This build revolves around [Nekros]' 4th as it provides status immunity and up to 90% damage resistance (achievable with at least 214% AS). The shadows take damage in [Nekros]' stead, meaning their health drain rapidly regardless of the ability's innate health decay, making it imperative that his 4th be spammed every now and then, and the added mobility intended for this build through Lightning Dash only further solidifies that point.
Mod analysis:
- Aura: If you have Zenurik's Hardened Wellspring, a Nidus specter or anything that gives at least 20% ability strength, Growing Power can be replaced with any other Aura
- Lightning Dash: Mobility and a bit of cc
- Rolling Guard: Room for fck ups and/or casting 4th
- Health Conversion: Tank
- Adaptation: Tank
- Shield of Shadows: Tank
- Despoil: Alleviates the energy strain from frequently spamming 4th
- Fleeting Expertise: Trading duration for efficiency for spamming 4th
- Continuity: Reducing the shadows' innate health decay, reducing the spam rate of 4th
- [Equilibrium]: Gives energy for spamming 4th, can be replaced with [Natural Talent] if you have Hardened Wellspring or anything that gives energy
Helminth ability: Empower
I couldn't find another ability that would suit the playstyle or the stats of this build better than Empower. It gives unconditional ability strength to the next cast, unaffected by the warframes stats like duration, range, strength, making it perfect for a build without minmaxing like this one.
Strategy:
Activate 3rd then 1st ability as soon as you spawn in, get at least 1 kill (any number, any type of enemy would suffice), activate Molt [Vigor] with any Operator ability, then cast 4th (given that [Growing Power] or any ability strength alternative in its place is active), get more kills, then recast 4th, rinse repeat. Subsequent casts of [Nekros]' 4th after the first one don't require any setups as the temporarily added ability strength from external sources that only applies to the first time an ability is casted will be preserved so long as Shadows of the Dead is recasted before ALL of the shadows expire, so be mindful of the number of active shadows on the abilty icon as well as the damage reduction count beside your health bar (Shadows that are OUTSIDE the 50m range will not contribute to the total damage reduction of [Shield Of Shadows], and if there is none at all within that range, you will be vulnerable to status effects). If that number falls below maximum for whatever reason, recast 4th.
Why I don't use:
- Health mods: From field experience, rarely will you ever lose more than 100 health as long as you keep grinding away and desecrating the enemy
- [Energy Conversion]: Also from field experience, it's unlikely that you will get an energy orb from desecrating the first enemies you kill in order to power Shadows of the Dead, so an alternative would be [Transient Fortitude] or regular Intensify with Hardened Wellspring, which would also enable for the replacement of Empower, should you choose.
- Any Arcane other than Molt Efficiency: You're free to replace it with any Arcane, this is just my personal choice
Recommended weapons:
