High strength [Revenant] build for high mesmer skin charges to stay invulnerable and status immune, reave to one shot enemies and optoinal Roar in helminth to boost reave and general weapon DPS.

Update
The new augment [Mesmer Shield] gives a bonus 50% strength towards Mesmer Skin and allows you to give allies 5 mesmer skin charges.

Reave Specifics
Reave at base removes 8% of an enemies health regardless of level. This is boosted by enthrall, viral status and roar. Note this does NOT work against acolytes, demolysts and bosses such as liches/archons due to their innate damage reduction. An enthralled enemy takes 5x more damage from Reave meaning only 250% strength is required to one-shot an enthralled target. Viral increases damage by 4.25 at 10 stacks, meaning 295% strength is needed to one-shot a non-enthralled enemy after applying 10 viral status effects. At 313% strength, Roar boosts reave by 1.94x meaning you only need 2 viral status effects to one-shot.

To one shot with NO viral, roar or enthrall you need 1250% strength.
To oneshot with ROAR but NO viral or enthrall you need exactly 500% strength. This can now be hit with external buffs such as strength shards (3 tau str = 45%), [Grimoire] (60%) and Madurai (40%).

If you use a [Nidus] specter while solo, you only need exactly 391% strength with roar, which is hit after accounting for full Molt Augmented buff and either Augur Secrets or Growing Power.

Alternate builds
Danse Macabre Nuke / Levelcap (Roar): https://overframe.gg/build/375101/
Reave Nuke build (marked for death): https://overframe.gg/build/374638/

Special Archon Avenger Setup
You can use [Archon Intensify] which can be activated by Reave, as long as you heal health with Reave. This requires you to run [Combat Discipline] to force health loss with kills. Arcane Avenger can also be used over Arcane Energize or Molt Augmented to take advantage of [Combat Discipline].

PLAYSTYLE

1. Activate Mesmer Skin (2) at start of mission and refresh just before you lose all charges.
2. Enthrall (tap 1) enemies and let it spread and keep enthralls capped at 7 as needed. Note you can Enthrall acolytes as long as you have free thrall space so that you can Reave them easier (takes about 3-4 shots to kill).
3. Cast Reave and aim through Enthralled enemies to one-shot them and regain mesmer skin charges. Reaving also provides companion with a 1 single mesmer skin stack.
4. For non-enthralled enemies, prime with viral status and reave to one-shot (only need exactly 2 viral status to one-shot at 313% str with roar, or 9 viral status to one-shot without roar)
5. Use Danse Macabre for mob clearing if you like. This works well for non-SP but also works for very high level SP (level 1000+) where enemy damage outscales their eHP significantly. If you have energy issues, consider swapping [Blind Rage] for [Streamline]

Video guide on playstyle:

BUILD SPECIFICS

Duration
Positive duration gives adequate duration for enthrall and mesmer skin stun, as well as for your helminth ability uptime eg roar.

Efficiency
Positive efficiency makes it easier to spam Reave and recast mesmer skin on demand, and even Danse Macabre if you like, but [Equilibrium] gives plenty of energy regeneration. Enthrall cost is basically free since it spreads and is free on an enemy stunned by mesmer skin.

Range
We use [Stretch] to maintain a bit of range so Reave has a hitbox width closer to 5m meaning you can hit multiple close enemies, enthrall spreads a bit easier and you can also Roar buff adjacent allies easier. If you don't want to use Reave at all, just swap this for [Augur Secrets]

Strength
Very high strength helps maximise the Mesmer Skin charges (19 at 313% or 22 at 373% str after Molt Augmented, and even more with additional strength sources such as [Growing Power], Zenurik or Madurai), Reave and Roar. You need to hit certain Strength breakpoints to gain additional mesmer skin stacks as the mesmer skin count is rounded up when decimal. Every multiple of 16.6667% strength gives one additional mesmer skin charge and every 50% strength gives exactly three charges. General breakpoints above 300% strength:

• 301% to 316%: 19 charges
• 317% to 333%: 20 charges
• 334% to 350%: 21 charges
• 351% to 366%: 22 charges
• 367% to 383%: 23 charges

Flexible Options/Slots
[Augur Secrets]: This is a FLEXIBLE slot that can be used for [Streamline], [Natural Talent] (if no shards) or an Augment such as [Thrall Pact] (gives over +600% primary weapon damage at max thralls but is additive to other damage mods).

[Natural Talent] is good quality of life since it speeds up casts of Reave as well as allows you to refresh Mesmer skin in between casts and within the i-frames given by shield gating. This is however more optional now since you can run cast speed amber shards and you now gain 1s i-frames upon losing a mesmer skin stack.

Aura

• Growing Power gives one additional mesmer skin charge but requires aura forma
• Corrosive Projection for minor armor reduction, but especially useful if you run Pillage.
• Enemy Radar helps track enemies from even further away adding onto universal radar
• Sprint boost for run speed (which now affects reave)

Exilus
Up to personal preference, use whatever u like.

• Power drift: one more mesmer skin stack
• Preparation: For quick missions, allows speed reaving/dansing through a mission

Arcanes
Molt Augmented/Vigor - if you want even more strength for mesmer skin stacks
Molt Efficiency - more duration for thrall and roar uptime
Arcane Energize - ideal for energy regen but not entirely necessary
Arcane Avenger - use in combination with [Combat Discipline] only

Archon Shards
Amber Shard: at least 2 cast speed shards or 1 tauforged cast speed helps with mesmer skin refresh and reave spam
Crimson Shard: as many +strength as you prefer for more mesmer skin and reave damage
Emerald Shards: 1 tauforged +corrosive stack shards for 98% armor strip, which is only 15% dps difference to 100% armor strip

Focus School
Madurai: Power transfer gives +50% cast speed and +40% strength for up to 20s, which is amazing for Mesmer skin and Reave, in addition to general damage boost

HELMINTH OPTIONS

Subsume over either Enthrall or Danse Macabre:
1. Roar - boosts general weapon DPS, thrall DPS and reduces amount of viral status needed to one-shot non-enthralled enemies with reave (2 viral procs at 313% strength or 1 viral proc at 373% strength or even 0 viral proc at 500% strength).
2. Xata's Whisper - void themed ability that has bonus against overguard and best for raw damage weapons
3. Pillage - armor strip improves weapon DPS against armored enemies
4. Silence - decent option for endurance in Steel path, particularly to prevent Violence from dispelling all your mesmer skin at once and making you vulnerable. You can leave range around 79-100ish e.g. just have stretch, or add augur reach too.
5. Mind Control - can create an invulnerable thrall that does more damage (shoot it to apply damage multiplier) and converts other enemies to thralls. Can add Primed Continuity
6. Grouping - You can use Ensnare/Larva/Coil Horizon or Airburst as a form of grouping so you can reave multiple enemies at once. You will want to increase range by swapping Narrow Minded and Fleeting Expertise for Primed Continuity and Overextended.
7. Sentient Wrath - provides both crowd control and damage vulnerability, which also increases the damage of reave allowing one-shot at only 1 viral proc at 313% strength.

ARSENAL

A consistent AOE viral primer is the best tool to apply viral procs which will allow Reave to oneshot without enthrall.
Bubonico (alt-fire): https://overframe.gg/build/222087/bubonico/bubonico-pure-viral-primer/
Epitaph (quickshot): https://overframe.gg/build/235422/epitaph/epitaph-primer/
Kuva Nukor: https://overframe.gg/build/235421/kuva-nukor/kuva-nukor-primer/
Panzer Vulpaphyla: https://overframe.gg/build/220091/panzer-vulpaphyla/panzer-vulpaphyla/