Ultimate Vermillion Build: SyCom, Holobytes & Weapons Guide

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All three characters currently available in Hyper Light Breaker boast impressive Rail build capabilities, but none match the thrill of Vermillion’s critical damage potential. His SyCom called Gunslinger ensures that any shot following a critical hit will also deal critical damage, allowing him to unleash significant burst damage when equipped with the right gear. Not only does Gunslinger provide exceptional abilities, but its base stats are also quite formidable, making it a valuable choice in most gameplay sessions.

When configuring your Breaker’s loadout, there are numerous factors to take into account. With an abundance of Rail, Blade, AMP, and Holobyte options available, how do you select the right combination? You must also consider your weapon’s durability, and if you’re not likely to survive your current run, how will your strategy adapt with diminishing Holobytes? Despite these uncertainties, there’s a specific build for Vermillion that can guide you toward achieving success.

Optimal Loadout for Vermillion

Prioritize Rail Uptime and Scaling with Critical Hits

Thanks to Gunslinger, Vermillion effectively doubles his critical hits compared to other characters. To leverage this advantage, you should aim to acquire Holobytes that enhance either survivability or boost damage based on critical hits. Keep in mind that since the Holobytes and gear you collect can be unpredictable, there isn’t a single build that guarantees consistent performance; however, there are specific types of Holobytes you should strive to obtain. Here’s a breakdown of what upgrades to seek for each component of your loadout:

Blade ADVERTISEMENT	A well-rounded weapon that enables quick strikes. Look for an Affix that inflicts damage over time (DOT) to ensure you deal continual damage while using your Rail. The basic Blade, the Soldier’s Blade, has a strong ability that inflicts burning and delivers burst damage.
Rail	Choose a rail with a rapid fire rate to enhance your chances of landing critical hits. The Soldier’s Gun and certain line rifles fire quickly, although they deal limited damage. Aim for a balance between solid damage output and speed.
Holobytes	Critical Ring, along with any other Holobytes that increase Rail fire rate, critical hit chance, or Rail damage.
AMP	My personal favorite AMP lets you summon a gigantic, crushing cube of light. Other options to consider are AMPs that provide armor or burst damage.
Armor	This is a matter of personal choice; medium armor strikes a good balance between health and mobility.

As is typical in roguelikes, the variable modifiers—specifically Holobytes—are crucial for crafting your build. The Critical Ring is vital as it heals you upon landing critical hits, and with Vermillion’s Gunslinger SyCom, this means double healing opportunities. This mechanism allows for excellent survivability, even when your health is low. Provided there are enemies to engage and your Rail is equipped with energy, you have a reliable healing method.

Important SyCom Upgrades

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the permanence of stat upgrades in SyCom, but if you have excess Cores, you should absolutely put them to use. For the Gunslinger build with Vermillion, boosting your critical hit rate is crucial for the build’s success. This will allow your healing Holobyte to activate more frequently, increasing your chances of survival.

Additionally, prioritize enhancing your Blast and Battery stats, which determine the base damage of all Rail weapons and their battery life, respectively. Improving these stats will extend your Rail’s operational time, raising your odds of securing critical hits and dealing considerable damage to enemies. While faster-firing Rails may have lower base damage, boosting your Blast stat can help level the playing field.

Although it can be tempting to upgrade some of Vermillion’s lower stats for a more versatile build, this would detract from the essence of build crafting. Roguelikes thrive on finding the optimal niche to exploit for successful runs, so boosting HP on a character designed to heal consistently isn’t the best strategy. Instead, concentrate on improving the stats that align with your chosen build, whether that’s this critical hit strategy or something entirely different.

Tips for Playing Vermillion’s Critical Hit Build

Combine Blade Burst Attacks with Rail Healing

If you have one of the few Holobytes that offers healing, mix in Holobytes that enhance your critical hit potential and those that improve your Rail’s performance. The goal is to maintain Rail energy by defeating foes with your Blade, causing your critical Ring to activate from Rail hits. You can also trigger critical hits with your Blade, but note that crits in Hyper Light Breaker operate on a percentage chance—higher frequency of hits increases your crit rate.

During your early runs, focus on gathering Bright Blood, which will allow you to invest in better upgrades sooner.

With that in mind, aim for a high-fire-rate Rail. Look for Holobytes that boost your Rail’s fire rate, reload speed, and Battery capacity to maximize operational time. When your Rail’s Battery is depleted, switch to your Blade and try to finish off staggered enemies (press F on PC). Finishers seem to improve your chances of obtaining items such as Holobyte upgrades and Battery packs.

As long as you can sustain your Rail’s uptime and maintain your health, this build will enable you to deal significant damage using both your Rail and Blade. The starting Blade for Vermillion is particularly effective for navigating the game due to its strong ability and relatively agile combat mechanics. There’s a wide array of Blades, Holobytes, and Rails to explore in Hyper Light Breaker, so if you discover a combination that fits your style better, don’t hesitate to experiment and see what works best for Vermillion.