Tristan is in a strange position among the cast of Steamworld Heist 2. Where most characters have a defined role encouraged by their first unique skill and strengthened by their second, Tristan instead gets two upgrades for doing completely different things. This makes him a challenge to build, even wielding the strongest skill in the game.

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Under ideal circumstances, this ambitious bot will deal double the damage of most other characters, letting them melt through swarms of reinforcements and speedrun tanky bossfights. The price he pays for this is not having a singular job that obviously fits his playstyle. Here's how to make him work.

Early To Midgame Build for Tristan

Tristan's first personal upgrade is Always Prepared. It reduces healing items to free actions and gives a small amount of healing to Tristan whenever he mends an ally.

This gives two broad roles Tristan can fill:

Role

Description

Job Options

Backline Healer

Keeping him safe at the back and having people come to him for healing.

Boomer does this well and builds into where he wants to be at the end of the game. It gives him an extra utility slot that can carry some healing items and keeps him out of danger. A grenade launcher that can fire over walls and around corners is good for keeping him safe, while close enough to the action that people can run to him for healing.

Frontline Medic

Making him mobile, running around the midst of combat and helping other bots on the front lines.

Engineer is the role that typically carries your healing items. Their wide aura can use healing at greater distances. The ability to create cover as a free action also allows for moving into exposed positions to provide healing and then crouching behind the holographic cube.

Flanker is a more aggressive choice. The free action heal allows Tristan to run into an exposed position, heal somebody and then run back into cover. Throwing in the flanker's plentiful movement increases and the payroll ability to refund move actions lets Tristan serve as a mobile scout that can prioritise support if it's dangerous to get closer.

Endgame Build For Tristan

Tristan's second upgrade is Believe it, and is one of the strongest abilities in the game. It removes the turn-ending aspect from all attacks, giving both tremendous flexibility and damage potential.

Firing first and then moving allows Tristan to take dangerous shots with much less risk than other characters. Firing twice allows Tristan to easily double the damage output of any job besides sniper and brawler.

The two best jobs to make use of Tristan's second upgrade are the Boomer and Flanker:

Job

Playstyle

Notable Skills

Boomer

The Boomer is able to fire at long range with minimal dropoff using rocket weapons, or lob attacks around corners with grenade launchers. These require minimal repositioning.

The Boomer's Loose Cannon capstone doubles all shots taken on the turn, letting Tristan fire four times with most weapons. Landing all these attacks on the same target will do a sizable injury even to the tankier bossfights. With an area weapon it can clear out entire reinforcement waves.

Flanker

Placing Tristan up close to the action allows him to either shoot twice at point blank or shoot once and retreat.

The Flanker is able to reposition using Sidestep, leaving both actions free to act. Penetrator multiples the damage dealt by applying it to more enemies.

If you've maxed out both jobs, Flanker requires fewer side-jobs to work well. Slotting in Loose Cannon with an atomic shotgun quadruples your damage regularly by using its cooldown reduction.

Weapons with recoil, such as Reaper SMGs will struggle when paired with Loose Cannon. The two shots are taken immediately, so you'll often want to aim low on an enemy to not miss with the second attack.

Side Jobs For Tristan

Just about every job has something to offer, and you shouldn't feel obligated to pick all of them. By the time you unlock his second upgrade, you'll likely have at least a couple of the following:

  • The Focus passive from the Sniper benefits Tristan uniquely, as when not moving he gets the damage bonus on both attacks, or can attack with the damage bonus and then run away.
  • The Brawler's Shifty passive allows Tristan to move in between attacks without an action cost, but is a difficult class for him to level because it doesn't offer him much at low levels.
  • The Flanker's Payroll ability allows Tristan to use the refunded action to move, attack and move again, hitting hard while staying unexposed.
  • The Reaper's Harvest ability pairs well with Loose Cannon, doubling the quantity of all extra shots fired.
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