Each of the five skills has a branch choice at level 5 and level 10, for 10 decisions in total. This guide analyzes the payoff of each branch pair and gives recommendations by playstyle. Note: From version 1.6 onward, you can reset skill branches at the rat shop in the Sewers for 10,000G.
The level 5 branch determines your "direction" (e.g., crops vs. ranching), and the level 10 branch is a "specialization" built on top of level 5. Picking wrong isn't a disaster because you can reset, but choosing well early saves you detours.
Farming is the main skill for most players, and the level 5 branch directly affects your core income source.
| Branch | Level 5 Effect | Level 10 Specialization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Tiller | Crops sell for +10% | Artisan (+40% artisan goods) / Agriculturist (fertilizer effect +1) | Crop farming focus |
| 🐑 Rancher | Animal products sell for +20% | Coopmaster (friendship decays slower) / Shepherd (sheep produce wool faster) | Ranching focus |
Tiller is recommended for the vast majority of players. Farming is a stable, scalable income source, and the +10% covers all crops (including wine ingredients). Late game, Ancient Fruit Wine alone can bring in millions. Only players heavily invested in ranching (multiple barns + automation) should consider Rancher.
Fishing is the fastest early-game money-maker, and the branch choice affects mid- and late-game returns.
| Branch | Level 5 Effect | Level 10 Specialization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 Fisher | Fish sell for +25% | Angler (+50%) / Pirate (chance to find treasure doubled) | Selling fish for money |
| 🦀 Trapper | Crab Pot crafting materials reduced | Mariner (Crab Pots no longer catch trash) / Luremaster (Crab Pots no longer need bait) | Crab Pot build / resource collection |
Fisher → Angler is recommended. The +50% fish price is a huge boost to early-game fishing income and also applies to legendary fish. The Crab Pot route requires lots of pots and maintenance, and the payoff is far worse than just fishing directly.
Foraging is passive income, and the branch determines whether you profit through "quantity" or "quality."
| Branch | Level 5 Effect | Level 10 Specialization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌲 Forester | Wood sells for +50% | Lumberjack (+1 Hardwood) / Tapper (syrup worth 25% more) | Woodcutting / building |
| 🍃 Gatherer | Chance to find double foraged items | Botanist (foraged items always iridium) / Tracker (reveals foraged item locations) | Foraging / high value |
Gatherer → Botanist is recommended. Double foraging plus all-iridium quality multiplies the value of wild foraged goods (like mushrooms and wild fruit) several times over, and pairs explosively with Forest Farm. The wood price bonus is worthless in the late game (you won't make money selling wood).
The Mining branch determines whether you prioritize "yield" or "gems."
| Branch | Level 5 Effect | Level 10 Specialization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⛏️ Miner | +1 ore per node | Blacksmith (metal bars +50% price) / Prospector (coal find rate doubled) | Ore yield |
| 💎 Geologist | Chance for gems to appear in pairs | Excavator (geodes yield double) / Gemologist (gems +30% price) | Gems / geodes |
Miner → Prospector is recommended. +1 ore applies to all ore and is the most stable mining boost; Prospector doubles coal drops, which combined with bombs makes mining runs extremely efficient and lets you reach the iridium levels faster. Geologist's gem income is limited by gem rarity.
The Combat branch determines your combat style — head-on brawler or crit build.
| Branch | Level 5 Effect | Level 10 Specialization | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🛡️ Fighter | Attack +10%, HP +15 | Brute (+15% attack) / Defender (+25 HP) | Steady damage / tank |
| 🗡️ Scout | Crit chance +50% | Desperado (crit damage ×3) / Acrobat (special move cooldown halved) | Crit build |
For new players, Fighter → Brute is recommended — the attack and HP bonuses are steady and forgiving. The crit build (Scout → Desperado) needs a dagger + crit rings to shine, but once built has very high DPS, though the early experience is rougher.
| Skill | Recommended Lv5 Branch | Recommended Lv10 Specialization | Core Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌾 Farming | Tiller | Artisan | +40% artisan goods covers wine; huge late-game payoff |
| 🎣 Fishing | Fisher | Angler | Fish price +50%; fastest early wealth |
| 🪓 Foraging | Gatherer | Botanist | Double + all iridium; passive income soars |
| ⛏️ Mining | Miner | Prospector | +1 ore + double coal; fastest mining runs |
| ⚔️ Combat | Fighter | Brute | Steady damage; beginner-friendly |
Percentages alone aren't very intuitive, so here's a comparison of each branch pair using actual income data, based on typical Year 1 scenarios:
Assume you plant 100 Blueberries in Summer (base price 50G) and 100 Cranberries in Fall (base price 75G), and turn them into wine (wine price = base × 3):
Once you scale up farming, Tiller's income crushes Rancher, and you don't need to tend animals daily. A late-game Ancient Fruit Wine array (100+ Kegs) can earn over 500,000G per season — Rancher can't keep up. Only heavy-ranching players (3+ barns, auto-feeders) should consider Rancher.
Assume you catch 20 fish a day at an average base price of 100G:
On paper the Crab Pot route earns more, but the upfront cost is enormous (50 Crab Pots need 50 × 40 wood + 3 copper bars + 30 iron bars), and you must visit each pot daily to collect and rebait. Angler needs no maintenance and offers far better value.
Forest Farm refreshes about 8 foraged items per day (common mushrooms, wild plums, etc.), at an average base price of 40G:
Botanist earns about 450G more per day and applies to all foraged items on the entire map. Lumberjack's +50% wood price is almost useless late game (wood only sells for 2G each — you'd never make money selling wood).
On a single mine run to depth 80, assume you mine 30 copper/iron/gold ore + 5 gems:
Prospector's +1 ore applies to all ore, including iridium (essential late game), while gem yield is limited by geode output. As you go deeper, Prospector's coal bonus becomes even more valuable.
Using the Galaxy Sword (base damage 60) as an example, compare the DPS of both paths:
Desperado's theoretical DPS is slightly higher, but needs a crit ring + dagger (high-crit weapon) to trigger crits reliably. Brute works with any weapon, and the +15 HP improves survivability, making it the best all-around choice.
Players have very different rhythms and preferences, so here are branch combos for four typical playstyles:
| Playstyle | Farming | Fishing | Foraging | Mining | Combat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Crop Tycoon | Artisan | Angler | Botanist | Prospector | Brute |
| 🎣 Fishing Fortune | Artisan | Angler | Botanist | Prospector | Brute |
| 🐔 Relaxed Rancher | Shepherd | Angler | Botanist | Prospector | Defender |
| ⚔️ Combat Explorer | Artisan | Angler | Tracker | Prospector | Desperado |
| 🎨 Completionist | Artisan | Angler | Tracker | Gemologist | Brute |
Choosing a branch isn't always "the sooner the better" — some branches pay off most at specific stages:
Once money is no longer a bottleneck and all facilities are unlocked, branch selection shifts from "making money" to "efficiency" and "convenience":
If you picked some branches early just for money, consider resetting them in the endgame. For example, switch "Fishing Angler" to "Trapper + Mariner" (passive Crab Pot income), or "Foraging Botanist" to "Tracker" (to find artifacts). Each skill reset costs only 10,000G — pocket change for an endgame player.
From version 1.6 onward, players can reset skill branches, so don't worry about picking wrong:
Early on, pick money-making branches (e.g., Angler) to build capital, then transition to production branches (e.g., Tiller for wine). Each skill can be reset independently, so you don't have to change them all at once.