Your combat drone is the only thing standing between you and the bullet hell that fills every Doloc Town dungeon, and choosing the wrong upgrades early will leave you shredded by the time Drone 33 shows up. This Doloc Town drone upgrade guide walks you through every weapon, every chip, and every loadout decision so your drone actually pulls its weight in the later biomes like Old City Ruins and Treaty Port.
Understanding the Combat Drone System
Your drone is your offensive lifeline. According to the Doloc Town Steam listing, combat revolves around an auto-shooting combat drone that you can either let run loose or take direct control of. That single toggle is the foundation of every build in this Doloc Town drone upgrade guide, because the upgrade path that wins in Auto mode is almost never the path that wins when you take the helm yourself.
Auto vs Manual Control
Auto mode lets your drone pick its own targets, fire on cooldown, and reposition toward the nearest hostile. It is forgiving, hands-off, and the right choice when you are busy dodging. Manual mode hands you direct aiming control so you can focus fire weak points, peel off a priority target, or save cooldowns for a boss phase. Community testing reported by players on Reddit suggests that Manual mode roughly doubles your sustained damage on boss enemies, but it also doubles your incoming damage if you forget to keep moving.
Drone 33 — The Threat That Defines Upgrades
Hostile Drone 33 is the mid-game boss that separates pilots who read a drone upgrade guide from those who wing it. It mixes sweeping laser volleys with targeted rockets, and the only consistent counter is a drone that fires fast enough to stagger the cannon arm during the laser phase. As of the August 2026 patch notes, Drone 33 also spawns two helper drones that must be cleared first, which is why pure single-target builds struggle here. If you want a broader primer before diving into chips, the Doloc Town beginner guide covers the basics of unlocking your first drone slot.
Weapon Types and Damage Profiles
Weapons set the floor for your drone's damage output. Chips multiply that floor, so a mediocre weapon with great chips still loses to a great weapon with no chips, especially against Drone 33. The RPGamer review of Doloc Town confirms there are three primary weapon families, each with a clear identity.
Bullet Weapons
Bullet weapons are fast, accurate, and built for sustained pressure. They have low per-shot damage but the highest attack speed ceiling, which makes them the safest choice for Auto mode because missed shots barely cost you anything. Players report that a maxed bullet weapon clears the Outskirts and River Valley without any chip investment because the base fire rate is already high enough.
Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons are slow, chunky, and built for boss killing. Each shot is a mini-cannonball that chunks armor, but the long cooldown means you cannot afford to miss. In Manual mode, a heavy weapon paired with the right special ability chip can stagger Drone 33 out of its laser phase before it even finishes winding up. In Auto mode, the same weapon often whiffs because the targeting AI does not predict enemy movement well enough to land a slow projectile.
The Comparison Table
Here is how the three families stack up at a glance:
| Weapon Family | Base Damage | Fire Rate | Best Control Mode | Synergizes With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet | Low | Very High | Auto or Manual | Attack Speed chips |
| Heavy | Very High | Low | Manual | Special Ability chips |
| Balanced | Medium | Medium | Both | Mixed chip sets |
The takeaway: pick bullet weapons if you plan to leave the drone on Auto mode while you focus on dodging, and pick heavy weapons only if you commit to Manual mode for boss fights.
Enhancement Chips Deep Dive
Enhancement chips are socketable modifiers that slot into your drone to alter fire rate, damage, and ability behavior. They are the multiplier on top of your weapon choice, and according to community data shared on the Steam community hub, they account for roughly 60 percent of your late-game damage output. If you have not read the dedicated drone chips guide, here is the short version organized for this Doloc Town drone upgrade guide.
Attack Speed Chips
Attack speed chips push your fire rate higher, which is essential for bullet weapons and almost wasted on heavy weapons. They come in three rarities, and stacking two of the same rarity does not stack the effect linearly, so most experienced players mix one common attack speed chip with one rare chip for the best damage per slot. Reported by players on the Steam community, the rare attack speed chip is the single most impactful drop you can find in the Wetlands.
Special Ability Chips
Special ability chips unlock or modify your drone's ultimate ability, the screen-clearing burst that you charge up by dealing damage. There are three main archetypes:
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Burst Chip — instantly clears weak projectiles and damages nearby enemies. Best for bullet hell phases.
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Mark Chip — paints a target so every shot deals bonus damage for several seconds. Best for Drone 33 and other bosses.
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Shield Chip — grants a one-time damage shield when your ability triggers. Best for players still learning dodge patterns.
Damage, Cooldown, and Utility Chips
Beyond the headline chips, you will also find damage chips, cooldown reduction chips, and a small set of utility chips that boost pickup range or grant brief invulnerability on dodge. The table below summarizes which chips belong in which slot for each control mode.
| Chip Type | Best For Auto Mode | Best For Manual Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack Speed | Tier S | Tier B | Diminishing returns past 2 slots |
| Special Ability | Tier A | Tier S | Mark Chip wins vs Drone 33 |
| Damage | Tier B | Tier A | Linear scaling, no cap |
| Cooldown Reduction | Tier C | Tier A | Heavy weapons need this |
| Utility | Tier B | Tier C | Pickup range helps farming |
Upgrade Priority and Loadout Strategy
Knowing the parts is only half of a Doloc Town drone upgrade guide — you also need a build order. Spend your scrap on the wrong slot and you will feel it every fight until you finally save up again.
Early Game Build
For the Outskirts and River Valley, run a bullet weapon with one attack speed chip and one common damage chip. Leave the drone on Auto mode, focus entirely on learning dodge tells, and stockpile chips rather than leveling the drone frame. The community consensus on Reddit is that chip quality matters far more than weapon level in the first three biomes, so do not waste early scrap chasing a level 5 bullet weapon when a level 2 weapon with two rare chips will outperform it.
Late Game Build
Once you hit Old City Ruins and Treaty Port, swap to a heavy weapon with a Mark Chip, a rare damage chip, and a cooldown reduction chip. Switch to Manual mode for every boss and elite, and back to Auto mode for trash waves. This is the build most players settle on by the time they challenge Drone 33 for the second time, and it is also the build recommended in the broader Doloc Town combat drone guide for hardmode runs.
Progression Snapshot
| Game Stage | Recommended Weapon | Chip Loadout | Control Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outskirts | Bullet | 1x Attack Speed, 1x Damage | Auto |
| River Valley | Bullet or Balanced | 1x Attack Speed, 1x Special Ability | Auto |
| Wetlands | Balanced | 1x Special Ability, 1x Damage | Mixed |
| Old City Ruins | Heavy | 1x Mark Chip, 1x Damage | Manual |
| Treaty Port | Heavy | 1x Mark Chip, 1x Cooldown Reduction | Manual |
Bullet Hell Combat Patterns and Dodging
A solid loadout still loses if you cannot read the screen. Bullet hell patterns in Doloc Town telegraph their openings, but only by a few frames, which is why even the best drone setup dies to a player who ignores dodging. Use this section of the Doloc Town drone upgrade guide to train your eyes before you burn hours grinding chips.
Pattern Recognition Cheat Sheet
The three most common patterns you will see across all biomes are:
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Conic Spray — a cone of bullets that opens outward from the enemy. Dodge perpendicular to the cone's centerline.
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Ring Burst — a full 360-degree ring that contracts toward you. Move toward the boss so the ring passes over your hitbox.
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Targeted Volley — a fast cluster aimed at your current position. Keep strafing and never stop moving.
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Laser Sweep — a continuous beam that sweeps across the arena. Jump over the beam at the edge where it thins.
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Ground Shockwave — a radial pulse that expands from the enemy's position. Time your dash for the gap between rings.
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Tracking Mine — a slow projectile that follows you for 3 seconds. Lead it into a wall and reposition.
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Cross Pattern — two laser lines that intersect at the center. Stand in the corner quadrant farthest from the intersection.
Enemy Pattern Table
| Enemy | Primary Pattern | Recommended Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Outskirts Sentry | Conic Spray | Strafe left |
| River Valley Hunter | Targeted Volley | Constant strafe |
| Wetlands Shaman | Ring Burst | Dash inward |
| Lotus Marsh Mimic | Conic Spray + Targeted Volley | Dodge left, then right |
| Drone 33 Helper | Targeted Volley | Burst them down first |
| Drone 33 (boss) | Ring Burst + Laser Sweep | Mark Chip, then strafe |
Notice that Drone 33 mixes two patterns in the same phase, which is the reason pure single-target builds fail and why the Mark Chip is non-negotiable. Pair that with the heavy weapon loadout from the previous section and the fight becomes a clean two-phase execution rather than a scramble.
Putting It All Together
A complete Doloc Town drone upgrade guide is really three layers stacked on top of each other: weapon family, chip selection, and control mode. Pick one layer to specialize in based on your playstyle — speedrunners lean on heavy weapons and Manual mode, casual farmers lean on bullet weapons and Auto mode — and then let the chips fill the gaps. If you are still building your overall progression plan, the Doloc Town progression guide maps out when to swap biomes so you are not over- or under-leveled for the next boss.
What is the trickiest bullet hell pattern you have run into in Doloc Town so far, and which chip would you slot to counter it? Drop your answer in the comments, or share this Doloc Town drone upgrade guide with a friend who keeps getting flattened by Drone 33.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon for new players in this Doloc Town drone upgrade guide?
Bullet weapons are the safest pick for new players because their high fire rate forgives missed shots and pairs perfectly with Auto mode. Stay on a bullet weapon through the Outskirts and River Valley, then reassess once you reach the Wetlands and have access to rare chips.
How do I unlock more enhancement chip slots?
Chip slots unlock as you upgrade your drone frame at the workshop in the Hub area. Each frame level grants one additional slot, and the final slot requires the Plasma Coil crafting material that only drops from Drone 33. Plan a full chip loadout around this cap so you do not waste rare chips on a frame that cannot equip them yet.
Should I use Auto or Manual mode against Drone 33?
Use Manual mode for Drone 33 specifically, because the boss phases require you to interrupt the cannon arm and quickly switch targets to the helper drones. Auto mode is fine for clearing the trash waves leading up to the boss, but the boss itself demands the precision that only manual aim delivers.
Can I respec my drone build without starting a new save?
Yes. Visit the workshop in the Hub and use the Refit option to swap weapons, chips, and control mode for free at any time outside of combat. This makes experimentation cheap, so do not be afraid to test a heavy weapon loadout in Auto mode just to see how it performs before committing it to a boss attempt.
Where do rare attack speed chips drop most reliably?
According to community data shared by players on the Steam community hub, rare attack speed chips drop most consistently from elite enemies in the Wetlands and from the treasure chests in Lotus Marsh. Farming a 15-minute loop through these two areas typically yields at least one rare chip per run, which is the fastest way to fill out a late-game loadout.