There are 10 new Protection Modifiers and 10 new Trial Modifiers in Saros: Zenith update, half of which are available in the base game, whereas the other half is locked to Eclipse Layers New Game+. This guide will provide you with a list of the best new Carcosan Modifiers in the game.
Top 10 Carcosan Modifiers Ranked
Note that Protection Modifiers will make the game easier for you, while Trial Modifiers make the game a lot harder. Also, you unlock the first half right away, while the second half becomes available only in New Game Plus. Taking this into account, let’s rank the first 10 Carcosan Modifiers in the Zenith update from best to worst:
| Modifiers | Effects |
|---|---|
| Corruption Melee Enhancement (Protection) | Turns Corruption into a powerful melee damage burst, which encourages aggressive play and feels rewarding. |
| Halcyon Booster (Protection) | Hostiles can drop Halcyon, where chance scales with Modifier Balance, which is extremely valuable for post-game Armor Matrix grinding after Halcyon normally stops dropping. |
| Reduced Hostile Aggression (Protection) | Hostiles attack less frequently, and fewer can attack at once, making it a strong defensive quality-of-life that noticeably lowers combat pressure. |
| Exploration Extension (Protection) | Changes certain teleporters so all Overlords can be fought in a single cycle, which is excellent for completionists and full walkthroughs. |
| Attribute Enhancer Shift (Protection) | Attribute enhancers cycle between the three types over time, which is another nice QoL for balanced builds, but less impactful than the ones above. |
| Overlord Hostile Enhancement (Trial) | Hostiles in the next biome get stronger after each Overlord, which is a manageable escalating difficulty and not the worst penalty. |
| Lucenite Inverter (Trial) | Chance for Lucenite to appear as Anti-Lucenite that reduces your total if collected, which is annoying but avoidable with awareness. |
| Shield Inhibitor (Trial) | Shield only stays active for an instant, dealing a heavy hit to your core defensive tool and power management. |
| Corruption Integrity Drain (Trial) | Integrity gradually drains while Corruption is present, making it a dangerous ongoing pressure that punishes mistakes hard. |
| Extreme Integrity (Trial) | One hit puts you in the red state, and the next hit kills you, which is an extremely punishing two-hit system, making it the worst of the new set for almost all playstyles. |
Best Modifier Setups for Various Playstyles
Obviously, combining modifiers can be tricky, since many simply work against each other, but if you put them together correctly, you’ll get some fantastic results. Here are some of the most effective setups for different playstyles:
| Playstyles | Modifiers |
|---|---|
| Aggressive Melee Hybrid | New Protections: Corruption Melee Enhancement, Reduced Hostile Aggression, Attribute Enhancer Shift. Classic Synergies: Damage Enhancement, Armor Enhancement, Shield Power Enhancement, Overlord Restoration. Light Trials: Lucenite Inverter, Avoid Shield Inhibitor. |
| Survival Tanky Hybrid | New Protections: Reduced Hostile Aggression, Attribute Enhancer Shift, Halcyon Booster. Classic Synergies: Armor Enhancement, Corruption Reduction, Shield Power Enhancement, Second Chance Overlord. Light Trials: Lucenite Inverter, Overlord Hostile Enhancement. |
| Farming & Progression | New Protections: Halcyon Booster, Exploration Extension, Attribute Enhancer Shift. Classic Synergies: Lucenite Enrichment, Lucenite Magnetism, Artifact Enhancement, Artifact Immunity, Damage Enhancement, Overlord Restoration. Light Trials: Lucenite Inverter, Overlord Hostile Enhancement. |
