Riftspinner Mutations

All seventeen level-up choices, what each really does, and combinations worth taking.

Every time you level up, Riftspinner pauses and offers four field mutations. You pick one with the number keys 1 to 4 (or by clicking it), and it lasts until the run ends. This guide lists all 17 mutations with the real range each can roll, explains how they stack, and gives a few combinations that work well together.

How mutations work

The four choices are drawn at random from the pool below, and each card rolls its own value inside the range shown, so one Overdraw can be worth +8% and another +22%. Mutations are temporary: they exist only for the current run, unlike Ash Market ranks, which are permanent. The same mutation can be offered again later, and the second copy adds to the first. A few are special. Venom Line turns into a Venom Stack card once you own it, and Rift Awl is never offered to a melee rig, because piercing means nothing to a blade.

All 17 mutations

Mutation	What it does (low to high roll)	Notes
Overdraw	+8% weapon damage to +22% weapon damage	Raises the damage of every shot or swing. The simplest pick in the game.
Tempo Wire	+8% fire rate to +20% fire rate	Faster fire rate. For melee rigs it means faster swings, and the orbiting blades of Gyre hit more often.
Keen Edge	+4% crit chance to +9% crit chance	Raises your chance to land a critical hit.
Open Vein	+15% crit damage to +35% crit damage	Raises how hard critical hits land. Pair it with Keen Edge.
Payload Tips	Hits splash +9% nearby. Stacks to Hits splash +22% nearby. Stacks	Part of every hit splashes onto nearby hosts. Best with spread weapons and big packs.
Rift Awl	+1 pierce to +2 pierce	Shots pass through hosts. Gun rigs only: melee rigs are never offered it.
Venom Line	Every shot applies venom.	Your hits poison hosts. Once you have it, the card comes back as Venom Stack 2 up to 7, each adding 20% venom damage and 0.4 seconds of duration.
Siphon Ring	2% lifesteal on hit to 6% lifesteal on hit	Lifesteal. Your total lifesteal is capped at 14% and one hit never heals more than 3% of your maximum health.
Carapace	+16 max HP and restore 16 to +42 max HP and restore 42	Raises your maximum health and heals the same amount on the spot, so it doubles as an emergency heal.
Iron Hide	+3% damage soak to +6% damage soak	Flat damage soak. Your total soak from every source is capped at 48%.
Second Wind	Regenerate 0.6 HP per second to Regenerate 1.4 HP per second	Constant health regeneration, even in combat.
Blood Tithe	Heal 1 HP on every kill to Heal 3 HP on every kill	Heals you for every host you defeat, so it shines in crowded waves.
Stride Wire	+6% move speed to +12% move speed	Faster movement for this run, on top of the Stride Coil upgrade.
Afterimage	Dash cooldown -12% to Dash cooldown -36%	A shorter dash cooldown. Stacks with the Afterimage upgrade in the Ash Market.
Rift Dice	+4 luck and +16 magnet to +14 luck and +56 magnet	More luck for better drops, plus extra magnet range so you collect them without walking.
Miser Eye	+10% ash from corpses to +32% ash from corpses	More ash from every kill for the rest of the run.
Headhunter	+5% execute damage against wounded hosts to +12% execute damage against wounded hosts	Extra damage against hosts that are already wounded, which makes finishing them easier.

Which one should I pick?

There is no single best card, but the situation usually points to one:

You keep dying early: Carapace for a bigger health pool, or Iron Hide and Second Wind for steady protection. Survival picks matter most in the first few levels.
You cannot kill things fast enough: Overdraw and Tempo Wire raise your damage output directly. Tempo Wire is stronger on weapons that already fire quickly.
Packs are overwhelming you: Payload Tips with a spread weapon, or Blood Tithe to heal as you clear them.
A boss is coming: damage, crit and execute cards help most. Keen Edge, Open Vein and Headhunter all raise burst damage.
You want a long, rich run: Rift Dice and Miser Eye improve drops and ash. They pay back slowly, so take them early rather than late.

Combinations that work

The crit build. Keen Edge and Open Vein together: crits become both common and heavy. Add Overdraw for a higher base to multiply.
The tank. Carapace, Iron Hide and Second Wind. You will trade damage for a long fuse, which suits the Bulwark rig and a careful playstyle.
The vampire. Siphon Ring and Blood Tithe, with Tempo Wire for more hits. Remember the 14% lifesteal cap, so do not stack Siphon past it. Harrow is a natural fit.
The poisoner. Venom Line, then every Venom Stack you are offered. It rewards patience and suits the Gland and Glass Nerve style of play.
The runner. Stride Wire and Afterimage keep you moving and dashing, with Second Wind to recover while you kite.
The melee shredder. Overdraw, Tempo Wire and Blood Tithe on Bulwark, Harrow or Gyre. See the rigs guide for how each melee rig plays.

Mutations, upgrades, forge and loot

Four systems make you stronger, and they work on different timescales. Ash Market ranks are permanent. Mutations last one run and arrive with each level-up. The forge spends ash to upgrade weapons during a run (see special events). Loot changes your gear as you find it (see the loot guide). For the bigger picture, the strategy guide explains how to combine them.