Nulla. Introduction:

C tier my ass.

Helminth: Terrify.

The first [Nyx] build to debut the series of many more [Nyx] builds to come. To begin the collection, I present a crowd control focused build for [Nyx] players, a balanced build to fulfil the needs of a weapon platform as well as intense crowd control for the more defensive mission types. The build is able to fully armor strip hordes of enemies while slowing them, making them extremely easy to dispatch and allows for the complete lockdown of whole rooms and the ones adjacent. Details of ability function and significant interactions will be listed in VI. Final Notes section.

Video Feature: https://youtu.be/NyK0vHmSBSw.

Configuration above is the standard build, optimized without archon shards, check below for alternative build versions.

I. Unlisted Recommendations:

• High DPS/AoE Loadout:
[Nyx] by design lacks the capability to kill with her abilities and relies heavily on her arsenal and loadout as a measure of KPM performance, a weapon platform if you will. High DPS/AoE is recommended given their current state in the game, especially with Kuva/Tenet weapons as well as the addition of the 2nd generation of Incarnon weapons for example, most of which are more than capable of killing multiple hoards of enemies quickly. This also includes the use of status primers for extended play.

II. Core Gameplay:

Main Playstyle:
• Casting Terrify (4) followed by Chaos (3) will net the largest window of time where enemies will experience being affected by Chaos's head-holding animation the longest. However, in practice, Chaos followed by Terrify or Terrify followed by Chaos doesn't really matter and is not a notable difference to justify which order should be casted. Use Psychic Bolts (2) to armor strip Acolytes as your 4 can not armor strip nor slow them. Using Mind Control (1) is highly optional and is not part of the core rotation; if you have additional energy to expend, it adds another target for enemies affected by chaos to shoot at as well as allying certain utility from Eximus.

Survivability:
• Chaos is your primary source of CC and contributes the most to your survival. Adding in Terrify, it causes enemies to run away extremely slowly (unless they are affected by Chaos, extra notes at the end), however, given that Terrify has an enemy cap, it is your secondary source of CC and survivability. So long as Chaos/Terrify have an energy cost of at least 63, you are able to cast either ability to fully shield-gate with only Brief Respite, so there is a shield gate layer as well.

🔖- WIP.

Energy Economy:
• 1 burst of Arcane Energize will provide 150 energy, which allows for 1 cast of each Chaos and Terrify, allowing for an opening in rotation. Regarding the default configuration above, it is gently advised not to recklessly spam abilities given the low duration and relatively average cost of casting/rotations.

III. Modding Analysis:

Aura:
• [Brief Respite]:
An aura mod that allows for a reliable source of shield replenishment. Casting either Chaos (3) or Terrify (4) will allow for full shield recharge. [Enemy Radar] is an alternative to the aura slot if [Brief Respite] is not owned or deemed not as useful as the utility of [Enemy Radar].

Exilus:
• [Primed Sure Footed]:
[Nyx] has no innate form of knockdown resistance and so the selection of [Primed Sure Footed] provides that for her. This comes especially useful when handling AoE equipment to be able to resist their knockdown effects entirely. A lesser alternative to the mod if not owned is [Handspring].

Main Mods:
• [Rolling Guard]:
Grants a brief period of invulnerability and removes all Status Effects when rolling, with a cooldown period between uses.

• [Primed Flow], [Fleeting Expertise] (r4):
[Fleeting Expertise] is kept at rank 4 to allow full shield replenishment with a single cast of either Chaos (3) or Terrify (4) from [Brief Respite] alone. 68*150%=102 shields replenished on cast, while r5 (max rank) [Fleeting Expertise] will cause only 90 shields to restore, which is 4 digits shy of full replenishment with a decaying dragon key equipped. [Primed Flow] helps with managing energy economy especially given Chaos and Terrify still costing 68 energy to cast. Both [Primed Flow] and [Fleeting Expertise] (r4) are easily replaceable once shards are considered.

• [Primed Continuity]:
Neutral or positive duration keeps Chaos and Terrify at a comfortable duration to maintain. 105% duration causes both Chaos and Terrify to last 26.3s.

• [Blind Rage] (r7):
107% ability strength is the minimum amount of strength needed to be able to full strip with molt augmented fully stacked (+60%). [Blind Rage] uses only one mod slot, allowing for more efficiency to be equipped instead of inadequately modding for both.

• [Overextended]:
Having range is one of the most important stats for majority of Nyx builds, especially ones revolving around crowd control. 145 - 190% range is my minimum recommended range to be able to survive as [Nyx] comfortably without having to conscious of stray shots from enemies who aren't affected by Chaos as well as not having to recast for different sections of the tile. Recommended range allows for Chaos and Terrify to affect enemies within 43.75 - 47.5m and 26.25 - 28.5m respectively. Admittedly, more range (235 - 265%) makes the build considerably more dominant, however not a necessity which is why it is not featured in the default configuration.

• [Natural Talent]:
Casting speed is the other main component to building a good [Nyx]. Vanilla casting speed is workable, but I would highly advise against it. Substitutable if using Amber Archon Shards: [Stretch] or [Streamline] are the recommended mods. This is a mandatory mod otherwise.

• [Creeping Terrify]:
Terrify is normally an annoying armor strip ability as enemies run away quite quickly. However, though it may help solve them running away, the main synergy is that [Creeping Terrify] slows down the initial confusion animation of Chaos, and as you can predict, by 80%. VI. Final Notes goes more into more detail.

IV. Focus & Arcanes:

Arcanes:
• Arcane Energize:
Arcane Energize assists with maintenance of a healthy energy economy for proper ability rotations.

• Molt Augmented:
Needed to assist [Blind Rage] in hitting the minimum amount of ability str. needed to be able to fully strip with Terrify (167%).

Focus:
• No particular synergies. Focus choice is up to you.

V. Archon Shards:

Crimson Shards:
• 1-2 +10% Ability Strength (1-2 +15% Tau): One regular shard allows for one rank to lower on Blind Rage as each rank of the mod translates to +9% Str. and -5% Eff., allowing to also either lower Fleeting Expertise's rank or completely drop it for streamline.
• 1-2 +10% Ability Duration (1-2 +15% Tau): Allows to further offset Fleeting's reduction in duration, however I wouldn't recommend it myself, but is an option so it will be listed here.

Amber Shards:
• 1-2 +25% Casting Speed (1-2 +37.5% Tau): Arguably the most important shard you can slot onto Nyx, this allows for the free up of Natural Talent completely, making room for Streamline or Stretch.
• 1-2 +50% Effectiveness on Energy Orbs (1 +75% Tau): Allows for the removal of Fleeting Expertise, substituting for Streamline or Stretch.

Azure Shards:
• 1-3 +50 Energy Max (1-2 +75% Tau): Allows for the removal of Primed Flow, substituting with Streamline or Stretch.

Recommended Non-Tau:
• 3 Amber (2 Casting & 1 Energy Orb Effectiveness), 2 Azure (Energy Max).
Remove: [Natural Talent], [Fleeting Expertise]
Substitute: [Stretch], [Streamline]

Recommended Tau:
• 3 Amber (2 Casting & 1 Energy Orb Effectiveness), 2 Azure (Energy Max).
Remove: [Natural Talent], [Fleeting Expertise], [Primed Flow], [Blind Rage]
Substitute: [Stretch], [Streamline], [Umbral Intensify], [Augur Secrets]

VI. Final Notes:

Chaos:
• Chaos is a straight forward ability, all enemies within range will be affected by Chaos. It does not have an enemy cap unlike Terrify.
• Only one instance of Chaos can be in effect at a time, so recasting it will remove its effects from the previous crowd.
• Recasting Chaos will immediately remove its effects of affected enemies during the recast animation, which is why it is important to mod/include +Casting Speed. Enemies will take 1 second retarget, so having high casting speed means, you'll recast faster than they can shoot you. Vanilla casting speeds almost always results in your death without adequate care.
• Play around Chaos, the reason why [Nyx] is so strong and able to survive for so long is due to this one ability. Standing just shy of the crowd will rarely get you targeted - a good way to do this is to stand somewhere elevated or away from the Chaos-affected crowd.
• Chaos does not need LoS (Line of Sight) to take effect.

Terrify:
• Terrify has an enemy cap. However, every recast of Terrify is a new instance and will not remove the previous casts effects. Terrify's UI will show the duration of the most recent instance/cast of the ability.
• On recasts of Terrify, the ability will always be looking for new enemies to affect before re-affecting enemies already under the effect. This means that enemies CAN be re-Terrified, but only if the enemy cap is reached.
• Enemies that were initially affected by the first cast, then affected again by the second, will take 1s delay recalculating after the first Terrify instance has ended before resuming being 'terrified' (enemies can stay still or make 1 attack).
• Terrify is not proximity based and randomly affects enemies within its range (up to the enemy cap).
• Terrified enemies will run away according to the live player's position, not according to where the initial cast was.
• Terrify will not affect Acolytes (use Psychic Bolts to deal with them).
• Terrify does not need LoS (Line of Sight) to take effect.

Chaos & Terrify:
• Casting the two abilities will result in two outcomes: Enemies will shoot each other slower, or enemies will run away from the player. I have solved which outcome will take place. Refer to the next two scenarios listed below:

Scenario 1: Enemies have not hurt each other preceding the effects of Chaos and Terrify: Enemies will run away from the player at 80% of their speed due to the augment.
Scenario 2: Enemies have hurt each other already due to Chaos: Enemies will shoot each other at 80% speed and will not try to run away.

Which is why in a survival setting (for example), a mix of both scenarios can occur. The enemies that haven't engaged with each other (usually the distant enemies) will run away, while the ones who are closer attack each other. Therefore, it is usually advised to cast Chaos, wait a little bit, then recast Terrify and Chaos to get the most out of your CC. Casting Chaos around rooms to lock them down and then re-visiting them with Terrify to armor strip and slow for easy kills.

Otherwise practically speaking, it does not matter which order of abilities were cast.

VII. Logs (dd.mm.yyyy):

• 24/02/2023 - build made.
• 29/03/2023 - guide format update.
• 02/04/2023 - final notes posted.
• 27/05/2023 - format update for all builds (this build first).