There is a reason I ranked Defy so high in my subsume ability tier list. This Hildryn build uses Wukong’s Helminth ability, Defy, to become immune to damage and reflect damage back to enemies. Because Hildryn uses shields to cast Defy, and she regains those shields during the invulnerability duration, Hildryn can spam Defy forever.
TL;DR
- Give Hildryn the ability Defy
- Mod for high shield regen and ability strength/range/duration
- Spam Defy to be invulnerable and reflect damage
Unlocking Defy on Hildryn
To be able to use Defy on Hildryn, you will need to unlock your Helminth. Once you have it unlocked, you’ll need to subsume a non-prime Wukong to unlock its ability. Once this is done, you can replace one of Hildryn’s abilities with Defy using the Helminth.
I replaced Aegis Storm because I never saw myself floating around CCing when I could be spamming Defy. Haven would have been my other choice as I don’t use it often either, but it can be decent in a group setting for supporting your allies.
The build
Warframe
Hildryn uses shields to cast abilities. This includes abilities added by the Helminth. Defy costs Hildryn 500 shields unmodded to cast. However, because it makes her invulnerable and take no damage from attacks, shield recharge starts during the invulnerability of Defy.
All four ability enhancements are useful, so this build doesn’t use too many corrupted mods. That said, ability efficiency is the least helpful. With a good amount of shields and shield recharge, you will regain the shields spent on Defy during the invulnerability duration.
Since there is a very small window in between Defys that you are vulnerable, Arcane Barrier can help you get back your shields and be able to cast Defy again.
For the last mod slot, if you are doing very high level content, you can bring Adaptation to cover the small amount of time you are vulnerable. Remember though you wont gain Adaptation stacks while invulnerable from Defy.
If you are running lower level content or there are large gaps between enemies, Rush is a good option to make you a bit faster.
Arcane Aegis is a decent choice for the second Arcane since it helps get your shields back. You can bring weapon damage boost Arcanes if you are planning to use you weapons a bit and not just spam Defy the whole mission.
Companion
In high level content, you companion will very likely die. However, there are some very helpful things that come from companions like item vacuum, loot and enemy radar, and most importantly for this build, Guardian. This make the Djinn a great option as it can recover from death forever and continue giving you all these benefits.
Weapons
Weapons are up to you. This build is targeted at high level content where almost all of your damage will be from reflected Defy damage. For long endless missions, you can bring an AoE Radiation proc weapon like Ignis Wraith to clear Eximus buffs from groups.
Usage
The execution of this build really is as easy as spamming Defy. During the invulnerability, you will regenerate the amount of shield you spent. Once it runs out, cast it again. Try to group enemies up and move near them to maximize the reflected damage.
Even spamming though, there is a brief window where you will be vulnerable. If the enemies are able to reduce your shield to the point where you cannot cast Defy during that very short window, run away and recharge shields. Hopefully though your companion and Arcane Barrier cover these rare instances.
This build excels at large groups or hard hitting enemies. The more damage you take during your Defy, the more damage you reflect back. This build also works better solo, as enemies will be more likely to shoot you instead of your allies.
This is not a speed running build. When channeling Defy, you will not be able to jump or move quickly. This build is better in situations where you are staying in one general area like Survival.
