Hey guys!
I've been doing no-death underrail attempts and really love cooking up all sorts of builds for this game because of the complex character stat and feat system. Because I have played no death up to Depot A so many times I have some ways to make the beginning of the game easier for newer players who want to take on dominating.
Start - GMS
-Every floor has useful supplies - Food on 3 in the kitchen, healing on 6 in the medical cabinet, battery on 7 on the shelves by the window on harold's side, throwing nets & hopper cages with some random loot on 8 in the back room
-You can reroll Old Jonas' supplies the first time you enter the area (never again) by reloading your auto save. He can spawn with many useful things such as low grade electroshock generators for taser, all types of belt (except catalyzing, probably cuz it's new), and tabi boots (rathound, cave hopper (most common), and ninja
-Get nades (even with no throwing) for M'lan Ratula and just blast his ass before you even speak to him (unless you have persuade and are playing oddity)
-Taser = God
-flares can fear rathounds & rathound alphas for 1 turn, which can save your life in the early game.
-Lots of early game animals and humans will run straight into bear traps even with no skill. This is extra effective if you plant traps around corners.
-You should be using items and equipment outside the idea of your build. Caltrops, bear traps, flares, molotovs, grenades, flashbangs can all be used effectively with no skill.
-In situations where brute force and stealth may not be able to do it for you, equip some antithermic gear and start throwing molly's everywhere. (doesnt work on robits)
-Before you fight the Psi Beetles for newton, raid the underpassages to get riot gear, tactical vest, assault rifle, and a bunch of random loot. Then go to Junkyard to see if you can get some charons and better equipment you can use. Getting a taser before this is very helpful.
-An easy strategy for any character to take on all of the psi beetles in the Find Newton quest is to buy all of Jonas' traps, and 2-4 molotovs. Close the doors, Kill the single beetle by the shelves, then set all your traps leaving a single tile path between the doors and the side room. Get the psi beetles attention by throwing a nade, or simply unstealthing and then running behind the corner. Once some beetles have rushed in and trapped themselves start throwing mollys and let the bear-flame trap commence.
Junkyard
-You can come to junkyard early with some bear traps and kill siphoners by planting bear traps where they jump out of the water around level 4 - 350xp per kill on classic mode and also the possibility for some nice leather. The siphoner's inventory doesnt generate until they are out of the water so you can reroll.
-With around 45-50 stealth you can steal from the shelves in Colton's shop. I have found tabi boots, sledgehammers, metal armor, tac vests, etc. of pretty good quality doing this. Can be a big boon for level 4 character.
-Katheryn can be stolen from with around 45-50 stealth as well, the shelves and two lockers. Electronic parts, belts, expensive shit etc. The locker furthest from the door is guaranteed to contain some kind of energy pistol.
- If you can taze and kill the lone thug in the same map in the southeast corner before he can react, he usually is carrying adrenaline, a melee weapon, and sometimes a steel cat SMG. Fighting him doesn't attract attention from anyone else.
-Same case as above for Gort by the Scrappers - shelves.
- Pay the gang's fee to get access to fixer and Katheryn's shop. You can come back later and ice them for their loot starting with the most dangerous enemy for your build (either Vince or Crossbow boi most likely)
-An easy way to get through silent isle (even on no death) is that when you first get there, cover the entire western shore with caltrops so that psi beetles don't come anywhere near captain broderick. If he attracts the attention of a goliathus you're done.
-Hacking the turrets in Depot A makes everything 1000% easier.
Post Depot A
-Quickest way for a guaranteed easy energy shield - rush to core city, and kill the guard above Joe De Pacino.
General
-Multiple armor sets are absolutely necessary. I tend to carry leather armor, tac vest, and metal armor as well as multiple headpieces, boots tabi etc.
-When in doubt, Molly.
-I find defensive skills and feats to be generally more useful on dominating (side effect of no death?)
-Unlimited lake poppies from SGS give you tons of morphine
-Always keep a healthy supply of batteries, mollys & nades, and bear traps - if you are doing your economy right you should end up with tons of cash anyway so dont hesitate to overspend in the beginning.
-Keep your eyes open for the coveted early energy shield in Ezra's inventory
-Always utilize food
If anyone else has things they have found that I am missing please tell me!
