Active Perks in Deep Rock Galactic

UPDATE - Heighten Senses will now lower you slowly if used to break free from a cave leech
This is an overview of all the active perks in Deep Rock Galactic. The intent is to provide gameplay video and additional descriptions to the in-game tool tips for active perks. This is footage from 1.0 launch version of the game. Deep Rock Galactic is subject to frequent changes. Any changes from future patches will be listed here.
Video is current and up to date.
I wanted to create a resource for players looking for more information about perks. If you know someone who would find this video helpful, please share it with them. I am still very new to content creation. Any feedback on this is welcome and appreciated.
Music used is mostly from twilight princess
Inside a house
Instruction in the ways of the sword
Faron Woods
Inside Death Mountain
Kakariko is Saved
Graveyard
The song at the end of the field medic section is Amon Hen - Lotr
List of all Active Perks and their Total Cost
Beast Master - 24
Berzerker - 24
Dash - 24
Field Medic - 24
Heightened Senses - 21
Hover Boots - 24
Iron Will - 24
See You In Hell - 21
Shield Link - 21

[@archologyzero]

I played for 30 hours - saw the perk slots on the inventory screen, realized I had no perks - then played for another 5 hours before realizing I had to activate them myself on the screen that I thought was just a decoration. Got Rocked and Stoned. Steeve rides in Valhalla.

[@ShadowZZZ]

can we just take a moment to apprechiate how this guy went out and recorded and edited clips which fit for each perk?

[@shaunhayes3072]

Anything else would be lazy though, this should be the standard

[@lodewijkhoogstraaten1147]

@@shaunhayes3072 hahhaha

[@karter969]

@@shaunhayes3072 yeah lol wtf they talking about

[@carlcruz3065]

Field Medic is non-negotiable on anything higher than Haz4 and has saved many runs in elite deep dives. It also turns the scout into the best medic in the game

[@GrandElemental]

If played with public players, yes, absolutely. With experienced group of friends, at some point people get to a point where no one really goes down in normal Haz5 mission, can still be handy in EDD.

[@nativechatter999]

reminds me of Inspire in PAYDAY2

[@AdroSlice]

I really only ever pick it on scout, and thats rare too since hes mostly relegated to solo missions for me, where the perk does nothing and I take my two much preferred active perks: Dash and Heightened Senses.

[@swaghettimemeballs4420]

Oh yeah, then you get special powder shotgun and battle frenzy gk2 on that to always be on the run and ready to revive your teammates!

[@Panic_Pickle]

Gunner is probably best medic in the game because he can chuck down a shield and revive anyone in the middle of a horde multiple times during a mission. That being said, scout’s survivability is fantastic.

[@PaiSenZra]

0:00 Introduction 1:20 Beast Master 2:37 Berzerker 3:30 Dash 4:40 Field Medic 5:42 Heightened Senses 6:57 Hover Boots 7:35 Iron Will 9:03 See You In Hell 9:50 Shield Link 10:42 End Thanks for the guide! The field medic part tho.

[@milligin]

i know it was a little much, i couldn't help myself once i got the idea in my head

[@prich0382]

I feel like Field Medic is almost always needed

[@milligin]

it is better to be safe than sorry!

[@Phoenix-qv9hg]

I feel like often times it doesn't make as much of a difference. There are few situation in practice where you can res someone with the 30% passive that you couldn't res without it. And the active is only once per mission. If you want a failsafe, iron will allows you to res multiple people potentially, yourself included. And picking more then one failsafe is, imho, just setting yourself up for failure instead of preventing stuff from going downhill to begin with.

[@sneaky5141]

@@Phoenix-qv9hg ok be incorrect

[@soaptastesok5916]

Crazy Tactician Field medic is the strongest active perk in organized team play. With multiple members having it and reviving the same person you can get 2-3 second revives with an aoe fear. Not to mention the one insta which has a myriad of uses if you hold it for the right time. If your response is “that’s planning for failure”, I would like to humble you with the remind that everyone downs. Even exceptional players encounter scenarios where they cannot live. Same goes for teams of exceptional players. Even if you play perfect you will die eventually, that’s just the name of the game. There is only so much you can control, especially on hazard 5.

[@sneaky5141]

@@gamecavalier3230 fine line between crazy and slow

[@indigocactus3089]

I never knew Iron Will lets you heal during the frenzy to let you stay up. I thought it was just a last stand death timer. That is CRITICAL info, thank you, and I don't know why the game doesn't say it in the perk description!

[@apenaslink4368]

I run mostly Iron will for the extra life and beast master, I mean, comon man it is Steve. Too bad bugs aren't allowed in the space rig

[@milligin]

Apenas Link careful, don’t let mission control hear you, they don’t take kindly to the idea of bugs on the rig.

[@milligin]

UPDATE - Heightend Senses will now lower you slowly if used to break free from a cave leech Other notes: Shield link and field medic have no application in single player Bosco will attempt to free you when you are being grabbed by an enemy, reducing the effectiveness of heightened senses in single player It is possible to tame an ebonite glyphid with beast master though the interactions can be strange as he will sometimes be removed by the event ending. (this may have been removed) Regenerative bugs heals steeve, making him nearly immortal It is unclear to me if all of the buffs listed for the iron will active actually occur, specifically the slowdown reduction Dash only removes slows that are applied before its use. Getting slowed by a web, for example, while already dashing will slow you when the buff ends. While dash will sometimes restrict what you are doing, jumping will allow you to fire weapons again Some of the active perks do not function while the hud is turned off. This only applies to activation portion as the passive aspects of all actives continue to work

[@Miti-Mumway]

Pretty sure they removed the ebonite glyphid Steeve, as we did it multiple times before 1.0 launch and I've tried twice after and gotten no result from trying to tame one :(

[@milligin]

Miti Mumway yea I caught a chance to try it just before I put the video up while recording something else and had beast master. Couldn’t get it to tame so I was uncertain, glad I didn’t have it in the script. I still think about that one where we double tamed it and it survived beyond the event ending.

[@Esthlosian]

I think Field medic adds the fear effect to bosco's revive. (Unless he has that normally?)

[@ginyoshida6872]

Heightened senses is still useful is single player considering Bosco sometimes acts like a flying tin can and doesn't free you from a cave leech fast enough.

[@qwsxedcrfv]

As someone who primarily runs dash on all non-scout characters, I’ve noticed a few things: Dash does not remove slow effects, only disabling the slow for the duration of the dash. They will still persist after the dash if they outlast it. Dash also does not remove the slow caused by stuns or electrocution, but will still speed you up slightly, potentially getting you out of the enemies’ range and preventing them from reapplying it. I haven’t noticed dash restricting actions, but I also tend to focus on moving away and not firing during a dash, so I am unsure.

[@HolyApplebutter]

Really do love Hover Boots. Has saved me plenty of times from an accidental fall, keeps me from taking damage when trying to get Apoca bloom on the ceiling as a Scout, and is also just kind of nice to have if you feel like taking the short route down and yeeting yourself off a cliff. Beastmaster is a mixed bag. Steve is great until he gets bodied by an exploder or overzealous driller. Either way Steve is best boi. Medic, while useful on any class, is particularly helpful as Scout. As owner of a device capable of getting you from point A to D, skipping B and C, Scout is oftentimes the last one to stay alive since he can nope out of a fight and kite extremely easily. Naturally, being able to pick up your less fortunate allies comes very much in handy in this case, and can very easily be the difference between a wipe and success.

[@gunbladeuser19]

Completely agree. I'd say Steve works best with Scout. The other 3 classes have to high of a chance to kill Steve by accident. Gunner's mini gun is huge and eats up a lot of screen space. Can't see Steve. Steve dies. Same goes for Driller's flamethrower. Can't see Steve. plus the bombs.. Steve dies. Engineer's turrets don't care if Steve is in the way. Steve dies. Scout zips around making Steve run around. Steve lives.

[@Levyathyn]

I feel like Hover Boots is one of the most underrated perks in this game. Always handy, whether I need it or choose to use it to save time or get to someone who needs my help.

[@42carlos]

@@gunbladeuser19 Disagreed, Steeve has a 98% resistance to friendly fire. Unless you're literally hitting him with a fatboy, it's barely gonna make an impact.

[@ximbabwe0228]

@@Levyathyn you can mine anything with hover boots

[@joshuahenson4812]

I LOVE using the hover boots, even once i moved out of the noob phase. Since i main the gunner class and dont have a great quick movement option (zipline is slow and unreliable in a pinch) the hover boots save my cheeks. I can go up as high as i want and i never have to worry about falling. It also makes for some fun tactical choices in large caverns

[@GamingForTheRecentlyDeceased]

Dash squad represent. Also I believe they fixed the momentum using heightened sense when grabbed by a leech for update 31. Saw it in the patch notes, you'll be slowly lowered when you break free

[@milligin]

thats great to hear, one of the only things that has bothered me about the perk update has been that aspect of the active. lmao i should probably check the patch notes but just been so busy with this

[@AdroSlice]

Dash is fantastic, especially when doing things like carrying heavy loads, racing a scout to the drop pod, or quickly repositioning during a fight. It's too good to pass up imo, either take it with field medic or heightened senses. You can also get a bit more distance out of the speed buff by jumping as it ends, and you can also use that to clear large gaps.

[@davidunsworth4854]

The LOTR music and editing during the Field Medic section was hysterical.

[@onatgz]

field medic (you don't go down mate!) and iron will (i don't go down either mate!) combo 👌🏻

[@tod3632]

Great video! I really love the bit of personality you added to this one. Just getting into deeprock and your videos have been clutch in helping me figure shit out early. Thanks for the content man, keep it up, you've got some talent!

[@skii_mask_]

Last night was my first night playing, and I'm completely in love. Thanks for these great guides!

[@AngryTableflipMusic]

Not sure if it was mentioned before, but on a mission with regenerative bugs, steve is regenerating as well

[@cat3rdcaraccident726]

A tip for the dash perk, If you jump right before it ends, you will maintain the momentum until you hit the ground, moderately extending the distance traveled.

[@milligin]

Cat3rdCarAccident great point! It can really make a difference in situations where you’re trying to get as far as possible.

[@zfenty]

it is a mean strat. that i use almost every time

[@helenzlazzli]

I have dash+iron will on just about everyone. I feel like dash is essential for all classes for its utility and short CD, and IW saves games a lot of the time. Field medic is great too but I think IW takes the cake with its general broken-ness. Also I like to put hoverboots on my scout, if the current loadout is not running fall dmg mitigation (hoverclock or special powder). The boots allow the scout to mine without plats like you mentioned, and is a total lifesaver when you've inevitably hit that bad grapple shot.

[@benismann]

i use field medic + dash on everyone except scout (then dash gets replaced by iron will coz it's a lot more effective on scout), i dont think hoverboots are that useful, but then it's not like anything besides 3 meta ones is

[@Danodan94]

Been waiting for this. You didn't disappoint. :)

[@Concept853]

Your content is on point bro. To the point and still entertaining. Looking forward to whatever future vids you have in the works

[@fatherjohn3572]

Awesome video! The Field Medic part reminded me of the story narration in the old SW: Battlefront 2, it was great lol

[@matiasgaming4971]

I love running Iron Will and Field Medic on Gunner. If my team is all down, along with myself, I get up and insta revive someone, putting a bubble down on the others. Once they're up, I'll go back down and they can still pick me up. Unless I get some red sugar or use vampire. This has saved so many runs

[@nemmett9968]

Thanks for making this man!

[@UralduDasBinIch]

as a new player, would love to see some class guides such as scout build for beginners and deep dives etc. Thank you for making them so far!

[@Nate-wf5hk]

The Field medic part was perfect

[@milligin]

Nate glad to hear it, I was a little anxious it wouldn’t land well but I felt I needed something in the video to keep it interesting.

[@-h4shr-812]

Great guide dude, keep it up! :)

[@tetra2641]

Very helpful guide! Thank you 👍

[@solarupdraft]

Thanks for the guide!

[@steyn1775]

thank you for helping greenbeards with these videos!

[@milligin]

steyn17 I was a greenbeard once, it’s only fair I pay it forward

[@caughtmedead8145]

dope videos man, i really appreciate the zelda music in the background

[@snugg1escat676]

i always carry iron will, you never know when a bulk detonator gets lucky and downs everyone in one blast or a cave leach snatches the last man trying to clutch. This perk is the rock that anchors dwarf victory. This perk gives your team a second chance after it has been wiped so I always recommend at least 1 dwarf to carry it. This perk should rarely be needed to be used and I recommend never to be used out of laziness or impatience. Use only for team wipes, or urgent objective play that would otherwise fail you an expedition. But you do you its just a game.

[@mr.hungryloser]

You really pulled my childhood down on me at 0:01. This music will never leave me.

[@SrJ500]

Great video!

[@Phoenix-qv9hg]

In my humble opinion Iron Will, Berzerker and Vampire are the way to go for most classes in most situations. Depending on your mod choice Berzerker allows you to quickly cut down tanky enemies/swarms without any ammo expenditure, while gaining chunks of health for free. Just remeber to kite between swings and mind your positioning (and to use it on cd). This goes double if you get up with iron will and then berzerker, as the combined buffs let you heal up a lot and turn dire situations around, be it by killing or rezzing.

[@milligin]

what i really love about berzerker is that, if you are only using the power attack multiple times, you dont get slowed from melee attacking the enemy. this lets you stay more mobile in melee fights where you would normally be greatly slowed. i really like it with iron will like you said, and in the same situations.

[@50percentGrey]

I used to use Hover Boots and Beast Master as my main active perks for all 4 dwarves, but recently I've come to see how useful "See You In Hell" can be for it's passive Melee-Counter boost. I like to swap out Hover Boots for the latter perk and then combine it with the Thorns and Vampire passives as a rewarding melee option. I mainly use this combo for 200 Morkite missions, though. I don't want to get too reckless in more complex caves.

[@barneysanders5042]

thanks so much mate this video rlly helped before this I would just go to the perk screen and click whatever thinking that I would get all f them

[@robertaearhart7744]

I swear by field medic and hover boots. Let me tell you a tale. I was playing a haz 4 mission with three randos. We were doing great and having a fun time. Until the drop pod came in at the top of this really tall cliff thing. We were all making our way up the cliff with like a minute left. Our scout of all things fell down the entire way. The other two were making comments about leaving him (we had seconds left). I jumped down, hover booted to stop my fall, instantly revived him and then we ran up and got in the drop pod with three seconds left on the clock. It's easily the most impressive thing I've ever done in the game, and one of my best memories. Pepper, if you see this somehow. It was a misunderstanding, I just want to play more with you man.

[@AJukes3132]

I run field medic w/ iron will because you can usually get 2+ dwarves back up, also as a scout it's quite easy to quickly nab some red sugar on a cave roof with a grapple

[@Koyu_Ruh]

My favorite combination is Field Medic and Iron Will. If everything goes down and the team gets overwhelmed I can get up two team mates, given they are nearby, which can definitely be the difference between winning and losing. If I play alone, I will pick dash instead of Field Medic because it's so very useful too.

[@janiskruse5292]

Starter playing driller recently. Thrilled to try out Vampire, Iron will, maybe Berserker and playing extra lot of melee :)

[@TheStratovarian]

I like to run the grab perk playing a salvage mission solo. I do say for things, most of my gameplay is from solo play. Due to how important it is you stay in there alone, a grab is devastating. A grab+down is nearly always a failed mission if its badly placed. And in salvages/missions bosco can often be digging or occupied on a grab, so the break when you are near pits and not scout can save you being dropped and downed. Steve is a godsend solo, even with bosco. (Soaking ninja bulk detonations) The boots, i take for Ice and Magma biomes, because the rifts can be nasty and lethal when they catch you out. Ice tends to have those heavy pits too. The vamp and power attack speed is my usual shield depletion combo. But I take the sprint sometimes on bogs, and the one super flush nature biome because the map design loves tunnels you need to generally funnel things into and if you get surrounded the escape prevents downing.

[@milligin]

TheStratovarian i hadn’t even considered how well heightened senses would work for the first situation you described! That is such a great choice. I could see getting carried away by a grabber and losing the entire bar on an uplink event solo being so frustrating. And I like the mindset you have for dash, taking into cave systems you know are usually pretty complicated.

[@TheStratovarian]

@@milligin I usually play gunner, so that sprint to max from nothing also is an amazingly useful reposition tool as well that I can only lose a fraction of my fire rate (for the AC and its max rate bonuses) or cone of fire (on the minigun) and able to drop a flame grenade on me so im creating a strong damage/denial zone when I do.

[@indegostalker2259]

still would like to see that perk discussion video. Cheers, thanks, and happy new year.

[@witherwolf3316]

The hover boots are so good I think they shouldn't be a perk, I think it should be an armor rig upgrade, maybe for a higher prestige. I also think they should be reworked so that you hold a while falling or in midair and it slows you to a stop, but if you let go it stops. This gives a little bit more control to them. Also, we really need a gauge to show us when they've recharged.

[@ZXMFG]

Hover Boots is by far the most versatile and useful perk if you have capable teammates, unless it is an Low Oxygen mission. Reasons: Low Oxygen, everyone should be near each other at all times, just bounce off your teammate's head to negate all fall damage. Also, I highly recommend you pick 1 personal perk, and 1 team-friendly perk. Steve is kinda a mix-bag as allies will usually shoot him (especially if new), but helps take threat off of your allies in tight situations.

[@milligin]

i would be interested in more you could say about hover boots. For me, the versatility when compared to dash comes down to cooldown. ive always felt that hover boots is just slightly too long. But i'd really like to hear more from someone with a lot of experience with the perk as I feel i dont take it nearly enough.

[@ZXMFG]

@@milligin I've been saved by Hover Boots more times than I can count (with 234 hours of play time). The cooldown is seldom not available when I need it as long as you plan around it. I'm big into optimizing how/when I mine minerals when possible, and I main a Engineer too. . Q'ronar Shellbacks knocked me into a pit, Or about to get dropped by a Mactera Grabber. . Only playing with 1 other person with a giant swarm? Distract it as high as I can, jump down to save my downed ally. Burn the ones around him/smash the rest. . Miscalculated jump. . Greed . Getting to drop pod (that is down hill) . Exploration (can always platform back up) . These are the big ones that come to mind. But if it's off cooldown, chances are I'm more than prepared to use it when my platforms cannot negate my fall, or should I fail a grapple as a scout. . Driller is the 1 exception to not requiring Hover Boots, and Berserker or Dash is far better for that playstyle.

[@SageSylvie]

I take Field Medic and Iron Will for literally every mission, Deep Dives and Deep Dive Elites included. The number of times those two perks, ESPECIALLY Iron Wil, have saved my missions is insane.

[@AlexTechie]

An Iron Will + Field Medic charge is enough to get you and two other nearby dwarves up in less than 12 seconds. If everyone carried it, it'd be impossible to lose.

[@Artuditu123]

I'd love to play with all those perks, but eventually, I always go back to Iron Will and Hover Boots. First one saved plenty of missions by allowing me to revive fallen friend or just get myself up and heal/move to area where allies can easily revive me. Hover boots seems like noob trap, existing only to fix player mistakes, but I find it to be a great tool for proactive use, it gives me breathing room and let me reload in mid air or throw a grenade when I'm safe from melee enemies, it helps with Mactera Grabbers, Opressors and Q'ronars who often throw dwarves high in the air and deal lethal falling damage (it also stops horizontal movement, so you won't get tossed 50 meters away from the rest from the team), and it let easily escape swarms by jumping off the cliffs, without risking damage with platforms, or wasting time and resources with zipline. I use it frequently every game.

[@GrandElemental]

I think Dash is the only must-have I use frequently (except for Scout, for obvious reasons). Having increased survivability combined with convenience (faster to get through boring parts of the cave like long empty tunnels) is just too good to pass up. This perk has saved my character's life so many times, and even in easier matches it has value unlike Field Medic or Iron Will (both of which are usually still good). My common co-op pick is Dash + Field Medic. It is a good survival package and you always get to use Dash. I use Berserker + Field Medic for Scout instead, because Scout doesn't need extra movement boosts and also really likes to have some extra "AoE" against Swarmers in particular. For solo versions, I substitute Field Medic with either Steeve or Berserk, whichever I feel like.

[@thebackup2121]

My go-to (in the month since I started playing) has always been 'See You In Hell'. Embarrass yourself by tripping and falling in front of three new people? Clear the way for them to rez you easily; Boss cornered you? Do some damage, even when you're down, to chip away at him; Feeling spiteful? Get revenge on the little bastards that got you 😅 I'm learning to get by without it and use other perks like Medic and Shield link - Also didn't occur to me that hoverboots could be utilised by Scout in that manner, and although that spoils the fun of finding ways around the limitations of his zipline gun it does help with solo missions (including the 2 1/2 hour long one I failed by falling 100m down the drop pod shaft at the very end 🤠)

[@nooboot4268]

Berserker is what I'd recommend for if you're cornered and don't have barely any options it can also be a great aid in the melee based machine event if the buff thing isn't spitting those blue yellow ball things out and if you just want to be like a true badass dwarf killing a horde of enemy's with a hammer or axe I'd say go for it and it can make getting some health when your in iron will to get some more health than you'd normally would

[@-_-noxe-_-5623]

on my scout i have two builds. solo build focusing on staying alive with heightened senses and hover boots but on coop i'll instantly switch to my "last chance combo" with field medic and iron will. Objective : find the most experienced player in the lobby and keep track of his position at every instant to do an emergency revive if all dwarves are downed

[@KittyNaptune]

Great video :) Jump boots were a fun mobility option, like a vertical version of dash. Both make traversing caves more fun and can help alleviate damage; but I understand that they didn't like all classes constantly ignoring big drops and flying around. But the replacement feels incredible restricted. The perk itself is pretty useful, but the cooldown holds it back by a lot. Preventing fall damage is great, and getting a breathing room to create a handhold or time to wait for your grapple is great. With a short cooldown, this would be incredibly powerful - at 75 seconds, it's a tough sell for me. As for recommended perks: Dash (what a surprise). It's frequent usability makes it fun to dash through the cave and make very long jumps (beware fall damage). It makes carrying heavy objects less a bother and just lets you survive by escaping, reloading and healing. Also: use dash and then get on a pipeline. It's great.

[@simonsichelarm8631]

With a well timed jump one can extend the momentum of dash even though the ability technically has run out already. Dash can also be activated mid air, in case you need that extra space to reach an edge or platform. It also cant be stressed enough how much this added mobility helps out classes without a grappling hook. At first you might feel underwhelmed by this perk as the boost is extremely short. But the extra reach on some risky jumps or simply having a get the frick out button will be something invaluable for anyone who learned how to utilize this perk to its full potential. I for sure cant imagine playing without it anymore :D

[@timothye.2902]

I like Dash a lot, especially on Driller since Driller's mobility tool can struggle to help him navigate large open areas and gaps, which Dash lets you hurdle over. Hover Boots can do something similar for more vertical problems, but those typically have a side wall you can ramp up/down with the drills

[@Spore1018]

Falls can sometimes be unavoidable with how often the physics in DRG break. The amount of times I've slid or been launched into the air for running into a slope at just the wrong angle or be standing still and random get escape velocity. ..pure pain

[@madd150]

i an my whole team always run field medic and iron will and god it has saved us from so many deaths. i recommend it to anyone because of u being able to revive youself revive 2 teammates then possibly throw a c4 or shield on yourself and get revived too. with everyone having this it almost makes our missions un looseble.

[@amanwithnoplan7648]

I’m personally addicted to the speed boost perk, it’s so fun

[@cyberneticReverb]

One thing not said about See You In Hell is that it deals 'disintegrate' damage, which will stop a praetorian or oppressor from releasing a toxic cloud when it dies if it dies to to the active. And it also has a lingering 'fear aura' that makes it easier to revive allies (unless you got dropped by several mactera, they will not be affected by the fear).

[@wianbason2984]

hoverboots are a must have for me since i like to play fast run and jump before i take a look and more often than not fall down a large hole

[@tinchi]

I like Field Medic a lot!

[@Qwertype315]

Field medic on everyone except gunner who has a shield for it anyways. hover boots save you a lot more often than you would think, plenty of enemies that can launch you in the air, or chase you off a cliff. But the games where i hard carried hardest i needed iron will and vampire on driller to self res.

[@AeroMusic___149]

I usually run beastmaster and iron will so i can save a run if someone goes down, while also taking some agro off of myself and others

[@liambrady993]

I like using iron will and field medic, second chances and emergency 'oh crap' buttons are always useful imo

[@temetrex9324]

If I'm playing scout heightened senses and revive. I like to be a little separate from the team kill priority targets zip in and out with revives. Driller is my brawler class iron will and berserk. Gunner is my last ditch hold out. Max shield duration iron will and revive. Engineer if I'm shotgun breach is dash and revive.

[@trevorhoener8388]

Dash is a must have no matter the load out or character I’m using. It’s extremely versatile, and has saved me countless times.

[@codemon1352]

heighten senses is a must for green beards until you can get a feel for the sounds and small hints from the threats. I recently started running dash more, its already gotten me out of multiple situations that i would have gone down other wise. Taking field medic or shield overcharge is always helpful in any mission RnS

[@milligin]

heightened senses gets a lot of eyerolls from veteran players but i have freed those same people from leeches a lot of times. It's a good perk and is great for learning where to expect to get grabbed.

[@Yourantsally]

Steve also becomes super tough with regenerative bugs

[@dunno4740]

Shield link with a scout running the plasma carbine with shield battery booster overclock is very powerful.

[@Huntterr]

Hello ! Nice guide ! Im from AxisKronos channel :)

[@maxek46]

For any scout, boots + field medic are a must. Might try some of the melée ones with the driller though, and have put dash and beast master on all the others. I've noticed that Steeve doesn't last long on explorer missions though so might start swapping that one out - half the time I'm still waiting for a slasher or guard to show up (or be alive long enough) anyway.

[@milligin]

yea i feel that on the waiting game to get steeve. you could also give melee scout a try for fun as well, run in do damage and zip out.

[@bretts6127]

Good stuff

[@dajellyman13]

Field medic + iron will has saved more missions than I can count. It's my default loadout unless I KNOW someone else has it, even then, it's twice the safety net.

[@Destroyerz117]

when pairing iron will with vampire it's also good to know that Drillers impact axes will give you health back, so activating iron will and killing a bug with an axe throw will keep you going

[@timothye.2902]

Driller has a lot of stuff that triggers vampire: the pickaxe (obviously), the impact axes, and the drills all count as melee attacks for vampire (and I presume See You in Hell as well)

[@BIGESTblade]

Hover Boots are a must-have perk. Can't even count all the times I didn't die and escaped something really mean because of those.

[@slyllamademon2652]

Dash is the best perk in the game. It makes you very skippery and allows you to quickly reposition yourself. Allowing you to move from a weak position to a stronger one. It’s also useful for closing the distance with enemies that are easier to kill up close.

[@chocolatier95]

I don't know if someone else has said it yet, but it's important to note that the mission mod Regenerative Bugs extends to Steeve, so your bug friend can heal back to full between fights.

[@h4xorzist]

I used to run iron will back when it had a cooldown (like everybody). Now I use field medic and shield link. Iron will while useful is kind of planning for failure, but it's the biggest downside now is that you only get it once per deep dive. I really hate Steve's as they are a big waste of ammunition.

[@merefailninja953]

I like to do parkour a lot as gunner so I use hover boots. Saves me some ziplines plus if need be I can send ziplines down to teammates for THEM to get to me. Add some nero toxin payload into the mix for long range grunt/spitter/etc killing and you practically (or impracticaly) become a fat scout armed with a way down and a way up! Also naturally heightened senses due to my forward fighting agressive nature jumping ahead of the team on haz 4 and often being the first to meet a cave leach face first

[@mangoman126]

I will take revive now, thankyou for your wisdom and amazing editing loool

[@Wolf-Nyan]

You can tame guards AND slashers!? I just thought it was the basic ones. Never thought I could get a mini-tank steeve or stabby steeve. Wonder if their extra armor/HP and extra damage/stun respectively carry over to the tamed versions

[@jahrazzjahrazz8858]

Beastmaster can have several active bugs now right? I was in a regenerating bugs lobby and we had at least 3 Steves but I dont think all 3 of my allies had beastmaster

[@gamma2816]

Quick question, I did some testing and think it doesn't work, but just to make extra sure, does Shield Link work in solo play by staying near the bot for a faster recharge or no?

[@ShmoopDooper]

lol @ the field medic speech transition into heightened senses

[@purpleisthesneakiest]

it's probably worth adding an addendum in the comments, since the most recent update (bestiary) has slightly altered heightened senses, causing cave leeches to now let you down before dying when it is used (similar to when someone else shoots the cave leech)

[@milligin]

Ive updated it in the comments and description, thanks for the heads up.

[@Wineblood]

Any recommended perks for a new player? I'm thinking dash and hover boots, but 2 mobility actives might not be well balanced.

[@shieldphaser]

Personally I find dash to be very handy in a lot of situations. Not so much for the scout with the grapple, but a lot of slowdown effects can kill you if you don't have a way out - and the dash provides that. Iron Will I'd say is only worth it if you're also running vampire, as it then effectively becomes a self-revive - otherwise it's better to take field medic to revive someone else for free. Iron Will is superior in the former case since it also saves your team the bother of having to run over there, whereas field medic won't help you when you're separated.

[@jacksons9546]

I used to run berserker until one fateful mission w/ randoms. It was a tough haz4 egg mission. Things weren’t rly going so well already and then one of us accidentally woke up BETC. It was a long fight but we didn’t make it-total team wipe in the end. Until the driller got up & instantly revived me, allowing me to revive him and the rest of the team. We ended up winning. I think other actives are cool and good but on tougher missions I don’t see any other build being comparably “meta”. Then again I haven’t gone on an EDD yet

[@Handlemmm]

How do people start hovering like they have a jetpack without the hoverboots perk ive seen people do it and im confused

[@holynder3181]

I feel like iron will and field medic are interchangable, since they both fulfill the same role. I would say field medic is better though, just because of the passive revive speed.

[@zfenty]

I was writing my thoughts on the active perks. then BAM! i lost it. now i will replace that with a shortened version of that. Beast Master : B+ very entertaining, Berzerker : B trading damage with grunts can be bad for your health, so be careful Dash : A+ the poor dwarf's zip-line Field Medic : B+ i don't use it. When i have used it i am constantly waiting for a moment to use it. It always feels like; I never needed it at all. B+ for the dwarf who left no dwarf behind thanks. Heightened Senses : D stay with your teammates and you will never need it Hover Boots : C+ as time progress, you learn tricks about avoiding fall damage Iron Will : A though it isn't perfect it can and has saved runs See You In Hell : B+ someone should combo this with iron Will, for a last chance build Shield Link: C+ you only have 2 active slots, and there are so many great choices. When you take shield link on a shield disruption mission. It fills you with so much regret; you will never run it again, and you will be better for it.

[@panther0015]

Driller with vampire and iron will is so good bc if your whole team is down you can rez 1 and impact axe an enemy to live.

[@Deruwugen]

Important to note that regenerative bugs work for Steeve's!

[@dannyavarice]

Field Medic, See You In Hell, Heightened Senses, and Iron Will are probably my favorite actives in the game. As for a passive, I think Friendly is a must have on trigger happy Drillers and Gunners. The reduced friendly fire damage can be a life saver for everyone nearby (including yourself).

[@tabnk2]

My stance on field medic is as follows: hope for the best, prepare for the worst

[@bombomos]

Shield is nice but I might start running field medic

[@shump7202]

Dash and Field Medic are the best general combo imo. Dash can get you away from a Bulk Detonator which is literally just a get out of jail free card, and Field Medic can save games so easily and has many times.

[@SILVERF0X13]

I'm a big fan of Steve and Iron Will. While I haven't had to really use Iron Will all that often, I think the safety net makes it very worth while. I actually didn't even know you can heal and stay up at the end. I already thought it was worth it to get a free rez on team wipe and deal a bit of extra damage.

[@skyLizard_]

omg ty so much when i play drg i dont know how to promote and use perks. i tought ive equipped al of them... Also idk how to get a star and pet a glyphid grunt. TYSM :)))

[@alexandreparent5754]

In party When 1 active : Glyphid or Medic field When you have 2 of them: Take glyph and Medic or Medic + something else Alone: Always take Glyph with you the other perk really depends on your class. I personnally take Hover boots with scout so I can mine myself some stuff but to save that I think its better to get Bosco +100% mining speed

[@cerealssbu7545]

by glyph I assume u mean beast master?

[@Sigmachode905]

In the video you said heightened senses will instantly kill the enemy that grabs you. (Besides the cave leech as you noted in a comment) does this apply to the nemesis. (I assume not, but I thought I would make sure)

[@fishyfungus5026]

Annoying stunning swarmers? Dash. Sticky goo? Dash. Dreadnought stomping next to you? Dash.

[@jethrolearns5783]

there was one time that a mactera grabber grabbed me and dropped me on a safe height near my teammates