Cookie Run Kingdom: 7 Best Builds, Ranked

Devsister's free-to-play gacha RPG auto-battler Cookie Run Kingdom is as popular as ever, and the recent updates have added master mode content, new goods, and more to tempt players back to the game. For new players, the game involves building teams of cookies via the gacha system, and pitting those teams against PvE and PvP battles in various game modes. Players build teams out of various role archetypes, like defense, attack, and healing-focused characters, and battles play out in real time according to the positioning and abilities of the team. Players can let their team auto-battle or choose to use abilities manually, adding a layer of strategic control to fights.

There are over 160 cookies to collect in Cookie Run Kingdom, with 10 different rarity types, meaning there are a lot of potential picks for team compositions. This topic will cover some of the best teams to use across the game's Story Mode, Arena Mode, and Guild Battle Mode, as there are different considerations for the different battle types. Since a player's available cookies will depend heavily on RNG, most of the cookies listed can be replaced with others that fill similar roles, though there are some clear, stronger options. These are some of the best builds in Cookie Run Kingdom.

7 Story Mode Steel Team

Boss Fight Build

Cookies & Toppings:

Hollyberry - Draconic Raspberry (Defense / Front)
Creampuff - Juicy Apple Jelly (Support / Rear)
Linzer - Bouncing Caramel (Support / Rear)
Okchun - Swift Chocolate (Healing / Middle)
Pavlova - Searing Raspberry (Ranged / Rear)

Treasures:

Grim-looking Scythe
Squishy Jelly Watch
Vial Of Raging Dunes

This team is picked to take on boss fights in story mode, and is especially effective against the Warden of the Heart. The team revolves around building the steel meter, and Hollyberry is the most effective cookie for doing this. While buffed by the supports Creampuff and Linzer, Hollyberry can effectively fill the steel meter and output a lot of damage to the boss. Linzer's debuff, Suspect, is one of the best debilitating effects to use against bosses, as none are immune to it. The team also has a high critical percentage, and the back-line DPS, Pavlova, will help keep this buffed, as well as supplying additional damage.

6 Story Mode Summoner Build

Summon Shields

Cookies & Toppings:

Snow Sugar - Searing Raspberry (Magic / Middle)
Prune Juice - Swift Chocolate / Searing Raspberry (Bomber / Middle)
Pumpkin Pie - Searing Raspberry / Solid Almond (Magic / Middle)
Cotton - Solid Almond / Swift Chocolate (Support / Rear)
Parfait - Solid Almond / Swift Chocolate (Support / Rear)

Treasures:

Seamstress's Pin Cushion
Squishy Jelly Watch
Old Pilgrim's Scroll

This team might look a little unusual on paper, as there's no front liner or tank. That's because those roles are filled by the summons of Prune Juice, Pumpkin Pie, and Cotton. The key to these summons, especially Prune Juice's summon, is that they take a set number of hits, as opposed to damage. That means, in fights where the enemy can hit very hard, these summons can be more effective than a cookie at tanking hits. This setup can be very useful for the Cakehound fight in story mode, but the principle can be applied in other scenarios, too. This is a team where players will probably want to use abilities manually in tougher fights, to make sure the right summons are brought out when needed.

5 Guild Battle Low LV Dragon Killer Team

Guild Boss Battle Defensive Team

Cookies & Toppings:

Crunchy Chip - Solid Almond (Charge / Front)
Dark Choco - Juicy Apple Jelly (Charge / Front)
Pumpkin Pie - Solid Almond (Magic / Middle)
Cotton - Swift Chocolate (Support / Rear)
Eclair - Solid Almond (Support / Middle)

Treasures:

Pilgrim's Slingshot
Squishy Jelly Watch
Old Pilgrim's Scroll

This defensive-focused team is designed to take on Guild Boss Battles, like the lower-level Dragons, and it should work up to around level 35 to 40 before players have to switch their approach. The only downside is that this team is made up of some rare cookies, and players will need their cookies leveled up, so it's not accessible to new players. The full Solid Almond Toppings on Crunchy Chip, Pumpkin Pie, and Eclair will help keep the team alive, especially with Crunchy Chip as he'll be the main front liner soaking up the damage. Crunchy Chip is absolutely key to this team, as his debuff applies a 25% attack speed reduction (stacking up to 50%), which translates to much lower damage output from the boss.

4 Guild Battle Poison Team

Poison Burst

Cookies & Toppings:

Dark Choco - Juicy Apple Jelly (Charge / Front)
Affogato - Searing Raspberry (Bomber / Middle)
Poison Mushroom - Searing Raspberry (Bomber / Middle)
Cotton - Swift Chocolate (Support / Rear)
Eclair - Searing Raspberry / Juicy Apple Jelly (Support / Middle)

Treasures:

Pilgrim's Slingshot
Squishy Jelly Watch
Old Pilgrim's Scroll

This team is based around debuffing and dealing high poison damage to take out higher-level Guild Boss Battles. The combination of Affogato and Poison Mushroom Cookies is where the big poison damage will come from, while the other team members are mostly here for their supporting effects. These two need full loadouts of Searing Raspberry as a Topping to boost their attack. Cotton's ability will allow the team to stay alive long enough, and players want to make sure they press it just before the fight initiates. The rest of the battle can comfortably be handled on auto, as long as this ability is pressed on cooldown. That means that cooldown reduction on Cotton is important, which is why a full loadout of Swift Chocolate is the best topping for them here.

3 Arena Mode Crit Team

PvP Double Tank Counter

Cookies & Toppings:

Crunchy Chip - Juicy Apple Jelly (Charge / Front)
Wildberry - Solid Almond (Defense / Front)
Pumpkin Pie - Solid Almond (Magic / Middle)
Sorbet Shark - Solid Almond (Ambush / Middle)
Cotton - Swift Chocolate (Support / Rear)

Treasures:

Seamstress' Pin Cushion
Squishy Jelly Watch
Old Pilgrim's Scroll

This team composition is designed for taking on double tank, or tanking teams in general, in Arena Mode. Crunchy Chip Cookie is setup with Juicy Apple Jelly toppings as he'll be the main damage dealer here. Wildberry provides the main defense and acts as the player's tank, so it should be equipped with full Solid Almond Toppings. Pumpkin Pie is a useful PvP character, as her debuff will limit opponents' healing abilities. Cotton provides an attack buff to all summons (which includes Crunchy Chip), and handles healing for the team. It's generally a good idea to stack her with as much cooldown reduction as possible, with the easiest solution being to equip full Swift Chocolate Toppings. Finally, Sorbet Shark will supply extra damage to help deal with double tank teams, but they're the most easily replaced team member here.

2 Arena Mode One Shot Team

Low Rarity, High Damage

Cookies & Toppings:

Kumiho - Swift Chocolate (Charge / Front)
GingerBrave - Solid Almond (Charge / Front)
Caramel Arrow - Searing Raspberry (Ranged / Front)
Dark Cacao - Searing Raspberry (Charge / Front)
Sea Fairy - Searing Raspberry (Bomber / Middle)

Treasures:

Librarian's Enchanted Robes
Bear Jelly's Lollipop
Old Pilgrim's Scroll

This team is made up of relatively low rarity characters, and can be quite easily assembled, but can achieve massive damage when fully leveled and equipped. The setup is particularly effective against teams running multiple summoners in Arena Mode. The focus here is on high damage, bursting down the main damage dealers and healers of an opponent's team before they can make them pay off. GingerBrave will provide tanking for the team, but there's no healer, so fights need to be won quickly. That means this team is good against almost everything, but will struggle with very high-sustain compositions.

There are two important factors that players need to account for in order for this composition to work. First, they need to make sure that the buff from the Librarian's Enchanted Robes treasure applies to Kumiho and Caramel Arrow, which means these two need to have the first and second-highest attack speeds in the team. The second factor is equipping the right toppings. Caramel Arrow, Dark Cacao, and Sea Fairy need to have full Searing Raspberry Toppings equipped to get the highest damage output. Kumiho benefits more from cooldown reduction, and GingerBrave should have Solid Almond to help with damage mitigation.