Any more powerful character build than this?

[BrickOnKeyboard]

STR 7
DEX 3
AGI 6
CON 4
PER 3
WILL 10
INT 7

Skills : Enough points into thrown weapon for reasonable accuracy. Enough points in lockpick/hacking to open the stuff at present level. Max out all 3 psionic schools. Max out Mechanical/Electronic/Tailoring, a few points in Biology for psionic headbands. Feats : Sprint, the electronics power capacity, and then all psionic feats on further levelups.

TLDR, you initially make a vest with psion beetle carapace. Later in the game, you use super steel heavy armor, since the 10% reduction in psi cost and +14 to skill is small since your adjusted psionic skills are over 200 at that point and not dying to elemental attacks is worth it. Eat the rat kabobs for +1 to strength so you have the 8 strength required all the time. (they last 20 minutes each and a vendor in Central City restocks them)

As near as I can tell, having played about 40% of the game, this is the best available. The "easiest" build is supposed to be assault rifle/heavy armor. The problem, I found, is that assault rifle bullets do nothing but damage. There's a perk to daze some enemies, but damage isn't enough. The best defense is to stun/fear an enemy so when it's the enemy's turn, they can't do anything back. You do need heavy armor and a good shield though, because you cannot always guarantee this. A psion gets the most options, a literal screenful of spells.

Later in the game there are enemies packing HE grenade III and other absolutely brutal attacks, and you have to kill them before they get you. You use thrown weapons as a psion on turns where you are out of psi and the psi injector is on cooldown, thrown weapons aren't an opposed roll so they are the cheapest backup weapon in skill points. Or just wait the enemy out with a force field.

The weakness of this build is that without sneak or high perception, the enemies get to "surprise, cockf@g!" you in many areas. But sneak/high perception just gets you the first turn, while heavy armor helps you on subsequent turns, and you can manually trigger combat instead.

[Tamiore]

The first question is, is dying and reloading something you will be OK with from time to time?

I would say that for no-reloads run a agi-7, con-7, will-10, int-7 stealth psion is far superior.
Psi beetle carapace armor is still very solid choice, con-7 makes you much less likely to be one-shot, and you don't need ANY weapon skill besides psi.
Agi-7 allows for interloper, con-7 for jucy defense and healing perks.

[BrickOnKeyboard]

Maybe. Just started a hard run with it, haven't died once after I made the armor. Even the first version of it, made using junkyard merchant gear, has a DT of 17 for mechanical and gives some acid/fire/energy protection and +65 health. That helps a lot.

[Flaneur]

I take it neither of you think Thick Skull is a necessity?

[Tamiore]

Originally posted by ZombieJefferson:

I take it neither of you think Thick Skull is a necessity?

Locus of control does the same thing way better.

[Hazard]

I agree that a heavy armor rifleman may very well not be the easiest build to play in terms of combat difficulty, especially early on, but it is the most straightforward one. Sitting still and burst-firing enemies dead is pretty much as simple as it can get. Obviously, there's room to incorporate variation and a lot more options into such a build as well, but if easy to grasp is what you want, it's hard to beat the tin can rifleman.

Thick Skull is in a weird spot. It requires 10 Constitution, which means you have a lot of hitpoints, which in turn means you have a pretty good chance of just tanking whatever hits you'd take while stunned, which makes the utility of the feat a bit questionable. It can also potentially cause you to being continuously dazed again and again, since unlike stun, daze doesn't render you immune to it when it ends.

That said, a heavy armor rifleman for example doesn't lose much effectiveness even while dazed as long as you're carrying a fast assault rifle with an AP cost of 11 or less, which you always should if using ARs.

[Flaneur]

Originally posted by st88:

Originally posted by ZombieJefferson:

I take it neither of you think Thick Skull is a necessity?

Locus of control does the same thing way better.

Well I look foolish

[BrickOnKeyboard]

Originally posted by Hazard:

I agree that a heavy armor rifleman may very well not be the easiest build to play in terms of combat difficulty, especially early on, but it is the most straightforward one.

Yeah, I tried that, having read that it was good several places. The problem, I found, was that shots miss and your standard abilities do not render enemies unable to act on their turn. (you can throw flashbangs but you get a huge cooldown and you can also throw flashbangs as a psion). I tried psionics and found the build immensely more powerful right from the start because even the first abilty, kinetic punch, stuns enemies so they don't even get a turn. And none of the psionic abilities have a chance to miss as far as I can tell - I've seen the status effect get resisted but the ability doesn't miss the target.

At higher levels I have noticed an ever increasing number of abilities, some of which are pretty powerful, while as an assault rifle/heavy armor character all I get is better burst fire effectiveness.

It feels like the developer noticed this and sort of after the fact beat psionics silly with a nerf bat by restricting the psi points to just 100 (125 with a particular track), while some abilities gobble more than half than in one move, and there's a cooldown on the potion injectors.

[destroyor]

Heavy assault have enough skill points left over to get high chemistry for Frag and HE Mk V. Using a 11AP assault rifle you can burst + nade every turn, and Frag/HE Mk V are very strong.

A stealth Trans Psi[underrail.info.tm] is stronger than heavy (armored) psi.

Another psi build that would be stronger is Psychosis + Survival instinct + crit psi headband + focus stim = 76% crit chance + Psychostatic Electricity = 100% crit chance. You don't even need Psionic Mania, one single critical Cryokinetic Orb and the combat is over.

A crit brawler[underrail.info.tm] is possibly THE STRONGEST char as a critical Pneumatic strike obliterate almost all opponents. I tested and can confirmed a crit brawler is even stronger than a psi monk.

But yeah it's more fun for you to discover, test, and play your own build. My most enjoyable char is actually a heavy armor demolition expert I build myself from scratch and beating the game on hard. Don't mind my rumbling.

[BrickOnKeyboard]

Originally posted by destroyor:

Heavy assault have enough skill points left over to get high chemistry for Frag and HE Mk V. Using a 11AP assault rifle you can burst + nade every turn, and Frag/HE Mk V are very strong.

Can you not get a mark V grenade from shops or NPCs when your level is high enough? I ask because as near as I could tell, crafting your own grenades is not worth it at lower levels because grenade quality does not depend on crafting ability. While you can easily make better armor and psi headbands and shields that what they have in shops, simply because when you craft one you choose what goes into it. Also, how does a crit brawler work mechanically? The problem I noticed was that psionic abilities deny enemies their turn in combat, protecting you defensively. Some uber DPS melee build means you may be able to kill enemies in range in 1 turn, but if the remaining enemies get a turn, you still die unless there is something I am unaware of.

[Hazard]

If I recall correctly, you can find some mk IV grenades during the late game, though possibly not before Deep Caverns. Other than that, I don't think any merchant sells them, and certainly not mk V ones. IMHO, it boils down to whether or not you have the Grenadier feat: if you do, then getting Chemistry up to the required 112 for mk V grenades is reasonable, but if not, it's mostly a waste of points.

[destroyor]

Shop and NPCs only carry up grenades up to MK IV, but in limited quantity. As a heavy assault, or "tin can", you have a lot of spare skill point so you might as well invest them in chemistry. You are correct crafting your own low level grenades is not worth it. The point of having high chemistry is to have a steady supply of Mk V grenades and they are very powerful even without Grenadier feat.

A crit brawler will use dodge, evasion, quick tinkering and positioning for defense. Using eel sandwich you will attack at 5AP per punch, and you will keep your health below 30% for 30% crit chance. The char can attack 10 times(min)/14 times(max) per turn @74% crit chance (13% base + 16% infused rathound leather armor + 15% focus stim + 30% survival instinct) w/ 225% crit damage bonus . Finally there's what I call beast mode (on every single drug in the game) = 1k+ raw damage per pneumatic strike or 3k+ raw damage per critical pneumatic strike.

You should be using a doctor's pouch for 2 AP medicine consumption.

So a typical fight against a squad of 4~5 enemies will go like this:

• Use focus stim, approach under stealth, start the fight with a punch prioritizing psi user, sniper, gun user, sledgehammer, knifer/brawler in this order.
  
• You gain 8 MP every hit from fancy footwork. If for whatever reason you need even more MP use jumping bean, which will give you 10 MP and 25% bonus to dodge and evasion.
  
• Using a Pneumatic Bladed Combat Gloves you will perform a pneumatic strike every fourth hit. So with 10 punch per turn you will perform 2 pneumatic strike per turn, or 3 pneumatic strike per turn w/ adrenaline. You want to perform pneumatic strike to a fresh target.
  
• Your first target should go down within 2 ~ 3 punches. Your third punch will gain 100% damage bonus due to combo. If your target is incapacitated by cheap shot/stun by combo, move on to the next target.
  
• 3 punches to first target -> target died -> gain 24MP -> 35AP remaining.
  
• Pneumatic strike on fresh target, if crit -> target died, if not one more punch will finish him off -> let's assume 2 punches so 25 AP remaining
  
• Third target died in 3 punches -> 10 AP remaining. If you used a jumping bean -> 8 AP remaining.
  
• Pop adrenaline -> 28AP or 30AP remaining. Finish off one enemy with 3 punches = 13 or 15 AP remaining. You still have one pneumatic strike left and combat is over if it crit. If not, use your taser if possible.
  
• There should not be any psi enemy still alive. If the remaining enemy is using a gun, turn on your shield. If the remaining enemy is using melee, he's not a threat, just quick tinker a bear trap and you are good to go.
  
• Turn on shield, switch to your secondary weapon: Boxing Gloves[www.underrail.com] for 15% dodge bonus. With max dodge & evasion + 15% dodge bonus from gloves + 15% dodge&evasion bonus from nimble + 25% dodge&evasion bonus from jumping bean + 30% dodge&evasion bonus from adrenaline shot chances are very good you'll survive even if you are at or below 30% health. If possible, hide behind corner or wall before ending your turn.

Early game for a crit brawler will involve stealth, The Claw[www.underrail.com], quick tinkering and hiding behind walls. Remember your weapon is silent so you can take out any lone enemy before taking on the main force. Enemies will not walk on to fire but they will sometimes walk through a gas field - use this to your advantage so pack incendiary + gas grenades.

For some scripted long fight (where stealth is not possible), just heal back up fully (remember you have 10 con) and you'll be fine.

Sorry for the long-winded response.

[BrickOnKeyboard]

No problem. That's cool and all, though with a psionic character you get a bunch of AoE attacks, including one that reliably stuns the first character hit and then hits 4 other targets (chain lightning). And there's a fireball and an ice ball and you have 4 different compatible methods of stun. You can fear em, AoE fear em, stun them, flashbang incapacitate them, or freeze them. These stun methods are mostly compatible with each other so you can disable with a different method they are not immune to this turn. Also if they are feared or punched or electrocuted, they can take damage and it will not free them from stun.

The only limitation I have found so far - maybe there is a perk to avoid this - is that you run out of psi points in the first 2 turns and you have a 4 turn cooldown on the psi injector.

[destroyor]

Yeah AoE Enrage is super OP. I consider crit brawler > Psi because you need to spend all your AP as a Psi user to beat the final boss in one turn. As a crit brawler, you can kill the final boss in one turn with some AP left over.

[Flaneur]

Originally posted by st88:

The first question is, is dying and reloading something you will be OK with from time to time?

I would say that for no-reloads run a agi-7, con-7, will-10, int-7 stealth psion is far superior.
Psi beetle carapace armor is still very solid choice, con-7 makes you much less likely to be one-shot, and you don't need ANY weapon skill besides psi.
Agi-7 allows for interloper, con-7 for jucy defense and healing perks.

What (crafting) skills? Are hacking and lockpicking even necessary? Opening boxes seems almost a sufference here

[Tamiore]

Originally posted by ZombieJefferson:

Originally posted by st88:

The first question is, is dying and reloading something you will be OK with from time to time?

I would say that for no-reloads run a agi-7, con-7, will-10, int-7 stealth psion is far superior.
Psi beetle carapace armor is still very solid choice, con-7 makes you much less likely to be one-shot, and you don't need ANY weapon skill besides psi.
Agi-7 allows for interloper, con-7 for jucy defense and healing perks.

What (crafting) skills? Are hacking and lockpicking even necessary? Opening boxes seems almost a sufference here

Well, crafting skills to craft armor (so tailoring and mechanics), psi bands and shields (so electronics plus some biology). The trick with crafting skills is that you only need them as high as you components require. And you can buff the crafting with + int from junkyard suprise and from crafting stations in your house later on.

As for hacking and lockpicking — you need those with oddity xp system.