INTRODUCTION

[Desert Wind] focused [Baruuk] build utilising all base abilities with [Elusive Retribution] and [Reactive Storm] augments. [Reactive Storm] adds tons of status chance to [Desert Wind] allowing it to apply statuses such as viral + heat or electric quickly, as well as converting the small impact component into an additional element to match enemy weakness. [Elusive Retribution] gives bonus attack speed and critical damage upon dodging attacks.

UPDATE MARCH 2025
Exalted Weapon rework has mega buffed [Baruuk], allowing you to run acolyte mods such as weeping wounds and blood rush as well as arcanes e.g. Melee Influence.

UPDATE JULY 2024 - Armor Strip from Pillage is no longer as necessary as it is capped at 2700 (or 90% damage reduction). Partial strip with Corrosive Heat is much more valuable than before, as 90% strip now drops armor to 270 for 28% DR (i.e. 100 damage is reduced to 72). Full strip is equivalent to a 10x damage multiplier while partial strip via Corrosive Heat is equivalent to a 7.2x multiplier, and there is only approx 40% difference between them now. For this reason, I have removed Pillage and show a base non-helminth build with suggested helminth abilities below.

Nourish Elusive Retribution variant: https://overframe.gg/build/672521/
Pull Baruuk build: https://overframe.gg/build/402139/.
Panzer build (Swap Tandem Bond over Hunter Recovery): https://overframe.gg/build/220091/

PLAYSTYLE

1. Activate Elude and Desolate Hands (3), always keeping Desolate hands above 9 daggers for max damage reduction.
2. Stand still and don't attack for brief periods to build up [Elusive Retribution]. You should be able to naturally sustain this buff in between attacks.
3. Periodically use Lull (2) on Enemies to erode Restraint and crowd control enemies allowing your Panzer to attack and build combo
4. Keep [Serene Storm] (4) active and spam light melee to kill enemies. Can use a combination of slide attacks and grouping tools to build combo direct on [Desert Wind].
5. If shield gating, cast Lull or Desolate hands to reset shields actively, or simply stop attacking to allow shields to restore while in Elude.

SURVIVABILITY

In non-endurance content, [Baruuk] has multiple layers of damage reduction that multiply together making him innately extremely tanky. You can swap Transient Fortitude for Adaptation.

Damage Reduction Calculations
At minimum restraint - 50% damage reduction
At 9 or more Desolate Hands daggers - 90% damage reduction
With Serene Storm active - 40% damage reduction

Max total damage reduction WITHOUT [Adaptation] = 97% damage reduction
Max total damage reduction WITH [Adaptation] = 99.7% damage reduction
Accounting for adaptation AND base armor = 99.8% damage reduction to health

In endurance content we can rely on many factors:

• Elude allows you to completely negate damage while NOT attacking
• Crowd Control from Lull and Disarm from 3 and 4 allows you to prevent attacks WHILE you attack
• Rolling Guard for i-frames and status cleanse (OPTIONAL)
• Pillage or Brief Respite to reset shield gate (OPTIONAL)
• Vazarin Protective Sling for more i-frames (OPTIONAL)
• [Dante] Specter casts Triumph and allows you to constantly gain overguard (OPTIONAL)

BUILD SPECIFICS

Duration
Duration does not affect Desolate Hands or [Serene Storm] and lower duration allows Lull to be recast quicker. We only need enough duration to help reduce the drain of Elude, or for a helminth ability.

Efficiency/Energy
[Desert Wind] drain and use is not affected by efficiency. You should be casting Lull and Dagger sparingly and we can offset the drain of Elude with a bit of duration as well as [Seismic Bond] from your companion. Energy restoration relies mostly on the combination [Equilibrium], [Synth Deconstruct] on your companion and high KPM as well as eximus kills (each eximus drops a guaranteed 2 health orbs for 110 energy converted from health). [Primed Flow] is needed for sustaining energy economy and allowing Violet Shards to give maximum melee crit damage boost (requires energy max > 500).

Range
Elude requires exactly 200% range to hit a 360 degree dodge radius, meaning you are completely immune to all damage while not attacking. We can hit this with [Overextended] + at least rank 3 [Cunning Drift]. If you prefer to run [Primed Sure Footed] in exilus, you will either need to add [Augur Reach] to hit 200 range to just deal with having 190 range which still gives you near complete dodge. Range also allows Lull to affect a wider range, but makes you lose daggers more quickly.

Strength
High strength boosts damage of [Desert Wind] and [Elusive Retribution] buffs, as well as any helminth abilities you may plan on using.

Aura
Aura is always flexible depending on preference:
Brief Respite - allows for active shield gating.
Growing Power - more strength

Flexible Slots
[Streamline] or [Primed Continuity] flexible for [Primed Flow], [Umbral Intensify] or [Augur Reach]
[Rolling Guard] flexible for [Adaptation] in lower levels to base SP
[Endless Lullaby] is a nice quality of life to recast lull without you actually casting, giving crowd control and eroding restraint
[Archon Vitality] is a flexible option that doubles the heat status procs from [Desert Wind]. This results approximately 18% final DPS boost on a viral heat build. If you do a pure heat inherit setup with a primer, then Archon Vitality would give approximately 50% DPS boost.

Arcanes
Arcane Fury - boosts damage for Desert Wind, additive to primed pressure point
Molt Augmented - boosts Desert Wind base damage and Elusive Retribution buffs
Arcane Strike - gives attack speed, but less impactful than Fury due to Elusive Retribution and Berserker fury both giving bigger values
Energize - optional for energy economy

Archon Shards
These are flexible:
Amber Shard: 1 Tauforged Cast Speed for Lull spam/Dagger recast
Violet Shard: 3 to 4 Tauforged for over +225% melee crit damage

HELMINTH

Subsume over Lull if you plan on using Elude and Elusive Retribution.
Subsume over Elude if you prefer using Lull and don't like to stop attacking in brief periods.

• Nourish: Improves energy economy for Elude sustain and applies free Viral to [Desert Wind], allowing you to build combinations like Viral Electric, Viral Corrosive Heat or Viral Magnetic Toxin (+corrosive status with Archon Continuity).
• Pull: Allows for grouping and easier buildup of manual combo https://overframe.gg/build/389401/baruuk/vacuum-fist-baruuk/
• Wrathful Advance: Gives flat crit chance boost, giving immediate red crits without needing to maintain combo

FOCUS

Naramon - power spike will slow combo decay for both melee guidance and non melee guidance styles.
Vazarin - protective dash is good for endurance and void snare helps combo build up
Madurai - gives cast speed and 40% strength bonus. mandatory for Cascade thrax killing.

ARSENAL

Desert Wind Electric Influence Tennokai: https://overframe.gg/build/402149/

Rauta Combo statstick (Rauta allows you to build combo onto Exalted weapon): https://overframe.gg/build/505762/

Praedos Tennokai statstick: https://overframe.gg/build/330674/ (gives movement/parkour speed and inherits tennokai mods).

Panzer Vulpaphyla for passive viral priming, melee combo building and crit damage buff - swap in Tandem Bond over Hunter Recovery for pillage baruuk:
https://overframe.gg/build/220091/

Consider adding [Seismic Bond] onto panzer for free 30% efficiency, meaning you can have even better energy economy.