Help with trail bike choice & size (Ripmo v3 XT / Jeffsy Uncaged 14 / Giant trance advance)

Hi all, I'm a rider in Singapore looking for some advice on a new ride. I'll bullet point some stuff up front before getting into it:

• Current ride is an alloy 29er Merida One-Twenty in large with rekon race/ardent tires (stock tires were more aggressive)
• Rider measurements: 183cm with 87cm inseam (6 ft w 34.25" inseam)
• Weight ~100 kg / 220 lb
• Budget is sufficient for the bikes listed

I've got about 3 or 4 years under my belt with the Merida in South Africa doing mixed single track and casual racing and before that with a 27.5 hardtail learning the ropes. Recently moved to south-east asia and local trails are a jungly mix: big square-hit roots, rock gardens, some tighter corner sections, shortish aggressive climbs and dicey drops. Conditions are often wet or muddy in places. Will likely be doing some overseas travel with the bike, so will expect to do some longer xc/trail and enduro-y stuff as I enjoy longer day-rides and climbing. I'm keen that the bike be a good climber and comfortable for long days in saddle. I'm early 40's and reasonably fit, but am on the heavier side for my height due to an overindulgent diet and strange orangutan genetics. I use the Merida for city rides and lighter trail duty, but her budget suspension and the lower profile tires are not enough for some of the more intense local trails which have some black/dbl black sections and can get gnarly after rains and erosion have had their way.

I have had a chat with a local bike shop/dealer who can get hold of YT's range including the jeffsy uncaged 14, and the new Ibis bikes. Giant also has a solid presence locally and have also spoken to a Scott dealer. After quite some research I'm torn between YT's Jeffsy uncaged 14 and the new Ibis Ripmo with XT drivetrain. The other option is to modify or build a Giant Trance. I find the 38 fork on the Giant Reign a bit too hefty for quick handling and it's likely too much bike for my purposes. Both the YT and Ibis are available here within a similar ballpark price of eachother as shipping etc plays quite a role and building or modifying a Trance advance would probably net out nearly the same.

In terms of what I like about these bikes: the Öhlins suspension on the Jeffsy is quite attractive in terms of it's performance and easier adjustability and the bike seems like it would climb quite nicely with the 30 tooth chainring and this suspension. The YT is obviously quite a looker although this is quite secondary to me. On the other hand the Ibis geo, design philosophy and reputation for build quality are hard to ignore, and I like a slightly higher bottom bracket/good anti-squat especially on the rougher terrain here. It's also hard to ignore the great press and feedback this new Ripmo has gotten as an all-rounder. (Note I'm looking at a Shimano XT build on all the bikes – not interested in batteries on the bike aside from my lights for night riding)

Links here:

YT Jeffsy Uncaged 14

Ibis Ripmo (see XT build)

Giant Trance X Advance (2nd gen) <-probably swap out some parts on this

Giant Trance X Advance Frameset (2nd Gen) <- dealer stocks rockshox etc and happy to do a requested spec

Would love to get your opinions on these choices as well as any thoughts on sizing for me. I've been in email contact with both YT and Ibis and gotten some feedback on recommended sizes: XM or L on the Ibis and L to XL on the YT depending on style of riding. The Merida has a reach of 455mm and I would say it feels like a slightly small bike for me at times if that makes sense, but I am not sure how translatable the geo on older bikes is to newer models or models in a bigger/slacker category. Many thanks for sticking with me this far, and I appreciate your help.