Salarian Architect: A New Hipster: The Meta Strikes Back: Return of the Hipster

Upon release of our froggy friend, we quickly went from "cool, a new character with a unique power to play with" to "o mah gawd he's awfillz!". Alas, he may always be kinda not amazing. But he may be just strong enough to breach the meta. And also be fun to play. I empathize with the guy because, like me, his builds appear dysfunctional and useless on the surface, but with some consideration they may not be the worst ideas ever put on the internet.

Many have written off the VI and specced SalArc as an (ostensibly gimped) fiery alternative to the 'lectric human sentinel. Admittedly, I plan to try the same after finishing the remnant VI challenge. But this is not then, this is now. Maybe someday they'll show challenge points in the lobby again and I need them high enough that strangers will trust me with their metaphysical cash payouts. I wish to contend that not only can he hold his own compared to the HuSent but that the VI is not the worst thing of all time. It's at least better than the salt turret.

* [Disclaimer I: The Phantom Build Guide] If I have been ninja'd somewhere in the archival depths of the past two weeks of BSN activity in suggesting a (relatively) durable-VI SalArc build, I humbly beg forgiveness and accept swift, but fair, punishment. If the sentence is meat pictures, I request breakfast food.

* [Disclaimer II: The Overblown Wars] My power duration calculations may be overestimated due to the dev's deep-space algorithmic math paradigm of numbers. Can't be sure because I don't keep a stopwatch near my couch. My points remain the same and can thus be inferred to be qualitative in nature.

* [Disclaimer III: Revenge of the Cynic] I welcome all feedback. Behind every shitpost, there is a pair of eyes who cared enough to open the thread

Remnant VI (4b recharge speed, 5b health): Despite how it may seem, the VI does in fact do damage. It's a small amount so it will take many games to fill up my challenge circle. If the build was otherwise terrible then this would be agitating. Lucky for me I have found a way to maintain the bulk of the benefits of a no-VI build while finding room to make the VI not the worst power in the game. Rank 4 shaves about 10 7 seconds off the 24-second cooldown. Rank 5 provides a meaningful buff to it's health. This, combined with the health buff from the fitness tree, keeps the VI alive longer with less post-death downtime than if it was a 1-point skip. No damage buffs. Lipstick on a pig. The acute purpose of the VI is to distract enemy fire thus improving spacing. The sparse points it picks up with its peapoobeam feed the long-term goal. Saving a penny a day isn't a particularly efficient way to save but it also isn't much of a hassle and eventually you will have collected 50 pennies to complete your penny mastery challenge.

Barricade (4a duration, 5a weapon buff): Much has been said about this power already. It's a wonderful defensive tool that provides a neighborly offensive bonus. This bonus makes up for weak weapon buffs in the passive. One of two major factors that sets this kit apart from the HuSent is the duration boost you get from the passives. Barricade will last almost 26 seconds with this build. Regardless of cell capacity and thermal clip pack availability (my spidey senses are telling me you have....oh, 100+ I'm clairvoyant), this is a big improvement. Not having to reset it as frequently is a tactical boon. A barricade-heavy tempered movement pattern will help the brain-dead VI keep up and not get ambushed. 

Incinerate (4b burn, 5b anti-armor): There are two big sacrifices to make room for the VI. Combos are one of them. Barricade is not a primer here while incinerate is not a detonator. However, combos aren't good so the real drawback is the loss of CC stun for barricade. Unfortunate, but not game-changing. Without detonation, what incinerate is left with is a decent DOT effect and the role of applicator for the best tech ability in the game. Mirroring barricade, incinerate benefits greatly from class-specific duration buffs. The DOT lasts about 11 seconds which will make a not insignificant dent in armor. You can cast it on an armored heavy and go kill red bars while you reap extra DPS. Alternatively, and more importantly, it rolls out the red carpet for the real star...

Offensive Tech (4a power damage/duration, 5b anti-armor, 6a elemental tech): Before we get to the steak we gotta munch through the potatoes. I've talked enough about duration. Anti-armor buffs incinerate efficacy vs heavies. The middling weapon damage boost gets a big assist from barricade. But oh lordy dat E-tech. Until they inevitably nerf it into our memories of yore, this is what makes tech classes shine. It offers a huge damage boost for your weapon (obviously requires a booster slot tied to ammo powers) when a tech status effect is active. Wouldn't it be handy to have a tech power with an 11-second status effect? Cryo melee buffs incinerate buffs cryo ammo. Just call this guy the Bufferfish. This is what truly sets this dude apart from the HuSent. Additionally, other E-techers either lack a long-range DOT power or snipe like they're standing on a wii balance board (lookin at you Kroginia Slims).

Support Systems (4a power duration, 5a construct health): Duration again woohoo. Construct health because since my endgame is VI mastery, I want my little flying robot crab spider alive as much as possible. Now we must discuss the second big sacrifice we make for our crab spider. Tech sabotage is great. Enemy damage reduced by 30% is hard to pass up irrespective of skill composition. It's even worse knowing we have a targeted long-range applicator (incinerate) and a method of passive application to multiple targets independent from cooldowns (VI). Fortunately, this can be amended with another point allotment alteration.

Alternate Build Options: At this point, if you miss having the CC of 'lectric 'cade, simply skip rank 5 of incinerate (or rank 5 of fitness if you prefer crabs deep fried to steamed, although this violates the spirit of the build) and put the points into rank 6 barricade. You can do the same for tech sabotage but the only option is to skim from incinerate. I concede shaving rank 5 off incinerate would probably be the best path for many people to shuffle points around. I don't do this because I am a damage whore but it seems a reasonably good trade-off. Since it would compromise incinerate burn time, I cannot have both leketic barracuda and tech sabotage. Er, well, I could do that I guess. But that's one toke over line. I've compromised enough. Ultimately, I can pass on 'lektriky barrycode because I assume a permanent health boost will benefit my horrifying floating deep-sea isopod enough to outweigh the loss. I will endure the loss of sabotage because I don't wanna give up incinerate armor damage and I can hide behind my beercootie to reduce enemy damage. My VI suffers a bit but that's why I ambush makeovered him into a beefcake. Sabotage would certainly benefit me as the player but, as far as I'm concerned... 





TL;DR Summary: This build (5/5/5/6/5; ^{or 5/6/5/6/4; or 5/6/4/6/5; or 5/5/4/6/6;} but mainly 5/5/5/6/5) is for people who want to use the VI and have it not spontaneously disintegrate immediately upon casting, whether it be for enemy spacing or VI challenge points. You sacrifice at least 1 of 2 factors: barricade stun + combos or tech sabotage debuffs. However, you retain the weapon buffs provided by barricade and elemental tech along with a DOT power to trigger the latter that does decent damage vs bosses on its own.

It may have seemed like interest in our zero suit Salarian was decaying like we were months deep in power creep. But after 6_ish failed builds, I have presented you with....