Introduction
Oh baby. I've personally been looking forward to this one. Let's dive right in!
This article specifically covers the new units from the What the Firelight Casts 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
FAQ and Banner Discussion
Q:Â Should I pull?
A: Upcoming pull decisions are about to get very tough and nuanced, so I'm taking the opportunity to comment on the problem. However, for those that don't care, yeah, Reed is really good. Not as busted as the last few units, but still very worthwhile. Pull away.
The problem for this banner and for the next several banners is the fact that there are no "easy skips," but at the same time there is only one "must pull" on the level of Texas or Mlynar. The only bad gacha 6â on the horizon is Ho'olheyak, who still shares her banner with an extremely good Limited. Literally everyone else sits at or near the top end of the meta and if they came out in year one or two, we'd be calling them must-pulls. Such is the current powercreep in Arknights. If you are a free-to-play or a low-spender, you will have to make some tough choices in the next six months, or get extremely lucky.
In other words, weâre going to need to nitpick. A lot.Â
With that in mind, some general advice:
If you are a story player, prioritize Kirin X Yato, but after that itâs more or less up to you and your team's needs. Generally, Iâd suggest Reed and Chong Yue, especially if youâre newer, but those suggestions arenât as firm as they usually are.
If you are a high-end CC player, focus on Kirin X Yato, Ines, Reed, and Qiu Bai.
If you are an IS player... wait until we know more about IS#4 to decide. However, odds are you will want to focus on at least Kirin X Yato and Ines, both of whom are valuable in IS#3 and are very likely to have long term viability in IS#4.
Q:Â Ok then, what's there to nit-pick about Reed the Flameshadow?
A: There is a lot to like with Reed. She has insane Arts DPS and HPS with better range and lower cost than actual Casters. Which is to say she is extremely good, and I say yet again, this is nitpicking. Reed would have a very different community perception if she was a year one operator.Â
There are a few shortcomings to her kit. First, she lacks in-built RES shred. It's hard to be too critical about this because it's an issue with the general game design, but it still bears mentioning. Against high RES enemies, she needs external help, which is something that units like Eyja, Goldenglow, and Surtr don't have to worry as much about. Enemy RES also directly impacts her healing output, so she can seem very subpar against high RES enemies. Keep in mind that the Arts Weakening on her Talent is not the same as RES shred and is nowhere near as powerful.
Second, while Reed has both good ST and AoE damage, she has to choose between them. The ST value of her AoE skill (S3) is just ok, and the flexibility of her ST skill (S2) can be difficult. Her S2 is her better use case, but it requires setup and planning to use. Meanwhile her S3 is very powerful and flashy, but is much more replaceable. Anyone playing for any length of time likely already has plentiful options for clearing away trash.
Reed is a rare unit where it seems like HG actually thought about balance. She is very powerful and does justice to the character, but has just enough drawbacks to keep her from being a truly brain-dead option.
Q: I donât have Cantabile. Should I raise Puzzle?
A: Probably not. Puzzle is very usable thanks to his strong archetype, so if he appeals to you, by all means, raise him. However, he doesnât lean into the strengths of the Agent archetype as well as Cantabile does. His DP gen is lower and his wind-up time is frustratingly long. While Cantabile can often act as both a Flagbearer and a FRD in one slot, Puzzle will frequently struggle to replace either. On top of that, Ines is on the near horizon who is one of the top pull targets ahead of us. While Puzzle is functional, he will have a much lower impact to your roster compared to many other similar units.
Q: I've heard Puzzle combos well with Stainless. Why isn't that mentioned in his write-up?
A: Because it's a meme. The combo does work, but it's inferior to just using a Flagbearer by quite a bit. It costs 36-38 DP, two deployment slots, and three tiles to setup, and if the turret fires even once (meaning his Talent won't trigger), it produces less DP than Elysium/Saileach's S1. Further, even if you do use the combo, you'll probably do it with his S1 for the AFK aspect, which only needs M1 to work. There's nothing to discuss in a Mastery oriented write-up. Although be aware his S2 has a higher DP generation in this combo if you're willing to manage the activations on time.
In other words, the combo is there and works, but isn't worth considering as part of a Mastery decision
Q:Â Any Module thoughts this patch?
A: Global - What the Firelight Casts - Rosa's Module here is one of the best in the game and makes her one of the premier heavyweight killers. The rest are generally misses. Utage's is particularly offensive, and I'm still mad about it. Â
- Rosa's Module is ridiculous. It nearly doubles her skill-up damage, and turns her from a forgettable near-year-one unit into a heavyweight monster. Her Module is one of the best single upgrades in the game, and her grades have gone up as a result (especially S2). However, there are plenty of other high powered damage options these days, and bad cycle times are still a major issue. There's now potential powercreep to consider too with Typhon. Ultimately, Rosa is still just a bit outside the upper echelons of meta use.
- Hellagur's Module is easy to overlook, but it's actually pretty nice. It makes him sturdier, easier to reach maximum potential, and more deadly. However, nothing really changes with the fundamentals of his flawed kit, so there's no value in his Module if you aren't already using him. If you do intend to get one of Hellagurâs Modules, I would go with this one rather than the second one just released on CN, although the second should have some value as well.
- Toddifons' Module is at least good enough to warrant a note. Like Rosa, it's a surprisingly large increase (approx 40% more DPS). However, it still leans into Toddi's anti-Sarkaz niche, which is far too specific to justify general investment.
CN (lookahead) - Hortus De Escapismo - The Modules here are decent, but mostly forgettable.
- Aak's is the standout and he can fairly reliably stunlock enemies with longer attack animations. It is ultimately a situational upgrade to an off-meta unit, so it shouldn't influence his overall value much, however his S1, which better plays to that potential may pick-up a grade in the guide. All said and done, itâs a pretty nice addition for Aak fans, but a luxury still otherwise.
- The rest are decent if you use said unit, but none particularly standout in the meta.
CN (lookahead) - SkĂłgrinn Svartr Vill Einn Draumr - This patch is brand new, so Iâll address it in more detail next patch. However, snap reactions are a fairly unremarkable set of Modules. Flagbearerâs are nice, but only an incremental upgrade. Phantomâs second is extremely disappointing. Hellagurâs second isnât bad, but his first has better upgrades. Â
Q: I was planning to get Rosa's upgraded Module, but Typhon looks pretty good. Should I still get Rosa's Module? Does Typhon affect Rosaâs updated grades at all?
A: To be completely honest, at this point I donât know. I always hesitate to overreact or make hasty judgments. Questions like this can often take a couple of months to unfold into any sort of consensus, and this topic is a hot one right now given how the releases are coinciding. Honestly, this is kinda shitty for me since now I'm worried a lot of what I wrote this patch may not be true anymore after we have some reflection time! What terrible timing!
Still, Typhon does look impressive. Her damage against heavy enemies is amazing while striking a balance in uptime that Rosa lacks between her two skills. Her tracking targeting has tons of potential too. However, her long interval is frustrating to use and it will be an open question if pulls should even be spent on her banner, depending on what the Summer Limited looks like in just a few short weeks.
My feeling is that, yes, Typhon is better, but Iâm not ready to make that a general suggestion. If you were going to mod3 Rosa for meta purposes, Iâd consider waiting until the picture is clearer, although I donât think going with Rosa is a mistake either. If you were going to mod3 Rosa because you like her, I absolutely still would.
As far as the guide goes, Iâve made no adjustments to Rosa that I wasnât already planning to make. Someone being better doesnât usually justify grading someone else down, and regardless of Typhon or her place in the meta, Rosa with her Module is a tremendous unit. That hasnât changed.
Q:Â Will there be more Paper Thin Songs coming?
A:Â This isn't related to the Mastery guide, but it's my article so I get to include it anyway.
Yes! The second chapter is plotted out and I'm excited to start writing a bulk of it. But, I am a busy oldie with a lot on my plate right now. Summer is my busiest time of year, and my process isn't fast to begin with. Fingers crossed I can get chapter 2 out before the end of the summer, but no promises.
If you missed it last update, I published my first fictional work. You can find the clean version of it over on AO3 here.
What the Firelight Casts - To Bloom From A Dim Flame
Reed the Flame Shadow
 |
S2M3 | S++ | S++ | S++ |
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S3M3 | S+ | S- | S+ |
Reed the Flame Shadow is the most powerful Caster in the game, which is weird since she's a Medic and thus also happens to have some of the highest healing output too. That alone makes her a high priority investment, but the situation is compounded by two distinct roles via two different skills that both have some of the largest gains over Mastery in the game. The result is one of the highest graded M6's in this guide.
You have to start somewhere, and her S2 is her better skill. It does more damage, has better sustain, and is her more unique skill. In ideal scenarios she can break 8200 DPS. For comparison, Texas the Omertosa's S2 "only" hits about 3800 DPS. It isn't as difficult to set up as it appears either. While there's a lot of talk of "sandwiching", the enemy units don't actually need to be blocked for the damage to apply. It can be temperamental at times, but the nature of the skill actually increases the potential here. Imagine sticking the fireballs and additional sustain onto Surtr's S3, for just one example. The sustain (applied via her shared Trait) is just as ridiculous as the damage, and easy to overlook. If that all doesn't sell you enough, Mastery represents a 24% increase to her total damage and DPS, which is above average to comparable Masteries.
On the other hand, her S3 is certainly the flashier skill. It is a tremendous skill for clearing out crowds of weaker enemies. The mechanics of the skill imply that it is best used when the brand can be spread easily, which is true, but in practice the DPS is high enough that the skill is still great even if it can't be effectively spread in those flashy cascades of fiery death. It is still very effective as a general purpose skill. The main knock against S3, and why it tends to tail behind S2 in priority, is just that what it does is more replaceable. The raw DPS and HPS that her S2 brings is where she really shines. Advanced players especially, with well established teams, may find her S3 Masteries unnecessary.
A final note, some people suggest starting with S3 because it has stronger Mastery gains. That statement (about the gains) is true, and by quite a bit. S3 gains about 51% DPS, while S2 "only" gains about 24%, but be aware that the suggestion misses a key piece. The gains on S2 may not be as high as S3, but they are still well above average. More typical DPS gain from Masteries is around 15%. Mastery on both skills is essential to their effective and maximized use, so the consideration for first Mastery should be primarily given to the better role (S2) rather than the by-the-numbers gains.
Harmonie
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S2M3 | B | B+ | C+ |
đ˘ Smug cat đ˘đ˘ in need of... modest consideration for promotion? đ˘? While it's unlikely another 5â Caster will ever reach the 'must-promote' tier, Harmonie mixes solid damage, uptime, and control in an elegant package. The result is a very usable unit, and yet another option among the lower rarity Casters who is good enough to at least warrant secondary investment consideration.
Harmonieâs S2 is a key component to that elegance, as it slows and clears trash mobs so that they don't clog blockers or waste her charges. Harder targets can then be singled out by blockers, which she can now hit hard thanks to her Talent and stored charges. Without S2, she is no different than any other Mystic Caster, including the much cheaper Indigo who also has good control. However, while her S2 is essential for Harmonie's usage, her Masteries are a touch unimpressive. The additional DoT is a paltry difference, uptime remains the same, and SP cost is only reduced by 4 SP. The main value is in the additional attack interval reduction at M3, which is important enough to make the Mastery worth pursuing, but isn't enough to be make or break either. Not everyone will like how Harmonie plays, and if you don't like her kit at SL7, the full investment probably won't change your mind.
Puzzle
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S1M1 | Breakpoint | ||
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S2M3 | C | C | C |
Due to a long initial wind-up and relatively bad DP gen, Puzzle is in an awkward middle ground where he is not as beneficial as other Agents, but also less powerful than a regular Fast-Redeploy. However, decent damage, a strong-by-default archetype, and good gains means Puzzle is still a Mastery consideration, albeit on the low end of priority.
Despite the drawbacks, S2 is still his primary skill because of its damage. The poison DoT can really add up, and Mastery from SL7 to M3 can result in almost 50% more damage. The improvement to his long initial wind-up is only 4 SP, but every second counts when it comes to Vanguards. While Puzzle can work decently at E1, full Mastery can make him feel quite a bit better to use. Meanwhile, S1 can be nice for AFK DP gen if there's an appropriate target, but it's fine to leave at M1 for that purpose. The 2 initial SP at M1 means it can activate after one attack on a full health enemy, however further Mastery only adds more damage, which is better found on his S2.
Rosa
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S3M3 | S+ * | S- * | S * |
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S2M3 | B+ * | B * | B+ * |
Rosa is not available as a rate-up on this banner. However, her grades and write-up have been updated in the main guide as a result of her new Module with this patch. That update is also included here for reference.
* Note that these skills are graded assuming the unit has her SIE-X Module level 3. If you do NOT plan to get this unit's upgraded Module, treat the priority of these skills significantly lower. Rosa's Module should be done before Masteries.
At a time when most OG units are declining in value, Rosa picked up an amazing Module. It caters directly to her already valid niche and supercharges her damage to an extreme degree, granting her new relevance despite all of the hyper-powerful DPS units in the current meta. It is difficult to overstate how good her Module is. It nearly doubles her already solid damage! Itâs so good, in fact, that Rosa is one of the few units where Module should take precedence over Masteries!
Now, while Rosa's Module is tremendous, there are still a few drawbacks to her kit. High-caliber DPS units are plentiful, Modules are expensive, she's still mediocre against low-weight enemies (although her targeting does relieve this), and her skill cycles are awful. This ultimately leaves Rosa as a fairly high-priority consideration, but not quite a slam dunk either, especially if you're low on resources.
If you are ready for that investment then Rosa is a decently strong M6 consideration, but S3 is her primary skill and the main starting point for Masteries. It has a bigger impact in total, but the uptime is quite short, so the total damage tends to be a little low. This gives good value to her S2, which has similar DPS but a much longer uptime. However, S3 still remains her best skill in most scenarios. S2 has an extremely long downtime to go along with the uptime, while S3's is quite forgiving. The total damage on S3, while a touch low, is still sufficient to kill most elites in a single activation, and she can activate S3 almost 3.5 times in a single S2 cycle, which usually makes up the difference over the course of the map. S2 does have some additional value in the Roguelike since S3 does not benefit from ASPD relics.
If you do not intend to get her upgraded Module, you can safely leave her at just S3M3. There's just too many better replacements for what her S2 does without the benefits of her Module.
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 or IS#3). 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 IS#3, only up to Ascension 7 (trimmed medal) is considered for grades, however write-ups may include suggestions for higher Ascensions.
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
Silenceâs lookahead has been rewritten and toned down. I added the Lonetrail units earlier than I usually do since I knew there would be a long gap until this update. Unfortunately, Silence just hasnât panned out like I thought. While certainly not bad, her lookahead was a bit too glowing. The other three remain unchanged, although I continue to find Mumu to be an extremely vexing unit to evaluate. Hortus De Escapismo units have also been added this update, but SkĂłgrinn Svartr Vill Einn Draumr units (Typhon, Santella) have not since it only just came out as I write this.
| Where Vernal Winds Will Never Blow | ||
| Jie Yun | Welfare | Jie Yun is one of those units that's quite good... for her rarity. While she lacks the utility that elevates the more meta 5â options, she has solid damage and a surprisingly good cycle time. Beyond that, there isn't much else to say since her kit is pretty straightforward. Most players tight on resources won't want to invest, but she is good enough and has enough appeal outside of the meta that she'll garner a modest grade. Stick with S2 for Mastery. It is the better skill and has *extremely* strong gains. S1 has significantly worse DPS and its only real benefit is being auto recovery. |
| Firewhistle | Gacha | Fire Whistle is a good unit because her archetype is inherently strong. However, she has a slightly different niche than Ashlock. While Ashlock is useless if forced to block, Fire Whistleâs skills work mostly as normal (like Hornâs S2), making her an effective blocker as well as a long range nuker. In my opinion, this isnât as valuable since effective blocking isnât why you bring the archetype to begin with and Ashlock does the nuking part better. Still, Fire Whistle is quite good and much more forgiving. Both of her skills are usable and likely to be graded. While S2 has the greater total damage and is better for blocking, it has a notable lack of burst and a high SP cost. S1 meanwhile will be more consistent, reliable, and better against armor. |
| Lin | Gacha | Lin gets a unique achievement in this guide by getting a full overhaul in the look-ahead because of her Module. Previously she was a disappointing side grade to the already mediocre Carnelian, but her Module goes a long way to improving Lin and now she is a pretty good mid-tier consideration. With her Module she can tank most ranged attacks in the game even with skill up, but it also improves her previously bad cycle time. She can now be placed very aggressively while doing good total damage, making her (finally) a good evolution of the Phalanx archetype. |
| Chong Yue | Gacha Limited | Yet another hilariously busted unit. Chong Yue hits hard and fast over a long range. He also gets a lot out of buffs, meaning that he should scale nicely into difficult content. His kit can be deceptive since unlike other dual strike units, his hits count independently. This means he gains SP twice as fast and can even trigger his S3 off of the second attack. |
| A Death in Chunfen | ||
| Wind Chimes | Gacha | When Quartz was released, many were curious as to what the higher rarities of the Crusher archetype would bring. Turns out the first 5â attempt is... really bad. Her primary gimmick is just too weak and her cycle time is just too long. Even if her S2âs SP cost was halved, she wouldnât be good â but it isnât, and she has a perplexing 30 second cycle for a paltry amount of damage. Wind Chimes is a unit to avoid, but if you were intent on raising her anyway I'd actually consider S1 instead despite the fact that itâs a generic Attack Up skill. The power on S2 is just so anemic that only two hits from S1 will out damage it (in less time than the 5 second wind-up), but even then she's quite a bit worse than the commonly available Centurions. |
| Qiu Bai | Gacha | Qiu Bai is a difficult unit to rank, and she has caused quite a bit of discussion. I suppose that means she's actually well balanced compared to the hyper-meta state of many recent units. Qiu Bai has some significant drawbacks such as an RNG factor, a lack of RES shred, and an unusually long downtime. However, her range, control, and strong multi-target DPS still give her a ton of potential. S3 is likely to be her "meta" skill when she appears in high end gameplay due to its extremely high DPS, but S2 will often be the better "every-day" skill due to its much shorter cycle. S1 may be appealing, too, since it is her most consistent control skill, though I am unsure if it will garner a grade. Regardless of how you intend to use her, S3 should be your highest priority target. It has some of the most extreme gains over Mastery of any skill in the game; Mastery will be essential to using it at all. |
| Leaves Chasing Fire | ||
| Rathalos S Noir Corne | Collab Gacha | Noir Corne is an interesting iteration on the Musha archetype. While the shortcomings are still there, his kit comes together better in total, and he brings enough burst and utility to make him something to consider, though far from mandatory or meta. His Mastery selection will be similar to his counterpart, Akafuyu, but will be graded higher. Both skills are strong, but have differing uses, so you will likely want to pursue both. If you only did one it's really a matter of preference, but I would start with S1. It handles both trash due to its reset and elites thanks to its block, plus the Offensive Recovery plays better to the archetype. |
| Kirin X Yato | Collab Gacha | Yet another super strong Limited Fast-Redeploy. Thanks HG, very cool. Yato isnât quite as busted as Texas the Omertosa, but thatâs hardly an insult. There is certainly room for both. For Masteries, Yato will range anywhere from a simple M3 all the way to M9 depending on your preferences. For many players, just Mastering S2 will suffice. It is the easiest skill to use and does so much damage that it covers the majority of use cases. S3 is also quite powerful, but it requires more planning and map knowledge to effectively use. While a strong skill and Mastery, not everyone will get as much use out of it. Finally, her S1 is a fringe consideration. It has extremely long uptime for an FRD and is buff receptive (think of Exusiaiâs S3); however, it is much harder to use effectively and her other skills will be more than enough most of the time. |
| Episode 12 - All Quiet Under the Thunder | ||
| Morgan | Welfare | Morgan is the best non-Siege member of the Siege gang (maybe better than Siege too, depending who you ask), but that wasn't a terribly high bar. Dreadnoughts without the raw power of the 6â options have pretty limited value, but Morgan does make fairly good use of the archetype thanks to a very strong attack scale that works well with her large HP pool. While she will need healer support, Morganâs S1 can pack a big punch on a good cycle which should let her pick up a grade (albeit a low one). Unfortunately, her S2 isn't worth much. The Barrier decays too fast to be useful, especially for how short of wind-up S1 has. S2 ultimately makes her much more fragile on a much longer effective cycle time for similar damage. |
| Humus | Gacha | The bones of the Reaper archetype are good, which natively makes Humus decent. However, since Highmore is freely available to everyone and so valuable in IS#3, it puts Humus in a bad spot regardless of how good he is. His kit does come together pretty nicely, however he has no niche above Highmore or La Pluma, and he will potentially be ungraded due to poor Mastery gains. Both skills will be usable, but S1 does not get the SP reduction that the 5*s do. Start with S2 instead, but even then the gains are well below average in even ideal circumstances. |
| Cement | Gacha | Cement was memed to death even before we knew her kit (and to be fair they are good memes, CONK CREET BAY BEE). Unfortunately though, her kit is pretty poor and she will be ungraded. She can have an insane amount of bulk with S2, but it's very specific to one-target, slow-attacking, and Physical enemies. Since most mechanics don't favor blocking in the first place and she has the Duelist's restrictive one-block, that just isn't valuable, and the bulk rapidly decays with a tough cycle time. If you were to promote her anyway, I would go with S1 for Masteries which at least has some decent damage output in a true AoE. However, the archetype's Trait restriction will make the relatively high SP cost (compared to similar skills) very limiting. |
| Ines | Gacha | Ines is a curious unit to discuss. She is a good unit, but not one that has lived up to impossible expectations which has muddied the discussion around her. Her damage is lower than people were expecting (given that Yato2 and Texas2 both came out recently and do more damage on faster redeploys). The situation is reminiscent of Saileach on her release; a powerful unit but an open question on if she is worth the cost compared to the more common and lower rarity options. Given that she is sandwiched between a collab and the anniversary limited, it should make the pull discussions when she comes to global very⌠spirited, letâs say. For the record, I am a big fan of her kit, but weâll need some time to see how her kit fits into whatever new meta arises from the revamped CC and IS#4. Both S2 and S3 will have good grades, but right now I lean towards S2 first. Donât bother with S1. It should be a nice AFK option, but the gains arenât worth the investment. |
| Lone Trail | ||
| Silence the Paradigmatic | Welfare | Silence's alter form may be about as good as Abjurer's can get while staying true to the archetype, but it still comes short of the value that damage buffers like Gnosis or Suzuran have. Her ability to turn anyone into Surtr will no doubt find some usage in high end content over time, but in general, it just doesn't make up for smart play. Proper placement and strategy will come out ahead most of the time. Still, her S3 is a fun skill with a lot of potential and will be a middle-tier graded support skill. Her S2 could have value as well for those who want more regular use out of her. It is much more replaceable, being more akin to a typical healing skill. It gives good bulk on a flexible range and cycle which will at least make it a reasonable alternative to consider. |
| Melanite | Gacha | Melanite is a pretty typical âmodernâ 5â . That is, decent enough to be usable with some niche value, but also nothing special meta-wise. She is the only non-6â , and only AoE, with dodge ignore (via her Module) which will make her appealing to many niche players. S2 will be her main skill with the high damage multiplier and piercing range both being very appealing for her rarity. However, true to her archetype, that S2 damage falls off quickly with range so she isn't the easiest unit to use. Her S2 will probably edge out a low grade due to that niche value and some very nice gains. Pass on her S1, which is just a poor skill all around. |
| Ho'olheyak | Gacha | While the big tiddy snek mommy has proven to be very popular among the hornier members of the community, she is a pretty poor unit in terms of meta. She is a higher rarity version of Qanipalaat, but while Qani gets some benefit of the doubt by only being a 5â , more is expected of the 6â , and the numbers are just not there with Ho'olheyak. Her control features are really nice, and she combos well with Dorothy, but ultimately her DPS is low and her cycle time is atrocious. S3 will be her main skill and the one to go for Mastery if you only do one since it mixes good control and range. However, the 60 SP cost is killer, so her other skills may be worth a look if you plan to make regular use out of her. S2 is likely the one you should go for as it has much better total DPS, though the double layer of RNG may be unpalatable depending on your tastes. Unfortunately for S1, its SP cost is higher than it should be so it ends up significantly inferior to comparable skills. |
| Muelsyse | Gacha Limited | I love and hate Muelsyse. She's one of the most interesting designed units we've ever had, but in the same vein she is very hard to write about! There's just so much going on in her kit; far more than I can cover in a one paragraph write-up, but I will try. It's easy to forget Muelsyse is a Vanguard since she doesn't seem like one, nor does her kit play like one. This is a good thing, given just how tight the âVanguard metaâ is, and how that affects units like Ines. Instead, Muelsyse is an extremely flexible unit that can cover a lot of ground in terms of damage, bait, and control... all while incidentally producing DP. While Muelsyse is powerful, it's a good question as to what exactly her meta value will be since "indirect" solutions don't tend to fare well; however, itâs likely that she will have high tier grades for Mastery. She will be a well graded M6 with both S2 and S3 worth pursuing. The DP, ATK buff, and cycle are all identical between them, but the clone effects differ and will be useful in different places, and flexibility is her strength. S1 may be worth considering at the very low end for melee clones, but for range clones it is inferior to the other skills. |
| Hortus De Escapismo | ||
| Insider | Welfare | Insider has gone well under the radar. Aside from looking like he's from a different game, the lion's share of the talk has, of course, gone to Executor and Spuria. However, Insider is a shockingly good 5â Marksmen, sporting the highest ATK during skill among them, plus a quick downtime, the powerful ammo mechanic, and a modest niche that allows for more aggressive placement. Kroos is still the better welfare Marksmen option thanks to her extreme total damage and stun utility, but Insider will be a very viable option if you missed Kroos (keep in mind IW will rerun before Insiderâs event) or just like him better. S2 will be his go to skill and should be graded similar to GreyThroat. S1's damage scale is nice, but he isn't a great buff target, and the Attack Recovery is inferior here despite the low cost since S2's SP cost is so cheap. |
| Spuria | Gacha | Spuria is the most "WTF" operator we've had in a long time. These days, it isn't easy to be so bad that you're in the running for worst 5â , yet here we are. She honestly makes me mad with how bad she is. HG either didn't playtest her, or purposefully decided it just didn't matter that a 5â was this bad. Imagine Windflit, but even more restrictive, with a worse buff, and doesn't even work as a basic body-blocker. Do not raise her for any reason but memes, and if you're doing that, you don't need my advice for Masteries. |
| Executor the Ex Foedere | Gacha | The least surprising alter in quite a while, Executor2 appears to be pretty well balanced, which of course means the discussion around him ranges from "absolute shit" to "absolute god". He personally reminds me of Penance - capable of some truly insane things in low-op clears, but inferior to other options in a full team comp. There's just so many laneholders that itâs tough to call him a must pull, but he will be extremely good for those who do pull. S3 is the standout skill and its Masteries are extremely important. An RNG Talent and ramp-up are large flaws, but his biggest drawback is the fairly high Attack Recovery cost. The 24 SP at S3M3 is a significant issue, but it's a massive improvement over the 30 SP at SL7. S1 and S2 are likely to have decent amounts of niche usage, but the damage output is so much lower compared to S3 that they will likely only be luxury considerations. |
