You’ve seen the numbers flying off the screen. Thousands of tiny yellow digits exploding every time you pull the trigger on a SCAR. In Once Human, the meta shifts faster than a Deviant in a Rift Entity fight, but the shrapnel build is the one thing that refuses to die. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. Honestly, it’s a bit broken if you set it up right.
While other players are sweating over complicated Power Surge rotations or trying to make Frost Vortex feel relevant in high-end Silos, shrapnel players are basically just holding down Left Click and watching health bars melt. But there is a massive difference between a "decent" build and one that actually clears Nightmare Prime Wars without breaking a sweat. If your procs aren't hitting, you're just throwing expensive ammo at a wall.
The Core Mechanic: What Shrapnel Actually Does
Most people think shrapnel is just "extra damage." That's technically true, but it’s more specific than that. When you trigger a Shrapnel hit, the game calculates a hit on a random part of the enemy’s body. If you’re shooting a Rosetta soldier in the head, that shrapnel piece might hit his foot, his torso, or—if you’re lucky—his head again.
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This is why the BER - Outsider or the legendary SCAR - Last Valor are the kings of this archetype. The Last Valor specifically has this nasty little perk where every few hits guaranteed a shrapnel trigger. You aren't just relying on RNG; you're forcing the game to create extra hitboxes.
It’s effectively an AoE (Area of Effect) build hidden inside a single-target rifle. Think about it. When you’re fighting a swarm of Gnawers, a single shrapnel proc can jump from your main target to a nearby enemy. You aren't just killing one thing. You're shredding the air around it.
The Gear That Actually Matters
Stop using random purple gear just because the gear score is higher. In Once Human, your set bonuses are 70% of your power. For a top-tier once human shrapnel build, you basically have two paths, but one is objectively better for raw DPS.
The Falcon Set is the "entry-level" choice. It’s fine. You get some crit rate, you get some stamina. It’s comfortable. But if you want to actually see those 50k+ DPS bursts, you need the Lone Wolf set.
Why Lone Wolf?
It’s all about the crit stacking. Lone Wolf rewards you for sustained fire, increasing your Crit Rate and Crit Damage every time you land a hit. Since shrapnel counts as additional hits, you ramp up these stacks almost instantly.
Usually, I run 4 pieces of Lone Wolf paired with the Bastille set for that extra weapon damage when standing still. Or, if you’re a high-mobility player, throw on the Beret (the specific Shrapnel-enhancing headgear). The Beret is non-negotiable. It increases the number of shrapnel triggers by one. That doesn't sound like much until you realize it’s essentially a 50% to 100% damage increase on the proc itself.
Modding for Maximum Carnage
Mods are where most players mess up their once human shrapnel build. They go all-in on Attack Power. Big mistake.
Shrapnel cannot crit unless you have the Shrapnel Souvenir mod or specific sub-stats. However, your initial bullet can. This means you need to balance your stats like a tightrope walker. You want Crit Rate first. If you aren't critting, you aren't proc-ing the best version of the talent.
- Weapon Mod: Shrapnel Smash. This is the big one. It reduces the number of parts shrapnel can hit but increases the damage significantly. It turns your "spray and pray" into a focused beam of meat-grinding energy.
- Helmet Mod: Comprehensive Spray. It’s simple, effective, and boosts your overall shrapnel damage.
- Mask Mod: Shrapnel Carnage.
I’ve seen guys running around with "Blue" tier mods because they have the "Violent" suffix. They’re right to do it. A blue mod with +5% Crit Rate is often better than a legendary mod with "Accuracy" or "Range." Don't let the color of the loot fool you.
The Deviant Choice
Don't overthink this. You want the Festering Gel if you’re struggling with survivability, but for pure damage? You want the Mini Feaster or the Zeno-Purifier.
The Mini Feaster is great because it provides a flat damage buff against enemies it’s latched onto. Since your shrapnel is already doing high-frequency hits, you’re maximizing every second of that debuff window. Honestly, though, most players just stick with the Gel because the cover it provides lets you stand still and proc your Bastille set bonus without getting your head popped by a Rosetta sniper.
Common Mistakes and Myths
"Shrapnel is bad for bosses."
Wrong. It’s actually great for bosses with multiple weak spots. Take the Ravenous Hunter. When he’s in his shielded phase or showing those glowing canisters, shrapnel bounces between those points like a pinball.
"You need to stack Elemental Damage."
No. Shrapnel is Weapon Damage. Stacking Status Damage or Elemental Damage is a waste of a slot. Save those mods for your Surge or Burn builds. If you’re building shrapnel, you want Weapon DMG, Crit DMG, and Crit Rate. Period.
Scaling into the Late Game
As you hit level 50 and start looking at Pro-mode Silos, the once human shrapnel build requires a bit more finesse. You’ll notice enemies have much higher armor. This is where Armor Penetration becomes your best friend.
If you can find a SCAR with an Armor Pen sub-stat, keep it. Even if the base damage looks lower than another drop, the way Once Human calculates damage mitigation means that bypassing armor is often better than having an extra 100 points of raw attack.
The Food and Drink Meta
You aren't just what you wear; you're what you eat. If you're going into a hard raid, you need Stardust Energy Drink. It buffs your tactical items, sure, but the real winner is the Canned Meat or anything that boosts "Weapon Damage %."
Avoid the generic "Attack +" foods if you can get the percentage-based ones. Late game, your base stats are high enough that a 15% boost is worth way more than a flat +40 attack.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Build
If you’re staring at your character screen wondering why your damage feels "mid," do exactly this:
- Check your Crit Rate. If it’s below 30%, drop everything and find mods with the "Violent" tag. Aim for 45% or higher.
- Farm the Beret. If you don't have the "Gas Tight Helmet" (which is the Beret model for Shrapnel), go to the Wish Machine right now and spend your Starchrom. It is the single most important piece of gear for this build.
- Calibrate to +10. Don't hoard your calibration materials. A +10 SCAR - Last Valor is a completely different weapon than a +5 version. The scaling is exponential, not linear.
- Optimize Sub-stats. Start looking for "Damage to Great Ones" on your mods. Most of the game is easy, but the bosses are the wall. Having an extra 20% damage against Great Ones will make your Silo runs 10x smoother.
- Watch your range. Shrapnel has falloff. If you’re trying to snipe with a SCAR, your procs will hit like wet noodles. Get into that mid-range sweet spot where your crosshair stays red.
This build isn't just about clicking heads; it's about understanding the math behind the chaos. Get your crit up, get your Beret on, and watch the world turn into yellow numbers.