SC solo PoTD pistol build

[TimothyVl]

Hey everyone, I'm dying to try a one-handed pistol build. Please advise me on which classes to take.

 

[TimothyVl]

Sorry, I misspelled the topic title. Single class isn't necessarily a thing.

[Okkes]

Pistol maybe too hard for solo, i tried hand mortar monk/assassin aoe arterial strike and run around with no engagement armor. They ll die chasing you its very fun :). Use invisibility if you re cornered or something to reset the fight.

[Constentin Lévine]

hi, in my concern, build around pistol(s) is always good with multiclassed ranger (Arcane Archer with Thundercrack pistol, or Gunhawk with a mod) combined with Monk (Nalpazca or Helwaler at distance) since Enduring Dance generate wounds and accuracy. If you want to make an one handed pistolero, the modal is a good option : you loose the +35% action speed from dual wielding, but the -50% reload time bonus match well with these weapons (1.1s attack, 5.0 reload time), so without loosing accuracy, since One Handed provide +12acc.

You can also take a look to Ranger - Barbarian (Berserker or Mage Slayer*), really fast and efficient build even if you loose Carnage attack. -* as mage slayer, melee weapon hit produce a significative debuff to caster enemy, and that work with the AoE attack of Frostseeker, so you can use it as second weapon slot to manage casters at distance.

9 pen is not a lot, so Tenacious and other pen buffs can be usefull (Berseker's Frenzy or Monk's Thunderous Blows for example). 

Constitution debuff is also a good way, and this is also an alternative way to "increase" damages done, if you look as percent of total health.

Higher accuracy is also a good way to buff pen, if you crit often. 

Passive acc bonuses from Ranger stack with actives, and Driving Flight & Concussive Tranquiliser are brutals.

If you want to build a versatile pistolero with a spell palette, ranger + chanter or cipher (+ ranger or solo) can be good, also, but not at the caliber of monk or barbarian.  

 

ThundercracK pistol is really good, but Eccea's Arcane Blaster is not a joke, but if you opte for this last weapon and choose Bullet Time enchantment, take care to look the effect from your eyes, this is not listed in the current effect window (only in the character page (at c) ). You are able to prolonge the short duration with Int, and Ooblit if you get it, and Salvation of Time from priest.

 

Edited December 11, 2025 by Constentin Lévine

[PaleElfPsion]

I would suggest Ranger or Ranger + Cipher or ranger + Chanter. Keep in mind that in the PotD, you will need a LOT of accuracy and penetration or reload a lot. 

[Boeroer]

Didn't try this solo, but Scordeo's Trophy on a Bloodmage/Ranger is pretty cool in general imo:

The enchantment "Opening Barrage" reduces recovery universally (also for spells etc.). With Driving Flight and Gunner as well as the Pistol modal "Rushed Reload" you can stack a lot of those recovery bonuses quickly - and with Wall of Draining you can keep all of them going on forever, which leads to very short recovery and reloading times.

You can then spam all sorts of spells with very short recovery time, shoot with little reloading time (there's a cap on reloading time though, at some point it won't get reduced further). Combine with Deleterious Alacrity of Motion and you can not only shoot and cast very quickly but also run very fast and not get engaged (immunity to engagement). Being able to kite enemies is very useful in a solo run.

A Bloodmage can use Healing Hands (the gloves) in combination with Wall of Draining (the Minor Lay on Hands' healing stays forever) and Blood Sacrifice - and thus you don't have to worry about the self damage of Blood Sacrifice and Alacrity too much.

All those Wall of Draining shenanigans in combination with Bloodmage make a solo run more easy anyways.  

There's also the Essential Phantom (summons are always nice for a solo run) which gets an exact copy of all your gear, including the pistol. The phantom stacks Opening Barrage, too - so it shoots faster and faster the longer it stays. However, it neither has Driving Flight nor the Rushed Reload modal and it cannot use Wall of Draining. But it gets the +12 accuracy for single weapon usage, so its accuracy is very good (for a summon).

 

[TimothyVl]

Thank you guys for the reply! Definately will try Bloodmage/Ranger with a one handed pistol

But what about classes such as cipher, fighter, paladin, chanter, monk, ranger? Is it possiple to make a good build with combination of these classes?

[TimothyVl]

and barbarian as well

[Boeroer]

Every class that doesn't rely on Full Attacks can make good use of a single pistol. So Cipher and Chanter are good picks for example. Monk doesn't profit much from pistol and especially not a single one. Fighter, Barbarian and Paladin: same. Babarian's Blood Thirst (no recovery after a kill) doesn't work with reloading weapons.

Edited December 13, 2025 by Boeroer

[TimothyVl]

What about the Rogue class? Are there any good synergies with one pistol?

[Boeroer]

7 hours ago, TimothyVl said:

What about the Rogue class? Are there any good synergies with one pistol?

No, not really. All but one of the Rogue's attack abilities are Full Attacks which are more effective with two weapons instead of one. 

[Kaylon]

Assassin/tactician using Eccea's Arcane Blaster works very well for solo, just as with an arquebus.

[TimothyVl]

On 12/25/2025 at 1:01 PM, Kaylon said:

Assassin/tactician using Eccea's Arcane Blaster works very well for solo, just as with an arquebus.

Kaylon, what is the idea of this build?

Edited December 29, 2025 by TimothyVl

[TimothyVl]

On 12/12/2025 at 9:16 PM, Boeroer said:

Didn't try this solo, but Scordeo's Trophy on a Bloodmage/Ranger is pretty cool in general imo:

The enchantment "Opening Barrage" reduces recovery universally (also for spells etc.). With Driving Flight and Gunner as well as the Pistol modal "Rushed Reload" you can stack a lot of those recovery bonuses quickly - and with Wall of Draining you can keep all of them going on forever, which leads to very short recovery and reloading times.

You can then spam all sorts of spells with very short recovery time, shoot with little reloading time (there's a cap on reloading time though, at some point it won't get reduced further). Combine with Deleterious Alacrity of Motion and you can not only shoot and cast very quickly but also run very fast and not get engaged (immunity to engagement). Being able to kite enemies is very useful in a solo run.

A Bloodmage can use Healing Hands (the gloves) in combination with Wall of Draining (the Minor Lay on Hands' healing stays forever) and Blood Sacrifice - and thus you don't have to worry about the self damage of Blood Sacrifice and Alacrity too much.

All those Wall of Draining shenanigans in combination with Bloodmage make a solo run more easy anyways.  

There's also the Essential Phantom (summons are always nice for a solo run) which gets an exact copy of all your gear, including the pistol. The phantom stacks Opening Barrage, too - so it shoots faster and faster the longer it stays. However, it neither has Driving Flight nor the Rushed Reload modal and it cannot use Wall of Draining. But it gets the +12 accuracy for single weapon usage, so its accuracy is very good (for a summon).

 

Boeroer, why do you suggest bloodmage subclass for this build? Wouldnt it be better to take a wizard without a subclass?

Edited December 29, 2025 by TimothyVl

[Boeroer]

7 hours ago, TimothyVl said:

Boeroer, why do you suggest bloodmage subclass for this build? Wouldnt it be better to take a wizard without a subclass?

Because in terms of game mechanics, Bloodmage is generally the superior subclass over any other (and vanilla).

A non-subclass Wizard has the only advantage that he/she could use Empower and has a little better basic sturdyness. Both is not relevant for this build.

A Bloodmage can replenish spell casts as often as he/she likes (and if there's enough healing). This is relevant for this build since - once there's enough stacks of recovery bonus - you can spam spells a lot faster. Later you want to cast Wall of Draining in combo with a heal over time asap - and also as often as necessary.

Edited December 29, 2025 by Boeroer

[Kaylon]

On 12/29/2025 at 12:50 PM, TimothyVl said:

Kaylon, what is the idea of this build?

 

[TimothyVl]

On 12/29/2025 at 8:28 PM, Boeroer said:

Because in terms of game mechanics, Bloodmage is generally the superior subclass over any other (and vanilla).

A non-subclass Wizard has the only advantage that he/she could use Empower and has a little better basic sturdyness. Both is not relevant for this build.

A Bloodmage can replenish spell casts as often as he/she likes (and if there's enough healing). This is relevant for this build since - once there's enough stacks of recovery bonus - you can spam spells a lot faster. Later you want to cast Wall of Draining in combo with a heal over time asap - and also as often as necessary.

Boeroer. Now playind devoted/bloodmage. The build is insane

I decided to take devoted instead of ranger because i want to be focused more on single targets (bosses and megabosses)

Now playing with scordeos trophy pistol and i have a question. Does penetrating crit (+15% crit dmg, +2 pen on crit) not working properly? In the damage logs i dont see these +2 pen on crit

[Boeroer]

1 hour ago, TimothyVl said:

Now playing with scordeos trophy pistol and i have a question. Does penetrating crit (+15% crit dmg, +2 pen on crit) not working properly? In the damage logs i dont see these +2 pen on crit

Devoted with pistol is a bit difficult because there is only one pistol that doesn't do pierce damage. So if you face enemies who are immune to pierce damage you are a bit screwed(you'll have to eat a -10 accuracy malus if you want to use any other type of weapon or pick Monastic Unarmed Training for fists). The pistol that does raw damage (Eccea's Arcane Blaster) is not easy to get early. But I would try now.

Critical hits do PEN *1.5 automatically. I don't recall if Penetrating Crit does add +2 before the 1.5 multiplier or after. Before would be better of course. If it doesn't display the bonus at all it's maybe bugged? Since crits already do PEN*1.5 (which is more than enough, especially on a Devoted), I never bothered with Penetrating Crits but chose the +25% damage variant instead. 

Edited Friday at 11:59 AM by Boeroer

[TimothyVl]

19 hours ago, Boeroer said:

Devoted with pistol is a bit difficult because there is only one pistol that doesn't do pierce damage. So if you face enemies who are immune to pierce damage you are a bit screwed(you'll have to eat a -10 accuracy malus if you want to use any other type of weapon or pick Monastic Unarmed Training for fists). The pistol that does raw damage (Eccea's Arcane Blaster) is not easy to get early. But I would try now.

Critical hits do PEN *1.5 automatically. I don't recall if Penetrating Crit does add +2 before the 1.5 multiplier or after. Before would be better of course. If it doesn't display the bonus at all it's maybe bugged? Since crits already do PEN*1.5 (which is more than enough, especially on a Devoted), I never bothered with Penetrating Crits but chose the +25% damage variant instead. 

I kill pierce immune skeletons with the red hand arquebus that kills with two consecutive shots. It is said that an enemy must be hit two times consecuently but it never misses agains skeletons so i assumed that there is no attack rolls

Edited yesterday at 07:32 AM by TimothyVl

[Boeroer]

1 hour ago, TimothyVl said:

I kill pierce immune skeletons with the red hand arquebus that kills with two consecutive shots. It is said that an enemy must be hit two times consecuently but it never misses agains skeletons so i assumed that there is no attack rolls

There is an attack roll. Most likely you only fought vessels who have weak deflection so far. Two consecutive hits doesn't mean you're not allowed to miss in between. You can hit, miss and hit again and Double Tap still destroys the vessel.

The thing with the Red Hand's Double Tap is: only works against enemies of lower level than you. And it only works against vessels. It's awesome in general, but that are its limitations - which means you cannot rely on it 100% as backup weapon. 

If you meet vessels who are of equal or higher level it will not destroy them.

If you meet pierce immune, non-vessel enemies (some blights for example) it will also not help you.

It also gives you -10 accuracy because you are devoted to pistols.

But if it works for you so far then that's great of course. 

Still I would try to get Eccea's Arcane Blaster at some point. There's a scripted interaction on the way there you need to pass with some skill checks. If you did that successfully you can catch Eccea (the foe who carries the pistol) while she's alone, guarding the entrance to a cave. There it's not too difficult to kill her and loot the pistol. Return later for the rest of her party (it's quite a challenging fight).

Then you'll have an excellent backup weapon for all sorts of enemies. No one is immune to raw damage and you'll have a pistol with no accuracy drawback. It also has a very good second modal that adds elemental damage on top. 

Edited yesterday at 08:41 AM by Boeroer