The Lysate Cell is one of the newest and strangest void items brought forward in the Survivors of the Void DLC for Risk of Rain 2. This peculiar item provides all survivors with an extra charge of their unique ability. It is not mentioned in-game, but this item also reduces the cooldown of your special skill. The CDR adds a little more utility than it is usually given credit for. The Fuel Cell provides so much natural utility that it is generally treated as the superior item. However, specific specials and equipment make it impossible not to pick up The Lysate Cell.
Every Survivor / Special That DOES Works Well with Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2
Commando – Suppressive Fire
Commando’s special, Suppressive Fire is an extremely powerful ability, shooting up to six rapid bullets that stun enemies on impact. This ability does the same damage as his auto attacks but at a much faster rate. If you obtain more attack speed through your runs, like stacking Soldier’s Syringe or Mocha, Suppressive Fire shoots extra bullets per ability use. Taking the Lysate Cell on this ability takes the cooldown to around six seconds. Prioritizing Attack Speed is the best stat for Commando, making his Suppressive Fire do more damage than his auto attacks on top of providing stuns.
Commando – Frag Grenade
Commando’s arguably worse special, Frag Grenade, throws two grenades that do seven times the damage of his auto-attacks. This ability takes over a second to explode, comes out at an awkward angle, and has falloff damage. The hitbox for Frag Grenade is small, and the sweet spot hitbox is even smaller. This ability has around a three-second cooldown with the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2, making it more spammable but still not as valuable.
Huntress – Arrow Rain
Huntress’s default special Arrow Rain creates a medium-sized AOE doing minor tick damage for six seconds. This ability also teleports her directly upward, making it a good escape tool. Arrow Rain struggles to hit flying targets with an exceptionally high cooldown. Taking the Lysate Cell lowers the cooldown from twelve seconds to eight, making it significantly better and more valuable later in the run.
Huntress – Ballista
Huntress’s preferred special Ballista teleports Huntress backward from where you aim, then fires three high damaging hit scan blots forward. Ballista gives Huntress a lot of mobility with tons of burst damage. This ability has the same cooldown as Arrow Rain starting at twelve seconds. Using the Lysate Cell will give the same CDR and is arguably better than taking Arrow Rain.
Bandit – Desperado – A Great Survivor for the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2
Desperado is the alternative ability for Bandit and is similar in function to his other ability, Lights Out. Getting a kill with Desperado increases its base damage by 10% of your damage for the rest of the stage. Theoretically, this ability has infinite scaling for the stage whenever you continue to get kills. Since Desperado is used on low health targets, having several charges with the Lysate Cell allows you to stack it quickly.
Engineer – TR12 Gauss Auto-Turret & TR68 Carbonizer Turret
Taking the Lysate Cell on Engineer gives an additional charge to either type of his turrets. This is a fantastic boost for the engineer in Risk of Rain 2. By default, the maximum number of turrets you can have is two, with each turret scaling with all your items. However, even if you obtain an additional Lysate Cell, you cannot get more than three turrets.
Artificer – Flamethrower
Flamethrower shoots two streams of flame in front of Artificer at melee range doing 20 times her normal base damage over three seconds. While this ability is powerful in many situations, its lack of range makes it difficult to use. Taking the Lysate Cell allows you to pump out more damage in more cases with CDR plus the extra charges. However, the lack of range makes the Flamethrower risky, especially since it’s a channeled ability.
Artificer – Ion Surge
The second ability for Artificer is Ion Surge, a quick boost of electricity that launches her into the sky while dealing eight times her base damage in an area around her. Ion Surge isn’t mainly used for its damage; it’s picked for the utility to keep her in the air. In combination with her passive ENV Suit, she can hover in the air after one use of Ion Surge. Taking the Lysate Cell allows her to stay in the air more consistently, so she never has to touch the ground again. The Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2 isn’t nearly a requirement since Ion Surge isn’t spammed, but it helps.
Mercenary – Eviscerate
Eviscerate allows you to vanish from sight giving you invincibility frames, performing rapid AOE damage with 10% additional base damage per strike. Using the Lysate Cell will provide Mercenary tons of extra mobility with extra ways to dodge lots of damage faster than before. Just like Commando getting more Attack Speed will make Eviscerate strike additional times.
Mercenary – Slicing Winds
Slicing Winds throws out a projectile that hits up to three enemies eight times, and the last hit Exposes enemies. Taking this ability makes Mercenary play a bit more at ranged. Taking the Lysate Cell makes a ranged playstyle more consistent with poking down from afar.
REX – Directive: Harvest
One of the more defensive abilities REX has is their Harvest ability. Directive: Harvest shoots a projectile that does three times base damage, causing the enemy to drop healing fruit on death. The addition of the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2 doesn’t help with damage output but instead increases their survivability.
REX – Tangling Growth
The more offensive ability REX has is Tangling Growth, a large AOE that roots enemies, pulling them in while siphoning their health. Tangling Growth is the preferred alternative for REX since it still provides sustain in fights with the additional crowd control. The Lysate Cell doubles its effectiveness in health gain and controls large amounts of enemies. However, it does take 25% of your current health to cast. Even after an entangled enemy is killed, REX will still be healed for the ability’s duration.
Loader – M551 Pylon
Loader’s Pylon electrocutes up to six nearby enemies for 14 seconds every second. The Lysate Cell cuts down the Pylons base cooldown from 20 seconds to 13, which gives Loader tons of AOE damage more often. Loader can have a maximum of three active at a time, and they can be grappled with her secondary ability, Grapple Fist.
Loader – Thunderslam
The Loader survivor does a massive AOE slam of electricity around her that stuns for 20 times her base damage. Taking the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2 amps up her ability to have a five-second cooldown, thus giving a more constant AOE output. Thunderslam fits more into their melee-focused playstyle, or if you are looking for additional crowd control.
Acrid – Epidemic – Another Solid Choice for Picking the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2
Acrid’s only ability in this category spreads his passive poison up to 40 targets. With Acrid’s Neurotoxin, this ability spreads the two most essential skills in his kit much faster and easier. Having multiple charges of Epidemic allows Acrid to spread his poison every seven seconds and to new targets much faster.
Railgunner – Supercharge
The most damaging ability in the game is Railgunner’s default special Supercharge. This ability can hit Weak Spots identified by Railgunner and always crits. After using this ability, Railgunner cannot use any other ability aside from her utility, the Concussion Device. Using the Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2 with Supercharge brings the cooldown from 15 to 10 seconds. However, consistent use of Supercharge will have moments of inactivity be more consistent for tradeoffs of high burst damage.
Railgunner – Cryocharge
Cyrocharge, as opposed to Supercharge, does less than half of Supercharges damage in exchange for freezing. Cyrocharge also doesn’t shut Railgunner out of using abilities, unlike Supercharge. This ability has the same cooldown while also benefiting in the same way. Cryocharge functions the same way with the Lysate Cell as Supercharge does.
Related Article: Transcendence in Risk of Rain 2
Every Special that DOES NOT Work Well with The Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2
Bandit – Lights Out
Lights Out can fire a single bullet that refreshes all of Bandit’s cooldowns if it kills. Lysate Cell would only help with this ability if your shot doesn’t manage to kill, or you miss. Otherwise, Lights Out doesn’t need a Lysate Cell to accompany it.
Mul-T – Retool
Lysate Cell doesn’t impact the Retool ability whatsoever as Retool is already at a 0.5-second cooldown. The Fuel Cell in Risk of Rain 2 also adds cooldown reduction to both active charges of the equipments. This makes the Fuel Cell a better pick for its extra stacking charges.
Mul-T Power Mode
Mul-T’s Power Mode allows him to dual-wield two primaries at once in exchange for not being able to hold two pieces of equipment. This ability has a five-second cooldown yet remains active unless toggled off. You will never need additional charges for a toggle ability that you likely won’t turn off unless you need to run away quickly.
Captain – Orbital Supply Beacon
Captain’s only ability for this category, the Orbital Supply Beacon, works differently than other abilities. The Supply Beacon has a cooldown that is only refreshed after exiting the stage. It’s impossible to gain additional charges for the Supply Beacon. Unless you have Dio’s Best Friend, or if you pick up a Lysate Cell in Risk of Rain 2 after using a charge of the ability.
Void Fiend – Suppress
This ability can be spammed in Void Fiend’s normal form whenever you have 25 or more Corruption. With no cooldown on this ability, there is no need for more charges from Lysate Cell. The Corrupted version of Suppress takes 25% of your max health to cast but has two charges. Rarely will you ever want to use the Corrupted version of Suppress more than twice, or you might die.
