However, some are still a cut above the others, and ultimately numbers never lie. If your preferred spec is the Demolisher Technomancer, here’s the top build right now.
Introduction
The Technomancer is the dedicated long range support specialist of Outriders, with one heavily healing-oriented tech tree and two others that are more versatile with a DPS focus. One of these is Demolisher, which is what we’ll be looking at today in depth. Technomancers, despite being long-range DPS characters, aren’t your typical squishy glass cannons that most “sniper” or “caster” classes are like in games. With the default healing mechanic being that you regenerate some health for all damage caused, simply laying down a consistent barrage of hits will let you coast in regular encounters. The Demolisher is what a typical caster class looks like when implemented in a game world that uses weird future technology and physical anomalies instead of magic. Not quite a “mage”, the Demolisher conjures turrets and Anomaly-powered weaponry to dish out massive numbers of damage at range. The Demolisher is a true force capable of barreling through much of what the game can throw at you with relative ease.
Class Tree
You’ll have seen by now that Outriders isn’t the kind of skill completionism game where grinding a lot will let you unlock every ability in any given tree. The choices you make as you level up will greatly influence the effectiveness of your build in combat, and these choices need to be made while keeping the benefits of your weapons and armor in mind as well. Some combinations simply aren’t as potent as others. Our recommended skill distribution for maximum yield can be seen above, but with a bit of experimentation you can tailor it to your preferred playstyle, as there is some flexibility in this build. As far as the most essential nodes are concerned, here is what you can’t afford to leave out:
Techbond: Activating an Ordinance skill increases Anomaly Power by 50% by ten seconds - as the final, heavy hitting node in the tree, you likely wouldn’t have skipped this one anyway, but we have to highlight its importance. The massive damage boost this gives you is an absolute gamechanger. Absorption: Activating an Ordinance skill increases Skill Leech by 15% for seven seconds - both this and Armored Unit work towards giving this build greater survivability. This means you’ll be better suited to tackling solo content. Armored Unit: Activating an Ordinance skill increases Armor by 50% for fifteen seconds - as mentioned above, this is the second main survivability skill you need to choose. Aside of making it easier to strike out on your own, this will also lessen the pressure on healer teammates to keep you alive if you roll in a group.
While we definitely encourage a bit of experimentation and fine tuning, there are a few skills you ought to avoid. Several nodes throughout the tree will give you Toxic damage and Decay damage bonuses, which may seem tempting at face value but should be skipped in favor of other choices. You’ll make up for these bonuses in gearing and the other nodes simply work better for the Demolisher build. Additionally, utilizing the Toxic and Decay bonuses would require you to pick some kind of skill that relies on these stats. You have three skill slots, three Ordinance skills, and the most important nodes all benefit Ordinance, so… you get it, the math checks out. Don’t waste those Class Points.
Skills
As we mentioned above, your three Ordinance skills should be picked to fill out your three skill slots. That means:
Shrapnel: Throw out a mine that will detonate when in range of an enemy, doing damage and interrupting enemies - this is your go-to Area-of-Effect crowd control ability, whittling down the health of larger groups while preventing enemy ability usage. Pain Launcher: Places a mortar down which launches missiles. Each missile interrupts and deals area of effect damage - another interrupt AoE, this is the second skill that comes in your usual rotation to keep that DPS high throughout the encounter. Tool of Destruction: Press the skill to summon a rocket launcher, hold the skill to summon a minigun. The ordinance from the rocket launcher interrupts opponents on impact - this situational skill offers versatility allowing you to use either weapon type depending on the battle at hand.
As you work yourself up the World Tiers, the way difficulty rises will lead to more and more encounters where enemies don’t die before they reach close quarters. This can lead to some issues as a long-range spec, and is where Shrapnel comes into play the most. Tossing that mine and high tailing it to a position further away will let you get your bearings and use that damage leech healing mechanic to get out of the red. Pain Launcher expands on this same functionality with some bonuses - unlike turrets, the mortar launcher cannot be targeted by enemies, so you don’t need to be worried about it being destroyed before dealing out the maximum potential damage. Since you can just pop the launcher and let it do its thing, this is a great way to take the pressure off in a hair situation, but you should be using abilities whenever you can via your rotation anyway. When you’re whipping out your Tool of Destruction, it’s important to size up the current encounter and make your selection accordingly. If you face a boos or a smaller group of stronger enemies clustered together, the rocket launcher is definitely the way to go, whereas larger groups of weaker enemies can easily be mowed down by the minigun.
Weapon Mods
Some weapon mods befit the Demolisher Technomancer more than others, mainly further beefing up those Ordinance skills you’re supposed to be using with great zeal. The Demolisher relies on Anomaly Damage above all else, so naturally those mods that boost or affect this type are what you should be aiming for. The top mods for this build are the following:
Massacre: Each enemy killed by Tool of Destruction’s minigun increases the Technomancer’s Anomaly Power - this gives your most potent skill an even greater damage boost, making the minigun the best choice to cut through throngs of enemies with. Upgraded Gun: Increases resistance-piercing while Tool of Destruction’s minigun is active - a good choice for encounters where you are facing tougher enemies, this mod will help make them a little squishier. Cannonade: Increases the number of rockets fired from Pain Launcher - more rockets means more damage! Rain of Pain: Decreases the cooldown of Pain Launcher - this is just a more roundabout way to get the same effect as Cannonade. Lower cooldown means using Pain Launcher more often, which means more rockets, which means more damage! Trap Cluster: Doubles the number of mines tossed from Shrapnel before going on cooldown - making your main crowd control ability even better at controlling crowds, the more mines you can toss increases the overall area that is affected by the damage and interruption. If you are really keep on squeezing the most out of Shrapnel, by crafting the maximum number of these mods you’ll be tossing around 6 of the mines.
Best Gun
While many Technomancer builds benefit from the various Legendary Sniper Rifles found in the game, the best gun for the Demolisher build is actually an LMG. Now, despite this being a shooter game, what gun you carry as a Demolisher doesn’t actually have too much bearing since you really ought to be using Tool of Destruction absolutely always, but sometimes enemies can catch us with our pants down when a peashooter is all we get. As far as peashooters go, Damascus Offering will get you the best results when playing as this build. The main reason is the weapon’s unique trait of converting 30% of the user’s Anomaly Power into Firepower, and all this time we’ve been building a character completely overloaded with Anomaly Power. Guns don’t factor into your play here, but it’s nice to have backup. As a result, what you put into your remaining two weapon slots is of no importance at all.
Best Armor Set
Of the Legendary Armor Sets available to the Technomancer class, the one you need to farm out as a Demolisher is the Grim Inventor. A gas mask with glowing eyes and pseudo-frosted tips out of some weird crystal sure is a look, but the main reason you’re wearing this costume is the set bonus that will make your Tool of Destruction your main weapon. With Grim Inventor, every hit scored by a missile from the Pain Launcher will immediately restore 20% of the ammunition of Tool of Destruction, meaning if you make your shots count, don’t spray and pray and pop your Pain Launcher whenever possible - preferably with a mod that reduces the cooldown - you’ll never find yourself relying on your Damascus Offering in a fight. If you strike out into the unforgiving battlefield that is Enoch with this build and following these tips, you’ll be pushing the maximum World Tier in no time and overcoming all the challenges that humanity’s new unforgiving home can throw at you.
