Roguelite fans were undoubtedly surprised with the release of Gunfire Reborn since it managed to showcase elements found in popular FPS, like the Borderlands franchise, while keeping true to the Roguelite genre. And the fanbase has also expanded since its release on various consoles, reaching over 1,000,000 players worldwide.
Another reason why players enjoy this Roguelite FPS is the various unique playable heroes, from a tanky-looking dog to a powerful tiger. Players can also play Tao, a sword-wielding bunny that can cut through hordes of enemies. But, players that want to unlock Tao's true potential will have to make sure they choose the right Ascension skills and weapons; if not, Tao will be an easy target for enemy units.
Tao's Main Role
Tao has a unique set of skills compared to other heroes since for every Ammo she consumes, her damage and RoF (Rate of Fire) are drastically increased. This makes Tao one of the best DPS in the game, especially when players build her a certain way. Players will want to use weapons with high ammo capacities, like Assault Rifles and Submachine guns.
Tao players can increase Magazine Size by using certain Legendary Occult Scrolls, increasing Tao's damage output. Her main skill (Swords Out) summons a barrage of flying swords that target enemies. The number of flying swords depends on how much ammo Tao has used before using the skill. Her secondary skill (Fatal Bloom) creates petals that explode on contact. Unfortunately, Tao has one of the lowest HP and Shield ratings in Gunfire Reborn, so players will need to play it safe if they want to survive.
Full Sword Out Build
Undoubtedly, Swords Out is Tao's most powerful ability since it lets players unleash flying swords that automatically target enemies. That means players can clear entire rooms by simply pressing a button (if the player has enough flying swords). So, for this build, players will focus on improving any Ascension skill that buffs Swords Out. Additionally, some Talent skills improve Swords Out and overall Magazine Capacity.
Weapons to Use
Weapons with small Ammo Capacities, like Sniper Rifles, Launchers, and Shotguns, shouldn't be used with Tao since she only gets stronger the more ammo she consumes, the stronger her Swords Out skill gets. Additionally, players should avoid melee weapons or Injectors as they don't consume ammo. But, of course, players should always have a set of grenades on them since they can help clear large groups of enemies.
In terms of the best weapon, the Big Hippo (Assault Rifle) is the one to go for. The Big Hippo has a default magazine of 80, which is higher than most Assault Rifles. But the real icing on the cake is that the longer a player fires it, the more RoF it gains. The Scalpel Submachine Gun is another viable choice to use with Tao. This SMG has a "double-shot" mode that shoots two bullets simultaneously while increasing RoF.
Ascensions to Use
Players who want to push Tao to her full strength will need to ensure they level her Ascension skills as soon as possible. And while Tao does have a weaker early game, she quickly becomes a one-shotting hero by mid to late game with the right Ascension skills.
- Sword Shadow: Increase number of summoned flying swords per Blade Heart stack. This is an essential Ascension skill to max since it'll increase the amount of damage Tao does with Swords Out.
- Epic Swordcraft: Increase flying swords base damage. At max level, this skill will buff flying swords by 300%, which can lead to some interesting room clearing potential.
- Amplified Sword: Enemies hit by flying swords take increase damage. This damage can be stacked and lasts for 5 seconds before disappearing.
- Sword Defense: Reduce damage taken while flying swords are summoned. Tao doesn't have many survival Ascension skills, so players should consider using this one.
- Furious Wave: 40% chance of flying swords dealing double damage and a 20% chance that they'll deal triple damage. Since players will constantly be summoning Swords Out, the chances of hitting a double or triple crit is higher than usual.
- Luminous Heart: Reduces amount of ammo needed to create Blade Heart stack. The lower the required ammo, the faster players will gain flying swords.
- Empathy with Sword: 10% chance to summon an additional flying sword when hitting an enemy. Due to the amount of flying swords players will summon at any given moment, the chances of this skill activating are quite high.
- Sword Guard: Increases max shield for every sword summoned. As mentioned before, Tao lacks proper survivability so having more shield is always a good option.
Tao Gameplay Tips
As long as players keep filling their flying swords stack, there should be no issues with Tao since those swords can take care of enemies without any problem. But, of course, some tougher enemies, like White Shark or Mountain Guard, due to their large health pools. In those situations, players should focus on building up their flying swords and unleashing them as soon as possible. Additionally, players can rank up Tao's Superior Magazine Talent to increase the ammo capacity of her weapons if they feel that Tao's isn't stacking flying swords fast enough.
Gunfire Reborn is available now for PC, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.