M1000 Classic
Nishanka Boltshark X-80
Grappling Hook
Flare Gun
Light Scouting Suit
Pickaxe
Loadout Guide
I have 500 missions on Scout. This is my go-to general purpose build. Tried and tested on Haz 5+. I play Scout very support and objective-oriented. Light up the cave (please please please light up your caves), mine resources, revive your teammates; and I like to focus on taking care of disruptor enemies (web/acid spitters, trijaws, stingtails, etc.) so my team can kill the swarm uninterrupted. This is how I enjoy playing; if you want to kill more bugs, there are a lot of other great builds for that. OBVIOUSLY, adjust this to better fit your playstyle if you so desire. If you have any suggestions or disagreements, I'd love to hear your opinions.
M1000 - Hipster - 23223
Fire Bolts are for getting rid of large crowds, Hipster is for everything else. Praetorian? Spam mouse 1. Spitter on the ceiling? Give it a tap. #
T1 - Damage
If you're using all your tools correctly and doing your job as Scout, you probably won't need the extra ammo.
T2 - Armor breaking
If your aim is better than mine feel free to take recoil.
T3 - Clip size
Other one is for focus shots. Obvious choice.
T4 - Weak point
Better for single target. Fire Bolt is all the penetration you need.
T5 - Quick reload
Other two are for focus shots. Obvious choice.
Crossbow - Fire Bolt - 12111
This is for crowd control. I like to shoot the ground 1-3 times (depending on the number of enemies around) and let the bugs over it. Lead your shots a little. In case you didn't know, bugs on fire also emit heat onto other nearby bugs, creating a chain reaction. If you're in a clutch position (common Scout occurrence), you can also shoot a dead dwarf ~2 times, grapple away to clean up more bugs, and when you come back the bugs on him will all be dead. Fun stuff. #
T1 - Pheromone
Scout doesn't generally have the DPS to clear out a whole cave of bugs while everyone else is down. Pheromone bolts can be a great tool to take some heat off while you revive the damage dealers.
T2 - Normal ammo
More fire, but you can take more pheromones if you want.
T3 - Reload
You're not sniping with this, don't really need velocity.
T4 - Radio transmitter module
You can't retrieve fire bolts, but you can retrieve pheromones if you miss. You're also not going to be killing bugs with this directly, so Battle Frenzy isn't really necessary.
T5 - Special duration
Personal preference, really.
Grappling Hook - 11x3
The grappling hook is the Scout's most powerful tool, so it only makes sense to use it as often as possible (1xx3). #
Hook Speed vs Retraction Speed
This totally depends on your playstyle, but I prefer retraction speed. Hook speed is a great "oh s**t" button. If you get caught off guard by bugs or fall off a cliff, it can save your life. Retraction speed requires you to be more aware and proactive, but I find it improves your platforming ability. Instead of grappling where you want to go, you need to start landing where you wanna go. You don't always have a perfect place to grapple where you need to be, so that extra velocity can give you more flexibility.
Perks
Passive
I like Born Ready, so I can reload while I grapple around (also works for the flare gun). Resupplier, for the extra health on higher difficulties. Can also save your butt with Iron Will. Deep Pockets, because you're a Scout. Go get the resources. You can take Vampire for Iron Will if you want, but you have pretty strong access to red sugar as Scout, so it's not super necessary. #
Active
Iron Will, obviously. Especially as a Scout. You can revive anyone with this, not just the dwarves below you. I also like Heightened Senses, because getting snagged by a leech in an area no one else can reach sucks. Saved me many times. #
Other tools
Grenade
I like boomerang and cryo for crowd control and an "oh s**t" button, but it's personal preference. #
Flare Gun
Fire speed is better than mag size. Keep the caves lit up. Do full burn time (213) or mix and match (113 or 212). #
Armor
+5 material carry isn't worth sacrificing faster shield regen. Just take Deep Pockets. I like health over shield. I find that on higher difficulties it's much more common to die from large bursts of damage than getting chipped when low. If you're on top of your health (Resupplier helps a lot), +20 health will almost always be better than +5 shield. Take revive invulnerability. It gives you enough time to resupply after getting revived. #
Pickaxe
Damage for oppressors, or recharge for utility. I usually take damage.