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Arknights: Mastery Priority Guide - Lingering Echoes Update

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Introduction

Oh boy, what a patch. All the units here are bad, and Texalter is broken. Thanks for stopping by and see you next patch!

....

Alright, there might be a few more things to discuss. A lot more, even. The banner itself isn’t too interesting, but Modules are a big topic. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t manage to turn an easy update into several thousand words.

Also, if you missed it, the Off-Meta Update was posted a week or so ago. It has 60+ new write-ups, be sure to check it out. You can find it linked in the banner below.

This update does not include any of the new Modules or units from What the Firelight Casts, which releases on CN well after this article was written.

Finally, I will be on holiday break when this article goes up. I still intend to be active in the comments, but updates to the main guide may be a bit behind!

This article specifically covers the new units from the Lingering Echoes event, You can find the full version of the guide here, or on the banner below which covers all of the other noteworthy Masteries in the game

Banner Discussion

Q:  Should I pull?

A:  No.

I'm not as negative on Ebenholz as a lot of people are.  Broad perception is that he's pretty bad, but I think he has a useful, if narrow, niche. Still, it's inarguable that he is one of the weaker upcoming 6★s and that his supporting 5★ does him no favors.  Ultimately, there are a lot of meta-defining options ahead of us, and unless you're a whale, you can't roll for everyone.  Regardless of what you think of his kit Ebenholz is an easy skip from a meta perspective.

Still, Ebenholz and Hibiscus are popular characters, so if either appeals to you, you *could* do worse.  Just know there aren't many other easy skip banners in the near future, and we are probably looking at a short turn around to the Gavial banner.

Q:  Where are the "should I raise" questions?

A:  Not here this time.  They would all be essentially the same.  The new units here are pretty mediocre and what needs to be said about them is more or less covered in their Mastery write-ups below.  None of them are must raise, though Ebenholz is decent and Hibiscus will appeal to a variety of niche players.  I'd rather use the space to talk about Modules!

Q:  The Texas limited banner looks really good.  Should I roll on the Gavial/Pozy banner, or save for the Texas/Penance banner?

A:  I would favor the Gavial/Pozy banner, as it's the stronger banner overall.  While Texas is the strongest unit between the two banners, Pozy is a very top meta unit herself.  There is not a particularly large difference in value between them.  On the other hand, Gavial is quite a bit more valuable than Penance — see “Looking Ahead” below on why you should be cautious with Penance.  The 5★s make a surprising difference as well.  Despite her rarity, Cantabile is just as meta as Gavial and Pozy, while Lunacub is... not.  Both banners are ridiculously good, but when you analyze them closely, the summer banner wins out. 

Furthermore, there is the factor of opportunity cost.  By skipping the summer banner entirely, you remove many of the best total outcomes (that is, obtaining everyone you want).  A unit's initial release is far and away the best time to obtain them, and by skipping that initial release, you lose a lot of long term value.  It makes more sense to roll on the first available (and stronger) banner.

All that said, the Texas banner is tremendous.  It is reasonable to prioritize it over the summer banner.  However I would be very hesitant to skip the summer banner entirely, and don’t forget about Mlynar either!

Q:  You mentioned above that the Gavial limited banner might be soon.  I thought there were several events left to go.  What gives?

A:  While nothing is confirmed, it is very likely that Yostar plans to re-order events to line up with the global anniversary.  If you laid out the events in order, we wouldn't get Ideal City until late February, while the global Anniversary is in mid-January.  It seems unlikely that Yostar would leave such a big gap.  Last year they did the same thing and re-ordered Viglio in order to move Dossoles Holiday (Ch’alter’s banner) up to the Anniversary.  While what exactly Yostar has planned remains to be seen, it’s fairly likely that Dorothy's Vision will be moved to after Ideal City, and probably some of the other smaller events as well.

If that weren’t enough, there’s an anniversary fanfest planned in Japan for Jan 7th (https://3rd-anniversary.arknights.jp/fes/).  It’s rather unlikely they would hold this event if there were still over a month and a half until the banner.

This is, admittedly, speculative.  However, you should still be prepared for Gavial and Pozy coming sooner, rather than later.

Modules Discussion

This section covers the Module upgrade system, also introduced in this patch.  Much of this write-up is still Mastery related, but if you are only here for the new unit discussions, feel free to skip this section.  Your regularly scheduled Mastery guide continues on down below.

Q:  What are Modules?  What is SSS?  How do I...

A:  These questions are beyond the scope of this guide.  Check the articles linked below for more information on the basics.  The rest of this guide will assume you have a baseline knowledge of the system, or at least know how to look up the relevant information yourself.

Q:  What should I know before reading your advice on Modules?

A:  First, this is not meant to be a full Module guide.  That is a really big topic.  Although I do frequently take long tangents in order to give advice, this is ultimately a Mastery guide.  It would be impossible to say everything there is to say on Modules here.

I do, however, want to mention some things I feel are important to good decision making and that I know people are interested in.  There is a lot to say that's related to Masteries too.

Second, due to the nature of the upgrades (which I will get into below), you'll find a wider variety of opinions than in other aspects of the game.  Arknights has always had more room for more opinion-based decisions than most other games.  That's part of what makes it great.  This has never been more true than it is with Modules.  Maybe Youtuber X, or Guide Maker Y, or CN Player Z gives different advice than I do.  In fact, I know they do.  None of us are wrong either (probably).  There's a lot of room for opinion here, and ultimately the suggestions here are my own opinions on the topic.

Q:  These Modules are really expensive.  More so than I expected.  Where do they fit in terms of team advancement priorities?

A:  Modules are really expensive, and if you don't know what the costs are, I suggest you go check them out before making any decisions.  It's more costly to go from Mod1 to Mod3 on a 6★ then it is to promote them to E2, and the gains are much worse.  In other words, Modules are an end game thing.  Put your key E2s and Masteries ahead of essentially all Mod2s and Mod3s.  However, Mod1s are still fine to prioritize early, since they tend to be bigger upgrades for much smaller costs.

Do note that it costs nothing except time (and real life sanity) to farm SSS even if you aren’t ready for Module upgrades.  There’s nothing wrong with dipping your toes in early and getting a headstart on farming time-gated materials.  However the Module Blocks, which cannot be farmed, are the greater time-limiting factor.  It isn’t necessary to farm SSS to excess in advance.

Q:  Which Module upgrades are the best?

A:  It's a cliche answer, but the answer really is "the units you use the most".  None of the Module upgrades are really that impactful.  Of course, some are better than others, and some are downright bad, but I think it would be a mistake to call any of them meta defining or “necessary.”

I rarely do this, but to illustrate this point I think it's helpful to look at raw polling data.  This site compiles polled data on CN.  I am *not* encouraging you to just follow the herd here, but if you analyze the data, you'll see something interesting.  Of the 52 6★ Modules available on CN, only 5 have a Mod3 rate above 30%, only 2 more above 20%, and only 10 more above 10%.  Those numbers are *tiny* compared to E2 or Mastery rates, and that’s with 6 months of additional materials.

My point here is that Module upgrades are not a big factor in the meta.  There are a few standouts, sure, but the upgrades here are exorbitantly expensive for what amount to marginal gains.  The choices you make for Modules matter far less than other investments.  Even the very best Modules are nothing compared to a good E2 or a solid Mastery.  If you love Pallas, then do her Modules first.  It really doesn't matter that her Module upgrades are terrible.  The difference between her Module upgrades and someone like Schwarz’ is much smaller than you probably think.

Waifu/Husbando over meta has never been more true.

....

With all that said, my recommendations for the most powerful 6★ upgrades are Specter the Unchained (PUM-X)**, Ling (SUM-Y), Bagpipe (CHG-X), Nearl the Radiant Knight (DRE-X), Skadi (DRE-X), Saria (GUA-X, Mod2 only), and Schwarz (ARC-X, Mod2 only).  In the future, Exusiai, Kal'tsit, Gladiia, Pozyomka, and Texas the Omertosa are also top considerations. Finally, Ch'en, Passenger, Irene, Lee, Phantom, and Mostima are strong considerations, if you use them regularly.

Again, keep in mind these suggestions assume you actually use the unit.  Only Specter’s** and, to a lesser extent, Skadi’s change their meta viability.

**The one exception to all of the above is Specter the Unchained.  HG gave her an extremely powerful Module to make up for her terrible base kit.  Her Module upgrade is essential to effectively using her.

For 5★s, strongly consider waiting for the Marksman Modules that come with Dorothy's Vision in a month or two.  April has the best 5★ Module (no, I'm not biased... well, I’m not very biased), and BP/Plat/GT/Kroos get strong options as well.  There are not really any 5★ meta options in this patch.  If you can't wait, consider Bibeak, Projekt Red, Wild Mane, Andreana, Scene, Meteorite, Provence, Leonhardt, or Nearl.  Leizi (Mod2), Mr. Nothing, Flamebringer, and Franka are strong upgrades if you intend to use them a lot, but are much more off-meta. 

Forced to pick one, I would go with Projekt Red.  She is the most meta unit on that list, and although the upgrade is small, it still plays to her most valuable niche.  Andreana would be my second choice.  It's not a terribly strong upgrade, but it’s valuable for the Abyssal Hunter tribal.

Of the 4★s, Cutter is the best option in this patch, with Ethan the best in the future.  Perfumer, Ambriel, Vigna, Indigo, and Purestream are also solid upgrades.

Q:  Which Masteries got improved grades as a result of Modules?

A:  Here is a list of units that will be seeing grade adjustments as a result of their Modules.  Be wary of overreactions.  Although some skills gain a lot of viability, relative meta value doesn't change that much.

You can find the full updates for this patch on their respective operator pages.  Future updates are noted below, but their pages will not be updated until their related patch.

Lingering Echoes

Ch'en (guard) - S3 up

Reasoning:  Ch'en's Module greatly improves her viability.  It's expensive and she is still off-meta, but it addresses some of her biggest drawbacks.  The big improvement to uptime means both skills look more appealing, but being able to reliably use S3 has much more value.

Skadi (guard) - S2 greatly up, S3 slightly up

Reasoning:  Skadi's DRE-X Module gives her a very legitimate niche as the bulkiest, hardest hitting, and longest lasting Fast-Redeploy.  It doesn't make her meta, but it is a very valid niche that elevates an otherwise dud of a unit.  S2 is better for this purpose, with S3 as a luxury alternative.  Note that her DRE-Y Module is not as good due to being more situational.  DRE-Y does not influence her Mastery priority.

Bagpipe - S2 up

Reasoning:  I've always been hard on Bagpipe's S2 in the Mastery guide to encourage people towards her better S3.  But I'm forced to dial back a bit because of her Module.  Although CHG-X benefits both skills, having all 3 charges of her S2 instantly available really elevates its potential.  However, you should still prioritize S3 well above S2.

Future Updates

Dusk (future) - S3 slightly up

Reasoning:  Dusk’s first Module favors her S1, but it isn’t enough to change the priority on her.  However, her second Module (which comes with the IS#3 patch) is a bit more special.  It gives her a vast improvement to her S3’s massive SP cost which makes it a much more viable consideration.  It will only be a small grade improvement, however.

Gladiia (future) - S2 up

Reasoning:  Gladiia’s Module (which comes with the Ideal City patch), is absolutely monstrous.  The Mod2 effect is one of the best among all Modules, turning both herself and the other Hunters into bulky regenerating tanks.  S2 has always been a strong option when using her as a pseudo-Guard.  That role improves with her Module, to the point that it surpasses her S3 in priority.

Ethan (future) - S2 up

Reasoning:  Ethan was already better than Manticore and Mizuki in some situations, but his Module makes him the best crowd-control Ambusher.  The numbers on his Module may look small at first glance, but actually represent a huge improvement to his reliability.  At Mod3, his bind can oftentimes be permanent for S2’s duration, with only some very modest RNG luck.  Despite his rarity, Ethan’s S2 deserves to be the highest graded Ambusher skill.

Q:  What about [Insert Unit Here]?  Why weren't they changed?

A:  Here's a list of units I suspect people were interested in, yet didn't make the improvement list.

Mostima - Although her Module is good, she's still bad.  The Module gives her some utility, but nothing else really changes as far as her skills go.  She is still, unfortunately, one of the worst 6★s.

Eunectes - Mod2 and 3 are nice, but they don't really make a difference in her usability.  It's a good upgrade if you regularly use her, but it doesn't impact her enough to increase her grades.

Specter the Unchained - Specter was already graded under the assumption of her Modules.  If she were an older unit, she would have seen a massive grade increase and not be in this list, but since she came out less than a month ago, that's unnecessary.

Most Already Good Units (e.g. Ling, Schwarz, Suzuran, etc) - Several units didn't receive adjustments simply because they are already well graded.  As stated, Modules rarely make a meaningful meta difference.  Already good units don't often see major improvements, so further adjustment is unnecessary.

5★s - For the most part, this batch of 5★ Modules is very mediocre.  The best ones are on bad units but they aren't enough to really improve viability.  Due to the nature of how 5★s fit into the meta, it's rather unlikely there will ever be many grade changes at the rarity.  The sort of upgrades Modules provide will rarely have a meta influence among the 5★s.

Most 4★s - The nuance of the 4★ Modules is a bit more complex than the 5★s.  Like the 5★s, there are few which change roles in the meta, but unlike the 5★s there are some really big improvements here that can be extremely cost effective.  Still though, a majority of them won't change.

Q:  What skills have received increased grades due to the SSS mode?

A:  Not many.  For reference, SSS grades are rolled into the "Story" grades since it is rewarded content.  Most of the good skills are already good and don’t require any adjustment.  The one notable exception is Suzuran's S2 which has been updated in the main guide with a solid B grade.  Even then, you'll probably be fine with just the S2M1 breakpoint.  This update is already long and I don't want to further detour into the strategic aspects of SSS.

Q:  Many operators have (or will have) two Modules.  Which is better?

A:  This is outside the scope of this guide, but since it will be a common question, I'll give my (brief) thoughts to help you plan.  Do note that many of these Modules do not come out until much later.

Specter the Unchained - Both Modules are very good, but X (her first one) is much better, even in AH teams.  X plays to her strengths, while the role Y plays is usually better found elsewhere.

Passenger - Passenger’s Modules are a bit odd since both effectively serve the same purpose without altering his core role.  Y improves his damage, while X improves his uptime.  Most people prefer X, as the improvement to uptime is more practical.  However, you can go with either.

Schwarz - Both of her Modules are pretty good.  The best will depend on how you want to use her and if you plan to use Pozy on your team.  X (her first one, Mod2 only) is the stronger base Module and gives her a better and more flexible role.  However Pozy's typewriter does essentially the same thing for less.  Y on the other hand, is a big boost to her attack and damage.  It's good in her niche versus high armor compared to Pozy.  You will want to push it to Mod3.

Skadi - X, her FRD Module, is much better.  Y is usable, but is much more situational.

Ebenholz - Both have value at Mod1, but Y (his second one) is the better upgrade.  It makes him much more viable as an every-day option.

Hoshiguma - Y (her first one, coming with Mlynar) is the better option, but both are fairly off-meta.

Magallan - Hardcore Magallan players will want both, but most players will want neither.  Neither changes anything about how you (might) use Magallan.

Eunectes - Neither, but if you really want to, X (her first one) makes her much easier to use.  Y has some applications if you're *really* dedicated to using Eunectes.  It’s worth noting that although it does not state it, Y also removes the SP lock.

Fartooth - X (her first one), though you probably only want Mod1.  Her upgrades are pretty bad.  The extra damage from X is more important than the extra uptime from Y.

Dusk - It depends how you want to use her.  Use X Mod2 if using her as an Eyja-lite with S1.  Use Y if you'd rather use her more unique S3 niche.  I prefer Y (her second one).

Pallas - X Mod1 if you did any at all.  Both of Pallas' Modules are pretty terrible.

Angelina - Both of Angelina's Modules are terrible.  Pursue either at your own risk.

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Edits provided by fourmana (Discord: fourmana#0477) of Team BethelFrankel, the team behind premier Alchemy Stars Tier List.  Thanks!

Lingering Echoes - Dissonanzen

Ebenholz

Skill
Mastery
Story
Advanced
Roguelike
S3M3 A B+ B+
S2M3 B B- B+

In the realm of 6★ DPS, Ebenholz is pretty middling. There's just so many good options these days, and he can seem anemic and difficult to use in comparison. However, his targeting is unique and useful, and he can hit like a truck, which is quite satisfying. Just be aware that your resources are probably better spent on more mainline-meta units. That leaves his grades a bit lower than most 6★ DPS units, especially for the IS and CC game modes.

All that said, Ebenholz has two skills worth Mastering should you decide to pursue him. S3 is the obvious first choice, as it caters strongly to his boss/elite-killing niche. It also has pretty significant gains that improve pretty much all aspects of the skill. However, the skill can be tricky to get the hang of. Timing and map knowledge are critical to keeping him from blowing his charges on trash. It isn't a skill for the impatient or lazy.

When that elite-killing niche isn't needed, his S2 is a very strong alternative, and can often be the better daily driver skill. It can be difficult to wrap your head around at first, but it's not really that complicated. He essentially summons a bunch of proximity mines that explode for big damage. There is the ever present problem with such skills where they're difficult to control and often wasted on trash mobs, but the cooldown on the skill is short enough that it remains quite usable. Mastery is a pretty big increase to S2’s damage, so Ebenholz is a strong M6 candidate, supposing you plan to actually use him over more meta options.

Hibiscus the Purifier

Skill
Mastery
Story
Advanced
Roguelike
S2M3 None

Hibiscus' alter is a nice idea, but her kit ends up leaving her neither as a reliable healer nor anything special as a damage dealer. In the context of the broader game, her hybrid role doesn't have anywhere near the value that standard single-role units have. While her HPS is actually pretty good thanks to the lower attack interval, she can't heal without attacking, her healing is reduced by enemy RES, and she lacks the typical utility that make the meta Medic options so good. Meanwhile, her Arts damage is also pretty decent, but only for a 5★, and that isn't a terribly high bar.

Her S2 is the better Mastery choice overall, with better burst, Slow, and multi-targeting. However in addition to the drawbacks of her base kit, the gains on Mastery are also somewhat unimpressive. It only gains a single second of cycle time, and the Slow isn't strong enough to be a good selling point of the skill. Thus Hibiscus ultimately remains ungraded, but just barely. She is still quite usable and will find value on many niche teams.

Czerny

Skill
Mastery
Story
Advanced
Roguelike
S2M3 None

Czerny has a few uses if you like niche clears, but in the broader game he’s difficult to use for a mediocre payoff. If you want to raise him anyway, his S2 is the better option for Mastery. HP tanks are somewhat rare and there are few that can reach Czerny's total. The nuke is difficult to control but at least does decent damage. His S1 ultimately only offers improved RES, since his personal DPS is too low and his reflect too conditional. That might have some value now and then to some people, but RES tanks are just not that viable, so most shouldn't bother.

The Grading System

Story vs Advanced vs Roguelike

There are very few absolute answers when it comes to prioritizing upgrades. A major determining factor is what exactly your goals are. Now, there are actually many more types of players than these three, but the most obvious delineation as far as which Masteries to think about comes down to the type of content you're most interested in clearing. If you only find value in first time story clears and risk 18 CC, then your goals will be different for someone looking to reach high-risk (25+) in CC.

Story - A story player is a player who is only interest in rewarded content.  This means all normal stages and challenge modes (without added personal challenges), risk 8 on CC daily stages, risk 18 on CC permanent stages, and the SSS game mode.

Advanced - An advanced player here is any player interested in non-reward topics such as higher risk CC and more min-maxed gameplay or specialty clears.

A note on the topic of the Advanced grades is that these grades should not be taken as specific advice for a specific CC. There may be an occasional specific note to provide some context or example, but the intention here is to be more general than a particular event and prioritize skills that will be broadly useful in multiple scenarios. A skill appearing once in a high-risk CC is not enough for inclusion here as CCs tend to lend themselves to niche scenarios that can't really be planned for. Further still, Advanced grades encompass all min/maxed gameplay and do not, strictly speaking, have to be about CCs.

Roguelike - These grades are specific to the Integrated Strategies game mode (aka, the Roguelike mode or IS#2).  These grades are slightly different compared to the Story vs Advanced delineation since the same sort of pressures apply in the mode regardless of the type of player you are.  These grades tend to be more "meta" focused than the others.  For a lengthier discussion on why this is, please check out the main Roguelike mastery guide linked below.  I've excluded most of the discussion from the main guide, simply because this guide is already long enough as it is.

Additionally, please check out the main Roguelike guide for more in-depth operator specific discussions specific to that mode.  Although I have updated most write-ups in this guide to reflect all of the grades, some of the nuance on the best picks won't come across as well here, and the main Roguelike guide will provide a better analysis of who is a strong pick.

The Grades

S - These Masteries are the cream of the crop. They are Masteries that everyone with the unit should do and give a high priority to. Units with S tier Masteries get an outsized value from them, either because the skill is incredibly powerful or because it changes how the unit is used.  For the Roguelike mode, S-tier grades are reserved for the best skills on the most meta of units (whereas meta value is not necessarily a requirement in other mode grades).

A - These Masteries are powerful Skills that most players who have the unit should do. These are among the most powerful Masteries in the game, but less overtly overpowered than the S-tier Masteries.

B - These Masteries are reasonably powerful and worthy of consideration, but have a factor which hold them back. The impact may be relatively small for the cost, the unit may not be especially powerful already, the unit may not fit well into the meta, or there may be a better version available, among other examples.

C - These Masteries are strong enough to be noted, but should only be done by the most end game of players with nothing else to do. There's value in them, but most players will have something better to be doing.

Breakpoint - Not a true grade, but a designator given to an M1 that gives an unusually large benefit. In most cases, these should be prioritized immediately after the E2, thanks to their low cost and high value. Note that there are many M2 and M3 breakpoints but they are not considered breakpoints for this purpose as the cost is much more expensive. Also note that some breakpoints on valueless skills are excluded as well.

NG or None - Not a true grade, but these are sometimes used for Skills which are noteworthy but not worth Mastery.  Either the skill or unit is not worth using, or the Mastery has very poor Mastery gains.  NG stands for "No Grade".

Please remember all rankings here are considered independent of E2 priority, but do consider overall unit strength.  And most importantly, these grades should be treated as guidelines rather than absolute requirements.

Mastery Look Ahead

As usual, the latest patch the Reed alter isn't included since it just came out. The units do look pretty good though.

Unit
Type
Comments
Dorothy's Vision
Astgenne Welfare As a 5★ that only does straight damage, she will always be limited in a meta context, but Astgenne is a pretty good unit among other 5★ Casters at least. She fixes a lot of the issues Leizi has with shorter cycles and stronger damage which makes her perfectly usable. However she takes a lot of investment between Masteries and Modules, plus lives in that unfortunate gulf of competing with the free, strong, and mandatory Amiya. That makes her a waifu option only, but at least a pretty good one. S2 is by far her better skill as S1 doesn't have enough damage on it to justify its use.
Greyy the Lightning Bearer Gacha Greyy grew up pretty nicely with his new alter form. Once a joke at the tail end of the 4★ rarity, he now has a fairly solid niche in his extended range control and solid area damage. Sniper players especially will find him very valuable but unfortunate RNG and 5★ stats will keep him out of the general meta still. His S2 is his best skill by quite a bit, though his S1 will have some small niche value as well with a more consistent slow for its duration.
Dorothy Gacha Dorothy is reminiscent of Ling in many ways, but without the baggage of bogging down your team slots. There is a lot of powerful potential with her kit, but like the 5★ trappers, it's a kit that requires a lot of investment, both in resources and in effort. She is certainly not an easy unit to get maximum value out of, so for many she may come across as more of a luxury then her potential would indicate. Like all trappers, her Masteries are valuable (near mandatory) since they reduce the cycle of her traps and all three of her skills have value. Her S3 is probably the best target with its superior damage, though her S1 and S2 both have very appealing niches. She'll be an M9 candidate for some players, though an M0-M3 for others.
Ideal City: Carnival in Endless Summer
Minimalist Welfare I have said many times, and will continue to say so, that the 5★ Caster space is a very tough one to stand out in. Minimalist is a rare exception with a fairly unique niche, especially on a non-6★; his S2 is a rare Caster skill that has consistency (think Eyja S2 or Dusk S1). For a vast majority of people, that won't have any particular value or be worth spending the resources on. However a good number of niche-style teams will find that to have value. With pretty good Mastery gains, his S2 may end up with a grade, but it will be a low one and most people won't find the costs to be worthwhile.
Cantabile Gacha Cantabile continues the tradition of 5★ Vanguards being surprisingly meta. She is an extremely versatile unit, especially in a CC context where her initial burst of DP is incredibly valuable, while the fact she's a Vanguard can get around many risk bans that otherwise would make FRDs unviable. Do be a little wary for pure Story players though as those roles aren't as valuable there. For Advanced players, she is an easy M6 with both skills being important. For Story though the difference is quite close so the M6 is probably unnecessary. I would give a slight favor to S2 since the Mastery gains are more important to using it effectively.
Gavial the Invincible Gacha Limited Since her release, Gavial has proven to be a very flexible unit and a mainstay in IS#3. She largely fits into the cornerstone role despite having limited self sustain, and does so using her tremendous quickly activated burst and bulk, something the other cornerstones tend to lack. I will backtrack on my initial look-ahead suggestions a little since S2 has far proven itself more useful than S1 is. In fact, S2 is probably only a shade under S3 in terms of priority so you should plan to M6 Gavial. You will find both S2 and S3 to have tremendous usage in different circumstances. S1 may still have its uses, but the damage just doesn't compare so it ends up far more niche and will likely be ungraded.
Pozyomka Gacha Pozy is the real winner on the banner. Think Schwarz, if she could summon a second Schwarz that was also an April and didn't take deploy slots. Her damage is absolutely ridiculous with her summon alone doing as much damage as Schwarz S3 normally does and on a similar cycle. Pozy's S3 will be in the tier of highest graded Masteries. Her S1 and S2 will both be strong considerations as well, though like many meta units, her S3 outshines them in a majority of cases. I favor S2 over S1 for a secondary Mastery, though that could change by Global release.
An Obscure Wanderer
Provisio Gacha She is essentially the 5★ version of Podenco, which makes her pretty decent. However, Proviso lacks an important feature of Podenco in cost effectiveness. Proviso costs quite a bit more for what is ultimately a fairly minor upgrade, so she is unlikely to get a grade. Go with S2 if you want to do one anyway, which a lot of people will thanks to her base skill (but don't raise units only for base skills!)
Mlynar Gacha At the risk of starting a war in the comments, Mlynar is a direct powercreep to SilverAsh and anyone arguing otherwise is high on the copium. While SilverAsh most definitely does not become a bad unit and still holds some very important niches that will keep him long-term meta relevant, Mlynar is almost twice as good when it comes to damage. No amount of utility can make up for that. He is the single best unit ahead of us (Texas and Pozy are both close though) and almost everyone should aim to be pulling for him. His S3 will be among the highest graded Masteries in the game. His S2 might pick up a low grade, but it's a situation where his better skill is just too good to give up.
The Legend of Luo Xiaohei
Luo Xiaohei Collab Welfare There isn't a lot to say about this collab unit. He is fine, but nothing special, and you'll be better off just using Arene for your low rarity ranged Guard needs. That said he will definitely appeal to a lot of people and doesn't cost much, so go with S2 if you want to Master a skill which gets a decent increase to his damage output and is the more impactful skill. S1 is certainly a novel skill, but the low damage per hit means it just isn’t that useful for anything but cuteness.
Mizuki and the Caerula Arbor
Highmore Welfare Highmore is very similar to La Pluma to the point their S1 is literally identical. La Pluma is still the better unit in general since her ASPD talent is better for what the class does, but Highmore will still be a very viable alternative (or addition, double reaper go brrrr). This is especially true in IS#3 where she is the better pick with some big advantages thanks to her mode specific talent. There is a much bigger difference across their S2s however, with Highmore’s being far less valuable. The bulk that her S2 brings isn’t as useful and is much more niche in addition to some pretty poor gains. Stick with just her S1 for Mastery which makes her a very consistent and reliable option in IS#3. La Pluma will perform better elsewhere though.
Chapter 11 - Return to Mist
Dagda Welfare Brawlers have always been a bad archetype (the best Brawler only becomes good by turning into a Centurion instead), and Dagda doesn't change that. Her damage is subpar even with her skill active, and is comically bad when her skills are down. And she can only block 1. There is very little to like here. Even her Mastery gains are poor, which makes any suggestion difficult. Go with S2 if you insist on raising her. Who the hell thought Defensive Recovery on her S1 was a good idea?
Totter Gacha Totter is a pretty good unit for what he is. His niche is a helpful one, though not quite enough to put him into the top tiers of 4★s. Instead, he’s a solid unit that can be useful to have at times. He incidentally comes out at the same time as a new SSS stage that plays to his strengths extremely well. He's still unlikely to be graded, but both of his skills will have use if you want (favor S1 for SSS specifically).
Paprika Gacha One has to wonder why Paprika exists. She isn't bad in the absolute sense, but she serves no purpose in the broader game, competing directly with some very strong units while offering no special value herself. If you need the healing, there are plentiful other options that provide much better support or much lower costs (or both). She will be ungraded and you shouldn't be raising her, but go with S2 if you insist. It at least brings her healing up to a respectable total compared to her S1.
Stainless Gacha The only good unit from the Chapter 11 patch; however, Stainless is still pretty niche. He does have plenty of support use, so he is far from a bad unit, but the setup he requires puts him on the gimmicky side of things. He'll have pretty low Mastery grades. Without Mastery he can still be a pretty effective support unit, with neither his S1 or his S2 being exceptionally worth a Mastery; in particular, his S2 is a great skill, but it only needs SL 7). S3 will be his best Mastery option. The setup it requires can be a burden, but it has a huge attack multiplier with a lot of flexibility. If that DPS aspect doesn't interest you though, he can still be safely used at M0. Be wary of overvaluing his S1. Although the final number is good, it requires much more setup than other comparable buff skills.
Il Siracusano
Vigil Welfare Vigil looks to be the weakest 6★ of 2022. Even on paper, his kit isn’t very good. It has low DP gen, no ATK improvement, and no real utility. However, it's even worse than that. His wolves, which his skills are reliant on, are incredibly weak. They are statistically worse than Beanstalk's or Blacknight's pets, and the supposed benefits of them come nowhere close to making up the difference. If that weren't enough, there are many bizarre interactions in his kit, bordering on bugs, which remain unfixed as of this writing. There's too many to list here in this look ahead, but check this write-up by Boelthor over on Reddit for some more info. You'll get much better value raising Blacknight, or even Beanstalk. I hope this changes by his release on EN, but as it stands, he'll be among the lowest graded 6★s post-Module upgrades.
Lunacub Gacha Lunacub’s permanent stealth will certainly have some uses, but her DPS isn't high enough to justify the added investment. Her cycle time is perplexingly long for a year four unit, and the lack of attack multiplier on her S2 means she'll struggle more compared to her competition. She's a bit like Kirara in that regard: a nice idea hamstrung by poor damage and skill uptime. She'll be ungraded, but go with S2 if you particularly like her.
Penance Gacha If you relied only on the initial flurry of highlights, you could be forgiven for thinking that Penance is the hyper meta unit of this banner. She is a cautionary tale of not using only Youtube/Bilibili highlights to guide your opinion. Of course, she’s still a monster of a unit. She hits hard, has a mountain of bulk, and an absolutely incredible damage reflect. She is potentially the best solo lane holder in a lot of scenarios. However, for general purposes, Mudrock remains the go to choice, as Penance’s kit works poorly in a full team comp. Because she is reliant on having enemies to kill in order to maintain her bulk, she ends up rather inflexible compared to her competitors. S3 will be her main skill worth Mastery. Her other two skills are fine, and big Penance fans will find both of them useful, but her S3 is far and away the best option. They won't justify the investment cost for most.
Texas the Omertosa Gacha Limited Texas is the banner’s real winner and the latest to power creep an older unit (RIP in pieces Phantom).  She is extremely powerful and is at the very tip-top of the meta.  She has better ST Arts DPS than both Surtr and Eyja. Not only that, she also has a mountain of utility; her S2 has a strong RES debuff which makes her effective against nearly all enemies, her S3 has range, anti-air, and heavy crowd-control, and that's on top of the benefits of being a FRD. Both her S2 and S3 will receive top tier grades. She will be the highest graded M6 yet, so plan for both.
Quartz Red Cert Shop Quartz certainly has an eye-catching stat-line, but she isn't any better than other alternatives, even at her rarity. She mainly seems to be here to tease the ridiculous stats the eventual 6★ on the archetype will have. She'll be ungraded due to said alternatives. There just isn't much value in raising her beyond novelty. However, you'll want to prioritize S2 should that appeal to you.
Qanipalaat Red Cert Shop Qanipalaat is a fairly interesting unit with some unique aspects to his kit.  He's pretty decent too, for his rarity, with good crowd control and reasonable damage.  However the ever present problem with the 5★ Casters is present here.  It's a crowded group and being just decent isn't enough to particularly standout.  Ultimately he doesn't justify the investment, especially with the added red cert cost.  The Mastery gains on his S2 are pretty good, so he may end up with a low grade, but he shouldn't be on most people's planners for any reason but personal desire.  Pass on his S1 which is just a worse version of Amiya's S1.
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