Co-Op Max Power Guide — Decay Death Dealer & Runic Storm Knight

PART 1End-Game Gear▼

Main	Horror Mace 36 Phys + 12 Decay · 45 Impact · Extreme Poison Crafted (Soroboreans DLC)
Off-hand	Chimera Pistol 90 Physical · 70 Impact · Elemental Vulnerability (100%) Tamara, Levant (2,000s)
Chest	Tenebrous Armor +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost · 17%/15%/15%/15% resist Tokugu, Levant
Boots	Tenebrous Boots +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokugu, Levant
Head	Tenebrous Helm +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokugu, Levant

Why Horror Mace

Stat	Horror Mace	Horror Axe	Brutal Axe
Physical	36	30.75	25
Decay	12	10.25	0
Impact	45	29	24
Speed	1.0	1.0	0.9
Stamina	4.4	5.6	4.8
Effect	Extreme Poison	Extreme Poison	—

The 12 base Decay damage is amplified by the full multiplier stack: Tenebrous set (+20% Decay), Possessed boon (+30% Decay with Shamanic Resonance), Lockwell's Revelation (+30% when Very Tired), and Chimera Pistol's Elemental Vulnerability (-25% enemy Decay resistance). No other 1H weapon has native Decay damage to exploit this chain.

The Impact gap (45 vs 29) determines stagger frequency — stagger windows are when you safely apply hexes and detonate.

Weapon Skills Comparison

	1H Mace	1H Axe
Skill 1	Mace Infusion — Block elemental attack → gain boon + imbue. 5 stam, 20s CD.	Talus Cleaver — 1.25× dmg, inflicts Pain + Crippled. 10 stam, 30s CD.
Skill 2	Dispersion (DLC) — 2.0× dmg, 1.5× Impact, AoE shockwave. If imbued: element override + hex. 30 stam, 120s CD.	Scalp Collector (DLC) — 1.2× dmg, 0.1× Impact, Bleeding. 8 stam, 30s CD.

Mace Infusion is the only skill that generates free boons from enemy attacks. Block a Decay attack → Possessed + Decay imbue. Block Lightning → Blessed + Lightning imbue. With Shamanic Resonance, one successful block gives +30% damage in the absorbed element.

Dispersion is a boss-opener nuke. If your mace has a Decay imbue active, Dispersion converts to Decay AND inflicts Curse hex (-25% enemy Decay resist) on top of your multiplier stack.

Talus Cleaver's Pain hex is redundant — Shatter Bullet already provides Pain from range. Scalp Collector's 0.1× Impact is nearly useless for a stagger-dependent build.

Enchantments

Piece	Enchantment	Effect
Horror Mace	Molepig Sigh	+5 flat Ethereal damage
Tenebrous Armor	Chaos and Creativity	+10% Move Speed · +10% Decay dmg
Tenebrous Boots	Speed and Efficiency	+7% Move Speed · +5% CDR

Swap Weapon

Scepter of the Cruel Priest: 55 Physical, 28 Impact, 0.9 speed, 13% Damage Bonus (DLC: Three Brothers). Highest 1H mace Physical damage. Carries -30% Lightning resistance self-penalty. Obtained from Dolar in Caldera. Enchant with Whiplash (+10% Physical).

Main	Great Runic Blade (summoned) 39 Ethereal · 19 Impact · ∞ durability · 180s + Greater Decay Imbue Rune combo: Dez + Fal + any
Off-hand	Lightmender's Lexicon +5% Ethereal · +5% Lightning · -5% Mana cost Voltaic Hatchery, Chersonese
Chest	Tenebrous Armor +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Already owned
Boots	Tenebrous Boots +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokugu, Levant
Head	Tenebrous Helm +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokugu, Levant

Runic Prefix Effects

Samantha chose Runic Prefix (permanent, mutually exclusive with Internalized Lexicon). All runic spells are enhanced:

Spell	Additional Effect
Great Runic Blade	Greater Decay Imbue (+20% damage as Decay, +15 flat Decay, 180s)
Runic Blade	Divine Light Imbue (+25% base as Lightning, +6 flat Lightning)
Runic Protection	+5 Physical resist · +1 protection · +10 elemental resist
Runic Heal	+2 Health/sec for 10 seconds
Runic Lightning	+10 Lightning damage · can light campfire
Runic Trap	+30 damage
Runic Detonation	+40 damage

Critical: Greater Decay Imbue is applied automatically when Great Runic Blade is summoned. Do NOT apply another imbue — it will overwrite. Infuse Wind (Cabal Hermit) is safe — it's a separate buff, not an imbue.

Enchantments

Piece	Enchantment	Effect
Tenebrous Armor	Chaos and Creativity	+10% Move Speed · +10% Decay dmg
Tenebrous Boots	Flux	+3% Move Speed · +5% Lightning dmg

PART 2Consumables & Boon Strategy▼

The Multiplier Stack

Understanding what stacks is the key to this build:

Tenebrous Set (+20% Decay)×Possessed (+30% Decay)×Lockwell's (+30% Elemental)×Discipline (+30% Physical)→Elem. Vulnerability (-25% resist)→Curse Hex (-25% Decay resist)

Boon Sources — No Breakthroughs Required

Possessed (+30% Decay with Shamanic):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Possessed Potion	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains → 3×	Cheapest per-unit
Golem Elixir	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder → 1×	Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up
Ragoût du Marais	Cooking	Miasmapod Meat + Marshmelon + Salt → 3×	+50 HP · Health Recovery 4
Call to Elements	Skill (Cabal T1)	50 silver	Boon varies by location
Mace Infusion	Skill (1H Mace)	50 silver	Must block Decay attack

Discipline (+30% Physical with Shamanic):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Focus	Skill (Warrior Monk T1)	50s from Galira, Monsoon	Burns 4 max HP · 500s CD · No breakthrough
Brace	Skill (Warrior Monk T1)	50s from Galira, Monsoon	Must block attack · 200s CD
Golem Elixir	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder	Also grants Possessed + Impact Up
Warrior Elixir	Alchemy	Krimp Nut + Crystal Powder + Larva Egg + Water → 1×	Also: Impact Up + Physical Attack Up

Rage (+35% weapon Impact with Shamanic):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Enrage	Skill	50 silver from Burac/Jaimon	Burns max health
Rage Potion	Alchemy	Water + Smoke Root + Gravel Beetle → 3×	Standard crafting
Alpha Jerky	Food	Dropped/looted	+Health Recovery 3 · Perishable

Blessed (+30% Lightning with Shamanic):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Blessed Potion	Alchemy	Firefly Powder + Water → 3×	Simplest recipe
Call to Elements	Skill (Cabal T1)	50 silver	Location-dependent
Mace Infusion	Skill (1H Mace)	50 silver	Must block Lightning attack

Recommended Consumable Loadout

Slot	Item	Purpose
Primary buff	Golem Elixir	Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up in one drink
Food	Poutine	+25% Fatigue (triggers Lockwell's) · Impact Up · Phys Atk Up
Ammo	Iron Scraps	Shatter Bullet (high Impact + Pain hex)
Ammo	Bullets	Standard Fire/Reload
Backup	Rage Potion	+35% Impact for stagger-heavy fights
Exploration	Alertness Potion	Instant Alert stack for Daredevil CDR

Slot	Item	Purpose
Primary buff	Golem Elixir	Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up
Secondary	Blessed Potion	+30% Lightning for Runic Lightning
Fuel	Dark Stones	Blood Sigil fuel
Fuel	Mana Stones	Required for Cleanse
Food	Ragoût du Marais	Possessed + 50 HP (backup)

Alchemy Recipes

All recipes require an Alchemy Kit placed over a lit campfire.

Golem Elixir

Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder

Yield: 1×

Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up

Warrior Elixir

Krimp Nut + Crystal Powder + Larva Egg + Water

Yield: 1×

Discipline + Impact Up + Physical Atk Up

Possessed Potion

Water + Occult Remains

Yield: 3×

Possessed boon

Blessed Potion

Firefly Powder + Water

Yield: 3×

Blessed boon

Discipline Potion

Water + Ochre Spice Beetle + Livweedi

Yield: 3×

Discipline boon

Rage Potion

Water + Smoke Root + Gravel Beetle

Yield: 3×

Rage boon

Alertness Potion

Water + Nightmare Mushroom + Stingleaf

Yield: 3×

+1 Alert · +50 Stamina

Cooking Recipes

Ragoût du Marais

Miasmapod Meat + Marshmelon + Salt (Cooking Pot)

Yield: 3× · Perishes ~15 days

Possessed + 50 HP + Health Recovery 4

Bagatelle

Crawlberry Jam ×2 + Sugar + Fresh Cream (Cooking Pot)

Yield: 3× · Perishes ~12 days

Possessed + Stamina Recovery 5 + Corruption Resist

Poutine

Cannot be crafted — buy only

Buy 30s · Perishes ~15 days

+25% Fatigue · Impact Up · Physical Atk Up · Cold Def

Ingredient Farming Priority

Ingredient	Used In	Where to Find
Occult Remains	Golem Elixir, Possessed Potion	Horror-class enemies, dungeon loot
Crystal Powder	Golem Elixir, Warrior Elixir	Holy Mission reward, merchants, Crystal enemies
Blue Sand	Golem Elixir	Beach spawns at night (Chersonese)
Firefly Powder	Blessed Potion	Firefly enemies (Chersonese at night)
Iron Scraps	Shatter Bullet ammo	Extremely common — blacksmiths, scrap metal
Dark Stones	Blood Sigil (Samantha)	Cleanse cycle (50%+ Corruption → Cleanse = Dark Stone)

PART 3Skill Investment▼

Hex Mage — Ella Lockwell, Harmattan

T1: Jinx (50s), Torment (100s), Nightmares (100s) · Breakthrough: Bloodlust (500s) · T3: Rupture (600s), Lockwell's Revelation (600s) · Total: 1,950s

Speedster — Serge Battleborn, Harmattan

T1: Probe (50s), Efficiency (50s), Metabolic Purge (100s) · Breakthrough: Daredevil (500s) · T3: Prime (600s), Blitz (600s) · Total: 1,900s

Mercenary — Jaimon, Levant

T1: Shatter Bullet (50s), Armor Training (100s) · Breakthrough: Swift Foot (500s) · T3: Marathoner (600s), Blood Bullet (600s) · Total: 1,850s

Additional Skills (no breakthrough)

Mace Infusion (50s) · Focus or Brace (50s) · Enrage (50s)

Rune Sage — Flase, Berg

Breakthrough + T3 including Runic Prefix (600s) · Lightmender's Lexicon required permanently in off-hand

Cabal Hermit — Adalbert, Chersonese

T1: Reveal Soul (50s), Call to Elements (50s), Mana Push (50s) · Breakthrough: Shamanic Resonance (500s) · T3: Wind Sigil skills · Amplifies ALL boons for both players in range

Hex Mage — Ella Lockwell, Harmattan

T1: Jinx (50s), Torment (100s) · Breakthrough: Bloodlust (500s) · T3: Blood Sigil (600s), Cleanse (600s)

Additional Skills (no breakthrough)

Focus or Brace (50s) · Call to Elements already learned (Cabal T1)

Silver Budget

Starting: 38 gold bars = 3,800 silver

~5,850

Taylor Skills

~4,500

Samantha Skills

~900

Gear + Consumables

~11,250

Estimated Total

Gap: ~7,450 silver. Chersonese loot route yields ~1,000–2,000 per run. Budget 4–5 farming runs. Blood Under The Sun removes Levant's 1.75× tax.

PART 4Progression Roadmap▼

Co-Op Scaling

Enemy scaling in co-op: +50–85% Max Health, +15% All Damage, +75% Impact, +0–30% Impact Resistance. Each player chooses faction independently (permanent). Quest state follows host's world.

Phase 1

Cierzo & Chersonese (Days 1–10)

Complete Call to Adventure (150s or Tribal Favor)
Both: Unlock Mana at Conflux Mountain
Samantha: Train Cabal Hermit T1 + Shamanic Resonance at Adalbert
Activate Chersonese Wind Altar
Run Chersonese loot route for silver
Grab Lightmender's Lexicon from Voltaic Hatchery

Phase 2

Faction Selection (Days 10–20)

Speak to all three faction reps for free rewards BEFORE committing
Taylor → Heroic Kingdom · Samantha → Holy Mission or Blue Chamber
VENDAVEL TIMER STARTS — 40 days
Taylor: Learn Mace Infusion from Burac

Phase 3

Harmattan Training (Days 20–35)

Taylor: Full Hex Mage tree (1,950s)
Taylor: Full Speedster tree (1,900s)
Both: Hunt Horror-class enemies for Occult Remains

Phase 4

Levant — Gear & Mercenary (Days 35–50)

Taylor: Full Mercenary tree (1,850s)
Craft remaining Tenebrous pieces at Tokugu
Samantha: Train Hex Mage if not done in Phase 3

Phase 5

Berg & Monsoon — Final Skills

Samantha: Finish Rune Sage at Flase
Both: Learn Focus (50s) from Galira in Monsoon
Taylor: Buy Enrage (50s) from Jaimon
Both: Learn Dispersion from Bea Battleborn (New Sirocco)

Phase 6

Blood Under The Sun

Available after "Attack on Berg" in faction quests
Complete within 40 days to remove 1.75× Levant tax

Phase 7

Enchanting & Stockpiling

Enchant gear (Molepig Sigh, Chaos and Creativity, etc.)
Stockpile Golem Elixirs
Buy Poutine from Soroborean Caravanners

Quest Timer Reference

Quest	Timer	Trigger	Failure
Call to Adventure	5 days	Talk to Rissa	Lose Cierzo Lighthouse
Vendavel Quest	40 days	Join a faction	Cierzo permanently destroyed
Blood Under The Sun	40 days	Reach Attack on Berg	Tax persists in Levant

Safe zone: Cierzo won't be destroyed while you're physically in Chersonese, even if the timer expires.

PART 5Farming & Economy▼

Silver Fundamentals

Silver weighs 0.1 per coin. Convert to Gold Ingots (100s value, 0.1 weight — 10× more efficient). Store in stash before expeditions — bandits steal silver on defeat. Sell in Levant for best prices after Blood Under The Sun.

Chersonese Loot Route

Night: Gather blue sand, loot Starfish Cave
East → Vendavel Fortress
East → Voltaic Hatchery
North → Vigil Lock Key ornate chest
North → Ghost Pass dungeon + ornate chest
North → Mansion's Cellar
Corrupted Tombs → ornate chest
Montcalm Clan Fort
Sell everything in Levant (~1,000–2,000s per run)

Hackmanite Farming

Total needed: 9 Hackmanite (5 Armor + 2 Boots + 2 Helm).

Source	Rate	Location
Mana Stone Veins	33.3%	Conflux Mountain exterior
Cold Mana Stone Veins	16.7%	Various
Gargoyles	9.9%	Various dungeons
Jewel Birds	8.3%	Chersonese, Enmerkar
Beware the Gold Lich	100%	Weekly quest (repeatable)

Dark Stone Cycle (Samantha)

Self-sustaining loop: At 50%+ Corruption → cast Cleanse (costs Mana Stone) → produces 1 Dark Stone + removes 30% Corruption. Also: Bloody Beasts (43.8%), Blood Sorcerers (33.3%), Forgotten Research Laboratory chests (36% for 2–6).

APPENDIXReference Tables▼

Wind Altar Locations

Region	Location
Chersonese	NE, beyond Ghost Pass
Hallowed Marsh	SW swamp, along Pilgrim Road
Enmerkar Forest	In Berg, above southern entrance
Abrassar	North of The Walled Garden
Antique Plateau	East of Cabal of Winds Temple
Caldera	West of Ritualist's Hut

Legacy Chest Locations

Region	Location	Access
Chersonese	Cierzo Storage	Cierzo Town Key
Enmerkar Forest	Vigil Pylon	Puzzle + fight
Abrassar	The Slide	Pull levers
Hallowed Marsh	Spire of Light	Levers + basement

Lexicon Reference

Lexicon	Stats	Source
Lightmender's Lexicon	+5% Ethereal · +5% Lightning · -5% Mana cost	Voltaic Hatchery, Chersonese