How To Upgrade Deviants In Once Human: Unleash Their Full Potential

Once Human throws you into a post-apocalyptic world teeming with Aberrants and other dangers. Surviving, let alone thriving, requires every advantage you can get. That's where Deviants come in – loyal companions who fight by your side. But a basic Deviant isn't enough to tackle the late-game challenges. You need to upgrade them, turning them into powerhouses. This guide will walk you through the process of upgrading your Deviants in Once Human, ensuring they're ready for anything.

Think of your Deviants as investments. The more you invest in them, the more they'll contribute to your survival. Upgrading them boosts their stats, unlocks new skills, and ultimately makes them far more effective in combat and resource gathering. Ignoring this aspect of the game is a surefire way to struggle. So, let's dive into how to maximize your Deviant's potential.

This guide covers everything you need to know, from understanding the basic upgrade mechanics to optimizing your Deviant's build for specific roles. We'll also touch on some common mistakes players make when upgrading their Deviants and how to avoid them.

1. Understanding Deviant Stats and Attributes

Before you start throwing resources at your Deviant, it's crucial to understand what you're actually upgrading. Each Deviant has a set of core stats that directly influence their performance:

  • HP (Health Points): Determines how much damage your Deviant can take before being defeated.
  • ATK (Attack): Affects the amount of damage your Deviant deals with their attacks.
  • DEF (Defense): Reduces the amount of damage your Deviant receives from enemy attacks.
  • SPD (Speed): Influences your Deviant's movement and attack speed.

These stats are further influenced by the Deviant's attributes, which are like passive bonuses. Examples include increased critical hit chance, elemental resistance, or improved resource gathering speed. Understanding which stats and attributes are most important for your chosen Deviant and their intended role is key to efficient upgrading. For instance, a tank Deviant benefits more from HP and DEF upgrades, while a DPS Deviant thrives with ATK and SPD.

2. Gathering Upgrade Materials: The Grind is Real

Upgrading your Deviants requires specific materials, which are primarily obtained through gameplay. These materials vary depending on the Deviant's level and the type of upgrade you're performing. Here are the main sources:

  • Defeating Aberrants: Many Aberrants drop upgrade materials upon defeat. Higher-level Aberrants generally drop rarer and more valuable materials.
  • Completing Missions and Events: Keep an eye out for missions and events that offer Deviant upgrade materials as rewards. These are often the most efficient way to acquire specific items.
  • Exploring the Open World: Certain locations in the open world contain chests or resource nodes that yield upgrade materials.
  • Crafting: Some materials can be crafted at your base using raw resources. This is a good way to supplement your supply, especially for common materials.
  • Trading: Consider trading with other players for materials you need. The in-game trading system can be a valuable resource.

Remember to prioritize gathering the materials that are most crucial for your Deviant's upgrades. Focus on farming areas with high concentrations of the Aberrants that drop the desired items.

3. Leveling Up Your Deviant: The Foundation of Power

Leveling up your Deviant is the most fundamental way to increase their stats. Each level grants a significant boost to their HP, ATK, DEF, and SPD. To level up a Deviant, you need to feed them experience points (EXP). EXP is primarily gained through:

  • Combat: Deviants earn EXP by participating in combat alongside you.
  • Deviant EXP Items: These items can be obtained through various activities and provide a large amount of EXP when used.

Focus on bringing your Deviant along for combat encounters, even if they're not your primary damage dealer. This will passively level them up over time. Use EXP items strategically to quickly level up Deviants you want to use immediately.

4. Skill Upgrades: Unleashing Special Abilities

Deviants have unique skills that can significantly impact combat. These skills can be upgraded to increase their effectiveness, reduce their cooldown, or add new effects. To upgrade a skill, you'll need specific skill upgrade materials, which are typically rarer than basic stat upgrade materials.

  • Analyze Skill Descriptions: Before upgrading, carefully read the skill descriptions to understand the benefits of each upgrade level.
  • Prioritize Key Skills: Focus on upgrading the skills that are most crucial to your Deviant's role. For example, if your Deviant is a healer, prioritize upgrading their healing skills.
  • Consider Synergies: Think about how your Deviant's skills synergize with your own abilities and the abilities of other Deviants in your team.

Skill upgrades are a game-changer, so don't neglect them. A well-upgraded skill can turn the tide of battle.

5. Star Level Upgrades: Ascending to New Heights

Once your Deviant reaches a certain level, you can upgrade their star level. This is a major upgrade that significantly increases their stats and unlocks new potential. Star level upgrades require specific star upgrade materials, which are often the rarest and most difficult to obtain.

  • Focus on Core Deviants: Prioritize star level upgrades for your core Deviants – the ones you use most frequently.
  • Participate in Endgame Content: Star upgrade materials are often found in endgame content, such as high-level dungeons and raids.
  • Plan Ahead: Star level upgrades are a long-term investment, so plan ahead and start gathering materials early.

Star level upgrades are the ultimate way to maximize your Deviant's power. They represent a significant commitment, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

6. Optimizing Your Deviant's Build: Tailoring for Success

Beyond the basic upgrades, you can further optimize your Deviant's build by selecting specific skills and equipment that complement their role and playstyle.

  • Role Specialization: Decide on a specific role for your Deviant – tank, DPS, healer, support – and focus on skills and equipment that enhance that role.
  • Equipment Selection: Choose equipment that provides bonuses to the stats that are most important for your Deviant's role.
  • Skill Combinations: Experiment with different skill combinations to find the ones that work best for your playstyle.

Optimizing your Deviant's build is an ongoing process. As you progress through the game and acquire new skills and equipment, you'll need to constantly re-evaluate your build to ensure it's still optimal.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Ignoring Deviant Upgrades: Neglecting Deviant upgrades is a common mistake that can severely limit your progress.
  • Wasting Resources: Don't waste resources on upgrading Deviants you don't plan to use.
  • Neglecting Skill Upgrades: Skill upgrades are just as important as stat upgrades.
  • Not Optimizing Builds: Failing to optimize your Deviant's build can significantly reduce their effectiveness.

Conclusion: Embrace the Power of Upgraded Deviants

Upgrading your Deviants in Once Human is an essential part of the game. By understanding the upgrade mechanics, gathering the necessary materials, and optimizing your Deviant's build, you can unlock their full potential and create a powerful team that can conquer any challenge. Don't underestimate the power of a well-upgraded Deviant – they can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, get out there, start upgrading, and unleash the true power of your loyal companions! Remember to focus on your core team, plan your resource gathering, and tailor your builds to maximize effectiveness. Good luck, survivor!