Along with the starting loadout, each Survivor in Risk of Rain 2 has alternate skills that can be unlocked. You’ll need to complete a variety of different requirements to do so but this can be accomplished even at lower difficulties. Certain Artifacts may also help when it comes to collecting a certain number of one item type.
Let’s take a look at all of the alternate skills here and how to unlock them. First up is the Commando.
- Phase Blast – Alternate secondary skill. Shoots two close-range shots for 8×200 percent damage. Unlocked by scoring the killing blow on an Overloading Worm.
- Tactical Slide – Alternate Utility skill. Instead of dodge-rolling, causes the Commando to slide (and fire weapons while doing so). Complete the first stage in less than five minutes to unlock it.
- Frag Grenade – Alternate Special skill. Two charges of a grenade that deals 175 percent damage. Damage is four times higher at the explosion’s center. Unlocked by clearing 20 stages in one run and not picking up any Lunar items along the way.
Next up is the Huntress.
- Flurry – Alternate Secondary skill that can be used while sprinting. Shoot three seeking arrows that deal 3×100 percent damage. When scoring a critical hit, six arrows will be fired instead. Unlocked by killing six enemies with bounces from the Laser Glaive.
- Phase Blink – Alternate Utility skill. Grants three charge of short-range teleports that can be used while teleporting. Unlocked by holding 12 Crowbars
- Ballista – Alternate Special skill. Teleport skywards and fire three shots that hit for 3×900 percent damage. Unlocked by completing Rallypoint Delta or Scorched Acres and not falling below 100 percent health.
Next we have MUL-T.
- Scrap Launcher – Alternate Primary skill. Grants four charges of a canister that can be fired and explodes for 360 percent damage. Unlocked by defeating two Beetle Queens without moving outside of the zone around the teleporter during a boss fight.
- Power-Saw – Alternate Primary skill. Deploy a saw and cut through enemies for 1000 percent damage per second. Unlocked by using the Preon Accumulator to score the killing blow on an Imp Overlord. You must kill the boss with the detonation effect.
Acrid is the next Survivor. Let’s have a look.
- Blight – Alternate Passive skill. Instead of poison damage, skills will deal blight instead which inflicts 60 percent damage per second Unlocked by killing 50 enemies that only have 1 HP left.
- Ravenous Bite – Alternate Secondary skill. Unlocked by landing the final blow on a Scavenger boss. Deals 310 percent damage and poisons enemies. Low health enemies take triple the amount of damage from it.
- Frenzied Leap – Alternate Utility skill. Slam on foes from the air, dealing 550 percent damage and stunning them. For each foe hit by the slam, cooldown is reduced by two seconds. Unlocked by inflicting poison 1,000 times.
Now let’s look at the Engineer.
- Spider Mines – Alternate Secondary skill. Deploy up to four robot mines. When an enemy walks near them, they deal 600 percent damage. Kill the teleporter boss in less than five seconds after it appears.
- Thermal Harpoons – Alternate Utility skill. Upon marking targets, fires four tracking harpoons that hit for 500 percent damage each. Unlocked by fully charging the teleporter with no monsters remaining in the stage.
- TR58 Carbonizer Turret – Alternate Special skill. Place two mobile laser turrets that will slow enemies and deal 200 percent damage per second. Each turret will use all of your items. Unlocked by recruiting 12 minions at once.
Now we come to the Loader.
- Spiked Fist – Alternate Secondary skill. Launches gauntlet that grapples towards bigger enemies but pulls lighter foes to you. Stuns foes and deals 320 percent damage. Unlock this by reaching the Celestial Portal in 25 minutes or less.
- Thunder Gauntlet – Alternate Utility skill. Shock enemies for 1000 percent damage before unleashing a charged punch for 2100 percent damage. Unlocked by hitting a Charged Gauntlet at 300 mph or higher.
Up next is the Artificer.
- Plasma Bolt – Alternate Primary skill. Grants four charges of an exploding bolt that deals 220 percent damage. Unlocked by scoring a multi-kill with 20 enemies.
- Cast Nano Spear – Alternate Secondary skill. Fire a projectile that will freeze enemies while also dealing 400 to 1200 percent damage. Unlocked by defeating the teleporter boss with burst damage in one second.
- Ion Surge – Alternate Special skill. Deals 800 percent damage and stuns nearby foes. Unlocked by killing 15 enemies before you touch the ground.
Now we have the Mercenary. Let’s take a look at this alternate skills.
- Rising Thunder – Alternate Secondary skill. Unleash an uppercut slice that hits for 450 percent damage. Unlocked by not touching the ground for 30 seconds.
- Slicing Winds – Alternate Special skill. Unleashes a blade-filled wind that will strike three enemies for 8×100 percent damage. Unlocked by completing a Prismatic Trial without dropping below 100 percent health.
Next up is Rex.
- Directive: Drill – Alternate Secondary skill. Unlocked by completing a teleporter event when under 50 percent health. Rains seed bullets for 450 percent damage per second.
- Bramble Volley – Alternate Utility skill. Shoot thorns at enemies for 550 percent damage (which also heals for damage dealt). Along with pushing back foes, also pushes back Rex if in the air. Unlocked by tossing a Clay Dunestrider into a pit in the Abandoned Aqueduct.
Finally, there’s The Captain, the newest Survivor added with the 1.0 update.
- Beacon: Hacking – Alternate Special skill. Reduces the cost of all nearby purchasables to $0. Unlocked by repairing and recruiting a TC-280 Prototype on Rallypoint Delta.
- Beacon: Resupply – Alternate Special skill. Recharges equipment and can be used up to three times. Unlocked by visiting 10 different environments in one run while playing as the Captain.
Artifacts and Combination Codes
Artifacts are like modifiers that can alter your run in dramatic ways. Unlocking them takes a bit of effort though. First, you need a particular code composed of symbols that must be entered at the Compound Generator in Sky Meadow. This opens up a portal to Bulwark’s Ambry where the objective is to gather Artifact Keys and use them on the floating sphere.
Enemies will start spawning when the first key is used and defeating them will randomly drop more keys. Fun fact: Whatever Artifact you’re trying to collect has its modifiers applied to the encounter so be careful not to get instantly deleted. Insert four Artifact Keys and the shield around the Artifact will dissipate, allowing you to collect it. This unlocks the Artifact for subsequent runs.
Here are all the Artifacts, their effects and codes to unlock them:
- Artifact of Swarms – Monster spawns are doubled but their health is cut in half. The combination is: Circle, Circle, Triangle. Triangle, Diamond, Triangle. Triangle, Circle, Circle.
- Artifact of Dissonance – Monsters can appear in other environments. This means you can encounter foes from the Abyssal Depths in Sky Meadow, for example. The combination is: Circle, Square, Square. Square, Square, Square. Square, Square, Circle.
- Artifact of Metamorphosis – Spawn as a random Survivor. The combination is: Diamond, Squad, Circle. Diamond, Square, Circle. Diamond, Square, Circle.
- Artifact of Spite – Slain foes will drop exploding bombs. The combination is: Triangle, Circle, Triangle. Circle, Circle, Circle. Triangle, Circle, Triangle.
- Artifact of Kin – Only one type of monster will appear in each stage. The combination is: Circle, Triangle, Triangle. Diamond, Circle, Triangle. Diamond, Diamond, Circle.
- Artifact of Death – The entire team dies is one person dies. The combination is: Circle, Circle, Circle. Square, Triangle, Square. Circle, Triangle, Circle.
- Artifact of Chaos – Friendly-fire is enabled; applies to both players and enemies. The combination is: Circle, Triangle, Circle. Circle, Triangle, Circle. Circle, Triangle, Circle.
- Artifact of Soul – Defeating enemies will cause Wisps to appear from them. The combination is: Circle, Square, Circle. Circle, Diamond, Circle. Square, Diamond, Square.
- Artifact of Enigma – Spawn with random equipment. The combination is: Diamond, Square, Square. Triangle, Square, Triangle. Circle, Diamond, Diamond.
- Artifact of Glass – Allies have 10 percent health but deal 500 percent damage. The combination is: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond. Diamond, Diamond, Diamond. Diamond, Diamond, Diamond.
- Artifact of Frailty – Double fall damage (which can also kill you). The combination is: Circle, Circle, Circle. Triangle, Circle, Triangle. Triangle, Triangle, Triangle.
- Artifact of Evolution – Monsters will gain their own items with each stage. The combination is: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond. Square, Square, Square. Circle, Circle, Circle.
- Artifact of Honor – Only Elite enemies will spawn. The combination is: Square, Square, Square. Square, Triangle, Square. Square, Square, Square.
- Artifact of Command – Lets you choose your items whenever receiving a drop. The combination is: Square, Square, Square. Square, Square, Square. Triangle, Triangle, Triangle.
- Artifact of Sacrifice – Chest will no longer spawn. Items are dropped from monsters. The combination is: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle. Triangle, Triangle, Triangle. Triangle, Diamond, Triangle.
- Artifact of Vengeance – A doppelganger of the player will show up every 10 minutes to wreak havoc. It will have your items, which can make for a less-than-ideal fight when you’re already weak. The combination is: Diamond, Square, Square. Diamond, Circle, Square. Diamond, Square, Square.