Build recomendation for Elf Decker?

[Strelok]

I'm about to start the campaign for the first time but I can't decide on what weapon(s) I should specialize in. I was thinking Rifle, but Unarmed looks pretty interesting. Any recomendations would be appreciated.

[Lydia Lisblegh]

I stick to the smg as an elf decker but rifle is pretty good too. Just remember what specific stats you specialise in and try to tailor your playstyle to it. But no matter what have fun!

[rakshasa72]

Decking/Drones/Unarmed

[Strelok]

I'm about 3 hours into the campaign; focusing on rifle>decking has been a pretty good balance so far. Probably going to try SMG or Unarmed next time. Thanks for the input.

[alation13]

I went for rifle, with an elf decker/rigger but really until near the end it is useless to have a weapon because with 2 drones and a deck you have no room for a rifle. So I guess unarmed, but even that is not so great as you don't want to waste points in strength or a skill you will rarely use vs your decking/rigging skills.

[rakshasa72]

Drone Control and Decking use the same primary stat. Why would you carry a Rifle when you could have a Flying Death Machine that carries the Rifle for you? While you stand in the next room sipping Soycaf and shouting PewPew. The enemy can't hit you if your not there.

Drones are a force multiplier. Not only do they soak up attacks with armor that could be aimed at meat. They also increase the amount of Actions you can take and extend your reach further. Not to mention utility drones carry a cornucopia of useful items that auto restock and don't use you own inventory. Sounds like a win win to me.

[alation13]

Exactly, that is why I only had 2 points in rifle. It is a left over continency plan from the bug in the UB from Dead mans switch where your drones would cause a game breaking glitch that they have not fixed yet. Even though it has been consistanly reported for over a year.

There is a similar "game freeze" bug in the Apex rising mission that a few of us have run into, I am not sure of the cause of it yet though.

[Batzkill]

I had both my drones blown up in a mission, which left me running around with a fist and 1 str. Not so sure about running with 2 drones and a deck after that.

[Navel Lint]

Never use the preset classes, always pick custom.

I played a elf decker/rigger/charisma character in both official campaigns. Never met a conversation I didn't have something to offer. No door or terminal I couldn't hack.

4 in body, just enough points into quickness and ranged combat to open up the third 'weapon' slot so I could use a deck and two drones. Drones and decking are quite powerful, you don't need to keep the skills maxed out, just enough to equip the best gear available at the time. Enough charisma to pick up 3 etiquettes, an outfit that boosts charisma and 4-6 biotech (over the course of the campaign).

In the DMS campaign you're dripping in all the optional karma earned, and there's almost no instance where decking into something takes place during combat. Its a little more dicey in Dragonfall because there are a few fights that include a decking run, and while you're in the Matrix, no one is piloting your two drones.

Your biggest hurdle with this cheese monkey build (its basically a clear all content character) is nuyen. Money is really tight if you're buying the latest deck, latest programs, latest drones. In DMS I strongly recommend only hiring one or two runners each mission, depending on the difficulty. Your drones will count for one and a half to two runners if used well. And you need to save money at every opportunity to buy the latest toys.

[Navel Lint]

Originally posted by Crazy Man:

I had both my drones blown up in a mission, which left me running around with a fist and 1 str. Not so sure about running with 2 drones and a deck after that.

That speaks more to bad combat on your part. You can carry drone repair kits just like med kits, drones can stay in cover just like players and mid and high end drones have overwatch. Support drones have a small aoe basic attack, and their inventory items replenish for free at the start of each run. That's a bunch of medkits and grenades you don't have to pay for!

[Clever Monkey]

I prefer Decher/rigger/rifle because you are already raising Intelligence so it makes sense to continue building within that stat. Also because I want a 4 or more in dodge I might as well use a gun. Being always one AP or more lower than the rest of the crew I need a weapon that is gun from a distance.
I have however varied it up in SRR by decking, summoning and casting spells. no need for a gun and always going to have some sort of offense.
My first play through ever in SRR I balanced myself across the board. decking, rigging, summoning casting and rifle with a final stat of 4-5 in everrything. yes I was weaker than anyone else compared to their specialties but more verstaile which mad it more fun but harder.
No matter what, you need to divide yourself between 2-3 areas or you will just be too powerful in that one area and wasting points . Main thing is have fun.

[Ichthyic]

drones take too long to develop to the point where they are useful.

really, you can't go wrong with decker/rifle build.

you can even go hybrid decker/mage/rifle build. I did that, and it only took about one extra mission to make the spellcasting useful.

so long as you stay 4 or above for magic (gives you 2 to play with implants, which is still quite a bit, especially after you get bioware), you only need 4 will and 4 spellcasting.

then you can cast blind, and strip armor 2, and mind wipe, and heal wound 2, and those are incredibly useful spells, that you typically will only need to cast once per combat anyway, though heal wound will still only have 1 extra cooldown on it.

focus on int 3 deck 3 early, and you can solve all of the decking needs before you get blitz.

put the rest into quickness, ranged, and rifle.

very soon, you will have a very well rounded jack of all trades character that is basically only 1 step down from what it would be like if you went pure rifle or pure decker, with hugely useful mage spells besides. use blind to take out a dangerous target early, then armor strip and full auto will deal with almost any enemy. then you still have ANOTHER disabling spell available, and a heal.

very versatile.

example:

just did the "billy" battle on hard. didn't take a single scratch. had mage haste me, then blinded billy 1st turn, strip armor on nearest hellhound.

rest of team takes out nearest hellhound. billy moves, but does nothing. other hellhound shoots, but is way too far away to get a good shot.

next turn, I strip other hellhounds armor, do a full auto.. dead.

others take out hellhound coming up behind.

turn 3, strip billy. full auto. near dead. others knock out.

done.

[Ichthyic]

oh, btw, by that point I was almost as good as Blitz in decking as well, and surpassed him after that mission.

so basically, slightly better than eiger at rifles, slightly better than blitz at decking, and almost as good as dietrich in casting. and that's after just the 5th mission, total.

[Wokelander]

I had great fun with my smg-wielding Elf Face/Decker character when I played Dragonfall through the first time around. Was a decent combat presence and the Decking and Charisma/Etiquette options opened up a lot of options outside of combat.

I'm not sure I'd recommend an unarmed Decker, it seems like you'd have to start spreading your points a bit thin and it might be tricky to have AP for all the stuff you want to do, especially if you're also going for drones, which someone already mentioned probably isn't the best combo since you can't deck and drone at the same time.

[mr Trollmaster Flex (USA)]

The minigun is fun to use. Hit percentages suck in this game, but shooting that many bullets means something is bound to hit. I used it as a troll / decker / rigger.

The engineer costume was necessary for making the rigger part work at end-game.

[FelixSylvaris]

There is around 190Karma in the game, maybe a bit more including all side quests, but then it is hard to grab them all with specialized character.

Some tips:
As for Decking, what you need is 7 Int 7 Decking and 1 ESP, and that should be enought. Could grab +1 . That should be enought to run you over all Matrix encounters.
Custom build is better, predefined have tendency to put too much Karma into Str (not needed).
It is always good to have some Body (5)
Charisma 4 is nice, 2 etiqutes, still cheap.
As decker you are favored towards Biotech.

As for what next:
Unarmed Decker - could be very hard, since melee builds are generally more Karma Hungry, and you already need some for Decking.

Decker/Rigger - natural synergy, however for full power you need Int/DroneControl/DronaCombat all at 8 +1 from outfit. This build is doabe but tight. Also you need ranged weapon 3 for 3rd weapon slot (for 2 drones + deck). Drones are sometimes useful for alternative questing, and with 4AP can dish decent dmg, and take some punish, or put extra control into combat (flanking). However Drones are not THAT powerful.

Decker/Rifleman - a bit less synergy, however works better than you expect, You have Karma for that! The big value is that as decker better stay at distance, and Marking Target have synergy with full auto. The extra defense from quickness is not bad at all.

Decker/Spellcaster - less obvious build, but Spellcasting 8 is not different to Drone Combat 8. And burning things is nice. You can also grab Totem with this build for you taste (like aoe heal).