Hello!
This is the Techno-Soldier Shaman build I just beat the game with. It is a variation of the Jack of All Trades build I posted about some time ago. I prefer this iteration greatly for reasons I will explain.
This is a video showcasing the last boss battle plus some stats. Please excuse the poor quality - I need to reinstall Windows, ect.
https://youtu.be/LD_-EL5T4L4This is the build in the character creation tool. The feats are not exactly the way I took them.
http://underrail.info.tm/build/?HQUEAwgKCgbCm18AAAAAIwAAAABwfCtqZ8KALcKIRgAAWCsvJywUKmXCsD0hZkrChwhfwrLCiOKilgriorUC4qyDAt-_For equipment I used Cryokinetic Muffled Uni-Psi Headband, Supersteel Sturdy Psi Kevlar Overcoat, Supersteel (Anti-Melee) Striders, High-low Efficient Shield Emitter, Tactical Rebel, Rapid Muzzled 7.62 Hornet, Sormirbaeren Spiritstaff, Doctor's Pouch, Rathound Regalia, Ninja Tabis, Black Balaclava, Chemical Assault Unit Armour, Bio-Technician's Boots, Aegis Sec-Trooper Helmet.
I think I managed to craft every chem in the game except the Hypercerebrix. I wasn't lucky enough to find a blueprint this time around. If you do manage to find one you can spare some point from both Mercantile and Crafting and put them wherever else you like. Throwing/Stealth are good candidates.
I prefer this build to playing full Assault Rifle hybrid mostly because of the bullet economy. Non-burst shotguns are very good even if the only Feat taken is Sixth Shell. The build also has Concentrated Fire and sometimes swaps between Shotgun and AR depending on the situation, but for the most part equipping Shotgun and Spiritstaff is perfectly fine. The AR is needed when you want to burst down something real quick or for things like bosses and Juggernauts. Burst shotguns are not good here - I suspect they need more shotgun feats in order to become good. Sixth Shell 20 ap Rebel was, on the other hand, really good, and also much cheaper to use.
I was playing on Oddity, and I have to say that this is the preferred option for this build because you can get a lot of XP with minimal fighting. I hit level 10 just as I gave the drill parts to Tanner, and after the global map was opened I was walking all over collecting as much XP as I can, avoiding combat if possible. The build hits full force around level 20 when your crafting skills finally catch up and you're able to make high end stuff with benches. I pushed for 50 Chemistry early on so that I can have MKIII Frags for Depot A and those remained useful for the first half of the game. Later I swapped those for Napalm and Plasma Nades. Do try to get a Spiritstaff as early as possible - it's not so hard to get one, actually, and it does help a ton.
The biggest enemy this build has are EMP grenades and Snipers. The build has low Initiative so I had to be careful when walking around and starting combat whenever I could. At around level 20, but depending on your equipment and how you've chosen your Feats you can tank a sniper round. With Aegis and Morphine on those do about 50 damage to health. Later on they are not a problem anymore, but there is a point at which you have to be mindful. EMP pulses are also not a problem later on - usually you can see them coming and you have options at your disposal.
But why play such a build at all?
Well, for one it has an answer to every situation you find yourself in. It paces the game in a very different way, though. Most builds just kinda start doing one thing, and they progressively become better and better at this same thing. Over here you start as a squishy Psycher with some explosives to your name, but end up as the tank from the video. Your Psi is not at all shabby. With Trance on you can finish Magnar with two Psionic Mania Cryokinetic Orbs, and the Spiritstaff on, of course. You make MKIII EMP nades for robots. You have Plasma MKII/III nades with Psi when you want to burst dense groups of enemies. You make Crawler Caltrops and Napalm nades for control. You have Locus of Control whenever it's needed. Your Psi Booster usage is not heavy, as well. Like I said earlier - having a 20 ap Shotgun helps a ton here.
That may sound like a lot to take in, but the trick to playing this build and having fun is to have a general idea of what's coming up next. I don't think a relatively new player would have fun with it because, for example, I wouldn't go against Coil Spiders without Psi-Cognitive Interruption, ect. I may be wrong, of course. Another thing about it is how craft-heavy the build actually is. There is a huge difference without the chems and gear. It's just part of the build. You have to take it steady and always be on the lookout for better things to craft. I got lucky with two 150 + quality Supersteel plates from the first and only batch of 3 I ever made. That was enough for me, but it won't always happen, you know.
And that's it. You have any questions, don't hesitate!
