Holosmith - Condi Holo

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Condition damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on April 26, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A holosmith build for open world. This build has good DPS and burst since a lot of its damage comes from Burning.

Unfortunately, the build is very hard to play and doesn't have the very tanky mech pet of its brother condition mechanist so it remains a very niche option.

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Skill Bar

Pistol/Pistol

Utility

Skill Variants

Heal skill

The choice of heal skill is very open. We recommend Healing Turret because it provides very high healing and cleanses 2 conditions when first deployed, while creating a water field where you can detonate the turret to provide even more healing (See: Guide:What are Combo Fields). Always pick up the turret or detonate it, as it will provide more healing over time than the super weak regeneration that leaving the turret deployed provides. Other options can be considered.

• Med Kit provides a decent heal with a low cooldown with the toolbelt skill Bandage Self, a Blast finisher with Infusion Bomb, condition cleanse and water field with Cleansing Field, and some ally healing.
• A.E.D. - helpful to negate a big attack or a oneshot, and has a helpful 2 second stun on the toolbelt skill Static Shock. This skill requires a bit more skill to use, as it only provides large healing if you were to take lethal damage.
• Coolant Blast - good healing when used above 50 Heat, but not too good at low Heat. Its toolbelt skill is quite niche, transforming the conditions you suffer from into Burning (transforming more conditions at higher Heat levels), which can do more harm than good.

Utility skills

Grenade Barrage provides great damage, and even more thanks to Shrapnel. It shouldn't be replaced.
Flamethrower provides great damage and improves our burst with its toolbelt skill Incendiary Ammo. It shouldn't be replaced.
Bomb Kit provides medium damage and crowd control. Can be replaced if needed.

• Spectrum Shield - great stun break and damage reduction with a low cooldown, even lower if used at high Heat.
• Photon Wall - provides a projectile block on demand and a toolbelt skill that deals good damage.
• Throw Mine - good damage, crowd control, and removes boons.

Elite skill

Prime Light Beam provides great damage and crowd control. It is the best option.

• Supply Crate inflicts more crowd control but is a massive damage loss.

Specializations

Note that while Photonic Blasting Module reduces the penalties of overheating, you will still lose about 25% of your max hp. In exchage, it provides a lot of damage. If this health loss proves too dangerous to you, you can use Thermal Release Valve instead, trading damage for safety.

Variants

• Blast Shield - trades damage for defense.
• Crystal Configuration: Eclipse - trades damage for defense.
• Thermal Release Valve is a large damage loss but is much safer. Don't make this trade when playing in groups with a healer.

Equipment

This set uses similar gear to Build:Holosmith_-_Condi_DPS, making it excellent for general PvE.

Head
Viper

Shoulders
Sinister

Chest
Viper

Hands
Sinister

Legs
Viper

Feet
Viper

Backpiece
Sinister

Accessory
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Amulet
Viper

Ring
Viper

Ring
Viper

Pistol
Viper

Pistol
Viper

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• Relic of Akeem is a slight DPS loss against single targets, but better vs. groups.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Usage

Photon Forge

Part of your damage comes from Photon Forge, the holosmith's profession mechanic. Using skills inside the Forge generates Heat, some Heat is also gained over time. Having high Heat is great, as it increases your damage through Laser's Edge. After reaching 100 heat, you will Overheat, which does low damage to yourself but great damage to nearby enemies thanks to Photonic Blasting Module. Overheating also prevents you from accessing the Forge until it cools down, and puts your toolbelt skills on a short cooldown.

Note that Photonic Blasting Module prevents the Forge from cooling down. The only way to reduce heat is to overheat. If you're not using Photonic Blasting Module, do not overheat.

Damage

Condition holosmith is particularly hard to play. You have to juggle 3 kits, your toolbelt skills, your normal weapons, and the Photon Forge. In open world, without quickness and alacrity, there's no real method to this madness. These are all the skills you will want to use:

• Blowtorch
• Grenade Barrage
• Fire Bomb
• Shrapnel Grenade
• Poison Grenade
• Flame Blast
• Napalm
• Prime Light Beam
• Corona Burst
• Photon Blitz
• Incendiary Ammo use off-cooldown

Don't stay in the Photon Forge for long, you don't want to overheat in one single use. Enter the Forge, use its skills then leave to use your weapon and kit skills. After that, enter it again and do overheat this second time. Note that entering and exiting the Forge is good for damage thanks to Solar Focusing Lens.

Crowd Control

• Big Ol' Bomb
• Prime Light Beam
• Air Blast
• Holographic Shockwave