Traits Tier List for Tuantu's Lobotomization Branches
Employee traits ranked after v0.9.1 balance — nerfs, buffs, and reworked Fast Learner.
What traits are
Traits are passive modifiers assigned to employees in Tuantu’s Lobotomization Branches — personality tags that alter work success, combat reliability, Fear response, Positive Energy (PE) generation, and Sanity drain. Unlike E.G.O gear from Extract E.G.O, traits are chosen or rolled at employee creation and persist until rerolled or replaced by facility events.
Traits shape whether an agent belongs on Insight farms, Repression chains, suppression teams, or clerk escort duty. Version 0.9.1 rebalanced many traits — this page ranks post-patch value for progression-aware players.
How to use this tier list
Rankings assume mid-to-late facility days with HE and WAW boxes enabled — not day-one lobbies. Cross-reference Builds Tier List for role templates and LOB Planner for stat breakpoints traits cannot replace.
Tier bands:
- S tier — pick or protect; build roles around these traits.
- A tier — strong generalists or niche excellence.
- B tier — usable with gear compensation.
- C tier — avoid unless rerolling or meme runs.
v0.9.1 trait nerfs
The Binah patch weakened several dominant traits to reduce single-trait crutches:
Scaredy Cat (nerf)
Scaredy Cat previously offset Fear penalties more aggressively. Post-v0.9.1, Fear spikes near HE breaches and Ordeals hurt Scaredy Cat agents harder — see HE Guide and Ordeals Guide. Downgrade from S to B tier for high-Fear days.
Perfectionist (nerf)
Perfectionist rewarded flawless mood chains with fewer Bad outcomes. Nerfed success margins make Perfectionist less reliable on conditional TETH and HE mood games — TETH Guide. Still viable on stable ZAYIN farms.
Knowledgeable (nerf)
Knowledgeable boosted Insight and encyclopedia-adjacent bonuses. Reduced values shift Insight farmers toward Prudence LOB investment and gifts from Gifts Tier List instead of trait-only carries.
Perfect Machine (nerf)
Perfect Machine minimized Sanity variance during repetitive work. Post-nerf, chaining Insight on Wishroot or Old Lady without rotation punishes Perfect Machine agents — rotate per Meltdown Guide discipline.
Duelist (nerf)
Duelist enhanced single-target suppression burst. Reduced combat modifiers make Duelist less attractive for Apocalypse Bird and Binah Core Suppression executor roles — prefer WAW weapon stats over trait crutch.
v0.9.1 trait buffs
Paladin (buff)
Paladin gained stronger Fortitude and Fear resist packages — S tier for Fortitude Tank builds in Builds Tier List. Pair with HE or WAW suits from Suits Tier List.
Stalwart (buff)
Stalwart improved baseline physical resilience during breaches and Ordeal add waves. A tier generalist for suppression flex roles — holds Long Arms lanes during Apocalypse Bird.
Fast Learner rework (+75%)
Fast Learner received a major rework in v0.9.1 — approximately +75% experience or level gain acceleration (exact values in Patch v0.9.1). Fast Learner jumps to S tier for new employees you plan to level through ZAYIN and TETH chores before assigning HE cells.
Fast Learner does not replace LOB upgrades — level gap still affects Fear near high-tier mood screens.
Impoverished trauma — Unique PE 0%
Impoverished (trauma variant) now enforces Unique PE 0% — affected agents generate no Positive Energy from standard work or generate zero PE on unique work types depending on patch interpretation. C tier for any farming role.
Impoverished remains niche for suppression-only contracts where PE contribution is irrelevant — rare in public lobbies. Reroll when possible.
S tier traits (post-v0.9.1)
| Trait | Best role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Learner | Leveling / clerk pipeline | +75% rework |
| Paladin | Fortitude Tank | v0.9 buff |
| Stalwart | Suppression flex | v0.9 buff |
A tier traits
Traits that remain strong with gear support:
- Justice-adjacent traits for Repression farmers on TETH Guide routes.
- Temperance helpers for Old Lady Attachment work post-v0.9.1.
- Prudence stabilizers when gifts cover gaps.
B tier traits (including nerfed former S)
Scaredy Cat, Perfectionist, Knowledgeable, Perfect Machine, Duelist — usable with LOB and E.G.O compensation but no longer auto-picks.
C tier traits
Impoverished (Unique PE 0%), gimmick traits without facility role, duplicate traits when lobby needs role diversity.
Trait selection by facility phase
| Phase | Priority traits |
|---|---|
| Day 1–4 ZAYIN/TETH | Fast Learner, leveling traits |
| Day 5+ HE | Paladin, Stalwart, Temperance helpers |
| Day 10+ WAW | Stalwart, suppression traits; avoid Impoverished |
| Day 21+ Bird / CS | Paladin tank, burst traits with gear gates |
Reroll and trait economy
Fan-game reroll mechanics vary by server — owners may gate rerolls behind LOB or day progress. Ask on public lobbies before assuming free rerolls. Document your server’s rules in Discord notes.
After v0.9.1, reroll nerfed traits (Duelist on executor mains, Scaredy Cat on HE farmers) before investing LOB.
Patch tracking
Traits hotfix silently in active development — verify live values in employee panels after Patch v0.9.1 and Trello cards.
Related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Which traits were nerfed in v0.9.1?
Scaredy Cat, Perfectionist, Knowledgeable, Perfect Machine, and Duelist received nerfs in the Binah patch. They remain usable but no longer dominate S tier without E.G.O and LOB support.
What changed for Fast Learner in v0.9.1?
Fast Learner was reworked with approximately +75% leveling acceleration. It is S tier for pipeline employees you level through ZAYIN and TETH before assigning HE work.
What does Impoverished Unique PE 0% mean?
Impoverished trauma variant agents generate zero Unique PE from work — C tier for farming roles. Use only for suppression-only contracts or reroll when possible.
Which traits are S tier after the patch?
Fast Learner (rework), Paladin (buff), and Stalwart (buff) lead S tier post-v0.9.1. Match traits to Builds tier list roles for your lobby.
Should I reroll nerfed traits?
Yes before heavy LOB investment — reroll Duelist on executor mains and Scaredy Cat on HE farmers if your server allows. Verify reroll costs with the session owner.