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If you were wondering which among the various status damage types and playstyles in Once Human reigns supreme, we have the answer. One of the strongest candidates is Power Surge and being able to trigger it reliably is the key to shredding bosses and the toughest enemies in the game. That’s what we’ll be presenting with our Power Surge build for Once Human, you might just shock yourself as well with its damage output.
Best Weapon for the Once Human Power Surge Build
| Weapon Name | Mods |
| MPS7 – Outer Space (SMG) | Static Shock |
| SOCR – Outsider (Rifle) | Static Shock |
You have two candidates here and both of them are competent. One of them is a gold-tier SMG that you can obtain from the Wish Machine while the other is a purple-tier Rifle with Power Surge mods.
Pick what you can access at the moment. Both of them perform well.
Obviously, regardless of what you get, you’ll want either weapon upgraded to the max tier and enhanced with as many duplicate blueprints as you can obtain. For that matter, it’s a lot easier to max out the SOCR version of the build compared to the Outer Space SMG version.
Regardless, just slap on a gold-tier Static Shock mod on whichever weapon you choose. For a backup, pick the Recurve Crossbow and any melee weapon you’re comfortable using.
Best Armor for the Once Human Power Surge Build
For the armor, you have a lot of options. Here’s what I recommend for the best-in-slot along with their mods:
| Armor Name | Mods |
| Helmet: Mayfly Goggles / Gas Mask Hood | Thunderclap / First-Move Advantage |
| Mask: Lonewolf / Bastille / Yellow Paint Mask | Crit / Status / Elemental DMG mod |
| Gloves: Shelterer | Elemental Overload |
| Shoes: Shelterer | Covered Advance / Slow and Steady |
| Top: Shelterer | Crit / Status / Elemental DMG mod |
| Pants: Shelterer | Bullet Siphon |
As you can see, they’re all expensive. Mayfly Goggles can be hard to find, but all the other armor pieces are available through the Wish Machine. Shelterer is our top choice here for its damage buffs to Status. However, you can also mix and match it with a couple of Lonewolf set gear if you don’t have a full 4-piece Shelterer.
Just don’t replace Mayfly Goggles or Gas Mask Hood. Either is crucial to our Once Human Power Surge build and is non-negotiable.
Deviation and Memetics Cradle Choices for the Power Surge Build
Our Deviation of choice would be none other than Lonewolf’s Whisper. This one is simply perfect for boss fights as it will draw aggro for you and it also works well against mobs. More importantly, it pairs well with some of our mods like Covered Advance.
You can find the Lonewolf’s Whisper Deviation in the Monolith of Thirst dungeon (Level 40). Just make sure to use Lonewolf’s Whisper as often as you can in fights for a huge damage boost (more on that later).
Meanwhile, you’re going to want the following for your Memetics Cradle, the ones with asterisks should be prioritized:
| Cradle Choices | Effect |
| Automatic Weapon Enhancement* | DMG +20% when holding SMGs, rifles, or LMGs. Reload 10% of magazine capacity from reserve upon defeating an enemy. |
| Deviation Master* | Having it fight alongside grants DMG + 50% against Deviants. |
| Tactical Combo* | Weapon DMG +25% for 4s after switching weapon or reloading. |
| First Round Blast* | After reloading, Instant DMG (Power Surge and Unstable Bomber) +25% for 4s. |
| Transient Impact* | After triggering a Power Surge, Power Surge DMG +25% for 3s. |
| Status Enhancement | After hitting a weakspot, Status DMG + 25% for 3s. |
| Master Tactician | After using a tactical item, DMG against the Great Ones (bosses) +25% for 15s. |
Some of these are only available after you’ve slain the final Cradle slot requirement, which would be clearing Securement Silo Theta. It has a Level 45 recommendation, but you can probably do it earlier using this build. Feel free to pick the Cradle perks with the bold names and save Status Enhancement and Master Tactician for last as they’re too conditional.
As you can see, there’s a rotation present here given our Memetcs Cradle choices, and that’s what we’ll be detailing below.
Playstyle for the Once Human Power Surge Build
Once you have everything set and assuming you’ve obtained all the recommended Memetics Cradles along with the best-in-slot gear and the weapons. Then we can now proceed to how you can maximize your DPS.
You can test this first in your training dummy (make sure to build one ASAP). Without further ado, here’s how to play this Power Surge build step-by-step:
- If you’re fighting a boss, throw a Molotov or a Grenade (no need to hit them). We just need to trigger Master Tactician. For regular mobs, skip this step.
- Bring your Lonewolf’s Whisper Deviation out.
- Shoot once or twice.
- Reload (to trigger all your reload buffs).
- Shoot automatically and unload your whole clip on the target.
- Make sure to always aim for the enemy weakspot.
- Avoid taking damage to keep Covered Advace’s buff active.
You can also skip the reload part if you’re not fighting bosses, but whatever you do, always bring out your Lonewolf’s Whisper. Even if you mess up the rotation and go straight to shooting, you’ll still like slay the target in less than a full mag thanks to Power Surge. That’s how busted the build can be in the right hands and with diligence.
