Outriders: How to defeat Captain Reiner

After making it through the initial intro section of Outriders and choosing a Path, players will soon confront one of the game’s first challenges. 

Once you’ve made it to Shira and gotten your first mission, side quests will begin to open up on the map. One such side quest is available on your way to completing your second main mission, and it’s called “Payback". 

This quest is given to you by a wounded soldier and she wants one thing: revenge against a ruthless captain. The captain, Reiner, is the same man who threw you into No Man’s Land after you awoke from cryo-sleep. Obviously, revenge for this act, as well as for the wounded soldier, is an enticing offer. 

Payback is one of the first side quests in Outriders. (Picture: Square Enix)

However, defeating Captain Reiner is no small feat, as it requires some planning and serious understanding of your abilities. Here’s how you can beat him and overcome one of the first hurdles in Outriders. 

Defeating Captain Reiner in Outriders

The first part of this quest is to make your way through a valley full of enemies. Taking cover and shooting at enemies with a rifle or sniper is going to be your best bet here. Although, there is a sniper with a laser that will shoot you if you come up from cover, so make sure the laser isn’t on you when you peek to shoot. 

After the enemies are defeated, you can find a loot chest to the left of the top of the valley and find Reiner’s location to the right through a metal door. 

Once you’ve reached Reiner, you’ll get a prompt about Interrupts and Resistances. Essentially, interrupting an enemy means that you use damage-dealing abilities while they’re filling up their orange casting bar to cast their own ability. If you damage them enough while this is happening, their ability won’t work.

However, there’s also Resistances, which happens when you’ve interrupted them too much. If they have a blue aura around them, they can’t be interrupted. 

The prompt for Interrupts and Resistances. (Picture: Square Enix)

While fighting Reiner, make sure to take out some of his soldiers first. There are four other enemies at first, so try and take out at least a couple. You can save the others for later in order to get some health back. 

For Reiner himself, shooting at him from cover with a rifle or shotgun is your best option until your abilities are ready. Once they are, go at him while he’s attempting to cast his healing ability. If he gets this off, then he’ll regenerate a large amount of health and you’ll be in for a rough time. 

As long as you keep your fire on Reiner for multiple seconds, then taking cover to dodge his attacks, and use your abilities at the correct time, you’ll make it through the quest eventually. Ensuring that he can’t heal and running away from his fire tornado while keeping fire on him are the keys along with using your abilities to deal major damage. 

• Read more: Outriders Crafting guide: Anomaly Shards, mods, resources, rarity, attributes, levelling, more

Once Reiner is defeated, return to the soldier and the Payback quest is complete.