If you want to dominate the online PvP arenas in ElStrawFedora’s breakout hit, you need to know the Dung Battles best stats to upgrade right out of the gate. The short answer? Stop investing in pure Mass. To win competitive collectathon matches, prioritize Grip Strength and Momentum. Grip prevents your dung ball from shedding high-value items when rammed by opponents, while Momentum allows you to snatch premium debris before slower beetles can react.
Since the game dropped on May 28, 2026, the community has relentlessly tested the physics engine. While the single-player story mode might encourage you to leisurely roll up everything in sight to help the protagonist, Skootle, find his way home, the online multiplayer is a ruthless demolition derby. Players who treat the PvP mode like a casual collectathon are getting steamrolled by aggressive, optimized builds. Here is the definitive, ownership-grade breakdown of the stat tree, guaranteed to keep you at the top of the leaderboards and outrank the casuals.
The Mass Trap: Why "Dung Battles best stats to upgrade" Means Ignoring Size
Most beginners dive into the game and immediately dump their hard-earned Resin into the Max Mass stat. It makes sense on paper: the game is literally about building the biggest ball. But in the chaotic multiplayer lobbies, a massive, low-Grip ball is just a piñata for aggressive players.
The game's physics engine heavily penalizes players who expand their radius without the structural integrity to support it. If you have a "100% Mass" build, a single dash attack from an opponent will knock loose all your premium items—like "Bottle Caps" and "Acorns"—scattering them across the map for scavengers to steal.
Conversely, a "70% Grip / 30% Momentum" build allows you to maintain a smaller, significantly denser ball that acts like a wrecking ball in collisions. When determining the core path for your beetle, you have to prioritize retention over expansion. A smaller ball that holds onto its high-point items will always outscore a massive ball made of low-value twigs that shatters on impact.
The Tier List: Dung Battles Best Stats to Upgrade for Competitive PvP
If you want to optimize your Resin spending, you need a strict hierarchy. The current meta revolves entirely around hit-and-run tactics and securing high-density items before the timer runs out.
S-Tier: Grip Strength and Momentum Grip Strength is the undisputed king of the arena. It dictates the collision threshold required for an opponent to dislodge items from your ball. At max level, Grip Strength practically glues high-value debris to your core, making you immune to casual side-swipes.
Momentum (Acceleration) is its perfect partner. While top speed takes too long to reach in the game's cramped arenas, Momentum dictates how fast you recover from a dead stop. In a game where you are constantly changing directions to dodge enemy beetles, Acceleration is everything.
A-Tier: Carapace Armor and Turn Sharpness Carapace Armor reduces the stamina drain Skootle suffers when hit by an enemy dash. It doesn't protect your ball, but it protects your beetle, preventing the dreaded "stun state" that leaves your loot vulnerable. Turn Sharpness allows for hairpin maneuvers around environmental hazards, making it essential for outplaying heavier opponents in tight spaces.
B-Tier: Max Mass Max Mass increases the absolute size limit of your sphere before your beetle is physically unable to push it. You will eventually need a few points here to win late-game ties when the arena is mostly cleared of debris, but it should never be your primary focus in the opening minutes.
C-Tier: Foraging Radius In the single-player campaign, Foraging Radius is a godsend for spotting hidden quest items. In PvP, the arenas are small enough that you can see the premium loot spawns with the naked eye. Spending Resin here is a complete waste for competitive play.
Advanced Techniques: Synergizing Your Stat Build
Once you understand the base values in isolation, the next step is combining them to execute advanced maneuvers. Top-tier players don't just rely on raw numbers; they synergize their stat distributions to manipulate the game's physics engine.
The Slingshot Maneuver This technique requires a heavy investment in both Momentum and Turn Sharpness. By rolling your ball toward a curved environmental hazard—like a hollowed-out log or a smooth river stone—you can use Turn Sharpness to hook your momentum along the curve. The high Acceleration stat then slingshots you out the other side at maximum velocity. This is the premier method for crossing the map in seconds, allowing you to ambush opponents who think they are safely out of range.
The Anvil Drop This defensive technique relies on the combination of Grip Strength and Carapace Armor. When a larger opponent initiates a dash attack, you intentionally brake and angle your beetle between their ball and your own. The Carapace Armor absorbs the stun impact of the beetle-to-beetle collision, while your high Grip Strength ensures your ball acts like a brick wall. The opposing player's low-Grip ball will shatter against yours, leaving their premium items ripe for the taking.
Story Mode vs. Online Multiplayer Priorities
It is vital to understand that the optimal build changes drastically depending on your game mode. When you are playing the campaign, the pacing is methodical. You are guiding Skootle through dangerous forest environments where environmental hazards—like rushing water and predatory birds—are the main threats. In this mode, Max Mass and Foraging Radius are actually quite useful, allowing you to hit size thresholds to bridge gaps or trigger pressure plates.
Multiplayer, however, is a zero-sum game. Every Acorn you secure is an Acorn your opponent loses. The meta is defined by "Grip 45% / Momentum 35% / Armor 20%" distributions. You are not just building your own score; you are actively dismantling your opponent's progress. A dense, high-Grip build allows you to play aggressively, ramming into larger players to steal their hard-earned Resin and debris.
Early Game Route: Dung Battles Best Stats to Upgrade First
For players just starting their competitive journey, the first ten levels dictate your win rate. Do not spread your stats evenly. Specialization is the key to early dominance.
- Levels 1 to 3 focus entirely on Acceleration. The moment the match starts, you need to be the first beetle to reach the center of the map where the highest-density items spawn.
- Levels 4 to 7 are for Grip Strength. By this point in a match, player spheres are large enough that collisions are inevitable. Grip Strength secures the Bottle Caps and Acorns you rushed to collect.
- Levels 8 to 10 are for Carapace Armor. As the timer ticks down, desperate players will start spamming dash attacks. Carapace Armor deflects incoming dashes and ensures you don't get stunned in the final ten seconds of the round.
Avoid the Max Mass trap before Level 10. Spend your Resin efficiently to dominate the early game, and you will find yourself consistently outperforming players who just want to roll the biggest ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Dung Battles best stats to upgrade for solo players? If you are strictly playing the story mode to help Skootle get home, prioritize Max Mass and Foraging Radius. These stats help you solve environmental puzzles and find hidden collectibles that are otherwise out of view.
Does Carapace Armor affect roll speed? No. A common misconception is that upgrading Carapace Armor adds weight to your beetle and reduces top speed. ElStrawFedora's physics engine only calculates the weight of the dung ball, not the beetle's armor.
Can you respec your beetle's stats? Yes, but it costs premium Resin. You can visit the Elder Beetle in the main hub to reset your stat tree, allowing you to transition from a Story Mode build to a PvP build once you finish the campaign.
Sources
- ElStrawFedora Developer Logs (itch.io)
- Steam Store Page: Dung Battles (Released May 28, 2026)
- Metacritic User Reviews & Community Hub Physics Testing