Itemization is at the core of Risk of Rain 2's gameplay. The gear players get during their runs determine their power, and those who want to successfully end a run will want to get the best items possible whenever they can. Common white items may not seem like much, but they serve as the backbones of any build, capable of providing players with the stat boosts necessary to win games.
While the best red items in Risk of Rain 2 will surely give any player a major power spike, the following common items shouldn't be dismissed so easily, as they can be just as strong in the right hands. Here are seven of the best white items in the game that players should keep an eye out for.
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8 Crowbar
Excellent Damage Item For The Early Stages
- Deal 75% (+75% per stack) bonus damage to enemies above 90% health.
The Crowbar works exceptionally well with all classes in the early stages of the game. It lets players one-shot many small enemies, which is especially good for dealing with swarms of Wisps. Some ROR 2 characters like False Son can make better use of this item thanks to their high ability multipliers, but even Commando or Acrid can get a ton of value from a single Crowbar, at least in the beginning.
As far as Crowbar stacking is concerned, it's only really recommended for hard-hitting survivors. The Railgunner is the best example of this — stack a few Crowbars, and even bosses past the 30-minute mark will get obliterated with one critical hit.
7 Armor Piercing Rounds
For Big Game Hunting
- Deal 20% (+20% per stack) extra damage to bosses.
Speaking of bosses, Armor Piercing rounds is the best items players can get if they want to take them down more quickly. A 20% damage boost is nothing to scoff at, and if players get multiple copies of this item, they'll be able to melt any and all bosses that appear before them.
Despite that, stacking Armor Piercing Rounds generally isn't recommended unless it's for a Railgunner build. This item doesn't affect regular enemies or elites, which means players will have a much better time overall if they commit their resources to other damage-boosting items.
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6 Energy Drink/Paul's Goat Hoof
For Players Who Want To Go Faster
- Paul's Goat Hoof: Increases your movement speed by 14% per stack.
- Energy Drink: Increases your sprint speed by 25% per stack.
There's a bit of debate in the community about which one of these items is better. Both are great for speeding players up, so there's no reason to get at least one of each when possible. Paul's Goat Hoof is better in general combat as it lets players strafe circles around enemies more quickly, while Energy Drink is better at general traversal, as the sprint speed boost is significant.
When it comes to stacking either of these items, it boils down to pure player preference. One can't go wrong with having either of these in their inventory, but as long as offensive and defensive items aren't forsaken, players are free to get as many of these as they want.
5 Power Elixir
A Literal Life Saver
- When reaching 25% health or below, instantly heal back up to 75% max health. Consumed upon use. Stacks grant additional uses.
The Power Elixir is one of the best items players can get if they don't want to get instantly killed by bosses like Mithrix in ROR 2. If the player's health reaches or dips below 25%, this item is automatically used, restoring the user to 75% health. It's a simple and straightforward item, and it's best used for those who really want to push their limits.
It's important to note that Risk of Rain 2 has a one-shot protection mechanic that prevents players from losing over 90% of their health from a single instance of damage. This gives Power Elixir ample opportunity to trigger in most situations that would've otherwise sent players back to the character selection screen. However, some exceptions bypass this, such as an exploding Fuel Array or certain Void monster attacks.
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4 Delicate Watch
For True Glass Cannons
- Grants 20% bonus damage per stack. Breaks when health falls below 25%.
This item goes hand-in-hand with Power Elixir. It offers a straight-up damage buff to all damage players deal. However, it breaks when its user falls below 25% health. This might seem like a risky item, but if players can get a Power Elixir from chests or via the Artifact of Command in ROR 2, then stacking Delicate Watches will be worth it.
Unless the run goes very poorly early on, players don't need to worry about Delicate Watches breaking. Enemies in the early game typically don't have the ability to one-shot players, while those in the later stages do. Players won't worry about their Delicate Watches breaking 70 minutes into a run, as they'll likely break along with them.
3 Tougher Times
Swats Away Incoming Damage
- Grants a 15% chance to completely block incoming damage per stack.
The teddy bear of salvation is one of the best defensive items in the game, especially for characters like Chef in Risk of Rain 2, who tend to be in the thick of things while fighting. A 15% chance of absorbing damage may not seem like much, but when it triggers, players will be grateful for it.
Tougher Times stacks hyperbolically, which means the block chance increase granted by each stack diminishes as players get more copies of the item. The teddy bear(s) will never give players a 100% block chance, no matter how many of them are stacked.
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2 Soldier's Syringe
More Attack Speed = More DPS
- Gain 15% increased attack speed per stack.
This is another simple yet effective item that is consistently useful at all stages with all characters in Risk of Rain 2. While some survivors like Loader and Acrid don't particularly need attack speed to be effective, Soldier's Syringe is still good to have.
Attack speed works differently on some characters. For Bandit, extra Soldier's Syringes will improve the reload time on his Primary Skill. As for Railgunner, getting bonus attack speed will make the sweet spot on her Secondary Skill's reload larger, allowing for faster reloads.
1 Lens-maker's Glasses
Critical Hits For Everybody
- Attacks have a 10% chance (+10% per stack) to critically hit.
Out of all the white damage items in the game, this one is arguably the best. Lens-maker's Glasses is useful for everyone on the roster (except maybe for Acrid), and it outright doubles the damage dealt by the user's direct attacks when it triggers. Additionally, critical hits are not affected by proc coefficients in ROR 2, which means once players get 10 copies of this item, their attacks will always critically hit.
This item is great in all stages of the game, especially once players get the Laser Scope Legendary item, which doubles the damage dealt by critical hits. The reason why it isn't as good on Acrid is because most of that survivor's damage is dealt over time, and DoT effects cannot critically hit.
Risk of Rain 2
- Released
- September 11, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hopoo Games
- Publisher(s)
- Gearbox Publishing
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Risk of Rain
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Roguelike
