Veteran
Effects
- +1% Damage for every 1% of missing health
- +2 Horde waves every 10 waves
- HP is not restored between waves
- -100 HP Regeneration
- -100% Life Steal
- Fruits are not attracted at the end of waves
- Unlock
- Available from the start
- Winning a run unlocks
- Carbon Bow (weapon)
Build
- Community build
- Machine Guns are recommended; the low-HP mechanic is hard to exploit when Luck brings many fruit, so the guide plays it like Well Rounded.
- Core weapons and items
- Stats to buy
- Ranged Damage
- Top weapons at the reference profile
- Combat Shotgun IV, Machine Gun IV, Minigun IV
Full Veteran buildSynergies: Consumables and fruit synergies, Low health synergies
Starting weapons
Pick one of 8 weapons. Weapons marked with a DLC name appear only when that DLC's Item Set is on.
Carbon Bow Primal Dread
Double Barrel Shotgun
Machine Gun Primal Dread
Molotov Cocktail Primal Dread
Rail Gun
SMG
Sticky Grenade Primal Dread
Tranq Rifle Primal Dread
Shop restrictions
- Item groups never offered: lifesteal, lifesteal and hp regeneration, hp regeneration.
How Veteran plays
Damage rises by 1% for every 1% of missing health: at half health the Veteran deals +50% Damage. HP is not restored between waves and HP Regeneration and Life Steal are set to −100, so the only healing is consumables and items that heal directly.
Fruits are not pulled to you at the end of a wave; walk over them during the wave if you need the heal. Every 10 waves add two extra horde waves.
A Russian-speaking player who cleared Nightmare recommends the Mecha side with shotguns and piercing. Max HP and Armor raise the room you have before low health becomes fatal.
Winning unlocks the Carbon Bow.
Sources
- Brotato Wiki, Veteran: effects, unlock and starting weapons from the game files.
- Primal Dread launch post, 2 November 2026
- Steam discussion, Veteran on Nightmare (Russian)
Reviewed against PC 1.2 and the 12 November patch.