The best Devastator build in Outriders

If you're keen to play as a tank, you need the best Outriders Devastator build. This class is perfect for protect your squishier friends as you venture through Enoch. While it may not put up electrifying single target DPS numbers, the class’s ability to control a room is unmatched. 

The Devastator can certainly stand their ground, even in large arenas filled with lots of enemies. They're the sturdiest of the Outriders classes and can protect themselves from taking too much damage. That said, they're far more than just a defensive sponge as they can create shockwaves and explosions around them, and inflict harmful status effects on unlucky nearby foes. We're here to walk you through the best Outriders Devastator builds, for the best early-game experience.

Build

The best Outriders Devastator build

Devastator has arguably been the most maligned class in Outriders, with the class being shut out of multiplayer sessions and kicked out of late-game content. This comes due to a perceived lack of DPS for the class. However, with the right build, the Devastator can offer a lot that others cannot. That's why it’s best to focus on where the Devastator does shine: survivability, crowd-control and debuffing targets.

This build is all about causing constant damage to control enemies and stay alive, rather than high burst damage. While you might lack single-target lethality, you will clear entire rooms faster than most and be able to face tens of enemies at once barely taking a scratch.

Skills

The best Outriders Devastator skills

There are three main branches in the Devastator's class tree, but you can unlock a selection of small and large nodes in each before you have to commit to a specific path. 

The Devastator's skill tree is split into the Vanquisher, Warden, and Seismic Shifter sections. The Vanquisher is a weapons master that can deal more damage, shoot more accurately, and reload faster. The Warden focuses more on health and armour regeneration, whereas the Seismic Shifter path lets you buff your Anomaly Power and resistance to various status effects.

Earthquake and Golem are starting abilities for the class. Tremor is unlocked when you reach level 12:

• Earthquake
• Golem
• Tremor

Build mostly to the bottom Seismic Shifter tree. This subclass is largely about buffing your armour and Seismic skills. Take any effects that buff the Bleed status effect. A lot of this build is about applying the status effect to as many enemies as possible which will give you that all-important life leach. Focus on these upgrades:

• Endless Tremors: Seismic skills cooldown is reduced by 15 percent.
• Paladin: Using Protection Skills increases Anomaly Power by 45 percent in ten seconds.
• Red Rivers: Increases Bleed Duration by 30 percent.
• Executioner: Increases damage by 20 percent against enemies below 30 percent of health.
• Bloodbath: Bleed afflicted on enemies deals 30 percent more damage.
• Blood Donation: You are healed for 25 percent of your Bleed Damage.
• Protected by the Anomaly: Increase your Armor bonus by 40 percent of your Anomaly Power
• Skilled Sentry: Increases Armor by 20 percent and Resistance by 20 percent for ten seconds when your skills end.
• Earth's Heritage: Increase Seismic skills base damage by 50 percent.

Mods

The best Outriders Devastator mods to choose

Armour mods

Mods that amplify your abilities are where this build really comes into its own. More so than any other class, you’re going to run out of available slots to put all the mods you want to enhance your abilities.

Thankfully, with all of them being skill-amplifying mods, you're exclusively using Tier 1 perks. That means there shouldn’t be much grinding to get the ones you need. These drop on blue gear, which you'll find an abundance of just through playing.

In terms of Outriders legendary armour, try and collect pieces of the Seismic Commander set. When you have three pieces, you will get a set bonus that will increase damage towards enemies with Bleed by 50 percent. 

Essential mods

• Perseverance: (Golem) Increases the skill's duration by 100 percent.
• Golem of Death: (Golem) When the skill is active, extend its duration by two seconds for each enemy killed.
• Blood Shock: (Earthquake) Inflicts Bleed on enemies damaged by the skill.
• Extra Quake: The skill can be activated one more time before triggering the cooldown.
• Crush Sequence: (Tremor) Receive two additional explosions.

Beneficial mods

• Bleeding Impulse: (Golem) When the skill is active, spawn radial impulses that inflict Bleed on enemies within a ten-metre radius. Frequency of two seconds.
• Human Fortress: (Tremor) Receive health regeneration and armor while the skill is active.
• Armor Boost: (Earthquake) Grants you points of armor for each enemy affected by the skill. Effect lasts for eight seconds. Stacks up to ten times.
• Heal Per Kill: (Earthquake) Each enemy killed with the skill restores 10 percent of max health to all allies in a 20-metre radius around you.
• Ground Crush: (Earthquake) Increases the skill's base damage.

Weapons

The Outriders Devastator weapons to use

Weapons

Your choice of weapon won't make or break your entire build, as it's so ability heavy—but that doesn't mean it can't certainly enhance your setup emphatically. Light machine guns and auto rifles will be great for primary damage, but are also great ways to spread status effects quickly.

While you could apply mods like Bleeding Bullet, your build should already have plenty of ways to apply Bleed. Instead, try out something like Vulnerability Bullets. This will allow you to have Bleed and all the effects it will be applying to enemies, but with an extra 15 percent damage buff for your abilities. With automatic weapons, it becomes easy to apply that liberally to many targets.

Also, as you're going to be up close and personal for the most part, you may want to invest in a shotgun. Automatic Shotguns are great for dealing a burst of damage, too, especially in sequences where you're trying to take advantage of status effects that wear off over time, like Vulnerable.

Another option is to put Storm Whip on an LMG or assault rifle. It won't apply a buff, but it will do a lot of extra damage and also stun-lock enemies.

Tips

Outriders Devastator tips: How to play this build

With this build, you're should constantly be throwing yourself at the front line.; To survive you need to be in as many enemy faces as possible. You will shine brightest in monster-heavy encounters.

In the middle of a mass of enemies, corral them in a group in front of you so your Earthquake catches as many as possible. With the right mods, this should apply Bleed. Then, enter Golem which will mitigate the damage you're taking. This is where the Golem-specific mods, Perseverance and Golem of Death, will kick in. As long as you continue to get kills you will stay in your protected state indefinitely.

Once you've applied Earthquake and Golem, hit your Tremor. This will stun and pull enemies into you. This ability lasts a long time, too, so it'll help continue your damage. Use Earthquake whenever it's up to apply more Bleed. The combination of Bleed with constant AOE damage and the stun of Earthquake and Tremor will keep your HP topped up.

Be mindful, though. When all of your abilities are on cooldown, this is when you will be most vulnerable. During these periods, disengage as best you can and use your weapons to keep applying pressure and stay alive. Thankfully Earthquake will be up pretty fast so these windows of weakness are fairly short.

In a team, attract the attention of as many enemies away from your team as possible and have them focus on bigger targets. While Devastator might not fill your teammates with confidence when they first see it, if you keep hordes of enemies off their back while they pop-off, they'll be thanking you in no time.