While not exhaustive, this page lists some ideas for possible builds in Forge of Antiphon. The random nature of the mode means you will likely not get every single module, and so modules are split into "core" and "useful" to mark their priority and/or usefulness to the build.
Sera
Auto-Burst Build
Primary Focus: S or above TEC/B SPC
Type: Defensive
Useful for: Preserving SS+ Rank/full combo
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build takes advantage of Sera's exclusive Supernova Generator to obtain a large number of automatic Bursts per recharge. Each Burst blocks bullet/note damage. The core build gives 3 automatic Bursts per recharge. Due to the shortened Burst uptime from Fission Reactor, the risk of hitting oneself with the Zone of Dominion is basically non-existent (because the timer runs out while the Burst's activation invincibility is still active).
While B SPC is the minimum required to make the build effective, higher SPC (such as A) can be helpful to allow the style to be useful in spite of PW penalties.
Using Eternal Dominion can grant additional Burst activations, but it does not protect you from notes, making an Eternal Dominion Auto-Burst build situational at best.
When attempting to obtain this build, it is recommended to carry over Supernova Generator into new runs.
Eternal Dominion Build
Primary Focus: SPC (or SS/SS+ TEC)
Type: Offensive
Useful for: All purpose
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is designed to deal damage primarily through Sera's NOISZ Burst in the last Verse of a song. Encore is a core module, not only because the condition for its damage bonus synergizes well with Sera's main stat, TEC, but also because its effect can stack with other Encore modules. Four Encore modules with Eternal Dominion is already a solid build. However, getting four Encore modules in a single run is unlikely. Instead, the other useful modules are recommended to help with damage for slots Encore fails to occupy.
Excellent SPC is highly important for this build. If a folder restriction doesn't bother you, King of Hearts or Queen of Spades can bring SPC up to SS/SS+, which helps increase the damage each S-Radiant contributes to the final Burst. However, this limits your damage-dealing potential to either Heart or Spade folder respectively.
An alternate route makes use of SS/SS+ TEC to bring the SPC used for Burst damage calculation up to SS/SS+ by keeping a Gold Verse Star. Maintaining Gold Verse Stars is already important for activating Encore, so you gain the extra benefit of increased SPC/ATK without having to use a module to uncap SPC.
The downside to using SS/SS+ TEC over SS/SS+ SPC is that you need to gain a Gold Verse Star for the increase to activate. This means entering Overflow, unless you have Confidence Booster, which occupies a slot that could instead be used for a damage multiplier module. Backstab can also assist in entering Overflow faster, but its damage boost is far less consistently applicable than Encore or other damage-boosting modules listed here. Therefore, it's still worthwhile to invest in SPC, even if you intend to use SS/SS+ TEC.
Grace
Auto-Burst Build
Primary Focus: SS SPC and TEC
Type: Defensive
Useful for: Preserving SS+ Rank/full combo
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build takes advantage of Fission Reactor to double available Bursts per Verse. Unstoppable module's perk allows each Burst to block bullet damage for its duration, and this effect is enhanced by having high SPC to quadruple Grace's Burst uptime from its base time. Losing SS SPC can dramatically reduce the usefulness of Unstoppable's bullet immunity, so having Joker/Underdog available to swap in is ideal.
Lunatic Heart will grant you better stat boosts, and the penalty of F HP is not a hindrance when this build's sole purpose is to get SS+. Moonstone Core will suffice if Lunatic Heart does not appear. While King of Hearts and Queen of Spades also both boost and uncap SPC, their utility is limited to their applicable folder.
When attempting to obtain this build, it is recommended to carry over Heart of the Challenger into new runs, for it has the highest rarity out of the list of core modules. If you manage to get Azurite Gem in a previous run and wish to build with that, however, it may be worth it to carry that module into new runs instead.
Hakuno
Sundowner Build
Primary Focus: SPC
Type: Defensive
Useful for: Surviving songs with lots of difficult bullet hell sections
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is all about survivability using shields. Combined with high SPC, Emergency Button can provide an extra burst in the song, and if her SPC is SS, she can become essentially invincible. Malachite Gem and Living Armor provide even more shields, maximizing survivability; however, this build will likely sacrifice ATK to boost SPC and possibly HP, so Dead or Alive can compensate for it.
This build is especially useful in songs with a high volume and density of bullets, such as The King Of Lions; high SPC and Malachite Gem means this survivability refreshes between verses, too.
Sumire
Devil Trigger Build
Primary Focus: SPC/ATK
Type: Balanced
Useful for: All purpose
Core Modules
Useful Modules
Infernal Blaze greatly shortens NOISZ Burst length, from indefinite to 16 beats, or 32 at SS SPC. This build makes maximum use out of that burst's short duration, doing as much as possible, while also making use of the possible extra healing received during it with Overheal Barrier. High SPC is recommended obviously so that Sumire can gather as much extra shield as possible, and all the extra shield means she remains at full HP, keeping Malachite Dust activated. High ATK is also good for this as it allows her to deal even more damage during Burst, and Emergency Button lets her do this twice as much.
Queen of Spades allows you to double the length of Sumire's Burst, but this limits her scoring utility to only Spade folder. SS and SS+ SPC are not achievable for Sumire through any other ordinary module.
Aragonite Build
Primary Focus: ATK (SS minimum required) and TEC
Type: Offensive
Useful for: All purpose
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is designed for dealing damage with an SS+ Rank. The combination of modules is intended to take advantage of having and keeping Gold Verse Stars throughout the song, in order to take advantage of Encore's damage bonus and AA ATK perk. Because the Burst won't be active throughout the song, S-Radiants dealing OK damage (especially increased) will help supplement damage in-between Burst usage. If your SPC is below B (not ideal but can happen), you want to activate your Burst during the last Verse of the song.
[BAD] Phoenix Build
Primary Focus: HP (neglect TEC)
Type: Defensive
Useful for: Obtaining the three Bad Player titles.
Core Modules
Useful Modules
The goal of this build is to hit as many Sparks as possible and take damage to make up for mistimed Sparks (leading to Radiants) and having to miss OK notes to intentionally lower TP.
Backstab, Fraudulent Star, and Tinsel Star work together to ensure that you can deal enough damage to enter Overflow while mostly hitting Sparks/missing OK notes.
TEC should be neglected as much as possible. D TEC is ideal for this build. The Spark window is largest at D TEC, and the S-Radiant is also smallest at D TEC. Therefore, you will have the easiest time getting intentionally poor accuracy with D TEC. Hitting Sparks awards no TP, so ideally, you should hit them as much as possible. Make sure to adjust your offset where you can get Sparks relatively consistently (and remember to change offset back once you're done).
Investing in SPC can be helpful to hasten healing. B SPC is nearly essential, but anything higher is a luxury: helpful but not to be prioritized.
Take bullet damage wherever your health is not in danger. Overheal Barrier can increase the amount of health safe to lose in an attempt along with damage reduction or HP increasing modules.
* 1UP is only recommended if you feel that you can get your desired title on your first attempt by using it; however, otherwise, do not make an active effort to hunt 1UP. If you do run 1UP alongside Opening Act, activate your 1UP revive on Verse 1. You want to drain as much health as possible when Opening Act's 40% damage reduction is active.
Arson Build
Primary Focus: ATK and SS TEC (neglect HP and SPC)
Type: Offensive
Useful for: Songs you can burstless SS+
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is designed to top the leaderboards and deal absurd amounts of damage. Having SS TEC minimum is crucial for effective build use, as once you reach Overflow, the F SPC OK damage is replaced with SS or higher SPC OK damage. Lunatic Heart allows you to break the maximum in every folder. Heat 444% dramatically increases damage output overall, Aragonite Gem applies the SPC multiplier to every hit in Overflow, AA or higher ATK gives extra damage in Overflow with a Verse Star, and the other modules help supplement the damage even further. Many leaderboard scores are achieved with a variant or exact match to this type of build, so this is useful in competing for a top spot or earning lots of items without purchasing a Summer Style.
Diamond Core is a possible alternative, as it allows you to get the AA HP damage bonus if you manage to get that much, but it is extremely unlikely to get that high of HP without a stat-boosting module. (Note: HP above F would still result in dying in one hit because of Heat 444%'s ability).
Limitations of this build include:
- Removing the SPC damage multiplier pre-Overflow (unless you manage to obtain Confidence Booster)
- You die in one hit
- You cannot use your NOISZ Burst
- SS+ is required for maximum damage (and losing a Gold Verse Star noticeably affects damage output)
As such, it is stressed that this build will only be effective on songs you feel you can SS+ or get most of the way through with an SS+ grade for scoring. This style is difficult to use and difficult to acquire, as you have to clear Forged In Darkest Abyss with practically no defensive tools (and if you take Glass Cannon, an active hindrance). Keep in mind these factors when deciding if this is the style build for you.
While this build can be made on other characters, Sumire is usually the character of choice because Sera, Grace, and Hakuno have other character-specific niches that are usually more appealing for players than this build.
Joker
BitCrash Build
Primary Focus: ATK+SPC (AA minimum)
Type: Offensive
Useful for: All Purpose
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is designed to do high damage using status effects alongside Joker's rechargable burst. Using Downsampler to apply Bitcrush for extra damage using Rubellite Gem, alongside Vengeful Pledge and other status modules, this build can deal heavy amounts of damage.
When building stats, AA SPC is recommended to be able to fire more bursts using the auto recharge perk, thus allowing Bitcrush to stay up longer. Other status modules, such as Rubellite Dust and Frequency Sweeper, are also recommended for additional damage. While Acoustic Panel and the buffed Backstab also grant status effects, these are more situational and may not give as much damage compared to other status modules.
While Vengeful Pledge isn't strictly required, the module gives so much extra damage that the build is much less powerful without it. This does mean that verse star damage builds are not optimal, as you must drop HP to activate it. While Star Insurance and Confidence Booster could theoretically work, this also takes up module slots that are better used for more damage.
When looking at Heart Evolutions, Soul Crash can be used to give more burst charges for keeping Bitcrush up. Otherwise, Moonstone, Ruby, and Bloodstone Core are your best options due to the stats they give.
While it is possible to build this on other characters, Joker is recommended due to her unique burst allowing for extended uptime of Bitcrush.
All/Multiple
Chancellor Build
Primary Focus: PW
Type: Balanced/Any
Useful for: Songs with lower PW
Core Modules
Useful Modules
The focus to this build is based entirely around using the Overcharger module to boost stats and is fairly simple; however, the PW of a build is much higher in higher difficulties of Forge of Antiphon, and so is much more useful when created in Overload rather than Easy, as Easy-created Antiphon Armament builds won't be able to make full use of Overcharger due to having a lower PW. Fanmail Box is also extremely useful as the player will be less likely to have to sell PW or use PW to reroll for other modules in the shop, though is not as useful outside of Forge of Antiphon, so you may want to sell this module in iterations 5 or 7, or at least keep it in an inactive slot afterwards. The Joker module is the best way to guarantee high PW, otherwise there may be difficulty in building up enough of it to use Overcharger properly.
This build can be done at any difficulty as it depends on what difficulties you usually play at (ie if you play Easy usually, you'll do Easy Forge runs) though if you somehow manage to pull off a Forge run at a higher difficulty than you're used to, this may as well be unlimited power.
Shooting Stars Build
Primary Focus: TEC (SS minimum required)
Type: Offensive
Useful for: Songs you can consistently SS+ (Diamond Folder only if using Queen of Diamonds)
Core Modules
Useful Modules
This build is designed for dealing damage with an SS+ Rank. The combination of modules is intended to take advantage of having and keeping Gold Verse Stars throughout the song. The use of SS/SS+ TEC allows high damage output with relying on a Burst, especially with constantly dealing OK damage using the Aragonite Gem and benefiting from the ATK/SPC increase that comes with SS/SS+ TEC.
Diamond Core provides a way to uncap TEC without folder restrictions on characters other than Sera. However, if you cannot find Diamond Core, would prefer to use another Heart of the Challenger evolution, or don't mind a folder restriction, Queen of Diamonds is an adequate substitute. Lunatic Heart is another option for uncapping TEC; however, it is only recommended if you are confident in your ability to S+ a song you want to score on.
Star Insurance can be included if you worry about losing the Gold Verse Star, but otherwise, it occupies a slot that could potentially be used for increasing damage. It could serve as a good backup option if you want to use this build for less consistent songs.
This build may work best with Grace, as her NOISZ Burst can help preserve a Gold Verse Star best. However, it can be used on any character effectively.
*Heat 444% is only recommended if you do not feel the need to have access to your NOISZ Burst. Be careful about putting Heat 444% onto Grace; when she has F SPC, her Burst's automatic activation on damage can make play feel akin to using F HP. Unless you feel completely confident in your ability to avoid her Burst, do not attempt to use Heat 444% with Grace.