Yet Another Hybrid Build - Shooting Spree Crossbow Marksman

Do you want to use the biggest sniper rounds ? To have amazing alpha strikes that let you have a fatal upperhand on the first turn ? Do you want to see big crits numbers and numerous crowd controled foes ? And even a sniper build that does not use the spearhead sniper, for a change ?

Then, you're at the right place.

This build use a smart mix between crossbows, snipers and psi power to make these 12,7 bullets shine. It is able to Beat Dominating, and you'll have a lot of fun planning ahead fights.

Introduction

With the addition of the new version of Shooting Spree and the "Nerf" of the Spearhead sniper rifle, I wanted to make a build that take advantage of this feat and if possible use another sniper rifle, mostly a 12,7 round one.

A good secondary was mandatory, and I though that a Crossbow would be a valid choice. Indeed, most sniper feats also work with crossbows (Ambush, Sharpshooter, Strafe), and even if some overlap each other (Aimed shot, Snipe) it freed a lot of feat slots, and the fact that crossbow are feat heavy was not much an issue.

Crossbows tend to use too much AP to be a good secondary, but a Pneumatic Cyclon Crossbow with a Bolt Quiver belt only need 14AP and with special bolts, it's both nice for utility and damage. Also, I noted that a 12.7 Sniper with a Rapid Reloader use 36AP. And as you noticed 14 + 36 = 50 ... We're getting somewhere.

I'm pretty sure I could use a 7.62 Spearhead, but ... We love big bullets and I wanted this build to feel a bit different than classic sniper builds. Hence the choice to use 12.7 (And sometimes 8.6 before we could have our most suited gear)

It is dominating Ready, and quite powerfull. Just note that you'll savescum a bit, since everything is done in the alpha strikes and misses there are usually deadly for you. Otherwise, it's a very fun build to play, and quite refreshing way to play a sniper build.

This guide will talk about Stats, skills, feats, Spec, Gear, tactics and crafting ... So everything you might want to know about it.

I - Base abilities

Strength - 5
You need a strength of 5 to use sniper rifles. Note that you don't have any margin if you get crippled and get a -2 STR debuff, but hopefully, it won't happen often and when it does you'll be able to use either adrenaline shots or your crossbow as backup.

Dexterity - 5
You'll need 5 dexterity mainly for Marksman (5) and Stafe (5) Feats, however, it will also help you with lockpicking wich is a nice addition.

Agility - 7 or 8
You need high enough agility for multiple reason. It will boost your stealth hence boosting both Ambush feat and Snipe feat.

And it will help you with stealth moves since you'll need to be perfectly position to use shooting spree. As an addition, a good bonus to evasion that will help you against grenades (or other AOE) and some ranged attacks.

7 is possible, still I was a bit more confident with stealth at 8.

Constitution - 3
Mostly, everyone will be either dead or CC at the end of your turn (or far away in the worst case). You won't need constitution with your alpha strikes and you'll also have a great shield as well.

Perception - 10 (17)Every extra points (except one that may be used on intelligence) will be used on perception.
You will take the Extra perception feat as well

It is a sniper build, so perception is an obvious choice to get maximum precision and damage. And of course a lot of sniper related feats.

Will - 3
Metathermics will be one of your main skill, however, it will not be used to do damage so you don't need any will.

Note that it will make you weak against mind control psi abilities, be aware of that.

Intelligence - 6 or 7
You'll have to craft in this build, quite a lot, so Intel is a good choice. You also need Intelligence to have enough psi slots to use all your psi abilities. Int will also unlock versatility that you may want

You can start at 6, and put one of your extra points here. It will help with crafting and increase your psi regen to 10 per turn. Also, it's needed if ever you want the crafting feat related to weapon damage.

Feats - Versatility (5), Premeditation (6) and Gun Nut (7) or maybe Bowyer (7).

II - Skills

Offense

Guns - Maximum : Put everything you can every level. Damage, precision with your sniper and crossbow if you go the versatility path.

Crossbow - 15 or 100 : You'll need 15 to get marksman, wich is a core feat and versatility feat will help you to get decent enough precision.

However, you might want Elemental bolts feat (75), wich mean you'll mostly waste versatility, in that case forget about versatility and get to 100 points. You'll have enough points as if you had versatility and free up a feat slot in the process. Note that it won't be an issue much concerning damage, since anyway, you don't boost on hit effect of special bolts with crossbow skill.

If you do so, however, you'll be starving for points wich will not allow you all crafting or utility skills, so you'll dump tailoring, biology, lockpicking or hacking

Melee - 0 : Not a melee build.

Throwing - 0 : You won't use any grenades. Note that it's not impossible to add some throwing to the build as it will help, but I never felt it was needed anyway.

Defense

Dodge - 0 : You won't need anything, you'll protect yourself against melee with another way.
Evasion - Every points left will go into evasion : Eventually, you'll reach nearly the maximum amount in evasion, but you might won't succed to do it early or mid game due to how much points you'll put in Crafting and other utility.

Subterfuge
Stealth - MAX : Helps with Ambush, Snipe and positioning. You need to max it out.

Hacking - 0 : Not a Priority, yet it's very nice to unlock routes and alternative ways.
Lockpicking - Not a Priority, yet It helps to unlock routes.
Pickpockets - 0 : You do not need any.
Traps - 0 : No traps.

Technology
Mechanics - 110 : You'll need mechanics to snipers and crossbow, you need enough, adjust with the parts you found.

Electronics - 20, 50 then 110 : At first, you will only need 25 effective skill to be able to put the anatomicaly aware scope on your sniper and crossbow. Then 60 effective to build the Shock Bolt MK3 once you've found enough Plasma cell to craft a decent amount. Then, you'll need at least 110 to be able to craft the best Energy shields, googles and cloaking device.

Chemestry - 20 : You'll need 25 effective to craft contaminated 12.7 bullets that are surprinsgly nice.

Biology - 0 or 100 effective skill : Biology is great, helps with making drugs, however, you could do without it.

Tailoring - 0 or 100 : If you use tailoring, you can make pretty nice regenerative (Or Sturdy if you don't get biology) tactical vest that will boost your stealth and bring nice armor. Plus, very nice taby boots. Also, you'll be able to craft armor for specific occasions if needed.

However, you can do with unique armors and suceed very well.

Psi

Metathermics - 140 : You'll need high metathermics to get all the nice psi abilities. And boost it beyond what is required to boost accuracy on Pyrokinesis and damage on ThermoDestabilization. You can stop once you reach the 100% damage cap, around 140.

Temporal Manipulation - 0 : I tried to put 35 to get the reduce cooldown ability, it was not usefull often however and was more painfull to use than anything else/

Social

Persuasion, Intimidation - 0 : You do not have high will, so ... It would be a waste to put points into these things. Maybe if you absolutely want some quest peacefull solution. I won't recommand it.

Mercantile - 85 : I recommand to put points in Mercantile early on. You'll be buying a lot, and you won't have much money, especially early game. 85 give you access to all special vendors.

III (A) - Core Feats

1 - Aimed shot : Obvious choice for a sniper rifle build. You'll most of the time aimed shot with your sniper, but note that it also work with a crossbow, nice if you want to get a stealth kill on a target that is not too strong.

1 - Marksman : It's a core feat that allow your crossbow (Most certainly a Pneumatic Cyclon crossbow) to become a pretty effective secondary thanks to specials bolts.

2 - Versatility or Option Feat : First choice of this build. Either you go Versatility, and you won't need to spend skill points in crossbow to be effective and you keep your crossbow in a utility function thanks to special bolts (Tranquilizing bolts, Shock bolts, Incendary bolts), or you decide you want Elemental bolts to be able to do decent damage with your crossbow, in that case you take anything else here.

As an Option here, I tend to take Sure Step, as it's a great feat early game to cheese fights against bots and mutants and give you possibility to prepare the battleground for the most difficult encounter allowing tactictal retreat tactics with good usage of caltrops. Good defensive against mutants' acid as well.

Paranoïa could be an option as well that synergize well with High per and give you extra initiative, nimble that is a nice thing to have and will certainly free late build slot, or even a very classical sprint that allow not so tactical retreat or interlooper to help with stealth and help with positioning for your first alpha strike turn

4 - Strafe : Strafe is amazing, it will help both your crossbow and your sniper. With strafe your crossbow get 0 move penalty, hence becoming a very nice secondary, also your sniper even the bigger rounds one will remain accurate enough to be used after movement, even if you should still avoid it.

6 or 8 - Snipe : What would be a Sniper build without Snipe ? Just amazingly powerfull and combine very well with shooting spree. Note that you can also use snipe with your crossbow, and it can be usefull to get a stealth kill on a lone target.

6 or 8 - Premeditation : Premeditation is a Free Psi ability every 5 turn, Very nice for your alpha strike to bring more CC into the mix, with a free Cryostasis or pyrokinesis with pyromaniac.

10 - Shooting Spree : This is the feat that makes this build possible. With it, Big 12.7 rounds sniper become very potent. Give you a big alpha strike, and help with Cooldown to get another aimed shot faster.

12 - Ambush : Ambush does not work in all situations, but when it does it's just amazing.
Don't forget you can lit enemies with both Pyrokinesis (provided you have pyromaniac) and incendary bolts.

On a ambushable target, you can use both your crossbow with special bolts and your sniper to great effectiveness. MK3 Shock bolt does work wonder as it even create a small but powerfull AOE.

Note that it's not a special attack, hence special attack bonus on goggles and sniper rifle won't work, so you'll do less damage than when using aimed shot.

16 or 18 - Cryogenic induction : This boost to cryostasis will give you the ability to shatter target if you do half their remaining health in one attack, wich is easy to do with a 12.7 sniper even without any special attack or crits.

First, It will help you to get a kill when Aimed shot is on CD and ambush is not possible.

Second, against bosses or very high health target, it will allow you to one shot them with aimed shot (or even snipe, since you'll be able to restealth), it's especially usefull in dominating where bosses have like huge health bar.

16 or 18 - Pyromaniac : This feat give you extra CC and way to trigger ambush. Your pyrokinesis can now set a group of foes on fire, and if you're lucky you can even ambush people that are not on fire thanks to their now burning mate next to them that provide the needed light.

Also, it should work with Thermodynamic Destabilization, giving you a nice boost for your alpha strike with extra damage with the Burning DOT and the Fear, wich will allow to get more kill even with the 100% health cap in damage of ThermoD. However it's currently bugged, the bugged has been reported and I hope a fix soon.

However, for this reason I tend to postpone Pyromaniac a bit. But once this bug will be solved, it should really rock.

*** or Special Tactics : Special tactics give you one extra special bolts during your alpha strike. It will mainly increase your Crowd Control ability in a different way.
While Pyromaniac allow random crowd control on many targets, special tactics allow a crowd control on a specific target.

III (B) - Late Game Feats

These late game feats further increase the damage of your build and will make your damage skyrocket. However, they don't change much in the way you'll play the game.

14 - Critical Power : Even with the nerf, it's still very potent. Does not affect Snipe However.

20 - Elemental Bolts : This will make your crossbow way more deadly, especially if you have the chance to use ambush.

As stated before, you only go for Elemental Bolts if you did not go for Versatility Early game.

22 - Sharpshooter : Nice extra damage outpout for ambush and aimed shot, providing +60% critical damage bonus as you also have critical power.

26 - Increase Perception : Even More damage with your sniper rifle, even more detection.

24, 28, 30 - Option feats : at this point, you have multiples choices.

** Nimble : It's a very nice feat to further incrase stealth (hence damage with snipe and crit chance with ambush, albeit at this point you'll be at nearly 100% anyway) due to reduced armor penalty. Also increase movement speed and evasion if you have light armor.

Very nice to have once you have Phantom Dancer to take full advantage of that suit. Also nice if you use Lemurian marine armor or CAU armor and still get very decent move with only a 15% armor penalty. If you go without tailoring, not that usefull early on, since you'll be using Rathound Regalia armor.

** Gun nut : Extra damage for sniper shots, it require to go to 7 int to get it. It only boost superior bracket of damage, making this feat sometimes random. It works a bit better if you use the Corsair Sniper Rifle as it boost an already high upper bracket

** Bowyer : +70% critical damage bonus (including Critical Power) on your crossbow, a crit with a special bolt with your crossbow will be deadly as hell, making it very potent if

** Scrutinous and Recklessness : +7 critical chance per feat that may help when you have neither aimed shot or ambush, but from experience it does not happen that much. If you go this way make yourself some nice critical chance goggles. It will mainly help your crossbow but still be a nice addition to some sniper shots.

** Blindsiding : Further increase the damage of you alpha strike, nice on paper, but anyway everything will die already, even on dominating. It's not that usefull on Snipe or Aimed shot as you'll overkill anyway. But on that last shooting spree target where you don't have any special attack left.

Nice to have on some of the strongest boss, however.

It allow some restealth tactics after a small tactical retreat to get the bonus even if you don't drop combat, you still get the bonus.

** Pack Rathound : Always a nice QoL feat to have.

** Increase Agility and Strider : If you believe you do enough damage (On something else than dominating for instance), you could take increase Agility, and then take Strider, it will allow you some amazing movement speed, great to have to reposition after your shots.

III (C) - Specialization

1 - Mandatory Spec'

Shooting Spree: Shots - 1/1 : Here, you take this at level 15, it will boost your alpha strike.

Critical Power - 10/10 : Well, you can't go much wrong with this one, that's the only spec that will boost both Aimed shot and Ambush, and will boost your crossbow and your sniper rifle.

2 - Option Spec'

Premeditation: Cooldown - 2/2 : You'll premeditate more, 1 less turn is often the difference between one use and two use in a fight since fights with this build are often short. My personal Favorite.

Cryogenic Induction - 4/4 : With this you'll make sure to shatter target, will help on the toughest foes

Elemental Bolts - 4/10 : You'll increase the power of your crossbow by 20% with 4 points,

Shooting Spree: Cooldown - 4/4 : Seems like a good thing to take, but won't be usefull often as you'll usually lack target to shoot once this will be off CD. Yet, a nice thing to have for Natives or DC for instance.

IV (A) - Special Weapon ... (WIP)

We'll what gear will you wear to use this build to it's maximum.

Your Main gun

Your Weapon of choice is an 12.7mm anatomicaly Aware, Smart, Rapid Corsair/Harbringer Sniper Rifle.

There is pro and cons for choosing either a frame or the other, basicaly, take the best quality you can get from these two frames. Note that you can get better result with a Corsair, but the spread make it less reliable, and you'll be more reliable with a Harbringer, either way you should one shot many things.

The only problem of this sniper rifle is that once under adrenaline debuff you won't be able to shoot the gun at all as it needs 36ap to shoot with.

You can also get a 8.6 rifle as well, especially early game if you don't get the perfect secondary yet or you lack the bolt quiver, but once your secondary is found, only go for the 12.7 calibers.

Your Secondary

Note that you use 36AP to shoot your main gun, it leaves you with 14AP left.

The good news is that an Anatomicaly Aware pneumatic Cyclon crossbow, with a bolt quiver, only cost 14AP to shoot.

Your Armor

First thing you'll need is the Rathound Regalia, helps with movement speed, give a nice protection against yell and even lightly boost your stealth. Overall, it's a pretty nice armor. Phantom Dancer is the armor you'll want, sadly, you'll get it only late game. Other than that, it's perfect for you. Nice stealth bonus, nice MP bonus, okay resistance against bullets.

If you went for the tailoring route, in that case there is multiple choices and you should make multiples armor for the occasion. The main thing you'll be able to get is regenerative vest that could help you a lot, especially considering the hit and run tactics this build can provide.

Your Belt

As stated before, you need a Bolt Quiver. The AP cost reduction on crossbow is godly. however it's sometimes difficult to find, to look for it at vendors you may be lucky, otherwise, you'll need to kill pirates, some of them have this belt.

Your goggles or anything you put on your face

Apart from the occasional bataclava when you need extra stealth, you'll be using three items.

Smart goggles will help you against bosses and stronger targets where you need to do very high damages with your aimed shot and snipe.

Seeker goggles will be your choice in situation where ambush can't be used much and you'll like extra crits on your special bolts. Especially if you finaly took some crit chance feats.

Also, once you'll be using contaminated 12.7 rounds, you'll be happy to use the Grey Army Spec Ops Helmet that will provide both night vision and protection against your own gas cloud.

If you want a lighter version, at the expense of night vision, you can also use Aegis Sec-Trooper Helmet.

Your boots

Best possible quality Ninja Tabi Boots, helps with stealth, therefor boost snipe and Ambush.

Your Special Bolts

Shock Bolts
Incendary bolts

Your Rounds

Other Utilities

Flares

A word on Jetski

IV (B) - ... And Tactics (WIP)

Early Game on dominating

Alpha Strike

Explosive Strike

This bullet has your name on it
Did you know you can put individual rounds into your gun ? Did you know it give you the possibility to mix different ammo in the same gun ? Did you know it could be usefull ?

The trick is, with Killing spree, you know perfectly in wich order you're gonna shoot on stuff. To guarantee a kill even on the tougher targets, you just have to put individual bullets of the right type in the right order.

For instance, there is a group of 3 with a Tin Can, a boss with high health but poor armor and a psi third guy by a door wich lead to a next group.
We'll load one WC2 for the Tin can that we will snipe, one JHP for the boss that we will aimed shot and one Contaminated round on the third guy.

Remember the last bullet you load will be the first you'll shoot.

Crowd Control Duty

Bosses

Kiting

Kiting require caltrops to be really effective with this build, you are fast but quite not enough.

It require you to prepare the battlefield beforehand, but once done you can face a much harder opposition by taking foes one by one while they struggle through your field of caltrops and occasional gas cloud from your contaminated bullets.

V - Crafting (WIP)

You'll have to craft quite a lot, and you need to look for specific items early on, here is a list of things to monitor each time you check vendors.

Conclusion

Quidam, I dislike crossbow, is there a way to use something else ?

First, shame on you mister !

But, of course, you can ... And have a pretty similar build with Throwing and pistol instead.
You'll have to reduce Agi to 7, and boost Dext to 7 (Further reducing Int that you'll boost on the way).
Instead of marksman you'll take gunslinger that will help you with initiative and a secondary to finish of targets, you'll take grenadier as well wich is an OP feat, Chemistry will become mandatory, and late game replace elemental bolts with three pointer.

More on that, later !

My own personnal choice

A lot of possible path with slight variations are possible with this build, and are mostly linked with personnal preference, avaibility of gear and in wich order you do quest and battles.
But how would I go, in an ideal situation :

Like this :
Sniper PSI/Crossbow Hybrid[underrail.info]

As you see I go without tailoring, and transform the build toward crossbow a lot, especially late game.

That's not exactly how Dominating was beat with this build, but on my run I made some mistakes or inconclusive tests. That's how I'd go if I had to redo it, wich I will at some point.

[Serious]

Sweet guide, thanks!

[RockDad]

Going to give it a try! I'll let you know how it goes!