Mess Build, the Physical Damage Adept Path to Nowhere

If you're playing Path to Nowhere and looking for a powerful Physical Damage dealer, Mess is the character for you. In this guide, we'll take a closer look at her stats, skills, and ascension upgrades to help you build a winning team.

Stats and Rarity

Mess is a character with A rarity in Path to Nowhere, and her stats are impressive. Her maximum HP is 5129, her ATK is 617, her DEF is 472, and her RES is 468. On the other hand, her minimum stats are 1236 HP, 149 ATK, 114 DEF, and 113 RES. With these stats, Mess can deal 5% more damage to enemies and an additional 5% more for those with broken cores.

Ascension Upgrades

To unlock Mess's full potential, you need to upgrade her through three phases. Each phase requires specific materials and DisCoins, so plan accordingly.

Phase 1: In this phase, Mess needs 15 Fury Elemental Fluid, 12 Organic Gel, 18 Ice Stone Raw Ore, and 30k DisCoins.

Phase 2: The second phase requires 15 Infected Gel, 18 Ice Stone Concentrate, 100k DisCoins, and 15 Fury Elemental Fluid.

Phase 3: The final phase demands 25 Fury Elemental Fluid, 24 Mutated Dark Gel, 36 Ice Crystal, and 480k DisCoins.

Skills and Special Ability

Mess has three skills that make her a formidable Physical Damage dealer. Let's take a look at each one.

Range Forge/Vicious Sword Basic Attack: Mess can use "Vicious Smith" to switch the weapon she's currently using. When she attacks with "Smith's Hammer," each hit deals (Attack * 38%) Physical Damage. When she attacks with "Vicious Sword," each hit deals (Attack * 189%) Physical Damage at the expense of some Attack Speed.

Vicious Smith Ultimate Skill: This skill requires 18 Energy Consumption. Mess gains a 10% Attack bonus. When using this Ultimate, she switches her weapon to "Smith's Hammer" or "Vicious Sword." Mess's Attack increases after attacking with "Smith's Hammer" and decreases after attacking with "Vicious Sword." Each increase/decrease is 5%/10%. The range of Attack change caused by this effect is limited to within +50%/-50%.

Compatibility Weapon: After switching to "Smith's Hammer," Mess gains a 40% Attack Speed bonus for 6 seconds.

Malice Contagion: After switching to "Vicious Sword," Mess raises the Attack of one random allied Sinner within the 3x3 square around her by 4% of Mess's Attack for 15 seconds.

Mess's special ability is "Berry Silk Exclusive Brand," which allows her to deal more damage and gain attack bonuses. Berries reduce the attack of all non-summoned units except herself by 5%. For each unit, she gains a 5% / 6% / 7% attack bonus. The bonus effect can be stacked up to 9 layers for 15 seconds. Forge of Evil Thoughts can only be used once per battle.

Leader Skill

Mess's leader skill is "Conquer the Enemy," which deals 10% more damage and an additional 10% more for enemies with broken cores.

Shackles

• Shackles Sync I: Attack Boost
  The first Shackles Sync skill increases Mess' attack by 5%. While it may seem like a small increase, it can make a big difference, especially when coupled with other skills. This skill is essential for players who rely on Mess for dealing damage to enemies.

• Tempered Malice: Boost Allies' Attack
  Mess' second skill, Tempered Malice, is a great support skill that can raise the attack of two allied Sinners within range. This skill works well with other characters who deal physical damage, such as Cutthroat or Slaughter. Tempered Malice can turn the tide of a battle, so it's a good idea to keep it in mind when forming a team.

• Shackles Sync II: Improved Attack
  The second Shackles Sync skill increases Mess' attack by another 5%, stacking with the previous Shackles Sync. This means that Mess' attack will be boosted by a total of 10%. When used in conjunction with Tempered Malice, Mess can become a force to be reckoned with.

• Emotional Resonance: Reduce Energy Consumption
  Mess' third skill, Emotional Resonance, is a valuable skill that reduces her ultimate energy consumption by 3 points. This allows Mess to use her ultimate more frequently, which can be devastating for enemies. This skill is especially useful in longer battles where Mess needs to use her ultimate more than once.

• Shackles Sync III: The Ultimate Boost
  The final Shackles Sync skill increases Mess' attack by an additional 5%, adding to the previous two Shackles Sync skills, for a total of 15% increase in attack. This skill can be used in combination with Emotional Resonance to make Mess an even more potent attacker.

Crimebrand

Early Game: Turning Zero and Providence

For players who want to make the most out of Mess in the early game, two Crimebrand are recommended: Turning Zero and Providence.

Turning Zero is a passive skill that grants Mess 3 energy points after using her chief skill. This skill can be triggered once every 10 seconds, allowing Mess to use her Crimebrand more frequently.

Providence is another Crimebrand that increases Mess' attack by 6%, health by 3-6%, and crit rate by 3-6%. This skill is useful for players who want to focus on Mess' attack, survivability, and critical hits.

Both Turning Zero and Providence can be obtained from Impression Anomaly (Tue.Fri.Sun) and Resonance Anomaly (Wed.Sat.Sun), respectively.

Late Game: Embrace of the Dead

For players who are in the late game, Embrace of the Dead is a Crimebrand that is highly recommended. This skill increases the damage dealt to enemies in a Breaking state by 40%, making Mess a formidable opponent in battles.

Embrace of the Dead also grants Mess an additional 3-6% attack and 5-10% health, making her more durable in fights. This Crimebrand can be obtained from the Broken Frontline Shop.