Deep Rock Galactic Rogue Core is the long-awaited sequel to one of the best co-op shooters of the modern era. While the gameplay loop, aesthetics, and mechanics of Rogue Core are similar to the original game, the developers have implemented a number of changes to make it a different and more challenging experience. 

So, whether you’re a veteran of Deep Rock Galactic or a fresh player, chances are that you might need some help in the early going of Rogue Core. Fortunately, to help you survive as a dwarf against alien hordes, we have come up with eight beginner tips that aim to get you through the first few hours of the game and set you up for countless runs in the future. 

Go With The Guardian Class First 

In the early access build of Deep Rock Galactic Rogue Core, there are five available classes to choose from. Each of these classes feature their own pros and cons, but the Guardian class is the one you want to start out with. 

Guardian is a tanky class with a terrific AoE ability that’s perfect for learning the basics in Rogue Core. The class makes it harder to die and can also sustain longer runs when playing in a team, thanks to its armor-restoring ability. Once you understand the basics of the Guardian class, you can move on to other classes in Rogue Core that call for a higher skill ceiling. 

Never Pass Up A Chance To Upgrade

One of the new elements in Rogue Core is the ability to upgrade your character during the middle of a run. While it seems obvious that you’ll want to interact with a Workbench or mine some Expenite, it can sometimes be difficult to prioritize them when you’re fighting the clock. 

To avoid that scenario, you want to take care of any upgrade-related matters prior to engaging with enemies in a new wave. Even when you’re deep into runs, you still want to mine Expenite and keep finding Workbenches and Toolboxes, as these can save your life when the enemies start to hit harder and harder in later waves. 

Value Your Ammunition

Your loadout in Rogue Core is extremely important, as you usually want weapons that behave differently so you can use each to its fullest potential. However, your weapons don’t matter whatsoever if you can’t keep them stocked with ammo. There are Ammo Crates throughout the different maps, but you can only interact with a limited number of them during a run. 

To get the most out of these crates, you want to wait until your guns are almost out of ammunition. This way, you refill both of your ammo caches and get the most out of your existing ammo. Of course, if you’re extremely low on armor or need ammo for a specific gun, use a crate if necessary, but more often than not, you want to save your restock until it’s most beneficial. 

Target Enemy Weak Spots 

One thing you’ll notice right away in Rogue Core is that enemies can hit extremely hard. This can make solo play much more challenging compared to the original Deep Rock Galactic and adds a new layer of strategy to co-op runs. While enemies will always hit hard, you can eliminate them much faster if you target their weak spots. 

There are certain weapons you can loot during runs that specifically target an enemy’s weak spot, and these weapons should be prioritized over most others you’ll find. When you’re just shooting an enemy without weak spot damage, you’ll notice that it takes much longer to kill them, which leads to more deaths. 

Don’t Skip The Side Content

At the start of a run in Rogue Core, your primary objective is to make it as far as possible. However, to aid you in that goal, you can also complete side objectives called “Intel Tasks.”

While these aren’t mandatory to complete, you want to try to finish as many as you can. These reward you with upgrade points that increase your overall level, gaining you access to additional levels, tasks, and more content. 

You Don’t Always Have To Carry Toolboxes

Toolboxes are one of the primary ways to upgrade your character and weapons during a run. You need to find a Workbench and then use the Toolbox locator to find the Toolbox in a random spot on the map. Once you find a Toolbox, you then need to lug it back to the Workbench to secure the upgrade from it. Normally, this involves your character carrying the Toolbox in one hand, which limits your mobility and weapon usage. 

However, if you don’t want to manually transport the Toolbox, there are a couple of different ways to get it out of your hands. The first is simply handing the Toolbox off to Cooper, which is only possible while playing solo. If you’re playing in a team, you can throw the Toolbox from place to place by pressing your fire button with it equipped. You’ll still have to carry the Toolbox to the Workbench eventually, but throwing it around allows you to deal with any enemies or move faster during the process. 

Use Different Kinds Of Weapons 

In your loadout, you can equip two total weapons. Which weapons you equip is totally up to you, and at the start of a run, you won’t have many options, considering you begin with nothing equipped. As you go along, though, you want to try to equip two weapons that behave differently from each other. 

If you manage to find a great long-range weapon early on, then your next weapon should excel at something else, such as dealing serious close-range damage, specializing in a type of elemental damage, etc. Of course, you can also pair weapons that match your class, but having the ability to swap between weapons with different traits is going to be extremely beneficial when dealing with hordes of enemies. 

Abilities Are Always Reliable 

While your weapons will be what you use a majority of the time when fighting enemies, you don’t want to forget about your abilities either. It’s easy to only think about what weapon to use when there are two dozen plus enemies coming at you, but your class’s abilities are often a better way to deal damage or escape a sticky situation.  

Of course, each ability has a cooldown after you use it, so you need to be smart about when to pop them. As long as you understand your class and get some play time in with it, though, you’ll develop a sixth sense about the best situations for each ability. 

Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is available on PC.

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