Build help for expedition

[Megaost]

Hello! I've been having a long break from this game. Last time I played expedition I got stomped pretty badly. What's the best / one of the best builds for expedition? Will probably just play on Normal.

[TheAverageGortsby]

If you want to have a strong, survivable character for direct-force approaches, try a tin can AR. Search the forum, there are plenty of build guides for that.

If you want to have the widest variety of tools available so you can solve whatever problems come your way, try a full psi build with crafting, social skills, and hacking & lockpicking.  Search the forum, there are plenty of build guides for that.

If you want a sneaky or nearly pacifist playthrough, but also want to be able to kill things quickly when you have to, try a stealth sniper.  Search the forum, there are plenty of build guides for that.

If you just want to hit people in the face, try either a metal armor sledge build or a riot gear spear build.  Search the forum, there are plenty of build guides for that.

Without knowing how you like to play the game, I can't really offer a customized suggestion.  Any of those broad archetypes listed above are strong and will easily, easily get you through Normal difficulty.

[Megaost]

Let me be a bit more specific. Last time I played expedition I struggled against the big metal boyos. The robots. Can't remember their names. I am filled with a lust for vengeance. Do you know of a build that is adept at disposing of big metal boyos?

[TheAverageGortsby]

There are a few.  If you mean, the Plasma Sentries, then any of those would do fine.  Industrial Bots?  Same.  Strongmen? There I would rule out the sniper, and the spear.  Nagas?  Probably just stick with tin can AR or full psi.  Full psi is - until Styg finishes nerfing it in the next few months - the most powerful build in the game, probably.  It certainly is the most versatile.

So, either go tin can AR if you want to dakkadakkadakka or full psi if you'd prefer to cave wizard FTW.

[Tayon]

Naga Protectors are best erased by temporal manipulators. Stasis + Tranquility allows you to cast up to twelve stacks of Temporal Distortion on one of them and safely go around the corner. Psycho-temporal Dilation works just as well, allowing you to literally kite the poor robot. With some help from Psychokinesis (Force Field, Electrokinesis and Electrokinetic Imprint), you can even destroy several of them without getting a scratch.
The same strategy works great with the Strongmen. Handmaidens do not require any particular strategy at all, unless you piss off too many of them. Only a cheat called "Thermodynamic Destabilization" works against the robocrowd, and it is not too good - someone can survive and even kill you. A sad personal experience.

Well, that was a little guide to exterminating robots by the psi wizard from me. If you want to try it, you can find enough psi-wizard builds on forum.

However, there is one big minus - Styg was going to remake psionics, so the psi character at one point can turn into garbage. Just a warning.

[harperfan7]

Nagas will attack you with a ranged AoE attack unless you're very close to them, so if you keep some distance (and they won't come up to you), you can wear armor that protects against electricity and/or energy with blast cloth (like a galvanic tacvest or insulated infused greater siphoner leather), and blast cloth tabis and even balaclava if you dont really need the head slot.  Combine that with an efficient low shield and it'll take them forever to kill you.

[Koveras]

Also, laser pistol builds are ridiculously strong against all robots, except naga. And you can still OTK nagas with a polarizer. As far as robot destruction is concerned, I would consider those builds the best. They lack the tankyness of an AR build and the control of a cave wizard though.

[Megaost]

Naga Protectors

Thaaaaaat's the one! Thank you! Ty to everyone else as well for advice. I just went with full psi so far, haven't gotten to the Expedition content yet.

[Fufuneraire]

Another build that finished Expedition :
Stomped the robot guys with psychokinesis skills. Struggled against the BIG robots with force fields and others.
Tanked melee natives with riot gear : shield is wonderful against flurry
Crafted my riot armor on a bio vest base, for mutant sniping grasshoppers and bio shit. And some super steel sheats for slashing weapons.
Metathermics did almost all the job with thermodinamicity.
If you're psi and have some electronic skills to craft headband, you can also craft somme good hi-velocity shield emitter. And if you're really into it, you can try some low-velocity shield emitter to face crossbow natives (I wanted to do it, but it wasn't necessary with my riot mage build).
Never forget that telekinetic punch is a low velocity hyper-strong mechanic skill. You can dismantle robots and shielded robots with it. Better with telekinetic proxy.

Just don't put a toe in this zone before level 12 / 14.