Clunkmasters Build Guide & Tier List

The Clunkmasters are Wildfrost's resource-driven tribe, built around Junk economy, Scrap accumulation, and Frenzy + Weakness (formerly Bom) payoffs. Their gameplay is more "engine-builder" than the other tribes — early turns are about setting up the loop, mid-game it pays out exponentially.

Tribe identity

Junk: clogs your hand but can be Recycled by Clunkmaster items for huge effects
Scrap: a damage layer that absorbs hits 1 at a time (similar to Block but on Clunkers); when a unit with Scrap dies, it spawns Junk
Frenzy: makes units attack multiple times — combos brutally with Weakness (additional damage from all sources)
Clunkers: durable mech allies that don't take damage normally (lose Scrap instead)

Tier-ranked companions

Tier rankings below are from a community-vetted post on r/wildfrostgame (source).

S-Tier — carries runs

Scaven — "An engine for junk teams, providing a steady stream, while also hitting hard and frequently. Solid all around, almost never a bad pick."
Mini Mika — "Easy Frenzy scaling means boosts go way farther with spice/attack. Definitely changed my mind on her."
Kernel — "The wall bros. Very solid for enabling healing/shell strategies." Pairs with Big Berry strategies.
Alloy — From a community Alloy-focused post: "All scrap up, the new alloy is really good, really fun." (After patch). She generates Scrap on attacks, fueling the Junk strategy directly.

A-Tier — solid workhorses

Kreggo / Nom & Stompy — "The destroy card users. For Clunkmasters, they have very adaptable styles, since Destroy can trigger even off of units being killed, they tend to scale pretty well. Both are very slow, but hard hitters scaling well off of Smackback abilities or Frenzy abilities like Blaze Tea."
Folby — "Respectable health and junk on hit is good. Not quite the immediate payoff of the S-tier tanks since you have to translate junk effects through another card, but a solid pick."
Mama Tinkerson — Frenzy-on-allies aura. Build-defining with any Scrap-loaded Clunker.
Biji — "A bit slow and needs some health or support to get going, but Bom (Weakness) is a strong playstyle. Workable." Paired with Alloy for Bom stacking.
Tinkerson Jr. — Recycle synergy. "Hard to get going, but argue better than Mini Mika with the right cards."

B-Tier — workable

Dimona — Mid-tier; needs specific Frenzy or Recycle support.
Fizzle — Cross-tribe strong; Bom (Weakness) carrier with high attack frequency.

Core builds

Build 1: Scrap → Junk → Boom

Concept: stack Scrap on Clunkers, then convert dead Clunkers' Junk into massive damage via Recycle items.

Carriers: Alloy + 2-3 Clunkers (Bitebox, Heartforge, Spike Wall)
Key Items: Bom Barrel (Recycle 2 Junk → AoE), Frostbite Shard (Recycle), B.I.N.K. (Recycle 2)
Key Charms: Scrap Charm (start with 5 Scrap), Strawberry Charm (heal-on-consume)
How to play: front-load Scrap on Clunkers via Alloy + Scrap items. Clunkers absorb hits cheaply. When a Clunker dies, it generates Junk. Recycle the Junk through items for massive damage.

Build 2: Frenzy + Weakness Engine

Concept: stack Frenzy on a high-attack unit, then debuff enemies with Weakness for multiplicative damage.

Carriers: Mini Mika + Mama Tinkerson + Wort (cross-tribe pickup)
Key Items: Blaze Bom (x1 Frenzy + 4 Weakness), Frenzy Wrench
Key Charms: Frenzy Charm (more attacks), Lumin Ring (boost effects)
How to play: get Mini Mika scaling early. Mama Tinkerson auras Frenzy to all Scrap-loaded Clunkers, turning them into multi-hit attackers. Apply Weakness for double-dipping damage.

Build 3: Junk Lock (advanced)

Concept: feed enemies Junk to clog their turns while you Recycle yours for damage.

Carriers: Folby + B.I.N.K. + any Junk producer
Key Charms: Trash Charm (gain Trash on cards)
How to play: this build requires deep familiarity with Junk mechanics. Most players won't reach the consistency needed; included for advanced players.

Critical synergies

Alloy + any Clunker: Scrap distribution feeds Junk pipeline
Mama Tinkerson + Scrap-heavy Clunker: Frenzy on a tank-Clunker turns it into a damage dealer
Biji + Alloy: Bom (Weakness) stacking pushes damage past boss thresholds
Lumin Ring + any Clunker effect: doubles Junk/Scrap output

From the 10-Tips guide:

"Stack Scrap on your Clunkers and a single Junk trigger wipes the board. Since the target is random, keep your bench filled with Clunkers so the Scrap rarely goes to waste."

Common pitfalls

Hand clog without Recycle outlets: Junk is dead weight if you don't have Recycle items. Always pick up at least one Recycle item.
Sacrificing Clunkers too early: Clunkers die to Scrap depletion, not HP. Keep them alive for sustained Junk output.
Overcommitting to Frenzy without payoff: Frenzy + 0 attack = 0 damage × N. Always pair Frenzy with attack-boost items/charms.
Ignoring the Bling Bank: Clunkers benefit massively from Bling-related cards because Greed scales their attacks.

Recommended bell choices

For Clunkmaster Junk/Scrap plans:

Frostbourne Bell — extra Frost helps stall while engine sets up
Companion Injuries Bell — encourages keeping Clunkers alive
Avoid: Cursed Crowns Bell (forces negative crowns — bad with Crown-dependent payoffs)

Counter-builds to watch for

Frost Guardian (final boss) — Phase 2 destroys hand cards. Junk-heavy decks suffer disproportionately. Bring extra Recycle outlets.
The Emperor Shade — Frost Junker destroys the rightmost card every turn. Position critical Recycle items in the middle of your hand.

A note on the new Alloy (post-patch)

The community post u/Legend2-3-8 — All scrap up, the new alloy is really good confirms that the post-patch Alloy is now a much stronger pick:

"You can also cleanse the Bom with berry basket now which makes her generally very tanky!"

Pre-patch tier lists may underrate Alloy. Treat her as S-tier for current versions.

Sources: Tier rankings from r/wildfrostgame Companion Tier List. Item rankings from Item Tier List by Discord. Alloy update from community post. General strategy from the 10 Tips guide and 10-Win-Streak Report. Stats from in-game data.