As a grizzled veteran boasting over 100 hours played exclusively piloting the eccentric Alchemist class, I‘ve accumulated a vast well of esoteric knowledge regarding their optimal playstyle and builds. Through endless experimentation and tribulation across nightmarish expeditions, I‘ve painstakingly refined my approach to perfecting this unorthodox support archetype.
And now, I impart these hardearned lessons onto you – condensed into the consummate guide to elevate fellow Alchemists from mundane buff-bots to extraordinary force multipliers. Follow my teachings, and achieve true mastery over the zany alchemical arts!
Understanding The Alchemist‘s Role
Before delving into optimal builds, first we must analyze the Alchemist‘s inherent strengths and limitations as a class. Their eccentric skillset empowers them to fill a purely support-oriented role, with abilities catering more towards bolstering allies rather than accruing personal glories.
This proves incredibly powerful when embracing a playstyle fixated on healing teammates and accentuating their damage potential. However, should one abandon their supportive duties and attempt to adopt a solo carry mentality, they will struggle immensely.
An Alchemist‘s top priority is always sustaining their allies combat effectiveness – not competing on the damage meters. Let your teammates claim the highlight reel while you enable their success from the shadows.
Personally, I thrive with this mercenary mindset of bolstering comrades to seize victory. My satisfaction emerges from seeing boosted Hunters crit for over 100k because of my efforts, or a besieged Gunslinger clutched by my emergency heal.
My gameplay is utterly selfless, solely concentrated on monitoring teammate health bars and cooldowns to perfectly time my buff and heal windows. I am the invisible guardian angel safeguarding our squad from impending doom.
Of course, this sympathetic approach boasts limitations when attempting solo feats. Without targets to bolster, the Alchemist lacks enough personal firepower to reliably advance alone. When isolated, they transform from a stalwart battlefield marshal into a mere shell of their potential.
Thus, one should cultivate friends to regularly accompany them on adventures – forming an enduring fellowship where all excel thanks to your innervating presence. Only then can you glean the satisfaction of supporting a coordinated team operating at peak capacity because of your invaluable enhancements.
Now that I‘ve established a foundational mindset, let‘s delve into perfecting practical build components and enhancing your supportive potency.
Best Weapons for the Alchemist‘s Kit
Given our rearguard combat doctrine of avoiding direct confrontation in favor ofRange reigns supreme when selecting appropriate weaponry to avoid excessive exposure on the frontline. As firearms serve as an Alchemist‘s lifeline for consistent damage and skill activation, I‘ve extensively experimented to deduce the optimal armaments.
Primary: Particle Accelerator
When desiring a versatile, rapid-firing primary to unleash your skill combos, none surpass the Particle Accelerator energy rifle. Boasting the fastest fire rate among primaries coupled with solid per bullet damage, it serves as the perfect conduit to channel your buffs through allies.
It flaunts excellent mid-long range engagement potential with a gargantuan 150 round magazine – enabling ridiculous sustained firepower uninterrupted by frequent reloads. Such a massive ammunition capacity also synergizes beautifully for maximizing your support skill uptime in between barrages.
With a focused weak point damage build combined with skill damage amplifications, the Particle Accelerator systematically dismantles foes by targeting precision weak points. The high rate of fire also rapidly inflicts status for skill combo detonations to obliterate chunkier enemies.
However, the tradeoff does emerge in abysmally sluggish reload speeds – especially punishing should one fully expend those 150 rounds. Thus, the Quick Hands trait proves mandatory for offsetting this crippling delay to restore your firepower. Wise ammunition conservation and timely reloads are critical.
Secondary: Repeater Pistol
While the Particle Accelerator serves as my undisputed high-capacity primary for extended skirmishes, the double barrel Repeater Pistol claims dominance as my pocket shotgun sidearm for intense close quarter crises.
Featuring superb stopping power to readily erase rank-and-file entities with a solitary well-placed blast, it provides indispensable reactive defense should adversaries bypass your frontline and infiltrate into melee proximity.
Unlike the Accelerator‘s deeper ammunition reserves, the Repeater Pistol features only 12 shells per magazine, demanding precise accuracy under pressure when ambushed unexpectedly. This enforces skillful reflex-oriented gameplay, rapidly flick shooting encroaching hostiles during frantic mobilization to safer range.
Once comfortable handling the weapon‘s hefty recoil and spread pattern, it proves lethal even beyond extreme close quarters – able to cleanly pick off distant targets once sufficient mastery is attained. I favor maximizing damage and weak point modifiers at the cost of fire rate to amplify destructive finesse.
For consumables, always maintain a Gas Canister in your inventory, as swapping to the Repeater Pistol while the canister blazes inflicts the invaluable Burning status in wide proximity. This facilitates effortlessly detonating the Vulnerable and Weakened debuffs you constantly apply across entire enemy mobs for astronomical damage.
Melee: Flawless Pipes
Rounding out my personal armory stands the Flawless Pipes melee bludgeon, prioritizing raw damage and stunning force over attack rate agility. I avoid direct close quarters combat whenever possible as an Alchemist. However, should the unthinkable occur with adversaries overwhelming your position, this brutal bludgeoning instrument buys precious seconds.
By investing fully into Stagger Power and Stamina efficiency, each crushing smash incapacitates & ruptures incoming targets, affording windows of opportunity to disengage and reconstitute your ranged dominance. It may lack the defensive buffs of lighter one-handed blades, but I‘ll sacrifice that for initially controlling the deadly melee situation.
Once breathing room is reestablished, quickly retreat while switching back to the Repeater Pistol and Particle Accelerator to reassert battlefield control from safer distance. Never abandon the high ground when viable! Survival remains paramount to continuously fueling your team, so only rely on melee as an absolute last resort.
Now let‘s overview additional weapon options to mix and match for more role flexibility…
Additional Viable Primary Weapons
- Devastator (Shotgun): Superior stopping power up close, ideal for pure healing builds.
- Eye of the Storm (Rifle): Better handling than Accelerator but lower damage.
- Wildfire Shot (Crossbow): Applies burning to shared targets. Great for solo.
Additional Secondary/Melee Picks
- Magnum (Pistol): Well balanced with good crit damage.
- Guard‘s Sword (Melee): Grants damage reduction when used. Safer option.
- Multi Crossbow (Ranged) Rapidly stacks Vulnerable on grouped targets
Optimized Armor for Maximum Survivability
Prioritizing both defensive resilience & support power directly correlates with equipment selection. Pure damage builds often sacrifice too heavily into offense over sustaining oneself to assist allies. Thus, I swear by the Elder Armor set for its abundant status resistance & mod gen:
- Head: Elder‘s Hood (Blight/Burn/Toxin resistance)
- Chest: Elder‘s Garb (Max health/Blight/Toxin resistance)
- Hands: Elder‘s Gloves (Blight/Burn/Toxin resistance)
- Legs: Elder‘s Leggings (Blight/Toxin resistance)
This gear combination mitigates lethal damage-over-time deaths and amplifies your Vial healing output through the set bonus‘s bonus mod power generation. Remaining budget should then fund attribute boosts for mod power/cooldown reduction to further bolster skill uptime.
However, more offensively inclined Alchemists may opt for the Houndmaster‘s armor pieces instead, focusing on buffing Anomaly Power for skill damage rather than defense. I‘ve also experimented extensively with the Renegade armor for improving firepower.
Ultimately, choose gear to match your style. Are you an aggressive combat alchemist dishing ability damage amidst the fray? Or the healing anchor bolstering allies from the backline? Both prove valid so assess accordingly!
Support Skill Optimization
While weapon selections heavily influence playstyles, an Alchemist‘s true dominance emerges from their unique support skills. Let‘s analyze my personal loadout and advanced ability combinations:
Vial: Elixir Of Life
Full Investment Priority
This remains the quintessential Alchemist skill icon, cleansing allies of debuffs while restoring health – even from fatal hits. Granting momentary damage immunity lets tanks recover even under intense barrage. It demands wise management given its charge system, but practice diligently.
Advanced Combos
- Use preemptively before large attacks or when multiple friendlies are afflicted by DoTs
- Overlap it with the Burden of the Divine ring for burst AoE healing
- Cast it immediately after Frozen Spear to cleanse targets of Frozen
Nitrogen Burst
Full Investment Priority #2
Firing an orb that inflicts Vulnerable proves invaluable for amplifying teamwide damage against problematic enemies. Chaining it into your primary fire melts foes.
Advanced Tactics
- Lead combos with this before detonating other effects
- Freeze bosses with Absolute Zero then use this Vulnerable orb
- Utilize the distance tracking to hit evasive targets
Chemical Overload
Optional: Better for Solo
Reloaded shots become miniature explosives, harming enemies. It offers extra personal damage by sacrificing buffing capability. I suggest only skilled solo Alchemists use this.
Support Accessories for All Occasions
I employ different accessory combinations depending on whether immersed in solo play or supporting groups:
Solo Survivability & Damage
Amulet: Gunslinger‘s Charm
- 20% Critical Hit Chance increase. Push Particle Accelerator dps.
Ring 1: Providence
- Restore 75% Health on kills. Crucial sustain.
Ring 2: Celerity Stone
- 15% cooldown reduction for abilities.
These solo options reduce dependence on teammates for sustain and lower skill downtime. Provide just enough added firepower and cooldown haste so your buffs have maximum uptime to empower yourself only.
Full Support Build
Amulet: Cleansing Jewel
- Radically decrease duration of status effects by 50% on yourself & nearby allies. This protection enables far more aggressive allies.
Ring 1: Burden of the Divine
- Heals all nearby allies for 50% of your self-healing from Vial. Share surplus health!
Ring 2: Heartstone
- 20% longer duration on ALL skill buffs and debuffs applied to enemies. Get more value from your enhancements!
Here we fully commit towards a 30 foot aura build for bolstering groups long term. Position centrally while Vial and Burden dish massive burst healing pockets across the entire team. Extend those weapon skill debuffs to further empower everyone!
Additional great supportive rings include Bobby‘s Signet for team revive speed, Devouring Loop for constant healing zones, and even Provisioner‘s Ring for keeping everyone supplied on ammo. Experiment to find what best suits current objectives.
Mastering Advanced Combat Tactics
Thus far I‘ve focused mostly on optimized gearing, but now lets analyze vital maneuvering and positioning to truly maximize impact:
Constantly Scan Teammate Status
This remains absolutely critical as it dictates your ability activation priorities. Obsessively monitor health bars and debuff indicators at all times to instantly cleanse DoTs or rescue low allies. Let your attention fixate solely on supporting.
Memorize terrain and obstacles providing optimal sightlines across the entire team. Never lose vision on comrades!
Anchor Behind Cover Near Mid Field
As an Alchemist you need to carefully toe the line between staying safely distant yet remaining in range to assist. My doctrine favors anchoring behind mid field cover like walls or Geographic elevations that provide protection while permitting skills and gunfire to blanket allies.
Let our tankier summoner and hunter claim frontline duty – no need to jeopardize your safety. Survival equals sustained support.
Stutter Stepping For Maximum Uptime
When no immediate care is required, constantly barrage targets with primary fire. However, brief pauses between shots to reassess team status proves vital so you can instantly divert focus back to casting restoration abilities mid-fight as appropriate.
This stutter stepping rhythm minimizes your personal damage contribution but provides the maximum quick reaction windows to support. Keep firing yet remain ready to bail allies!
Carry Blink Amulet For Emergency Escapes
Even the most cautious positioning can still result in enemies swarming your location. Thus, always keep a Blink Amulet as emergency escape tool from deadly piles collapsing upon you.
Teleport to safety, let melee friends counter the ambush, then resume supporting from distance once the local zone is reset. Never abandon max range If able!
Complementary Classes for Potent Synergy
While Alchemists perform admirably in most compositions, these classes in particular uniquely benefit:
Hunters
By stacking both Vulnerable and Weakened upon key targets, a Hunter Crit build can inflict positively ludicrous Weakpoint damage given sufficient amplified windows. Your Vial sustains them offensively.
Summoners
Their minions serve as both lethal weapons and meat shields in one package, enabling comfortable anchoring behind the wall of pets. Enhance damage and durability of entire mobs!
Medics
Stack group healing output for impenetrable squad sustain! My restorative brews supplement their more vital focused healing priority. Everyone becomes immortal.
Of course nearly any well rounded squad appreciates an Alchemist‘s reinforcements. But these particular comrades furnish the most visible potency spikes when combining our elite specializations together against endgame adversaries.
Thus concludes my grand magnum opus regarding Alchemist mastery! While I could truly expound infinitely more regarding obscure nuances and hyper-specialized builds, this foundation covers the critical tenets for aspirants to rise above mundanity. Now get out there and support some comrades to victory!
I wish all blossoming alchemists luck in discovering their own personalized perfection across Remnant 2‘s mystical realms. Perhaps we‘ll meet around the campfire someday and swap brewing recipes…
