Stardew Valley: Brute vs Defender. Which Is Better For You?

As you move through the ranks in Stardew Valley, the game opens up a bunch of professions that you can choose from to really specialize your skills. At Level 10, you can be offered one of the biggest choices of all: Brute vs Defender. This choice is only available if you went with Fighter over Scout at Level 5, else you’ll have another set of options at Level 10 (Acrobat or Desperado).

Of the two, which is better in Stardew Valley: Brute or Defender? Let’s delve into the details to take a good look.

The Main Difference

On the surface, there’s only one big difference between these two professions. The Brute deals 15% more damage while in combat. Meanwhile, the Defender gains 25 HP instantly.

Ultimately, this will come down to personal preference, and how you approach combat. If you’re someone who likes to get the opponents out of there fast, the Brute is probably the way forward. However, if you’re not so great at combat and take a lot of hits in the process, you might reap plenty of benefits from choosing the Defender.

Over the course of the game, the 15% damage will definitely scale a lot better than the 25 extra HP. As enemies become stronger, the health bonus will become negligible, while that damage bonus is hefty no matter what stage of the game you’re at.

The Perks of Extra 15% Damage

Over time, you’re going to save a lot more resources by picking the Brute. If you’re killing enemies quickly, you’re not using as many valuable healing items than if you were just tanking hits for fun. When you’re facing massive amounts of enemies, you’ll be grateful for the extra damage enabling you to do some serious crowd control.

All of your buffs continue to stack on top of the 15% damage, too. For example, you’ll gain the benefits of choosing the Fighter profession at Level 5 on top of the 15% damage, which should make you extremely powerful. Bare in mind, the Fighter provides a 10% damage boost, so that’s an enormous 25% in total! You can then use other accessories to either top up your damage even further, or to make up for not getting the 25 HP boost. Either way, you’ll be a tough fighter to stop as a Brute.

The Perks of Extra 25 HP

If you’re choosing to go down the route of the Defender, be prepared to take plenty of hits during combat. Enemies will take longer to kill, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Because you’ve chosen Defender, you’re now more prepared to take those hits.

In massive combat scenarios, this can seem daunting. After all, there can be so many enemies that you just want to get them out of there as soon as possible. However, it’s not as bad as it seems on the surface. You just have to slow down your approach. With the Brute, you have the benefit of being able to charge in and kill everyone in sight. The Defender must be played much more methodically, taking down enemies one by one and focusing your attacks. It’s not necessarily worse, but it’s certainly different.

Like the Brute, you’ll be using fewer consumables, just for different reasons. You won’t have to consume food as often, as you’re more equipped to tank the hits. It’s up to you to decide which approach will have the best results for your own personal playstyle.

Changing Professions

Regardless of if you choose either Brute or Defender, you’re not tied to your decision permanently. If you find that your choice isn’t quite working for you, head to the Statue of Uncertainty in the sewers. There, you’re able to swap your professions for 10,000 gold. It’s definitely a hefty fee to pay, but can massively impact your experience in a positive way if you’re not enjoying your Brute vs Defender choice.

Note that upon changing professions, all of your bonuses from your previous choice will instantly disappear. Beware of this before jumping into combat after changing professions.

The Full Picture

You’re always going to find players who prefer one over the other for their own personal reasons. But when we’re looking at Brute vs Defender in Stardew Valley, for us there’s only one winner.

When you reach Level 10, we think you should go with the Brute. The ability to stack your damage with other perks can make you extremely overpowered in the late game, and it’s a lot harder to replicate with items than the Defender is.

If you just bring along lots of food on your adventure to heal, you’re getting a similar buff to what the Defender offers anyway.