This guide focuses on the Best Demolition Expert Build in Starfield, with skills, armor, and weapons to create a powerful character.
The Best Demolition Expert Build in Starfield
The demolition expert build is a powerful and versatile build that focuses on using explosives to destroy enemies and obstacles. This build is perfect for players who want to blow things up and cause maximum damage. With this build, you will be using heavy weapons, explosives, and throwables like grenades for huge area damage. The build skill setup is very simple and focused on the Combat and Science skill trees. This will allow you to split into two trees and unlock powerful crafting later on in Starfield.
| Demolition Expert Build Pros | Demolition Expert Build Cons |
|---|---|
| Simple Skill Setup | Weapon Dependent |
| Massive Area Damage | Skill Point Heavy |
| Great Survivability | Combat Focused |
Best Demolition Expert Build Features & Mechanics
The following list presents all the essential Demolition Expert Build Mechanics and Features in Starfield:
- Damage: Explosive Ballistic
- Range: 20 meters
- Primary Weapon: Negotiator
- Best Skill: Demolitions
- Best Power: Parallel Self
- Mechanic: Grenade Throwing Arc
- Throwable: Frag Grenade
- Aid: Infantry Alpha
The Demolition Expert is your area-based damage dealer with high-yield explosives. The build focuses on 40MM Grenade weapons, Jet Packing for mobility, and armor with high resistance to complete your missions. You will use a combination of close to medium-range weapons with an emphasis on combat through explosions. This build will focus heavily on the Combat skill tree with a plethora of weapon choices.
Background
The best background for a Demolish Expert in Starfield is Solider because you get three important skills relevant for combat-related build: Fitness, Ballistics, and Boost Pack Training. Here are the three skills the Soldier Background unlocks in Starfield:
- Ballistics: Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.
- Boost Pack Training: You can now utilize boost packs.
- Fitness: You have 10% more oxygen available.
These skills are given to you at level 1, and progress by using the skill or some other function. Fitness levels up by using up all of your Oxygen 20 times. Ballistics levels by killing enemies with Ballistic Weapons. Boost Pack levels by using the boost pack in combat. You should be using Ballistic Weapons and Boost Packing while in combat. You can tell if a weapon is Ballistic by the icon on the top right corner. You will then quickly advance and focus on the Combat skill tree which we will outline for you below in the skills section.
Traits
The best trait for a Demolition Expert build in Starfield is Wanted. When your health is low, this trait gives you a damage buff, but mercenaries will randomly show up and try to kill you. This trait has big pros and cons. You may get a random group of mercenaries when you least want it, but it will also give you a massive damage buff when you need it. There’s a risk-reward, and you can easily not take a trait if you don’t want the hassle. Terra Firma and Taskmaster are also good for this build.
Keep in mind that traits are optional customization options in Character Creation. Players can select up to three attributes from a wide list of traits to further shape their protagonists. It’s advised to limit or not select traits if it’s your first playthrough, but Wanted is our suggestion for the Best Starfield Demolition Expert Build Guide.
Skills
The best skill for the Demolitions Exper is Demolition because it increases damage done with explosives and also provides damage reduction as well. Here are a list of the best and recommended skills for the Demolition Expert Build in Starfield:
- Demolitions
- Heavy Weapon Certification
- Spacesuit Design
- Weapon Engineering
- Shotgun Certification
- Medicine
- Astrodynamics
- Persuasion
- Shield Systems
- Boost Pack Training
Starfield skill system includes multiple skills spread between 5 categories of skills: Social, Tech, Physical, Science, and Combat. Skills from every category will upgrade, customize, and enhance your Starfield character playstyle. Each skill unlock requires one skill point and then a condition in order to advance the skill ranks. Each rank requires another skill point, and each level of advancement requires four points in order to advance to another level.
For the Demolition Expert, you want to stick with primarily Combat-based skills. The Science skill tree is vital to crafting later in the game. You will need a few points in level one to progress this in order to get important crafting skills. Start the game early with one skill in each tree so you can progress and then unlock additional levels.
Related:
Level Progression
At level one, you receive three free skills from your background selection. For this build, we recommend Soldier, which unlocks Boost Pack Training, Fitness, and Ballistic Weapons. Use the character creator and select any optional traits. Keep in mind that this is a template, and depending on your playstyle, you may not unlock additional ranks at the same level.
Here is a list of your level progression for a Demolition Expert Build in Starfield:
- Level 1: Ballistics, Boost Pack Training, and Fitness
- Level 2: Shotgun Certification
- Level 3: Medicine
- Level 4: Persuasion
- Level 5: Astrodynamics
- Level 6: Security
- Level 7: Ballistics Rank 2
- Level 8: Shotgun Certification Rank 2
- Level 9: Demolitions
- Level 10: Heavy Weapon Certification
- Level 11: Medicine Rank 2
- Level 12: Astrodynamics Rank 2
- Level 13: Weapon Engineering
- Level 14: Spacesuit Design
- Level 15: Demolitions Rank 2
- Level 16: Heavy Weapon Certification Rank 2
- Level 17: Marksmanship
- Level 18: Shotgun Certification Rank 3
- Level 19: Armor Penetration
- Level 20: Weapon Engineering Rank 2
- Level 21: Spacesuit Design Rank 2
- Level 22: Demolitions Rank 3
- Level 23: Heavy Weapon Certification Rank 3
- Level 24: Boost Pack Training Rank 2
- Level 25: Weapon Engineering Rank 3
- Level 26: Spacesuit Design Rank 3
- Level 27: Boost Pack Training Rank 3
- Level 28: Shield Systems
- Level 29: Demolitions Rank 4
- Level 30: Heavy Weapon Certification Rank 4
It’s advised that you try to rank up skills by completing their requirements. For example, Boost Pack Training, simply hit Boost Pack constantly while in combat to level it up very easily. Leave one enemy alive, continually boost the pack as you have fuel, and you can complete the progression in one encounter.
Best Weapons for Demolition Expert Build
The best weapon for Demolition Expert Build is a Negotiator Heavy weapon with 40mm grenades combines the best explosive damage and skill-based perks to boost demolition damage. This weapon’s strength is it does both great single-target and area damage has decent range and is extremely fun to use. Expect this weapon to come later in the game with an earlier option Bridger, which also has 40mm grenade ammunition.
The secondary weapon option is the AA-99 Rifle because you can change the magazine and battery to explosive rounds. This weapon can be used at range and modified for easier-to-obtain animation and it’s easier to obtain this weapon earlier in the game. Your priority is to find or mod both the weapon magazine and battery to Hornet Nest or Explosive Round ammunition. This will give you a massive damage boost with huge explosions.
Weapons can have up to 8 modifications depending on the type. Each mod requires materials or resources along with the Weapon Engineering skill from the Science skill tree. You will also have to research mod upgrades via a research station and this can take some time to unlock the gun and weapons full potential.
Weapons come in four qualities, white, blue, purple, and legendary yellow. If a weapon is blue or great in rarity, it comes with a perk or a trait. These add additional effects in addition to modifications. An example of a perk is Hitman: +15% damage while aiming. Most of these are randomly given with the exception of quest-related items that come standard. It will be unlikely that you get all three recommended perks or traits on a given weapon, but we will list a few below. It’s also a good idea to save modifying weapons at blue or greater quality. This way, you don’t waste material on a non-perk weapon that is limited in overall power.
Primary Weapon
The following table lists the best mods for Negotiator Heavy weapons:
| Negotiator Weapon Slot | Mod |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Stabilizing |
| Laser | Recon Laser Sight |
| Optic | Reflex Sight |
| Grip & Stock | Stabilizing Stock |
| Magazine and Battery | Hornet Nest |
| Internal | High Powered |
| Skin | – |
Here are the best weapon traits and perks for the Negotiator Heavy weapon in Starfield:
- Handloading: Volatile rounds that are designed to pack a bigger punch but aren’t as stable and can fail on occasion.
- Rapid: +25% increase in attack speed.
- Shattering: Breakthrough even the strongest armor.
Look to get Stabilizing barrel modification straight away and work towards progressing your crafting. The most important mod to add damage is Hornet Nest which makes the ammunition like a cluster bomb doing massive damage. Secondly, look to upgrade your internal mod to High Powered for even more damage.
Secondary Weapon
The following table lists the best mods for AA-99 Rifle weapon:
| AA-99 Weapon Slot | Mod |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Long Barrel |
| Laser | Recon Laser Sight |
| Optic | Recon Scope |
| Muzzle | Muzzle Brake |
| Grip & Stock | Stabilizing Stock |
| Magazine and Battery | Explosive Rounds |
| Internal | High Powered |
| Receiver | Semi-Automatic |
| Skin | – |
Here are the best weapon traits and perks for the AA-99 Rifle weapon in Starfield:
- Corrosive: Randomly deals corrosive damage and reduces the targets’ armor over 6 seconds
- Furious: Each consecutive hit deals more damage
- Incendiary: Randomly deals incendiary damage
This weapon is fully customizable. The above changes the weapon to a semi-automatic used with explosive rounds. You can adjust and increase the range and make it better for medium to long-range fights. The key is explosive rounds in the magazine and a long barrel to help with range.
Best Armor for Demolition Expert Build
The best armor for Demolition Expert Build is the Shocktroop spacesuit, power pack, and helmet. The Shocktroop offers the best all-around stat distribution, making it great for combat and exploration against a variety of damage types and environments. It also has a high energy resistance, which is important for protecting yourself from energy weapons.
Armors are available in four distinct qualities: white, blue, purple, and the legendary yellow. If an armor piece holds the rarity of blue or higher, it boasts an accompanying perk or trait. These augmentations introduce supplementary effects alongside any modifications. For instance, the “Beast Hunter” perk reduces damage from Alien enemies by 15%. While most of these enhancements are bestowed randomly, noteworthy exceptions include quest-related items that possess standardized attributes. Optimal resource utilization suggests reserving modifications for blue or higher quality armors, preventing the squandering of materials on non-perk gear that ultimately holds limited potency.
Spacesuit
Here is a list of the best Spacesuit armor mods for the Demolition Expert Build in Starfield:
| Spacesuit Slot | Mod |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | EM Shielding |
| Slot 2 | Explosive Shielding |
| Slot 3 | Heavy Shielding |
| Slot 4 | Pocketed |
| Skin | – |
Pack
Here is a list of the best Pack armor mods for the Demolition Expert Build in Starfield:
| Pack Slot | Mod |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | Hazard Protection |
| Slot 2 | Emergency Aid |
| Boost Pack | Power Boostpack |
| Skin | – |
Helmet
Here is a list of the best Helmet armor mods for the Demolition Expert Build in Starfield:
| Helmet Slot | Mod |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | Ballistic Shielding |
| Slot 2 | Explosive Resistance |
| Slot 3 | Heavy Shielding |
| Slot 4 | Gravitic Composites |
| Skin | – |
Each of these armor pieces can come with additional perks or traits if they are blue quality or higher. Here are the recommended armor perks and treats for a Demolition Expert build in Starfield:
- Bolstering: Grants up to +100 Energy resistance and Physical resistance, the lower your health.
- Combat Veteran: -15% damage from Human enemies
- Liquid Cooled: +25 Thermal Resistance
Best Companion
The best companion for the Demolition Expert Build is Vasco because the robot has access to three high-powered Starship skills that the Soldier background lacks. Here’s a list of Vasco skills:
- EM Weapon Systems: EM ship weapons have 10% increased damage and cost 15% less to use in Targeting Mode.
- Shield Systems: Your ship has 40% increased shield capacity.
- Aneutronic Fusion: Ship reactors produce 1 extra unit of power.
Best Aid
The best aid for a Demolition Expert build are Squall, Heart+, and Amp. The either increase your damage, reduce damage taken, and or increase movement speed. All of which are relevant on the battlefield for a combat-focused build. Here is a list of the best Aid items for a Demolition Expert in Starfield:
- Infantry Alpha: +25% ranged damage and weapon accuracy for 2m.
- Heart+: +20% health for 2m, +200 damage resistance for 2m.
- Squall: +20% damage for 2m, 20% movement speed for 2m.
Best Powers
The best Starborn power for Demolition Expert Build is Parallel Self because it creates an identical copy of you including all of your weapons, firepower, and throwable grenades. You can expect insane damage and a decoy or distraction with another you running around firing off a grenade launcher. The Reactive Shield and Anti-Gravity Starborn powers are also great selections.
Starborn Powers are earned through the main story campaign. You will encounter artifacts early on and acquire more of them as you progress. Using Vlad, located in the eye, and the Constellation group, located at the Lodge, to find more. Spend time finding and exploring Temples to progress this power.
Demolition Expert Build Summary Guide
Background – Soldier
Traits – Wanted
Weapon – Negotiator Heavy
Secondary Weapon – AA-99
Armor – Shocktroop
Aid – Fragmentation Grenade
Companion – Sam Coe
- Demolitions
- Heavy Weapon Certification
- Spacesuit Design
- Weapon Engineering
- Shotgun Certification
- Medicine
- Astrodynamics
- Persuasion
- Shield Systems
- Boost Pack Training
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