Kripp's Solo Cutlass Vanessa Build

The Insta-Kill Cutlass

Cutlass has the ability to launch multiple attacks at once within just a couple of seconds, dealing an incredible amount of damage, and often one-shotting the enemy.

By combining Cutlass with Flurry of Blows (or Alacrity) and having enough Cooldown reduction, you can effectively strike twelve times in a row, with each one dealing double Crit Damage.

This normally isn’t possible with most single Weapon setups. For example, one of the most common, Flagship , can’t achieve the same results. While Flagship also has Multicast, its builds require a Friend and/or Ammo item to reach maximum capacity.

These items also have active effects, meaning Flurry of Blows can select them as a Charge target, and therefore ruining the combo.

Cutlass doesn’t have such requirements, allowing it to unleash a barrage of Critical strikes!

Fiery Cutlass Variant

If you're able to get the Fiery Cutlass, it's an even better version. Here's some commentary straight from Kripp:

"Fiery Cutlass is perhaps the best weapon in this meta, and the common mob on Day 3 (Tempest Flamedancer), has two so it's easy to get. It's kind of like a better Cannon, its damage scaling is top tier, and you get so many burn buffs from levels.

The Burn is hyper-effective because the damage drops Shields so the Burn does full and you have self-ramping from the burn to beat giga-HP Pygs and whatnot. It's a super good catch-all in this meta.

Eagle Talisman

It’s important to look for opportunities to scale Cutlass's Crit Chance and base Damage. Loot items and level-up rewards are a great way to permanently increase its stats along with items like Eagle Talisman

Silencer

The bread and butter of all single Weapon builds is the Silencer. This is the primary source of Cooldown reduction and the key factor that enables the Cutlass to reach its insta-kill threshold.

Always prioritize upgrading the Silencer first. The Cooldown reduction scales 10% per tier, so it’s vital to aim for Diamond in order to reach that valuable 40%.

Crow’s Nest

Second only to Silencer, Crow’s Nest is the next essential pickup for its Lifesteal and high base Crit Chance. It’s a pretty easy find early on and will generally last the entire run.

If you happen to come across a Lifesteal granting skill and have enough Crit Chance through scaling or alternative items, Crow’s Nest can be dropped to open up more space.

Pro tip: Look to grant Crow's Nest the Deadly enchantment. This is because it will grant your Cutlass another double Crit effect - Kripp tested this interaction and it caused it to stack for 4x damage!

Sextant

While the general game plan involves one-shotting the enemy, there are some builds that can survive the burst. Sextant keeps the Cutlass going throughout the remainder of the fight by maintaining Haste at all times.

The Crit Chance was not necessary in Kripp’s run, so the Sextant wasn’t positioned adjacent to the Cutlass. If you happen to be short on Crit, you could swap it with the Silencer at the cost of lower Damage, as the Cooldown reduction will still be applied regardless of where you have it.

Kripp happened to apply a Toxic enchant, but it’s not necessary for the build to work.

Star Chart

Star Chart gives Cutlass the two things it needs most; Crit Chance and Cooldown reduction. It’s another easy find early on and can serve as a good board filler for the build.

The only drawback is that “adjacent” slots are very competitive, but it’s well worth it for the lowered Cooldown.

Iron Sharpens Iron

Iron Sharpens Iron is an excellent way to scale your Cutlass Damage. If you’re able to acquire this skill, take every opportunity you can to affordably buy and sell Weapons.

Kripp showcased the efficient strategy of holding onto multiple Small Silver Weapons. This increased his odds of finding other Silver tier Weapons instead of Gold/Diamond ones, making it way cheaper to scale.

Stunning Strike

Every build loves its Freeze skills. Stunning Strike is the prime choice for this build since it will trigger upon the first attack, but any others will suffice so long as you have the corresponding ability.