Nova Drift – Salvo Build Guide (Going Deep in Annihilation)

This build helps you getting to wave 400+.

Guide to Salvo Build

All credit goes to Xpym!

Introduction

A common reaction to the Enemies 2.0 update is to call it unfairly difficult. I disagree. If you don’t mind making use of the strongest tools the game offers, you can get in position to deal with anything it throws at you, which makes for a fun challenge. Then, dying is almost always the result of your mistakes, which is the best compliment you can make to a roguelike.

Almost everything this build makes use of had been nerfed at one point or another. Turns out, it’s still possible to assemble a more than competitive powerhouse. Kudos to Jeffrey for not nerfing stuff into oblivion.

Without Further Ado, The Build

• Body: Engineer
• Shield: Amp
• Weapon: Salvo

Core mods to prioritise early

• Ataraxia (for exp gain)
• Magnitude tree
• Targeting tree without Homing Strike
• Rapid Fire tree
• Velocity, Snipe
• Blast Radius, Concentrated Blast
• Grandeur (5-6 total, with eventual Explosive Growth ideally)

Rest of the core mods

• Bravado
• Propulsive Munitions
• Ally Specialist
• Revelation + Rampage
• Mastery
• Improved Thrusters tree without Streamline, Warp Strike
• Kinetic Boost tree without Celestial Lance
• Flash Shielding, Shield Cooldown, Tempest Break
• Hull Strength tree
• Skirmish tree without Blitz
• Ally tree without Evasion
• Interceptor tree without Outmaneuver
• Priority Zero tree

Optional and luxury mods

• Antimatter Rounds
• Rancor
• Streamline, Leaf on the Wind
• Blitz
• Elegant Construction
• Efficiency
• Volatile Shields
• Adaptive Armor tree
• Stabilization tree, Apotheosis, Displacement
• Quantum Decoherence
• Defiance
• Discord
• Double tap

Explanation for Some Mod Choices

1. Emergency Systems

The inconspicuous centerpiece of this build, and the biggest change from Wingman builds of old. In 2.0, the worst threats all do high quick burst damage, these delightful fellows in particular:

Almost a second of invulnerability on having our shield broken gives invaluable opportunity to avoid many otherwise certain deaths.

2. Tempest Break

Given 1, we want our shield to have the shortest cooldown possible. Other perks are welcome too.

3. No Apex Machinery

Emergency Systems don’t work with Shielded Constructs. We don’t need it anyways, our Allies are strong enough as is.

4. No Overseer

Nowadays it only gives +1 to advanced constructs, so not much point in giving up our weapons for another Ally, and considering 3, we’d have to take a filler mod too. In general, two Allies clear out small fry by themselves just fine, so keeping our weapons means we can stockpile rockets to deal with bosses or other particularly troublesome waves.

Miscellaneous Tips

As usual, for improved consistency you can take Research first to banish useless mods.

Always try to be moving around in the central part of the battlefield to have time to react to dangers from any side, but having taken Warp Strike don’t be afraid to screenwrap to avoid being close to various nasties.

In general, avoiding dangers is by far the top priority, especially while the shield is broken. Shoot once you get in a safe-ish position.