Nova vs Protea
Same Support / Healer fantasy — which support kit fits your squad and mission rota?
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Nova if…
- You're sold on Nova's fantasy (Harness antimatter) more than another Support / Healer option.
- Protea's pitch (“Protea knows all about protection”) isn't what you're missing — Wormhole is.
- You value Nova's orb-efficiency passive for longer ability spam on dense holds.
Pick Protea if…
- You're sold on Protea's fantasy (Protea knows all about protection) more than another Support / Healer option.
- Nova's pitch (“Harness antimatter”) isn't what you're missing — Dispensary is.
- You're buying into Protea's passive — every caststh Power Cast is granted +a percentage Ability Strength.
Verdict
Both fill the Support / Healer lane. Lean Nova for orb economy and Wormhole; lean Protea for Dispensary and Dispensary. Mission Usefulness is where they split: Steel Path (Excellent vs Strong — edge Nova).
At a Glance
Nova
Stat
Protea
Support / Healer
Role
Support / Healer
NaramonAura
AnyMatch the priority to your main ability
Mod Priority
Match the priority to your main ability
Null Star
Kit Opener
Grenade Fan
Mission Usefulness
Mission
Nova
Protea
Steel Path Survival / Defense / Disruption
Winner
Mobile Defense / Excavation
Exterminate / Capture Speed Runs
Spy / Rescue / Nightmare
Open World / Bounties
Long-Range Gunplay / Eidolon-Style Content
When Each Shines
Nova
- Wormhole carries mid-mission casts; Molecular Prime is the density payoff.
- Long holds where energy comfort matters — Nova's loop stays online without babysitting orbs.
- Nova shines on tile clears where ability damage — not just weapons — carries the pack.
Protea
- Dispensary carries mid-mission casts; Temporal Anchor 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 Protea's cast cadence outpaces gun-only clears.
Mod Scaling Focus
Nova
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 Nova’s Strength-scaling abilities.
- DUR
- Extends channeled / timed effects — often comfort on Nova if the kit leans on buffs or zones.
- RNG
- Helps radius / targeting tools. Dump it if Nova is mostly self-buff or exalted weapons.
- EFF
- Keeps ability uptime comfortable, especially on longer Steel Path missions.
Protea
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 Protea’s Strength-scaling abilities.
- DUR
- Extends channeled / timed effects — often comfort on Protea if the kit leans on buffs or zones.
- RNG
- Helps radius / targeting tools. Dump it if Protea is mostly self-buff or exalted weapons.
- EFF
- Keeps ability uptime comfortable, especially on longer Steel Path missions.
Who Should You Pull?
- Energy / health orb rooms are common in your rota and Nova gets more mileage out of every pickup.
- Squad comps where someone has to own tile clear alone — Nova is the frame you trust for that job.
- Protea can stay on the shelf; Nova is the one you'll actually Forma twice.
- Nova rates higher on Steel Path holds (Excellent vs Strong) — that rota is where you actually play.
- Your endgame loadout screen should show Nova before it shows another same-role experiment.
- Dispensary into Temporal Anchor is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.
- Your favorite clear starts on Grenade Fan and ends on Temporal Anchor — Protea is built for that arc.
- Nova's Wormhole loop asks for a different muscle memory than you want to practice.
- Aura on the aura slot matches the school you're already building weapons around.
- Potato + Forma budget this month has Protea's name on it.