Test:12

"How to play" Compendium:

This page contains the work in progress "How to play" guides for each character, to be added to the respective character pages

Progress status

Character	Completion status
Lotus	In Progress
Eclipse	In Progress
Storm	Not started
Dawn	Not started
Lux	Not started
Palefire	Not started
Nightblade	Not started
Zero	Not started
Blast	Not started
Luminance	Not started
Entropy	Not started
Ember	Not started
Pulse	Not started
Tenebrion	Not started
Crimson Abyss	Published
Bastion	Not started
Astral	In Progress
Brilliance	Not started
Veritas	Not started
Silverfang	Not started
Arclight	Not started
Plume	Published
Rozen	Not started
Crocotta	Not started
Rigor	Published
Qilin	Not started
Pavo	Not started
Laurel	Published
2B	Not started
9S	Not started
A2	Not started
Hypnos	Not started
Tempest	Not started
Glory	Not started
XXI	In Progress
Garnet	Published
Flambeau	Not started
Empyrea	Published
Capriccio	Published
Dragontoll	Not started
Starfarer	In Progress
Starveil	Not started
Scire	Published
UNRELEASED CHARACTERS
Arca	Not started
Abystigma	Not started
Vitrum	Not started
Hyperreal	Not started
Kaleido	Not started
Crimson Weave	Not started
Zitherwoe	Not started
Feral Scent	Not started
Indomitus	Not started
Echo	Not started
Lost Lullaby	Not started

How to play - Lina Edition

Crimson Abyss - Fundamentals (Pre-Leap)

• Blue Orb 3-Ping + Any 3-Ping = Core Passive, Blade Will mode (sword wave)
  • Use both 3-Pings back-to-back in quick succession
  • At SS-Rank, trigger Core Passive using Blue Orb 3-Ping + Red Orb 3-Ping

• Plan around her Matrix
  • Matrix-Ping can help you enter Core Passive state easily

• The Core Passive backstep animation counts as a dodge
  • Use it to evade attacks
  • It can trigger the effect of Frederick

• Only use Signal Orbs when:
  • You are activating her Core Passive (sword waves)
  • You need to rearrange your orbs in order to activate her Core Passive

• Signature Move should only be used for defense
  • Using it gives you temporary invincibility
  • The damage is low and using it results in lower damage-per-second

Crimson Abyss - Additional Information

• Core Passive details:
  • Every signal orb she has or obtains during her Core Passive gets converted into a sword wave ping
  • During Core Passive the damage boost from a Blue Orb Ping is massively boosted and turned into additional sword waves

• How to use the Frederick memory set:
  • Activate the 4 piece bonus by dodging an enemy's attack to greatly increase the damage they take
  • Activate the full 2-piece bonus by dodging twice and activating her core passive (the activation counts as a dodge)
  • Dodge towards the enemy to make the most out of the 4 second damage window

• Advanced techniques:
  • Dodging shortly after a Red Orb Ping skips the animation but still does full damage
  • Dodging immediately after a Blue Orb Ping skips the animation and counts for the Core Passive, but doesn't activate the extra attacks.
  • The fastest way to activate her Core Passive and get the most damage is, in extremely rapid succession:
    Blue Orb 3-Ping -> Dodge enemy attack (Matrix) -> Matrix ping (Core Passive) -> Dodge -> Activate QTEs -> Sword Waves

How to play

Capriccio - Fundamentals

• Pressing or holding a direction while using 3-Pings or Signature Move orbs will summon an Echo:
  • The Echo will perform the same action that was used to create it
  • Capriccio will move in the selected direction when summoning an Echo

• Casting Signature Move will hide all current orbs and replace them with 5 Shooting Star orbs:
  • Each Shooting Star orb can be used to summon an Echo
  • When all Shooting Star orbs have been used, Time Lag Calculation is triggered and all the Echoes will perform a coordinated attack for massive damage
  • A phantom is created afterwards that heals the entire team over time

• Capriccio's Amplifier Class Skill gives every member of the team 10% ATK bonus and 10% Dark DMG bonus for 10 seconds upon entering the field:
  • Switching characters often is recommended to make full use of the Class Skill
  • Both Dark DMG and ATK bonuses double at SSS rank

Capriccio - Additional Information

• Signature Move details:
  • Capriccio gains 50% damage reduction for the duration
  • After using Signature Move all orbs will be returned, sorted in the order of Red-Blue-Yellow
  • Capriccio can still generate orbs with Basic Attacks, even if they are temporarily hidden

• To make full use of her Amplifier Class Skill:
  • Activate Signature Move and use all Shooting Star orbs within 10 seconds of Capriccio taking the field, Time Lag Calculation will help extend the buff duration to the rest of the animation
  • This means activating her Signature Move within 5 seconds from her switch in, as using all the Shooting Star orbs takes around 5 more seconds

• Advanced techniques:
  • Holding a direction while switching to Capriccio will summon an Echo, as the switch-in attack is considered a 3-Ping
  • It's possible to dodge immediately after summoning an Echo to skip the animation, as the Echo will still carry out the attack
    • Doing this for a Red Orb 3-Ping will however result in reduced damage
  • During her Signature Move, it's recommended to dash through the enemy and back for each Shooting Star orb to deal maximum damage
    • This can be accomplished easily by holding back on the joystick while looking at the enemy and using all five Shooting Star orbs

How to play

Rigor - Fundamentals

• Rigor can hold Basic Attack to charge and fire her railgun:
  • Damage increases with time spent charging
  • Rigor will gain 30% damage reduction while charging

• Starts the battle with 3 Energy Points:
  • 1 Energy Point will be used if available when using any 3-Ping, increasing its damage by 100%
  • 1 or 2 Energy Points will be used if available when using Signature Move, increasing its damage by 40% (1 point) or 80% (2 points)

• When all Energy Points have been used:
  • Press and hold Basic Attack to fully charge her railgun to deal huge damage and reduce Physical DEF by 20% for 20 seconds (same debuff as her Blue Orb Ping, but much longer duration)
  • Rigor will gain 90% damage reduction while charging this enhanced shot
  • 8 seconds after firing all 3 Energy Points will be restored

Rigor - Additional Information

• Railgun attack information:
  • Rigor cannot dodge or use abilities while charging her railgun, however she can still move around
  • All the railgun hits pierce enemies in a straight line, making it crucial to line enemies up for the shot when facing multiple opponents

• Energy Point management:
  • Points are not reset when Rigor leaves the field
  • However if she enters the field with 3 Energy Points stored, one will be consumed immediately to enhance the switch-in Blue Orb 3-Ping
  • It's recommended to use 3-Pings to consume Energy Points, as they offer a higher damage bonus and faster access to the enhanced railgun shot
  • However it's also better to use Signature Move instead of waiting for orbs to consume Energy Points

• Advanced techniques:
  • Only dodging during a Red Orb Ping will skip the animation without losing damage
  • Dodging to skip the animation of 3-Pings will still use up Energy Points
  • It's recommended to switch Rigor out after firing her enhanced railgun shot to avoid the 8 second Energy Point cooldown
  • Railgun attacks are considered Basic Attacks and rapid firing the railgun can generate orbs

How to play

Scire - Fundamentals

• Press and hold Basic Attack to use an available 3-Ping / Matrix Ping to start charging the hammer:
  • Holding down the Basic Attack button will consume additional 3-Pings to gain more charges
  • Max charges are 2 (S rank) / 3 (SS3 rank) / 4 (SSS3 rank)

• Release Basic Attack while charging or finish charging to perform a Leap Attack:
  • The damage of Leap Attack increases massively for each charge
  • Press Basic Attack during Leap Attack to start spinning
  • Press Basic Attack rapidly during the spin to increase its speed, generating more energy and dealing more damage

• The first two 3-Pings used for charging increase the Hammer Gauge:
  • After landing from a spin Scire will consume half of the Hammer Gauge to launch herself again in the air
  • Dodging during the spin will fill half the gauge, with a cooldown of 10 seconds
  • The number on the gauge is called Kinetic Energy and will increase based on the speed of Scire's spin

Scire - Additional Information

• Core Passive details:
  • Scire has Super Armor and damage reduction while charging and during a Leap Attack
  • Dodging while in mid-air will pull in enemies and lift Scire up to max height
  • Dodging an enemy's attack while in mid-air will trigger a unique attack and refund the dodge gauge spent
  • At SS rank her orbs will be sorted into 3-Pings while charging
  • At SSS rank charging will activate all available QTEs

• Signature Move details:
  • Activating Signature Move triggers Time Lag Calculation from the moment it is used
  • The damage of Signature Move increases with the amount of Kinetic Energy, up to double at 833
  • At SS3 using Signature Move will create a 15 second field around the active character that inflicts 10 seconds of Chain Fusion debuff to enemies that enter it
  • The C.U.B. Moonhopper with the "Bye-bye Home Run" skill equipped greatly boosts the Signature Move's damage

• Advanced techniques:
  • It's highly recommended to avoid using normal orbs entirely in favor of the Core Passive, as the Leap Attack does considerably more damage than any number or orbs used to charge it
  • It's possible to stay in the air indefinitely by using dodges before hitting the ground after the Hammer Gauge is empty
  • If playing on the PC client, holding the Rapid Fire key during Leap Attack is the easiest way to achieve maximum spin
  • It's possible to space a Leap Attack away from the enemy in such a way that the initial hit misses but the higher damaging upward swing connects
    • This can be helpful in time sensitive modes like Phantom Pain Cage or War Zone to avoid the long hit-stop generated by the initial hit

How to play

XXI - Fundamentals

• While XXI is in midair immediately after a Red Orb 3-Ping or a Yellow Orb 3-Ping, perform an Instant Dodge to drop 3 Twilight Matrices on-field
  • Each Twilight Matrix dropped will deal damage to enemies and restore 50 Dodge Energy to XXI
• Trigger Resonance Pulses with the Co-Bot to detonate on-field Twilight Matrices to deal additional damage
  • Perform Basic Attacks in conjunction with Blue Orb Pings to generate Shadow Prism Energy
  • Once XXI has 4 Shadow Prism Energy, the next Basic Attack will launch a Shadow Prism Attack, drop 1 Twilight Matrix on-field, and cause the Co-Bot to release a Resonance Pulse and detonate on-field Twilight Matrices
  • Twilight Matrices that are not detonated within 4 seconds of being placed on-field will vanish without dealing damage (matrices last 3 seconds and take 1 second to completely disappear)
• While XXI is being attacked or knocked down, she can perform an Instant Dodge to drop 1 Twilight Matrix on-field and allow her to escape from hitstun
• After casting XXI's Signature Move, alternate between performing 1 Blue Orb 3-Ping and 2 Basic Attacks to achieve an S-Rank rating and deal maximum damage

XXI - Additional Information

• Basic Attacks only need to be cast to generate Shadow Prism Energy, they do not need to hit a target
• Holding a direction while casting Yellow Orb Pings will move XII in the held direction during the skill cast
• Because XXI's Signature Move clears away all of her existing orbs, it is only recommended to cast it when XXI is low on orbs or in emergencies when XXI is out of Dodge Energy and in danger of dying
• Instant Dodges give XXI a 15% max HP shield, grant 2 seconds of Super Armor, and cost 300 Dodge Energy (slightly more than the 250 a normal Dodge costs)
  • This extra cost is generally offset by the Dodge Energy restored by the Twilight Matrices dropped immediately afterwards
  • Instant Dodges are still Dodges, meaning they can be used to dodge attacks and trigger Matrix just like an ordinary Dodge
  • Casting a Red Orb 3-Ping or Yellow Orb 3-Ping just before an enemy attack, and then timing the subsequent Instant Dodge to dodge that attack, allows XXI to dodge attacks while both dealing damage and expending essentially zero Dodge Energy
• When XXI's Dodge Gauge is completely drained, dropped Twilight Matrices will not grant Dodge Energy until XXI's natural Dodge Energy regeneration restarts
  • If XXI gets knocked down in challenge content and is low on Dodge Energy, it may be wiser to wait out the knockdown invulnerability to allow her Dodge Energy to regenerate, since XXI's damage output is dependent on maintaining a healthy Dodge Gauge to Instant Dodge with after Red Orb 3-Pings and Yellow Orb 3-Pings
• XXI's Co-Bot remains on-field and attacks with the on-field character, allowing XXI to debuff enemies with her Tank Class passive even while XXI is off-field
  • The Co-Bot will remain on-field performing attacks even if XXI dies, however it will no longer apply the Tank Class passive if she is dead

How to play

Lotus - Fundamentals

• Any 3-Ping + Red Orb Ping triggers Dual Blades (Core Passive) for 5 seconds:
  • During Dual Blades performing Basic Attacks will cause Lotus to attack with two blades, dealing increased damage
  • Dual Blades lasts long enough to complete two enhanced Basic Attack strings

• It's recommended to use a Blue Orb 3-Ping to activate Dual Blades:
  • The Blue Orb 3-Ping will add Fire DMG to the extra Basic Attacks from the Core Passive
  • If performed in quick succession, the Blue Orb 3-Ping's buff will last for the whole duration of Dual Blades

Lotus - Additional Information

• Core Passive details:
  • Can only be activated if the Red Orb Ping is performed within 4 seconds after a 3-Ping
  • Lotus will not generate new Signal Orbs while Dual Blades is active
  • Pinging Orbs during Dual Blades doesn't result in higher damage

• Advanced techniques:
  • Using an Extreme Dodge to trigger Matrix can simplify the activation of Dual Blades, requiring only a Signal Orb of any color and a Red Orb Ping
  • The Fire DMG dealt when under the effects of a Blue Orb Ping cannot critically strike, but will ignore enemy armor
  • Lotus performs a free Red Orb 3-Ping automatically when switched in, allowing a quick activation of Dual Blades with any additional Red Orb Ping within 4 seconds
  • The extra Fire DMG from a Blue Orb Ping is applied as an additional damage instance to every individual hit:
    • During Dual Blades the extra Fire DMG will trigger twice for every attack
    • Attacks that hit multiple times (like a Red Orb Ping) are much stronger while under the effects of a Blue Orb Ping

How to play

Eclipse - Fundamentals

• Any 3-Ping + Red Orb Ping triggers Laser Cluster (Core Passive)
  • The Red Orb Ping can be cast at any point after the 3-Ping (other orbs can be pinged in-between if needed, and there is no time limit within which you must cast the Red Orb Ping after the 3-Ping)
• Eclipse's Blue Orb Ping will heal herself and any allies within the skill's circle
• To heal off-field teammates when Eclipse is the on-field character, activate a teammate's QTE by performing a 3-Ping of that teammate's color, then trigger the QTE to temporarily bring that teammate on-field and cast Eclipse's Blue Orb Ping while standing near them
• To heal on-field teammates while Eclipse is off-field, have the on-field teammate activate a 3-Ping of Eclipse's assigned color, then trigger Eclipse's QTE to call her down and heal on-field allies within a fixed radius

Eclipse - Additional Information

• Laser Cluster completely replaces the Red Orb Ping used to activate it, so from an orb efficiency standpoint, it is usually preferable to use a Red Orb 1-Ping or 2-Ping to trigger Laser Cluster when possible
• Laser Cluster can be dodge-canceled upon activation at no damage penalty
• Using a Yellow Orb 3-Ping to activate Laser Cluster works well when facing crowds, since Eclipse's Yellow Orb Ping will gather nearby enemies and allow all of them to take damage from Laser Cluster
  • Eclipse automatically performs a free Yellow Orb 3-Ping when switched in during combat, allowing for a quick activation of Laser Cluster with any additional Red Orb Ping
• When using a Blue Orb 3-Ping to activate Laser Cluster, try to cast the Red Orb Ping within 4 seconds of the Blue Orb 3-Ping so that Laser Cluster will benefit from the Blue Orb Ping's 5 second Physical DMG buff

How to play

Starfarer - Fundamentals

• Use Basic Attacks and Signal Orbs to build energy for her Signature Move:
  • Blue and Yellow Pings can be used consecutively
  • Holding Basic Attack activates her chainsaw and quickly generates energy

• When activating Signature Move:
  • All Signal Orbs will be hidden
  • Holding Basic Attack will charge the Core Passive gauge
  • Releasing Basic Attack will trigger an additional attack and grant Pressure stacks based on the timing
  • At 200 Pressure stacks fully charging the Core Passive gauge will trigger Burning Blow, consuming all stacks to create a powerful explosion

• When the energy bar is full again, Starfarer can press the Signature Move button to perform a highly powerful attack and return to normal:
  • The damage of the final explosion is determined by the damage dealt by the last Burning Blow
  • Time Lag Calculation is active during this attack

Starfarer - Additional Information

• Core Passive details:
  • Using Blue and Yellow Pings or holding the Dodge button will activate Starfarer's boosters and allow her to quickly fly around

• Signature Move details:
  • Pressing Basic Attack without holding will not charge the Core Passive gauge
  • Releasing Basic Attack at different timings will trigger different follow-up attacks:
    • Releasing too early or too late will generate 80 Pressure stacks and a small amount of energy
    • Releasing just in time (after the gauge is more than half full) or just as an enemy is about to attack will generate 120 Pressure stacks and a larger amount of energy

• Advanced techniques:
  • The timing for the perfect Core Passive release is signaled by a sound effect during the charge
  • It's possible to press the Signature Move button as soon as Burning Blow lands to skip the animation without losing damage
  • Dodging can cancel the Core Passive follow-up attacks, losing damage but still generating energy and Pressure stacks
  • At SS rank, after using Signature Move and swapping to another character, 4 missiles will be fired every 3 seconds for 12 seconds
    • If her Signature Weapon Implosion is equipped, the missiles will inflict Fire Resistance reduction, and activating Starfarer's QTE will reset the off-field missiles duration to 12 seconds

How to play

Astral - Fundamentals

• Any 3-Ping + Red Orb Ping triggers Cosmic Wave (Core Passive)
  • The Red Orb Ping can be cast at any point after the 3-Ping (other orbs can be pinged in-between if needed, and there is no time limit within which you must cast the Red Orb Ping after the 3-Ping)
• After performing either a dodge or any Red Orb Ping, including ones used to trigger Cosmic Wave, press Basic Attack to perform Trailblade, a lunging stab that also functions as an excellent gap closer
• After the Cosmic Wave attack finishes, Astral enters Enhanced Shadow Form for 5 seconds, during which Basic Attacks and Trailblade both deal additional Dark DMG
  • The amount of time Enhanced Shadow Form has remaining is represented by the slowly draining on-screen meter

Astral - Additional Information

• Cosmic Wave completely replaces the Red Orb Ping used to activate it, so from an orb efficiency standpoint, it is usually preferable to activate Cosmic Wave with a Red Orb 1-Ping or 2-Ping when possible before Astral is leaped
  • Once Astral's Satellite Blade (Core Passive Leap) is leveled to at least 9, this no longer applies, and Cosmic Wave will deal increased damage if triggered by a Red Orb 2-Ping or 3-Ping
• If Astral is close enough to a target, his Blue Orb Ping will teleport him to the opposite side of the target, allowing him to avoid enemy attacks when strategically used
• Astral automatically performs a free Yellow Orb 3-Ping when switched in during combat, allowing for a quick activation of Cosmic Wave with any additional Red Orb Ping
• Astral will still take damage during Cosmic Wave, despite his model disappearing during the animation
  • That said, Cosmic Wave can be dodge-canceled almost immediately upon activation, allowing Astral to get the full damage of Cosmic Wave off while still being able to avoid enemy attacks and access his Trailblade follow-up
  • In a similar manner, Cosmic Wave can also be canceled almost immediately into Astral's Signature Move
• Trailblade is considered a Basic Attack, and can thus be used alongside his Basic Attacks to regenerate Signal Orbs when weaved in-between other actions in short enough intervals

Astral - Leap Adjustments

• During Enhanced Shadow Form, each Trailblade performed will restore 100 Dodge Gauge and attempt to embed 2 Shadow Blades in the target hit
  • Every Shadow Blade successfully embedded in a target will deal an additional hit of Dark DMG
  • Up to a maximum of 6 Shadow Blades can be embedded in any given target, and attempts to embed additional Shadow Blades will not result in any additional Dark DMG hits until those Shadow Blades are cleared
  • Shadow Blades do not have a duration and remain embedded if Astral is swapped off-field
• Against a target with embedded Shadow Blades, during Enhanced Shadow Form, hold Basic Attack after performing either a dodge or any Red Orb Ping to unleash Dusk Blades, causing Dark DMG for each embedded Shadow Blade and clearing all embedded Shadow Blades from the target
  • With 6 embedded Shadow Blades, Dusk Blades will deal extra Dark DMG and extend the duration of Enhanced Shadow Form, so it is advised to only trigger Dusk Blades on targets with 6 embedded Shadow Blades
• Astral's Blue Orb 3-Ping now gathers nearby enemies, extends the duration of Enhanced Shadow Form, and causes Shadow Blades to deal more damage for the next 4 seconds
• Astral's Signature Move now deals increased damage, and should be cast during Enhanced Shadow Form for the additional Dark DMG hits