Very basic guide

**NOTE:** It's highly recommended to finish all side task progress before starting runs. There are many obscure and relevant bonuses to things like movement speed, cooldown reduction, damage vs enemies and weapon damage. Additionally, having an as well rounded as possible arsenal gives the most flexibility in loadout choice for different levels.

In-game time appears to start at the frame the load screen fades into the level, and ends when the cursor shows after the fade to black.

Diagonally moving is faster than forward movement. When out of stamina, burst sprinting as soon as a tick of stamina is regenerated is pretty much the best way to move since there's no extra regeneration delay when empty. Stamina regeneration bonuses affect how much stamina is restored in a tick, not how fast the regeneration ticks.

Charge is a dash ability that allows for vertical movement and high speed when out of stamina. When used in slow-mo it goes much further. Slow-mo slows down mission time so it's best to use as short a slow-mo as possible, this comes from grenades (beam grenade/probably others for delayed fuse, frag grenade for instant).
It's possible to OOB freely with charge by crouching, dashing into a ceiling, and uncrouching when hitting the ceiling. Difficulty depends on area.
Landing on a surface that is just under a ceiling and uncrouching will take you either partly out of bounds, requiring some wrangling to get out, or fully out. I call this a 'wedge OOB'. This technique follows the same principles as a regular crouch OOB but the ability to perform OOBs in places where there's no space to fit a full charge OOB is unlocked (the wedge itself often blocks you from fitting in a full charge to the ceiling).

### Best armour for runs

- Lightning Shades (6% movement speed)
- Deathstalker's Chest (for tier 1 set bonus which gives 25% movement speed)
- Mirrored Arm Conduits (5% cooldown reduction)
- Deathstalker's Gloves (tier 1 set bonus)
- Chopper's Boots or Cybermage's Greaves (20% movement speed or 20% cooldown reduction)

Apply HyperArmour codex mods to all slots (highest stamina, power, health boosts of all armour codex mods)

### Best implants for runs

**NOTE:** It's important to collect CYWORG (I'm not shouting) pieces early on. They are phased out by Cyworg2 sometime after level 12. Without them, you are stuck with Archmage build.
Pieces on the left side of / are part of the cooldown reduction focused build. Pieces on the right side of / are on the movement speed focused build. This example is based on what's available in my [speedrun save collection](https://www.speedrun.com/dead_effect_2/resources/8ffu7).

- Cyworg2 eyes
- Archmage/CYWORG skull
- Archmage/Cyworg2 chest
- Cyworg2/CYWORG legs
- Cyworg2/Adrenalined feet 
- Archmage/CYWORG arms
- Archmage/Cyworg2 hands

CYWORG: Gives 10% movement speed at tier 2 set bonus (3 pieces)

Cyworg2: Gives 15% movement speed at tier 2 set bonus (3 pieces)

Archmage: Gives 10% cooldown reduction at tier 3 set bonus (4 pieces)

Quick Charger (5% cooldown reduction) codex mod can be equipped on all slots. Cheetah's Focus (7.6% movement speed) codex mod can be equipped on Adrenalined feet and Cyworg2 legs, but not Cyworg2 feet and all the other pieces used. Use Quick Charger in all slots that don't use Cheetah's Focus (you don't *have* to use Cheetah's Focus in the slots that let you).

### Balancing charge cooldown vs increased movement speed:

- 3.5s 119% move 50% reduction (chopp legs, cyworgs and adren, 2 CF + 5 QC)
- 3.1s 112% move 55% reduction (chopp legs, cyworgs and adren, 1 CF + 6 QC)
- 2.8s 104% move 60% reduction (chopp legs, cyworgs and adren, 0 CF + 7 QC)
- 2.1s 99% move 70% reduction (cyber legs, cyworgs and adren, 2 CF + 5 QC)
- 1.7s 92% move 75% reduction (cyber legs, cyworgs and adren, 1 CF + 6 QC)
- 1.3s 84% move 80% reduction (cyber legs, cyworgs and adren, 0 CF + 7 QC)
- 1.0s 74% move 85% reduction (cyber legs, archmage and cyworg2, 1 CF + 6 QC)
- 0.7s 66% move 90% reduction (cyber legs, archmage and cyworg2, 0 CF + 7 QC)

90% reduction is the maximum known possible.

Cooldown reduction focus is not worth it in shorter levels where all or most of the run is using stamina (if there's no back-to-back OOBs). Cooldown reduction focus may be worth it in longer levels.

In some very kill-focused missions like Infestations, it may be better to switch to a more typical build for playing the game (though movement speed and cooldown reduction should still be included where it can). The 'Lich' implant set (Heart of Darkness, Feet of Stomping etc) provide good ways to survive and gain health/power/stamina. Archmage implants and Cybermage armour give good general boosts to abilities (Bolter and Pyrokinesis are very powerful horde clearers).

Best character is unclear. Jane has an invulnerability ability that is very comfortable for runs that aren't against bosses. Voicelines appear to affect how long a mission takes to end in at least one situation (Industrial area (Blood sample)), therefore the best character can change depending on level played.

There appears to be hidden multipliers against enemy types for each weapon class. This is mostly unexplored.

### Best weapons for runs

- 1 shot boss primary: EPIRUS-X SPRTHRW [boss buster, fire shot, power thief], Hurricane [boss buster, overcharged ammo, final shot]
- 1 shot boss secondary (lower difficulties only): Wasteland Eagle [boss buster, overcharged ammo, final shot/burst fire^]
- DPS boss: Wasteland Eagle [extended mag/boss buster, persistent accuracy, burst fire
- Mobbing primary: Devious Deviant, Nova Gun, Chimera Melter
- Mobbing secondary: KWP 18 Driller x2 [burst fire, persistent accuracy, penetrator ammo], STIG Tau Marine [extended mag, persistent accuracy, penetrator ammo], Boostig

^Burst fire is not effective for bosses that have phases like Sentinel of the Death

### Useful abilities, ordered in subcategory by importance

Weapon Abilities

- Weapon swap
- Two secondaries
- Dual wielding
- Pyroman

General Abilities

- Sprint
- Special ability cooldown
- Class ability cooldown
- Power control
- Crouch control

Special Abilities

- Charge
- Damage boost
- Giga shot [unranked]
- Bolter
- Shockwave [unranked]
- Pyrokinesis

Class Abilities

- Equinox (Jane) 
- Energy Mine (Gunnar)
- Storm (Gunnar)

(generally class abilities aren't that useful across all 4 characters. equinox is niche, while energy mine and storm will easily kill you.)

Voiceline differences per level (WIP)

# Unaffected missions

- Return to the space gardens
- Showers don't work
- Teleported cyborg
- Jetlift Cargo Area (Seek and scavenge)
- Dock control (Space plumber)
- Industrial Area (Moar bulletz!)

# Affected missions

Numbers are taken by recording segments of the run that includes the time-affecting dialogue. Generally only the any% route is considered, so 100%/glitchless runs of levels may have different results.

### Cyber Awakening:

2nd segment doesn't apply in motion scanner (WR) route

- Jane 3.017s + 22.183s
- **Gunnar 2.617s + 22.000s** (best at both routes)
- Kay 3.017s + 22.000s
- Xandria 3.017s + 21.683s

### Industrial area (Blood sample):

- **Jane 9.833s**
- Gunnar 9.983s
- Kay 13.683s
- Xandria 11.833s

### Flight control Epsilon (Gore collector)

- Jane 11.450s
- Gunnar 11.467s
- Kay 14.750s
- **Xandria 11.200s**

Nome	Autore
Very basic guide	Mortar 2 years ago
Voiceline differences per level (WIP)	Mortar 8 months ago