INTRODUCTION

This is a build dedicated to getting the absolute most out of Iron Skin, enough to tank early to mid Steel Path content without worrying about recasting, while also offering a usable Roar. The helminth rank 11 ability Parasitic Armor is subsumed over [Rhino]'s 4th ability stomp and is the basis of this build. [Rhino]'s Iron Skin scales off armor value which can be increased tremendously by stacking multiple sources including Parasitic Armor, [Ironclad Charge], [Health Conversion] and optionally ([Mecha Pulse], Arcane Tanker, Arcane Guardian, Arcane Reaper, Melee Fortification, Arcane Ultimatum)

UPDATE JULY 2024
Arcane Battery is a very cheap/easy to farm arcane that gives up to 1000 energy max when at 3333 armor (this build hits over 6000 armor with Parasitic armor active). This fluctuates with current armor rating, but gives a significantly higher amount than Primed Flow, allowing you to free up the primed flow mod slot.

This loadout shares polarities with my buff/roar Rhino build : https://overframe.gg/build/205669/rhino-prime/roaring-rhino-buff/
For the non-helminth iron skin tanking version : https://overframe.gg/build/207002/rhino-prime/iron-skin-rhino-non-helminth/
For endurance nourish non-tanking variant: https://overframe.gg/build/473949/

PLAYSTYLE

1. When you begin in the mission, cast Parasitic armor followed by Iron Skin to get 30k iron skin for buffer and hit 1000 energy max from Arcane Battery
2. [Regen] your energy with energy generating methods eg zenurik, [Grimoire] [Xata Invocation], [Tenet Glaxion] [Photon Overcharge].
3. Perform any additional OPTIONAL armor buffings methods (collect health orbs for [Health Conversion], melee kills for Melee Fortification and Arcane Reaper, Archgun for Arcane Tanker, Finisher for Arcane Ultimatum, Mecha marked kills for [Mecha Pulse])
4. Find a group of enemies and use a grouping skill (magus anomaly, exodia [Hunt], vazarin snare)
5. Cast Charge into the group of enemies (or out of the group of enemies if they are surrounding you for best results) to get [Ironclad Charge] bonus (lasts 12s). This will set your total current armor value to it's highest possible value but only for 12 seconds.
6. Cast Iron skin twice, first to dispel it and again to recast it while the [Ironclad Charge] bonus is active to lock in the current armor value into the Iron Skin value.
7. Keep Roar active as required

For even more meme bonus armor, use sources of increasing max shields such as [Shield Charger], shield osprey specter and [Hildryn]'s Haven (not sure if specter can cast this).

Here is a video demonstrating the sequence above:

BUILD SPECIFICS

Duration
Decent duration allows easier upkeep of roar at almost 40s and high duration timers for [Ironclad Charge] bonus and parasitic armor to make setup easier.

Efficiency
Using [Primed Flow] allows us to tank efficiency, so about 200 energy is needed to pull off the combo. This means you will need zenurik, [Preparation] or energy pads when you start the mission to get sufficiency energy before using the combo. Once you have millions of iron skin, you only need to cast roar every half minute, meaning you won't be spending much energy. Every couple of minutes you may need to refresh iron skin.

Range
Range is untouched at 100%, giving a decent ironclade charge distance to hit multiple enemies, and decent roar radius.

Strength
Strength is the single most important stat in this build, since the formula for calculating iron skin uses power strength as a multiplicative factor three times (creating a cubic function). This is because Parasitic Armor scales with strength, providing 6185 armor at 398% strength, [Ironclad Charge] scales with strength providing 199% increase on total armor per enemy hit and Iron skin itself scales with strength as a direct final multiplier. Finally it also affects the Roar buff.

Here are some example Iron Skin numbers based on 398% power strength in this build:

• Basic Iron skin (direct cast) : 7950
• After charging into 1 enemy : 14k
• After charging into 20 enemies : 131k
• After Parasitic Armor and no charge : 74k
• After Parasitic Armor and charging into 1 enemy : 217k
• After Parasitic Armor and charging into 20 enemies with Health Conversion: 3.18 million
• Parasitic Armor, [Health Conversion], [Mecha Pulse] (20 enemies), [Ironclad Charge] (20 enemies) and Melee Fortification (assume 5 kills): over 5 million

For reference, in base steel path (<5min in Grineer survival), 1 million iron skin will last approximately 5 minutes of getting shot while standing completely still and not defending.

Arcanes
Arcane Battery provides up to 1000 energy max (compared to only 427 energy max with [Primed Flow] active) when at max possible armor ratings. Even without Parasitic armor or [Ironclad Charge] active, just 3 stacks of [Health Conversion] alone gives 492 energy as a baseline.

Molt Augmented gives 60% strength after 250 kills. If you don't plan on getting this many kills in a mission, simply swap this for Molt Vigor OR one of the following armor boosting arcanes:

• Arcane Tanker: requires calling an archgun
• Arcane Ultimatum: requires performing a finisher, which you can initiate by using knockdowns, aero mods, bronco dizzying rounds or exodia hunt
• Arcane Reaper: requires melee kills which works well alongside Melee Fortification
• Arcane Guardian: requires taking damage

Helminth

• Parasitic Armor is the star of this build, providing 6185 armor when at full shields (1554 with [Primed Redirection]) with just one press of a button. Compare this to other sources (1200 from arcanes, 1350 from [Health Conversion], 378 from [Umbral Fiber], 123 from [Gladiator Aegis]) and you will see how significant this is for Iron Skin. You could boost this even further with Primed Vigor but strength is more valuable to slot.

• Elemental ward (Cold) is the next best alternatives, providing approximately 1291 extra armor at 313% strength. Defy is the next providing 750 armor at max cap. Warcry is the worst alternative giving only 430 armor, but provides the best additional utility from slow and melee attack speed. Note that since you don't need [Redirection] with these subsumes, you can slot health conversion so elemental ward + health conversion actually gives 2641 total armor.

• Empower can also be used, but you will need to cast before each ability use which makes it a little more clunky to use, and provides less total boost compared to Elemental ward. Empower does however also benefit roar.

• Ensnare or Larva are useful for grouping to help [Ironclad Charge], although there are non subume alternatives for grouping including Zenurik's void singularity, Arcane Magus Anomaly and Exodia Hunt.

Alternatives/Flexibility

• Aura - [Growing Power] is great when it procs to get another 25% strength, but any aura is fine (e.g. steel charge if you need mod capacity), enemy radar is nice quality of life, mecha empowered for full mecha memes

• Mecha Pulse +/- Empowered - a niche but slightly more annoying way to gain TONS more armor. Requires a direct kill of a [Marked Target] (not slash status), has a cooldown for marking and requires you to run a Kubrow or Predasite. To try keep the kubrow alive in steel path, you'll need link armor and to constantly cast parasitic armor or [Ironclad Charge] even while iron skin is active to boost the pet's armor (to get damage reduction over 90%). You can do this for fun if you want to mix things up a little. Replace primed continuity with mecha pulse and growing power with mecha empowered. Here is a mecha ensnare Rhino variant: https://overframe.gg/build/268102/rhino-prime/the-wild-hunt-rhino-ensnare-mecha-nuke-millions-iron-skin/

Run these builds for kubrow or predasite if you decide to use Mecha mods:

• Pharoah Predasite: https://overframe.gg/build/268098/pharaoh-predasite/pharoah-predasite-mecha-synth-doggo/
• Huras Kubrow: https://overframe.gg/build/268129/

Why no umbral fiber/armor mods?
[Umbral Fiber] provides 130% extra armor (when paired with [Umbral Intensify]) scaling off base armor, which is only 290, giving a measly 377 armor as well as a measly 11% strength. This gives LESS final Iron Skin than both [Amar's Hatred] or [Augur Secrets] while requiring you to spend one or even two Umbral forma.

Archon Shards (updated for Veilbreaker)
One or two amber cast speed shards to improve cast speed and quality of life
Put as many Crimson +Strength shards as want since strength TRIPLE DIPS Iron Skin.

FOR INDEX
Swap enemy radar into aura (or vigilante pursuit over umbral intensify): https://overframe.gg/build/268079/
Immediately cast parasitic armor followed by iron skin to get about 30k iron skin straight away.
Find an enemy or two and charge them before casting the combo to get between 80-100k iron skin which should last several rounds.

FOCUS

• Vazarin: Has access to a grouping ability which helps ironclad charge buildup.
• Madurai: Sling perk gives +40% ability strength for 20s. This is best choice for maximising iron skin value.
• Zenurik: gives energy but also +20% ability strength on next cast

ARSENAL

A strong melee with Melee Fortification can further maximise armor values:
Slam Magistar: https://overframe.gg/build/668910/
Arca Titron (x12 slam): https://overframe.gg/build/383171/
Arca Titron (x2 slam) : https://overframe.gg/build/601678/
Ack & Brunt: https://overframe.gg/build/477022/
Furax Wraith: https://overframe.gg/build/642135/