For this iteration of Hall of Forms, we have a variety of very compelling options from Path of Radiance. Our options include a Sword Flier that also happens to be a Grand Hero Battle unit, a Blue Tome Armor, a Green Tome Flier, and an Infantry Bow refresher. Players have the chance to build up and possibly add the following units to their roster permanently by spending a Forma Soul:
- Fallen Ashnard: Mad King
- Halloween Ilyana: Treat Harvester
- Bridal Sanaki: Apostle in White
- Soiree Nephenee: Sincere Dancer
We will briefly display optimal inheritance options for each unit and the advantages/disadvantages of spending your Forma Soul on them. As Forma Souls take a considerable amount of resources to acquire, it is important to get the most out of your Forma units before purchasing.
General Considerations
Forma Unit Rules
- Any Forma unit you purchase will come with their base skills already. Therefore, there is little need to inherit these base skills during Hall of Forms unless you need to save refinery costs (especially PRF weapons needing Divine Dew) or simply don’t care for hyper-optimal inheritance.
- Formas are acquired completely neutral with no Assets and Flaws. If you desire a certain Asset/Flaw combination, you will have to utilize Trait Fruits. Since you cannot merge Forma units into existing copies, this may pose an issue on resource spending if you already have the same unit with an ideal Asset.
Skill Considerations
- When rolling skills from the current Forma skill pool, unique PRF skills are often prioritized over inheritables. It's a good idea to take PRF skills first to improve your chances at finding good inheritable alternatives; Hall of Forms will pretty much constantly hound you to take the PRF skills if you don't take them otherwise.
- Due to their extreme rarity and superior SP value over most other Special skills, Ruptured Sky (typically available only on Byleth and their variations) and Blue Flame (available only on Owain) will vastly be preferred as a final Special choice. For bow-using units, this extends to the bow-exclusive Deadeye.
- For the same reason as above, high-tier Assist skills like Rally+'s and Harsh Command+ are preferred on a potential purchased Forma to increase the unit's Arena scoring slightly as well as their overall value.
- These, too, are also not necessarily optimal as positional Assists like Reposition are vastly preferred in most situations, and those can easily be inherited from lower rarity units like Norne or Barst.
- Inheriting rally skills or Harsh Command+ too early in your Hall of Forms run can also inhibit your unit's ability to support other Forma allies and escape enemy range as well, increasing the likelihood of wasted Torches (the stamina currency for Hall of Forms) and thus wasted opportunities to get better skills.
- Though optimal C Passive skills exist on a case-to-case basis, Joint Drives are essentially the most universal there is as they boost the stats of the unit as well as surrounding allies. Go for these (especially Joint Drive Atk) if available and there aren't better C slot options for your unit in particular. Likewise, Time's Pulse has fantastic overall value on infantry units due to the importance of frequent Special triggers in combat.
Fallen Ashnard
Summary:
Despite not having the best combative prowess, Ashnard’s Gurgurant is able to grant him a supportive niche for Melee Specialists, AKA units that focus on one-ranged foes only, as the -5 Atk/Def it inflicts on foes within two spaces affects any combat that falls within that range. Likewise, because Ashnard is a flying unit, he can run Rein skills to further increase his effectiveness as a support unit.
However, if you would like to use him as a combat unit, there really aren’t that many weapon options beyond Ninja Katana+ as his Spd stat is too low to make use of much else effectively. That being said, as a Grand Hero Battle unit, it is more than possible to bolster Ashnard’s stats as he is easily mergeable. So, if any of this sounds compelling, consider the following skills and recommended builds before you decide to pursue building him up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Gurgurant / Ninja Katana+
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Ruptured Sky
A-Passive: Death Blow 4 / Fort. Def/Res / Distant Counter / Sturdy Stance 3 / Atk/Def Unity
B-Passive: A/D Near Trace / Sabotage Atk / Sabotage Def
C-Passive: Atk/Def Rein
Ashnard is going to need a lot of premium skills as the number of available/viable skills in the regular 3-4* pool is limited as well as the fact that his optimal options are mostly 5* locked. His base kit is nothing to write home about, simply consisting of Distant Def and Guard. So, he’ll essentially want a kit overhaul.
Depending on the type of role you want him to have, he can either focus on damage output with skills such as Death Blow 4 and A/D Near Trace or go completely into a supportive niche with Fort. Def/Res 3 and Sabotage skills. Death Blow 4 and A/D Near Trace would go well with Ninja Katana+ as it’ll allow him to attack twice in the player phase, something that he can’t consistently do with Gurgurant. Likewise, the additional attack he gains from Ninja Katana+ can allow him to trigger a 2 CD Special, such as Ruptured Sky, as long as he has Quickened Pulse or some other support such as Velouria, thus further increasing his damage output.
Meanwhile, on the supportive side, Ashnard can run Fort. Def/Res 3 to bolster his Res stat and then run a Sabotage skill. That, alongside Gurgurant, can make whomever he is supporting rather tanky and offensive. For securing the Sabotage debuff, he can also run Phantom Res as it’ll add an additional +10 Res to his check.
His best, and arguably only worthwhile option, for his C Passive is Atk/Def Rein, which can be run on both an offensive and supportive build. The additional -4 Atk/Def it inflicts on the foe can be used to secure more KOs with his offensive-natured build as well as stack with Gurgurant to further debuff one-ranged foes.
Halloween Ilyana
Summary:
Halloween Ilyana is arguably going to be the best available Forma option for this batch for a number of reasons. The first, and most important reason, is that she is an Armor unit that has access to Far Save. This is especially nice as not only is Far Save currently a seasonal-locked skill, but also because Halloween Ilyana happens to be one of the best options for Far Save thanks to her high Res stat.
Secondly, she can easily be merged to +1 for additional stats as she is in the Normal 2 Divine Codes shop. It not necessary by any means since her stat allocation is already extremely good, but if kept at a Neutral IV, the additional merge will increase her HP by two points, her Atk by one point, and her Res by two points, which are all of her best stats.
Finally, because Halloween Ilyana is a Blue Tome Armor unit, she has access to some of the best weapon options for her role as a Far Save unit. This includes Love Bouquet+, which is a Joint Drive Atk/Res weapon, and Pact Blooms+, which inflicts -5 Atk/Res on the foe during combat and heals 4 HP per her attack. What’s also nice is that she doesn’t have to settle for one or the other as Pact Blooms+ is in the Heroic Grails shop. Overall, if you’re looking for a good Far Save armor and play Aether Raids consistently, she is definitely a must-get.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Love Bouquet+ / Pact Blooms+
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Blue Flame / Iceberg / Glacies
A-Passive: Atk/Res Unity / Mirror Stance 3 / Atk/Res Ideal 4 / Distant Def 4
B-Passive: Crafty Fighter / Slick Fighter / Vengeful Fighter
C-Passive: A/R Far Save
Because Halloween Ilyana will want to focus on her role as a Far Save unit, there are a limited amount of options that can be recommended to her. As previously mentioned, her best weapon option is going to either be Love Bouquet+ or Pact Blooms+. It doesn’t matter which one you go for as long as it’s one of these options. Pact Blooms+ can always be picked up in the Heroic Grails shop, but if you want to save some Heroic Grails and feathers, you can simply pick it up in Hall of Forms. However, if you want to have the option to run either, then Love Bouquet+ will be her go-to option.
Her Special doesn’t necessarily have to be premium by any means, but it doesn’t hurt to grab one. I would recommend grabbing Blue Flame since she’ll always be adjacent to an ally when Far Save activates. Otherwise, she can run Iceberg or Glacies, depending on the Fighter skill of course.
Any A Passive that increases her Atk, Def, and/or Res stats are going to be her best options. Notable choices include Distant Def 4, which can allow her to take on Bows and Daggers much more easily, Atk/Res Unity, which can secure her ability to take on magical foes as well as output more damage, Mirror Stance 3, which not only increases her Atk and Res, but inflicts Guard on the foe, which is nice for negating Special triggers, and Atk/Res Ideal, which has the potential to grant +9 Atk/Res.
Her B Passive should consist of any of the three following Fighter skills: Crafty Fighter, Slick Fighter, or Vengeful Fighter. Crafty Fighter is a fantastic option since it inflicts Guard on the foe and has a very lenient HP threshold of 25% or more, which is fantastic for her longevity. Meanwhile, she can take Slick Fighter instead to negate any and all debuffs on herself. She could always run Atk/Res Unity instead of Slick Fighter, but it won’t cover any debuffs made to her Def, which can be important against Bow and Dagger matchups. Other than those two, she can take Vengeful Fighter, which while has a stricter HP threshold of 50% or more, is able to grant Special Cooldown acceleration and allow her to trigger stronger Specials.
Her C Passive is self-explanatory as it is the crux of her ability to perform. The additional Atk/Res it also grants allows her to act as a strong magic tank and damage dealer.
Bridal Sanaki
Summary:
Bridal Sanaki is going to be a hard sell overall due to the nature of her class archetype as well as the fact that there are simply better options in this batch. Normally, as a Ranged Flier, she is brought down due to the lack of available/viable skills she can run. And while this is still the case, Bridal Sanaki’s decent Res stat and decent Atk stat can allow her to run a few more skills than most other Ranged Fliers.
Moreover, as a Green Tome Flier, she doesn’t have that many preferred options for her weapon. Bridal Sanaki can always run her PRF, Nifl Frostflowers, which isn’t a bad option by any means as it can save Divine Dew in the process. There is also Plegian Torch+, which can be combined with a Sabotage skill and/or Menace skill to help her overall performance. If you do plan on using a Forma Soul on her, consider the following builds and skills before you decide to pursue building her up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Nifl Frostflowers (+Eff) / Plegian Torch+
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Blue Flame / Ruptured Sky / Iceberg
A-Passive: Atk/Res Unity / Mirror Stance 3 / Distant Def 4 / Atk/Res Catch 4 / Atk/Spd Catch 4 / Atk/Res Solo 4 / Atk/Spd Solo 4
B-Passive: Sabotage Res / Sabotage Spd / A/R Far Trace / Mystic Boost
C-Passive: Atk/Res Rein / Atk/Spd Menace / Atk/Res Menace
The amount of Atk and Res her PRF grants is nothing to scoff at and can allow her to act as a relatively good Res tank. For Aether Raids purposes, she can also run Near Save support and take on a good amount of ranged foes. However, she’ll have to watch out for Bows and Daggers as they’ll shred her, regardless of effectiveness, since her Def is really low. Although, depending on the rest of her kit, she can instead run Plegian Torch+ and bolster more of her stats that way.
Bridal Sanaki can take either Blue Flame or Ruptured Sky since her other options can be easily obtained through the 3-4* pool. However, if you want something more optimal right out of the gate, she can run Iceberg since her Res stat can get really high with the right skills and her PRF.
If you want her to focus as a magic tank, she can take on skills that increase her Atk and Res including Atk/Res Unity, Mirror Stance 3, Distant Def 4, Atk/Res Catch 4, and Atk/Res Solo 4. All of these skills are good options for her A Passive, especially if running Nifl Frostflowers as she essentially take almost no magic damage whatsoever. You can also run Atk/Spd Catch 4 or Atk/Spd Solo 4 and stack her Spd stat.
Although Bridal Sanaki’s Res stat gets bolstered through invisible buffs, she still has a relatively good base Res stat of 33. This can open up room for running a Sabotage skill as her B Passive. A Sabotage skill, combined with Plegian Torch+, can allow her to output more damage and/or take more hits. It also pairs really well with Atk/Res Catch 4 since one of the conditions is a debuff on the foe. That being said, she can always run A/R Far Trace if you want her to have consistent debuffs on the foe.
For her C Passive, there aren’t that many options she can take on. However, the ones she has access to are more than enough. For stacking debuffs, Bridal Sanaki can run Atk/Res Rein, which can allow her to deal more damage and take less damage. Meanwhile, if running Plegian Torch+, she can take on Atk/Res Menace instead since the visible debuffs it’ll inflict on the foe will increase her damage output and tanking prowess by a solid amount or even run Atk/Spd Menace and capitalize on her workable Spd stat.
Soiree Nephenee
Summary:
Soiree Nephenee has a lot of value as a Forma not only due to the fact that she comes with Dance, but also due to her relatively good offensive statline of 35 base Atk and 36 base Spd. Soiree Nephenee can run an assortment of builds as well as be used in Limited Hero Battles as a support unit, so she might be worth picking up for those reasons alone. As an Infantry Bow, Soiree Nephenee also has access to a great amount of skills and weapons. And, at the time of this article, players are able to pick up a manual of Soiree Nephenee and potentially merge her. If kept at a neutral IV, she’ll gain two points of HP, two points of Atk, and one point of Spd for an offensive statline of 37/37 Atk/Spd. If you do decide to use a Forma Soul on her, consider the following builds and skills before you decide to pursue building her up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Spendthrift Bow+ / Candlewax Bow+ / Plegian Bow+ / Rein Bow+ / Coral Bow+ / Springy Bow+ / Firesweep Bow+ / Helm Bow+
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Deadeye / Ruptured Sky / Blue Flame
A-Passive: Atk/Spd Ideal 4 / Fury 4 / Life and Death 4 / Swift Sparrow 3 / Atk/Spd Solo 4 / Flashing Blade 4 / Blade Session / Atk/Spd Push 4 / Close Foil
B-Passive: Null Follow-Up / Special Spiral / Lull Spd/Def / Lull Atk/Def / Lull Atk/Spd / Desperation
C-Passive: Time’s Pulse / Joint Drive Atk / Joint Drive Spd
As a Bow unit, Soiree Nephenee has access to an assortment of viable weapons, which can be considered a good or bad thing, depending on how you want to look at it. Having access to all of these bows means that while she has plenty of options, she’ll have to settle for only one, outside of Candlewax Bow+ as that is in the Heroic Grails shop. As such, there isn’t necessarily a “best” bow option for her, but her weapon can be determined depending on the rest of the kit.
Her Special is flexible, but because she is a Bow unit, she might as well take Deadeye. Deadeye is a great option for her since she has the potential to trigger it every combat. Blue Flame and Ruptured Sky aren’t bad options either since they both score well, but Deadeye is much more preferred.
Any A Passive that increases her Atk and Spd, minus Flashing Blade 4, is a solid pick for her. Atk/Spd Ideal 4 is definitely one of the best options since it has the highest ceiling for Atk/Spd buffs. However, it isn’t the only good option. Fury 4 can pair well with Candlewax Bow+ as it can easily knock her into the Desperation range. Life and Death 4 is also a good option, especially if paired with Firesweep Bow+ since she won’t be take damage in the player phase, provided that the foe doesn’t have Null C-Disrupt. Other good options include Swift Sparrow 3, Atk/Spd Push 4, Blade Session, and Close Foil. That being said, I would only recommend Close Foil if she has Spendthrift Bow+ since her overall bulk is relatively low.
As an Infantry unit, Soiree Nephenee also has access to a variety of B Passives including Lulls, Null Follow-Up, and Special Spiral. Lulls are always a good go-to option since it can secure more KOs and Heavy/Flashing Blade checks. Null Follow-Up is also great for securing doubles, which in turn can lead to more KOs, especially if she can trigger Deadeye or some other hard-hitting Special. That being said, she can also run Special Spiral and spam 2 CD Specials or even Deadeye if she can double. Beyond that, Desperation is not a bad option if running Candlewax Bow+ with Fury 4, but I would highly recommend NOT choosing that in Hall of Forms since it’s easily available in the 3-4* pool.
Lastly, C Passives that increase Soiree Nephenee’s overall damage output are solid options for her. Time’s Pulse is one of the best options for her since it can allow her to trigger Deadeye every combat, provided that she has Heavy/Flashing Blade in her kit as well. Meanwhile, Joint Drive Atk can help out with dealing more damage and Joint Drive Spd can help out with securing doubles.
