[NO DLC REQUIRED] One Down Viable, Free Dodge Build

Inspired by Connor Shaw's new video of a free one down build, I decided to explore the viability of completely free setups. With the influx of new players coming in I thought I'd try to help them find their footing with a proper build.

This build was created with one down in mind but it works well on all difficulties.

If the text is going over the pictures, refresh the guide with F5

Introduction

This build is made possible by the semi-new sangres character pack and is very new player friendly because it doesn't even require you to have any weapon mods! I will showcase both the original build which requires at least infamy III and a version that doesn't require infamy at all. The build also requires level 100 but some of the skills can easily be cut. Pay attention to the explanations to see which skills are essential and which ones are just fillers.

Dodge builds are currently the strongest and if you have been playing exclusively armor, it might be time to switch it up and learn a new playstyle.

[Skills] Mastermind

Reasoning
• Aced Inspire and Combat Doctor are a must on higher difficulties so we will pick up both
  
• Converted cops are really strong on any difficulty so we pick up aced Joker and Partners In Crime
  

[Skills] Enforcer

Reasoning
• Transporter is a must have skill for most heists as it helps bag moving immensly
  
• Bullseye is an excellent skill to have in a dodge build as the armor can regenerate in combat and make you able to take an extra shot

[Skills] Technician

Reasoning
• Yeah, the technician tree is next to useless for us... We do pick up Steady Grip as we had a point to spare

[Skills] Ghost

Reasoning
• Aced Duck And Cover, Parkour and Inner Pockets are all excellent skills to have in a dodge build so we get all three of them to get up to Sneaky Bastard which increases our survivability
  
• We spend the minimal amount to get to Low Blow basic which will increase our combat effectiveness

[Skills] Fugitive

Reasoning
• We pick up the best pistol skills, most importantly Desperado aced as our loadout consists of three six shooters
  
• Nine Lives and Swan Song ace, similiar to Combat Doctor and Inspire, are must have skills for one down

No Infamy Version

Mastermind
We take Painkillers basic to get up to inspire.


Enforcer
We add Shock And Awe basic as we ended up with a few extra points.


Technician
The technician tree has no changes.


Ghost
Instead of acing Inner Pockets we take basic versions of Dire Need and Shockproof to get up to tier 4.


Fugitive
We remove One Handed Talent to gain the skillpoints needed to reach the higher tiers in other trees. The change affects only very specific enemies that will require one extra shot to kill on certain difficulties.

Perk Deck

The Rogue perk deck gives us 45% extra dodge change and a quicker weapon switch

Equipment

Deployable







The doctor bag allows players to restore their downs and prevent going into custody. An essential deployable for any crew


Armor








The two piece suit gives us the best speed, the most stamina and maximum dodge chance while sacrificing our armor. But hey, if you are robbing a bank might as well do it in style.

Weapons

Primary



Akimbo Castigo .44 Revolvers


Secondary


Castigo .44 Revolver

These weapons don't rely on mods to be usable and don't even have a lot of customisation to begin with. The secondary also looks way better than the Bronco and doesn't require the extensive modding, though the Bronco will be a better option if you have the required DLC and modifications

Mods for the Castigo make it strictly better so there is really no reason not to equip them if you have them, plus they make the gun look amazing.


The mods I have equipped for both, primary and secondary:

Modification

Equipped

Barrel

Diablo Barrel

Boost

N/A

Grip

Cruz Grip

Melee

Electrical Brass Knuckles


Basically tied for the best melee in the game with the buzzer. Can stun enemies which makes dominating or killing them easier. Can even stun cloakers as they are about to kick you.

Throwable

Incendiary Grenade
Used for area denial. When thrown, it goes boom and lights enemies on fire. Pretty simple, yes?

Play style

As this guide is targeted towards players of all skill levels, I thought I would give a quick explanation on how to play dodge. Many armor players struggle to play dodge and vice versa.

When playing dodge you should Never Stand Still. You should be either sprinting or crouching in cover so you always have the most dodge possible. Popping in and out of cover can be very dangerous especially against multiple enemies so try to avoid those situations. Learn to hipfire effectively at close to medium range so you can keep moving quicker

Remember that in the end dodge is based on chance so you will have times when it feels like you can't do anything and moments where you run through 15 weak cops unharmed.

Here are some pros and cons about this type of a dodge build

Pros
• High mobility
  
• Often more versatile than armor, can play support but also solo
  
• Quick at completing objectives
  
• Good in push forward type of heists e.g. Hoxton Breakout Day 1 and Heat Street

Cons
• Limited weapon selection due to Low Blow and Sneaky Bastard
  
• Limited tanking ability, can be suppressed easily when behind cover
  
• RNG element
  
• Poor in compact, holdout type heists e.g. Cook Off and Undercover

Thank you for reading my first ever guide! Feel free to leave a rating and a comment.

Happy heisting everyone!

[Daltan212]

Hi there, the electrical brass knuckles has become unavailable as of August 18th 2024, is there another melee option available?

[Mint]

Tried without any infamy, 95 lvl and no Continental Coins. And this thing is awesome even not completed yet.

[autistic war criminal]

my dodge only caps at 45%, even with a max rogue build and a copy/paste of the build

[Nas'hrah fan club]

nvm i did :D

[Nas'hrah fan club]

i can't find the revolver

[Miomom]

ujiower

[rische]

may the lord bless your soul.

[TheLegitOsmar]

What do you think about the new pistol?
Could it be replaced by the castigo revolver?

[StarTron]

@Slavo maybe infamy? I mean im level 98 for now and i got 60.

[FizzyQ]

i get 60 dodge instead of 70, why?