The Alchemist class Archetype is just one of the secrets you’ll unlock while playing Remnant 2. It operates in a support role, letting you buff your teammates, provide defense, and increase fire rates. to But it isn’t the best by itself, and while I like its dynamic for multiplayer, it isn’t my top choice when I’m playing solo. Here’s how to unlock it and the skills, perks, and traits it brings to bear.
Remnant 2 Alchemist Archetype Class Guide
How to Unlock the Alchemist in Remnant 2
To unlock the Alchemist Archetype, you’ll need the Philosopher’s Stone. You can’t select Alchemist at the start of your first game, but once you unlock it, you can choose it when creating a new character, when equipping the Philosopher’s Stone, or once you’ve opened multiclassing after reaching Level 10 with your main.
You get the Philosopher’s Stone engram from the Manticora in Morrow Parish on Losomn. The Manticora will appear randomly behind any of the half-moon sewer drains along the area’s walls. It appears and disappears quickly, so you’ll have to keep checking different ones until you come across it — and have quick reflexes. Once you defeat it, take the Philosopher’s Stone, 10 Lumenite Crystals, and 1,000 Scrap to Wallace in Ward 13 to unlock the Alchemist. This will give you the Academic’s Armor Set and your starting weapons.
Starting Loadout
- Long Gun: Wrangler 1860
- Hand Gun: Double Barrel
- Melee: Bone Chopper
I like the Double Barrel as a handgun because it has high damage for short range, and if enemies are close, I want to get rid of them as fast as possible. Considering its design, though, its fire rate is low. Additionally, the Wrangler 1860 is far from my favorite long gun, primarily because its reload speed is incredibly slow, which can be really frustrating when you’re surrounded by enemies or facing a tough boss. Consider switching it out for one of the best early Long Guns, such as Blackmaw AR-47.
Alchemist Unique Trait
Potency — This trait levels up with the Alchemist class and gives you +10% Consumable Duration at each level for a total of 100% Consumable Duration at Level 10. This can be helpful when using certain consumables to negate the effects of Root Rot or Curse, but overall, the trait isn’t nearly as powerful as useful as those for other Archetypes. Many players I’ve talked to rarely use consumables, so this Trait isn’t the best in the game.
Related: The Best Classes for Solo Players in Remnant 2
Alchemist Skills
Like other archetypes, the Alchemist has three skills. These all revolve around area of effect (AoE) buffs that can apply boosts to not only your class but your allies, as well. Since the cooldowns can be a bit long (read: brutal), you’ll want to make sure you use your skills when they’re needed the most. The Alchemist is much better suited to strategic play when it comes to skill usage, so you’ll want to keep that in mind.
Vial: Stone Mist
- Unlock: Available at Level 1.
- Effect: Stone Mist creates a mysterious vapor cloud that lasts 10 seconds and applies Stoneskin. Stoneskin lasts 15 seconds and reduces incoming damage, increases Blight Buildup Decay Rate, reduces Stagger, and makes the affected immune to Status Effects.
While I think all the Alchemist skills are useful, I used this one the most. Having even a temporary defense boost saved me from dying more than once, especially when getting swarmed by enemies in areas like Yaesha and Root Earth.
Vial: Frenzy Dust
- Unlock: Available at Level 5.
- Effect: Frenzy Dust creates a mysterious vapor cloud that lasts 10 seconds and applies Frenzied. Frenzied lasts 15 seconds and increases Fire Rate, Reload Speed, and Melee Speed.
The extra Reload Speed is great if you’re still using the Wrangler 1860 or another Long Gun with a slow reload, but I prefer using this skill to boost my friends who are playing classes like the Gunslinger, which are meant to bring the pain to enemies.
Vial: Elixir of Life
- Unlock: Available at Level 10.
- Effect: Elixir of Life creates a mysterious vapor cloud that lasts 10 seconds and applies Living Will. Living Will lasts 20 seconds and grants Health Regeneration, protects against fatal damage, and revives downed players if they’re healed to full by the regeneration while downed. Revived players can’t receive the Living Will effect for 180 seconds after revival.
I love this skill for boss fights because it can save your team from a complete wipe. It also helps when your party gets overwhelmed by adds, reviving teammates while also giving them a health buffer in the process. Even a little extra time helps in Remnant 2, and this has saved me several times, especially in tight quarters or against an Elite that spawns out of nowhere in a horde of mobs.
Alchemist Prime Perk
Spirited — Alchemists can have one additional Concoction buff active at Level 1, two additional buffs at Level 5, and three additional buffs at Level 10. This can come in handy when you need to apply multiple status effects to your character or team at a single time, such as Verdant Tea to increase stamina regen or Mudtooth’s Elixir to increase XP gains.
Alchemist Perks
The Alchemist has four perks, and each one receives an upgrade five levels after it’s unlocked.
Damage Perk: Liquid Courage
- Default: Gain 2.5% Damage that increases with your Alchemist level.
- Upgraded: Gain 25% Damage increase and 5% Crit Chance increase.
It’s hard to argue with a Damage boost, and I like that Remnant 2 doesn’t make support-oriented archetypes unable to fend for themselves. This can compete against certain rings that provide similar damage boosts, freeing up an item slot for something else.
Team Perk: Panacea
- Default: Curative effects apply to all allies within 15 meters and grant 15 additional Resistance.
- Upgraded: Allies affected by Panacea gain 10% Status, and Blight Resistance increase.
I find this perk to be a good argument for why I like playing Alchemist with friends more than solo because you bring so much support to the table. While I can get use from it when playing solo, the full potential of this perk isn’t realized unless you’re in a party.
Utility Perk: Gold to Lead
- Default: Picking up Scrap has a 15% chance to give the Alchemist ammo.
- Upgraded: Picking up Metals also has a 15% chance to give the Alchemist ammo.
I haven’t had many issues with lacking ammo so far, and I bet you haven’t, either. Bullets are plentiful in Remnant 2, despite tooltips telling you it isn’t. Considering that, this is a bit of a wasted perk slot for the Alchemist (plus, a 15% increase isn’t to pick-up chance isn’t game-changing). That’s not to mention Scrap and Metals (crafting mats) are far more important than ammo.
Relic Perk: Experimentalist
- Default: Using your Relic applies a random buff for 30 seconds that can’t be overridden.
- Upgraded: Allies within 20 meters also receive the buff, which now lasts 60 seconds.
It’s tough to hate an extra buff, especially if you gain it when you’re in a situation that requires healing. While the Alchemist’s Utility Perk is underwhelming, I think the Relic Perk is enough to make up for it. The only downside is that the buff is random and may not be immediately useful.
And that covers the Alchemist Archetype class in Remnant 2. As you can see, it’s very heavy on support abilities to keep your teammates strong and, well, alive. While this might not be my preferred playstyle, I can definitely see the benefits of having an Alchemist in your party. If you’d like to check out our other R2 guides for other archetypes, consider this Summoner Class guide, or go further with healing using the Medic Class.
