Introduction
Back to back banners is always a lot of work! I actually forgot to write this intro as part of my draft since there's just so much! Ahh well, pretend I said something clever here. I'm personally pretty excited for this patch though, so I don't mind the short turnover!
April 27th edit: Bassline's grade were accidentally higher than intended. They were meant to be the same as Nearl1's grades, but I accidentally referred to an old copy of the guide. The assessment remains the same, however.
This article specifically covers the new units from the Zwillingstürme im Herbst event, You can find the full version of the guide here, or on the banner below which covers all of the other noteworthy Masteries in the game
FAQ and Banner Discussion
Q: Should You pull?
A: Probably yes. Virtuosa is very good and unique, not to mention limited, although she does have some drawbacks and Viviana brings the banner value down. Check out my article below for the full write up as well as non-Mastery specific summaries of the units.
Q: Where are the questions regarding if the new units are good?
A: To avoid repeating myself and giving myself more work, you can find general overviews of all operators (including the non-banner ones) over in the "Should You Pull" article. I know the setup isn't ideal, but it's exhausting writing so many different summaries. I think it's also a net good thing, since I can go into more detail than this meandering would otherwise justify. I will continue to use this space for those other extra topics I either anticipate coming up or just want to ramble about, but for now, the big overviews can be found over there.
Q: How does Virtuosa's Necrosis Damage work?
A: I wrote an entire article diving into the nitty gritty details that you can find linked here. Short version though, once 1000 points of Necrosis damage are dealt to an enemy (2000 for bosses), the Necrosis effect is triggered which deals 800 damage per second for 15 seconds and applies an ATK debuff for the duration. It is a powerful effect since no enemies currently have mitigation against the damage.
Especially notable for Virtuosa, however, is that her Necrosis is constantly applied by her Talent, regardless of which skill she is using and if it is active. With literally no interaction on the player's part, she will apply Necrosis to any enemy in range within ~15 seconds (depending on level and potentials). She is uniquely powerful among meta 6★s in that she does most of her job just by existing on the field, which gives her some unique aspects to discuss in terms of gameplay and Mastery. Check out her Mastery writeup below for more on that topic. Further, since the effects of Necrosis are capped and applying more Necrosis has no additional effect, Virtuosa is a very unique unit in the meta.
Q: What's the deal with the name "Arturia" when her operator name is "Virtuosa"?
A: If you haven't read the story for Hortus de Escapismo or Lingering Echoes, Virtuosa appears as an NPC in them. However, she always goes by her actual name of Arturia. The first time the word "Virtuosa" was used was in this patch, so a lot of people still call her Arturia out of habit. I mention this specifically because, well, I'm one of them. I did my best to only refer to her as Virtuosa in this article, however any stray references to Arturia, especially in my old articles, refer to Virtuosa.
Q: I heard there was some drama with this event. What happened?
A: Nothing. Any "drama" related to this event is vastly overstated. It's nothing like what happened during the Ch'en2 fiasco. There has been some minor grumbling lore-wise about Virtuosa joining Rhodes Island since she is mostly an unapologetic antagonist. There was also some annoyance that Viviana, who was one of the most anticipated NPCs, ended up being very mediocre relative to the modern era of 6★s. However, neither of those has had any lasting impact and it's now barely worth even acknowledging.
Q: Any Module thoughts this patch?
A: I'm happy to say we're welcomeing a new writer here at Gamepress! Mal_io is taking over the Module guide and you can find his writeups on the current patch linked below. However, I still plan to do some writeups as part of my own guides because... well, I like hearing myself talk.
EN - Zwillingstürme im Herbst
- Mudrock and Penance - Their Module assessment is basically the same, so I'll address them in one pass. Both have good Modules that cumulatively add a lot to their bulk. They're worth pursuing if you use either of them with any regularity. However, the upgrades won't *quite* blow you away so they don't need to be rushed either if resources are tight. Something to keep in mind is that since Juggs have a high HP stat, they'll often get more benefit out of additional levels rather than expensive Modules. While the break even calculations are well beyond the scope of this article, it pays to approach the upgrades with some sense of balance.
- Vulcan - Unfortunately, the 5★ again gets left behind. While certainly not a bad upgrade, and one that contributes significantly to her bulk, it still ties all of her sustain to her long skill cycles. Thus Vulcan's Module doesn't actually address the core problem with her kit of extended periods of vulnerability. Her sustain with skill up was already very good, so the additional burst of sustain doesn't add too much.
- Bassline - I mentioned this at the time, and I'll give him another shoutout again. While his Module isn't actually anything special, it makes him only the second unit to be able to grant RES to allies. That's worth acknowledging for the novelty alone! Shoutout to Nightingale for breaking an aspect of the game for five years running now.
- Bagpipe - Among the many units who need some help, Bagpipe wasn't one of them, so I'm not sure why she got a second Module when the first was already good, but here we are. For an endgame support unit like Bagpipe, the "best" Module between them is situational. In some cases, the shorter wind-up of her first is more important. In others, the additional damage from her second is better. It's impossible to say. Both are good, so I'd generally say that if you've already done her first, there's no reason to spend the resources on her second. If you have not done either yet, lean towards her first if you only use her in endgame scenarios, and her second if you make more regular use of her in general stages.
- Nearl the Radiant Knight - Another unit who didn't need another one! Although, in Nearl's case, her first is clearly better. Nearl is relatively bulky which makes it difficult to take advantage of the revive, and even then the first will often out-damage it still. The upgrades do have some high tech usage that Nearl maximalists will find useful, but for the general player in a vast majority of situations, her first remains the better choice.
CN (lookahead) - Babel
- Vigil - People seem to have a fetish for bad units improving. They so desperately want an old bad unit to suddenly be good so they can say I told you so. It's kind of annoying to be honest. It's fortunate then, that Vigil still sucks. A major flaw with his kit is that his base wolves are weak, so when his Module improved those wolves, many people jumped up and cheered that he must be good! Alas, his terrible wolves were only one flaw of many, and locking a lot of that new bulk behind RNG dodge and expensive upgrades is... not great. Certainly his Module does help if you're intent on using him, especially for S1 users. However, Vigil is still the worst 6★ in the game.
- Muelsyse - Mumu got a very good Module. The base effect isn't too special since she's a bit DPS first, but the level 2 effect is a huge QoL improvement, and the level 3 effect is a big improvement to her clone's effective output. Her Module doesn't change the fundamentals of her kit, but is a very worthwhile upgrade if you like using her.
- Beanstalk - Nice base effect. Upgrades are fine, but nothing special.
- Blacknight - Straight DPS increase. If you regularly use Blacknight, it's a solid and worthwhile upgrade. However, it doesn't affect her meta role as a core Sleep stall, so it's not necessary if you only use her for that.
- Ascalon - Ascalon's Module is rather bad. The base effect is fine since she stacks a lot of move speed reduction, however the upgrades that focus on her DoT Talent don't total up to too much. Module level 2 is only around 30 more DPS, and Module level 3 is even worse since it only extends the duration. Those trailing 3 seconds are unlikely to ever matter since most enemies will be dead well before then.
- Ho'olheyak - Ho'olheyak's second Module is an interesting addition. Her first is still better for her own damage when using her S3 with the additional RES shred being a great general purpose addition. However, her second has some unusual utility benefits. For example, she can pretty effectively stall many blockable elite or boss enemies with her S1 thanks to the extra SP and it's a great help to her long S3 downtime. The lowered Weightlessness threshold is potentially valuable for Shifter shenanigans as well. Further, although the Arts Weakening effect doesn't enhance her own damage to the same degree as her first Module, it doesn't take much allied support to come out ahead. Ultimately, it's not enough to make Ho'olheyak meta if you haven't already raised her. If you only use her on occasion or have already gotten her first Module, her second probably won't justify the resources. However, if you're still waiting, then her second is likely the one to go for.
Q: "The shilling myself question"
A: If you missed it in the previous updates, I published my first fictional work. You can find the clean version of it over on AO3 here.
I also recently published a new article which dives into the WORST 5★s in Arknights, which you can find linked below.
Zwillingstürme im Herbst - By My Will
Virtuosa
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S3M3 | S- | S+ | A+ |
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S1M1 | Breakpoint | ||
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S1M3 | A | S | S |
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S2M3 | None | C | C+ |
Virtuosa is an oddity when it comes to Masteries. She is a meta caliber unit, but one who already works very well at only skill level 7! If you check any sort of Mastery rate polling, Virtuosa polls more similarly to mid-tier units rather than the top-tier! Relatively speaking, her Masteries are much less necessary than other units of comparable power. This is because the Necrosis trigger threshold is capped (1000 for most enemies, 2000 for bosses) so further enhancing her application doesn't change much.
Now, to be clear, Virtuosa still has Masteries worth pursuing. There is plenty of ancillary value to her Masteries there and those matter on a unit as powerful as she is. You should also not take her grades here as any sort of negative to her overall power. Remember these are Mastery grades, and not meta grades!
Now that said, let's get into her skills. All three have value, but the Mastery decision primarily comes down to her S1 vs S3. They are both worth pursuing, but the skill to start with is one of those questions that depends on your philosophy as a player. Most players would start with her S3 since it's her main skill, however the Mastery gains on her S1 are more important to its use, so if you only pursue one skill, it comes down to the type of player you are.
First, her S3 is her main skill. The expanded range applies Necrosis in a True-AoE over a wide area which makes it one of the best wave clearing skills in the game. As said though, the Masteries are oddly low. The difference from S3SL7 to S3M3 drops a whooping one second off of the application time. However, Mastery is still worthwhile. While not as vital as some other meta Masteries, it still improves her duration, wind-up, and buffs which are important considerations.
Meanwhile, her S1 Masteries allow her to deploy with a full 3 charges which is enough to apply Necrosis to even bosses as a helidrop. It's a significant upgrade over the skill at SL7, although quite a bit more situational than her S3. And again, even at S1SL7, she still already helidrops a significant amount of Necrosis damage. While the Masteries do matter more for S1, it's a bit less commonly used than S3. It is worth noting that S1 is not solely used as a helidrop skill, but can also be used for consistency when her S3’s downtime is too much. A single charge plus her Talent is enough to apply Necrosis to regular enemies. This use is especially notable in IS where S1 is her primary skill. Within that mode she tends to be used more for handling irritating elites than the wave clear that S3 provides.
Do note how her S1 has a breakpoint at M1 which allows her to store an extra charge. That's very valuable for the low cost and it's worth grabbing regardless of the rest of the discussion.
Finally comes her S2. It's not as generally useful as her other two skills since they are much better at applying the Necrosis effects. However, the ability to extend that application to another unit can allow for some interesting ranges that she isn't capable of on her own. That is quite a bit more situational, but is a flexibility well worth looking at on a unit as powerful as Virtuosa. Its Mastery gains are easy to overlook too given the oddities of her S3, but the boost at M3 drops 2 full attacks to apply Necrosis off of the number required for the buffed operator.
Viviana
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S3M3 | A+ | B+ | A |
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S2M3 | B- | None | B- |
While oft maligned thanks to the exploding top level power of the game, Viviana is far from a bad unit. She's just a bit average, that's all. Nothing wrong with that! While some flaws do hold her back in end-game scenarios, she still does very solid Arts damage on a good rotation with above average bulk.
Most of that potential is tied to her S3 which simply has better total effects than her other skills. Its Mastery gains are very significant too. Her skill DPS alone improves a whooping 27% on top of significant enhancements to her bulk and cycle time. While her lack of RES shred is a significant problem when compared to her contemporaries, her S3 is still a valuable Mastery if you have any interest in using Viviana.
There's no need to pursue a second Mastery with Viviana. If you did want to do a second, then her S2 would be the target, however it's only really useful if you are purposefully using Viviana over better options. The extra block on it is good for lane-holding purposes, but that isn't her best use. In her more typical use, the extra block results in her all important shields getting eaten by whatever random trash she is blocking instead of the dangerous threats she is theoretically meant to take on. But as said, the laneholding role is better filled elsewhere.
Bassline
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S1M1 | Breakpoint | ||
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S1M3 | B | A | B+ |
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S2M3 | None | ||
Bassline is very similar to Defender Nearl and thus their assessment ends up similar. He is a solid unit that forms a natural bridge across rarities and represents a meaningful impact over Gummy. However, Gummy is an extremely efficient unit for what she costs, so those resources tend to be better spent elsewhere. Still, Bassline and Nearl both represent reasonable upgrades should you be looking for something a bit outside the typical "insane DPS" promotions.
As with Nearl and similar skills across the Guardian archetype, his S1 is his best skill. It provides strong and consistent healing that allows him to sustain both himself and others against reasonable amounts of pressure without downtime concerns. Make special note of the breakpoint at S1M1 which drops a full SP off of the cost; a valuable upgrade on skills such as these.
His S2 won't be worth Mastery for most players, but is worth a look for particularly advanced niche players. It is a powerful stall skill along the lines of Nearl and Hung's S2s. His HPS is comparatively lower, however the duration lasts a whooping 60 seconds on a very short windup. That means he can last nearly an entire redeploy cycle which is a huge benefit in those sorts of stall comps.
Lessing
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S3M3 | None | ||
Lessing is only the second 6★ in this guide to have no graded Masteries. That should give you a good idea of what Lessing's value is already, but if it wasn't clear, it is best to avoid spending your resources on him. He is a weak unit with poor DPS, awkward bulk, and a limited niche.
However, unlike Vigil, he does at least have a niche, and if you want to promote Lessing, against better advice, it's best to stick into with that niche, and thus his S3. Of special note, the process of becoming immune to status effects also breaks existing effects, meaning he is the only unit that can clear effects like Stun and Freeze on his own. However, Arknights is designed in a way that specific units are never required, and so Lessing will only ever be an alternative option rather than a useful addition.
And that's about where the upside ends. Without any form of reduced deployment time, his S2 is extremely costly to use for DPS that isn't even all that impressive with no other meaningful utility, although niche players with limited options may still find it useful. His S1 is a generic Power Strike skill which on a modern 6★ is just... well, the word that comes to mind is better left unsaid on a family friendly website. Avoid investment into Lessing unless you know what you're doing.
Diamante
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S2M3 | C | C+ | C |
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S1M3 | None | ||
Our first Primal Caster is in a bit of a tough spot. While Elemental Damage at large is very powerful, the reliance on another unit such as Virtuosa or Valarqvin, and an overall short Necrosis uptime, really limits Diamante's potential value.
Both skills are potential options, but his S2 is the better choice in most situations since Ritualists are much better at applying Necrosis and there is little benefit in stacking more. Instead, his S2 provides better overall DPS on a better cycle, along with the potential of applying additional pseudo-True damage. It even has better damage outside of the context of Elemental damage, if you're just trying to use Diamante on his own due to niche or husbando reasons.
If you think you're interested in Diamante's S1, which is his skill that applies to Necrosis, look to Valarqvin instead. Diamante's Necrosis applies after enemy RES, so he is significantly worse at the task than a Ritualist. Valarqvin is freely available and at the same rarity, which makes Diamante's S1 a distant third at the task. However, that said, his S1 has a surprising breakpoint at M1 which ups his Necrosis percentage from 10% to 15%. This is enough to allow him to apply Necrosis against bosses with a single cycle of S1M1, whereas he would come up short at S1SL7. This works up to 10 enemy RES, with the jump to M3 extending that up to 20 RES. However, most bosses do have well over 20 RES, so this value is still very limited. It is best left for true niche maximalists only.
Caper
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S2M3 | B | B+ | B- |
Caper is a pretty nice DPS unit for her rarity and will be worth a look for anyone who favors more off-meta approaches, although newer players will probably find the extra Red Certificate cost to be unpalatable for a unit with limited utility. Still, she has very solid damage on a flexible and unique range, and the Loopshooter Trait works in a way that limits the effect of ASPD debuffs which can be quite beneficial against certain enemies.
S2 is her main skill. The high Attack Recovery SP cost can be troublesome, so the reduction over Mastery is quite nice to have. However, it still charges acceptably fast thanks to her short interval and wide-range. It is much more impactful compared to her very generic Power Strike S1, which brings no particular benefit to her kit.
The Grading System
Story vs Advanced vs Roguelike
There are very few absolute answers when it comes to prioritizing upgrades. A major determining factor is what exactly your goals are. Now, there are actually many more types of players than these three, but the most obvious delineation as far as which Masteries to think about comes down to the type of content you're most interested in clearing. If you only find value in first time story clears and risk 18 CC, then your goals will be different for someone looking to reach high-risk (25+) in CC.
Story - A story player is a player who is only interest in rewarded content. This means all normal stages and challenge modes (without added personal challenges), risk 8 on CC daily stages, risk 18 on CC permanent stages, and the SSS game mode.
Advanced - An advanced player here is any player interested in non-reward topics such as higher risk CC and more min-maxed gameplay or specialty clears.
A note on the topic of the Advanced grades is that these grades should not be taken as specific advice for a specific CC. There may be an occasional specific note to provide some context or example, but the intention here is to be more general than a particular event and prioritize skills that will be broadly useful in multiple scenarios. A skill appearing once in a high-risk CC is not enough for inclusion here as CCs tend to lend themselves to niche scenarios that can't really be planned for. Further still, Advanced grades encompass all min/maxed gameplay and do not, strictly speaking, have to be about CCs.
Roguelike - These grades are specific to the Integrated Strategies game mode (aka, the Roguelike mode or IS#2 or IS#3). These grades are slightly different compared to the Story vs Advanced delineation since the same sort of pressures apply in the mode regardless of the type of player you are. These grades tend to be more "meta" focused than the others. For IS#3, only up to Ascension 7 (trimmed medal) is considered for grades, however write-ups may include suggestions for higher Ascensions.
The Grades
S - These Masteries are the cream of the crop. They are Masteries that everyone with the unit should do and give a high priority to. Units with S tier Masteries get an outsized value from them, either because the skill is incredibly powerful or because it changes how the unit is used. For the Roguelike mode, S-tier grades are reserved for the best skills on the most meta of units (whereas meta value is not necessarily a requirement in other mode grades).
A - These Masteries are powerful Skills that most players who have the unit should do. These are among the most powerful Masteries in the game, but less overtly overpowered than the S-tier Masteries.
B - These Masteries are reasonably powerful and worthy of consideration, but have a factor which hold them back. The impact may be relatively small for the cost, the unit may not be especially powerful already, the unit may not fit well into the meta, or there may be a better version available, among other examples.
C - These Masteries are strong enough to be noted, but should only be done by the most end game of players with nothing else to do. There's value in them, but most players will have something better to be doing.
Breakpoint - Not a true grade, but a designator given to an M1 that gives an unusually large benefit. In most cases, these should be prioritized immediately after the E2, thanks to their low cost and high value. Note that there are many M2 and M3 breakpoints but they are not considered breakpoints for this purpose as the cost is much more expensive. Also note that some breakpoints on valueless skills are excluded as well.
NG or None - Not a true grade, but these are sometimes used for Skills which are noteworthy but not worth Mastery. Either the skill or unit is not worth using, or the Mastery has very poor Mastery gains. NG stands for "No Grade".
Please remember all rankings here are considered independent of E2 priority, but do consider overall unit strength. And most importantly, these grades should be treated as guidelines rather than absolute requirements.
Mastery Look Ahead
Added Babel units this update. I think my initial reaction to Ascalon was too low, which is a good reason why I don't always update these things ASAP!
| The Rides to Lake Silberneherze | ||
| Harold | Welfare | One has to wonder why Harold exists (As a unit, not as a character. As a character, he’s fantastic). There are already two 5★ Wandering Medics who are both good, and now a 6★ one as well, who is broken, so the design space is already pretty crowded. Harold straddles the line somewhere between the two Berries. He has better regular healing than Honeyberry S1, but a better cycle than Mulberry’s S2. That’s useful, especially if Harold fits into your niche or preferences, but anyone with either Berry or Eyja already raised won’t find him useful. His S2 will be graded similar to the Berries. The numbers between S1 and S2 are very comparable, but S2 has the additional Elemental Healing, which doesn’t leave much benefit for S1.
tl;dr S2 graded similar to Honeyberry/Mulberry S1. |
| Leto / Лето | Gacha | A Physical based Guard isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being Physical is why SilverAsh is so good, for example. However, Leto just doesn’t hit hard enough and has no other real benefit to compensate. At max she tops out at around 1.6k ATK which is enough to punch through some basic DEF, but not tough DEF. She doesn’t bring much else to the table either. Aside from her DPS, she has almost no utility. Only Rosa’s S2 really benefits from her buff, and she has an awkward and unnecessary drawback. Overall, she is functional enough that she may find use in various niche clears but not much else. Leto will be ungraded, but go with S2 if you plan to raise her anyway. It has the higher ATK which she needs to puncture armor as well as the usual Lord benefits.
tl;dr Likely ungraded. Strongly favor S2, if desired. |
| Degenbrecher | Gacha | There’s an angry rant brewing, come Degenbrecher’s global release. I don’t get too fussed by powercreep in general, but Degenbrecher does it by tossing out one of the basic design principles of her archetype. She has Auto Recovery on her S3 instead of Offensive Recovery, which every other Swordmaster skill before this has had. And, shockingly (/s), it makes her really good. Her S3 is quite literally Irene’s S3 but better. AAAAAAAAAAA- ahem. Anyway, Degenbrecher teeters on the EX-tier with very strong burst damage on a competitive cycle. She also brings a new keyword, Tremble, which like previous new keywords will have to have specific coded immunities on enemies which gives her a leg up versus other forms of control. Her S3 will be among the highest graded skills in the guide. As mentioned, the Auto Recovery gives it a huge advantage and it also happens to be her best damage too. Only S3 is necessary for Mastery, but both S1 and S2 can make justifiable secondaries. S1 for AFK memes, but S2 otherwise with its shorter potential cycle and a reliable Tremble trigger.
tl;dr S3 is an easy S++ skill. S1 and S2 may get moderate grades as well, but neither compares to S3. |
| To The Grinning Valley | ||
| Warmy | Gacha | Releasing the 5★ Primal Caster for Burn before any Burn Ritualist is such a Hypergryph thing to do. Ugh. Regardless of who is released down the road though, I wouldn't expect any assessment of Warmy to change. Primal Casters are in a bad spot by default since they are reliant on another unit and are mediocre at applying the Elemental effect themselves. That's true for Diamante, and Warmy's kit is nearly a copy paste of his so the assessment ends up the same. She does enough damage to be usable if you want, but there just won't be any good meta justification, especially among the vast oceans of 5★ Caster options. As with Diamante, the skill selection is a pick your poison. S1 will allow her to inflict Burn, but is not very good at it. S2 relies on someone else to inflict Burn, but will do more damage in that case.
tl;dr Likely ungraded, but both skills may be options. |
| Ray | Gacha | Guards get a lot of flak lately (rightly so tbf) but what about Snipers? With Ray there are now four hyper-meta Snipers that tread the EX line. Ray is a single target specialist who hits extremely hard with a ton of flexibility and range. She's well designed too, showing how a kit can make use of the Hunter Trait, which Coldshot failed to do. Despite some stiff competition, Ray shows a ton of potential. Ch'en remains the go to Sniper for area sweeping, but Ray seems to show a higher ceiling than Pozemka or Typhon for single target DPS. She stole the crown of top Sniper pick from Typhon in the most recent CN IS#4 tournament for example! However, she is a very high skill ceiling unit and many people will prefer Typhon's simplicity compared to micromanaging Ray's pet. As for Masteries, S3 is the clear winner and will be another S++ graded skill. The secondary skill is harder to suss out and Ray could end up a graded M9, although both S1 and S2 will be comparatively low priority. I favor S1 for the really fun tech it enables. With her pet she can Shift at angles that more classical Shifters can't hit. S2 meanwhile may appear as an AFK skill but actually requires a lot of micromanagement to work with her ammo mechanic. It's a good skill, but seems to have a fairly small niche over S3.
tl;dr S3 top-tier grades. S1 and S2 possible lower-end grades. |
| Here a People Sow | ||
| Wanqing | Welfare | Hey, a good 5★! It only took being added on to an already good archetype. Much like Harold, Wangqing exists in a pretty crowded space. It's good by default which makes him notable, but you only need so many Vanguards. Although largely redundant, Wanqing brings some new and viable utility which should make him an option to consider. His DP generation and uptime are identical to Elysium so he should be graded similar to him, with the difference mostly coming down to the utility the situation calls for. New players and Advanced players will find him quite nice for a welfare, although Story players will mostly find him to be just another option among a sea of many, especially with Agents being in the fray as well.
tl;dr Both skills should be well graded options, similar to other Flagbearers. Favor S2 first with S1 being a more advanced luxury. |
| Grain Buds | Gacha | A rather average 5★ which, given recent trends, I suppose is better than normal. Grain Buds is really nothing special. She isn't really bad but doesn't really do anything special either. Just sort of filler that's difficult to find much to say about. She’s a modern replacement to Istina who was pretty fringe herself. If she appeals to you or you play any low rarity niche, then S2 is the target since she can reach 100% Slow uptime for the skill duration on a pretty good cycle. However, neither her DPS or utility has much general value.
tl;dr Ungraded, but favor S2, if desired. |
| Zuo Le | Gacha | Another busted Guard. At least Shu is broken in an interesting way. Zuo Le is just the latest entrant in the ever growing power spike. He's quite comparable to Executor the Ex Foedere in his gameplay, although he relies more on rapid skill activations. This makes him quite adept at low operator clears since he can keep up with even heavy rushes. I ultimately think he falls a bit under Executor and other recent Guards though. His DPH isn't especially high and he requires quite a bit more micromanagement and planning to use. That is nitpicking though, which is necessary given the recent powercreep. Zuo Le is extremely good and will be well graded. He's likely to be an M6 consideration, with S3 probably being the better graded. The instant duration and burst of his S3 plays better into his skill spam niche since S2 ends up with a longer skill cycle, although the reliable Barrier and extra block on S2 make it worth a solid look as well. His S1 might have some value as an AFK skill, but with no way to control his HP or Barrier, it falls more into the classic Musha problems.
tl;dr Strong M6. Top graded S3. Same grade or slightly lower for S2. |
| Shu | Gacha Limited | Oh boy. Shu is... difficult to assess. She is the most broken operator we've ever gotten, although I don't mean that in the way it's typically used. She isn't the "strongest" but rather she quite literally breaks the game in places. On top of that, her Sui Talent is incredibly powerful (and frustratingly toxic since it's locked behind Limiteds). It makes her painful to assess in write-ups like this. Is she a must pull or is she a pass among a sea of busted DPS? Honestly, it's hard to say. Attempting to look beyond that weirdness, she is a very solid Guardian with incredible healing numbers and stall potential that should see her with regular use. S3 will be the first target for Mastery which has some pretty serious gains for her core use. S1 will be well graded behind it, likely with the same grade as Saria's S1 (they're identical except in name). Her S2 is the final choice which is her best raw healing skill, although that usage trails a little behind the other two.
tl;dr At least M6, S3 > S1. S2 a consideration as well. |
| Reclamation Algorithm 2 | ||
| Kestrel | Welfare | Kestrel fills a hole at the rarity which has been missing since launch. The offensive oriented 5★ Pioneers focus more on burst rather than fighting prowess so Kestrel fills a gap between Scavenger and Siege. Too bad she came out in year five of the game instead of year one then. Pioneer value has been in the toilet for years now and she comes right on the heels of a much better welfare at the same rarity, Wanqing. Niche players may be able to extract some value out of her, but in general, Pioneers just have no role in the current metagame. Even brand new players won't be able to benefit from her since she's locked behind the RA2 shop (although that may change if we also get the compensation currency that CN got)!
tl;dr Ungraded, but S2 is the better option. |
| Operation Lucent Arrowhead | ||
| Doc | Welfare | Doc is better than the existing 5★ Instructors, but not by much. He has decent enough DPS on his S1 to be functional on his own, and the healing on his S2 is high enough to have some potential in niche clears. However, as a general unit he's pretty mediocre. The tendency of R6 ops to have limited uses is a huge limiting factor on Doc. The fact it's on both of his skills is especially painful. He's basically a dead spot on the field after only a minute! Unfortunately Doc is a bottom tier 5★ and will be a pass for all but heavy niche players. There was potential in his kit, but it just quite wasn't realized.
tl;dr Ungraded. Both skills have flaws, so pick your poison, but probably lean S1. |
| Fuze | Collab Gacha | Fuze is thematic design taken too far. I absolutely appreciate how HG designs the R6 units with their R6 kits at the front. Most of the time it works to good effect too, however in Fuze's case it ends up being really awkward. The implementation here doesn't translate well into Arknights and we're left with a really awkward S2 that is very hard to use for subpar damage. Fortunately for Fuze, he's a Centurion who are natively good. Instead of his S2, look towards his S1. He still isn't a great Centurion compared to his competition, but at least makes a functional wave clearer with some unique utility. Although his low DPH is a major hindrance, leaving him more comparable to Savage than to Specter or Broca.
tl;dr Ungraded. Favor S1 for daily use, although S2 is an option as well if you want more unique use out of him. |
| Iana | Collab Gacha | I'm not sure how Iana exists in the same patch as Fuze and Doc. While the latter two are painfully mediocre and exemplify the recent design flaws in the non-6★ rarities, Iana somehow ends up being a shining beacon of hope. She's well designed with a kit that is synergetic, flavorful, useful, and unique. Of course, as a 5★ she isn't meta by any means and Kazemaru is still notably better in the role. However, Iana will be a great option for anyone who likes looking a bit beyond the meta.
Be aware that Iana's kit has a bit more nuance than the text indicates (this is true on CN also and is not a translation issue). If her S2 is ready, it automatically activates when her Talent is triggered with no user interaction. Additionally, S2's duration (10s) doesn't match the "dolls" duration (20s) so she only has the extra ASPD for half of the doll duration, meaning S2's downtime is 15 seconds, and not 5 like you might assume. This remains true even if you manually activate S2. tl;dr S2 graded a bit under Kazemaru. S1 notable, but probably ungraded. |
| Ela | Collab Gacha | I'm running out of words to describe powercreep. I wish I'd saved the word "insane" because that's what Ela is, and it's remarkable that in an era of extreme powercreep, a unit manages to make the use of that word not seem like hyperbole. Ela has insane damage and a ton of utility. She directly powercreeps or heavily encroaches on the niches of more units than anyone before her. She's better than the Marksmen, competitive with Ray and Typhon (Ela has more damage but Ray/Typhon still have range), pairs better with other meta DPS than Suzuran, and is more powerful than Dorothy with better team utility. She even knocks Texas2 and Yato2 down a peg by being a really good Specialist pick in IS! If you care about meta at all, Ela is a must pull unit. Now, there is plenty of nuance in there,but she does so much that it's hard to summarize in a single paragraph like this. A lot of words will be said in this article series when she finally arrives. As far as Masteries go, her S3 is head and shoulders above everything else. Much of why she is so meta is tied to her S3 which lowers the potential value of her other skills. At least she has the decency to not demand the expensive M6 like many meta units do!
tl;dr S3 will be an S++ Mastery. Both S1 and S2 may also be graded (flexibility on a meta unit), but pale in comparison to her S3. |
| Babel | ||
| Odda | Welfare | Hey, a decent unit that's not a 6★. Neat. I guess that happens when your new archetype is basically a side grade to Centurions. Earthshakers seem to basically be a mix of Centurions and Flingers. Rather than hitting targets equal to block count like the former, Odda hits all targets in range, but with reduced damage like the latter. It's an interesting sidegrade with some potential for creative design, as seen with Odda's S2's Levitate gimmick which is surprisingly powerful. His S2 will be the graded skill. It has better damage, a surprisingly good amount of bulk, and has his only control. S1 is significantly lower DPS with the only benefit being some extra splash radius, which isn't enough to justify it as a secondary.
tl;dr S2 likely graded similarly to Broca. Pass on S1. |
| Lutonada | Gacha | Lutonada isn't a bad unit. She has good bulk, decent sustain, and passable damage. For a 4★ that's not bad. However, she suffers from a lack of niche as other 4★s can fill any roll she does at lower costs. Her S2 is stuck at Force level 0 which removes most utility from it. Cuora has her beat in bulk, and Estelle has her beat in sustain, and both have her beat out in DP cost. She might eke out a low grade on her S2 since she isn't a bad unit by any means, but overall she's only an option for niche players. Pass on her S1 which is a pointless generic skill.
tl;dr Probably ungraded, but S2 strongly preferred. Hard pass on S1. |
| Aroma | Gacha | As I write this I just published my "Worst 5★" article. Aroma just missed making it by a couple of weeks. Somehow, just shy of five total years, HG puts out a 5★ Blast Caster that's even worse than the already terrible Corroserum. It's actually impressive. Her damage is low, her control only applies when it's needed least, and she has no utility after the singular instance of the Levitate. It's just a truly remarkable feat of awful game design.
tl;dr Ungraded. She's a bottom tier 5★. Go with S2 if you really insist. Comboing it with Odda might make the lost resources from promoting her seem palatable. |
| Ascalon | Gacha | Ascalon is a good unit, but not a meta one. She's trapped in a sea of meta powercreep without a standout niche of her own, which will mean she is likely a skip, especially slated just before the 5th Anniversary Limited. She's unlikely to ever be a meta unit since her damage is mixed Physical/Arts and her snare is a bit less reliable than Mostima or Suzuran. However, she is a totally reasonable and balanced unit overall, bringing a good mix of total damage and control on a fast cycle. For Mastery, her main skill is S2 which has her best damage and her best total snare, with an amazingly good cycle. Her S1 is very similar to Mizuki's S1 and will also be a strong consideration. However, unlike Mizuki, Ascalon's S2 is much more viable which pushes S1's value down a touch. Her S3 will most likely be a pass, which is very unusual in a modern 6★ since that's usually their "showcase" skill. HG seems to think Ambushers should have a role as tanks, which just makes no sense. Her S3 might have some niche usage now and then, but is otherwise a poor use of your team space.
tl;dr S2 highest graded, S1 slightly lower. Pass on S3. |
