The Enforcer is seen as a weak character in Risk of Rain.
Having no evasion skill, low movement speed and a skill that makes you even slower you aren't very likely to survive right? Wrong!

Compared to HAN-D the enforcer is weaker in HP, HP-Regen, Armor. So you could think that HAN-D would be the better tank. "Protect and Serve" however can negate up to 95% of the damage you'd receive.

As Enforcer you have less attack speed than Commander or Bandit. Your DPS is a lot lower and stages can take quite a while to clear. But are you a bad fighter? Not at all. All 3 of your attack skills hit multiple targets which can clear a wave of enemies faster than the DPS-Characters.
So you trade single target DPS for AOE-Damage.

Your Basic attack.
Having only a medium range you hit all targets in it's reach applying a decent knock back.
Every target damaged can trigger "On-Hit"-effects like AtG Missile, Rusty Knife, Leeching Seed and Brilliant Behemoth.

Damages and knocks enemies away in the direction you face. The radius is a small circle around you. Enemies at the edge of the radius behind you get knocked away in the other direction.

A 1 Second AOE-Stun which can be fired on long distance.


This skill is why i like the Enforcer.
If you manage to always have the enemies in your face instead of your back you become the most tanky character in the game.
Those scary attacks of monsters like Sand Crab, Rock Golem, Gup and the Colossus suddenly are a joke to laugh about.


Since i've unlocked it i only play this game using the -artifact. It makes playing so much more convenient since you don't have to live with a random factor that item drops can be.
My build path usually looks as follows:

Common Items

1x Life Savings
3x Paul's Goat Hoof
1x Barbed Wire
1x Medkit
1x Monster Tooth
1-2x Bustling Fungus
After that i take any of the following: Barbed Wire, Medkit, Monster Tooth, Bitter Root

Uncommon Items

1x Infusion
1x Tough Times
1x Chargefield Generator
1-2x Toxic Worm
1-2x Frost Relic
After that any of the following: Tough Times(max 4), Chargefield Generator, Filial Imprinting

Rare Items

1x Repulsion Armor
1x Dio's Best Friend
After that take all the Tesla Coil you can and if needed refresh your Dio's Best Friend

Use Items

Captain's Brooch

Alternative Use Items

Disposable Missile Launcher (IMO the strongest offensive use item)
Foreign Fruit (Best defensive item in this build)

There are 2 ways for you to play this item build.
Way 1:

1. Look for a wall
   
2. Position your back to it
   
3. Active Protect and Serve
   
4. Shoot out of all holes.
   
5. Keep enemies which can surpass your shield (fire-elites and some big monsters who hit behind you) away with Shield Blast and Crowd Control
   
6. Can't find a wall? Constantly move backwards using step 3 to 5 (deactivate Protect and Serve if you reach a ledge, jump over enemies, repeat at step 3)

Way 2 (how i like it)

1. Constantly run around the small monsters killing them with your sheer presence
   
2. Stand in bosses activating Protect and Serve dealing 1k damage and healing for 2k (Bustling Fungus is broken) per second
   
3. look as your Chargefield Generator surpasses screen limits and Frost Relic has spawned you 20-30 icicles

Paul's Goat Hoof
Description: +15% movement speed.
Stacking: Further increases movement speed by 15% .
Reason: You don't want enemies to just run past you and attack you from behind.
Importance: I always get 3 of these asap.


Filial Imprinting
Description: Hatch a creature who drops attack speed/health regen/move speed buffs
every 20 seconds
Stacking: +1 hatched creature
Reason: While not really reliable it's a fun gimmick. The health regen/move speed buffs
are really useful

Red Whip
Description: Leaving combat for 1.5 seconds boosts your movement speed by 80%.
Stacking: Unknown
Reason: Receive no damage and you are Sonic the Hedgehog.
Importance: Makes running around so much more convenient.

Bustling Fungus
Description: After 2 seconds, heal for 4.5% of your health every second.
Stacking: +4.5% health per second (23 = 103.5% per second)
Reason: With my damage build you don't need to attack to get kills.
Importance: If you are willing to stand idle this is your No. 1 item to go. (1 or 2 are enough)

Monster Tooth
Description: On kill: Killing an enemy heals you for 10 health.
Stacking: +5 health after kill.
Reason: This item replaces the Leeching Seed of normal builds.
Importance: After you have a Bustling Fungus or if you don't want to stand idle take this.

Medkit
Description: Heals for 10 hp after 1.1 seconds.
Stacking: Each additional Medkit increases the heal by 10.
Reason: Some things can't be blocked (Fire, Rockets from behind, Jellyfish)
Importance: Ranked 3rd it negates most weak hits.


Mysterious Vial
Description: Increase health regeneration by 1.2 per second.
Stacking: +1.2 health per second.
Reason: Some recovery in case you do get hit.
Importance: Ranked 4th in utility of the 5 healing items.


Sprouting Egg
Description: After not being hit for 7 seconds, increase health regen by 2.4 health per second.
Stacking: +2.4 heath per second.
Reason: Good item if you are low on health and have to run around a bit.
Importance: Worst of the 5 healing items as you will be in combat a lot


Infusion
Description: On kill: Killing an enemy increases your health permanently by 1.
Stacking: +0.5 health on kill.
Reason: The best item in the game in terms of survivability.
Importance: If you can: GET THIS. You will have up to 1000 HP after 40 minutes.


Tough Times
Description: Increase armor by 14.
Stacking: +14 armor.
Reason: Damage reduction = Armor/(Armor+100) means the 1st reduces damage by ~12.3%, the 2nd by ~21.8% and so on.
Importance: Since stacking has a diminishing effect i would recommend 4 at max.

Bitter Root
Description: Gain 8% max hp
Stacking: Further gain 8% max hp, up to 38 stacks (300% extra HP)
Reason: Combined with Infusion this item can really shine.
Importance: Further improves Infusion and Bustling Fungus. Get when you feel you are still too fragile.

Repulsion Armor
Description: After 6 hits reduce and reflect incoming damage by 83% for 3 seconds.
Stacking: Increases length of reflection by 1 second to a cap of 8 seconds.
Reason: Bosses like Magma Worm can hit you despite your block.
Importance: First item you should get if you can get a rare item.



Dio's Best Friend
Description: On death: Taking fatal damage revives you to 40% health. Invincible for 2 seconds.
Stacking: Can not be stacked for multiple revives, but if the revive effect has been used
picking up another will reset it.
Reason: I think this one is obvious.

Hermit's Scarf
Description: 10% chance to evade attacks.
Stacking: Increases dodge chance, up to a maximum of 35% at six stacks.
Reason: Sometimes you will get attacked and having a little dodge chance never hurt.
Importance: Little importance as you block most attacks.

Life Savings
Description: Generate $1 every 3 seconds.
Stacking: +1 gold generation rate
Reason: Given you get the "Captain's Brooch" you want some Extra Income to open all these chests.
Importance: This will be my first item in every run. Leave no chest behind.

Captain's Brooch
Description: Call down a chest nearby.
Cooldown: 135 seconds
Reason: More Chests = More Equipment
Importance: Get this if you want to play this item build.


Smart Shopper
Description: +25% enemy gold drops
Stacking: +25% enemy gold drops
Reason: Alternative to Life Savings but if you finished the level you can't get more money for remaining chests.

Barbed Wire
Description: Touching enemies deals 50% more damage/sec.
Stacking: +20% larger radius. Damage per stack starting at ~+17% damage/sec (decreasing)
Reason: Hits 1 enemy per second in it's range.
Importance: Only common item to deal damage in this play strategy.

Chargefield Generator
Description: On kill: Killing an enemy generates a lightning ring, dealing 50% damage/sec for 6 seconds. (Each kill enlarges the radius and resets duration)
Stacking: +10% damage/sec
Reason: While this only activates on kill it's the better version of Barbed Wire
Importance: Best uncommon item to deal damage with this build.

Toxic Worm
Description: Infect enemies, dealing 50% damage/sec. Bounces to other enemies on death.
Stacking: Allows infection on multiple targets.
Reason: Enemies that run past you get killed quickly. The bounce afterwards is nice too.
Importance: I would get one after i have my first Chargefield Generator.

Frost Relic
Description: Killing an enemy surrounds you with 3 icicles that deal 3x33% damage.
Stacking: +1 additional icicle.
Reason: Kills close range enemies faster.
Importance: 1 or 2 of these and you can run towards enemies. They will die before you reach them.

Tesla Coil
Description: Shock nearby enemies for 150% damage.
Stacking: +50% damage.
Reason: Unlike Barbed Wire this also damage when hanging from ropes.
Importance: If you have Repulsion Armor start stacking these.

Gasoline
Description: On kill: Killing enemies burns the ground for 60% damage for 2 seconds
Stacking; +40% damage.
Reason: What is better than killing your enemies? Letting your enemies kill your enemies.
Importance: I said Barbed Wire is the only common damage item because i would favour it over this at any point given my play style.

Will-o'-the-wisp
Description: (33%) On kill: 33% chance on killing an enemy to create a lava pillar for 500% damage.
Stacking: Increases damage of the lava pillar.
Reason: Another item favouring the "Sit idle"-play style.
Importance: The pillar can be devastating IF there are enemies on it.

Ceremonial Dagger
Description; On kill: Upon killing an enemy fire out 4 heat-seeking bolts that deal 100% damage.
Stacking: Fires +2 additional bolts.
Reason: Enemies kill each other off screen now.
Importance: Really fun alternative to Tesla Coil

Fireman's Boots
Description: Walking leaves behind a fire trail that burns for 35% damage.
Stacking: +20% damage.
Reason: Run around more; spread more terror.
Importance: Stacks perfectly with Gasoline and Paul's Goat Hoof


The Hit List
Description: Killing a randomly marked enemy permanently increases damage by 0.5. (Stacks max at 40)
Stacking: Increase amount of markable enemies.
Reason: Increasing your raw damage increases ALL your items' damage.
Importance: Get one of these when you survive easily for even more efficient killing.


Brilliant Behemoth
Description: All your attacks explode for a bonus 20% damage to nearby enemies
Stacking: +20% damage.
Reason: Works well with your skills as they all hit multiple targets.
Importance: Tesla Coil is more fun but if you want to attack some this is your item.

White lines in the corners are the expansion of my Chargefield Generator.

Thanks for reading this guide.
Please leave comments if you think i can improve something.

Thanks to the "Risk of Rain"-Wiki for being my source of the graphics and item descriptions.