Best Stealth Build in Payday 3

Contrary to popular belief, there are several ways to adopt stealth into your game plan in Payday 3. And while it isn’t always the best option, it is one that can not only prevent countless lives from being mindlessly butchered, but less conflict with specialist troops, too. For this reason alone, it’s always worth trialing a few sessions from a tactical perspective — if only to save yourself from biting off more than you can chew. And if that doesn’t work, then sure — storm the fort and go in all guns blazing.

Moving forward, how exactly do you go about obtaining the ultimate stealth build in Payday 3? Well, if you’re interested in taking on the tactical mindset and all the strands that come with it, then be sure to read on. Here’s everything you need to know and unlock in order to claim the best stealth build in Payday 3.

Best Weapons & Items

Given the fact that you’ve chosen to opt for the silent route, it goes without saying that you’re going to need to unlock a range of tactical weapons. In other words, you can pretty much discard anything that causes a racket, and aim for something that’s silent, but equally as deadly. For this, you’re going to want to obtain two weapons: the Signature 40, and the Throwing Knives—two ideal substitutes that have the same power as most other primary weapons in the entire game.

The good news is, you can obtain the Signature 40 at the very beginning of the campaign, which means you’ll only need to attach a suppressor to it to make full use of its potential. And seeing as you’ll be spending more time lurking in the shadows than out in the open, you’ll probably want to use your secondary firearm for disabling cameras and executing clean kills from a distance. For added protection, you can also use an infinite supply of Throwing Knives, too. As it turns out, these can be restocked by taking them from downed enemies, or from the location where you threw them.

When it comes to primary weapons, you’re far better of acquiring something like a marksman rifle, as opposed to an assault rifle. As rifles are of better use in long-range combat, they’re far more reliable, and not to mention more appropriate for tactical scenarios. For this, you’re going to want to seek out the SA A144, a semi-auto marksman rifle that not only has a high ammunition count, but a hard-hitting damage output, too. If you can add a suppressor to this specific weapon, then you’ll have one of, if not the best stealth build in all of Payday 3.

Best Stealth Skills

As far as skills go, you’re ideally going to want to focus on obtaining nodes that boost your overall Rush—a buff that allows you to move swiftly and even more efficiently. To power up this buff and increase your stats, you’ll want to prioritize unlocking skills in the Infiltrator, Escapist, and Grifter departments. Not entirely sure which skills to apply? Here are the most effective nodes we found to be the most useful during our time in the Payday 3 campaign.

• Walk The Walk
• Social Engineering
• Secure Loop
• Hacker
• Infiltrator 
• Grifter

Having all of the above skills fastened to your loadout will allow you to walk freely in and out of restricted premises without being detected by nearby guards. They’ll also allow you to pick locks, disable cameras, and even perform illegal actions in front of enemies, too. So, if you can help it, aim to pour as much XP into unlocking these skills as soon as they’re available.

Stealth or Assault?

When it comes to picking an approach, you’re only going to have the two options: storm the front door and claim hostages in exchange for rewards, or sneak to the vault and whittle down lives only when absolutely necessary. As for which of the two options is the easiest depends entirely on the team, as one unit may thrive in combat, whereas another may prefer to take the quieter approach. To assure your team’s success, you’ll want to discuss routes and play styles before embarking on the journey.

Stealth Tips

Before you set out to tackle a heist, you’re going to want to liaise with your squad, as there’s a good chance that not everyone on the team will share the same mindset as you. Point is, every player has a different way of dealing with certain scenarios, so if you’re working alongside a team that’s hell-bent on storming the fort from the get-go, then you can pretty much chalk the stealthy approach out immediately. For the sake of keeping everyone on the same page, it’s always worth spending a minute or two drawing up a plan of action — otherwise that perfect stealth-centric loadout of yours won’t contribute to the overall outcome of the heist.

If you’re looking to make the most of your game plan, then you’ll also want to locate a good perch point on the map, preferably before entering the vault area. If you’re packing an SA A144, specifically, then you should have the option to pick off select targets around the map without arousing any suspicion. Alternatively, you can make good use of your silent pistol or Throwing Knives. Note that, while knives can be a deadly throwable weapon of choice, they can’t travel all that far — so use them only when in close-quarters combat.

Finally, you’ll want to consider the ECM Jammer—a specialist tool that grants you the power to freeze camera feeds and radio signals. You can unlock this useful tool once you’ve successfully managed to reach Level 20. There’s also the Motion Sensor, yet another piece of kit that can help you plot your next move from a safe distance.

So, what’s your take? Do you have any useful tips for Payday 3 newcomers? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.