The Element Engine

Catalyze scales as 2^(number of distinct statuses), so the whole plan is stacking elements: Archon Continuity turns Ophidian Bite's toxin into corrosive, a Cedo or Grimoire primer adds the rest, and Valence Formation multiplies the resulting status.

Gas infusion makes the procs linger and spread.

The Mecha set's Empowered mark double-dips status for a 6.25x DoT multiplier and its bonus spreads statuses to a 30m radius on a marked kill.

Efficiency does not touch Lavos's cooldowns directly, but it changes how much Swift Bite and Transmutation Probe cut them.

1.

Group enemies (Magus Anomaly, Ensnare, Nautilus Cordon, melee vortex).

2.

Infuse Corrosive (hold 1 and 3) and cast Vial Rush (tap 2) through the group to stack corrosive pools.

3.

Shoot a primer for viral and heat, then infuse Gas (hold 1 and 4) and cast Catalyze (4).

4.

Tap 3, then tap 1 into the group, to slash the cooldowns of 4 and 3.

Duration extends every status's DoT (about 9s at 155%, 15s with shards and Ris Invocation).

Efficiency at 45% because Arcane Impetus gives back 30% and it only affects cooldown reduction.

Range for all abilities including Catalyze's reach and any grouping subsume.

Strength for Catalyze's base damage (Precision Intensify if you want it).

Blind Rage is the Strength.

Overextended is the Range.

Archon Continuity is Duration plus the corrosive conversion.

Archon Vitality doubles Catalyze heat procs.

Valence Formation is the status multiplier.

Swift Bite is the cooldown engine.

Adaptation is the tank layer.

Mecha Pulse aura and Mecha Empowered aura are the Mecha set.

Lavos cannot shield-gate the normal way (no energy).

Health tank on his high base armour plus Mecha Pulse (up to ~5850 armour) plus Adaptation plus Arcane Blessing health, healed by Ophidian Bite, for ~600k effective HP to around level 500.

Arcane Persistence (700+ armour) with consistent lifesteal for higher.

Or a Fast Deflection plus Vigilante Vigor passive-gate build, made immortal by the Fass Canticle bug on a Grimoire.

Pick one.

Subsume over Vial Rush.

- Sickening Pulse for the highest ceiling: it multiplies electric and Gas status 10x and doubles heat and toxin, best on tight-corridor maps with grouping.

- Roar for a passive multiplier that double-dips all DoTs.

- Ensnare or another grouping ability for Gas overlap.

- Expedite Suffering for Disruption with a slash weapon.

- Pillage for shield gating plus a strip.

- Omamori or Evade for lazy survival.

Arcane Impetus for 60% Strength and 30% Efficiency from Lavos's ten possible elements, Arcane Blessing for the tank health.

Molt Augmented or Arcane Ice Storm as swaps.

Any.

Madurai for cast speed on the slow infusion casts.

An area primer that procs many distinct statuses: Cedo alt-fire, Kuva Ogris, Bubonico (viral plus corrosive), Grimoire.

A heat-inherit secondary primer (Kompressa, Catabolyst, Dex Furis) multiplies Catalyze's heat procs ~5x.

Telos Boltace for slide grouping, Dual Ichor for light-attack clear.

The tank stack plus Ophidian Bite healing, or Arcane Persistence with lifesteal.

It fails to Violence, nullifiers, magnetic, and heat or corrosive dropping armour below 700 (Hearty Nourishment gives status immunity).

There is none.

Cooldowns are the resource, shortened by Swift Bite and Transmutation Probe.

The element-and-cooldown system is the most complex of any frame here.

Overguard (often larger than health) resists Regurgitate-style percent-HP effects.

Orokin heat resistance.

Bosses.

Hybrid weapon and Catalyze builds.

Full weapon-platform endurance builds (persistence, shield-recharge, invisible Evade).

Strong: enormous status-nuke ceiling, no energy to manage, very tanky, spreads its own kills.

Weak: extreme complexity, element- infusion busywork, overguard-awkward, forma-hungry, needs a Kubrow.

Players who want the deepest ability-scaling puzzle in the game and do not mind a busy rotation.