Scout in Haz5+ [WIP]

by biossauro on 17/12/2024

Salutes 18

M1000 Classic

M1000 Classic icon
+40 Max Ammo
+10 Direct Damage
+25% Focus Speed
-30% Spread per Shot, x0.8 Max Bloom, x0.5 Recoil
+220% Armor Breaking
+25% Focused Shot Modifier
+6 Clip Size
+3 Penetrations
+20% Weakpoint Bonus
Focused shots Stun enemies for 3 seconds
Killing an enemy with a Focused Shot to a Weakpoint will inflict 2.5 Fear on enemies within 4m of the kill
Manually reloading within 1 second after a kill reduces reload time by 0.75 seconds
Active Stability System

Nishanka Boltshark X-80

Nishanka Boltshark X-80 icon
Special Bolt: 15 Direct Damage, 10 Area Damage, 9 bolts, 10 sec effect duration. If you hit an enemy, it will have its movespeed slowed by 30% and be hostile to other enemies for the duration of the effect.
Special Bolt: 15 Direct Damage, 12 Area Damage, 9 bolts, 14 sec effect duration. If you hit an enemy, it will take 10 Poison Damage per Second for the duration of the effect. If it dies while it still has that status effect active (or is killed by the status effect), then after a 1 sec delay it will explode for 165 Explosive Area Damage in a 4m radius. The explosion also Stuns for 1 second and inflicts 100% Base Fear Chance.
Special Bolt: 15 Direct Damage, 10 Area Damage, 12 bolts, 12 sec effect duration. If you hit an enemy, it will have its movespeed slowed by 50% and take an average of 16 Electric Damage per Second. If you shoot a second Taser bolt within 6m of the first one, an electric beam will arc between the two bolts that slows enemies by 80% and does 30 Electric DPS. Taser Bolts are not retrievable.
+25 Direct Damage, +15 Area Damage
+7 Max Ammo
x1.4 Special Ammo
-0.4 Reload Time, -0.4 Ammo Swap Time
x1.5 Projectile Velocity
After killing an enemy, gain +50% Movement Speed for 2.5 seconds
Hovering your crosshair over a retrievable arrow will pull it back into your inventory.
x1.25 Special Effect Duration
Bolts are magnetically pulled towards enemies that are affected by IFG or Electrocuted. Additionally, they do a bonus 25% Direct and Area Damage to those enemies.
When normal arrows impact terrain, they apply 50% Base Fear Chance to enemies within a 3m radius, pulsing once per second for 5 seconds.
Cryo Bolt

Grappling Hook

Grappling Hook icon

Flare Gun

Flare Gun icon

Light Scouting Suit

Light Scouting Suit icon

Pickaxe

Pickaxe icon
Inhibitor-Field Generator
Inhibitor-Field Generator icon

Loadout Guide

Scout in Hazard 5+ [Still WIP]

Afraid of the dark? No need, you got me!

This guide is focused on playing on Hazard 5+ difficulties, the most challenging difficulties in vanilla Deep Rock Galactic. The ideas presented here are intended for this difficulty but can be effective on lower Hazard levels as well.

Disclaimer

This guide is not intended for use on modded Custom Difficulties. If you want to play modded difficulties, check out the Buildonomicon from the Practical DRG Discord server instead.

Scout's Role

Scout excels in mobility, support, and single-target damage; however, his fast-paced playstyle requires greater map awareness compared to the average dwarf. Prioritize lighting up the caves, targeting high-value targets, and gathering resources efficiently to keep the team moving smoothly.

Lighting up the Caves

Use your Flare Gun to light up key areas of the cave, but be mindful of ammo consumption. A well-lit cave helps prevent ambushes and reveals threats lurking in the dark, like Cave Leeches.

Collecting Minerals and Other Resources

Use your Grappling Hook to quickly access hard-to-reach resources, like crafting materials and gold.

Nitra

In this game, Nitra is probably the most important resource, and as the Scout, your job is to ensure that your team always has at least 80 of it to call a (https://deeprockgalactic.wiki.gg/wiki/Resupply_Pod), allowing everyone to replenish ammunition and health in times of need.

Speeding Up Secondary Objectives

Your exceptional mobility allows you to quickly complete secondary objectives, like gathering Alien Fossils or killing Bha Barmacles, for example. This helps the team stay focused on surviving and completing core tasks.

Killing High-Value Targets

You're responsible for quickly eliminating High-Value Targets (HVT) and, if you have any freezing sources equipped, stationary enemies. These enemies are often disruptive, deal heavy damage, or control key areas, so eliminating them is top priority.

High-Value Targets (HVT)

HVT is a broad term used to describe enemies that pose an immediate threat to you or your team. For example, a large slow target (LST) like a Bulk Detonator is less of a threat when far away compared to a nearby Septic Spreader attacking from behind a wall or a Cave Leech about to grab a dwarf. The proximity, disruptive capabilities, and potential damage of the enemy determine its priority, not just its size or strength.

Spotting Stationary Enemies

Thanks to Scout's mobility and , it's easier for him to spot stationary threats before the rest of the team even notices.

Stationary Enemies

Stationary enemies spawn only during the cave generation, These enemies make traversal or resource gathering more dangerous. As the Scout, your role is to quickly neutralize these threats with precision to ensure safe passage for your team.

  • Naedocyte Breeders and Glyphid Brood Nexii: These enemies spawn swarms of smaller enemies, which can quickly overwhelm your team if left unchecked. Take them out early to prevent an endless flood of annoying little guys.

  • Spitballers, Barrage Infectors, and Vartok Scalebrambles: These stationary turrets dish out heavy damage from a distance, presenting great danger for your team.

  • Cave Leeches: Though technically stationary enemies, they are incredibly dangerous to be less than a HVT. Illuminate the ceiling and kill them on sight. No need to freeze them, because they're very frail, so simply pull down the trigger and shoot.

If your team’s Gunner is equipped with Volatile Bullets and there are decent ignition sources available at long ranges, you can delegate the task of killing Breeders, Nexii and Infectors (Spitball Infectors and Barrage Infectors) to them.

Quick Builds

Generalist Builds

Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
Deepcore GK2 Primary 21222 AI Stability Engine (AISE)
M1000 Classic Primary 23121
23112
Active Stability System
Hoverclock
Minimal Clips
M1000 Classic Primary 23221 Hipster
M1000 Classic Primary 13111
23211
Electrifying Focus Shots (EFS)
DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine Primary 3X112 Thermal Exhaust Feedback (TEF)
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary X1313 Special Powder (SP)
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary 11313
11323
Shaped Shells (ShSh)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 131X1
121X1
Cryo Bolt (CB)

Elimination Builds

Bullets of Mercy (Cryo Comp)
Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
Deepcore GK2 Primary 21222 Bullets of Mercy (BoM)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 32111 Cryo Bolt (CB)
Conductive Thermals (Fire Comp)
Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine Primary 2X222
1X222
Conductive Thermals (CT)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 32111
33111
Fire Bolt (FB)

Experimental Builds (WIP)

Not all builds here have been thoroughly tested on Hazard 5+, so take this subsection with a grain of salt.

NOTE: This subsection will likely remain a work in progress (WIP).

Solo/Carry Builds

Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
Deepcore GK2 Primary 1X2X3 Electrifying Reload (ER)
DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine Primary 1X311 Aggressive Venting (AV) Probably the best solo/carry Scout primary build.
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary 12233 Double Barrel (DB)
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary 11213 Jumbo Shells (JS)
Zhukov NUK17 Secondary 1123X
1121X
Embedded Detonators (ED)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 131X1 Fire Bolt (FB)

Off-Meta Builds

Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
Deepcore GK2 Primary 112X1 Overclocked Firing Mechanism (OFM) Decent with CM.
M1000 Classic Primary 22221 Marked for Death (MfD) Consider pairing it with ED in Elim/IS.
M1000 Classic Primary 11222 Supercooling Chamber (SCC) Potential pick in Elim/IS missions.
Zhukov NUK17 Secondary X121X Cryo Minelets (CM) See this guide.
Zhukov NUK17 Secondary XX211 Gas Recycling (GR)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 11111 Bodkin Points (BP)
Nishanka Boltshark X-80 Secondary 31112 Trifork Volley Potential pick in Elim/IS missions.

Legacy/Outdated Builds

Weapon Slot Modifications Overclock Notes
DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine Primary 1X112 Impact Deflection (ID)
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary 21313 Compact Shells
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Secondary X1313 Stuffed Shells

Gameplay Tips

  • Stay slightly ahead of your team to spot potential threats and collect resources, but don't stray too far, or you risk getting downed in a hard-to-reach location.
  • Maintain mobility by constantly using your Grappling Hook to reposition.
    • If you are using the Special Powder OC, use it in combination to the Grappling Hook to quickly escape danger, such as groups of bugs and fall damage, or to simply reach places you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.
    • Hoverclock is another solid option for kiting bugs and avoiding fall damage. It's a lifesaver when you need to reposition quickly or handle swarms more effectively.
  • It's always good to balance your team for single-target and area damage sources. However, area damage is usually better covered by other dwarves than Scout, especially by the Driller.