Best Tiel Shell Build in Mortal Shell

Every reputable fantasy RPG has its ‘Thief’ build. Mortal Shell delivers on this archetype in Tiel, The Acolyte. He’s an agile pane of glass than can get in and out of combat at his leisure. A high pool of stamina while sacrificing significant HP forces players to avoid taking damage by all means. Those tailored to the evasion mechanics of past Dark Souls games will find Tiel comfortable to play while maintaining all the frustrations they’re used to.

Mortal Shell is currently working as the perfect place-holder game as players patiently await Elden Ring, the next installment in the Souls series. A well-executed dodge means the difference between survival and ‘You Died,’ and Mortal Shell has done its job in implementing Souls’ roll mechanic into its game. However, Mortal Shell does pull a little from Ghost of Tsushima’s evasion mechanic: single tap to sidestep, double-tap to roll away. Finally, encumbrance has no effect on the player, therefor Tiel will roll as far as Harros, for example, can. Tiel can simply roll more often. This guide will walk players through building Tiel from the ground up, and which abilities to invest in first to get the most out of Mortal Shell’s ‘Thief’.

Tiel’s character profile revolves around poison damage. His abilities will allow him to dish it out, as well as use it as a means to heal. Tiel’s high pool of stamina allows him to punish enemies while still leaving room to roll away from danger and recharge. His shadow doge is a nice compliment to his archetype, and reminiscent of the Carthus Milkring from Dark Souls 3. Since encumbrance plays no part in building a character, players should use weapons with high DPS such as the Martyr’s Blade or the Smoldering Mace.

Players will find Tiel shortly after meeting Sister Genessa. They’ll venture into the Falgrim Outskirts, to an area with large bats hanging from the tree branches. A tunnel will be blocked by breakable branches. Players should search the perimeter of the area until they find the entrance as they may enter the area from different directions. Crawl through to find Tiel’s body guarded by Ven Noctivagu, a Nocteserper (Werewolf/swamp creature looking things). Defeat the boss and claim Tiel’s shell.   

As mentioned, Tiel’s abilities are tailored to poison damage. Below are descriptions of each ability, along with their practicality in-game, and which should be invested in first. Like each other Shell, Tiel has 7 personalized abilities (Accretions), and 3 shared Recollections with the other Shells.

Accretion of Foresight – On Empowered Riposte, Tiel will sometimes release a poisonous cloud. 

• While on the cheap side, this ability is situational. Tiel only has 2 resolve bars, so the frequency of an Empowered Repost is already low. Players should invest when they have leftover glimpses and tar to spare.

Accretion of Ascent – 20% Chance to lose stamina instead of HP on taking damage.

• A 20% chance to not take damage may seem like a must on paper, but Tiel should be avoiding attacks, and not relying on a die roll to save himself. The 8 Glimpses are better put towards different skills early on.

Accretion of Endurance – Gain bonus damage when low on stamina.

• Cheap and useful. Players ought to invest in this ability to finish off weakened enemies rather than rolling away and recharging. This is especially useful if taking on multiple enemies at once. The AI in Mortal Shell tends to clump together. If Tiel can damage two or three enemies with one buffed swing he most certainly should. 

Accretion of Resolve – Sprinting doesn’t consume Tiel’s stamina.

• Stamina recharges very quickly in Mortal Shell, and at the very hefty price of 20 glimpses, this ability should not be a player’s priority. 

Accretion of Inheritance – Striking a poisoned enemy increases the chances Tiel’s other passives will trigger.

• This ability is best purchased after accumulating a few others. For example, Tiel will only be dealing poison damage consistently after purchasing Accretion of Dominance. Therefor save those early glimpses and spend them elsewhere on the wheel.

Accretion of Dominance – On killing an enemy, Tiel gains a buff which poisons enemies on hit. Lose this buff when you are hit.

• This is the must-have Tiel ability to save up for. Thankfully, it will only cost players 8 glimpses and 1,100 tar. Poisoning enemies and staying out of their AoE will keep Tiel from putting himself in unnecessary danger. This ability is incredibly useful when fighting larger enemies surrounded by smaller minions. It should be obvious how this ability combos with Accretion of Inheritance. 

Accretion of Yearning– Taking poison damage heals you for a portion of the damage that would have been dealt.

• Yearning is a catch 22. Poison resistant mushrooms are pretty abundant in Mortal Shell, therefor Tiel can avoid taking damage altogether. This ability may save Tiel’s life in a pinch but isn’t a priority.

Recollection of Strength – Put your enemies off-balance with a powerful kick.

• With only 2 resolve bars and no real means to charge them up (unless he gets drunk on Moonshine) kicking enemies isn’t going to be a rational move in Tiel’s arsenal. Don’t even bother spending the glimpses. 

Recollection of Knowledge – Harden in the air to create a divesting area of impact upon landing. Tiel creates a poison cloud when a foe is struck.

• Although pricy (15 Glimpses) drop strikes are already powerful enough in Mortal Shell. The addition of poison damage makes Tiel a deadly falling stone-man. 

Recollection of Death – Regain last chance upon defeating enough foes.   

• Once players can afford Recollection of Death they should buy it. The ability to recharge last chance will save them time and time again. This holds true among all Shells.

Players should be focusing on using Tiel’s familiarity with poison damage to let enemies slowly kill themselves while staying out of harms way. Be aware of when Tiel has his Dominance buff active, and don’t squander it by taking damage from something small. A sprinting R2 on an unsuspecting big-boy is a great way to deal massive amounts of damage while poisoning them at the same time.

Mortal Shell is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC.

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