The Grendel Warframe, with its unique devour mechanic and surprisingly potent abilities, offers a diverse range of build options. However, achieving peak performance in a 6/5 (meaning six forma and five polarities) build requires careful consideration. This guide details several effective 6/5 Grendel ACIS build lists, catering to different playstyles and focusing on maximizing his strengths within the context of the Arcanes and mods available. We'll explore builds prioritizing damage, survivability, and utility, providing you with the tools to craft the perfect Grendel for your missions.
Understanding Grendel's Strengths and Weaknesses
Before diving into the builds, it's crucial to understand Grendel's core mechanics:
- Devour: This ability is Grendel's bread and butter. Consuming enemies grants health and energy, making him exceptionally durable and sustainable in long missions. Effective use of Devour is paramount to success.
- Pulverize: A powerful AoE ability that stuns and damages enemies. Its strength can be significantly amplified with the right mods.
- Feast: Heals allies and provides energy orbs, adding a crucial supportive element to Grendel's gameplay.
- Bellyflop: This ability delivers significant AoE damage and crowd control, but is less effective compared to Pulverize in many situations.
Grendel's biggest weakness is his vulnerability when not utilizing Devour effectively. Without a constant supply of health and energy from devoured enemies, he becomes frail. These builds address this vulnerability by maximizing his health pool and energy regeneration.
6/5 Grendel ACIS Build Lists: Diverse Approaches
Here are three distinct 6/5 Grendel ACIS build options, each focusing on a different aspect of his capabilities. Remember that the exact mod arrangement may vary slightly depending on your available resources and preferred playstyle.
Build 1: Maximum Damage & Crowd Control
This build prioritizes maximizing the damage output of Pulverize and Bellyflop, making it ideal for high-level content where efficient enemy clearing is essential.
Focus: High Damage, Crowd Control
Aura: Corrosive Projection (Team utility) or Energy Conversion (Personal energy)
Exilus: Narrow Minded (For max power strength) or Handspring (improved mobility)
Arcanes:
- Arcane Strike (Damage increase)
- Arcane Fury (Increased attack speed, great for Pulverize)
Mods:
- Primed Continuity: Increased duration for all abilities, crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of Pulverize and Bellyflop.
- Constitution: Enhances health, improving survivability.
- Auger Reach: Increases the range of Grendel's abilities.
- Primed Flow: Provides substantial increases to starting energy.
- Power Drift: Improves power strength.
- Primed Vigor: Dramatically boosts health, significantly improving survivability.
- Heavy Trauma: Increased damage, particularly effective for Pulverize.
- Primed Reach: Further extends the range of Grendel's abilities.
- Power Strength Mods (optional): Add more power strength mods depending on your preferred playstyle.
Build 2: Tank Grendel – Unwavering Durability
This build focuses on maximizing Grendel's survivability, allowing him to endure even the most challenging missions.
Focus: Maximum Health, Survivability
Aura: Adaptation (damage reduction from highest source)
Exilus: Narrow Minded (for maximizing health pool)
Arcanes:
- Arcane Guardian (Damage reduction on taking damage)
- Arcane Aegis (Increased armor, improving survivability)
Mods:
- Primed Vigor: Maximum health increase
- Constitution: Additional health
- Adaptation: Damage mitigation
- Redirection: Enhances shields significantly increasing the total health pool
- Primed Flow: Improved energy economy
- Auger Reach: Extends the range of Grendel's abilities
- Primed Continuity: Extended ability duration
- Rolling Guard: Damage reduction and improved mobility while rolling.
Build 3: Hybrid Build – Balanced Damage and Survivability
This build aims to strike a balance between damage output and survivability, making it suitable for a broader range of mission types.
Focus: Balanced Damage and Survivability
Aura: Corrosive Projection (Team utility) or Growing Power (Power scaling with duration)
Exilus: Handspring (improved mobility)
Arcanes:
- Arcane Strike (Damage increase)
- Arcane Guardian (Damage reduction)
Mods:
- Primed Continuity: Increased ability duration
- Primed Vigor: Significant health increase
- Constitution: Further enhances health
- Auger Reach: Improves ability range
- Primed Flow: Increased energy
- Power Drift: Increased power strength
- Heavy Trauma: Increased damage
- Streamline: Reduced ability energy cost
Conclusion: Optimizing Your Grendel
These 6/5 Grendel ACIS builds provide a strong foundation for optimizing your Warframe loadout. Remember to experiment with different mod configurations and Arcanes to find the build that best suits your personal preferences and playstyle. The key to mastering Grendel lies in understanding his strengths and weaknesses and tailoring your build accordingly. By maximizing his health and ability effectiveness, you'll unleash the true potential of this unique and powerful Warframe.
