True Core Mask Revamped: Who to Get?

With the numerous meta changes since the creation of the original guide, we restructured it to reflect the current, and to some extent, future meta changes, as well as consolidating the information so Commanders can be informed in a quicker way

A True Core Mask is an item available in limited events (majorly in Major Story Events such as Isomer, Shattered Connexion, among others, and Anniversary Event).

It's an item that allow Commanders to trade it for any 5 star T-Dolls available in the Production pool. That means that, no, you can't use it acquire a Kord, but you can use it to acquire a Carcano M91/38 "Grape".

Once Commanders acquire this item, they can trade it for one 5 star T-Doll in the Event Shop

This wonderful item allows for the selection of a single production 5★ T-Doll to add to your armory, including Heavy Production-exclusive SGs. This is exactly as amazing as it sounds, as it allows any commander who simply clears the current Major Event or logs in during Anniversary to bypass all the production RNG and get the T-Doll they want guaranteed, which is something that you’d have to pay money for in many other gacha games.

With well over two dozen 5★ Dolls currently in the pool, the question of what to spend this amazing item on remains ever-shifting. This guide is intended to help make that choice easier for players. 

Ceia's comment on TCM, while old, is a short, accurate take on how to handle using a TCM (the SG was redacted to avoid confusion, as she is no longer top of her class).

IN SHORT:

DON'T USE YOUR TRUE CORE MASK BEFORE ANNIVERSARY'S GENERAL RATE-UP IS OVER

In more details: it's not rare that Commanders TCM the T-Doll they want/need, only to acquire her on the Rate Up a few days later, thus wasting a precious opportunity that is TCMing a T-Doll to bypass the mockery of RNGesus. Because of that, only when Normal T-Doll Production, and Heavy T-Doll Production rate ups are over that Commanders should spend their TCM.

In short:

Frankly, nobody cares about your "flex" icon.

In more details: the icon's only purpose is that, "flexing". It's also available in the Friend's Shop when the next Anniversary rolls around, or technically it should be, as that's the case in foreign servers but for some reason it's not in EN. Maybe Mica's EN staff really cares about the TCM Icon flex status.

With so many T-Dolls, and their skins, available as icons, there are a thousand better ways to "flex" over other Commanders (like L2Ds or Commander costumes) than an icon that's barely indistinguishable between its variants (Story Events and past Anniversaries).

Moreover, who knows, there might be a day where Mica finally release those in the Friend's shop, just like it was supposed to happen. Would you use a rare consumable in such a gamble?

Also, you can acquire another LTLX dupe, because there are never enough LTLX dupes.

In short:

Only use a True Core Mask to dupe a T-Doll if a) you already have all other 5 star T-Dolls or b) you only care about Meta and don't have enough dupes.

First and foremost, let's break down which classes are worth looking at:

• SGs: The real creme de la creme for TCM, this is usually the best class to use the TCM on, due to the heavy resource consumption it has. Also has several Meta units in it
• RFs: There are a few RFs here, most notably Grape (Carcano M91/38) and SCAR-H. Grape is amazing for earlier content before Mica started giving every enemy an Elite tag, and SCAR-H combined with her sister SCAR-L make for an incredibly powerful combo.
• MGs: Not quite as expensive as SGs, but still an expensive class due to its high Parts consumption it's also an option for TCMs. There are however almost no meta options here, with MG4 being farmable in 13-4e this is not recommended.
• ARs: There are a few strong AR mods out there, but the main star here would be SCAR-L, though you do need both of them so a TCM will only get you the missing one.
• SMGs: There aren't many options for strong SMGs, but Suomi is highly recommended if you do not have her already. Her Mod is a powerhouse.

Below we'll have a look into each class, as well as the top recommendations in it.

Yes, we know, a fair majority play this came casually, and so their units are also casually picked.

For True Core Mask, there's no big issue in using it to TCM your one true waifu, as long as you're aware of the consequences of picking her over a more optimal T-Doll. As Soul perfectly said:

As the meta is ever-changing and there are rarely too many dolls of each type recommended here, we'll instead list the most recommended options here and then add a list of class-specific options further below.

1.

The SG that dethroned all other SGs when she was released, LTLX is epitome of all SGs. Sporting very high base armor, a 5s ICD Skill with guaranteed knockback, and buff removal, including shields, on top of a passive damage reduction buff, makes her the top pick for any Commander even remotely interested in Meta, or in having an easier time dealing with almost any enemy that can be armor tanked or just need to cleanse enemies.

2.

Carcano M91/38 nicknamed "Grape" has become the pinnacle of bamboo RFs ever since she was released and she still remains the primary solution to almost all problems while clearing story chapters 11-13 and clearing Campaigns.

"But she is an RF! She is relatively cheap to produce, so why should I spend a TCM on her?"

The answer is surprisingly simple:

She is just that overpowered and convenient to use.

With enemy HP continuously ballooning since Singularity, there are many non-Elite enemies that are annoying to eliminate with standard RFHGs but Grape makes short work of: Gladiators, Doppelsoldners, Minotaurs, and so on. Her nuke comes in clutch in many difficult fights, rendering them mere walks in the park, and can be immensely useful even for casual Commanders who just want to reach the end of the event. Just make note that she does not work against Elites.

3.

Suomi Mod (and take note that only Mod is considered here) is absolutely amazing, combining massive HP shields with evasion on top of continously cleansing debuffs during her uptime. Any enemies that do not explicitly require Armor tanking or flat out cannot be tanked (like Hydras) will be easily tanked by Suomod.

4.

The SCAR twins are some of the strongest Damage Dealers available in GFL when paired together, with SCAR-L functioning as the main Damage Dealer and SCAR-H primarily functioning as an enabler.

Take note that you need BOTH OF THEM for this to work it's magic. As such this recommendation is for getting whichever one of them you are missing.

5.

The "SG Grape", FO-12 is an SG that functions quite similarly to the beloved RF thanks to her one-shot nuke. With more recent enemy formations commonly featuring dangerous enemies with high Damage stats like Quills of Patmos, FO-12 can be a very powerful option to delete the target before they can become a threat.

An often overlooked part of FO-12’s kit in favor of her execution, her increased knockback chance when used with another SG is also very helpful. FO-12’s KB spam is remarkably consistent, and combined with birdshot she can prevent large groups of enemies from getting attacks in when combined with other CC methods.

An example by BLT shilling insane FO-12 RNG.

6.

DP-12 comes with built-in HP shields and is overall a pretty safe SG to use if you need a SG. She will also get a Mod in the future that pushes her to being one of the best SGs in the game.

7.

SPAS-15 can provide different buffs to her MGSG team depending on the exact dolls in the echelon. On top of the unique Cooldown Reduction tiles, her skill's massive Ammo or Armor and HP shield buffs are extremely powerful for certain niche situations. However, outside of these scenarios, SPAS-15 can easily be replaced with other more universal options like LTLX. Also note that MGSG echelons are still not recommended for general content unless you really need Armor tanking.

The SG that dethroned all other SGs when she was released, LTLX is epitome of all SGs. Sporting very high base armor, a 5s ICD Skill with guaranteed knockback, and buff removal, including shields, on top of a passive damage reduction buff, makes her the top pick for any Commander even remotely interested in Meta, or in having an easier time dealing with almost any enemy that can be armor tanked or just need to cleanse enemies.

The "SG Grape", FO-12 is an SG that functions quite similarly to the beloved RF thanks to her one-shot nuke. With more recent enemy formations commonly featuring dangerous enemies with high Damage stats like Quills of Patmos, FO-12 can be a very powerful option to delete the target before they can become a threat.

An often overlooked part of FO-12’s kit in favor of her execution, her increased knockback chance when used with another SG is also very helpful. FO-12’s KB spam is remarkably consistent, and combined with birdshot she can prevent large groups of enemies from getting attacks in when combined with other CC methods.

An example by BLT shilling insane FO-12 RNG.

DP-12 comes with built-in HP shields and is overall a pretty safe SG to use if you need a SG. She will also get a Mod in the future that pushes her to being one of the best SGs in the game.

SPAS-15 can provide different buffs to her MGSG team depending on the exact dolls in the echelon. On top of the unique Cooldown Reduction tiles, her skill's massive Ammo or Armor and HP shield buffs are extremely powerful for certain niche situations. However, outside of these scenarios, SPAS-15 can easily be replaced with other more universal options like LTLX. Also note that MGSG echelons are still not recommended for general content unless you really need Armor tanking.

Carcano M91/38 nicknamed "Grape" has become the pinnacle of bamboo RFs ever since she was released and she still remains the primary solution to almost all problems while clearing story chapters 11-13 and clearing Campaigns.

"But she is an RF! She is relatively cheap to produce, so why should I spend a TCM on her?"

The answer is surprisingly simple:

She is just that overpowered and convenient to use.

With enemy HP continuously ballooning since Singularity, there are many non-Elite enemies that are annoying to eliminate with standard RFHGs but Grape makes short work of: Gladiators, Doppelsoldners, Minotaurs, and so on. Her nuke comes in clutch in many difficult fights, rendering them mere walks in the park, and can be immensely useful even for casual Commanders who just want to reach the end of the event. Just make note that she does not work against Elites.

The SCAR twins are some of the strongest Damage Dealers available in GFL when paired together, with SCAR-L functioning as the main Damage Dealer and SCAR-H primarily functioning as an enabler.

Take note that you need BOTH OF THEM for this to work it's magic. As such this recommendation is for getting whichever one of them you are missing.

Kar has a rather amazing Mod, filling the gap where key Elite targets cannot be swiftly eliminated by Grape. She does require a lot more setup than Grape to do her job well against high-HP enemies however, such as a 5☆ Fairy and Mod III.

The MG class is an odd one, in that that they're fit and not fit for TCMs at the same time.

Armor stacking is occasionally a useful niche, but most of the absolutely strongest MGs are not available in the TCM leaving this section rather bare.

MG4 is excluded because she can easily be farmed in 13-4e.

Not to be confused with RPK-16, RPK-203 can switch between two modes: Continuous Mode and Burst Mode.

Her shining moment is her Continuous Mode, where she just never stops shooting. On top of that, she also spawns a Taunt fairy-esque teddybear, where it soaks up some damage that would be otherwise directed at the SG.

RF/SMG/AR crafting all have roughly equal resource investment. If you have made it to this point without finding a Doll you need or want, what to pick depends on what holes you have in your armory, so you can patch up your Roster. 

SMGs in general are not used too often with only a few very specific options remaining relevant.

Suomi Mod (and take note that only Mod is considered here) is absolutely amazing, combining massive HP shields with evasion on top of continously cleansing debuffs during her uptime. Any enemies that do not explicitly require Armor tanking or flat out cannot be tanked (like Hydras) will be easily tanked by Suomod.

If you have all the SGs you want and all the other recommendations above, don't care to dupe something there and still don't have G36c and you want to Mod her, then she is a decent option.

ARs are fairly cheap to craft, and while the crafting pool is getting more and more diluted every time they add more ARs, there are very few options to consider here.

The SCAR twins are some of the strongest Damage Dealers available in GFL when paired together, with SCAR-L functioning as the main Damage Dealer and SCAR-H primarily functioning as an enabler.

Take note that you need BOTH OF THEM for this to work it's magic. As such this recommendation is for getting whichever one of them you are missing.

AK-15 Mod revolves around that new Skill 2. Basically, whenever she uses her Skill 1 vs. 6+ enemies or whenever she loses a dummy link, AK-15 Mod deletes the enemy with the highest Damage stat. On top of having a decent (albeit RNG) generalist DPS skill, she now is also a priority target assassin. “AR Grape” is one nickname she gets for this.

If you have reached this far and still don't know what to pick, there is only really one HG that even comes close to being worth using your TCM on.