The following restrictions apply:
- Account is totally fresh
- Joining a clan for blueprints is allowed
- Every node must be done solo
- No trading, except for transferring a prime set of the frame of your choice (if a prime exists)
- Specters and Skaut are allowed, but please note if your strategy would require them for certain nodes
- Helminth abilities are allowed
Off the top of my head, my top picks for this challenge would be Nyx, Limbo, Octavia and Frost since they have good CC and objective defense, and good weapon support; “complete” frames if you will. Loki, Zephyr and Banshee would all also be good picks, although missing elements from their kit here and there.
I’d probably roll Lavos. With a good weapon, Lavydaddy can solo most steel path stuff so I imagine cruising through the star map wouldn’t be a major issue.
Volt, since that’s what I did
I don’t think there’s really a strategy that’s necessary. I suppose a high damage single target weapon for shut like demolishers but other than that idk
I’ve even been able to run my volt on certain Steel Path nodes since the health rework
Not a popular pick it seems, but I think I’d go with Inaros.
I think the only real requirement for this is that you have some sort of CC/Defense capabilities because higher level defense missions can be rough without a decent frame for them. Interceptions are going to be a pain pretty much no matter what, but they should be doable. Inaros should be able to do both.
My other reason: I like Inaros. I think he’s fun.
The only part that would be difficult is getting Rage. Hopefully it’d drop from one of the junction specters, but worst case you can farm Napalms.
An interesting followup question: what weapons do you complete this with? What builds are you using? Do you bother going out of your way to personally farm the rarer mods or just make a decent build with more common stuff?
Octavia for sure! Not only is her toolkit good at basically everything, her passive helps with one of the worst early game problems, energy economy. Not being forced to rely entirely on energy drop RNG to be able to maintain your abilities is liberating before Zenurik and other energy generators kick in.
I think the big limiter here would be excavation maps. Zephyr would be my pick, as long as I can also use some sort of operator mode for spy, but i don’t think it’s strictly necessary. An un-forma’d Zephyr is steel path capable. ETA: 100% projectile defense for you and the thing you’re standing next to is just too good.
Maybe I’m not understanding something- why is excavation a limiter? You can pretty much always struggle through an excavation eventually since you can’t fail them unless you die… right?
You don’t get partial credit for an incomplete extractor and the waves don’t get easier, and the extractors don’t scale very well. On SP I’ve been in a position with certain frames (Loki even with irradiating disarm) where I couldn’t clear a single extractor.
I suppose this is true for defense objectives in general though - that one moon defense node on SP, for example - Stofler. And like the other person mentioned below for mobile defense.
You don’t get partial credit for an incomplete extractor
Wait, you don’t?
I definitely recall it giving you partial cryotic for each one (assuming you actually powered it at all), and you just need a certain amount to leave.
It’s possible they’ve changed it or I’m misremembering- I haven’t done an excavation in literal years due to farming so many a loooong time ago.
