Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[roshan]

I usually use serrated tungsten steel knives due to the critical damage multiplier... Lots of ways to get critical chance up, but the damage multiplier is more difficult. With dehumanizer I get 269% critical damage bonus, with a serrated knife I get 370%.

 

[notpl]

I can see the argument for that. Lower base damage is effectively the same thing as a lower critical damage bonus, though, so make sure you're factoring that into the final math. I haven't actually plotted it out to see which knife has the highest DPS, so maybe it'll surprise us both.

Either way, my vote is for interloper and blindsiding. If you only get one, then blindsiding. It's a huge chunk of extra damage to help you overcome the high damage threshhold of robots and other challenging enemies for a knife build, enemies which you couldn't affect with vile weaponry or thirst for blood anyway.

 

[lukaszek]

Feats I Have:

Expertise
Nimble
Opportunist
Recklessness
Weaponsmith
Cheap Shots
Expose Weakness
Fancy Footwork
Taste for Blood
Blitz
Critical Power
Hunter

Feats I am Considering:

Parry
Paranoia
Crippling Strike
Escape Artist
Interloper
Uncanny Dodge
Evasive Maneuvers
Eviscerate
Blindsiding
Cut Throat
Vile Weaponry
Hit and Run

expertise is wasted
surprising lack of ripper, did you start with too low WILL?

Parry - with fancy footwork you should just run away from melee danger
paranoia - sure
crippling strike - meh
escape artist - once you are experienced you can learn to just run away, but i guess its worth having
interloper - surprised you made it this far without it. Its sanity feat
Uncanny Dodge - again, run away from danger
Evasive Maneuvers - same
Eviscerate - you might use it once or twice on dominating, otherwise enemies should die too fast
blindsiding - strong yes
cut throat - too late to have fun with it
vile weaponry - I like it, good against certain bosses
hit and run - fancy footwork should be enough

 

[roshan]

Feats I Have:

Expertise
Nimble
Opportunist
Recklessness
Weaponsmith
Cheap Shots
Expose Weakness
Fancy Footwork
Taste for Blood
Blitz
Critical Power
Hunter

Feats I am Considering:

Parry
Paranoia
Crippling Strike
Escape Artist
Interloper
Uncanny Dodge
Evasive Maneuvers
Eviscerate
Blindsiding
Cut Throat
Vile Weaponry
Hit and Run

expertise is wasted
surprising lack of ripper, did you start with too low WILL?

Parry - with fancy footwork you should just run away from melee danger
paranoia - sure
crippling strike - meh
escape artist - once you are experienced you can learn to just run away, but i guess its worth having
interloper - surprised you made it this far without it. Its sanity feat
Uncanny Dodge - again, run away from danger
Evasive Maneuvers - same
Eviscerate - you might use it once or twice on dominating, otherwise enemies should die too fast
blindsiding - strong yes
cut throat - too late to have fun with it
vile weaponry - I like it, good against certain bosses
hit and run - fancy footwork should be enough

Oh I think I just forgot to mention Ripper - I have it, it's essential! Also, looks like it's now two votes in favor of interloper and blindsiding! I could definitely take both.
I guess the +50% damage from crippling strike is not worth it since it will be for only one attack every two rounds.
I'm rethinking Uncanny Dodge and Parry also because not all enemies are melee, so it might not be as protective as I think.
Evasive Maneuvers is useless since I'd rather make use of the extra AP.
Cut Throat seems pointless as coming from stealth I can eliminate most organic targets within a round.

Another question: I am maxing out my Expertise with the specialization points. After I will still have 5 points left. What feat is best to use them on?

 

[CHEMS]

Picking critical power and expertise doesn't seem like a good choice, let alone speccing expertise. I'd spec critical power if i were you.

Also i'd pick blindsighting ASAP and escape artist, you'll need escape artist if you're gonna run a melee build in expedition. Basically everything there will try to immobilize you.

 

[roshan]

Picking critical power and expertise doesn't seem like a good choice, let alone speccing expertise. I'd spec critical power if i were you.

Also i'd pick blindsighting ASAP and escape artist, you'll need escape artist if you're gonna run a melee build in expedition. Basically everything there will try to immobilize you.

Oh! Sorry, I specialized in Critical Power, not Expertise.

Yikes, I already got Interloper in preparation for Blindsiding. For the 3 veteran feats, I'm planning to get Increased Dexterity, Strider and maybe one other feat - suggestions?

Also, another question - what tattoos are useful? I want to get the anarchy one to increase my critical chance, but I think I'd rather join the protectorate. Is there any tattoo that would be just as good with my build?

 

[roshan]

fuck interloper, get Sea Dog

I can get that as one of my veteran feats. Is it useful for a knife build?

 

[roshan]

I am questioning interloper now.... It doesn't make a big difference in speed - the normal speed penalty for stealth is 45%, and interloper reduces it to 30% - doesn't seem like much, and I can always just increase the game speed. I also wonder how useful the 15 movement points are? If I attack an enemy from stealth, I would get 16, 24 or 32 movement points from fancy footwork anyway. There's no question the 15 extra movement could be useful... But is it worth it compared to perhaps the benefits of taking vile weaponry, paranoia or escape artist?

 

[Parabalus]

I am questioning interloper now.... It doesn't make a big difference in speed - the normal speed penalty for stealth is 45%, and interloper reduces it to 30% - doesn't seem like much, and I can always just increase the game speed. I also wonder how useful the 15 movement points are? If I attack an enemy from stealth, I would get 16, 24 or 32 movement points from fancy footwork anyway. There's no question the 15 extra movement could be useful... But is it worth it compared to perhaps the benefits of taking vile weaponry, paranoia or escape artist?

Very useful on melee, especially if you don't have haste from TM. Means you can start combat just a bit earlier, i.e., if you would be detected in melee range you can start combat from outside of it and move up.

Escape artist is very useful, almost mandatory as a melee in Expedition unless you want to claw your eyes out.

Vile weaponry great with daggers, less with others.

 

[CHEMS]

Picking critical power and expertise doesn't seem like a good choice, let alone speccing expertise. I'd spec critical power if i were you.

Also i'd pick blindsighting ASAP and escape artist, you'll need escape artist if you're gonna run a melee build in expedition. Basically everything there will try to immobilize you.

Oh! Sorry, I specialized in Critical Power, not Expertise.

Yikes, I already got Interloper in preparation for Blindsiding. For the 3 veteran feats, I'm planning to get Increased Dexterity, Strider and maybe one other feat - suggestions?

Also, another question - what tattoos are useful? I want to get the anarchy one to increase my critical chance, but I think I'd rather join the protectorate. Is there any tattoo that would be just as good with my build?

Get the anarchy one, joining the protectorate is only worth it in a gun build, because of lube and quality parts. The drones merchant has a shitload of cool stuff for knife builds, including the nailbombs.

fuck interloper, get Sea Dog

A jet ski feat is a wasted veteran feat IMO. Should be a free feat. Also i can't get advanced naval combat using armor and drugs to pump AGI anymore...

 

[lukaszek]

no need for escape artist if you run away from danger

 

[roshan]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

 

[CHEMS]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

Far too much points. 100 effective without house + hypercerebrix should be enough. Only 140+ skills in crafting should be for eletronics for uber tier shields and 130 for supersoldier drug/150 for heartbreak poison. Getting more crafting points for stuff you might find in Deep Caverns is not worth it IMO.

 

[Whisper]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

Far too much points. 100 effective without house + hypercerebrix should be enough. Only 140+ skills in crafting should be for eletronics for uber tier shields and 130 for supersoldier drug/150 for heartbreak poison. Getting more crafting points for stuff you might find in Deep Caverns is not worth it IMO.

There are people who get crafting to 140 (without +house bonus and +Int drug). Thought noone does that anymore

 

[CHEMS]

There's no reason to do that besides the examples that i said. Top tier shields will cost you 162 effective eletronics, around 1500 capacity (without power management). Endgame gear, even on dominating, won't need more than around 100~120 effective without house/drug/food bonuses. There's even phreaks glove that gives you free 10 eletronics. You'll gimp your build wasting that much into crafting.

 

[lukaszek]

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

dont need to put many points in for grenades, especially with high dex

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

Far too much points. 100 effective without house + hypercerebrix should be enough. Only 140+ skills in crafting should be for eletronics for uber tier shields and 130 for supersoldier drug/150 for heartbreak poison. Getting more crafting points for stuff you might find in Deep Caverns is not worth it IMO.

What about persuasion and mercantile? I have 120 effective on each. Should I stop pumping them?

 

[Whisper]

There's no reason to do that besides the examples that i said. Top tier shields will cost you 162 effective eletronics, around 1500 capacity (without power management). Endgame gear, even on dominating, won't need more than around 100~120 effective without house/drug/food bonuses. There's even phreaks glove that gives you free 10 eletronics. You'll gimp your build wasting that much into crafting.

This is obvious.

 

[Tigranes]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

Far too much points. 100 effective without house + hypercerebrix should be enough. Only 140+ skills in crafting should be for eletronics for uber tier shields and 130 for supersoldier drug/150 for heartbreak poison. Getting more crafting points for stuff you might find in Deep Caverns is not worth it IMO.

What about persuasion and mercantile? I have 120 effective on each. Should I stop pumping them?

That's very high. And by this far in the game you should have seen how Persuasion can be fun but isn't used that frequently or for that amazing a payoff. From memory you're either at or nearly at the threshold for the highest mercantile checks as well.

For crafting, I like 135 Electricity for Plasma Grenades III, and some might want ~150 to use the highest end supersteel or energy shield components, but I really don't think it's a big deal in the end as by that point you've finished the game's power curve more or less. Essentially if you stop seeing tantalising carrots inviting you to pump further, you don't have to be anxious that you should be pumping anyway.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Another question - my effective crafting skills are now 140, this is without the house/workbenches or any additional bonuses. Is it worth putting any more points into it?

Or should I now develop another potentially useful skill - maybe throwing for grenades?

Far too much points. 100 effective without house + hypercerebrix should be enough. Only 140+ skills in crafting should be for eletronics for uber tier shields and 130 for supersoldier drug/150 for heartbreak poison. Getting more crafting points for stuff you might find in Deep Caverns is not worth it IMO.

What about persuasion and mercantile? I have 120 effective on each. Should I stop pumping them?

That's very high. And by this far in the game you should have seen how Persuasion can be fun but isn't used that frequently or for that amazing a payoff. From memory you're either at or nearly at the threshold for the highest mercantile checks as well.

For crafting, I like 135 Electricity for Plasma Grenades III, and some might want ~150 to use the highest end supersteel or energy shield components, but I really don't think it's a big deal in the end as by that point you've finished the game's power curve more or less. Essentially if you stop seeing tantalising carrots inviting you to pump further, you don't have to be anxious that you should be pumping anyway.

What a shame, I must have gimped myself here. Anyways, on the next run I'll reroll a 10 con hammerdin with max strength. No faggy persuasion, no wimpy throwing, no OP sneaking. Just the catharsis of driving a 50 Kg warhammer into each and every lurker assassin in the game.

 

[CHEMS]

Persuasion is good only for this:

1 - Killing Mordre
2 - Getting all rewards from Phreak, the forged tickets are great on dominating
3 - Doing the pirate raids alone

Other than that, it's not a big deal.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Persuasion is good only for this:

1 - Killing Mordre
2 - Getting all rewards from Phreak, the forged tickets are great on dominating
3 - Doing the pirate raids alone

Other than that, it's not a big deal.

Well, I never did expedition so I wanted to Lorefag my way through it. Also Phreak is new, right? I have never seen him before. I paid Handsome Jack 200 charons to find info on him which was useless. I have been fixing phones for a while and I have found the broken cell phone with some info on him.

I'll walk the tunnels until I find more about him.

I also got pissed off at trying to stealth through Fort Epiome so I rushed in to kill them all. Shot the camera on level 2, got everyone around it and bursted them all in 2 turns. I pulled the alarm for shits and giggles and because the gas tropper gear will be great for Expedition (from what I read here).

 

[CHEMS]

Also Phreak is new, right?

Yeah. If you pass the persuasion check when first talking to him you get to buy forged tickets and CACS from him.

I pulled the alarm for shits and giggles and because the gas tropper gear will be great for Expedition (from what I read here).

Good call, the CAU armor is great for bio and acid resist. With infused sea wyrm tabis you're immune to acid damage, which is nice at a certain endgame location.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

I just finished with the Foundry quests and have access to super steel and infused leather. Yay or Nay? Should I create a Tactical Vest with Super Steel sheet? I'm still keeping the loot I got from the Protectorate Outpost, 1600 quality Tactical Overcoats and Ninja Tabis. I pushed my electronics to 140 effective and now can craft shields with more than 1000 capacity.

I'm not wrapping my head around the most efficient shield so I'll craft a High-High shield with extended capacity for gunslinging enemies and a Low-Low one for critters and the ocassional melee user.

 

[Grunker]

I just finished with the Foundry quests and have access to super steel and infused leather. Yay or Nay? Should I create a Tactical Vest with Super Steel sheet? I'm still keeping the loot I got from the Protectorate Outpost, 1600 quality Tactical Overcoats and Ninja Tabis. I pushed my electronics to 140 effective and now can craft shields with more than 1000 capacity.

I'm not wrapping my head around the most efficient shield so I'll craft a High-High shield with extended capacity for gunslinging enemies and a Low-Low one for critters and the ocassional melee user.

Infused Rathound Leather is your go-to for Crit Chance if that's what you need, but I crafted mine pretty late as good quality Rathound Leather can be extremely hard to come by if your game seed doesn't spawn a certain merchant.