Acrid in Risk of Rain 2 is one of the most unique survivors, blending melee and ranged poison attacks into a mobile, hit-and-run playstyle. Known for his powerful damage-over-time effects and strong survivability, Acrid is ideal for players who enjoy controlling the battlefield with status effects and outlasting enemies rather than nuking them down instantly. Building Acrid properly means understanding his abilities, item synergies, and role within each stage of the run. If you’re looking to learn how to build Acrid in Risk of Rain 2, this detailed guide will help you optimize his strengths from early game through late-game chaos.
Understanding Acrid’s Core Mechanics
Melee and Poison Hybrid
Acrid’s gameplay revolves around inflicting poison and spreading it to multiple enemies. His melee skills deal burst damage, while his poison deals damage over time that ignores armor. This makes him deadly against bosses and elite enemies over extended fights.
Key Abilities
- Vicious Wounds (Primary): A three-hit melee combo. The third hit deals bonus damage and applies poison.
- Neurotoxin or Epidemic (Secondary): Neurotoxin is a short-range spit that poisons, while Epidemic spreads poison to multiple enemies.
- Caustic Leap (Utility): Acrid jumps forward, dealing damage and leaving a poison cloud upon landing.
- Frenzied Leap (Alternate Utility): A more aggressive leap that stuns and deals more damage, but doesn’t apply poison.
- Ravenous Bite (Special): A lunging bite that heals Acrid if the enemy is poisoned.
The combination of these abilities gives Acrid great flexibility in close quarters and decent range, with sustainability coming from healing off poisoned targets.
Choosing the Right Skills
Primary and Secondary
The standard primary, Vicious Wounds, should almost always be used. For secondary, Epidemic is generally better than Neurotoxin because it applies poison to multiple enemies, enabling Acrid’s DOT-centric playstyle to thrive in crowded encounters.
Utility Preference
Caustic Leap is useful for escape and poison spread, while Frenzied Leap is excellent for crowd control. If you’re going for a pure poison build, Caustic Leap is usually the better choice. However, Frenzied Leap may be preferred for more aggressive or hybrid builds focusing on burst damage and stuns.
Best Items for Acrid
Top-Tier Offensive Items
- Tri-Tip Dagger: Increases bleed chance, which stacks well with Acrid’s DOT playstyle.
- Gasoline: Combines perfectly with Acrid’s poison spreads to ignite surrounding enemies upon kill.
- Will-o’-the-wisp: Great for clearing groups after a kill; synergizes well with Epidemic.
- Ignition Tank (Void): Boosts fire damage, making synergy with burn items like Gasoline even stronger.
- Shatterspleen: Turns critical hits into massive AOE explosions via bleed.
Survivability Items
- Harvester’s Scythe: Provides healing on crits, synergizing with Acrid’s aggressive playstyle.
- Infusion: Grants permanent health increases per kill ideal for a survivor always in the thick of battle.
- Tougher Times: Offers a chance to negate incoming damage, helpful during boss fights or elite encounters.
Mobility Items
- Hopoo Feather: Grants extra jumps for repositioning and escaping danger zones.
- Wax Quail: Boosts leap momentum, allowing faster traversal and better engagement angles.
- Energy Drink: Enhances sprint speed, useful for kiting enemies and triggering poison effects.
How to Play Acrid Effectively
Early Game Strategy
At the beginning of a run, prioritize mobility and poison application. Epidemic helps you clear early mobs quickly, while Caustic Leap can reposition you out of danger or into high-value zones. Focus on gathering DOT-related items like Tri-Tip Dagger and Gasoline early to amplify your base poison output.
Mid Game Builds
Once you’ve accumulated a few offensive items, you can begin using more aggressive tactics. Use Frenzied Leap if crowd control is needed, or stick with Caustic Leap for consistent poison uptime. By this point, you should begin stacking utility items like Hopoo Feather and survivability tools to stay alive longer in crowded stages.
Late Game Scaling
In later stages, Acrid’s build should be heavily focused on synergy between poison, burn, bleed, and crit. Shatterspleen becomes a core item here if you’re running a bleed build. Combine it with Lens-Maker’s Glasses to push critical hit chance to 100%, and then stack Harvester’s Scythe or Predatory Instincts for survivability and attack speed. Keep spreading poison with Epidemic and leaping into clustered enemies with Caustic Leap or Frenzied Leap depending on the build path.
Tips for Acrid Survivability
Poison Healing via Ravenous Bite
One of the most overlooked parts of Acrid’s kit is his ability to heal off poisoned targets. Use Ravenous Bite often, especially in longer fights or against elites. Timing this ability well will significantly extend your survival time and reduce reliance on healing items.
Stay Mobile
Mobility is key to Acrid’s survival. Constantly move around the battlefield, using leap abilities to enter or exit combat as needed. Jump, sprint, and reposition often to avoid damage and spread poison clouds strategically.
Advanced Builds and Variations
Bleed Build Acrid
This version focuses on stacking Tri-Tip Daggers and Shatterspleen to turn Acrid into a crit-based AOE monster. Epidemic spreads bleed, and Shatterspleen makes enemies explode on crit. This build benefits from Lens-Maker’s Glasses and Predatory Instincts to maximize crit uptime and damage output.
DOT Focused Acrid
This classic style plays into poison and burn stacking. Pair Gasoline, Will-o’-the-wisp, and Ignition Tank with Epidemic and Caustic Leap. Focus on items that enhance DOT duration and AOE effects. It’s a more passive playstyle, dealing damage over time while you avoid direct confrontation.
Hybrid Leap Acrid
Using Frenzied Leap and stacking stun or cooldown reduction items creates a brawler-style build. Add items like Hardlight Afterburner or Gesture of the Drowned (if you can manage equipment cooldowns). This version plays like a tanky bruiser who can jump into large groups, stun everything, and clean up with basic attacks.
Learning how to build Acrid in Risk of Rain 2 takes time, experimentation, and adaptation. Whether you prefer the poison-heavy DOT build or a more aggressive melee leap variant, the core of Acrid’s power lies in his ability to apply status effects across the battlefield. Focus on choosing abilities that complement your intended playstyle, stack the right items to enhance your damage over time, and don’t forget to stay mobile. With the right build, Acrid can become a powerful and versatile survivor capable of dominating every stage and boss encounter in the game.