Overview
A solid DPS build with less range than one hit crit snipers, but high Armour Breach and damage, making it a versatile damage-dealer with two attacks.
The Unit
Just like the Immune System build, the Phase Cannon Duelist build can be used by all units, but it has clearly superior options. Being a DPS build, the Atlas, Jaeger, Vindicator, and Paladin all are capable of acting as a good Phase Cannon Duelist, but the Vindicator is by far the best build. The Vindicator unit is unique for synergising extremely well with cooldown weapons, in this case the Phase Cannon. The Vindicator B is the better option of the two Vindicators, as it starts with a Phase Cannon and Diffuse Sensor, a decent damage-increasing item. Assuming you’re using the Vindicator, make sure to take its left third upgrade once you reach that tier of upgrades. It increases CD weapons’ damage by 40%, a crucial upgrade, since this build is based around the Phase Cannon, a CD weapon. For other upgrades, heat – improving upgrades are unnecessary, because the Phase Cannon generates no heat. Hull – increasing upgrades can be taken for a more generalist, survivalist build, while extra movement ones can be taken for a more mobile build. The Vindicator’s Armour Breach On Hit (Non-burst weapons only) should be taken, because this build relies on Armour Breach to mitigate Armour.
The Items
Again, the most critical part of making a build: the items to equip. In case you somehow got this far without reading the title, this build uses the Phase Cannon as its weapon of choice. The Phase Cannon comes with the Vindicator B and can be found during the earlier tiers. In the 3rd tier, you might be able to find a Yellow version for heightened damage. To attack twice every turn, you have two options: 1, you equip two Phase Cannons, or 2, you equip an Ares Module. I do not recommend upgrades that reduce CD, because the Vindicator’s two upgrades which do such a thing either deduct MORE max heat than an Ares Module or prevent you from using more powerful upgrades. The Ares Module allows you to use any Extra AP items for even more damage, but may be hard to find and weakens the Phase Cannon Duelist unit to Heaters, which otherwise pose basically no threat. For damage, the Armour Shredder can be used to add Armour Breach, increasing the base Armour Breach stat of 3 on Phase Cannons. Diffuse Sensors, Improved Sensors, and other damage – increasing items are of course very effective. If you decide to take defensive upgrades for the Phase Cannon Duelist, you can use all 4 item slots for Phase Cannons and damage buffing items. An interesting case for the Phase Cannon Duelist is the Ballistics Processor. I normally would not recommend this item, especially for a 2 – attack build, but Phase Cannons add no heat, meaning that the Ballistics Processor becomes a powerful damage increasing item with essentially no downsides.
The Enemies
Although you might have the best version of this build possible, it does no good if enemies reduce its damage through debuffs or destroy it easily. This section talks about enemies that pose a threat and how to deal with them.
First up, the Acarids. The Acarid line composes of the Acarid and the Imp. Acarid, the Pest, and sort-of the Orion, Sentinel, and Operator. Regular Acarids and their Improved version mostly pose a threat due to their range, which heavily outclasses the range of Phase Cannons. Invest in defensive upgrades if they’re threats, and remember to take cover. Other, longer ranged units can deal with them. Acarid baiting is an excellent strategy to take care of them, forcing them to use both moves before attacking.
The next problems, the confusing middle class of Orions, Sentinels, and Operators. Because only the Operator has two moves, it’s possible to move up and attack the former two. However, Sentinels reduce damage heavily, so keep a healing unit nearby with a Repair Kit. Due to the high damage of this build, you can deal with other units in one turn, nullifying the Operator’s chance to heal any of their friends. Orions are more of a threat because of their damage than anything else, because of Phase Cannons not heating you up.
The much more in-your-face units, the Bulwark, Suppressor, Assailant, and Overlord, are all problems in their own way. All of them have amounts of armour, and here’s a beauty of this build: Phase Cannons deal 3 Armour Breach on hit. This amounts to 6 Armour Breach, which takes down the armour of Bulwarks. Just adding 1 more Armour Breach bumps it to 8, allowing you to take down the armour of Suppressors. You should keep a healer nearby to cure status effects, though.
Pretorians are a bit annoying for the Phase Cannon Duelist, but its two-attack build allows it to deal a bit more damage than a one hit crit build. More annoying is their range, which is identical to a Phase Cannon – 5. The low range of Phase Cannons is the main drawback of this build.
Wrapping it all up
Now that you’ve absorbed the previous contents of this guide, unless you can’t read, here are some tips to help you further, and of course a sample build.
– Weigh carefully the effects of damage increasing items. You can enter missions and check the damage, then quit to the main menu and try with another item to compare.
– If you want to use a Reactor item, use an Ares Module. They allow you to attack once for every AP each turn, with a single Phase Cannon.
– Another advantage of two attacks is that you can hit a crippled enemy, killing it or condemning it to status effects, and then hit another one. Abuse this as much as possible.
Sample Build:
Unit: Vindicator B
Upgrades:
+8 max hull
Non-burst weapons: +1 Armour Breach on hit.
All CD weapons, including ones with a CD of 0, +40% damage.
Items Equipped:
Phase Cannon (White)
Phase Cannon (White)(again)
Ballistics Processor
Diffuse Sensor (Blue)
I hope you’ve gained something from this guide, and I wish you the greatest luck in investigating the events around the virus’s attack and the Mainframe.