Ever wanted to clear every zone in the game with minimal use of items? This is the build you've been looking for!
WARNING: COMMENTS HAVE SPOILERS, BIG SPOILERS
Final build link for those who don't wanna read the thread:
https://underrail.info/build/?HgMQAwMDCghGLADCoB4AwqBVMhoAJk9UOF8AAMKgRgAASSbCoyssFsKRViplLg0RL07Ch8KzcsK4378Pros:
High AoE damage, by around level 14 you should be able to do around 1k damage in AoE in just two turns.
High single target damage, before you acquire XAL you can probably do ~800 damage a turn by level 16 (Balor died in two turns even with 400% health modifier from DOMINATING) and over 1.5k afterwards.
Very low maintenance, you can clear nearly every zone with minimum use of items like drugs, grenades, bear traps and caltrops.
Note that despite me recommending grenades in practice you rarely need them since a thermoD into critical pyrokinesis will delete almost all groups.
Lots of crowd control options, you have access to freeze, fear and entanglement from your chemical pistols
Unresisted damage to nearly everything, the only exception is Nagas and those can't do anything against your mk3 EMP grenades and will get their resistance reduced by corrosive acid
Can pick and hack every lock due to high dexterity and int
Cons:
Lacks skill points until about level 7 unless you decide to drop or postpone hacking or lockpicking
No passive defenses besides shield, you will win fights by good use of cover, your weapons, psi abilities and utilities
Reliant on gear for stealth until late game
Low strength and the fact that you will usually be carrying a minimum of 24 lbs of ammo (equivalent to 100 vials for each pistol) will minimize the amount of loot you are able to haul
Build at level 5:
https://underrail.info/build/?BQMLAwMDCggAHgAjAAAeGxYaAAoAGwAIAAAeIwAAACbCoyssFt-_At this point you have mk2 grenades + LTI and probably some random knife as your main offense, pyrokinesis exists but is currently too weak to be useful, you don't have enough points to max metathermics yet.
build at level 10:
https://underrail.info/build/?CgMMAwMDCggjHgA8AAAeLSEaAA8RNAAIAAA8IwAAIibCoyssFsKRVirfvwBy this point you should have a chemical pistol or three
(Blaine sells the parts for cryo relatively often and incendiary sometimes while Fixer always sells acid)
and are probably about to do Depot A, which will be a breeze due to mk4 grenades and cryo pistol cooked shot, you are also finally not running out of skill points.
While at this point your chemical pistol accuracy is relatively low that problem is minimal due to cooked shot + LTI as well as a taser.
build at level 16:
https://underrail.info/build/?EAMOAwMDCggjJwBaAAAeOCYaACY8VAAIAABaNwAARybCoyssFsKRViplLg3fvwBy this point the build is extremely powerful, you have all your zone clearing tools except stasis. With guaranteed critical pyrokinesis, thermoD and cooked shot removing evasion with entanglement you should be able to delete the majority of groups in two turns at most with minimal consumable and utility use.
Don't forget to join Oculus ASAP, due to your high INT you can make three q140 chemical pistols shortly after finishing Depot A
By now the build is basically finished, any future feats except Increased Dexterity and Advanced Psi Empathy are up to you.
Personal feat recommendations:
Escape Artist so you can use XAL is a good idea and definitely worth the 30 points in dodge, its also nice when your cooked shot hits you.
Quick Pockets is useful so you can switch utilities and pistols mid combat as well the extra utility slot (You will only have 2 without it due to advanced catalyzing belt)
My version of the finished build:
https://underrail.info/build/?HgMQAwMDCghGLADCoB4AwqBVMhoAJk9UOF8AAMKgRgAASSbCoyssFsKRViplLg0RL07Ch8KzcsK4378Gear:
For headband I was usually equipping a -psi cost +critical damage uni psi headband, with a metathermics +pyrokinesis damage +critical damage to swap to for fights with big groups.
For body armor I wore rathound regalia (use cave hopper leather early on) until I could make a infused hopper leather armor for the extra movement points.
On your feet slot you should wear ninja tabis the whole game.
I made two shield emitters, a low frequency one for crossbowers and a high frequency one for gunners.
Belt should always be advanced catalyzing belt unless you need to haul something, the damage boost from it is massive.
When you acquire CAU armor use that with sea wyrm tabis for maximum acid resistance so you can use XAL without damaging yourself.
Weapons should be obvious, an acid pistol, cryo pistol, incendiary pistol and XAL for tougher fights
Utilities should be taser + grenades early on and flashbangs + grenades until you get Quick Pockets, then use taser + grenades + flashbangs.
Closing words:
Overall this is probably the 2nd strongest build of the few dozen I have played, by level 20 I was able to clear almost every zone in non Expedition areas except Upper Underrail and two maps in the upper caves with many death stalkers.
Almost every zone including expedition ones were cleared (except the Upper and Lower caves, I didn't want to deal with death stalkers in open areas) and every hostile boss I could find was killed (Including Faceless Commander)
