Presented within this booklet will be the regulations you as an Enforcer must remember to follow, in order to maintain peace without causing too much harm. Failure to follow these rules and regulations will cause you to be severely reprimanded, and potentially fired.

\\\\ THE ENFORCER IS A SLOW, BUT POWERFUL CHARACTER. BATTING AWAY ENEMIES ////
\\\\ WITH SHIELD SLAM GUARANTEES YOU WILL KEEP ENEMIES AT A SAFE RANGE. MAKE ////
\\\\ SURE TO USE PROTECT AND SERVE AGAINST WALLS TO PREVENT ENEMIES ////
\\\\ FROM FLANKING YOU ////

The Enforcer, a character one could say is antithetical to the design of Returns, a character who, rather than constantly moving around, prefers to play slower, more methodically, dropping down his shield in order to block from one side when needed. With such powerful defenses, the Enforcer played right can be an absolute tank on the battlefield.

As stated, the Enforcer plays completely differently from any other character, even his closest counterpart, the Sniper. Enforcer is very slow and methodical with very little movement options, instead relying on his crowd damage and knockback to keep enemies away while using Protect & Serve to stop any incoming damage. Due to this, Enforcer can struggle with crowds and is prone to swarming, requiring good positioning and situational awareness to keep this from happening.

Though arguably one of the weakest characters due to his low mobility and sedentary playstyle, he can still be quite a brutal character in the right hands, which is what I hope this guide helps with teaching.

The Enforcer is generally a bit more durable than other characters.

Health Pool
119 [Base]
34 [Per Level]

Above average health and health scaling

Regeneration
1.2 [Base]
0.12 [Per Level]

Above average regeneration, but average regeneration scaling

Damage
12 [Base]
3 [Per Level]

Average damage and damage scaling

Armor
0 [Base]
2 [Per Level]

Average base armor and armor scaling

Speed
28 km/h

Average speed

\\\\ FULL PUMP-LOADED SHOTGUN WITH ELECTRON-COMPRESSED ROUNDS TO ////
\\\\ DISPERSE RIOTING CROWDS. DUE TO ELECTRON COMPRESSION, THE SHOTGUN ////
\\\\ CAN HOLD LARGE AMOUNT OF SHELLS, AND IN A PINCH, COMPRESS AIR INTO A ////
\\\\ BLAST INSTEAD, THUS NEGATING THE NEED TO LOAD MORE AMMUNITION////
\\\\ ALEBIT AT THE COST OF FIREPOWER ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: ELECTRON-COMPRESSED SHELLS OR AIR]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: NONE]

Enforcer’s default primary skill.

Fires at a moderate interval with 160% damage in a limited range, piercing all enemies. This piercing possesses no pierce decay, and thus no damage is lost when piercing multiple targets.

Riot Shotgun fires at an approximate interval of 1 shot every 0.7 seconds, with no significant recovery between shots.

Riot Shotgun, like many piercing effects, can apply moderate knockback to targets hit, especially lighter targets such as Lemurians.

\\\\ SWAT-GRADE CONCUSSIVE GRENADES FOR HANDLING LARGE CROWDS. REQUIRES ////
\\\\ DEDICATED LAUNCHER TO ARM AND FIRE, HOLDING UP TO 4 GRENADES AT A TIME ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: SPECIAL-GRADE CONCUSSIVE GRENADES]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s alternate primary skill.

Fires at a moderate interval, exploding on impact or after a set duration for 60% damage. Creates 3 explosions on detonation.

Fires at approximately the same interval as Riot Shotgun, with no significant recovery between shots. Holds 4 shots at a time, with the reload taking approximately 1 second.

Compared to the Riot Shotgun, the Shrapnel Grenades focus more heavily on immediate AoE, with multiple explosions per grenade allowing for multiple procs at a time (though it should be noted that Riot Shotgun also has a chance to proc for each enemy hit).

\\\\ A TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED BY ENFORCEMENT PREDECESSORS, UTILIZING YOUR ////
\\\\ PROVIDED RIOT SHIELD TO BATTER AWAY CROWDS AND BLUDGEON THEM. PLEASE ////
\\\\ USE LEARNT TECHNIQUES RESPONSIBLY AND ONLY IN SELF-DEFENSE ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: 1 ENFORCEMENT RIOT SHIELD]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s default secondary skill.

Knocks away all enemies within a short range in front of the Enforcer, dealing 210% damage to each enemy hit.

Holds 1 charge. Has a cooldown of 5 seconds.

A very basic and effective “get off me” tool that does exactly as it’s described, allowing you to keep enemies that get too close away from you.

\\\\ NEWLY-DEVELOPED ANTI-CONTENDER TECHNIQUE TO QUICKLY DISPERSE CROWDS ////
\\\\ AND SINGLE OUT HIGH-PRIORITY TARGETS. EXECUTED THIS TECHNIQUE AS ////
\\\\ REQUESTED BY SUPERIORS ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: 1 ENFORCEMENT RIOT SHIELD]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s alternate secondary skill.

Charge forward a moderate distance, becoming completely invincible and pushing enemies along with you for 100% damage and stunning them for the duration, lasting for about 2 seconds.

You are able to jump during the charge, and grants a slight boost upwards if used while airborne.

Holds 1 charge. Has a cooldown of 10 seconds.

While Shield Slam may be an excellent starter skill, Shield Tackle is an invaluable addition to Enforcer’s kit, granting him much-needed mobility, as well as multiple techniques which he can perform, such as being able to turn around without exiting Protect and Serve, jump during Protect and Serve, and in general allow for greater mobility. It’s only detriment is the long cooldown.

\\\\ A STANDARD-ISSUE ENFORCEMENT RIOT SHIELD, WHICH CAN BE ANCHORED INTO ////
\\\\ THE GROUND, OR WITH GRAV-GRIPS, TO THE BODY, FOR INCREASED STABILITY AND ////
\\\\ DEFENSE. HIGHLY DURABLE AND NIGH-UNBREAKABLE, AT LEAST FROM THE FRONT ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: NONE]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s sole secondary skill.

Slam your shield down for 210% damage, knocking away enemies. Enter a shielded stance, where all attacks from your front are entirely negated while also boosting your attack speed by a moderate.

You are unable to turn around while shielded, and jumping will cancel Protect and Serve. While shielded, you also move noticeably slower, lowering mobility.

Holds 1 charge. Has a cooldown of 3 seconds, which doesn’t begin until you exit your shielded stance.

Protect & Serve is Enforcer’s bread and butter, and is what protects him, as well as is what his entire playstyle revolves around. Remember, Protect & Serve has a very low cooldown, so don’t be afraid to exit the stance if you need to move - it’s better to live then to get swarmed.

\\\\ SPECIALTY ANTI-RIOT GRENADES PACKED WITH TEAR GAS AND EXPLODING ////
\\\\ WITH HEAVY CONCUSSIVE FORCE, STAGGERING HOSTILES ////
\\\\ LOADED INTO SPECIALTY LAUNCHERS, WHICH HOLD 1 AT A TIME ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: CROWD DISPERSION GRENADES]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s default special skill.

Fire for a grenade not unlike Shrapnel Grenade that can bounce, exploding on impact or after a moderate distance for 250% damage and stunning all enemies caught in the blast radius.

Holds 1 charge. Has a cooldown of 5 seconds.

Crowd Control is a solid, well, crowd control option, hitting in a very large blast radius and stunning, being able to keep enemies at bay while also dealing some good damage.

If you possess an Ancient Scepter, Crowd Control is upgraded to Tear Gas, which in addition to Crowd Control’s normal effects, inflicts the fear debuff onto affected enemies.

\\\\ A UNIQUE SETTING ON ENFORCEMENT-ISSUED RIOT SHOTGUNS THAT ENABLES ////
\\\\ SINGLE, SLUG-LIKE FIRE TO DISPERSE CONTENDORS. ALL ENFORCEMENT ////
\\\\ OFFICERS MUST BE FORMALLY TRAINED IN THE USAGE OF THIS SETTING ////

[AMMUNITION REQUIRED: ELECTRON-COMPRESSED SHELLS OR AIR]
[RECHARGE REQUIRED: YES]

Enforcer’s alternate special skill.

Fire three short-ranged blasts forward, angled upwards, and above you, or forward, angled downwards, and below you if you’re airborne, for 300% damage for each blast and piercing all hit enemies, with no pierce decay (the in-game description of 350% is incorrect).

Deals a larger amount of damage to larger targets such as bosses or Elder Lemurians, and slightly boosts you upwards if used while airborne.

Holds 1 charge. Has a cooldown of 5 seconds.

Disperse is a lot more lacking compared to Crowd Control, with significantly smaller area and any lack of actual control effects, but deals competent damage, especially if you can hit all 3 blasts.

If you possess an Ancient Scepter, Disperse is upgraded to Evacuate, which in addition to Disperse’s normal effects, inflicts stun onto affected enemies.

Simply play the game, These three bosses are very common and you are likely to unlock the Enforcer within the first handful of runs.


A fairly difficult but doable trial to complete, this requires you to first beat enemies to stock up on drones before heading down to fight the scavenger. I would highly recommend grabbing Spare Drone Parts as opposed to Infusions, then defeat as many enemies as you can to grab common-chest drones. Make sure you grab at least one healing drone. Then, defeat the Elder Lemurian to get a keycard and head down. The Scavenger fight itself is with a Frenzied Scavenger, and as such takes a while to beat - you’ll need to be on point with your juking and shield positioning to beat it. If you’re confident in your ability, take The Backup as your equipment going down - otherwise, grab the Foreign Fruit. Best of luck.

\\\\ VIDEO BY SNOOZEY ////


A significantly easier trial compared to Scavenger Hunt or Go On Without Me. Simply get the Gups to the end while avoiding getting hit by the Brambles. Simply playing the trial will be enough to give you an idea for pathing, from there on out you can make you way while leading the Gups.

\\\\ VIDEO BY SNOOZEY ////


A tough trial initially, but one that can be cheesed. Stand at the left edge of the platform that’s in the center, towards the bottom. Making use of jump shooting to avoid Lemurian attacks is highly recommended - if you’re feeling particularly confident, feel free to grab items around the map as well to maximize your damage. It is also entirely possible to beat the trial the intended way of moving around of course, which in that case, is all about cycling your Shield Slam and Disperse to keep enemies away while jump-shooting with Riot Shotgun, and occasionally move around to avoid the missiles from the Volatile Lemurian Cavalry.


\\\\ GOLD RANK BY SNOOZEY ////

Riot Shotgun. While Shrapnel Grenade isn’t by any means a bad skill, the consistent area damage with no reload that Riot Shotgun has in general outclasses the Shrapnel Grenades.


Shield Tackle. Shield Tackle offers several incredibly valuable tech to Enforcer, as well as generally being a much-needed repositioning tool he has desperately needed, so much that it just eclipses Shield Slam, even though Shield Slam in itself isn’t a bad skill.


Crowd Control. Disperse doesn’t have much effect in normal runs, especially with how close you need to be to make use of it - and unlike the other shotgun special, Commando’s Point Blank, it’s lacking in hit count as well, so it’s not even particularly good at procs (for reference, Point Blank has both piercing and 6 hits in one go). Additionally, the firing angle makes it more inconsistent, requiring you to, much like CHEF’s empowered Dice, sit inside an enemy to maximize the damage, though with only a quarter of the maximum output CHEF could be outputting. This isn’t a case of the worse skill still being a good but overshadowed option, it’s case of the worse skill actually being bad, and in desperate need of a rebalance or rework.

Shield Tackle can be canceled mid-charge using Protect & Serve

Likewise, Protect & Serve can be charged out of using Shield Tackle, though this more accurately “delays” Protect & Serve rather than fully cancels it, allowing you to reposition without being forced out of Protect and Serve






If you hold a movement key when you cancel a Shield Tackle with Protect & Serve, or as you exit Shield Tackle after “canceling” a Protect & Serve with it, when you exit the tackle, your facing direction for Protect & Serve will be the same direction as the held movement key.

For example, if you are charging to the right and hold down left before canceling the tackle with Protect & Serve, you will now be facing left with the shield.

This tech in tandem with the aforementioned cancels is a huge gameplay shift for Enforcer, allowing him to reposition and alter his facing direction during Protect & Serve.




You can jump during Shield Tackle, which preserves all momentum. Additionally, if you end the tackle midair, you will still be in Protect & Serve while airborne, which further adds to the massive repositioning potential of Shield Tackle.






If you slam enemies into a wall while using Shield Tackle, the enemies will be knocked behind you. Remember to turn around when the Shield Tackle ends so you don’t screw yourself over.

• While Enforcer is less mobile than other characters, remember to be moving around whenever you can help it, even if it means backpedaling while under Protect & Serve
  
• Understand the map you are on. Look for nooks, crannies, and ledges to place your back against to protect that side of you while under Protect & Serve
  
• Don’t be afraid to exit Protect & Serve if you need to reposition - it only has a 3 second cooldown, so you can enter back into it before you know it
  
• To that end, you can also try to exit Protect & Serve to regain the shield slam if you need enemies off you now
  
• Try to keep enemies at a medium distance using the tools afforded to you, as it is Enforcer’s preferred range - all of his skills can’t properly hit at longer ranges, and at close range, Protect & Serve won’t be able to protect him as reliably
  
• Prioritize what enemies are immediate threats, rather than what is the most threatening overall. Since Protect & Serve can completely negate attacks, the enemies you should focus on are those who are close enough to bypass the shield or can bypass the shield in general, such as Lemurians who walk close enough or flying enemies. Remember, you don’t have the mobility to catch up to something like an Elder Lemurian off in the disatnce, so it’s better to deal with the threat immediately at hand
  
• Understand Enforcer is a much more patient playstyle. You lack the mobility to give chase, even with Shield Tackle, so wait for enemies to come to you, rather than you to them
  
• Crowd control is king on Enforcer. With his multitarget ability, he’s more than up to the task to proc crowd control or on-hit items readily, and he’ll love them - more crowd control means less chance of enemies getting close to him. Defensive items such as Topaz Brooch and Guardian’s Heart are also much appreciated
  
• Remember - Be patient as Enforcer, and keep your cool. You have a ton of durability if you keep a cool head, especially being able to negate attacks from one side of you, so calm down and play it safe.

Risk of Rain Returns now has a modding scene, so below is a list of recommended mods to utilize.

Adds more detailed item descriptions from the logbook to items in a run so you know what the items do.


A simple DPS tracker to show how much damage you are doing.


A simple HUD addition that shows your current in-run stats.


A bugfix mod that prevents clipping when going at too high of a speed.

Enforcer is and has always been a rather intriguing character. In a game all about movement and staying on the run, Enforcer is the antithesis, instead opting to stay put in one general instead, blocking attacks as opposed to dodging them. However, this very design choice is what ends up causing Enforcer to be considered one of the weakest characters overall - he lacks the mobility, and struggles to keep enemies off him once they get too close. With the introduction of Shield Tackle, this has thankfully improved his standing, but it hasn’t changed much with his overall ranking, even if he can survive better than before.

That said, Enforcer isn’t just a simple set of number changes - he needs some fundamental kit changes, which I’ve proposed here[docs.google.com].

Hope this guide has been of help!

Author
Number-cruncher
Playstyle Videos
Tech & Interactions gifs


Skill descriptions and clarifications
Skill demo gifs
Unlock Info


Gold Providence Trial videos