Digest Apr 1

Welcome to the first issue of the Dx2 Digest, where we try to summarize the upcoming week into one article! All times and dates mentioned are in JPT.

• Issue: 1
• Date: 2021/04/15 - 2021/04/23

Featured Banner

Tenma banner is getting a rerun this week, featuring a special step-up that offers a random Tenma at Step 10.

Featured Demons: Asura Lord, Indrajit, Yama, Asura, Mahakala

Verdict: 9,000 gems for a random Tenma isn't really the best deal, as they have wildly different niches. Asura for example is nigh unusable in PVP, but is a beastly demon for Phys Democalypse and Brands of Sin Deceit 12. If you really want a Tenma, we recommend waiting until the upcoming 3.5 Anniversary, as they have featured 9,000 gem Tenma Banners twice now, with a Tenma Selector at the end where you can actually pick which Tenma you want.

Events

Aura Gate Power Week returns! This time, a new bonus is added: Double Mitama Extract dropped! Run in conjunction with increased Mitama encounter rate, this is a great chance to burn any stocked Gate-Aids!

• Starts: 15 April 2021, 3 pm
• Ends: 22 April 2021, 11 am
• Full Bonuses:
  • Doubled Mitama Extract drops
  • Doubled base Magnetite drops
  • Increased Mitama encounter rate
  • Yasaka Magatama (green beans) added to drops from 15th April 3 pm until 18th April 11.59 pm
  • All brand drops changed to Divine brands from 19th April 12 midnight until 22nd April 11 am

Democalypse

Democalypse is ON this week, with Force as the bonus area.

• Season: 36
• Elements: Light, Phys, Force
• Before Cull: 19 April 2021, 12 noon
• During Cull: 23 April 2021, 12 noon

The optimal Force teams should remain the same as the previous Force bonus cull, as none of the demons released since then are related to Force.

• • Force Tier List
  • Light Tier List
  • Phys Tier List

Optimal Force Team A

Garuda A Skills Force Enhancement Merciless Blow

Susano-o Skills Force Enhancement Force Amp

Mot Skills Luster Candy Killing Wind

Optimal Force Team B

Uriel Skills Merciless Blow Killing Wind

Raphael Skills Merciless Blow Force Amp

Seraph Skills Master Assassin Killing Wind

Battle Tower

• Season: 4
• Round: 1

A new season of Battle Tower begins this week!

List of handicaps:

• • Attack first at start of battle (-30%)
  • Party immune to ailments (-30%)
  • +15% to enemy damage output (+20%)
  • +25% to enemy damage output (+20%)
  • -80% to party Phys damage output (+20%)
  • +50% to enemy Fire/Force damage output (+20%) This display is bugged on the Global client, the damage increase is to Force, not Elec!!
  • Enemy nulls mortal (+20%)
  • +50% to enemy HP (+20%)

List of sidegoals:

• • Activate an Almighty skill (+1500)
  • Perform a Physical attack (normal attack included) (+1500)
  • Win without ally being downed (+1500)

Meta Predictions

This section attempts to analyze and predict the upcoming Tower meta. All teams are assumed to be running full debilitating handicaps (+120%) and trying to clear all 3 side goals (+4500).

• Some notes on the damage reduction handicap
  • The handicap interacts additively with any boosts you have, instead of being a flat out reduction of final damage. This makes it a lot less painful than one would think.
  • Let's take Ardha for example, with Phys Amp and Master Assassin transfer. Sahasvara (10%) + innate Epitome of Carnage (15%) + transferred Phys Amp (25%) + Master Assassin (20%) = 70% boost
  • So in reality you are going from 170% down to 90%, which is slightly less than half of your "usual" damage. The more damage boosts you can stack, the lesser the effect of the handicap.

• Defense:
  • Bulky Slow IS Teams: A combination of Null Mortal, +50% HP and -80% reduced Phys damage dealt means they will likely survive the first turn, especially if double Intimidating Stance is included.
  • Moirai Sisters: In addition to all the points covered above, Atropos also gets a whopping +90% to the second part of her chain. Forgoing Atropos for the bulky Xi Wangmu + Lachesis + Clotho core is also possible, since +40% damage means the MC can carry DPS alone.
  • Fast teams: These teams can very likely deny the third goal, especially if Huang Di sword is not used (so players can't cheese it with Double Stance + Repel shield tricking the AI into Yinglong Flash) and/or if Masakado A is included. On the flip side, getting outsped will likely mean conferring full points to the attacker.
  • Everyone's favorite purple bug Angra Mainyu is of course unaffected by any of the handicaps, and 16 Scourges is still as strong as ever. Though with teams naturally shying away from Phys due to the handicap and coupled with the fact you can run wards again this season, he might be slightly less popular on defense.

• Offense:
  • With slow teams looking to be a popular defense, an anti-slow team core should be greatly considered.
  • Skull Knight is a clear winner this season. Not only will he net you two goals on his own, his damage is unaffected by handicaps and will allow you to quickly assassinate dangerous targets, especially if supported by Masakado A. The last slot can be something like Asura Lord or Shiva A who can serve as extra DPS, or an ailment demon like Angra Mainyu or Motoko Kusanagi to lock down the rest of the team (specifically the MC!) while you mop up key threats.
  • Demiurge + Angra Mainyu is a great counter to Moirai, as it stops the second half of Passionate Rage from firing (haha get it, fire), while also netting you the first goal for free thanks to False God (chain effects count towards side goals). If you pair him with a Drain Elec demon like Mother Harlot, his heal might be enough to keep everyone alive for the third side goal.
  • Ward brands work again this season, making splashed Angra Mainyu a bit easier to deal with. If this catches on though, expect to start seeing Barrier Break on their Daisoujou again.
  • A fast team should also be considered, though you will probably need some sort of Ailment control to keep everyone alive for the third goal. With 80% reduced Phys damage and +50% HP (mainly concerns their MC), it will be difficult to sweep them in one turn, before their MC inevitably kills your Hresvelgr or Kartikeya on the swingback. Transfer Drain or some cheap Almighty spell to Hresvelgr, and remember to Mortal Jihad once with Kartikeya to complete all side goals.

• Avoid:
  • Even though Ailments are unaffected by the handicaps, team-wide Null Mortal means a single cleric like Daisoujou will instantly hard-counter your entire team, as you cannot simply mortal him to solve the problem. In addition, panelled Moirai sisters also hard-counter Ailments, making dedicated Ailments a very risky pick this season.