Jade vs Nekros
Same Support / Healer fantasy — which support kit fits your squad and mission rota?
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Jade if…
- You want the squad gap filled by Jade's vibe — Become enraptured by the song of devastation.
- Nekros's pitch (“There is a reaper whose name is Nekros”) isn't what you're missing — Ophanim Eyes is.
- You're buying into Jade's passive — jade's profound understanding of the relationship between life and death grants her two Aura Mod….
Pick Nekros if…
- You want the squad gap filled by Nekros's vibe — There is a reaper whose name is Nekros.
- Jade's pitch (“Become enraptured by the song of devastation”) isn't what you're missing — Desecrate is.
- You're buying into Nekros's passive — restore some Health with every enemy death within a radius.
Verdict
Both fill the Support / Healer lane. Lean Jade for Ophanim Eyes and Ophanim Eyes; lean Nekros for Desecrate and Desecrate. Mission Usefulness is a wash — decide on kit feel and passive, not the rating table.
At a Glance
Jade
Stat
Nekros
Support / Healer
Role
Support / Healer
VazarinAura
None
Match the priority to your main ability
Mod Priority
Match the priority to your main ability
Light's Judgment
Kit Opener
Soul Punch
Mission Usefulness
Mission
Jade
Nekros
Steel Path Survival / Defense / Disruption
Mobile Defense / Excavation
Exterminate / Capture Speed Runs
Spy / Rescue / Nightmare
Open World / Bounties
Long-Range Gunplay / Eidolon-Style Content
When Each Shines
Jade
- Ophanim Eyes carries mid-mission casts; Glory On High is the density payoff.
- Mod focus stays on match the priority to your main ability so the cast loop doesn't fall over mid-rota.
- Dense spawns where Jade's cast cadence outpaces gun-only clears.
Nekros
- Desecrate carries mid-mission casts; Shadows Of The Dead is the density payoff.
- Mod focus stays on match the priority to your main ability so the cast loop doesn't fall over mid-rota.
- Missions that reward committing to Nekros's full ability loop instead of dabbling.
Mod Scaling Focus
Jade
Match the priority to your main ability — Strength or Duration first for most kits, then Efficiency, then Range.
- STR
- Raises damage and effect potency across Jade’s Strength-scaling abilities.
- DUR
- Extends channeled / timed effects — often comfort on Jade if the kit leans on buffs or zones.
- RNG
- Helps radius / targeting tools. Dump it if Jade is mostly self-buff or exalted weapons.
- EFF
- Keeps ability uptime comfortable, especially on longer Steel Path missions.
Nekros
Match the priority to your main ability — Strength or Duration first for most kits, then Efficiency, then Range.
- STR
- Raises damage and effect potency across Nekros’s Strength-scaling abilities.
- DUR
- Extends channeled / timed effects — often comfort on Nekros if the kit leans on buffs or zones.
- RNG
- Helps radius / targeting tools. Dump it if Nekros is mostly self-buff or exalted weapons.
- EFF
- Keeps ability uptime comfortable, especially on longer Steel Path missions.
Who Should You Pull?
- Ophanim Eyes into Glory On High is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.
- Your favorite clear starts on Light's Judgment and ends on Glory On High — Jade is built for that arc.
- Nekros's Desecrate loop asks for a different muscle memory than you want to practice.
- Vazarin on the aura slot matches the school you're already building weapons around.
- Potato + Forma budget this month has Jade's name on it.
- Desecrate into Shadows Of The Dead is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.
- Squad comps where someone has to own tile clear alone — Nekros is the frame you trust for that job.
- Jade can stay on the shelf; Nekros is the one you'll actually Forma twice.
- Even after Helminth, Terrify and later abilities are still the reason Nekros earned potato.
- Your endgame loadout screen should show Nekros before it shows another same-role experiment.