Advanced Tips

Discover advanced combat strategies, unique weapon locations, and rare armor mods in The Outer Worlds 2. Optimize your build with these expert tips for challenging encounters.

This section is for players already familiar with the game. Mild spoilers ahead.

Miscellaneous Tips

Melee combat features a three-swing combo followed by a pause. The Ionized Paper Knife, a high-level 1-handed melee weapon, allows for unlimited swings and may be worth building around. Supper Time also offers unlimited swings but is lower level and acquired late, making it less effective.

The rare Reactive Kinematic Shield Protector Armor mod grants 3 seconds of invulnerability and 10 seconds of healing when health drops to 10%, followed by a 15-second cooldown. This cooldown is shared with the Chrono Field Aggregator and Electro Charged Surface mods. It might synergize well with the Last Stand perk.

The Exact-O-Sight mod adds 15% post-armor damage. For example, a Dead-Eye Assault Rifle II (263 damage) against 30 armor would deal (263 - 30) x 1.15 = 268 damage. This mod, when paired with a Mag-2-Ray magazine, can provide a significant damage increase.

Completing Vulcan's Hammer and giving the blueprints to Shaw yields the unique Ultimatum pistol. Alternatively, selling the blueprints to Gladys results in the Ultimate Bolter becoming available for purchase, with a 2.0 evolution. The Ultimate Bolter is not a great weapon but offers variety for subsequent playthroughs.

The Ultimatum pistol is unique, as is the Hibernation Helmet and the starting Hibernation Suit. Some items in Jolicoeur's shop, like the Duchess (the only explicitly feminine clothing item), are also unique.

Instead of using the trunk, unique items can be displayed in your cabin using the drop item function.

To make enemies scream, equip Parvati and/or Felix with flamethrowers and use their companion abilities to get them into range quickly.

Hard-to-Find Stuff

Most items can be found in obscure locations or by completing sidequests. Some items are mutually exclusive, such as the MSI Saltuna Searer and the Good Word. Others require specific conditions or are guarded.

• Colony Ship Guard Armor / Mardet Helmet (non-unique armour): Obtainable by pickpocketing security guards on Groundbreaker, particularly the one in the Restricted Area.
• Fiver (unique Revolver): Available in Stefan's stock, often unaffordable until after completing 'Now Comes the Power' when Stefan departs.
• Long Ranger (unique Hunting Rifle): Carried by Grace Romero in Emerald Vale, superior to standard hunting rifles and includes a Super Scoper 2000.
• The Negotiator (unique Bolter Pistol): Acquired after confronting Clive Lumbergh and killing Eva Chartrand during 'The Chimerist's Last Experiment' to become a SubLight contractor. It consumes three ammo per shot despite firing two and has high spread.
• Nightfall Squad Armor / Helmet (unique heavy armour): Appears in Percival's stock after completing 'Demolished Woman' and 'Foundation' with 100% positive Board reputation. Features a weapon-swapping bonus but standard Stealth penalty.
• Peacekeeper (unique Sawed-off Shotgun): Carried by Constable Reyes in Edgewater; can be pickpocketed. Considered poor quality, even for unique shotguns. Not found on her body after completing 'Foundation'.
• Prisoner gear (non-unique clothing): Obtained by skipping 'The Hope' to Tartarus, allowing the crew to be dressed as convicts.

Chimaera Armor Early

The Chimaera Armor, normally unlocked late in Byzantium, can be acquired much earlier by playing strategically:

• (Optional) Purchase 10 x Primal Leather from Stefan at the Botanical Lab before rerouting power.
• Ensure you have a complete set of Marauder armor after Emerald Vale.
• Complete all quests on Groundbreaker to earn at least 8000 bits.