Survival stats
Max HP sets how many hits you can take. It is the floor every other survival stat builds on, and the first stat to raise when a run feels fragile.
Armor reduces the damage of each hit by a flat amount. It protects best against many small hits from a packed wave.
Dodge gives each hit a percent chance to miss you completely. It scales well once enemies start dealing heavy damage.
Regen heals you every second. Lifesteal heals you when you deal damage. Together they recover the chip damage that wears a run down.
Damage stats
Melee Damage, Ranged Damage and Elemental Damage each raise the matching weapon group. Stacking one group is how a build keeps climbing.
Attack Speed makes every weapon fire or swing faster. Crit adds a chance to multiply a hit. Both raise DPS without a new weapon.
Range extends how far your weapons reach, which lets you thin a wave before it closes.
Support stats
Luck shifts drops and shop odds in your favor. Harvesting raises the materials you collect, which feeds the shop.
Engineering scales items and structures built around it. Some characters and builds lean on it hard.
Where to go next
Read weapons by class to match damage stats to tags. Then see best builds and synergies for lines that stack instead of fighting.