In terms of playstyle, the Driller inDeep Rock Galactic: Survivoris the most in-your-facecompared to the other dwarvessince his weapons do mostly area-of-effect damage around him. His specialty attacks, Fire and Acid, grant him immense crowd control, at the expense of single-target damage.
That said, when it comes toDriller builds, it is always best to play to his strengths, and what he lacks in single-target damage, he more than makes up for by being a big ball of death to anything that tries to get close to him. Here are some of the best Driller loadouts that players can try as they explore, mine, and swathe hordes of bugs en route to the dreadnought.
Due to the random nature of weapon availability to players upon leveling up during each run, some runs might not have the exact weapon loadout listed below. In those cases, it is up to the player which weapon they want to use as a replacement for the weapons listed below.
Nitragenic Powder
Gold-Tipped Bullets
One of the Driller’s premier elemental damage is Acid. Enemies that get tagged with Acid will gain a debuff that weakens their defenses and makes them susceptible to damage. This makes stacking at least two Acid-type weapons a great option for softening up enemies for the killing blow.
Corrosive Sludge Pump & Subata 120
This is where the Corrosive Sludge Pump comes into play. This weapon spews acid around the Driller, leaving an area that will damage and debuff enemies that go through it, even flying bugs. Once bugs become drenched in acid, they are easier to take out with the Subata 120, which shoots kinetic bullets from the onset.
Impact Axe
Once the Impact Axe becomes available, that will become the main kinetic damage-dealing weapon. Its unique knockback and enemy displacement mechanic when it returns to the Driller greatly aids him in pushing enemies who get too close, and it can also damage targets in a line twice.
During the late stages of a run, players have a choice to either double down on Acid damage by picking their fourth weapon as such, look for another kinetic-damaging weapon to complement the Impact Axe, or mix it up by picking a Fire-elemental option to diversify the damage output.
Upgrades For The Acidic Driller Build
As far asupgrades,Deep Rock Galactic: Survivorplayerswho want to make the most of the Acid weapons need to invest in Acid Damage upgrades while mixing in reload speed for either Corrosive Sludge Pump, Impact Axe, or all weapons. Doing so will make the damage output consistent and allow the Impact Axe to be thrown as often as possible to keep enemies at an acid-spewing distance.
Topping off the upgrades would be additional damage to either Impact Axe, Subata 120, or both kinetic weapons, though it is better to prioritize Impact Axe if possible.
The Driller’s Interrogator Class Mod has a peculiargameplay mechanic: status effect damage is 100%, but the damage output of weapons that do status effects is reduced by 30%. This leads players to go either with pure Acid, Fire, or both when running Interrogator.
Keeping true to the Interrogator’s first weapon, this all-Fire build goes full-on arsonist against those pesky bugs, focusing on lighting them ablaze until enemies are burnt to a crisp.
CRSPR Flamethrower
Players will have the CRSPR Flamethrower as their starting weapon, and its damage, reload speed, and lasting rate. This is due to the CRSPR Flamethrower having subpar reloading speed, and the Interrogator’s -30% damage on status effect-dealing weapons being handicapped in the early game.
Krakatoa Sentinel
The second flame-themed weapon will be the Krakatoa Sentinel. This turret spews out flame torrents, much like a fire hose, but in this case, it is a literal fire hose. Similar to the Engineer’s turrets, the Krakatoa Sentinels are deployed as soon as they are ready, so their placement can be hit or miss. But to ensure they hit their targets, players need to dance around them and herd the bugs into their flames.
Collete Wave Cooker
One of the best Driller weapons, the Collete Wave Cooker, will be the third option players should get. If they can get this at an earlier level, that’s even better. Once equipped, the Wave Cooker scans around a set distance from the Driller, looking for enemies. It then damages its targets with a steady microwave that cooks enemies from the inside. This weapon is especiallyuseful inDeep Rock Galactic: Survivor’s Hollow Bough, where it can reach enemies across the thick red vines that are generally impassable.
Incendiary Grenade
The fourth weapon, the Incendiary Grenade, makes for an explosive end to all the enemies who have been slowly cooked and charred by the previously mentioned weapons. It does initial kinetic and explosive damage, followed by its Fire elemental damage to further singe bugs to oblivion.
Capitalizing on the Strong Armed Class Mod involves a zany yet fun build. Strong Armed grants the Driller +20% bonus range for all throwable weapons. As a starting weapon, the Driller also wields the Impact Axe, one of the class’s best weapons to lay waste to bugs.
As its name suggests, this build focuses on maximizing the Strong Armed bonus by equipping the Driller with throwable weapons, starting with the Impact Axe. This option provides great crowd control in the form of knocking enemies back with the initial hit, then further displacing them as the axes return to the Driller.
Voltaic Stun Sweeper
The second throwable weapon that works in this build is the Voltaic Stun Sweeper.Originally a Scout weapon, once it is unlocked, the Driller using Strong Armed can get this when he levels up. Its Electrical damage and ability to boomerang back provide the secondary salvo after the Impact Axe.
Neurotoxin Grenade
As for the third weapon, the Neurotoxin Grenade provides utility, since its Acid damage will debuff enemy bugs. Once they have been drenched in Acid, they are more vulnerable to the Voltaic Stun Sweeper and Impact Axe damage. Ideally, the Neurotoxin Grenade should be the first weapon the Driller tosses, but given that the Impact Axe takes priority for damage and reload time whenever the player levels up, once this grenade is thrown, players should try to herd the bugs onto its acidic pool to get them ready to take massive damage.
High Explosive Grenade
Rounding up the weapons lineup is the High Explosive Grenade. True to its name, chucking this into a crowd of bugs will deal massive damage, especially once players have leveled up the increased Throwable Damage and reload speed of all throwable items during a run.
Once players have all these weapons in hand, they can attempt to create a murder corridor. This is done by drilling between a thick layer of terrain where there is only one way in. The bugs should be following the player, and once the player has created some space, they can turn around and pelt away at the bugs who are following them in the corridor. The damage output from the Impact Axe and Voltaic Stun Sweeper are great for eliminating the tougher bugs, while the Neurotoxin and High Explosive Grenades make quick work of the low-leveled bugs.
