Yarne

Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -RES

An offensively oriented build focusing solely on developing Yarne’s combat prowess in the Player Phase. A Speed Asset is ideal due to his reliance on follow-up attacks for his damage output though should it be unavailable, an Attack Asset makes for a worthwhile consideration as well.

Weapon: Bunny Fang

• In addition to granting him a passive +3 Speed and the ability to deal effective damage against cavalry foes, Yarne’s unique personal weapon, Bunny Fang, most notably carries a variation of the powerful Special Spiral skill and lowers the charge of his Special by two if his HP is less than 75% after combat. In practice, this essentially translates to a massive improvement to Yarne’s offensive potential, allowing him to rapidly unleash powerful Special activations against unsuspecting opponents under the proper conditions.

• Furthermore, it should be noted that Yarne will benefit his PRF’s effect so long as he reaches its prerequisite HP threshold, regardless of whether his Special activates before, during, or after combat. In other words, this means that unlike Special Spiral, Bunny Fang can actually be paired with Galeforce to devastating effect, making Yarne quite unique in this regard.

• As a beast weapon, Bunny Fang can provide Yarne with several unique bonuses, provided that he fulfills the conditions necessary in order to transform. Upon transformation, Yarne’s potency in the Player Phase is increased substantially through an appreciable +2 Attack boost as well as an additional increase to his damage output and raw survivability upon initiation.

Assist: Reposition / Flexible

Special:  Galeforce / Dragon Fang / Luna / Draconic Aura

• Yarne’s native Galeforce makes for a stellar choice of Special, increasing the range of his attacks as well as his overall maneuverability in the Player Phase considerably through the ability to take another turn after combat upon activation — and unlike other similar units, Yarne is unique in that he can forego the utilization of the Heavy Blade seal entirely thanks to Bunny Fang. Assuming that he is able to successfully reach its 75% HP threshold, Galeforce will be fully charged after any round of combat in which his opponent can counterattack and he himself performs a follow-up attack.

• However, should one wish to make use of a Special that actually deals damage, Yarne will have several options to choose from, all of which vary in effectiveness depending on the skills he is using and personal preference:

  • Dragon Fang is a particularly deadly option under the proper circumstances. Once Yarne drops down below 75% HP, Dragon Fang will essentially become a Special with a two-turn cooldown; when combined with Desperation and the Heavy Blade seal, this allows Yarne to obtain massive destructive potential as he will potentially be able to activate it in each round of combat before his opponent can even counterattack.

  • Do note that Dragon Fang can be still be used to great effect even without the aforementioned Desperation + Heavy Blade combination, but Yarne will consequently require that his opponent be able to counterattack in order to activate it in a single round of combat.

  • If making use of Desperation as his chosen B slot skill without the Heavy Blade seal, Specials with a three-turn cooldown (such as Luna and Draconic Aura) will be his best options as they will activate in each round of combat before his opponent can even react once Yarne loses enough HP.

Passive A: Atk/Spd Solo / Life and Death

• His native Atk/Spd Solo lends itself perfectly to this build’s intended playstyle and makes for his ideal choice of A slot skill; its substantial +6 in-combat boost to both of his offensive stats allows him to easily maximize his combat prowess without requiring prior set-up. Although it does come attached to a positioning requirement, this will typically prove to be inconsequential as Yarne will tend to be away from his allies when initiating combat regardless.

• Despite offering a lesser offensive boost than the aforementioned, Life and Death remains a formidable choice if utilizing Yarne alongside allies equipped with Wings of Mercy, with the reduction to his defensive stats actually being beneficial in setting up such strategies. That being said, do keep in mind that this will restrict Yarne quite severely in the sense that he will likely be unable to engage in further rounds of combat after the first if he is sufficiently injured, though this itself can be mitigated via the use of Desperation.

Passive B: Desperation / Escape Route / Chill Spd / Chill Def

• Desperation is a standard choice of B slot skill for most offensively oriented units such as Yarne — and for good reason. This enables him to consistently engage in extended rounds of combat regardless of how much damage he may have incurred, though it should be noted that utilizing Desperation with Galeforce can potentially result in Yarne failing to activate it should he KO his foe before they can perform a counterattack

• Yarne’s native Escape Route is a surprisingly effective alternative that serves to bolster his maneuverability. This provides him with some much-needed defensive options and increases his likelihood of being able to escape his opponent’s reach after activating Galeforce if necessary.

• Chill Spd and Chill Def are both fantastic options as well that similarly enhance Yarne’s offensive presence, allowing him to more easily perform follow-up attacks against opposing speedsters and increase his damage output further respectively through their debilitating debuffs.

Passive C: Odd Spd Wave / Def Smoke / Cavalry Buffs / Beast Buffs / Flexible

• Yarne has no attachment to any particular C slot skill, so feel free to use any skill that most greatly complements his chosen team composition. Nonetheless, there still remain a few standout candidates, most notable of which being Odd Spd Wave and Def Smoke. Odd Spd Wave enables the young Taguel to be much more self-sufficient overall, whereas Def Smoke has especially formidable synergy with Galeforce and allows him to neutralize multiple threats in the same turn with greater ease.

• If using him alongside other cavalry or beast allies, class-exclusive buffs like Hone Cavalry and Hone Beasts are wonderful choices.

Sacred Seal: Darting Blow / Heavy Blade / Brazen Atk/Spd / Brazen Atk/Def

• The Darting Blow seal is a phenomenal choice to build upon Yarne’s proficiency at performing and securing follow-up attacks, granting him an excellent +6 in-combat Speed boost upon initiating combat.

• The Heavy Blade seal can also be considered to impart Yarne with the ability to more reliably break through the effects of skills like Guard and capitalize on the Special-accelerating properties of Bunny Fang. Specifically, the Heavy Blade seal pairs exceptionally well with Desperation, allowing him to consistently activate Specials with longer cooldowns in each round of combat for increased damage output.

• Lastly, the Brazen Atk/Spd and Brazen Atk/Def seals are worthwhile options to consider due to the similarity between their activation requirements and Bunny Fang’s, maximizing his potency at low health. This does have one notable drawback

Preferred IV: +ATK / -RES or -HP

Although Yarne’s base kit, statline, and inherent strengths as a cavalry beast unit do strongly encourage him to focus strictly on maximizing his offensive potential in the Player Phase, Yarne is more than capable of utilizing a defensively oriented build such as this one to surprisingly good effect. This is in large part due to the fact that Yarne’s ability to benefit from Bunny Fang’s -2 Special charge is contingent upon solely whether or not he meets its prerequisite HP threshold after combat — regardless of who initiates combat. An Attack Asset is ideal here to let him more reliably secure OHKOs against incoming opponents.

Weapon: Bunny Fang

Assist: Reposition / Flexible

Special: Moonbow / Glimmer

• When used in tandem with Bunny Fang, Specials that carry a two-turn cooldown will always be instantly charged once Yarne drops down below his PRF’s HP threshold; this makes such Specials his most consistent and ideal options given this build’s intended playstyle. Of the two available, Moonbow is more consistent, however, depending on how much support is given to his Attack stat, it remains entirely possible to elevate Yarne’s damage output to a high enough level such that Glimmer is preferred. Accordingly, his choice of Special will be highly dependent upon personal preference.

Passive A: Distant Counter / Atk/Spd Solo

• Distant Counter is a phenomenal skill that serves to bolster Yarne’s versatility tremendously. Combined with Bunny Fang and Vantage, this skill capacitates Yarne to function as a powerful check to melee and ranged foes alike and hit them with the full force of his Special before they can even land their first attack.

  • However, taking Distant Counter as his chosen A slot skill instead of a stat-boosting skill can render Yarne’s raw power slightly lacking. Accordingly, it is highly crucial that he is able to receive a sufficient amount of support to his Attack stat in order to circumvent this as much as possible.

• In exchange for sacrificing coverage against ranged opponents, Yarne’s native Atk/Spd Solo can be taken to improve his match-ups against fellow melee units, though consistently maintaining it active may prove somewhat difficult depending on one’s personal playstyle.

Passive B: Vantage

• Vantage composes an irreplaceable component of this build, pairing beautifully with the effects of Bunny Fang to transform Yarne into a competent defensive nuke. Upon reaching its HP threshold, Vantage can allow Yarne to potentially take down multiple foes in one fell blow, all the while remaining entirely unscathed.

Passive C: Def Smoke / Even Atk Wave / Savage Blow / Cavalry Buffs / Beast Buffs / Flexible

• Def Smoke and Even Atk Wave are both exceptional choices for Yarne’s C slot, both of which serve to make him less reliant on team support to function properly and heighten his raw damage output. Alternatively, Savage Blow can be considered to similarly strengthen his proficiency at taking down multiple foes in one sitting, doing so by directly diminishing the amount of health that  incoming foes possess.

• Otherwise, feel free to make use of any C slot skill that best compliments his chosen team composition. If using him alongside other cavalry or beast allies, class-exclusive buffs like Hone Cavalry and Hone Beasts are once again standout choices.

Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse / Quick Riposte / Brazen Atk/Def / Brazen Atk/Spd / Fierce Stance

• Yarne most greatly covets the Quickened Pulse seal for the purposes of this build; lowering the charge of his Special by one at the start of the first turn can improve the quality of his first match-up massively, letting him have his Special locked and loaded for his first counterattack in the Enemy Phase.

• The Quick Riposte seal is a decent alternative option that helps solidify Yarne’s match-ups against bulky foes who may require more than a single hit to be effectively taken down.

• Should neither of the aforementioned seals be available, the Brazen Atk/Def, Brazen Atk/Spd, and Fierce Stance seals make for acceptable substitutes to bolster his damage output in the Enemy Phase further.