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Best Perks in Deep Rock Galactic, Ranked

With the launch of the most recent season, more players than ever are tuning into one of the best co-op FPS games released in recent years — Deep Rock Galactic. This game offers everything you could possibly want in a multiplayer PVE shooter, from multiple classes with unique abilities to a robust gun customization to a variety of biomes to visit and missions to play.

In this guide, we’re going to be looking at one particular aspect of DRG — its incredible perk system. With dozens of unique options that change how you play, it can be difficult to decide which ones are right for your build (especially if you’re a greenbeard). Luckily, we’ve got you covered! Here, we’ll rank the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic from least to most useful.

Let’s get started!

15/15

Second Wind

Starting our list for the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic ranked, we have the Second Wind passive perk. At max rank, this perk gives your dwarf a 12% speed boost after sprinting for four seconds.

This isn’t a very popular perk, and I completely understand why. It doesn’t doe much to change the game — all it gives you is a simple speed boost, and that’s practically useless for the Scout class (thanks to his grappling hook).

Still, getting around the huge caves on Hoxxes IV is a time-consuming process, and keeping up with your team is important! Second Wind is a simple but underrated perk that everyone should at least consider using. I personally like to take this perk on every class besides Scout.

14/15

Berzerker

Next up is Berzerker, our first active perk. When fully upgraded, this perk buffs your melee damage and the charge-up time for your power attack for 10s, with a four-minute cooldown time.

This isn’t the worst perk in the game, but on its own, it falls flat. Despite dealing more damage to enemies, it’ll still take you a few hits to bring them down. Being able to power attack faster is nice, but you’re still better off using your firearms when dealing with enemies.

That said, this perk can be pretty useful if you combine it with other perks. If you take the Vampire perk, you can gain back a lot of health very quickly. We’d rank it a lot higher for that reason if the cooldown were shorter. Alas, you’re just better off picking something else.

13/15

Veteran Depositor

Next is another passive perk, Veteran Depositor. Once fully ranked up, this perk lets you deposit minerals 50% quicker than normal. You also receive a damage reduction of 30% when close to the drop pod or Molly.

Many players don’t see the appeal of this perk and are usually quick to pass it up. It makes sense — being able to deposit minerals faster is nice, but there are so many better perks out there that it’s hard to justify picking this over something else.

Personally, I really like this perk. The 30% damage reduction is handy when playing a defensive class like the Engineer. I usually run it when doing Salvage Operations, and I’m pretty happy with the effects.

12/15

Heightened Senses

Next up is Heightened Senses. This perk passively warns you when certain enemies (like Cave Leeches or Mactera Grabbers) are about to attack you. It also has an active effect that lets you break free when captured up to two times, killing the enemy in the process.

If you stay close to your squad, maybe skip this perk. It’s very easy for your teammates to shoot you free when you’re grabbed by a Cave Leech. They’re also not much of a threat if you’re playing a class like Scout, which can use their flare gun to light up caves.

If you find yourself playing solo or scouting ahead of your team pretty often, however, I recommend grabbing this perk. Cave Leeches can be tricky to avoid if you aren’t familiar with them, and Mactera Grabbers are just annoying. Heightened Senses can be a lifesaver in many situations, especially if you’re on your own.

11/15

Resupplier

Our next spot goes to the passive perk Resupplier. At max rank, you can take health and ammo from resupply pods 50% faster, and gain 25% extra health! On top of that, all weapons will be automatically reloaded upon collection.

This is a very good perk to use during Deep Dives and on Hazard 5 difficulties. Being able to restock your ammo and heal faster is hugely helpful when you’re in the middle of a swarm, and there are a lot of those in harder difficulties. It’s a pretty niche perk, but it can save your ass in the right situation.

When you’re not in those situations, however, there isn’t much of a reason to take this perk. There are better ones on the list, so consider saving this only for harder runs.

10/15

Deep Pockets

Coming in at number ten on our list of the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic ranked, we have Deep Pockets. This is a passive perk with one simple effect — it increases your storage space, allowing you to hold up to fifteen more valuables for each mineral.

I consider this a useful perk for all mission types, especially for Mining Expeditions. While its function is simple, you’ll be doing a lot of mineral collection and will therefore use the perk practically all the time. It’s especially great for Scouts to help them reach hard-to-get minerals much faster and easier.

Still, it’s another basic perk that doesn’t overhaul gameplay too much. It also doesn’t add to your team dynamic as much as other perks, and doesn’t provide any advantage in combat.

9/15

See You in Hell

Next up is See You in Hell. Passively, this perk temporarily gives you extra melee damage after you’re struck by an enemy. Actively, it allows you to create a “nano-pulse explosion” while you’re downed and surrounded by bugs. Part of this explosion will remain behind you and scare off enemies.

Let’s be honest — no one gets this perk for the bonus melee damage. It only actives when you are getting attacked, and it only lasts for 1.5 seconds before wearing off. Unless you combine it with other melee perks, the passive aspect of this one is not that impressive.

The active aspect, however, makes for a good perk if you find yourself getting down a lot, or if you play on harder difficulties. The ability to damage and scare off bugs when you are knocked out is great and gives your teammates ample time to revive you. This ability can be used up to three times during missions, and at max rank, it has a higher range and a cooldown time of only one minute!

8/15

Born Ready

Next is the passive perk Born Ready. At Tier 3, every unloaded weapon you are carrying is automatically reloaded after five seconds.

This is a simple yet handy perk to have in your arsenal. It’s especially useful for classes like the Scout and the Engineer, as they each have three different weapons/tools that can be reloaded. Being able to focus on the mission at hand is hard enough without having to juggle three different pieces of equipment!

This perk can take a little getting used to. After running it for the first few missions, I found myself cycling through all my equipment to manually reload everything out of habit! Once that initial awkward phase ran out, it became a lot more useful for me.

7/15

Field Medic

At number seven, we have the active perk Field Medic. This helps you revive your fallen comrades faster (30% quicker at max rank). It also allows you to instantly revive one teammate per mission by pressing the fire button.

This is one of the best perks you can get if you play with randoms or inexperienced players a lot. I often find myself reviving teammates more than mining ores, so getting this perk made the process a lot easier. At max rank, this perk even makes enemy bugs flee when you start reviving!

Keep in mind that you can only instantly revive a teammate once each mission, meaning you have to be careful about how you use it. It’s best suited for the Gunner class (thanks to his Shield Generator), so you might want to pick a different perk if he isn’t your main.

6/15

Next up is the Shield Link perk. The passive side gives you a faster recharge rate for your shields when you are near a teammate. The active side lets you buff an ally’s shields by 300% for 30s.

This is, in my opinion, the most underrated perk in the entire game. Being able to give your ally extra defense is incredibly useful during swarms and boss fights. The cooldown is only two minutes at max rank, which means you also don’t have to be too stretegic with when and how you use it.

That said, it’s only really useful for players who stick close to their team. I wouldn’t recommend it for the Scout, as he often finds himself away from the squad where he won’t benefit from the passive effect. If you’re a solo player, this perk is totally useless to you.

5/15

Thorns

Beginning the top five of the best Deep Rock Galactic perks ranked, we have the Thorns passive. When equipped, any enemy that attacks you with a melee hit will take some damage (24 at max rank).

This is a great perk to have if you love to get up close and personal with the beasties. In a game like Deep Rock Galactic, you’re almost guaranteed to take some damage each game. Having a perk that can dish some of that back is very useful.

The main downside is that you have to take damage in order for it to take effect, and it doesn’t apply to ranged attacks. There are also plenty of instances where you’re unlikely to take melee damage at all, like when riding a zipline or using your grappling hook.

4/15

Dash

Taking our fourth spot is the active perk Dash. This mobility-based perk allows dwarves to gain a lightning-quick speed boost that completely negates all slowdown effects. Its cooldown is twenty-five seconds at max rank and can be activated by double-tapping Shift while moving.

This is by far the best mobility perk in the game. It’s very useful for classes like the Driller or the Engineer, who don’t feature much equipment for getting out of trouble quickly. If you find yourself in a tight spot during a swarm or need to rush to a downed teammate, Dash is the perfect perk for you.

That said, the burst of speed doesn’t last very long and isn’t that good for getting around the map. It doesn’t have much team value aside from a few niche circumstances, and is mostly useful for playing solo or getting out of a bad situation.

3/15

Vampire

Spot number three on our ranking goes to the Vampire passive (remember this one?). When killing certain enemies with a melee attack, you regain health (5 at max rank).

This is the only perk in the game that I use on all four classes. The life steal may not sound like a lot, but being able to power attack enemies and instantly gain five health every thirty seconds really adds up. It can be harder to find red sugar in late game, so Vampire ensures you’ll always have a reliable source of health.

Keep in mind that this perk is really only useful with the power attack, as normal melee hits take a few swings to bring down enemies at full health. If you find yourself in the middle of a swarm with low health, the cooldown time means you’re more than likely to be downed.

2/15

Iron Will

Taking the silver medal on our list is Iron Will, one of the best active perks in the game. At the highest tier, you can revive yourself instantly with twelve seconds to get more health before going down again. Additionally, all of your weapons will be reloaded automatically.

This is a great perk if you like to play it safe — having a backup self-revive in the event the rest of your team can’t get to you can save you from some sticky situations. You can use the twelve-second timer to revive another squadmate or get some red sugar, or combine it with the Vampire perk to save you from going back down.

This perk is situational, and I don’t recommended it if you’re playing with experienced players or on lower difficulties. The twelve seconds to get more health sounds great, but in certain scenarios, it isn’t always enough time to find more health.

1/15

Beast Master

Finally, the top spot on our ranking of the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic goes to the active perk Beast Master. This allows you to befriend your own glyphid buddy while out in the mines! Once fully upgraded, your loyal companion will do significantly more damage against enemies.

This is without a doubt one of the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic, and my personal favorite. Your glyphid friend — Steve — is very useful in a fight, and he’s a great way to cover your ass while you focus your attention elsewhere. Steve does good amounts of damage and has good health. You can even press the interaction button to pet him!

While Steve has a blue outline to distinguish him from other bugs, it’s easy to commit friendly fire if you or your teammates aren’t paying attention. The five-minute cooldown is also a little harsh, but it’s no biggie if you can keep him alive until it wears off.

Join the High Ground

And so ends our article for the best perks in Deep Rock Galactic guide. What are your thoughts on this list? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

Screenshot of a team in Deep Rock Galactic
Image: Ghost Ship Games via HGG / Koby Gibson Ross

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