Explosive Damage builds inRemnant 2aren’t the most common thing. There are tons of builds based around certain Elemental Damage types or around Elemental Damage as a whole (usually Ritualist builds), but not too many based around Explosive Damage. This is because there isn’t a whole ton of build variety for Explosive Builds outside of maybe the Long Gun, Handgun, or Secondary Archetype you choose.
However, one of the new weapons introduced in the Forgotten Kingdom DLC forRemnant 2, the Thorn is probably the best Long Gun for Explosive Damage builds in general. So, let’s go over the best build to get the maximum DPS output from this weapon as well as some alternate options.
The ‘Main’ Build
Your Build Will Likely End Up Close to This at the Very Least
Let’s start things off by going over the sort of default build for the Thorn.This is the setup that you’ll use with almost any gun that does Explosive Damage, but it absolutely has the highest return when using the Thorn.Of course,you do have to figure out how to obtain the Thorn first, but after doing that and upgrading it,you likely already have all the equipment you needfor this build.
Invoker
Archetype (Primary)
Archetypeexclusive to the Forgotten Kingdom DLCthat’s based around Skill Damage & Skill Duration.
Pretty obvious choice as it makes Skills better with most of its Perks and the Summoner’s Dominator Perk also buffs Skill Damage, making the Way of Kaeula Skill incredibly strong.
Summoner
Archetype (Secondary)
Archetype from the base game that has a Damage Perk called Dominator that increases Explosive, Mod, & Skill Damage by 35 percent.
The go-to Secondary Archetype to use for any Explosive build, as the 35 percent Explosive Damage buff from Dominator is essential.
Thorn
Long Gun
Long Gun exclusive to the Forgotten Kindom DLC that fires homing needles that deal Explosive Damage & constantly triggers small explosions as more and more needles hit.
This guide is about Thorn builds, so it’s of course going to be the Long Gun of choice. When unloading into an enemy with this thing, it’s constantly triggering Detonation Trigger, creating small explosions, and lighting the enemy on fire.
Star Shot
Handgun
Handgun from the base game (found in N’Erud) that does Explosive Damage with every shot as well as with it’s locked-in Big Bang Mod.
The best Explosive Damage Handgun. Big Bang with max charges can one-shot some of the strongest Elite Enemies on Apocalypse difficulty.
Detonation Trigger
Amulet
Increases Explosion Damage by 25 percent. Explosions apply Burning damage over time.
Ring
Increases all Damage done to Burning enemies by 12 percent.
Because enemies will always be Burning due to the effect of Detonation Trigger, this is essentially just an overall 12 percent damage buff.
Increases Explosive Damage by 10 percent.
10 percent damage buff to all Explosive Damage, it should be obvious why this is included.
Burden of the Destroyer
Increases all Damage dealt by 15 percent but reduces the Ideal Range of all Firearms by 35 percent while equipped.
This is probably the Ring you could switch out for your favorite Ring of choice, but the Burden of the Destroyer really doesn’t negatively affect the Thorn or the Star Shot, so it’s basically another 15 percent damage buff (this buff also applies to Summon damage).
Red Ring of Death
Duplicates the last damaging Negative Status applied to the target. Reduces outgoing Status Effect Damage by 10 percent.
Very good for the Burning Status effect, could also be switched out for another Status Effect-oriented Ring, but this feels like the best one to use overall.
Tormented Heart
Relic
On use, this Relic deals Explosive Damage to enemies within 10 meters and Lifesteals for 20 percent of the damage this deals and gives that health back to you. Also has an innate 25 percent use speed bonus.
The Relic you use is entirely up to you, but if you’re really going for all Explosive Damage, this is the only one that fits that theme. Additionally, with Detonation Trigger equipped, even if you only hit one enemy with the explosion from Tormented Heart, it’ll almost always give you a full heal.
Skill, Mutator, Relic Fragment, & Trait Recommendations
Now we didn’t includeSkill Recommendations, Mutator Recommendations,orRelic Fragment Recommendationsin the table above, and that’s honestly because you can pretty much choose whatever you want and this build will still absolutely melt enemies. However, if you’re looking for the absolute best setup, here’s what you should use:
Lastly,let’s go over the best Traits to keep in mind for an Explosive Damage build, and these recommendations apply to all of the alternate options below as well. Of course, keep in mind that the ‘standard’ Traits that most builds typically incorporate, such as Vigor, Leech, Siphoner, Barkskin, Strong Back, Regrowth, Spirit, & Expertise won’t be on the table below, as they’re sort of an assumed inclusion:
Chakra
Increases Mod Duration
Similar to Gifted, but fits more variants of an Explosive Damage build overall. Best on an Archon combination.
Kinship
Reduces Friendly Fire Dealt and received
A must-have for anyone playing online with an Explosive Damage build.
Flash Caster
Increases Casting Speed
Best for any Explosive Damage builds using the Invoker, Summoner, or Ritualist.
Amplitude
Increases Area of Effect size
Absolutely mandatory for an Explosive Damage build, though it (again) can make online play pretty difficult if maxed out.
Affliction
Increases Status Effect duration against enemies.
Fantastic on most Explosive Damage build combinations, especially so on one that uses the Ritualist.
Alternate Build Options
Other Choices If You Don’t Like the ‘Meta’ Build Above
That said, the build above isn’t the only one that works with Explosive Damage, there are a good handful of different options.The only parts of the build above that’ll likely be a part of every build are the Detonation Trigger Amulet, the Blasting Cap Ring, & the Singed Ring.
Let’s go over some different Archetype options,Ring options, Handgun options, and more so you’ll have all the information you’ll ever need to make the ultimate explosive build.
Archetype Options
You’re Not Forced Entirely Into the Invoker & Summoner Combination
While the Summoner is pretty much a lock-in Secondary Archetype for most Explosive Damage builds, the Invoker isn’t. You can use all sorts of different Archetype combinations, but these are the best overall for Explosive Damage build alternatives:
Primary or Secondary
Archon
Primary
Archon is a great Archetype option for getting the most out of your Weapon Mods. With this as your Primary, you’ll be using the Thorn’s Mod & the Star Shot’s Big Bang constantly and absolutely melting enemies with said Mods. Archon is the best damage Skill choice here, but it doesn’t really synergize with an Explosive Damage build so using either Reality Rune or Chaos Gate is the better call.
Engineer
Secondary (Primary can also work)
Engineer is a great Archetype choice for those who want a bit more survivability and want to see either the Flamethrower or Impact Cannon absolutely decimate enemies (they both deal Explosive Damage). Will likely be paired with the Invoker or Summoner, as any Skill Damage buffs increase the Turret’s DPS as well.
Ritualist
And lastly, you’re able to also go for the Ritualist/Summoner Explosive Damage build. There’s almost no reason to have the Summoner as the primary, so the Ritualist gets it by default, which is nice since it’s Prime Perk (Vile) is great for spreading Burning Damage across entire hordes of enemies. Elemental Damage just pairs very well with an Explosive Build, and you can use either Miama or Eruption to deal even more damage (Eruption even deals Explosive Damage specifically) as long as you invest in the Amplitude Trait.
Ring Options
Depending on How You Tailor the Build to Your Preferences
The Rings listed in the Main Build table above absolutely work the best in buffing Explosive Damage for that build. These Ring options below can be a better fit than some of the other Rings, depending on the combination of Archetypes, Skills, and Weapon Mods you’re using:
Alumni Ring
Increases all Elemental Damage dealt by 10 percent.
Burning is Elemental Damage, so this is a pretty good option.
Stone of Malevolence
Elemental Status Damage generates 15 percent additional Mod Power.
A good choice for Weapon Mod-heavy builds. If you’re running Archon & Summoner this is a great Ring to use.
Ahanae Crystal
Deal 4 percent additional damage for each Status Effect the target is suffering from.
Only worth using if you’re using the Ritualist/Summoner combination alongside using the Ritualist’s Miasma Skill. You can apply a lot of Status Effects using certain Mutators, but Ritualist is really the only thing that makes this Ring worth using.
Timekeeper’s Jewel
Increases the durationof all Status Effects applied by the wearer. Durations vary per status.
Your mileage may vary, this keeps enemies Burning for longer.
Band of the Fanatic
Increases Status Effect Damage by 25 percent and reduces Status Effect Duration by 65 percent.
Shorter Burns, but hits harder, a great choice for a build that relies on burst damage.
Shadow of Misery
Increase Status Effect Damage by 15 percent.
Similar to the Alumni Ring, just makes Burning deal more damage overall.
Lighthouse Keeper’s Ring
Automatically generate 4 Mod Power per second for each entity with 15 meters suffering from a Negative Status Effect. Max 5 stacks.
Also very useful on the Archon/Summoner Explosive Build, or even on a Ritualist/Summoner build. Allows you to use Mods constantly.
Burden of Departed
Reduces total Relic Charges by 33 percent. Increases all Damage Dealt by 10 percent.
Basically just an easy 10 percent damage buff for not a ton of loss (if you’ve already gotten the hang ofRemnant 2’scombat).
Soul Shard
Increases all Damage Dealt by 5 percent for each summon. Max 15 percent.
Great if you’re using the Summoner and either of its Skills that bring out 2 Summons. Essentially, it functions as a 10 percent overall damage buff at all times.
Soul Feast
When a human, companion, or minion is downed/killed, reduce Skill Cooldowns by 8 percent.
Great choice for co-op builds, especially on a Summoner or alongside a co-op partner using the Handler. It’s probably best on a build that uses Invoker.
Handgun Options
Honestly, the Star Shot is Too Good
To be brutally honest, unless you only plan on playing single-player inRemnant 2,it’s pretty difficult to justify taking the Meridian over the Star Shot.But, if you really hate the Star Shot as a Handgun, these options also work well in an Explosive Damage build:
Reasoning
Meridian
Handgun that fires volatile grenades that explode on contact with enemies. Also has the Screamer Weapon Mod that fires high-powered rockets that deal Explosive Damage.
Very tough to use in co-op without making your partner miserable, but if you don’t like the Starshot this is a good backup.
Corrupted Meridian
Fires rockets instead of volatile grenades, exploding on contact with anything (not just enemies). Can be charged to fire additional rockets at once. Also has the Deadpoint Weapon Mod that fires a cluster bomb that sets off a bunch of smaller explosions within a 3.5-meter area.
Probably a better backup option than the regular Meridian as the Corrupted Meridian doesn’t leave active grenades on the ground when it doesn’t hit enemies.
Anguish
Shotgun-like Handgun that fires heated bits of molten slag. Can be charged to fire a single Explosive Damage rod at the cost of dealing damage to the user. Has the Loath the Weak Weapon Mod that fires volatile needles that explode after a short duration, dealing Explosive Damage.
Likely the Explosive Damage Handgun you’ll use the least, but can work pretty well in an Explosive Damage build.
Closing Thoughts
That Pretty Much Covers Everything
And that’s pretty much it for Explosive Builds. There’s not really much about the Thorn that the standard Explosive Damage build needs to be tailored towards. Additionally, we could have listed out multiple full builds, but honestlymost of them are just minor to moderate variations on the main one. This way, you’ll be able to see all your backup options and pick and choose what works for you at a glance.
Also,keep in mind that an Explosive Damage build can be just miserable for your co-op partners to deal with if you’re not careful, so absolutely invest in Kinship and try and convince anyone you’re playing with to invest in this Trait as well.
