frozen Northern Pike instead for its freeze utility and synergy with Frost Vortex mods.

Grill Gloves on a crafting table in Once Human

This build focuses on quickly stacking Burn while improving the status effect’s damage output, and it’s best used for runningOnce Human’sdungeons like Silo Alphaor any activity with high enemy density. The KVD is more suited for dealing with groups thanks to its high ammo capacity and passive effect that causes targets to explode and spread Burn. Meanwhile, the KAM is better for fighting bosses due to its consistent and non-RNG reliant Burn application.

Burn Build Strengths and Weaknesses

Purple Blaze Blessing mod in Once Human

To get the most out of the KAM Crank,equip a Rapid Shot Style calibrationon it to increase its fire rate by 15% and reload speed by 40%. It also buffs the gun’s Weakspot DMG when fully calibrated.

This build works perfectly fine even without KVD Boom Boom. KAM Crank is free from the mystical crate in Fort Eyrie in the Red Sands region. Use the HAMR Crumble sniper rifle as a substitute for KVD Boom Boom.

Lonewolf’s Whisper in a securement unit in Once Human

Effects

Grill Gloves

Increase Burn DMG frequency by up to 100% based on Burn stacks

Scout (2PC)

Cradle setup for a Once Human Burn build

Players who manage tofarm enough Starchrom inOnce Humanshould aim toget the Shelterer set from the Wish Machine. It’s a premium Status/Elemental DMG set that will greatly increase the damage of Burn ticks just by hitting enemies with your bullets. Get four pieces of the Shelterer set and keep the Grill Gloves for strong Burn ticks, or replace Grill Gloves with Hardy Gloves so you can trigger explosions upon reaching max Burn stacks.

Ravenous Hunter (Hard mode)

Once Human Tag Page Cover Art

Flame Resonance

Weapon

Increase max Burn stacks by 2. Reduce Burn duration by 20%.

Blaze Amplifier

Mask

Gain +3% Psi Intensity for every stack of Burn you inflict.

Status Amplification

Pants

When the magazine is empty, gain +10% Status DMG for 12s (stacks up to three times).

Secluded Strike

Boots

When no enemies are within 7m, gain +15% Weapon and Status DMG.

Silo Phi

Blaze Blessing will let you square up against big groups of enemies without much risk of dying. Unless there’s something that’s strong enough to one-shot you, you should be able to heal back any damage you take thanks to KVD Boom Boom’s proficiency at fighting multiple enemies. Once a strong enemy appears, swap to your KAM Crank and keep shooting. Burn has a stack cap of 5, but with KAM Crank and Flame Resonance, this goes up to 8.

At max stacks, you’ll be dealing 80% of your Psi Intensity with each Burn tick, and that’s without all the other damage bonuses from this build.

Combat Deviant

Thebest Deviant for this Burn build isPyro Dino. It’s the combat variant ofOnce Human’sChefosaurus, and it can buff your Blaze DMG significantly against targets that it hits. You can get this Deviant inthe secret Seepage Zone in Silo Phi(the same location where you can get a Chefosaurus). However,Pyro Dinois very rare. If you can’t find this Deviant,Lonewolf’s Whisperor evenZeno-Purifierwill do just fine. Psychic Kid is also a good choice for boosting your Status DMG.

Cradle (Season 1)

These are the best available Cradle perks for aOnce HumanBurn build as of Season 1. Out of all these, the most important ones areDeviation Master and Status Enhancement. The former increases your damage against Deviants by 50% for as long as your Combat Deviant is active, while the latter increases your Status DMG by 25% for 3s after hitting a weakspot. However,Once Humanuses a seasonal system, which means these perks may no longer be available once Season 1 ends.