Risk of Rain 2 characters information – abilities, builds, stats & suggestions for each character

From the Commando to the Mercenary, from the Engineer to the Huntress, your selection of character in Risk of Rain 2 performs an important function within the size and flavour of your run. Each character comes outfitted with a unique collection of assaults, abilities, stats, and viable builds and techniques – all of which we’ll focus on on this Risk of Rain 2 characters information. Below you’ll discover detailed info on every of the six survivors at present within the game, together with sensible tips about the way to get essentially the most out of every character.

This characters and survivors information is only one a part of our bigger collection of Risk of Rain 2 guides, all of which you’ll be able to peruse by heading over to our most important Risk of Rain 2 guide web page. You’ll discover all the things from beginner-friendly explanations to helpful suggestions and hyperlinks to different areas of our guides, from Risk of Rain 2 challenges to Risk of Rain 2 enemies, and rather more.

Risk of Rain 2 characters information – abilities, builds, suggestions

With six totally fleshed and wildly differing characters already playable in Risk of Rain 2 (and at the very least 4 extra on the best way), there’s a good quantity to get by way of with this characters information. Click on any of the hyperlinks beneath to skip forward to a piece or survivor of your selection.

Risk of Rain 2 characters & abilities overview

Each time you start a brand new run in Risk of Rain 2, you’ll be prompted to pick your character, or “survivor”. If you’ve simply began taking part in, then you definately’ll solely have entry to the primary character: the Commando. The different characters are unlocked by finishing a particular problem in-game for every of them. For full particulars on the way to unlock the entire characters (and objects) within the game, take a look at our Risk of Rain 2 challenges information.

Each character operates in a really completely different method, due to their distinctive units of abilities. Each character has a major ability (your most important assault); a secondary ability (your secondary assault, normally on a brief cooldown); a utility ability (one other activatable potential on cooldown, normally mobility-based); and a particular ability (a extra highly effective potential on a bigger cooldown, normally offensive in nature). A few characters (MUL-T and Mercenary) have additional traits and/or abilities in addition to these most important 4, however these core ability units are what give every character a singular playstyle.

Aside from the talents, there are particular different stats assigned to every character, resembling your most Health and Damage; the speed at which your Health regenerates; whether or not you’ve gotten any damage-reducing Armor; and so forth. Each character additionally has a motion velocity stat, which I’ve uncared for to incorporate within the tables beneath for the easy purpose that each character has precisely the identical motion velocity: 7 metres per second, which will increase to 10.15 whereas sprinting (a 45% improve).

Below you possibly can view each the stats and abilities for every character, alongside our personal suggestions and ideas on good methods and merchandise builds. We’ll be speaking so much about particular objects within the beneath sections, so when you’d like some extra info on the objects in query remember to take a look at our upcoming Risk of Rain 2 objects information.

Commando suggestions, stats & abilities

Commando is the primary playable character in Risk of Rain 2, and it’s simple to see why. Their skillset is impressively beginner-friendly, with three easy-to-use offensive abilities on quick cooldown, alongside the ever-useful Tactical Dive ability, which seems like one thing footballers do so much, however on this case lets you roll out of the best way of assaults or cross distances even quicker than simply sprinting.

The low cooldowns of all Commando’s skills lets you chain collectively your assaults very simply. In explicit, you must intersperse your Double Taps with Phase Rounds, as a result of every use of Phase Round will reset the bloom (learn: accuracy) of your major assaults. Suppressive Fire needs to be used as usually as attainable for that additional enhance in DPS, however its true energy comes with the stun impact, which lets you reliably interrupt harmful assaults such because the Stone Golem’s laser or the Beetle Guard’s long-range strikes (for tonnes extra information on all of the completely different monsters within the game, have a learn of our Risk of Rain 2 enemies while you get the prospect).

As far as merchandise builds are involved, Commando’s versatility lets you go in many alternative instructions with out an excessive amount of bother. There are not any dangerous selections right here, however when you’re simply beginning out, you must at all times concentrate on objects that provide you with higher DPS over objects that improve your survivability. Attack velocity, crucial hit likelihood, and on-hit objects such because the Ukulele or Kjaro’s Band ought to at all times be prime precedence. Stun Grenade is one other nice pickup for any character, and mixed with Commando’s Suppressive Fire you possibly can very simply hold nearly all of threats shocked and passive till you kill them.

A pair extra helpful tidbits: Phase Rounds can journey by way of terrain, permitting you to deal injury whereas behind cowl. Your most important assault has some vital injury drop-off over longer distances, so use Phase Rounds to deal good injury at lengthy vary. Suppressive Fire additionally has injury drop-off, but it surely additionally has a slight auto-aim about it, permitting you to hit targets even when you’re not fairly aiming on them.

MUL-T suggestions, stats & abilities

MUL-T takes fairly a bit extra getting used to than Commando does, however repays this additional dedication with nice survivability and injury potential over any distance. First factor you must discover is that your Retool ability permits you not solely to change between two completely different Equipment slots however between your two completely different major assaults: the Auto-Nailgun, an exceptionally fast-firing however inaccurate assault; and the Rebar Puncher, which expenses as much as unleash a devastating piercing blast for 600% of your regular injury.

The Rebar Puncher is amazingly correct over any distance, making it your ideally suited long- and mid-range choice. the Nailgun is so inaccurate that it ought to solely be used at close-range, however it may soften away enemies with its wonderful DPS. Aside from this, similar to with Commando you’ve gotten a dependable stun in your Blast Canister that you must use at any time when it’s not on cooldown; and your Transport Mode, whereas it might not seem to be a lot at first, provides you a whopping 200 Armor when you’re utilizing it. Adding on MUL-T’s preliminary 20 Armor, this makes for practically a 70% injury discount with Transport Mode in impact. So that is mainly your good previous “get me the hell out of this situation” button.

One factor to keep in mind is that Hopoo have added a hidden worth known as the “proc coefficient”, which mainly means how usually on-hit results truly come into impact. With MUL-T this modifier could be very low, as a result of if it weren’t, their Nailgun’s insane fee of fireplace would imply the on-hit results proc on a regular basis, making them completely overpowered. However, some objects are nonetheless exceptionally highly effective with the Nailgun, such because the Ocular HUD, which can double your already appreciable injury whereas it’s in impact.

Crowbars are extra helpful with high-damage single-shot skills, which makes them an ideal match for MUL-T’s Rebar Puncher. Movement bonuses are essential for MUL-T as nicely, as a result of though their Transport Mode could be very helpful, it isn’t as fast for dodging and getting out of conditions as Commando’s roll or Huntress’s teleport. I’d additionally say that MUL-T is probably the character greatest suited to a Shaped Glass run because of their already excessive injury, Health, and Armor values – however in fact, it’s nonetheless a danger that will or could not repay.

Huntress suggestions, stats & abilities

Huntress is the favorite of many Risk of Rain 2 gamers because of her ease of use, her wonderful mobility, and her late game potential. I say late game potential primarily as a result of, as you’ll seemingly have realised when you’ve reached far sufficient in a Risk of Rain 2 run, ultimately you’ll get to a degree the place even the slightest hit from a daily enemy will one- or two-shot you. Huntress excels right here because of her manoeuvrability and dodging capabilities.

Huntress’s Strafe locks onto a goal, permitting her to deal respectable constant injury even whereas sprinting in a unique course. Her Laser Glaive offers wonderful crowd management in a wide range of conditions, permitting you to successfully cope with a sky crammed with Lesser Wisps, or a pair of extra highly effective creatures in shut proximity to 1 one other. Try to not use the Glaive towards only one enemy, as a result of it clearly gained’t deal anyplace close to its most potential injury with out the flexibility to bounce between targets.

Blink might be the very best mobility ability in Risk of Rain 2, and utilizing the Hardlight Afterburner merchandise with Huntress feels completely unbelievable because of this. If it’s worthwhile to dodge and your Blink is on cooldown, you need to use your Arrow Rain ability, which teleports you excessive into the air and lets you rain hell down on a small space of impact for a number of seconds. Oh, and by the best way, Arrow Rain has a merely ludicrous vary on it, which means you possibly can place that space of impact down upon the bottom from throughout the map when you wished to.

Where Huntress excels is in crowd management, and the place she falls quick is her potential to burst down single high-threat targets. Your merchandise construct ought to work to counteract this as a lot as attainable with heavy DPS buffs, utilizing objects like Soldier’s Syringe, Harvester’s Scythe, Ukulele, and so forth. Berzerker’s Pauldron is one other good shout, since you’re more likely to be killing 3+ enemies in 1 second rather a lot together with your Glaive and Arrow Rain abilities. Besides this, be sure to choose up a handful of survival-based objects to assist her not be fairly so squishy (Leeching Seed, Tougher Times, Medkit, Foreign Fruit, and so on.).

Engineer suggestions, stats & abilities

Don’t let the Engineer’s unusual skillset dissuade you from taking part in as this character. In the suitable palms, with the suitable construct, they’re completely magnificent at any stage of a run, due to primarily to the synergy of their Turrets and Bubble Shield ability. If you’re taking part in as Engineer, put together for a extra considerate and defence-oriented game, as a result of your most important transfer is at all times going to be the next:

1) Place Turrets

2) Place Shield atop Turrets

3) Fire Grenades/Mines at enemies whereas your Turrets deal with all the things else

Your Bouncing Grenades major assault serves to assist your Turrets with bigger, nearer threats, and the Pressure Mines add an additional layer of defence towards enemies seeking to go by way of you Shield and melee you (and so they’re helpful in a pinch when you’re caught with most of your abilities on cooldown, due to their excessive variety of expenses). But the true meat of the Engineer’s skillset is with these two placable Turrets which persist till they’re destroyed or changed elsewhere, and which oh-so crucially inherit your entire objects as soon as positioned. That means the already huge injury potential obtainable by way of the opposite characters is tripled with the Engineer and their twin Turrets of Death.

When it involves merchandise builds, you’ll wish to go loopy with the on-hit objects. Ukulele, Gasoline, Stun Grenade, Sticky Bomb, and so forth. All these will buff each your assaults and your Turrets’ assaults, which means every of this stuff is doubtlessly thrice as efficient as normal with Engineer. Soldier’s Syringe can be helpful for dashing up the charge-up time of your Bouncing Grenades, permitting you to deal baffling injury in a tiny period of time; and also you’ll additionally need Alien Head to cut back all of your ability cooldowns if attainable, as a result of the one actual draw back to Engineer is that you just do have some very excessive cooldowns in your skills.

But two objects particularly I’d like to spotlight that can assist you together with your turtling “turrets/shield/mines” technique: Warbanner and Bustling Fungus. If you get a Warbanner positioned down by the Teleporter earlier than a struggle, place your Turrets within the space of impact to offer them a unbelievable assault velocity enhance. And Bustling Fungus turns your Turrets into veritable area hospitals, offering therapeutic to one another and to close by gamers (in addition to you offering therapeutic to them in return), giving all of you rather more survivability.

Oh, and by the best way, when you’re taking part in with a good friend… Try coating them in your mines. Those mines stick, and so they’ll detach when enemies method. Works significantly nicely with close-range characters like Mercenary. You’re welcome.

Artificer suggestions, stats & abilities

The nukiest nuker that ever nuked, Artificer is unmatched at bursting down enemies, whether or not teams of smaller ones or large chunky Elites (for more information on Elites, take a look at our Risk of Rain 2 enemies information). First factor I’ll say is that your major assault, whereas excellent at delivering excessive injury for enemies, shouldn’t be used as a major assault. Because of its restricted variety of expenses, it’s not an efficient supply of sustained injury – which is what you’d normally anticipate out of your major ability.

This is the disadvantage of taking part in as Artificer, and what counteracts their stupendous injury potential: it’s worthwhile to be very cautious to make use of your abilities effectively, and be sure to at all times have one thing in reserve able to cope with the subsequent risk. It’s simple to simply shoot all of your high-damage abilities at each close by goal, however then you definately’ll don’t have anything left to cope with the subsequent risk (and as time goes on in Risk of Rain 2, the delay between present risk and subsequent risk will get ever-shorter).

The excellent news is that these skills are all actually, actually highly effective. Flame Bolt is nice for anti-air and that additional bit of harm potential; your Charged Nano-Bomb is your actual bread-and-butter, delivering ridiculous injury in a big space – and you’ll merely faucet it moderately than holding it right down to commerce injury for a speedy stun. Likewise, your Flamethrower offers huge injury at a brief vary, and is extremely good at proccing on-hit results – however keep in mind you can’t cancel out of Flamethrower by firing a Flame Bolt, so that you’ll should both look forward to it to finish or use one in every of your different skills to cancel it. Snapfreeze is hard to become familiar with, however unbelievable towards bigger, already-damaged enemies, as it’ll immediately kill any enemy at lower than 30% Health that it comes into contact with.

In phrases of things, very like Huntress Artificer could be very squishy, so that you’ll want some survival-focused objects resembling Tougher Times, Medkit, Leeching Seed, Foreign Fruit, and so forth so you possibly can truly dwell lengthy sufficient to deal your huge quantities of harm. Speaking of which, you’ll additionally wish to concentrate on tonnes of on-hit objects, as at all times, to spice up your general DPS. Soldier’s Syringe is fairly pointless to your major assault because it doesn’t do something to cut back Flame Bolt’s cooldown; but it surely’s very good at decreasing the charge-up interval of your actual major assault, which is the Charged Nano-Bomb. Other wonderful picks are Crowbar, Berzerker’s Pauldron, and particularly Bandolier (extra potential utilization!) and Primordial Cube (clump collectively enemies so you possibly can burst them down abruptly!).

Mercenary suggestions, stats & abilities

Mercenary is described as a high-skill-ceiling character by the game, which is true to an extent, however I feel it’s extra appropriate to say there’s a little bit of a barrier for entry with Mercenary, after which it turns into pretty plain crusing (with the suitable objects, in fact). That barrier for entry is that Mercenary is a melee-oriented character, and there’s a bent to get a bit confused and scared while you’re surrounded by Lesser Wisps and different enemies. But as soon as it begins to click on, Mercenary develop into presumably essentially the most enjoyable survivor to play with.

This flighty melee acrobat is all about combos and synergies. Similar to Artificer, your secondary ability is the true bread-and-butter injury vendor, moderately than your major assault. Whirlwind lets you shut gaps rapidly or keep within the air for for much longer (a giant factor with Mercenary, who spends just about all their time within the air). This, mixed with the second bounce you obtain proper off the bat as Mercenary, provides you some unbelievable aerial and vertical prowess that not one of the different characters (not even Huntress) may hope to realize.

And that’s not even speaking about Blinding Assault, which might act as an escape, an provoke, or just to reposition your self for combo – and it stuns, and offers sufficient injury to one-shot a Lesser Wisp. And it stacks as much as Three when you hit enemies every time. AND you don’t even should be that correct with it, as a result of the injury and stun is dealt in an a small space of impact round you. It’s an incredible potential; as is your particular ability, Eviscerate, which teleports you in direction of the closest enemy, dealing silly injury to them and granting you full invulnerability for the period. You may hit a number of targets with this potential, similar to all of your different abilities.

Mercenary loves clumped collectively enemies. For this purpose, Primordial Cube is a perfect choose to your tools slot. You’ll additionally need at the very least one Backup Magazine to offer you some additional Whirlwind expenses to maintain you within the air for even longer (mainly endlessly, if you wish to). The remainder of your construct needs to be designed to get you previous the early game (while you’re at your weakest relative to the opposite characters – that barrier for entry rearing its head once more) and to maximise your injury and on-hit results. Brainstalks and Hardlight Afterburner assist you to go completely loopy together with your abilities, whereas Leeching Seed provides you some a lot wanted survivability befitting an aggressive all-in character resembling your self. To assist with bosses (one other weak level for Mercenary) you’ll wish to take as many Armor Piercing Rounds as attainable too, and hopefully finish these Teleporter fights in as quick a time as attainable, ideally whereas spending nearly all of the struggle invincible.

And with that, we conclude (for now) our Risk of Rain 2 characters information. I’ve tried to supply a good quantity of sensible info for every of the survivors at present within the game, relating to each their abilities and the course you’ll wish to take your merchandise construct for every character. Hopefully you’ve learnt a factor or two about a few of these characters and the way they need to greatest be used beneath all method of various perilous circumstances.