The XAL-001 is an interesting unique chemical pistol that sees little due to its seemingly game breaking gimmick, but its far from true, as I aim to show you in this crazy fun build I’ve put together based on Sheepherders versatility chemical pistol build (
https://youtu.be/CwaeyuuZIio).
Today we trade the reliability and safety of normal, non-institute made chem pistols for incredibly cheap and powerful acid blobs, terribly high (but completely resisted) self-inflicted acid damage and the looming risk of getting entangled on the spot with each shot you make. Hilarity ensues!
Given than this build makes permanent use of Survival Instincts its best to attempt it with comfortability and knowledge of the thought encounters. We will beeline both the main and the protectorate questline for the required gear, we need both the CAU armor and the XAL-001 chemical pistol, they complement each other immensely and are of little use without each other.
This build is very much DOMINATING and bellow viable, and with the acid self-damage completely resisted we are left with a very interesting and fun challenge.
Build:
https://underrail.info/build/?HgMQAwkGAwYjwqAAwqBaWm4AAAAAMmRLRloAAADCoAAAWisnwqMmMWLCkSQvUU7Ch8KIKgLChcKz4rK7BeK1rgrfvwThe tldr of the build consist of;
- Getting (and fully specializing) Versatility
- MAXING melee and DEX to make your guns skills scale off it, decreasing the base AP cost of chemical pistols ( making your XAL-001 shots cost 5~4 ap)
- Since the XAL-001 shoots you AND your target at the same time, we use the CAU rig and biohazard/mutant dog leather to achieve 100% acid resist
- Running around with survival instincts active (30 % HP at all times) and obtaining as much critical chance as possible
- Playing around Temporal Limited Increment (LTI), Escape Artist and Stasis to circumvent the 30% chance of acid entangle yourself and its funny (and lethal) implications
- Abuse Fatal Throw Action Points refund for free reloads/even more shots
Feats:
- Versatility (+10): the core feat in this build
- Pack Rathound: at 3 str we need our Purse-of-Holding Feat
- Opportunist: we constantly entangle others, making it a death sentence for them
- Recklessness: more critical chance for the crit god
- Survival Instincts: see above
- Cooked Shot: Amaizing area of effect special attack unique to chem guns, CAU armor boosts it by 20%, and since its cost is based on your main weapon cost, it will be incredibly cheap to cast, plus, with LTI it will be much more spammable.
- Quick Pockets: since the chemical belts offer no additional utility slot, having an additional one for your knives is a nice deal.
- Fatal throw (+3): our throwing skill is sky high with all this dex, which means cheap, accurate and stronger knifes that will secure a kill and a surplus of AP reimbursed. Pro tip: Corrosive acid lowers mechanical resistances and lets you score easier kills with knives
- Escape Artist: our only means out of acid entanglement, its strategic use is key to survival out of a literal tight spot
- Psycho temporal acceleration, Future Orientation and Precognition (+2): more AP and MP is always good, we use precognition to bypass the increased AP cost of LTI so it doesn’t cost us an extra 2 shots.
- Ambush: with flares and incendiary grenades we can play around it to secure hits and increased critical chance
- Blindsiding: since chemical pistols range is not that high, we aim to start as close as possible from the action by closing in while stealthed, most fights you start by your terms will end up on your turn, so a 15% dmg boost is welcome
- Increased DEX: duh
Optional Feats
- Nimble: CAU armor might detract some movement points and evasion/dodge with its penalty, good but not crucial to have
- Split spare: getting lucky with a well placed black dragon coated knife is a neat surprise, and we will try to get one will with them each turn no matter what.
- Grenadier/three pointer: With all this throwing skill and cooldown reduction grenades are always available and incredibly powerful, but this is a chemical pistol build! we need no loud firecrackers aside from incendiary grenades
Neglected feats
- Mad chemist: realistically we wont be using anything more than the XAL and a trusty fire blob chem gun for emergency fear and ambush activation, so we use those ability points elsewhere.
- Steadfast aim: the additional crit chance is nice, but its negligible with an already low cost weapon like the XAL
Gear
Head: Seeker goggles with night vision modules ( we will need some mechanics and electronics for them)
Body: CAU armor
Shield: High High modules and efficient mod, maybe a low low one for expedition crossbow enemies
Boots: biohazard boots work well until you can get your hands on some mid-tier quality super steel fiber and mutant dog skin, both makes us immune to acid puddles, we want this to resist corrosion and rusting stacks (the XAl has only 870 durability ☹, we already use plenty repair kits) when we make use of the corresponding acids
Belt: Advanced chemical belt, further reduces chemical pistol AP cost and dealts an un-resistible debuff to shot targets
Food: when we are 1 point of DEX away from a AP reduction on our chemical gun, Eel sammich, otherwise hardcore chips. All-in is also a great drink, as it gives use +3 in DEX and lets us reach 4 AP XAL shots.
After we obtain the XAl and become acid immune, the real fun will begin ! more than 10 acid blob shots, each critting from 200 to 400 damage with the occasional entangle.
We betray Aegis Security as soon as we enter the black sea and turn ourselves to our torrent-downloading friends the Grimm Jetters, this way we can access katya’s stock of rusting and corrosive acids, letting us get by them without entering the Deep Caverns or dealing with Sea Wyrms (we hate those so much).
Im no expert, but if you have questions i (might) have the answers ! thanks for reading.
will do a vid featuring its strenghts and weaknesses in the future
