The Hottest Burn Build in Once Human is Here (Boom Boom Burn Build Guide)

The Season 1 endgame build diversity in Once Human looks interesting and varied so far. We have Power Surge, Jaws meta/Bomber, the usual Crit (Shrapnel), and a rather unusual Burn build using a hilariously named gun. If you want something different yet obvious (just kill them with fire), try out our Burn build for Once Human.

Best Weapon for the Once Human Burn Build

Weapon Name	Mods
KVD – Boom! Boom! (LMG)	Flame Resonance / Burning Wrath
HAMR – Crumble (Sniper Rifle)	Flame Resonance / Burning Wrath

Sadly, your options are more limited with the Burn build as most weapons simply underperform. Burn isn’t as potent as Power Surge (but that might change in the subsequent seasons). One gun makes it work, and that would be none other than the Boom Boom LMG (light machine gun).

Specifically, it’s a DoT (damage-over-time build) with explosions. If you prefer large instances of burst or one-tap damage, then you’re better off with something else, like pure Crit (with Shrapnel). However, the Boom Boom Burn build has one advantage, and that’s the fact that it’s simpler to play and there’s no rush when killing bosses.

The Boom Boom LMG, is mandatory, of course, but feel free to replace the Crumble sniper rifle with another sniper rifle you prefer. It’s just that Crumble has a Burn status as well and is a long-range weapon, which fully complements the LMG.

Of course, it goes without saying, that both weapons should be:

• Fully Calibrated at Tier V (5)
• Fully Enhanced with all blueprint fragments (or close to it)
• Equipped with Accessories

That’s quite a long Starchrom grind for the KVD – Boom! Boom! LMG, but it will be worth it if you really want to pursue our Once Human Burn build.

Best Armor for the Once Human Burn Build

Armor is going to be focused on Status damage, as expected. But you will need a key item that is mandatory: BBQ/Grill Gloves. Depending on your region and localization, some versions might call it BBQ Gloves.

That leaves five more slots. We’ll be dividing those between a 2-piece and 3-piece gold armor set, Shelterer (as always) and Heavy Duty. Here’s what mods you need for them:

Armor Name	Mods
Helmet: Heavy Duty	Elemental Havoc / Momentum Up
Mask: Heavy Duty	Blaze Amplifier
Gloves: Grill Gloves / BBQ Gloves	Elemental Overload
Shoes: Shelterer	Covered Advance / Slow and Steady
Top: Shelterer	Status / Elemental DMG mod
Pants: Shelterer	Precision Charge

The slots (apart from the gloves) don’t matter, as long as you have a 3-piece Shelterer and a 2-piece Heavy Duty gear combination.

You’re not going to be relying too much on Crit here so don’t fuss over it. Instead, explosions from Blaze caused by the Boom Boom LMG will cover a big chunk of your DPS, along with the DoT from Burn. For that matter, getting gear with high Psi Intensity helps here.

You will also need to try and keep your HP above 90 percent to maintain the buff from a couple of the mods here (Elemental Havoc and Slow and Steady), or you could just replace those mods with the alternatives.

Deviation and Memetics Cradle Choices for the Burn Build

Your Deviation choice here is more flexible, but if you want to maximize your Burn damage, then the Pyro Dino (Securement Silo Phi) is the obvious choice. However, alternatives can be the Lonewolf’s Whisper (Monolith of Thirst) Deviation which draws enemy agro and also damages them.

Just pick whichever you prefer, though I would advise you to choose Lonewolf’s Whisper if you’re not that skillful in combat yet or if your HP is low.

Meanwhile, the build will also work better if you pick the right Cradle Overrides, so here’s what I recommend:

Cradle Choices	Effect
Automatic Weapon Enhancement	DMG +20% when holding SMGs, rifles, or LMGs. Reload 10% of magazine capacity from reserve upon defeating an enemy.
Deviation Master / Agility (for PvP)	Having it fight alongside grants DMG + 50% against Deviants.
Sprint	Movement Speed +5%, Running Stamina Cost -15%.
Sustained Suppression	Killing an enemy with Continuous DMG (such as Burn or Frost Vortex) increases Continuous DMG by +20% for 10s, stackable up to 3 times.
Prairie Fire Inferno	Based on the number of nearby units affected by Burn, increases Blaze DMG by +15% per unit, up to a maximum of +60%.
Rapid Aid	Reduces the cooldown of healing items by -30% and increases the healing effect by +15%.
Status Enhancement	After hitting a weakspot, Status DMG + 25% for 3s.
Master Tactician / Brawl Boost (for PvP)	After using a tactical item, DMG against the Great Ones (bosses) +25% for 15s.

You can always change out your Cradle if you’re in a PvP situation or if you anticipate it. But for boss fights and fighting NPCs, stick to the setup above. Do try to hit as many enemies as possible to trigger the Prarie Fire Inferno.

Playstyle for the Once Human Burn Build

This one is thankfully simpler compared to the more elaborate rotations of Power Surge or even Jaws build. In fact, it doesn’t have a rotation. But do keep in mind this step-by-step approach to combat if you want to maximize damage, especially against bosses:

1. If you’re fighting a boss, throw a Molotov (no need to hit them). We just need to trigger Master Tactician. For regular mobs, skip this step.
2. Bring your Lonewolf’s Whisper / Pyro Dino Deviation out.
3. Shoot and immediately kill one enemy minion (for boss fights).
4. Shoot continuously and unload your whole mag on the next target (ideally the toughest enemy). Additionally, try to hit mobs or multiple enemies to trigger Prairie Fire Inferno.
5. Avoid taking damage and maintain your HP above 90 percent to keep your mod buffs active.

It’s also better to kill enemies near your main target to trigger the Blaze explosion and a chain reaction of Burn and even more Blaze. You’ll be cooking bosses in no time with this Once Human Burn build.