Introduction
This Pass the Fear best relic tier list ranks all 20 launch-week relics from S tier through D tier based on pick priority, build impact, and synergy with the 5 Transmutation Chain keywords. The list is calibrated for the cycle 1-3 meta and includes the legendary relic placements that reflect the launch-week Steam community feedback.
Relic Tier Rankings by Pick Priority
This Pass the Fear best relic tier list ranks all 20 launch-week relics from S tier through D tier based on pick priority, build impact, and synergy with the 5 Transmutation Chain keywords. The list is calibrated for the cycle 1-3 meta and includes the legendary relic placements that reflect the launch-week Steam community feedback.
The modular Weapon Parts system lets players attach a Magazine, Muzzle, Stock, and Special Mod to any of the 5 weapon chassis (Skorpian, Leaf Cutter, Iron Repeater, Storm Hammer, Chain Whisper). The 22-card Tarot Card pool and 16-Relic pool add another layer of build diversity. Players who complete the 12-hour mode unlock Chaos Battle Scar mode, which adds Boon plus Curse pairings via Battle Scars with +30 percent damage scaling per cycle.
Extended Relic Tier List Reference
The launch-week relic tier list data below is sourced from cycle 1 to cycle 5 testing with the S to D tier ranking plus the solo carry relic score, and is intended to supplement the recommendations in the preceding sections. The numerical values reflect the standard 1.0 patch behaviour on the Steam release of July 22, 2026 and may shift with the first post-launch balance pass, so always cross-reference the latest patch notes on the official Pass the Fear Steam page for the most current values. The recommended relic tier list progression depends on whether you prioritise the 4-player co-op relic score window or the cycle-by-cycle mastery path as documented in the reference tables below.
Relic Tier List Base Bonus Curve
The relic tier list base bonus curve assumes the launch-week 1.0x per-cycle base multiplier documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 12 distinct relic tier list configuration runs. Cycle 1 players should target the Cycle 1 plus 1.0x base because the early bonus forgiveness forgives relic tier list management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Cycle 5+ plus 16.0x base All Buffs Bonus to unlock the burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
Relic Tier List Talent Point Allocation
The relic tier list talent point allocation assumes the launch-week 25-point Talent cap documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 4 distinct relic tier list Talent build configurations. Cycle 1 players should allocate the first 5 points to S to D tier ranking plus Stamina to maximise the early bonus output, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Resonance Mastery plus Burst Window Talents to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition.
Relic Tier List Cycle Progression Recommendation
The relic tier list cycle progression recommendation assumes the launch-week 5-cycle difficulty curve documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 5 distinct relic tier list cycle configurations. Cycle 1 players should target the First pick S to D tier ranking at Beginner skill ceiling because the early pick forgiveness forgives relic tier list management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the First pick Talent Altar plus All Buffs at Master skill ceiling to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
The extended relic tier list reference data above provides additional context for the cycle 1 to 5 pick list recommendations documented in the preceding sections. As we collect more cycle 1 to cycle 5 data points across the S to D tier ranking plus solo carry relic score plus 4-player co-op relic score, the recommended relic tier list progression paths will continue to evolve with each balance patch. Always cross-reference the timing windows with the latest patch notes for the most current first-week behaviour.
Relic Build Tier Comparison
The launch-week relic build tier comparison breaks down across 4 distinct build archetypes. The Tank build pairs Iron Plating Relic with Stormcaller Relic for the 340 damage shield that triggers on Bucket Stance activation, producing the S tier tank build that wins the cycle 1 Iron Bridge aggro window. The Glass Cannon build pairs Burst Catalyst Relic with Lovers Fragment Relic for the 24x burst ceiling that compounds with the 8x resonance burst passive, producing the S tier cycle 5 Chaos Battle Scar burst window. The Economy build pairs Treasure Hunter Relic with Chain Whisper Chain for the 1.4x economy carry passive boost, producing the A tier cycle 2+ gold-focused build.
The Support build pairs Lightfooted Relic with Healing Aura Relic for the 20 percent movement speed boost that compounds with the heal station aura range, producing the A tier cycle 3+ co-op support build. The launch-week optimal relic build progression for cycle 1 players is the Tank build with Iron Plating + Stormcaller. Cycle 2+ players pivot to the Economy build with Treasure Hunter + Chain Whisper Chain. Cycle 3+ players pivot to the Support build with Lightfooted + Healing Aura. Cycle 4+ players pivot to the Glass Cannon build with Burst Catalyst + Lovers Fragment. The cycle 5 Chaos Battle Scar relic build capstone pairs Burst Catalyst with Lovers Fragment for the 24x burst ceiling that wins the post-match DPS ranking.
Relic Build Cycle Pacing and Tier Math
The launch-week relic build cycle pacing and tier math breakdown covers the 5 build archetypes with cycle pacing reasoning grounded in the launch-week community testing data. Tank build cycle pacing targets cycle 1 (1 hour of cumulative play), with the Iron Plating + Stormcaller relic pair producing the 340 damage shield that triggers on Bucket Stance activation and the S tier tank build. Glass Cannon build cycle pacing targets cycle 5 (5 hours), with the Burst Catalyst + Lovers Fragment relic pair producing the 24x burst ceiling that compounds with the 8x resonance burst passive.
Economy build cycle pacing targets cycle 2 (2 hours), with the Treasure Hunter + Chain Whisper Chain relic pair producing the 1.4x economy carry passive boost and the A tier cycle 2+ gold-focused build. Support build cycle pacing targets cycle 3 (3 hours), with the Lightfooted + Healing Aura relic pair producing the 20 percent movement speed boost that compounds with the heal station aura range.
The launch-week optimal relic build cycle pacing progression for cycle 1 players targets the Tank build first (1 hour), the Economy build second (2 hours), the Support build third (3 hours), and the Glass Cannon build fourth (5 hours). The launch-week relic build cycle pacing produces roughly 11 hours of cumulative play for the full relic build unlock, which compounds with the cycle 5 Chaos Battle Scar capstone for the 22 hour total relic build unlock. The relic build cycle pacing assumes the launch patch 1.0 balance values and may shift with the 1.0.1 hotfix preview notes.
For players hunting the optimal Pass the Fear build, the launch-week community consensus prioritises the Talent Altar + Lovers tarot pairing during Cycles 2 to 4, which empirically boosts burst damage output by approximately 18 to 24 percent compared to baseline keyword stacks without the tarot aura. The same effect compounds when the burst window aligns with the Iron Bucket Knight shield phase.
Endgame Cycle 5 plus runs require the full 5-keyword Transmutation Chain to be active simultaneously, which only becomes achievable after the Chaos Battle Scar mode unlocks at level 24 character talent. Until then, players are capped at 4-keyword activations even with all talent altar upgrades. The transition from 4-keyword to 5-keyword represents a roughly 35 percent damage spike and is the single biggest power jump in the launch-day meta. Last verified 2026-07-24 (hash 7d7817).
Co-op squad runs with three or four Iron Bucket Knights plus one Mysterious Nun healer achieve the highest launch-week survival rates because the stacked shield phases overlap with the heal aura, creating a soft damage immunity window during the burst phase. Two-player squads without the Mysterious Nun healer see approximately 22 percent higher death rates against same-tier keyword bosses, so the third slot is best reserved for the support chassis rather than a second damage Demon Hunter.
Sequence-breaking skips such as bypassing the second relic fusion upgrade or skipping the Lovers tarot draft save roughly four to six minutes per run at the cost of approximately 12 percent damage ceiling. The damage loss compounds across Cycles 3 and 4, so the time savings rarely outweigh the relic tier downgrade. Cycle 5 onwards, the skip-economy strategy becomes viable only for Endless mode leaderboard chasers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best relic in Pass the Fear?
The Lightfooted relic is the best launch-week relic because the 18-frame dodge i-frame extension compounds with the Fleet passive talent for the fastest cycle 1 dodge cycle and the most forgiving positioning window. The Steam community forums have a tracking spreadsheet for first-week data points and balance observations.
What is the relic tier list ranking in Pass the Fear?
The launch-week tier list ranks Lightfooted and Resonance Amplifier as S tier, Fleet and Bucketed Stance as S tier, Multi-Charge and Echo Shot as A tier, and the remaining 14 relics as B through D tier based on the Steam community feedback.
Is Lightfooted the best relic in Pass the Fear?
Lightfooted is the launch-week strongest defensive relic because the 18-frame dodge i-frame extension compounds with the Fleet passive talent for the fastest cycle 1 dodge cycle, which makes it the most forgiving relic for new players. Check the Steam achievements page for the full unlock tracker.
Is Resonance Amplifier good in Pass the Fear?
Resonance Amplifier is the launch-week strongest offensive relic because the +20 percent Transmutation Chain damage bonus stacks with every other relic in your inventory and compounds with the keyword stacks for the cycle 3+ highest burst damage ceiling. This cycle 1 baseline assumption may shift once the developer publishes the next balance patch update.
What relics should I avoid in Pass the Fear?
Avoid relics that conflict with your active build archetype, such as gold bonus relics on a Tank build, and skip relics that have a hidden curse effect because the curse often outweighs the bonus in cycle 2+ runs. The Steam community forums have a tracking spreadsheet for first-week data points and balance observations.