menu
MobalyticsUse your favourite features in-game with our Desktop App
The Bazaar Build

Kripp's Tortuga Vanessa Build

Kripparrian
Vanessa
Updated on Apr 14, 2026
Apr 14, 2026

Overview

Tortuga is a powerful enabler for Friend builds that combines huge Damage with exceptional Charge and Haste capabilities. It's a flexible win condition by nature, opening up some wildly unique boards.

The early presence of Aquatic and Friend Weapons makes it fairly reliable from the beginning, but you'll definitely want to find Tortuga to close things out.

Kripparrian's Video Guide

Example 10 Win Board

Figurehead + Pufferfish

tortuga vanessa pufferfish figurehead example board

3D Printer + Piranhas

tortuga vanessa 3d printer piranhas

Example Early Game Path

This build can sometimes begin as an Aquatic setup, although the smoothest line tends to focus on Friend Weapons.

Core Synergies

  • Sharkray is the signpost build-around that converts Haste into Damage (and Poison) scaling.
    • It's the ideal carry during the early to mid game, but can also be played alongside Tortuga later on.
    • Piranha, Narwhal, and Flying Fish are fast Friend Weapons that benefit from the scaling.
    • Flying Fish is also a reliable source of Haste triggers for Sharkray. Jellyfish can fulfill a similar role, although it isn't a Weapon.
  • Beach Ball provides consistent Haste across the board of Aquatics.
    • Avoid including non-Friend Aquatics, otherwise you could miss the Sharkray scaling trigger.
  • Sharkclaws, Switchblade, and Honing Steel are all reasonable Damage scaling alternatives before Sharkray is found.
  • Chum is the easiest way to acquire multiple Piranhas, and they work exceptionally well together.
    • Fishing Net and Fishing Rod can also help if you're lucky, but are otherwise solid Economy items nonetheless.

Tips & Tricks

  • Ambergris is a must-buy and will provide a ton of Gold throughout the run. Upgrade it from Bronze to Silver ASAP.
  • Star Chart unlocks the always helpful Gold + XP option at The Docks event.

Common Filler Items

  • Calico
  • Catfish
  • Concealed Dagger
  • Handaxe
  • IllusoRay
  • Marlon
  • Pesky Pete
  • Zoarcid
SharkrayVanessa
PiranhaVanessa
NarwhalVanessa
Flying FishVanessa
JellyfishVanessa
Beach BallVanessa
SharkclawsVanessa
SwitchbladeVanessa
Honing SteelVanessa
ChumVanessa
Fishing NetVanessa
Fishing RodVanessa
AmbergrisVanessa
Star ChartVanessa

Example Mid Game Additions

Core Synergies

  • Figurehead or Seashadow can be utilized to provide Cooldown Reduction across the board.
    • This is a great way to fill in the gaps when lacking a full board of Friends (such as multiple Piranhas).
    • Silver-Tier won't cut it in the late game, so make sure to prioritize upgrading to Gold/Diamond ASAP.
  • Pufferfish slots nicely alongside Tortuga regardless of Poison synergies, as it spams incredibly fast thanks to Tortuga's board-wide Haste trigger.

Tips & Tricks

  • Wanted Poster is worth grabbing if you're confident you can win PvP fights. The additional XP can help the build snowball earlier victories.
  • If Sharkray isn't holding up and Tortuga doesn't appear, consider pivoting to a different build entirely.

Mid Game Filler Items

  • Dive Weights
  • Mr. Richardson
  • Old Saltclaw
  • Vampire Squid
FigureheadVanessa
SeashadowVanessa
PiranhaVanessa
PufferfishVanessa
Wanted PosterVanessa

End Game Build Breakdown

Core Synergies

  • Tortuga can output huge Damage, especially at Diamond-tier. With a supporting build, it can easily become the sole carry, lessening the need for scaling.
  • Piano opens up a huge variety of crazy combos, allowing items like Dive Weights to spam Charge Tortuga an insane amount of times.
    • Between Piano and off-Hero items, sky's the limit with what you can create.

Tips & Tricks

  • Sustain is very important during the later parts of a run, so considering aiming for a Restorative/Shielded enchantment for Tortuga.
  • Tortuga builds have great snowball potential with its early Sharkray + Piranhas line, but may need to adapt if not ending early.
    • Be mindful of your startup time. While Piranhas are incredibly spammy, a five second Cooldown can be too slow during the later days.
TortugaVanessa
PianoVanessa
Dive WeightsVanessa
SharkrayVanessa
PiranhaVanessa