Outriders is shaping up to be one of the most build-diverse looter shooters in the genre. The game's demo only lets players reach level seven, yet the gear you can find is so impactful that there's true build diversity. That's an impressive feat for any game to pull off, let alone a demo.
The Trickster class has some of Outriders' most interesting builds, allowing players to manipulate spacetime to become a magic-infused ninja of death. Teleporting behind targets and turning them into skeletal bombs is the crux of this character's identity, which can be further amplified with the right gear and playstyle. This guide will go over how you can take the Trickster's already impressive kit to a whole new level.
How To Play Trickster
Trickster is all about closing the gap and fighting targets up close. Most of the Trickster's abilities provide increased mobility or slow enemies, allowing them to dominate the battlefield with all-out aggression.
Don't be intimidated by the Trickster's lack of damage resistance abilities, for they have one of the strongest Health recovery mechanics in the game. So long as you eliminate an enemy in close range, you recover 20% of your maximum Health and gain 12% of your Shield, granting 10% damage resistance while active. Closing the gap should be trivial for most Trickster builds, allowing them to capitalize on this passive quite frequently. Pair this class with a shotgun for devastating results.
Trickster's Skills
The Outrider's demo gives players access to four of the Trickster's abilities. Let's go over what each skill does.
Temporal Blade
- Description: Paralyze and slice enemies in front of you, dealing 190 damage and inflicting Slow and Interrupt to all targets.
- Skill Type: Damage, Interrupt
- Cooldown: 16 seconds
- Level Requirement: Level 1
That description does not sell the usefulness of this skill. Temporal Blade strikes every enemy in front of you in a 180-degree slash, turning every afflicted target into a walking skeleton. Enemies are heavily slowed while in this skeleton form. If an enemy dies while in this state, they explode for a solid chunk of damage in a small area. The damage and crowd control Temporal Blade brings to the table makes it a fantastic choice for any Trickster build.
Slow Trap
- Description: Create a spacetime Anomaly sphere that inflicts Slow onto enemies and projectiles for 10 seconds.
- Skill Type: Deception
- Cooldown: 31 seconds
- Level Requirement: Level 2
All enemy targets and projectiles that enter this sphere are heavily slowed. Enemies won't be able to retaliate while bullets hang in the air for Slow Trap's duration. This is your panic defense skill, although it can also be used strategically to create a pocket of cover wherever you need it. Alternatively, you can use Slow Trap offensively to create a ten-second damage window for your team, leaving enemies wide open for AoE abilities and precision weapons.
Hunt The Prey
- Description: Select an enemy and teleport behind them, receiving a 53 Shield bonus.
- Skill Type: Movement
- Cooldown: 11 seconds
- Level Requirement: Level 1
If you've played the Vanguard class in the Mass Effect series, Hunt the Prey functions identically to Biotic Charge. Your character will teleport behind the enemy closest to your reticle, granting a portion of your Shield upon doing so.
The skill doesn't deal any damage or debilitating effects on impact, but this can be changed through certain armor mods. Due to its absurdly short cooldown of 11 seconds, Hunt the Prey will be your main method of closing the gap. Shotgun users will get a ton of mileage out of this skill.
Twisted Rounds
- Description: Fill your current weapon's magazine with Anomaly-infused bullets that increase your Fire Power by 111. The skill lasts until you reload or switch weapons.
- Skill Type: Damage
- Cooldown: 20 seconds
- Level Requirement: Level 4
Twisted Rounds is arguably the best skill the Trickster gets in the demo. The damage increase this skill gives is immense, allowing shotguns to decimate bosses in just a few rounds. If you can inflict Vulnerability on a target before activating Twisted Rounds, prepare to one-shot most enemies. It can also be used as an instant reload when your weapon's magazine is almost empty.
Trickster Builds
As of the Outriders demo, there are two main ways to build a Trickster. You can either opt for an all-out aggressive playstyle that supports solo play, or you can focus on more of a team-oriented support build.
Damage Build
This build is focused on dishing out as much damage as possible, using Twisted Rounds as your main skill. Hunt the Prey and Temporal Blade will be your second and third abilities, allowing you to close the gap. Thanks to weapon mods, certain weapons can inflict Vulnerability on enemy targets, increasing this build's damage output by 25% for ten seconds. Use a shotgun to turn bosses into red paste.
Skills
- Twisted Rounds: The bread and butter of this build. Twisted Rounds allow your weapons to decimate enemies in seconds.
- Hunt the Prey: Use this to close the gap or recharge your Shield. Due to its short cooldown, you shouldn't need to use cover at all.
- Temporal Blade: This doubles as a damage and crowd control skill against tougher foes.
Weapons
- Shotgun: Any shotgun works here. Pump-actions will yield the best results due to their excellent damage per shot. Look for shotguns that inflict Vulnerability on hit. If you have the Radiation Jump mod, use a damage-enhancing weapon mod instead.
- Submachine Guns: SMGs that inflict bleed are incredibly strong on this build. If you're lucky enough to get The Migraine to drop, use that as your second weapon.
Armor Mods
- Additional Mag: This makes Twisted Rounds last for two magazines. Very few enemies will survive two magazines worth of Twisted Rounds in the demo.
- Strong Twist: You gain an additional 15% Firepower buff while Twisted Rounds are active.
- Slasher: Temporal Slice can be used an additional time before it enters cooldown.
- Radiation Jump: Hunt the Prey will inflict targets with Vulnerability, causing them to take 25% increased damage.
- Dance of Death: Hunt the Prey has a 20% shorter cooldown.
Skill Points
- Arms Trick: Close range weapons deal 15% increased damage.
- Ace of Firepower: Increases Armor Piercing by 15%.
Support Build
Those playing in a full squad might want to use a build that's more tuned towards supporting their team. Tricksters can do this surprisingly well, focusing on using crowd control abilities to turn the tide of combat.
Slow Sphere and Temporal Blade will be your two main skills, slowing enemies to a crawl for several seconds. With the right mods, you'll also have a great means of recharging your Shield, making you much tougher to kill.
Skills
- Slow Trap: Deploy a sphere around yourself, slowing all nearby enemies and projectiles. This can act as cover or a great crowd control tool.
- Temporal Blade: It slows targets and does great damage to groups. What's not to like?
- Twisted Rounds: The damage boost from this skill is too good to pass up.
Weapons
- Rapid-Fire Weapons: SMGs, pistols, and double guns can generate an absurd amount of Shields if that weapon has the Shield Maiden mod.
- Sniper Rifles: Landing headshots is trivial due to how much CC this build has.
Armor Mods
- Damage Mitigation: Allies inside your Slow Trap take 20% less damage.
- Thunder Dome: Receive 100% Shield when Slow Trap ends.
- Double Stop: Temporal Blade's paralysis effect lasts 100% longer.
- Slasher: Temporal Slice can be used an additional time before it enters cooldown.
- Twisted Fate: Twisted Rounds increases your Critical Damage by 30% while active. This will make headshots deal significantly more damage.
Skill Points
You can allocate whatever skill points you want. We opted to allocate damage-enhancing passives.
- Arms Trick: Close range weapons deal 15% increased damage.
- Bulletstorm: Decrease reload time by 20%.