Norne

Weapon: Spendthrift Bow+ (+SPD or +RES) 

Assist: Positional Assist 

Special: Noontime

Passive A: Close Foil / Close Counter 

Passive B: Null Follow-Up / Lull Atk/Spd / Null C-Disrupt

Passive C: Pulse Smoke / Atk Smoke 

Sacred Seal: Spd/Res Solo

• Norne’s well-balanced statline allows her to be a very threatening superunit in Aether Raids Offense. She is potentially able to score consistent ORKOs, maintain sustainability with Noontime, and survive several attacks in one Enemy Phase.
• Spendthrift Bow is vital for this set, as it effectively grants +7 Atk/Def/Res to Norne during combat. The +7 Def/Res help significantly with survival, and the +7 Attack can help Norne score close KOs (preventing enemies that survive from infiltrating the backline or KOing Norne in their next attack) and make the most of Noontime’s healing. The post-combat infliction of +2 Special cooldown is commonly counteracted through Brave Lucina and her Geirskogul (+Eff), as Norne will be able to activate Noontime on her first counterattack if no Guard effect is present anyways.
• Not only can Close Foil be inherited with Spendthrift Bow from Midori, but Close Foil is also Norne’s best A slot, allowing Norne to counterattack and gain +5 Atk/Def during combat against all physical initiators. While this does prevent Norne from counterattacking against Dragons, they are exceedingly uncommon aside from Sothis and Duma, both of whom can usually be dealt with by a different unit. The combination of Spendthrift Bow, Close Foil, and Spd/Res Solo effectively grant Norne +12 Attack, +6 Speed, +12 Defense, and +13 Resistance during combat.
• Null Follow-Up is chosen for Norne’s B slot, as effects that prevent Norne’s follow-up attack and/or guarantee the enemy’s can make it significantly more difficult to KO and avoid KOs. Lull Atk/Spd’s nullification of visible Atk/Spd buffs and infliction of -3 Atk/Spd is another great choice for boosting Norne’s bulk. For dealing with Dazzling Staff and Firesweep weapons, Null C-Disrupt can be chosen.
• Whether Pulse Smoke or Atk Smoke is chosen depends on whether the player prioritizes specialization or consistency. Pulse Smoke is only particularly useful against Infantry Pulse Aether Raids Defense teams that rely on Specials, whereas Atk Smoke is useful against all teams and in all modes.

Weapon: Budding Bow+ (+SPD)

Assist: No Assist / Positional Assist 

Special: Deadeye 

Passive A: Swift Sparrow (2 or 3) / Atk/Spd Push 4

Passive B: Lull Spd/Def / Lull Atk/Def

Passive C: Time’s Pulse / Joint Drive Atk 

Sacred Seal: Hardy Bearing / Quickened Pulse

• With balanced stats and an array of skills at her disposal, Norne can be a great Aether Raids Defense nuke that, unlike other nukes, is very difficult to ORKO. This set focuses on ORKOing with a charged Special (Deadeye, which is chosen because of its damage reduction negation) by stacking Atk/Spd and survival via Budding Bow (grants Atk/Def +4 on initiation and prevents the enemy from performing a follow-up attack).
• To achieve this charged Deadeye, Norne will need a combination of Time’s Pulse, Quickened Pulse, and/or Infantry Pulse from allies. Ideally, Norne has at least her Sacred Seal slot open for Hardy Bearing, allowing her to bypass Vantage, which is commonly used on frailer Offense units that aim for OHKOing enemies before they can attack.
• Whether or not Norne runs an Assist is dependent on whether the player wants Norne to receive a refresh.
  • Generally, the order in which the AI moves units is as follows: melee units without Assists -> ranged units without Assists -> melee units with Assists -> ranged units with Assists.
  • Since refreshes such as Sing and Dance are Assists, if Norne doesn’t have an Assist, she will move before refreshers, allowing her to be refreshed. This can be done if players believe Norne is the top priority to get refreshed.
  • If Norne does not have an assist, she will move after refreshers, so she will not consume a refresh. This can be done if players believe there is a unit that should be prioritized for refreshing over Norne.
• Norne’s A and B slots are dedicated to ensuring maximum damage output. Swift Sparrow and Atk/Spd Push 4 significantly bolster Norne’s offenses, making them great choices for scoring ORKOs. Lull Spd/Def and Lull Atk/Def inflict -3 to the enemy’s respective stats during combat and nullifies their visible buffs to these stats, ensuring higher damage and/or survivability.