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 17%/15%/15%/15% resist · +10% Ethereal dmg · +5% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokuga, Levant
Boots	Tenebrous Boots 9%/7%/7%/7% resist · +5% Ethereal dmg · +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokuga, Levant
Head	Tenebrous Helm +5% Ethereal dmg · +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokuga, Levant

Why Horror Mace

Horror Mace dominates the 1H weapon comparison on every axis:

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	5.6	5.6	4.8
Effect	Extreme Poison	Extreme Poison	—
Durability	325	225	300

The 12 base Decay damage is amplified by the full multiplier stack: Tenebrous set (+25% Decay, +20% Ethereal from armor+boots+helm), Possessed boon (+20% Decay, base — Taylor doesn't have SR), Mist boon (+20% Ethereal, base), Lockwell's Revelation (+30% when Very Tired), and Chimera Pistol's Elemental Vulnerability (-25% enemy resistance to all elements). No other 1H weapon has native Decay damage to exploit this chain. With Molepig Sigh enchantment (+5 flat Ethereal), every mace swing delivers Physical + Decay + Ethereal — three damage types that each benefit from the Tenebrous set's dual-element bonuses.

The Impact gap (45 vs 29 for Horror Axe) determines stagger frequency — stagger windows are when you safely apply hexes and detonate. 45 Impact on a 1H mace is second only to Tsar Mace (57).

1H Weapon Skills Comparison

	1H Mace Skills	1H Axe Skills
Skill 1	Mace Infusion — Block elemental attack → gain matching boon + imbue. 5 stam, 20s CD. Reactive counter.	Talus Cleaver — 1.25x damage, inflicts Pain + Crippled. 10 stam, 30s CD. Offensive strike.
Skill 2	Dispersion (DLC) — 2.0x damage, 1.5x Impact, AoE shockwave. If imbued: overrides to element, inflicts matching hex. 30 stam, 120s CD. From Bea Battleborn, New Sirocco.	Scalp Collector (DLC) — 1.2x damage, 0.1x Impact (!), inflicts Bleeding. Kills grant Kill Streak. 8 stam, 30s CD. From Bea Battleborn, New Sirocco.

Mace Infusion is the only skill in the game that generates free boons from enemy attacks. Block a Decay attack → Possessed + Decay imbue. Block Lightning → Blessed + Lightning imbue. One successful block gives Taylor +20% damage in the absorbed element (base boon value).

Dispersion is a boss-opener nuke — 2.0x weapon damage in an AoE shockwave. If your mace has a Decay imbue active (from Mace Infusion or a varnish), Dispersion's damage converts to Decay AND inflicts Curse hex (-25% enemy Decay resistance) on top of your existing multiplier stack. 120-second cooldown is steep, but for boss encounters it's devastating.

Talus Cleaver is genuinely good — Pain hex (-25% Physical resistance, 240s) plus Crippled (-50% movement, 10s). But you already get Pain from Shatter Bullet (pistol), making Talus Cleaver redundant on your build. Scalp Collector's 0.1x Impact on a weapon class that already has low Impact makes it nearly useless for your stagger-dependent playstyle.

Enchantments

Piece	Enchantment	Effect	Rationale
Horror Mace	Molepig Sigh	+5 flat Ethereal damage	Ethereal amplified by Elemental Vulnerability's -25% resist; adds third damage type per hit
Tenebrous Armor	Chaos and Creativity	+10% Movement Speed, +10% Decay damage	Stacks with set's Decay bonus
Tenebrous Boots	Speed and Efficiency	+7% Movement Speed, +5% Cooldown Reduction	CDR synergizes with Daredevil's Alert-based CDR

[Alternative mace enchants: Fulmination (+5 Lightning), Poltergeist (50% Physical → Raw + self-repair), Whiplash (+10% Physical). Poltergeist is the defensive choice if repair costs are a concern.]

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 (give Sealed Mace). Best for burst on low-armor targets already debuffed. 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
Chest	Tenebrous Armor +10% Ethereal dmg · +5% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Already owned
Boots	Tenebrous Boots +5% Ethereal dmg · +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokuga, Levant
Head	Tenebrous Helm +5% Ethereal dmg · +10% Decay dmg · -10% Mana cost Tokuga, Levant

Runic Prefix (Samantha's choice, permanent, mutually exclusive with Internalized Lexicon) enhances all runic spells:

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, emits light)
Runic Protection	+5 Physical resistance, +1 protection, +10 elemental resistances
Runic Heal	+2 Health/sec for 10 seconds
Runic Lightning	+10 Lightning damage, can light a campfire
Runic Trap	+30 damage
Runic Detonation	+40 damage

Greater Decay Imbue on Great Runic Blade synergizes massively with Tenebrous set (+25% Decay, +20% Ethereal), Possessed boon (+30% Decay with Shamanic), Mist boon (+30% Ethereal with Shamanic), and Taylor's Elemental Vulnerability debuff (-25% enemy resistance to all elements). The blade's 39 base Ethereal damage benefits from both the Tenebrous Ethereal bonuses and the Mist boon — Samantha's per-hit Ethereal damage is the highest in the party.

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

Enchantments

Piece	Enchantment	Effect	Rationale
Tenebrous Armor	Chaos and Creativity	+10% Movement Speed, +10% Decay damage	Amplifies Greater Decay Imbue
Tenebrous Boots	Flux	+3% Movement Speed, +5% Lightning damage	Buffs Runic Lightning

PART 2Consumables & Boon Strategy▼

The Multiplier Stack — Taylor's Full Damage Chain

Understanding what stacks with what is the key to this build:

Source	Bonus	Type	Duration
Tenebrous Armor	+10% Ethereal, +5% Decay damage	Gear (permanent)	∞
Tenebrous Boots	+5% Ethereal, +10% Decay damage	Gear (permanent)	∞
Tenebrous Helm	+5% Ethereal, +10% Decay damage	Gear (permanent)	∞
Full set total	+20% Ethereal, +25% Decay damage	Gear (permanent)	∞
Possessed boon (base)	+20% Decay damage + resist	Boon	240s
Mist boon (base)	+20% Ethereal damage + resist	Boon	240s
Lockwell's Revelation (Very Tired)	+30% all elemental damage	Passive	While Very Tired
Discipline boon (base)	+15% Physical damage	Boon	240s
Elemental Vulnerability (Chimera Pistol)	-25% enemy resist (all elements)	Enemy debuff	240s
Curse hex (Dispersion or Torment)	-25% enemy Decay resist	Enemy hex	240s
Pain hex (Shatter Bullet)	-25% enemy Physical resist	Enemy hex	240s

Note on Shamanic Resonance: SR amplifies boons only on the character who has the passive (Samantha). Taylor's boons apply at base values. Samantha's boons are amplified (+30% instead of +20%, etc.). The build still stacks massive damage — Lockwell's Revelation (+30% all elemental at Very Tired) is Taylor's primary multiplier, and hex debuffs (-25% enemy resists) are enemy-side effects unaffected by SR.

Boon Sources — No Breakthroughs Required

Every boon listed below can be obtained without spending breakthrough points. Skills are all Tier 1 (universal) from their respective trees.

Possessed (+20% Decay base / +30% with Shamanic on Samantha):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Possessed Potion	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains → 3x	Cheapest per-unit. Occult Remains from Horror enemies
Golem Elixir	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder → 1x	BEST: grants Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up in one drink
Ragoût du Marais	Cooking Pot	Miasmapod Meat + Marshmelon + Salt → 3x	Also restores 50 HP + Health Recovery 4. Perishes in ~15 days
Bagatelle	Cooking Pot	Crawlberry Jam ×2 + Sugar + Fresh Cream → 3x	Also grants Stamina Recovery 5 + Corruption Resist 1. Perishes in ~12 days
Call to Elements	Skill (Cabal T1)	50 silver from Adalbert	Boon varies by location. Grants Possessed in certain areas
Mace Infusion	Skill (1H Mace)	50 silver from Burac/Taleron	Reactive — must block a Decay attack to get Possessed

Discipline (+15% Physical base / +30% with Shamanic on Samantha):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Focus	Skill (Warrior Monk T1)	50 silver from Galira, Monsoon	Burns 4 max health. 500s cooldown. No breakthrough
Brace	Skill (Warrior Monk T1)	50 silver from Galira, Monsoon	Must block an attack. 200s cooldown. No breakthrough
Discipline Potion	Alchemy	Water + Ochre Spice Beetle + Livweedi → 3x	Standard crafting
Golem Elixir	Alchemy	Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder → 1x	Also grants Possessed + Impact Up
Warrior Elixir	Alchemy	Krimp Nut + Crystal Powder + Larva Egg + Water → 1x	Also grants Impact Up + Physical Attack Up

Rage (+25% weapon Impact base / +35% with Shamanic on Samantha):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Enrage	Skill	50 silver from Burac/Jaimon	Burns max health
Rage Potion	Alchemy	Water + Smoke Root + Gravel Beetle → 3x	Standard crafting
Alpha Jerky	Food	Dropped/looted	+Health Recovery 3 · Perishable
Alpha Sandwich	Food	Dropped/looted	+Health Recovery 4 · Perishable

Blessed (+20% Lightning base / +30% with Shamanic on Samantha):

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

Mist (+20% Ethereal base / +30% with Shamanic on Samantha):

Source	Type	Cost / Ingredients	Notes
Mist	Skill (Cyril Turnbull, Berg)	50 silver	8 mana, 120s CD. No breakthrough. Blue Chamber building
Mist Potion	Alchemy	Clean Water + Ghost's Eye → 3x	Standard crafting
Mace Infusion	Skill (1H Mace)	50 silver	Must block an Ethereal attack
Call to Elements	Skill (Cabal T1)	50 silver	Location-dependent

Recommended Consumable Loadout

Slot	Item	Purpose
Primary buff	Golem Elixir	Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up in one drink
Food	Poutine	+25% Fatigue (triggers Lockwell's Revelation faster), Impact Up, Physical Attack Up, Cold Weather Def
Ammo	Iron Scraps	Shatter Bullet (high Impact + Pain hex)
Ammo	Bullets	Standard Fire/Reload
Backup boon	Rage Potion	+25% Impact (base — Taylor doesn't have SR) for stagger-heavy fights
Exploration	Alertness Potion	Instant Alert stack for Daredevil CDR activation

Slot	Item	Purpose
Primary buff	Golem Elixir	Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up
Ethereal buff	Mist Potion	+30% Ethereal for Great Runic Blade (39 Ethereal base)
Lightning buff	Blessed Potion	+30% Lightning for Runic Lightning
Fuel	Dark Stones	Blood Sigil fuel (Cleanse cycle: at 50%+ Corruption, Cleanse with Mana Stone → produces Dark Stone)
Fuel	Mana Stones	Required for Cleanse
Food	Ragoût du Marais	Possessed + 50 HP restore + Health Recovery (backup if out of Golem Elixir)

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 Attack Up

Possessed Potion

Water + Occult Remains

Yield: 3×

Possessed boon

Blessed Potion

Firefly Powder + Water

Yield: 3×

Blessed boon

Mist Potion

Clean Water + Ghost's Eye

Yield: 3×

Mist boon (Ethereal)

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 level + 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 Attack Up · Cold Def

Poutine sources: Soroborean Caravanner (42-47% chance, 2-40 qty) in most cities. Brad Aberdeen, Chef in New Sirocco (22.7% chance, qty 2). Buy 30 silver, sell 8.

Ingredient Farming Priority

Ingredient	Used In	Where to Find
Occult Remains	Golem Elixir, Possessed Potion	Horror-class enemies, some dungeon loot
Crystal Powder	Golem Elixir, Warrior Elixir	Holy Mission faction reward, some merchants, Crystal enemies
Blue Sand	Golem Elixir	Beach spawns at night in Chersonese, various world spawns
Firefly Powder	Blessed Potion	Firefly enemies (Chersonese at night), some merchants
Ghost's Eye	Mist Potion	Ghost/spectral enemies, some gathering spots, merchants
Iron Scraps	Shatter Bullet ammo	Extremely common — scrap metal everywhere, buy from blacksmiths
Miasmapod Meat	Ragoût du Marais	Miasmapods in Hallowed Marsh
Marshmelon	Ragoût du Marais	Hallowed Marsh gathering
Smoke Root	Rage Potion	Gathering in Enmerkar Forest and other areas
Gravel Beetle	Rage Potion	Gathering in Abrassar desert
Dark Stones	Blood Sigil (Samantha)	Cleanse cycle (50%+ Corruption → Cleanse = Dark Stone + -30% Corruption)
Mana Stones	Cleanse (Samantha)	Mana Stone veins (Conflux Mountain), merchants

PART 3Skill Investment▼

Hex Mage — Ella Lockwell, Harmattan

T1: Jinx (50s), Torment (100s), Nightmares (100s) [Passive — sleep mana recovery, not quickslottable] · Breakthrough: Bloodlust (500s + 1 BP) · 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 + 1 BP) · T3: Prime (600s), Blitz (600s) [Passive — sprint/running attack bonus, not quickslottable] · Total: 1,900s

Mercenary — Jaimon, Levant

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

Additional Skills (no breakthrough)

Mace Infusion (Burac/Taleron, 50s) — 1H mace counter-block · Focus OR Brace (Galira, Monsoon, 50s each) — Discipline boon access · Enrage (Burac/Jaimon, 50s) — Rage boon access

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 + 1 BP) · T3: Wind Sigil skills — Infuse Wind (600s), Conjure (600s) · Shamanic Resonance amplifies boons on Samantha only (self-only passive — Taylor gets base boon values)

Hex Mage — Ella Lockwell, Harmattan

T1: Jinx (50s), Torment (100s) · Breakthrough: Bloodlust (500s + 1 BP) · T3: Blood Sigil (600s), Cleanse (600s)

Additional Skills (no breakthrough)

Focus or Brace (Galira, Monsoon, 50s) — Discipline boon access · Mist (Cyril Turnbull, Berg, 50s) — Ethereal boon for Great Runic Blade · Call to Elements already learned (Cabal T1)

Silver Budget

Starting: 38 gold bars = 3,800 silver

~5,700

Taylor Skills

~4,550

Samantha Skills

~500+

Gear + Consumables

~11,300

Estimated Total

Gap: ~7,500 silver. Chersonese loot route yields ~1,000–2,000 per run. Budget for 4–5 farming runs across progression. Blood Under The Sun removes Levant's 1.75× tax, saving significant silver on later purchases.

PART 4Progression Roadmap▼

Co-Op Rules

Enemy Scaling: +50-85% Max Health, +15% All Damage, +75% Impact, +0-30% Impact Resistance. Early enemies get partial boosts.

Faction: Each player chooses independently. Permanent. Faction-exclusive items transferable via Legacy Chests or split-screen trading. Both players can complete parallel quests regardless of faction.

Quest sharing: Host's world determines quest state. Each player runs their own faction quests in their own hosted world.

Phase 1

Cierzo & Chersonese (Days 1–10)

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

Phase 2

Faction Selection (Days 10–20)

Looking to the Future — speak to all three faction reps for free item rewards BEFORE committing
Taylor → Heroic Kingdom (Levant). Samantha → Holy Mission or Blue Chamber
VENDAVEL TIMER STARTS — 40 days. Handle before traveling far
Taylor: Learn Mace Infusion from Burac (free if leaving Cierzo with mace equipped, or 50s later)

Phase 3

Harmattan Training (Days 20–35)

Taylor: Full Hex Mage tree at Ella Lockwell (1,950s)
Taylor: Full Speedster tree at Serge Battleborn (1,900s)
Both: Hunt Horror-class enemies for Occult Remains (Golem Elixir ingredients)

Phase 4

Levant — Gear & Mercenary (Days 35–50)

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

Phase 5

Berg & Monsoon — Final Skills

Samantha: Finish Rune Sage at Flase in Berg
Samantha: Learn Mist (50s) from Cyril Turnbull in Berg — +30% Ethereal with Shamanic for Great Runic Blade
Both: Learn Focus (50s) from Galira in Monsoon — free Discipline boon access
Taylor: Buy Enrage (50s) from Jaimon — free Rage boon access
Samantha: Learn Dispersion from Bea Battleborn in New Sirocco (Three Brothers DLC)
Taylor: Consider learning Dispersion too (AoE nuke for mace)

Phase 6

Blood Under The Sun

Available after "Attack on Berg" in faction quests
Complete within 40 days to remove 1.75× Levant tax
All future Levant purchases become significantly cheaper

Phase 7

Enchanting & Stockpiling

Acquire Enchanting Pedestal + Pillars + Incense
Enchant gear (Horror Mace: Molepig Sigh, Armor: Chaos and Creativity, Boots: Speed/Efficiency or Flux)
Stockpile Golem Elixirs (Water + Occult Remains + Blue Sand + Crystal Powder)
Buy Poutine from Soroborean Caravanners whenever encountered
Farm Hackmanite from Mana Stone Veins if still needed

Quest Timer Reference

Quest	Timer	Trigger	Failure Consequence
Call to Adventure	5 days	Talk to Rissa	Lose Cierzo Lighthouse (repurchase 300s)
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 high-value loot in Levant for best prices (after Blood Under The Sun removes tax).

Chersonese Loot Route

Night: Gather blue sand spawns, loot Starfish Cave
East → Vendavel Fortress (use keys)
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 (use Montcalm Key)
Sell everything in Levant

~1,000–2,000 silver per run. Chests respawn over time.

Hackmanite Farming

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

Source	Drop Rate	Location
Mana Stone Veins	33.3%	Conflux Mountain exterior (several veins)
Cold Mana Stone Veins	16.7%	Various
Gargoyles	9.9%	Various dungeons
Jewel Birds	8.3%	Chersonese, Enmerkar
Beware the Gold Lich	1× guaranteed	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).

PART 6Combat Rotations & Quickslot Layouts▼

Quickslot Layout (Verified — 2-Hex Strategy)

Slot	Skill	Tree	Role
1	Shatter Bullet	Mercenary T1	Ranged opener — loads Pain hex + high Impact bullet
2	Fire/Reload	Universal	Discharges loaded bullet (no cooldown)
3	Jinx	Hex Mage T1	Hex applicator — random hex per cast, stack 2-3x
4	Torment	Hex Mage T1	Hex trigger — fires a damage reaction per hex on target
5	Rupture	Hex Mage T3	Hex detonation — burst damage consuming all hexes
6	Probe	Speedster T1	Alert generator + filler (0.5s CD, 0.75 stam)
7	Blood Bullet	Mercenary T3	Decay burst + self-heal (40 Decay, +40 HP, requires Possessed)
8	Mace Infusion	1H Mace	Block elemental attack → gain matching boon + imbue

Why 2-Hex, Not 3-Hex

Jinx is your only hex applicator. Each cast adds one random hex from a pool of five. The strategy is: cast Jinx 2-3 times to stack distinct hexes, Torment for per-hex damage reactions, then Rupture to detonate all hexes for burst. Against trash mobs, one Jinx + Torment + Rupture is often enough. Against elites and bosses, stack more hexes before detonating.

What's NOT quickslotted: Nightmares and Blitz are both passive skills with no combat activation — Nightmares modifies sleep mana recovery, Blitz grants a passive sprint/running attack bonus. Neither can be placed in quickslots. Focus (Discipline boon, 500s CD) and Enrage (Rage boon) are pre-combat buffs used from the menu. Metabolic Purge (status cleanse) is situational menu access.

Probe — The Hidden CDR Engine

Every Probe hit generates +1 Alert stack. Daredevil (Speedster breakthrough) cuts ALL skill cooldowns by 10% per Alert level. At 5 Alert stacks, Jinx drops from 5s to 2.5s cooldown, Torment from 10s to 5s. The rotation literally accelerates the longer the fight lasts. Probe also evolves into stronger attacks at higher Alert levels, making it both a filler and a scaling damage source.

Standard Rotation

Pre-combat (menu): Golem Elixir (Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up) → Poutine (+25% Fatigue for Lockwell's Revelation)

OPEN: Shatter Bullet → Fire/Reload → (bullet lands: Pain hex + Elem Vulnerability + stagger) CLOSE: Mace swings (build Extreme Poison) → Probe ×2 (Alert stacking) HEX: Jinx → Jinx → Torment → (Probe filler if CDs up) → Rupture SUSTAIN: Probe ×2-3 → Blood Bullet → Fire/Reload → cycle hex chain

The opener is ranged: Shatter Bullet loads a high-Impact round that applies Pain hex (-25% Physical resist) and triggers Chimera Pistol's Elemental Vulnerability (-25% all element resist). Fire/Reload discharges it. This double-debuff setup amplifies everything that follows.

Close to melee range. Normal mace swings apply Extreme Poison (Horror Mace innate). Weave Probe between everything — it costs almost nothing (0.75 stam, 0.5s CD) and each hit builds your Alert-based CDR.

The hex chain is Jinx → Jinx → Torment → Rupture. Torment fires a damage reaction for EVERY hex on the target — with 2 hexes, that's 2 reactions. Rupture detonates all hexes for burst. After Rupture, cycle back through: Probe filler → Jinx stacking → Torment → Rupture.

Blood Bullet loads a 40 Decay damage round that also heals you for 40 HP. It requires Possessed boon (active from Golem Elixir). Fire/Reload to discharge. The Decay damage benefits from your full multiplier stack — at endgame, this is a significant burst + sustain tool.

Boss Variant

Change	Out	In	Rationale
Slot 8	Mace Infusion	Dispersion	2.0x weapon damage AoE shockwave, 120s CD. Fire as alpha strike before hex chain

Dispersion is Taylor's highest single-hit damage skill. If your mace has a Decay imbue active (from Mace Infusion pre-swap or a varnish), Dispersion's damage converts to Decay. [UNVERIFIED: warehouse states "Effect varies depending on Imbue" but does not specify whether the Decay-imbued version inflicts Curse hex. Test in-game.] 120s cooldown makes it a once-per-boss-fight opener. Swap back to Mace Infusion for trash encounters.

Mace Infusion — Reactive Boon Generation

Mace Infusion earns the permanent utility slot because it generates resources rather than consuming them. Activate → brief block window → if the blocked attack deals elemental damage, you gain that element's boon + imbue. Block a Decay attack → free Possessed boon + Decay weapon imbue. Block Lightning → free Blessed + Lightning imbue. Against Soroboreans Decay-element enemies, this is effectively a free +20% Decay damage on demand (base value — Taylor doesn't have Shamanic Resonance).

Quickslot Layout

Slot	Skill	Tree	Role
1	Dez	Rune Sage	Rune input — blade and lightning combos
2	Fal	Rune Sage	Rune input — blade and detonation combos
3	Shim	Rune Sage	Rune input — lightning and protection combos
4	Egoth	Rune Sage	Rune input — trap, detonation, and heal combos
5	Jinx	Hex Mage T1	Hex applicator — stacks with Taylor's hexes
6	Torment	Hex Mage T1	Hex trigger — fires per-hex damage reactions
7	Blood Sigil	Hex Mage T3	Sustained Decay AoE zone — fight inside it
8	Infuse Wind	Cabal Hermit T3	Self-buff — +Attack Speed, +Impact for Samantha's melee (requires Wind Altar)

The Rune Tax — And Why It's Worth Paying

Four of eight quickslots go to rune inputs. That looks expensive, and it is. But those four slots aren't four individual skills — they're a spell keyboard. Each pair of rune inputs casts a different spell:

Combo	Runes	Effect
Great Runic Blade	Dez + Fal + any	Summon 39 Ethereal sword, ∞ durability, 180s. With Runic Prefix: +Greater Decay Imbue
Runic Lightning	Dez + Shim	Lightning damage spell
Runic Protection	Shim + Fal	Defensive barrier
Runic Trap	Shim + Egoth	AoE trap
Runic Detonation	Fal + Egoth	AoE explosion
Runic Heal	Egoth + Dez	Self-heal

The Great Runic Blade (Dez + Fal + any third rune) is the centerpiece. At 39 Ethereal base damage with Greater Decay Imbue (Runic Prefix passive), every sword swing deals Ethereal + Decay — both amplified by Tenebrous set bonuses (+20% Ethereal, +25% Decay) and boons (Mist +30% Ethereal, Possessed +30% Decay).

Standard Rotation

Pre-combat (menu): Golem Elixir (Possessed + Discipline + Impact Up) → Mist Potion (+30% Ethereal) → Blessed Potion (+30% Lightning, optional for Runic Lightning)

OPEN: Infuse Wind (slot 8) → party buff active SUMMON: Dez (slot 1) + Fal (slot 2) + Shim (slot 3) → Great Runic Blade appears ZONE: Blood Sigil (slot 7) → place Decay AoE zone at chokepoint HEX: Jinx (slot 5) → Torment (slot 6) → stacks with Taylor's hexes MELEE: Sword swings inside Blood Sigil zone — Ethereal + Decay per hit

Samantha's combat is simpler than Taylor's once the blade is summoned. Infuse Wind is cast once per engagement for the party-wide attack speed and Impact buff. Summon the Great Runic Blade (three rune inputs). Drop Blood Sigil for sustained AoE Decay damage in a zone — fight inside it or lure enemies through it. Use Jinx and Torment to add hexes that stack with Taylor's hex application, increasing both players' Rupture/Torment damage.

Between blade summons (180s duration), Samantha can cast Runic Lightning (Dez + Shim) for ranged damage, Runic Protection (Shim + Fal) for emergency defense, or Runic Heal (Egoth + Dez) for sustain. The rune system gives her flexibility that Taylor's fixed-rotation build lacks.

Critical: Greater Decay Imbue is applied automatically when summoning Great Runic Blade with Runic Prefix. Do NOT apply another imbue — it overwrites. Infuse Wind is safe because it's a separate buff, not a weapon imbue.

Co-Op Synergy

Taylor Does	Samantha Does	Combined Effect
Chimera Pistol → Elem Vulnerability	Infuse Wind → Samantha's attack speed + Impact	-25% enemy resists + faster Samantha melee
Jinx ×2-3 → stacks hexes	Jinx ×1-2 → adds more hexes	3-5 hexes total on target
Torment → per-hex reactions	Torment → additional reactions	Massive per-hex damage
Rupture → detonates all hexes	Blood Sigil → sustained AoE	Burst + sustained damage
Mace Infusion → free Possessed (base)	Mist + Golem Elixir → amplified Ethereal + Decay	Both covered; Samantha's boons amplified via SR

The key insight: both characters run Jinx and Torment. Their hex applications stack on the same target. Taylor stacking 2-3 hexes and Samantha adding 1-2 more means Torment fires 3-5 reactions and Rupture detonates 3-5 hexes — far more than either character could achieve alone.

PART 7Co-Op Tactical Guide▼

Boss Fight Adjustments

Taylor — Boss Variant: Replace Mace Infusion (Slot 8) with Dispersion for fights where you need the AoE alpha strike. 2.0x weapon damage in a shockwave. If Decay-imbued, converts to Decay + Curse hex. 120s cooldown — one use per boss fight.

Samantha — Spell Selection: Against bosses, prioritize Runic Lightning (Dez + Shim) for consistent ranged burst between melee windows. Save Runic Detonation (Fal + Egoth) for add phases.

Mace Infusion (Menu): Against bosses with predictable elemental attacks, Taylor can activate Mace Infusion from the menu during safe windows. Successfully blocking an elemental attack grants a free boon and weapon imbue. Opportunistic, not part of the core rotation.

The Fatigue Tradeoff

Lockwell's Revelation grants bonus elemental damage when tired. It boosts Decay, Ethereal, Fire, Lightning, and Frost damage. It does not boost physical damage.

Status	Elemental Bonus	Stamina Penalty
Tired	+15%	Moderate stamina regen reduction
Very Tired	+30%	-30% stamina regeneration

Practical guidance: Let yourself get Very Tired before boss fights for the damage bonus. For dungeon exploration where stamina matters, sleep when convenient. No knockout risk from fatigue alone — only from health reaching zero.

The Dispersion Upgrade Path

Dispersion is the build's post-campaign power spike — a massive AoE nuke (2.0× damage, 1.5× Impact) locked behind faction questline completion.

#	Step
1	Complete faction main questline
2	Complete "Well-Earned Rest" (post-faction quest)
3	Receive messenger directing you to New Sirocco
4	Complete "A Fallen City" quest
5	Learn Dispersion from Bea Battleborn in New Sirocco

Where it fits: In the boss variant, Dispersion replaces Mace Infusion (Slot 8) as a pre-rotation alpha strike. Fire Dispersion → Shatter Bullet → hex chain → Rupture. The build is complete without it — treat as a post-campaign power spike.

Resource Management

Resource	Who	Per Dungeon	Notes
Dark Stones	Samantha	10-15	Blood Sigil costs 1 per cast. Skip sigil for trash — save for elites.
Iron Scraps	Taylor	∞	Shatter Bullet ammo. Extremely common — never run out.
Corruption	Samantha	—	Cleanse from menu at ~50%. Between fights, not during.
Blade Timer	Samantha	—	Great Runic Blade lasts 180s. Re-summon between encounters.

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 (Blue Chamber reward or Vendavel Quest)
Enmerkar Forest	Inside Vigil Pylon	Complete puzzle + fight
Abrassar	Inside The Slide	Pull levers
Hallowed Marsh	Inside Spire of Light	Pull levers + basement

Lexicon Reference

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