Outriders: The Best Pyromancer Skills For New Players
Outriders launched at the beginning of April as a masterful hybrid of games we've been falling in love with for years. Produced by Square Enix and developed by People Can Fly, Outriders blends the combat elements and gore of Gears of War with Destiny's looter-shooter style. Players will embark on challenging expeditions to take down elite creatures once they reach the end-game. They can even play cooperatively to re-play completed missions for better loot.
Upon completing the prologue, players have four classes to choose from. The Trickster focuses on close-range combat, the Technomancer is built for long-range flights, the Devastator is designed for brute tank-like strength, and the Pyromancer is meant for mid-range combat and elemental prowess. Harness the power of fire with the Pyromancer class and cause burning damage to all who stand in its way. This guide will focus on how to play the Pyromancer in the early stages of Outriders. We'll go over the ideal skill combinations for new players and how to heal effectively. Getting started with the Pyromancer in Outriders, this guide is here to help.
The Pyromancer's description does not lie. This class is meant for mid-range engagements and should be played as such. The Pyromancer's elemental attacks will reach greater distances than players might think. Use these attacks to keep enemies at bay and hold positions close to the front lines. The Pyromancer should be offering the most support for the Trickster and Devastator as they charge in with a full head of steam.
Pyromancer - Best Skills (For beginners)
We'll focus on the first five skills players unlock and why the below combination is best suited to learning the game. With the right weapons and strategy, the Pyromancer becomes easier to play and understand.
Skill 1: V0lcanic Rounds - Fill your current weapon's magazine with Anomaly-infused bullets that will inflict Burn within a small radius and pierce targets, damaging enemies behind them. The skill lasts until you reload or switch weapons.
We're going with Volcanic Rounds as the first skill because the Pyromancer, unlike the Technomancer and Trickster, will focus on gunplay rather than its skills. Don't get us wrong, the Pyromancer is nothing without its skills, but they'll have to be finishing off enemies and holding their own until their abilities recharge. Volcanic Rounds will save players in a pinch when they can't afford to reload when taking down a captain or boss enemy. If using a 100 LMG, instead of reloading, pop Volcanic Rounds and automatically refill on flaming ammo. The piercing damage is way better than the description leads players to believe. Just be sure to expend every bullet. Don't habitually reload after killing one enemy.
Skill 2: Feed the Flames - Pull an enemy toward you, dealing damage, draining Health, and inflicting Ash—17s CD.
While this skill will be expendable as more are unlocked, it's essential when learning to play the Pyromancer and unlocking better and more protective gear. Feed the Flames also heels the Pyromancer, and if they can get a killing blow with it, those healing effects are multiplied by the Pyromancer's passive healing abilities (more on that later)
Skill 3: Thermal Bomb - Select an enemy to Burn, Interrupt and deal damage to. If killed while still afflicted by the skill, the enemy will explode, dealing damage in a large radius—14s CD.
Thermal Bomb is the Pyromancer's best early-game offensive skill. Not only does it interrupt, but the explosion caused upon killing an enemy affected by it is devastating. Thermal Bomb will INTERUPT enemies in the middle of casting their skills. Players should always have at least one skill equipped to interrupt. It's crucial when taking down captains and elites.
Use this skill on one member of a group to kill everyone around them. Keep in mind; players don't have to kill enemies WITH Thermal Bomb to make them explode; they have to kill them while they're burning. When successful, the enemy will levitate off the ground and explode, killing anyone in close vicinity. The Thermal Bomb explosion is a great way to damage elite enemies as well.
Pyromancer: Best Weapon Types
Players should stick to LMGs/ARs and SMGs when playing the Pyromancer in Outriders. It's tempting to use shotguns, especially ones with leeching abilities, but Pyromancers should be keeping distance between them and their enemies. In close combat, the Pyromancer is easily flanked and killed. It's tough to heal when being shot from every direction. Unlike the Trickster, who thrives in these scenarios, the Pyromancer should keep mid-distance and provide support fire for their teammates.
Sniping in Outriders can be stiff at times, so long-range rifles are not ideal, especially for the Pyromancer. A leeching mod on a big-clip LMG paired with Volcanic rounds is a great way to recycle health as a flaming killing machine.
How to Heal Effectively as the Pyromancer
Outrider's healing mechanics are the most unique we've seen in a while. It forces players to use their classes how intended. To heal as the Pyromancer, players must kill enemies while they're burning. It's easy to tell which enemies are on fire by a tiny green status symbol nest to their health bar. Secondarily, the Pyromancer can heal with its Feed the Flames skill and, as mentioned before, double down on the healing if the enemy is already burning.
If the Pyromancer is doing their job and keeping their distance, they should have no problem popping up from cover and tanking a few bullets to ignite and kill enemies. However, the Pyromancer's mortal enemies, as players have come to despise, are sniper enemies. Marksmen are the bane of Outrider's early missions. A skilled Trickster should make these snipers their priority.
After being plagued by server issues during its launch window, Outriders has begun to show some stability. The game is a berth of fresh air in the looter-shooter genre. Combat is smooth, crafting is simple, and looting is streamlined. Players will have a slight learning curve to master as the Pyromancer as they aren't the easiest to play. Once they get the hang of it, they'll be incinerating everything that stands in their way.
Outriders is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Last-Gen