Even though cross-training can provide one of the most useful improvements to your Operators, not every option should be considered equally. When you have to decide where to invest your early game resources, damage is the best first choice to make. After this, you may want to invest in some other options, such as Assist damage, movement, Focus, and Freeform Training, depending on how far you have progressed.
Prioritize Ranged Damage First
In most builds, your first target should be ranged damage. By improving your damage from range, you will also improve your damage from your Assists as well.
Assists are valuable because they cannot miss if the enemy is within your line of sight. Thus, you can be sure you will deal additional damage if you set your Assists properly.
Melee Damage Comes Next
Melee damage is easier to acquire than ranged damage, as melee attacks always hit their mark. Increasing melee damage will mean being able to kill enemies with ease.
However, it should be noted that one exception to this is when building an Operator with a melee only strategy. In this case, building more melee damage before ranged damage could be more appropriate because melee builds that focus on abilities like Uppercut would require extra damage to ensure that enemies can be eliminated quickly, and points can be regained after a successful kill.
Invest in Assist Damage
Next after direct damage comes Assist damage which is another thing that you should be focusing on. The best part about Assist damage is that it cannot be avoided since the opponents cannot see it coming.
The trick is to use Assists the right way so you can make the most of that reliable damage.
Don’t Ignore Movement
Moving is another of the options in cross-training since position changes. While it may not seem as immediately valuable as increasing damage, movement can become a bigger concern as you progress further into the campaign.
Over time, the issue of movement might become bigger, and it is advisable to invest in several movement-related options earlier on in the game.
Consider Focus After Your Main Damage Upgrades
After Damage, Assist, and Movement, Focus can become the next thing worth considering. Some Focus tree abilities can provide very strong improvements.
For instance, one of the later upgrades can provide a +3 bonus to ranged and melee damage and a +12 bonus to maximum health during the entire battle. When you are almost done completing a very strong Focus oriented build, it is wise to prioritize this option to reach one of the upgrades.
Save Freeform Training for the Right Time
Freeform Training is useful after you have trained Operators that can kill enemies every time. At that moment, upgrading Focus becomes very effective.
Eventually, as you level up, increasing output will become more challenging. That’s why Freeform Training should be regarded as a measure to be undertaken later rather than something to be done immediately.
Best Cross-Training Priority
For a general early-to-midgame approach, the order is:
- Ranged damage
- Melee damage
- Assist damage
- Movement
- Focus
- Freeform Training
The main exception is your Operator’s build. For a melee-heavy character, melee damage can move ahead of ranged damage. Similarly, if you’re close to a particularly strong Focus upgrade, taking Focus earlier can be worthwhile.
Most importantly, don’t neglect Bonds, as they are an important part of your progression and cross-training benefits.
