Arknights: Should You Pull? Dissonanzen: Ebenholz

No.

Ebenholz is a hard-to-use member of a hard-to-use archetype who doesn’t quite justify the investment he demands to do his job. Mystic Casters output satisfyingly huge numbers and Ebenholz can be a competent bosskiller when supported properly, but there are many “point-and-click” bosskillers who do the job just as well (if not better) with much less trouble. Especially with the banners that are currently lurking in the near future, this banner is not the best use of your resources (unless it’s for husbando reasons).

As with all banners, a 5★ or higher Operator is guaranteed in the first 10 rolls. Should you pull just for that? Probably not. Blue Poison has terrific potential DPS but is very high investment, and Hibiscus the Purifier can be rather awkward to use.

Mystic Caster

+ Usual archetype strengths: Unusual attack range for a Caster, extremely high base ATK, “charges up” when not attacking to unleash a stronger hit later

+ Relatively low SP costs for his Skills

+ E1 Talent increases damage of his charged attacks and allows him to store an extra charge that he will ONLY use on elite/ boss enemies, saving his maximum damage for the toughest targets

+ E2 Talent increases his damage against enemies who do not have other enemies nearby (i.e., you’ve killed all the small fry and only the boss remains)

+ S1 is a quirky Skill that can be used to hit distant targets, attack quickly for a few seconds, or rapidly amass a full charge (since his ASPD determines his charge speed)

+ S2 turns Ebenholz’s charges into landmines that deal AoE Arts damage and Pull them; it’s a good Skill for taking out waves on maps with no elite/ boss enemies

+ S3 is a bosskilling Skill that gives bonus ASPD, an ATK buff, and a damage buff to his Talent

= S3 ONLY targets elite or boss enemies; it’s great when there’s a boss on the field, but it’s completely useless before they appear, after they’re defeated, or on maps with no elites

- Usual archetype weaknesses:

• VERY slow ASPD, dramatically reducing his actual damage potential
• Amassing a charge counts as an “attack,” causing delays in his ability to actually attack if enemies walk into his range while he’s charging, further slowing his actual DPS
• It’s easy for him to waste charges on overkilling weak enemies, since he can’t “save” them for strong targets (although his Talent and S3 help with this)

- S1 has a VERY short duration and can reduce the damage of a full-charged attack if timed incorrectly

- Ebenholz must pick between mob control with S2 or boss damage with S3, which can limit his ability to contribute on maps that have both trash enemies and a big boss target

Anti-Air/ Marksman Sniper

+ Usual archetype strengths: low DP cost, fast ASPD, and prioritizes aerial enemies

+ Both of her Skills deal high damage to multiple targets; she’s good at killing single targets as well as small groups

+ S1 charges extremely quickly at M3, dealing high damage to multiple targets at a machine-gun pace

+ S2 causes her attacks to strike multiple targets multiple times, absolutely destroying groups of enemies

= The Arts damage from her Talent gives her a little extra oomph against high-DEF enemies, but their DEF still blunts her direct damage so heavily that it doesn’t count for much

- Extremely squishy, so placing her can be difficult on some maps, especially ones with ranged enemies or automatic crossbows

- Really needs to be E2 with an M3’d Skill to show her true value, which is a lot of investment

Incantation Medic

+ Archetype strengths: attacks and heals at the same time

+ Talent inflicts Arts Fragility on enemies, increasing damage and healing for Hibiscus’s subsequent attacks

+ S2 increases Hibiscus’ rate of attack, targets two enemies at a time, and inflicts Slow

- Archetype weaknesses: Cannot heal when there are no enemies in range to attack

- S2 has a short duration and a relatively weak Slow effect

Ebenholz is a perfectly normal music student who is not, we repeat, IS NOT affiliated with the Witch King in any way, shape, or form. His status as the first 6* Mystic Caster is perfectly normal and his ability to absolutely detonate bosses with massively charged energy attacks is also perfectly normal. Nothing to see here. Move right along. (Or else.)

Blue Poison sprays arrows and corrosive venom everywhere she goes, striking multiple targets with multiple arrows that deal multiple ticks of Arts damage long after the initial arrow damage has been dealt. With her quick ASPD and fast-charging S1, Blue Poison is a constant fountain of toxins, rapidly wearing down her opponents from the inside out.

Hibiscus the Purifier is a glimpse into the future when little Hibiscus has grown up and learned not to shove her health plans onto every Operator around her. “What?!” you may cry. “What would Hibiscus be without her diet plans and exercise regimes?” Well, apparently the answer is, “An Incantation Medic who drains the life force out of her enemies and turns it into health for her allies.” Recycling is good for the environment and also for your army—Hibiscus says!