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New Year Askr

Analysis by lordhelpme
New Year Askr - Renewed Gods

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
177
HP 40
ATK 42
SPD 16
DEF 42
RES 37

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 17 8 2 11 8
Middle 18 9 3 12 9
High 19 10 4 13 10

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 36 38 12 39 34
Middle 40 42 16 42 37
High 43 45 19 46 40

IV Sets

Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible.
Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase.
Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature.
HPATKSPDDEFRES

Skill Sets

🦇: STOP calling me poggers (Defensive Wall)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Duality Vessel A Def/Res Finish 4
Alternate: Close Reversal
Positional Assist B Atk/Res Tempo 3
Bonfire
Alternate: Ignis
C Opened Domain
IVs

+ATK or +DEF or +RES

SAtk/Def Form 3
Alternate: Sturdy Stance 2

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Duality Vessel

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Ignis 

Passive A: Def/Res Finish / Close Reversal / Unity Skills / Distant Def 

Passive B: Atk/Res Tempo 

Passive C: Opened Domain

Sacred Seal: Atk/Def Form / Stance Skills / Mystic Boost 

  • With multifold defensive mechanics built into his Duality Vessel and an optimized statline, New Year Askr can double down on his inherent benefits to function as a pretty consistent tank. Depending on personal preference, he can be built as an all-purpose wall or a ranged specialist depending on whether Near Save support is available, though both options will be highlighted below. Regardless, a +ATK IV or an Asset to either of Askr’s defensive stats is recommended.
    • If you do have Near Save support, it’s highly advised to have him act as a ranged specialist to utilize a standard A skill for more stats and effects. However, if you plan to use him during Light Season, utilizing the ranged specialist approach becomes more unreliable due to the presence of Embla’s Severance skill (which highly inhibits the use of Save units).
    • …Which is a long-winded way of saying: Askr’s best build when it comes to tanking is very dependent on context, so switching out skills every now and then will be required.
  • Regardless of the route chosen, Askr’s B skill options remain the same. His default Atk/Res Tempo is quite solid as it ensures his damage output by negating all Guard effects while preventing foes from leveraging accelerated cooldown, making it a balanced choice.
  • The same applies to his Special and Sacred Seal; his options don’t really change across both types of tanking. For his Special, given how much bulk Askr can obtain through his weapon and skills alone, a pure damage-dealing Special is likely better than one that heals  to ensure kills more consistently. Bonfire is a good self-sufficient choice that can trigger on Askr’s first counterattack thanks to Duality Vessel’s Slaying effect + Opened Domain’s Time’s Pulse effect, though Ignis may be considered if Breath support is given. Any Sacred Seal that enhances his key stats is recommended, though Mystic Boost may be considered for more defensive utility.
  • In all honesty, the biggest difference between all-purpose and ranged tanking builds comes down to Askr’s A skill. 
    • For those comfortable with leaving his allies to take care of melee combat (meaning he’ll be acting as a ranged specialist), the god is free to equip any A skill that elevates his key stats. 
      • His default Def/Res Finish is especially strong as it supplements high stat boosts with bonus damage and healing upon Special triggers, but Distant Def and Unity skills may be considered to nullify enemy buffs and obtain potentially greater stat boosts respectively.  
  • For those seeking to have New Year Askr function as the main defensive carry (as an all-purpose tank), an A skill that enables counterattacks becomes non-negotiable to ensure he can actually do something against any incoming melee threats. Close Reversal is ideal among those available, but regular Close Counter can work just as well.
    • Since this comes at a pretty steep cost to how many stats Askr can obtain otherwise, providing him with the proper support becomes all the more necessary with this approach.

🐮: no… no, I don’t think I will :) (Support Focus)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Duality Vessel A HP/Def 2
Alternate: Still Water 4
Positional Assist B Even Pulse Tie 3
Alternate: Sabotage Atk 3
Bonfire
Alternate: Ignis
C Opened Domain
IVs

+HP or +RES or Any

SHP +5
Alternate: Phantom Res 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Duality Vessel

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Ignis

Passive A: HP/Def 2 / Still Water / C Duel Infantry 4 / Fury

Passive B: Even Pulse Tie / Sabotage Skills / Sudden Panic

Passive C: Opened Domain 

Sacred Seal: HP +5 / HP/Def 2 / Fort. Def/Res / Fortress Res / Phantom Res

  • Alternatively, New Year Askr can lean entirely into a supportive role (and function pretty well within this niche), despite the combat focus of his PRF. This is due to a few reasons:
    • Opened Domain alone provides an excellent starting point through its steady stream of buffs: the Spectrum +4 in-combat boost and one-time Impact effects granted by his dual【Resonance】buffs are universally appreciated, and the no-frills, flat Special charge it provides lends well to teams centered around Special triggers (such as Galeforce compositions). 
    • Coupled with the bonus Special charge and visible Spectrum +6 buff granted via his Duo Skill, Askr can act as a surprisingly competent battery for his whole team.
    • Additionally, unlike his base version, New Year Askr can actually benefit from Blessings to inflate his initial statline to a greater extent. This matters because…
  • …This build aims to develop this supportive quality by simply stacking further support tools, specifically those that utilize either his HP or Res to wield skills that scale off them that debilitate opposing enemies. Now that he can receive Blessings, it’s much easier to actually succeed in these checks, especially where HP is concerned. The choice of which route to go is entirely up to personal preference, though stacking HP is generally more potent. 
  • Askr’s A skill and Sacred Seal choices are fairly simple, as anything that enhances his visible HP or Res (again depending on which route you’re taking) is fair game. It’s worth noting that C Duel Infantry 4, however, is only really recommended because of the overall visible stat boost it grants — not for its boost to scoring potential, as this doesn’t come into play because of his Duo Hero benefits.
  • For his B slot, his most potent HP-based option is undoubtedly Even Pulse Tie for its ability to neutralize threats wielding instant (or decently-charged), though Sudden Panic is also pretty nifty to exploit teams that attempt using visible buffs. On the Res-stacking side, Askr’s choices largely come down to your personal choice of Sabotage to inflict mapwide debuffs upon succeeding the check.

the gym chad bf + goth girl gf archetype is pretty neat. (Offensive Nuke)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Duality Vessel A Atk/Def Ideal 4
Alternate: Def/Res Finish 4
Positional Assist B Special Spiral 4
Alternate: Atk/Res Tempo 3
Bonfire
Alternate: Ignis
C Opened Domain
IVs

+ATK

SQuickened Pulse
Alternate: Sturdy Blow 2

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Duality Vessel

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Ignis

Passive A: Atk/Def Ideal / Atk/Res Finish / Def/Res Finish / Still Water

Passive B: Special Spiral 4 / Atk/Res Tempo

Passive C: Opened Domain 

Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse / Sturdy Blow / Atk/Def Form / Atk/Def Solo / Null Follow-Up

  • Adopting an entirely aggressive approach to Askr’s playstyle is also an option for him, as he can quickly access his Special through Opened Domain — backed by the power of his gargantuan Atk and guaranteed follow-up from Duality Vessel. While his defensive tools don’t shine as brightly in this context, they’re still plenty helpful in making Askr’s initiations incredibly safe compared to other nukes. It’s also worth considering that his Duo status allows him to enable the Duo’s Hindrance structure in Aether Raids Defense teams; coupled with Opened Domain’s useful buffs, he can pack surprising value.
  • Atk/Def Ideal is a fantastic A skill for the high value boosts it provides to his preferred stats. While Atk/Def Finish would be a little better for bonus true damage and healing, it currently doesn’t exist (at the time of writing) so Atk/Res Finish and his default Def/Res Finish are potential options if you want those benefits. 
    • Lastly, Still Water makes for a compelling choice if specifically seeking to use New Year Askr in Defense teams during Astra / Anima Season; this skill boosts his raw Atk, but more notably allows him to potentially avoid Elimine’s 【False Start】debuff to trigger Opened Domain.
  • Special Spiral 4 is largely recommended for its ability to pierce through damage reduction effects for maximum firepower, pairing well with Bonfire (which he can interestingly charge fully by himself with Quickened Pulse) for constant Special triggers. However, given its scarcity, Askr’s default Atk/Res Tempo remains a perfectly strong skill to break through Guard effects. 
  • As mentioned, the Quickened Pulse Sacred Seal is a strong contender when using Bonfire, as this skill + Opened Domain fully charges the Special for an immediate trigger on Askr’s first initiation. Outside of this, Null Follow-Up is excellent to ensure he doesn’t have to worry about winning natural Spd contests against foes with innate follow-up denial effects, or any standard stat-boosting Seal can work.

Strengths

Excellent Defensive Performance

Similarly to his original Mythic version, New Year Askr excels at tanking damage to a pretty staggering degree.

This is primarily owed to the damage reduction mechanics of his Duality Vessel, combining the likes of true damage reduction during combat (meaning it defends against enemy skill like Deadeye as it is a flat number that won’t change) and potentially unlimited, non-percentage based mitigation against AoE Special triggers. Together, these effects form a sturdy shield against incoming enemy forces — supplemented by the fact that Askr’s defensive statline of 42/37 is already quite excellent. The final cherry-on-top lies in Duality Vessel’s constant Guard effect, helping indirectly mitigate damage by preventing foes from exploiting Askr’s low Spd to quickly trigger their Specials. 

Unique Special Cooldown Support (and More)

New Year Askr also bears worthwhile support potential, largely by merit of another element he borrows from his base version: his exclusive C skill, Opened Domain

It’s exactly the same as seen before (and every bit as good), offering nearby allies a good helping of stats for free and one-time-use Impact effect by pairing both sets of unique【Resonance】buff. Most notably, though, Opened Domain also applies a neat Time’s Pulse effect to those allies; this is a flat Special charge that requires minimal effort to trigger, making Askr a fantastic asset in teams reliant on Special triggers such as Galeforce compositions.

While this skill is available on his base version as well, the fact that New Year Askr is a regular summonable seasonal helps expand his potential utility as 1) he can now receive Blessings to bloat his HP for further support via skills like Even Pulse Tie and 2) his benefits can be employed in Astra Season and Defense teams without detriment. Additionally, New Year Askr has a Duo Skill that grants another Special charge (on top of a visible Spectrum +6 buff) to nearby allies, helping him snowball his team’s damage and Special triggers even further.

Pretty Consistent Damage

While his tanking ability definitely stands at the forefront of his combat prowess, New Year Askr isn’t slacking in the damage department either. His 42 base Atk alone makes him an innate hard hitter, and this is only sharpened by Duality Vessel’s guaranteed follow-up, Spectrum +5, and Slaying effects. Additionally, it's worth mentioning that both Opened Domain and his Duo Skill apply their buffs to Askr himself, pushing his damage potential notably in the player’s hands by granting him two Special charges and a boatload of stats for pretty much free.

Duo Hero Benefits

As mentioned, New Year Askr has the notable benefit of carrying a Duo Skill thanks to Embla’s companionship, with his Skill being pretty strong despite its simplicity: gaining flat charges is usually somewhat of an ordeal, so having on-demand access to two when paired with Opened Domain is extremely nice. The advantages of being a Duo Hero don't end there, though, as Askr also receives boosted scoring potential in Colosseum modes and the crucial ability to enable specific structures in Aether Raids. 

Colorless Infantry Benefits

The finishing touch on Askr’s basket of goodies lies in the versatility he achieves by being both colorless and an infantry unit; access to an abundance of relevant class-exclusive skills like Def/Res Finish, Special Spiral, and Even Pulse Tie coupled with the benefit of neutral match-ups across the board make the god quite malleable.

Weaknesses

Extremely, Devastatingly Slow

With highly invested Atk, Def, and Res stats (and slightly less BST to work with than before), it shouldn't come at too much of a shock to see that New Year Askr’s Spd is absolutely horrible. A measly base value of 16 makes Askr one of the slowest units in the entire game, as well as extremely dependent on the Impact effect from Opened Domain and the automatic follow-up from Duality Vessel to both avoid and perform doubles.

However, at a time where many meta relevant threats have a means of forcing natural Spd contests, being so reliant on skills for this is far from ideal, though his multiple defensive tools do help make up the difference to keep him from taking too much damage. 

Duo’s Hindrance

New Year Askr's Duo Skill presents great potential benefits in the universal Special charge it can geant nearby allies, but relying on it for Aether Raids Offense strategies is a bit finicky due to how common the Duo’s Hindrance structure is on Defense maps. This prevents them from using it until either the structure is destroyed or the Duo Hero(es) on the opposing team are defeated, but their Duo Skill is unlikely to be needed by the time this is accomplished. 

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Stone
Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Colorless Tome Only
50 2 4
Elstone
Learns by default at 2 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Colorless Tome Only
100 2 6
Atlas (Weapon)
Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Colorless Tome Only
200 2 9
Duality Vessel

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1).

If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 to unit during combat, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack, inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack (only highest value applied; does not stack), reduces damage from foe's attacks during combat by 20% of unit's Def (excluding area-of-effect Specials), and also, if unit's Def > foe's Def, reduces damage from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by difference between stats × 1.5.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 2 14
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Glowing Ember

Boosts damage dealt by 50% of unit's Def.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
100 4
Bonfire

Boosts damage dealt by 50% of unit's Def.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 3

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Def/Res Finish 1

If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Def/Res+2 to unit during combat, and also, if unit's Special is ready or unit's Special triggered before or during this combat, deals +1 damage during combat. (Except when dealing damage with area-of-effect Specials.)

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 2 ★
60
A
Def/Res Finish 2

If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Def/Res+4 to unit during combat, and also, if unit's Special is ready or unit's Special triggered before or during this combat, deals +3 damage during combat. (Except when dealing damage with area-of-effect Specials.)

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 3 ★
120
A
Def/Res Finish 3

If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Def/Res+6 to unit during combat, and also, if unit's Special is ready or unit's Special triggered before or during this combat, deals +5 damage during combat. (Except when dealing damage with area-of-effect Specials.)

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
A
Def/Res Finish 4

If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Def/Res+7 to unit during combat, and also, if unit's Special is ready or unit's Special triggered before or during this combat, deals +5 damage during combat (except when dealing damage with area-of-effect Specials), and when unit deals damage to foe during combat, restores 7 HP to unit. (Triggers even if 0 damage is dealt.)

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
Atk/Res Tempo 1

Inflicts Atk/Res-1 on foe and neutralizes effects that grant "Special cooldown charge +X" to foe or inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit during combat.

Excludes Armor, Cavalry, and Flying
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
B
Atk/Res Tempo 2

Inflicts Atk/Res-2 on foe and neutralizes effects that grant "Special cooldown charge +X" to foe or inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit during combat.

Excludes Armor, Cavalry, and Flying
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
B
Atk/Res Tempo 3

Inflicts Atk/Res-3 on foe and neutralizes effects that grant "Special cooldown charge +X" to foe or inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit during combat.

Excludes Armor, Cavalry, and Flying
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
B
Opened Domain

At start of turn, if unit is within 2 spaces of any allies from a different title than unit, grants 【Resonance: Blades】and【Resonance: Shields】to unit and all allies within 2 spaces of unit, and also, if unit or any of those allies has their Special cooldown count at its maximum value, grants Special cooldown count-1 to them. 

【Resonance: Blades】

Grants Atk/Spd+4 during combat for 1 turn. 

【Resonance: Shields】

Grants Def/Res+4 during combat and the following effect for 1 turn: "During unit's first combat in player phase or enemy phase, foe cannot make a follow-up attack."

Non-Inheritable skill.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Heroes

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