Outriders Devastator guide: the Devastator class explained

Outriders Devastator guide
(Image credit: Square Enix)
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The Outriders Devastator class is one of the more challenging choices on the introductory character creation screen. 

The healing mechanic that defines the class dictates that you get up close and personal with enemies to leech their health when they die. Players must be prepared to get aggressive as a result, and this makes playing as a Devastator tricky but rewarding. You can’t hang back and expect to succeed — you need to be right in the middle of the action. 

In this guide, we’re going to explain the Devastator class in Outriders and offer some tips to help you get the most out of the class.

Outriders Devastator class explained

Outriders Devastator guide

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Given that the game is a co-op shooter, all of the classes in Outriders have been designed to complement one another. With regards to the Devastator, it’s best to think of them as the game’s Tank class. They’re there to soak up the damage in combat, using it to heal themselves so other players can set up their skills. Their high pain threshold makes them great in a team, but the sheer survivability means they’re very capable in solo play too.

The Devastator’s abilities are all centered around protecting the player or interrupting enemies and dealing damage. Higher-level foes will often stop what they’re doing and summon an attack, whether that’s a fiery tornado or a lightning storm, and the Devastator is well equipped to deny those skills. This is of particular importance later in the game, as you encounter enemies that can heal themselves or others, negating all of your hard-fought damage. 

For example, you may want to use a protective skill like Golem that surrounds the player in rocks first to resist incoming damage. Once you’re tanky, you can then use a skill like Gravity Leap to jump in the air and slam down on a skill-charging enemy to stop them. Executing this type of bread-and-butter combo will keep you flush with health and allow your teammates the breathing room to win a fight.

Outriders Devastator class tips

Outriders Devastator guide

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Devastator is focused on close-range, so you’ll want to upgrade shotguns but pair them with a weapon with a higher fire rate so you don’t constantly run out of ammo.

With regards to your class points, the Warden tree in particular feels very authentic when you consider the Devastator’s abilities. This tree will improve your health and armor as you progress through it, and abilities like Stone Circle and Heirloom Armor will extend and buff the range in which you can gain health from killing enemies. Another late-game skill to focus on would be Unbroken Vow, which gives the player a second chance if they take damage that would kill them, refreshing every 180 seconds. 

With these abilities it would take something quite special to make you run from a battle — it actually flips the scale so that you benefit more from being in the thick of it. The extra survivability means you’ll be able to stay there while your teammates recover. Use these tips to your advantage and you’ll be an unstoppable force in Outriders.

Jordan Oloman

Jordan Oloman is a journalist and documentarian with experience across the pop culture/tech spectrum writing reported features, reviews. news, guides, op-eds and more for a wide variety of outlets. He is also an affiliate streamer on Twitch and have previous experience in scriptwriting, podcasting, game consultation and creating video content.

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