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Is Reaver the Best Trickster Build in Outriders?

In a word, yes, Reaver is arguably the best Trickster build in Outriders, especially when you’re looking for a powerful and effective setup for endgame content and Challenge Tiers (CT). It’s a strong anomaly build. The Reaver build focuses on maximizing Anomaly Power and utilizing close-range damage, making the Trickster a force to be reckoned with in the thick of combat. While other builds can be fun and viable, Reaver’s raw damage output and survivability make it a top contender. Read on to learn why!

Why Reaver Reigns Supreme: A Deep Dive

The Reaver build leverages the Trickster’s close-range prowess, amplifying it with specific skill choices, gear mods, and a carefully constructed class tree. It’s all about teleporting into the fray, dealing massive damage, and then vanishing before enemies can retaliate. Here’s a breakdown of the core elements that make this build so effective:

Key Skills

The Reaver build revolves around a few key skills that synergize perfectly with the intended playstyle.

Hunt the Prey: This is the Trickster’s signature skill, allowing you to teleport behind an enemy, deal damage, and gain a damage boost. This is the backbone of the Reaver build, as it provides mobility, damage amplification, and a means of escaping dangerous situations.
Borrowed Time: A crucial survivability tool, Borrowed Time grants a shield and marks your location, allowing you to teleport back to it later. This provides immense tactical flexibility and allows you to engage aggressively without risking death. It acts like a “get out of jail free card”.
Twisted Rounds (Optional): While not strictly essential for a pure Anomaly Power Reaver build, Twisted Rounds can provide a significant boost to your weapon damage. It infuses your bullets with Anomaly energy, increasing their damage significantly. If your goal is a hybrid weapon/anomaly build, Twisted Rounds are mandatory. If you focus on an Anomaly build, look at other options.

Class Tree Focus

The Reaver build emphasizes the Assassin subclass within the Trickster’s class tree. This subclass provides crucial bonuses to:

Weapon Damage: Crucial for hybrid builds that rely on both weapon and skill damage.
Short-Range Damage: Since the Reaver build is all about getting up close and personal, this bonus is invaluable.
Damage from Behind Enemies: This synergizes perfectly with Hunt the Prey, allowing you to maximize damage output when teleporting behind enemies.
Anomaly Power: As you progress down the class tree, look for nodes that offer increasing Anomaly Power and reduce cooldowns.

Essential Gear and Mods

The right gear and mods are critical to maximizing the Reaver build’s potential. Focus on gear with the following attributes:

Anomaly Power: This is your primary damage stat. Stack as much of it as possible.
Cooldown Reduction: Reduces the cooldown of your skills, allowing you to use them more frequently.
Status Power: Increases the duration of your status effects, like Slow and Vulnerable.

Some key mods to look out for include:

Anomaly Echo: Increases Anomaly Power after using a skill.
Emergency Stance: Provides a temporary shield when your health drops below a certain threshold.
Untamed Power: Increases Anomaly Power when your health is below a certain threshold. (Use carefully)
Temporal Armor: Increases armor after using a skill.

Playstyle

The Reaver build is all about aggressive, hit-and-run tactics. Here’s how to play it effectively:

Engage with Hunt the Prey: Teleport behind an enemy to gain a damage boost and reposition yourself.
Unleash Your Skills: Use your other skills to deal damage and apply status effects.
Use Borrowed Time Strategically: Use Borrowed Time to either close range or retreat to safety if you are taking too much damage.
Rinse and Repeat: Continuously cycle through your skills, using Hunt the Prey to reposition and maintain your damage output.

The Reaver Advantage: Why It Works So Well

The Reaver build is not just about dealing damage; it’s about survivability and control. By constantly repositioning with Hunt the Prey and using Borrowed Time strategically, you can avoid taking excessive damage while still dishing out massive amounts of it. The constant teleporting also keeps enemies disoriented, making them easier to manage. This build emphasizes the Trickster’s fighting style.

Alternative Trickster Builds

While Reaver is excellent, there are other viable Trickster builds, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:

Chronoscythe Build: Focuses on slow and time-based skills. This build is very effective at controlling groups of enemies but may lack the raw damage output of the Reaver build.
Venator’s Knife Build: Relies on the Venator’s Knife skill to debuff enemies and amplify damage. This build can be very effective at supporting a team, but it may not be as strong solo as the Reaver build.
Twisted Rounds Weapon Build: Emphasizes weapon damage using Twisted Rounds and other damage-boosting skills. This build can be very effective at dealing sustained damage but may struggle against enemies with high armor.

Conclusion: Reaver – A Top Tier Choice

While personal preference plays a role in determining the “best” build, the Reaver build consistently ranks among the top choices for Trickster players in Outriders. Its combination of mobility, damage output, and survivability makes it a powerful and versatile option for tackling all types of content. If you’re looking for a build that can carry you through endgame content and Challenge Tiers, the Reaver build is definitely worth considering. Always make sure to explore, though. You might find you are having more fun experimenting with an alternative build.

Remember, the best build is the one that you enjoy playing the most!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the best attributes to focus on for a Reaver Trickster build?

The best attributes are Anomaly Power, Cooldown Reduction, and Status Power. Anomaly Power is your primary damage stat, while Cooldown Reduction allows you to use your skills more frequently, and Status Power extends the duration of effects like Slow and Vulnerable.

2. Which skills are essential for the Reaver build?

Hunt the Prey and Borrowed Time are essential. Hunt the Prey provides mobility and damage amplification, while Borrowed Time provides survivability and tactical flexibility.

3. What mods should I prioritize for my Reaver build?

Prioritize mods that increase Anomaly Power, reduce cooldowns, and enhance survivability. Some examples include Anomaly Echo, Emergency Stance, and Temporal Armor.

4. Is the Reaver build good for solo play?

Yes, the Reaver build is excellent for solo play. Its mobility and survivability allow you to tackle difficult content on your own. Some gamers believe that the Devastator is the best option for solo play, though.

5. What Challenge Tier can the Reaver build handle?

With the right gear and skill, the Reaver build can handle Challenge Tier 15, the highest difficulty level in Outriders.

6. How important is weapon damage for the Reaver build?

Weapon damage is less important than Anomaly Power for a pure Reaver build. However, a hybrid build that incorporates Twisted Rounds can benefit from weapon damage bonuses.

7. What is the best weapon for the Reaver build?

The best weapon depends on your playstyle. Shotguns and Assault Rifles are popular choices due to their close-range effectiveness. Look for weapons with mods that complement your build.

8. Is the Reaver build easy to learn?

The Reaver build can be challenging to master due to its aggressive playstyle. However, with practice, it becomes a very powerful and rewarding build to play.

9. How does the Reaver build compare to other Trickster builds?

The Reaver build is generally considered to be more powerful than other Trickster builds in terms of raw damage output and survivability. However, other builds may offer more utility or control.

10. Can the Reaver build be used in a team setting?

Yes, the Reaver build is viable in a team setting, particularly if you focus on applying status effects to enemies. Other builds might be a better option if your team already has a solid damage dealer, though.

11. What is the ideal playstyle for the Reaver build?

The ideal playstyle is aggressive and mobile. Use Hunt the Prey to teleport behind enemies, unleash your skills, and use Borrowed Time to reposition or escape.

12. Is the Reaver build gear-dependent?

Yes, the Reaver build is highly gear-dependent. You need the right attributes and mods to maximize its potential. This is the case for most builds in Outriders.

13. Are there any specific armor sets that synergize well with the Reaver build?

Armor sets that boost Anomaly Power or skill damage are ideal for the Reaver build. Experiment with different sets to find what works best for your playstyle.

14. How does the Reaver build handle boss fights?

The Reaver build can handle boss fights effectively by using Hunt the Prey to reposition and avoid damage while continuously applying status effects and dealing damage with your skills.

15. What is the Games Learning Society?

The Games Learning Society is an organization that explores the intersection of games and learning with a mission to foster innovation, promote best practices, and advance the field of games and learning. They seek to connect games with the classroom, education, and other spaces. To learn more, you can visit GamesLearningSociety.org.

Is Reaver the best trickster build?