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Pilot is one of two brand new Survivors added inRisk of Rain Returns. The Pilot has the unique ability to deploy a parachute, allowing him to fly around the battlefield, firing on enemies below from the safety of the clouds.
The Pilot is an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master Survivor that rewards skillful use of abilities. If you’re wanting to learn how to play as the Pilot, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll take a look at each of the Pilot’s skills, the best items to use with him, and some tips for surviving.
Description
Clusterfire
Fire weapon for 95% damage. Every third hit pierces and deals 190% damage.
Target Acquired!
Shoot diagonally upward for 3x115% damage. If airborne, shoot downward instead. Hold to fire continuously.
Rapid Deployment
Launch into the air, stunning enemies and activating a parachute. If airborne, launch forwards instead.
Airstrike
Dash backwards, leaving a bomb that knocks enemies into the air for 150% damage. Can trigger multiple times. If airborne, dash upwards and drop a bomb directly below instead.
Unlockable Skills
you may also unlock the following three skills for Pilot that replace hisClusterfire,Rapid Deployment, andAirstrike.
Kill 30 enemies after launching them using Airstrike.
Aerobatics(replaces Rapid Deployment)
Dash forwards, briefly becoming invincible. Can latch onto and climb walls upon dashing into one.
Collect 300 items as Pilot.
Aerial Support(replaces Airstrike)
Mark an enemy in front of you, launching an airstrike for 10x120% damage over time.
Kill 10 enemies without touching the ground or geysers.
Best Items For Pilot
The Pilot hashigh innate attack speed, especially when using his alternate Primary skill,Rapid Fire. This makesitems with on-hit effectsextremely strong, as they are able to activate very frequently.
Increases overall damage and proc chance of on-hit effects.
Lens Maker’s Glasses
Your attacks have a 10% chance to Critically Strike, dealing double damage.
Increases overall damage and chance to proc Harvester’s Scythe.
Increases movement speed by 7.5% and attack speed by 6%.
Good all-in-one item for attack and movement speed.
Backup Magazine
Add +1 charge of your Secondary skill.
Adds extra charges for Target Acquired, increasing overall ground and aerial damage.
Predatory Instincts
Gain 5% Critical Chance. Critical Strikes increase attack speed by 10%, up to 30%.
Makes it easier to stay in the air.
Rusty Jetpack
Decrease gravity while holding the jump button by 10% and increase jump height.
AtG Missile Mk. 1
10% chance on hit to fire a missile that deals 300% damage.
Strong on-hit effect that increases overall damage.
Harvester’s Scythe
Gain 5% Critical Chance. Critical Strikes heal you for 8 health.
Increases overall damage and improves survivability.
Hardlight Afterburner
Add +2 charges of your Utility skill. Reduces Utility skill cooldown by 33%.
Grants more charges of Rapid Deployment, making it easier to stay in the air for longer.
Thallium
10% chance on hit to damage by up to 2x500% damage per second and slow for up to -150% movement speed over the course of 3 seconds.
Strong on-hit effect that also drastically slows enemies.
AtG Missile Mk. 2
7% chance on hit to fire three missiles that deal 3x300% damage.
Very strong on-hit effect.
Hopoo FeatherandRusty Jetpackare great items for keeping you in the air, allowing you to rain down on enemies from above with added skill charges ofTarget Acquiredthanks toBackup Magazines.
How To Play As Pilot
The Pilot is a fast Survivor that can do well on land or air, thanks to theversatility of Target Acquired. With some good on-hit items and a few mobility-boosting items, Pilot quickly becomes unstoppable as he flies around in the air, untouchable.
For his Primary skill,Rapid Fireis a solid alternative thatdrastically increases attack speed, making it evenbetter at activating on-hit effects. However, the downside to this skill is the slightbullet spread, meaning the bullets areless accurate the further away the enemy is. Also, Rapid Firedoesn’t pierce enemiesat all, so you’ll need some area support from items like Ukulele.
Target Acquiredis the bread and butter of playing Pilot. Using this skill on the ground will have you fire diagonally into the air, while using it while airborne will have you fire diagonally toward the ground. Get used to jumping or staying down to activate the different directions this skill can be used in.
Target Acquiredhas a slightaim adjustment. As long as there is any enemy near the bullets, they willangle slightly towards that enemy, allowing you to hit enemies not directly diagonal to you.
Rapid DeploymentandAerobaticseach have their uses, but in generalRapid Deployment is more useful. This skill makes up the core identity of Pilot, being able to fly around above enemies. If you opt for Aerobatics, however, you’ll gain the powerful ability tocling and climb up walls, enabling you to reach heights previously unattainable.
Touching a geyser with your Parachutedeployed will launch you high into the air. This is a great way to regain height without re-activating Rapid Deployment.
You will becomebriefly invulnerable while using Airstrike and Aerial Support. If you time it correctly, you can avoid some attacks by using these skills, but don’t rely overly on them, as theinvulnerability period is very short.
In general, you’ll want touse the Pilot’s range to your advantage. Use Rapid Deployment to stay out of the range of enemy attacks, hitting them from afar withClusterfire,Rapid Fire, orTarget Acquired. Airstrike can be used tokeep you in the air for even longer, thanks to its slight dash upward upon use.
