The Outrider gives the Greatsword something it badly wants: a way to fight before it arrives. The Crossbow chips targets from range and provides Nimble Leap to close, and the Greatsword finishes with hard crowd control and heavy damage. It never has a dead range band, and it never wins a stand-up fight against a specialist either — that's the trade.
A melee build that gets to choose when the melee starts. Here's how the two halves cover each other.
What the build is
The Greatsword is the heavy melee weapon — Stunning Blow and Willbreaker for hard control, Guillotine Blade and Death Blow for damage, Devastating Tornado for area, Precision Dash to close — and it scales off Strength, with Robust Constitution and Vital Force adding health. The Crossbow is fast, mobile ranged damage: Quick Fire and Rapid Shot for sustained pressure, Mortal Mark and Detonation Mark to set up burst, Nimble Leap for repositioning, scaling off Dexterity and Perception. Together they cover the Greatsword's classic problem — being kited — by giving you damage and mobility for the approach.
Why players run it
- Two gap-closers — Precision Dash and Nimble Leap mean you get there.
- Pre-damage before committing — you never dive a full-health target unwillingly.
- Answer to kiting — the Greatsword's worst matchup becomes manageable.
- Choose your fights — ranged opening means you decide when it becomes melee.
How to play it
Lead Strength if the Greatsword is doing your killing and Dexterity if you expect most fights to end at range — but pick one, because a Strength/Dexterity split spread evenly gives you a mediocre version of both weapons. The discipline is patience: soften the target properly before you close, because a Greatsword that arrives at a full health bar is committing to a long fight without the sustain to win it. Where the Outrider genuinely shines is against the builds that normally beat melee — ranged and kiting opponents can no longer simply walk away from you, and that matchup swing is the real reason to run it.
The honest trade-off
✓ Why to run it
- Solves the Greatsword's worst matchup — being kited.
- Two independent gap-closers.
- Never without an option, at any range.
- Strong duelist across a wide range of opponents.
△ Honest caveats
- Strength/Dexterity split — the two stats do little for each other.
- Weaker in melee than Greatsword + Dagger or + Sword and Shield.
- Weaker at range than a dedicated Crossbow build.
- Requires patience; rushing the close wastes the whole premise.
Kit for a skirmisher
Two full kits and constant repositioning between them. Bindings within reach beat everything else here.
Quick answers
Is the Outrider good in Throne and Liberty?
It's a solid, flexible skirmisher whose main strength is solving the Greatsword's worst matchup. It's outclassed at each range by specialists, but it has no bad matchups of its own.
What stats should an Outrider prioritize?
Lead Strength if the Greatsword does your killing, Dexterity if most fights end at range. Perception third. Splitting the primaries evenly is the mistake to avoid.
Why pair a Greatsword with a Crossbow?
Because the Greatsword's classic weakness is being kited. The Crossbow gives you damage during the approach and Nimble Leap to close, which turns a losing matchup into a manageable one.
Is it good for PvE?
Yes — ranged pulls are safe, and the Greatsword's area damage clears packs quickly once you commit.