Stealth Archer Build

Discover the ultimate Stealth Archer build for Grounded 2. Learn about essential mutations, weapons like the Bushwacker, and gear sets to maximize critical hits and charged shot damage for safe, powerful combat.

The Stealth Archer build in Grounded 2 focuses on using Charged Shots to amplify damage, targeting enemy Weakpoints, and maintaining stealth. Damage bonuses from stealth critical hits, combined with charged shot enhancements from gear sets and items, create a safe and potent damage output.

Even when stealth isn't viable, this build can still deal significant damage. You retain your Charged Shot modifiers and the ability to hit weak points, making the build effective in various situations.

Mutations:

• Sharpshooter: Boosts critical hit chance with charged bow shots by 5/10/15% based on mutation tier. The final tier also increases Perfectly charged bow shot damage by 10%.
• Ambush: Primarily sought for its gear perk, which grants critical hits against unaware enemies. Other perks are suited for dagger builds.
• Trapper PEEP.R: Available if you collect 25 gold cards by peeping creatures. This mutation grants a 20% increase to critical hit damage. It can be taken as a third active mutation via Milk Molar upgrades.

The core strategy is to enhance your charged shots for better critical hit chance and increase the damage of Perfect draw charged hits. This build aims to significantly boost your base damage and make your critical hits even more devastating. The Ambush mutation aids in landing critical hits while stealthed, ensuring your Sharpshooter critical damage bonus is applied. A weakspot Charged shot hit that is guaranteed to crit results in a powerful burst of damage.

Trapper is a valuable third mutation for players who can unlock it through extensive peeping. It provides a 20% bonus critical damage from its tier 1 effect. This is a desirable end-game bonus and not essential for early progression.

Weapons:

For weapons, you'll generally use what's available. In Tier 2, craft a Weaver bow, but use the basic tier 1 bow initially. Upon reaching Pine Hill, you can find a unique bow called the Bushwacker. This bow features a special perk called Cheap Shot, which increases your damage by 15% on the first hit against a target. This synergizes well with stealth critical hits, charged shots, and weak spot damage modifiers.

To acquire the Bushwacker, navigate to the right side of the Frisby in the southwest of the Pine Hill area. You will need your Ant Buggy.

1. Locate the branch east of the Frisby, visible on the map. Head there.
2. Crawl through the dead root, then ascend the branch and turn left into the bushes.
3. Continue along the branches to the left until you spot a butterfly, then turn left again and follow the branch outward and back into the hedge to the north.
4. From the hedge branches, proceed towards a visible web with Raw Science along it.
5. Cross the web bridge into a new, secluded area.
6. Follow the branches upwards. You should see a yellow leaf in the upper area. The Bushwacker chest is located on this yellow leaf.
7. Follow the branches back out, avoiding Orb Weavers, and descend onto the yellow leaf to loot the chest.
8. With the bow obtained, follow the branches back out and escape through the same path used in step 2.

Regarding arrows, your choice depends on the enemy:

• Feather Arrows: These are the best for critical hit modifiers and should be your default choice to maintain synergy with other build components.
• Elemental Arrows: You can convert some Feather Arrows into elemental damage types, which is useful against enemies with specific weaknesses. These are ideal when:
  • There is no weak point to hit.
  • You are guaranteed a critical hit from the Ambush effect, allowing you to use a weakness arrow for increased damage.

Otherwise, Feather Arrows are generally preferred for their critical hit modifier.

Gear:

For early game, the Grub Set armor and the Thrifty Needle trinket are essential.

In Tier 2, the Bee armor set, obtained by farming bees, is crucial. It provides better Perfect Charged Shot windows for precise weak spot aiming and grants the Apex Pollinator perk, which applies a slowing effect to targets hit by a Perfect Charged Shot.

Currently, there is no Tier 3 archer armor available. As more sets and creatures are added to the game, the build will likely see further expansion.