Deathloop
Deathloop

Character Progression & Upgrades — Deathloop Guide

Build a better Colt in Deathloop by strategizing your character progression and which Residium to keep each loop for permanent upgrades.

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Character Progression & Upgrades

Mastering the loop in Deathloop isn't just about understanding the Visionaries' routines; it's also about building a powerful Colt through strategic character progression and upgrades. Unlike traditional RPGs, your progression is tied to the loop itself, meaning you'll need to make smart choices about what to keep and what to discard.

The Core of Progression: Residuum

Residuum is the lifeblood of your permanent progression. This glowing, ethereal substance allows you to infuse items, making them persist across loops. Without infusion, any weapons, Trinkets, or Slabs you acquire will be lost when the day resets.

  • Acquiring Residuum:
    • Harvesting Glowing Objects: Look for shimmering objects throughout Blackreef. These can be anything from discarded electronics to unique environmental elements. Interacting with them will grant you a small amount of Residuum.
    • Defeating Visionaries: Each Visionary you eliminate drops a significant amount of Residuum. This is often the most efficient way to gather large quantities.
    • Sacrificing Infused Items: If you have an item infused that you no longer need, you can sacrifice it from your loadout screen to reclaim a portion of its Residuum cost. This is crucial for reallocating resources.
  • Infusing Items:
    • At the end of each time period (Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening), you'll return to the tunnels. Here, you can access your loadout and choose which items to infuse.
    • Each item has a Residuum cost for infusion. Rarer items (exemplar and unique weapons, higher-tier Trinkets, Slabs) cost more.
    • Prioritize infusing Slabs first, then your preferred weapons, and finally essential Trinkets.

Slabs: The Foundation of Your Arsenal

Slabs are your supernatural abilities, granting Colt powerful advantages in combat and traversal. There are five unique Slabs, each dropped by a specific Visionary. You can only equip two Slabs at a time, so choose wisely based on your playstyle and the challenges ahead.

  • Acquiring Slabs:
    • Nexus (Harriet Morse): Found in Karl's Bay (Morning, Noon, Afternoon). Harriet is typically found in Hangar 2.
    • Shift (Charlie Montague): Found in Updaam (Noon) at the Condition Detachment game, or in Karl's Bay (Evening) at the party.
    • Aether (Egor Serling): Found in The Complex (Evening) at his research station, or in Updaam (Night) at the party.
    • Havoc (Fia Zborowska): Found in Fristad Rock (Noon) in her bunker, or in Karl's Bay (Evening) at the party.
    • Karnesis (Julianna Blake): Julianna invades your game randomly. Defeating her will drop the Karnesis Slab. She can also drop Slabs you already possess, which will instead give you a Slab Upgrade.
  • Slab Upgrades:
    • Once you've acquired a Slab, defeating the Visionary who drops it again (or Julianna if she drops a Slab you already have) will grant you a Slab Upgrade.
    • Each Slab has four unique upgrades that significantly enhance its abilities. For example, the Shift Slab's "Reach" upgrade increases its range, while "Swapper" allows you to switch places with an enemy.
    • These upgrades are also infused with Residuum and persist across loops. Collecting all upgrades for a Slab makes it incredibly potent.

Trinkets: Passive Enhancements

Trinkets are passive buffs that can be applied to Colt or his weapons. You can equip up to four character Trinkets and up to three weapon Trinkets per weapon. They come in various rarities, with higher rarity Trinkets offering stronger effects.

  • Character Trinkets: These affect Colt directly, providing benefits like increased health (e.g., Sprinter), faster movement (e.g., Swift Stitch), or damage resistance (e.g., Hardy).
  • Weapon Trinkets: These enhance your weapons, improving accuracy (e.g., Sure Shot), reload speed (e.g., Speed Loader), or damage output (e.g., Mind Leech).
  • Finding Trinkets:
    • Trinkets are found throughout Blackreef in various locations: on enemies, in containers, as rewards for completing certain objectives, or sometimes just lying around.
    • Higher-tier Trinkets are often found in more challenging areas or dropped by Visionaries.
  • Strategic Infusion: Prioritize infusing Trinkets that complement your chosen Slabs and weapons, and those that address your weaknesses. For example, if you prefer close-quarters combat, a health-boosting Trinket like Hardy is invaluable.

Weapons: Your Tools of Destruction

While weapons are temporary unless infused, understanding their types and rarities is key to effective progression. There are three main rarity tiers for weapons: Crude, Exemplar, and Unique.

  • Crude Weapons: These are common, basic firearms found on most Eternalists. They are generally not worth infusing unless you're desperate.
  • Exemplar Weapons: These are higher-quality versions of standard weapons, often with improved stats or a pre-attached weapon Trinket. They are worth considering for infusion if they fit your playstyle.
  • Unique Weapons: These are distinct, named weapons with special properties and often come with pre-attached, powerful weapon Trinkets. They are usually acquired by defeating Visionaries or completing specific side quests. Examples include the Strelak Verso (dropped by Fia) or the Sepulchra Breteira (found in Updaam).
  • Weapon Trinkets: Remember to equip and infuse weapon Trinkets to further customize your firearms. A well-trinketed weapon can turn the tide of a fight.

By consistently gathering Residuum, strategically infusing Slabs, Trinkets, and your favorite weapons, and hunting down those valuable Slab Upgrades, you'll transform Colt from a stranded amnesiac into a true master of the loop, ready to break free from Blackreef.