#nydus

I figured it’s time to explain the abilities for Nydus. Each is bound to a number key 1-4 Shown in green/red on the pictures, and in () in this description, these are what the mods I run on Nydus do to effect the relative values.

Starting us of strong, Virulence builds our damage as we use it.  With a cost of 40 (30) energy, it’s surprisingly expensive, but features an energy refund of 10 (7.5) per enemy hit.  This Ability also shows off Nydus’s passive, his infestation mutation, hitting an enemy with Virulence adds one point, and each five points added are turned into a stack, and Nydus may store up to 100 stacks indicated in the bottom right of the screen above the ammo and abilities indicator. These stacks can be spent in a few ways, Namely his third and fourth abilities, and his passive.

His second ability Larva spawns a pod which will grab and ragdoll most non-boss enemies, grouping them up and making them perfect targets for Virulence. Its cost is quite middle of the road at 25 (19) energy. Something to be noted is that a mod exists through a late-game mission or through the syndicates system that allows Nydus to detonate his larva early dealing damage per enemy stacked within.

Parasitic Link allows Nydus to bond with an ally or trap an enemy, and so long as he stays within range of them either provides a solid damage buff to his linked ally or redirecting a portion of his damage taken to the targeted enemy. only one ally/enemy may be linked at a time and they must stay within the 40 (58) yard range or the link is broken. While not having an energy cost attached to this ability, it costs one full level of the mutation passive.

Finally what I feel to be the strongest of his abilities, Nydus boasts Ravenous, costing 3 levels of mutation, and lasting 40 (42.8) seconds. Nydus creates a spawning pool around the cast location, providing health regen to himself and allies within the pool’s range, and spawning maggots that swarm enemies, these maggots can then be targeted with Virulence, allowing Nydus to rapidly stack his mutation passive back up and deal large sums of damage to enemies struck while keeping full on energy.

Short note on his passive, If killed with at least 15 stacks of Mutation, he respawns with 5 seconds of invulnerability and half health. Not bad for survival missions or when you just get swarmed and overwhelmed with enemies too tough for you to handle. I feel it makes him great for soloing content as dying becomes less of an expense on affinity and more of a preparation objective for tough missions.