Hidden Gem Of The Week – Perforator!

Welcome to the first article in the ‘Hidden Gem of the Week’ series, where we’ll be shining a brief spotlight on some of Raid: Shadow Legends’ most underrated champions. The focus will mainly be on Rare and Epic champions that players might overlook – those who offer surprising value, deal unexpected damage, or bring unique utility to specific encounters.

That said, we may occasionally feature a Legendary, and we’d love to hear in the comments which champions you think deserve a place in the series. To kick things off, we’re looking at a Force affinity Rare who hits far harder than you might expect – Perforator!

Perforator’s main damage comes from his A2 – his only active skill – which ignores 50% of the target’s DEF and grants an Extra Turn upon killing an enemy. When combined with the Helmsmasher mastery and gear sets like Lethal, Savage, or Merciless, this can effectively scale to ignoring 100% DEF, turning him into a wrecking machine for the right encounters.

With the A2 on just a 3 turn cooldown, triggering Extra Turns allows him to cycle it frequently, and chaining into his A1 can often result in taking down two enemies in the same phase. This synergy becomes even more potent when equipped with a Relic like Gorecrescent, which grants a 20% damage boost to his next attack after a kill – perfectly complementing his lower multiplier A1. Even without this setup, he performs well in Faction limited content such as Siege posts, Doom Tower Secret Rooms, and Faction Wars.

On top of his raw damage potential, Perforator also has a passive chance to inflict Fear on enemies when landing critical hits, offering a touch of control against targets that survive his attacks. Overall, he’s a straightforward yet powerful Rare damage dealer who punches well above his rarity – almost like a budget version of Mountain King, thanks to the way he snowballs his single target attacks.

The simple answer is: Perforator shines against waves of enemies and in PvP modes like Siege, especially when you’re facing posts restricted to Rare champions. He can serve as a “secret weapon” your opponents won’t see coming – and for later game players, a setup with Lethal and Stoneskin gear not only protects him but also enables him to potentially eliminate two enemies in the same phase. Let’s dive into the details.

SIEGE

As mentioned earlier, you’ll occasionally encounter posts restricted to Rare champions – or perhaps you’ll volunteer to defend one yourself. Since most Rares tend to be quite fragile, keeping Perforator alive with sets like Stoneskin is key to letting him take a turn. Once he does, he can wipe out his targets far more efficiently than most other Rares in the game.

FACTION WARS

If your roster is short on damage dealers for the faction, or you’re looking to invest in one that doesn’t require scarce resources like Epic or Legendary tomes, Perforator is a solid choice. He can help you take down tough enemies while still dealing respectable damage to bosses.

SECRET ROOMS

We’ve all encountered those specific Doom Tower stages that restrict you to using Rare or Rare Attack champions. This is where Perforator truly shines – his damage potential allows him to eliminate key threats quickly, paving the way for your team’s victory.

CURSED CITY

If you’ve already invested in this champion for the areas mentioned above, he can also be a strong option for certain stages here. With the restrictions on ally types or factions, Perforator can slot into teams to fill a damage dealing gap and take down key enemies – being usable across 57 Sintranos Hard stages.

FUN!

Players may just enjoy building low investment champions – sometimes just for the fun of trying something new! Watching this champion melt higher rarity enemies in the Arena or other game modes can be incredibly satisfying and a great reminder that even Rares can pack a serious punch.

Perforator is as straightforward as they come – his main focus is on gear sets that ignore Defence and stats that enhance his strengths: Speed to take turns, along with ATK%, C.RATE, and C.DMG. Let’s take a quick look at some setups you could consider, whether you’re using spare gear for a fun build or pushing him to reach his full potential.

• Stoneskin + Lethal/Savage
  This setup allows Perforator to start the round protected by the Stoneskin buff, with a 50% chance to block removals or steals, while the Lethal or Savage set helps him ignore even more Defence. It’s an excellent combination for PvP modes like Classic Arena or Siege, offering both stronger damage and reliable protection.
• Merciless
  While most players wouldn’t typically aim for the full 9 piece bonus on a Rare, even reaching a 6–7-piece bonus can be highly effective. You’ll gain valuable stats like ATK%, C.DMG, and SPD, along with 35% DEF ignore and a 30% chance to decrease a random skill cooldown. Since Perforator only has one active skill, this cooldown reduction will always target his A2 – allowing him to use it even more frequently.
• Savage + Cruel
  This setup is ideal for players who want to use gear that’s accessible through farming both the Demon Lord Clan Boss and the Fire Knight. The Cruel set provides a 2 piece bonus of +15% ATK and 5% DEF ignore, and even running six pieces of it can make for a solid budget build. Pairing it with a Savage set, however, adds more ignore DEF, taking his damage potential to the next level.

As a Rare champion, we won’t include many higher rarity options here, since those are best reserved for your stronger, meta champions and are often hard to acquire. That said, there is one Legendary option that fits him perfectly – though we’d only recommend it if you have a spare you don’t mind using on a Rare.

BEST RELICS:

• Malefic Talon
  The starting bonus grants extra C.DMG, and the wearer also has a chance to deal 10% more damage when attacking.
• Gorecrescent
  The wearer’s next attack after killing an enemy deals 20% more damage, perfectly complementing the synergy of using his A2 to secure a kill and then following up with his A1.
• Draught Of Ire
  This Rare Relic allows the wearer to deal 5% more damage with their default skill when other abilities are on cooldown. Since Perforator only has one active skill, this effect can trigger frequently before his A2 becomes available again.

BEST BLESSING:

• Phantom Touch
  This blessing has a chance to inflict bonus damage on one enemy whenever this champion attacks. The bonus damage scales with the champion’s ATK, and at higher awakening levels, there’s also a chance to trigger a second instance of bonus damage.