Welcome to the Evolutionary Legacy Machinist Build Guide! This build revolves around gathering Core Energy with your Drone and Joint skills, to transform into Hypersync mode which brings short cooldowns and fast attacks to deal consistent damage.
Evolutionary Legacy inflicts decent amounts of Stagger and Destruction mainly due to his skills being on short cooldowns. The Class Engraving refunds some of the Core Energy expended on transformation.
- Good Defense
- Non-positional gameplay
- Mobile
- Melee
- Small Hitboxes
- High APM
Want a more dynamic playstyle focused on its Human form and SMG Skills? Check out our Arthetinean Skill guide.
Builds
Raids
Chaos DungeonsNeed some tips for general content? Check out our Guardian Raids and Abyssal Dungeons guides.
- Mobile Shot is your mobility skill in Human form.
- Avalanche is your Counter skill in Human form.
- Command: Raid Missile, Command: Baby Drones and Command: Flare Beam are your main Core Energy generators.
- Fiery Escape is a mobility and safety skill that generates a big shield on use.
- Energy Buster is your highest stagger skill and a decent secondary Core Energy generator.
- Annihilation Mode generates a bit of Core Energy and deals decent damage, but is generally not used in your rotation.
In Sync Mode:
- Comet Strike is your main Combo skill. It boosts other skills.
- Slugshot is a short-cooldown skill with decent damage. Combo increases its attack speed.
- Laser Blade is one of your main damage skills and has Destruction. Combo boosts its damage by 20%.
- Echelon Beam is your highest damage skill and Counter in Sync Mode. Combo increases its attack speed. This skill benefits from the Front Attack modifier (+10% Damage and +20% Stagger).
- Surge Blow is a low damage skill with Destruction.
- Crimson Breaker is your second hardest hitting skill.
Alternative Skill, Tripod, and Rune Options
Annihilation Mode can be can be replaced by plenty of skills depending on your needs. For example:
Command: Blockade with Quick Performance, Core Energy Charge and Complete Blockade.
- Core Energy generator that allows you to move around but "disables" drone for a while due to its long animation.
Command: Active Pulse with Wide-Angle Attack, Core Energy Charge and Pulse Stack.
- Extra Destruction in human form. It requires you to position close to the boss or micro-manage the drone there.
Overcharged Battery with Fighting Spirit Enh..
- Can apply Synergy in human form (usually not needed). Extra Destruction in human form.
Check the Rune Guide for more details on Runes and how to obtain them.
This build is optimized and meant to be used only in Chaos Dungeons. For Ebony Cube please use a Raid build.
- Annihilation Mode is your main damage skill for everything. Its Swift Preparation tripod can reset the skill cooldown permanently given you hit enough enemies, and have enough Swiftness / Cooldown Gem / Dominion set.
- Mobile Shot and Avalanche are used entirely for mobility and to break Floor 3 Crystals.
- The rest of the skills are backups in case you fail some of those requirements.
- Alternatively, you can use your Standard Evolutionary Legacy build.
Recommended Engraving Setup
Acquiring additional engravings leads to a faster clear potential, but the build can perform quite well with the bare minimum.
Minimum requirements
- Preemptive Strike causes your attacks to deal immense amounts of damage to monsters that you haven't attacked yet, making it ideal for Chaos Dungeons.
Additional engravings
- Contender is a stacking Attack Power effect that increases in strength once you kill a monster, making it ideal for Chaos Dungeons.
- Raid Captain provides damage based on your Bonus Movement Speed, synergizing well with the Buff Nodes scattered throughout Chaos Dungeons.
Gameplay & Skill Rotation
This build focuses on consistent damage during the transformation state (Hypersync). High uptime and actions per minute are required to deal good damage since cooldowns are reduced the more skills you use. Comboing Comet Strike with Echelon Beam and Laser Blade is a core gimmick as it boosts these skills in some way.
It's worth noting that Thruster Move (Hypersync Spacebar) works as an alternative to Comet Strike, "activating" the combo with the respective skills (which can be useful when dodging a pattern or moving around to reposition).
Outside of that, you're trying to almost instantly rebuild Core Energy to transform and repeat the Hypersync cycle.
Activating his identity grants you the following effects for its entire duration:
- +15% Attack Speed
- +30% Move Speed
- Reset Sync Skill cooldown on activation
- Synergy application as an aura during Sync mode.
If your shield depletes due to damage, your Core Energy refunded will be lower and you will need to use more skills to fill it again, so knowing boss patterns and when to greed for damage is fundamental.
Machinist Identity
Evolutionary Legacy engraving provides up to 6/12/18% Sync Skill damage, up to 40% Core Energy meter back after the transformation finishes, and 0.5s cooldown reduction every time a Sync Skill is used.
Basic Rotations
Meter Generation Rotation
]
- With high Specialization (1771+) and both Core Energy Charge tripods at level 5 in Baby Drones and Raid Missile, you should be at max Core Energy after using only those 2 skills. If you have lower spec, wealth runes or tripod levels then you will need to cast other skills.
Hypersync Rotation #1
(Follow from left to right, and top to bottom)
- This rotation makes the best use of Evolutionary Legacy's damage buff, stacking it before using Crimson Breaker.
- The core concept is to pair Comet Strike with Echelon Beam and Laser Blade for increased Attack Speed and Damage, respectively.
- This rotation also fits as many Echelon Beam (4) and Crimson Breaker (3) as possible, since those two skills are almost half of your damage.
- This rotation may be too tight if you have a low level Cooldown Gem.
Hypersync Rotation #2
(Follow from left to right, and top to bottom)
- This rotation ignores the stacks from Evolutionary Legacy for the first Crimson Breaker, but allows you to fit 3 of them in your rotation it with a lower level Cooldown Gem. It's also a bit more flexible in case you miss any skill, but it does perform slightly worse than option #1.
- The core concept is to pair Comet Strike with Echelon Beam and Laser Blade for increased Attack Speed and Damage, respectively.
- This rotation also fits as many Echelon Beam (4) and Crimson Breaker (3) as possible, since those two skills are almost half of your damage.
Stagger Check Rotation
- If you're in Sync Mode, then use your standard rotation.
- Remember you can also use a Whirlwind Grenade if you have one equipped!
Tripods and Gems
Tripod Levelling
Increasing the level of Tripods greatly enhances their effectiveness. You may only increase the level of 18 tripods at a time. Some of them cannot be leveled at all, or are left at level 1 - these tripods are omitted from the table, even if they are used. Here are the main tripods you should look out for in order to maximize this build's potential.
| Skill | 1st Tripod | 2nd Tripod | 3rd Tripod |
| Mobile Shot | Solid Maneuver | Quickness | |
| Command: Flare Beam | Enhanced Laser | Core Energy Charge | Laser Cut |
| Command: Baby Drones | Core Energy Supply | Roundup Attack | |
| Command: Raid Missile | Core Energy Charge | Organ Missile | Large Missile |
| Annihilation Mode | Reformation | Comrade | |
| Fiery Escape | Excellent Mobility | Emergency Protection | |
| Energy Buster | Skilled Defender | Flame Buster | Meltdown |
Tripods written in bold text are your highest priority, make sure to level them first!
For more information on where to obtain Tripod Amulets and how to use them, check out our Skill Tree System Guide.
Gems
Gems are another significant aspect of your build, as they directly impact the damage and cooldowns of your skills. You can equip up to 11 gems at a time. Here are the ones you should focus on in order to maximize this build's potential, listed according to their priority.
Damage Gems
- Hypersync
Cooldown Gems
- Hypersync
For more information on where to obtain gems and how to use them, check out our Gem System Guide.
Stat Priority
This build utilizes Specialization and Crit.
- Specialization is the primary stat. It increases Core Energy generation and Sync Skill damage.
- Crit is a secondary stat.
Standard Setup
- Specialization + Crit
- Specialization
- Specialization
- Specialization
- Specialization
- Specialization + Crit
Gear Set
Hallucination Set
This set is optimal thanks to the large amounts of Crit Rate and the Damage it provides.
Check out the Gear Progression Guide for step by step instructions and early game gearing.
If you are interested in Sidereal Weapons, click here for more details.
Engravings
Engravings are a core part of your build. Typically, most engravings will be used at level 3, but some can be used at level 1 or 2 in addition to the others, after reaching item level 1540 and unlocking Ancient Accessories.
Relic Gearing Build (5x3)
- Evolutionary Legacy
- Grudge
- Adrenaline
- Keen Blunt Weapon
- Raid Captain
Ancient Gearing Build (5x3+1)
- Barricade
- Grudge
- Adrenaline
- Keen Blunt Weapon
- Raid Captain
- Evolutionary Legacy Lv 1
Engraving Explanations
Core Engravings
- Adrenaline provides an additional source of Crit Rate and Attack Power. It is fairly easy to upkeep.
- Grudge increases damage done while also increasing damage received. The engraving is a highly effective damage increase without needing specific positioning, making it worthwhile even with the penalty.
- Raid Captain provides damage based on your bonus Move Speed, which is already at max thanks to Sync Mode's 30% Move Speed buff and Support's Yearning set effect.
- Keen Blunt Weapon is a perfect option to pair with the Crit Rate we seek in this build.
Add-on Engravings (Pick 1)
- Barricade is the perfect choice for Evolutionary Legacy since you are shielded the entire duration of your Sync Mode.
- Cursed Doll is a significant Attack Power increase at the cost of 25% healing. The healing penalty can be punishing for inexperienced players who are not familiar with boss mechanics, but it becomes easy to overcome with time.
Level 1 and 2 Engravings
- Evolutionary Legacy is ideal at level 1 since the damage scales linearly, and the other effects (gauge refund and cooldown reduction) don't change with levels.
Check out the Engraving Guide for more details.
Bracelet
Bracelets provide beneficial effects to yourself or to your party members depending on the rolls they have.
The primary goal is to get the main stats used by this build - Specialization and Crit. After that you should be aiming for Special Rolls to get more damage. Please note that this system is heavily reliant on RNG, and you should not expect to get much more beyond your main stats early on.
Optimal Bonus Rolls
Specialization
Crit
Circulate
Fervor
Hammer
Hammer + Wedge
Alternative Bonus Rolls
Precise
Assail
Superiority
Wedge (without Hammer)
Weapon Power
Dexterity
Check out the Bracelet Guide for more details.
Elixir
The recommended Elixir Set for this build is Master.
Check out the Elixir Guide for more details and general stat recommendations.
Card Sets
Cards are an endgame system that helps maximize your character's damage. Here are the recommended card sets for this build.
- Deep Dive is used early on as it is fairly easy to obtain.
- Light of Salvation is the standard endgame option, but it can take a long time to acquire 30-piece Awakening.
- Kazeros's Legion Commanders is used as an alternative to Light of Salvation, in content where enemies have a weakness to Dark Damage.
Check out the Card Guide for more details on how to obtain cards and interact with them.
Early Game Damage Card Set
End Game Damage Card Set
Credits
Written by Sekwah
Reviewed by Starlast