Sublight Rapid-Fire Build: Attack Speed, Pierce, and Crowd Control
A Sublight rapid-fire and chaingun build guide updated for 0.18 piercing behavior, with attack-speed, range, crit, and crowd-control priorities.
Rapid-fire builds scale around attack speed and range, and 0.18 made chaingun range even more valuable by letting shots pierce up to their attack range. Use that to shred lines of enemies rather than chasing isolated targets. Keep enough boss pressure elsewhere so the build does not become excellent at crowds but slow against heavy targets.
Range now changes how much a chaingun can clear
The 0.18 patch says chainguns pierce up to their weapon attack range. That makes attack range more than a comfort stat: a longer lane can translate into more enemies touched by the same stream of fire.
Priority order
Attack speed → attack range → projectile damage → crit → mobility is a useful default. Move speed matters because rapid-fire builds want to maintain clean lanes instead of being surrounded.
Why the archetype is safer to recommend now
Patch 0.17.6 explicitly gave rapid-fire chain guns heavier ammunition to help them keep up. That official buff, followed by the 0.18 pierce behavior, provides a stronger current basis than older demo impressions.
Do not forget the boss plan
A screen-clearing stream can feel dominant until a high-health target arrives. Use Focus Boss on the appropriate slot, add a heavier complementary weapon, or reserve upgrade budget for single-target scaling rather than taking every crowd bonus offered.