Key Takeaways

• Invest in Power Ups for permanent stat upgrades, crucial for scoring wins in Vampire Survivors.
• Some Power Ups have a significant impact on runs, while others offer minor quality-of-life changes.
• Damage-related Power Ups are among the best ways to spend early-game Gold.

In Vampire Survivors, the first thing you should invest in is Power Ups. Each Power Up is like a permanent stat upgrade, and you’ll need to spend your gold wisely to score your first win.

If you stick around, you’ll eventually unlock every Power Up at max rank, but they certainly aren’t created equally. Some have a massive impact on your runs, while others fall squarely into the “quality-of-life” category.

If you want to start your Vampire Survivors journey with your best foot forward, here are the Power Ups that matter the most.

Don’t worry if you’re a new player and invested in completely different stats from what I’ve covered here. It won’t take long before you have enough gold to max out every Power Up, and that’s where the fun really begins!

10 Revival

It’s Like A Bandaid

Revival is a potent Power Up and will bring you back from the brink of death for another chance at victory.

With such a mighty ability, you may wonder why Revival is chilling at the bottom of the list rather than the top. The issue is that if you die in Vampire Survivors, it’s usually because you’re not dealing enough damage, and a Revival won’t change that.

Often, you’ll revive, run away for a few moments, and then die again anyway, and it’s just as unceremonious the second time. Revival can save you from a silly mistake, and having a lifeline is excellent. I’d just argue that other Power-Ups are more impactful.

9 Area

The Bigger, The Better

Area is a superb, if niche, Power Up that increases the size of your projectiles.

You’ll notice Area’s impact far more on large projectiles, like the Axe, and a bigger hitbox means it hits more enemies and effectively deals more damage.

Area is rated a little lower because the max rank only increases projectile size by 10%. It’s not “bad,” but it’s barely noticeable on many weapon types.

Still, Area is worth the upgrade if you have a few coins, and if you really like the effect, the Candelabrador Passive Item can boost the projectile size by a further 50%!

8 Reroll

Take Control Of Your Build

I debated putting Reroll on the list because it’s not unlocked immediately, and its ranks are tied to specific achievements. That said, it’s something to shoot for in the future and well worth the grind.

Reroll does precisely what you expect it to do. If you’re unhappy with the selection when you level up, you can spend a Reroll for the chance of something better. This Power Up prevents you from getting strong-armed into items you don’t like and gives you a welcome bit of build freedom.

If you want to try Reroll yourself, you must reach level 80 with the following characters:

• Bianca Ramba
• Mortaccio
• Yatta Cavallo
• Sir Ambrojoe
• O’Sole Meeo

If you hit the target with every character, you earn five Rerolls per run, which is a big deal!

I often spend my Rerolls early so I can focus on one or two items instead of padding out my inventory, but there’s no wrong way to use it.

7 Magnet

Yeah, Science!

Magnet is an excellent quality-of-life Power Up that increases your pickup range.

Pickup range determines how close you must be to an item to grab it. You still have to get close with the 50% bonus from a maxed-out Magnet, but it beats being precise.

Magnet can come in handy when you’re trying to snag a Rosary or red gem from a horde of enemies. The latter certainly comes in handy, as without gems, you’re not earning EXP or getting stronger.

If you want to see the Magnet stat in full force, try the Attractorb Passive Item, as you can gobble up items from miles away.

6 Move Speed

Gotta Go Fast!

There are plenty of great survivability items in Vampire Survivors, but completely avoiding damage is the best defensive tool in the game.

Move Speed increases your movement speed by 10% at max rank, and while that’s not much, it’s better than nothing. A slight boost in movement speed allows you to keep your distance from enemy swarms and make micro-adjustments to avoid faster foes.

The boost also feels great when you’re using characters with negative movement speed stats, like Dommario. Ultimately, you will want the Wings Passive Item to patch up any serious speed problems, but Move Speed is a comfy Power Up you shouldn’t ignore.

Many of the best characters in the game have movement speed baked into their kit and it’s a big part of what makes them so powerful.

5 Growth

Get Stronger, Faster

The best way to get stronger in a Bullet Heaven game is to level up as fast as possible to improve your arsenal.

With the Growth Power Up, you can increase your EXP gain by 15% at max rank. It may not sound like much, but it really adds up, and you’ll soar through the early game as you’ll have more levels under your belt.

Your opponents will eventually catch up with your power level, but if you can secure a few weapon combos before that happens, you’ll be laughing. If you want to lean into EXP gain more heavily, check out the Crown Passive Item during your runs for a ridiculous 40% boost at max rank.

4 Armor

A Solid Defense

A fantastic selection of top-tier weapons will get you far in Vampire Survivors, but it’s all for naught if you die in one shot.

Armor is an excellent stat to invest in as it reduces incoming damage. The Power Up may not sound too impactful as it only reduces damage by -3 at max rank, but trust me, you’ll feel it.

You can even pair Armor with the passive item of the same name for even more survivability.

Ultimately, I’d focus on power and mobility before Armor, but if you’ve got gold to spare, this Power Up remains a great way to spend it.

3 Max Health

Who Even Needs Armor?

We could go into the nitty-gritty about Health VS Armor, but you’ll want all of your Power Ups at max rank eventually, and Max Health is an excellent one to invest in early.

Max Health increases your maximum hp pool by 30% at max rank, which is very noticeable beyond the 10-minute mark when enemies start to hit harder. Extra health can compensate for sloppy play and keep you alive if you get caught with your back against a wall.

You can seek out the Hollow Heart Passive Item during your runs to further increase your health pool, but Max Health is a good start that every character will benefit from.

2 Amount

More Bullets = More Fun

The description for the Amount Power Up doesn’t explicitly mention damage, but more projectiles always means more DPS.

Amount simply makes every weapon fire an extra projectile per shot. Depending on your weapon choice, an additional shot can make a huge difference. For example, the Axe is a potent weapon with decent scaling, and Amount effectively doubles its vanilla damage.

You’ll notice the benefits far less on a fast-firing weapon, but Amount is a straight damage increase across the board and worth adding to your repertoire as soon as possible.

1 Might

It’s All About DPS

I’ve harped on enough about damage throughout this list, so it should be no surprise that Might is my pick for the best Power Up to prioritize.

Might increases your damage output by 5% per rank for a grand total of 25% at the max level. Remember that this bonus counts for all damage sources, so you get value from it no matter what weapon you’re rocking.

A 25% damage boost keeps you ahead of your enemies for longer, and you’ll immediately notice the benefits. Vampire Survivors is like an arms race in many ways, and once you fall behind, it’s tough to catch up.

Might is your best avenue to stay ahead and nigh-essential to claiming your first victory at the 30-minute mark.

If you enjoy build crafting in your Vampire Survivors experience, you may also enjoy Brotato. It’s similar gameplay-wise, but with a heavy dose of numbers and stats to manage.