Difference between revisions of "Intimidating Stance Teams"

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'''Placeholder / WIP by Reika'''
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'''Written by Reika'''
  
 
__TOC__
 
__TOC__
  
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
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Intimidating Stance Teams are built around the powerful [[Intimidating Stance]] passive, which reduces the enemy's Press Turns if going second. These teams aim to out-slow the enemy, denying their Press Turns and unleashing powerful attacks on the counter-swing.
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Archangels is a term for a team consisting of (at least one) of the three Archangels [[Uriel]], [[Gabriel]] and/or [[Raphael]], with a total of three Herald or Divine demons in the party to unlock their passives.
 
  
 
===Concept===
 
===Concept===
−
 
+
*[[Intimidating Stance]] removes a Press Turn from the opponent if going second. This ability may not stack more than twice.
−
*The three Archangels each have a passive that will trigger at the start of your turn if you have at least three Herald and/or Divine demons alive.
+
**As such, there are two flavors of Intimidating Stance Teams: Single Stance and Double Stance
−
**[[Uriel]] has [[God's Fire]], which deals piercing fire damage to three random enemies and buffs your whole party's attack.
+
*Going second also gives your team additional MP. This allows you to fire off stronger attacks without using Divine Brands.
−
**[[Raphael]] has [[God's Blessing]], which heals your team and buffs their defense.
+
*These teams typically run slow but bulky demons, with the aim of going second, surviving the initial turn and countering hard on their next turn.
−
**[[Gabriel]] has [[God's Word]], which deals piercing light damage to all enemies while buffing your whole party's EV/AC.
 
−
*This lets your deal massive damage and buff up at the start of your turn, without using any press turn icons. Additionally, as it is a chain attack hitting into Anti-Pierce will not consume press turns.
 
−
*On top of this, all three Archangels have powerful piercing spells of their own:
 
−
**[[Uriel]]'s [[Sunrise]] deals piercing fire damage to all enemies.
 
−
**[[Raphael]]'s [[Tailwind]] deals piercing force damage to four random enemies.
 
−
**[[Gabriel]]'s [[Ascension]] deals piercing light damage to a single target.
 
−
*Combined with the initial damage and buffs offered by their passives, they can easily nuke an entire team down Turn 1, making them a very formidable Turn-1-Kill team comp.
 
  
 
===Pros and Cons===
 
===Pros and Cons===
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*Very powerful team, capable of ending battles in a single turn.
+
*Going second gives you access to more MP and in turn stronger attacks.
−
*As most fights end very quickly, it allows you to climb the PVP ladder faster if doing last minute pot rushes.
+
*Flexible team composition, can easily adjust battle speed depending on team members. Useful for revenging.
−
*Magic is very reliable as it doesn't miss, and the Archangels have Pierce on all of their spells. Even when faced with Anti-Pierce, their passives hitting into NDR will not lose them press turns, allowing them to keep the momentum going.
+
*Can safely ignore the speedwar as the team aims to go second anyway.
−
*Has a very high damage ceiling, depending on how much you are willing to invest in the team.
+
*Low barrier of entry: The team can be built using fuseable demons.
−
*Thematically pleasing.
+
*High damage ceiling, depending on how much you invest into the team.
 +
*Highly resistant to Meta shifts: These teams have been around since game launch and will continue to remain relevant for a long time.
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*Pretty high entry cost - all three Archangels are Banner exclusives.  
+
*Best options are Gacha and Banner exclusives.
−
*Very reliant on going first. Being outsped is a death sentence.  
+
*Will be at a disadvantage is out-slowed. This makes them prime targets for revenging.
−
*Pass a certain point in PVP, a lot of defense teams are designed to hate on Archangels.  
 
  
 
==Team==
 
==Team==
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=== Core Demons===
 
=== Core Demons===
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Although there is no hard rule on which of the Archangels you must use for the strat, it is generally agreed that [[Uriel]] and [[Gabriel]] are the two core demons for this team:
+
There are five demons in the game with the [[Intimidating Stance]] passive. As this effect does not stack more than twice (using more than 2 will cause the third to not remove any PTs), you should pick at most two demons from the list below for your party.
−
*They both deal piercing AOE damage to every enemy (Uriel through Sunrise, Gabriel through God's Word).
+
Note that even though [[Masakado]]'s passive is not named [[Intimidating Stance]], it still has the same stack restrictions.
−
*Uriel's attack buff is very much appreciated for a glass cannon team.
 
−
*Gabriel has the option of running Red for [[Mahamadyne]], giving her an active AOE. Bear in mind that it will '''not pierce''' though.
 
  
−
====Uriel====
+
====Masakado====
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{{DemonIcon|Uriel}}
+
{{DemonIcon|Masakado}}
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*A very powerful Fire Mage
+
*The OG PVP Nightmare, [[Masakado]] is a physical powerhouse who is still one of the most powerful demons in the game.
−
*Purple is his best color, as all your relevant skills are of the Fire element and will greatly benefit from [[Fire Enhancement]].
+
*His unique passive [[Warlord's Wrath]] not only provides him [[Intimidating Stance]], it also gives him Phys Pierce and a 100% Counter on receiving Physical damage.
−
*In terms of Team order, you will want him to go before your other Heralds, so that they can benefit from the attack buff granted by [[God's Fire]]. There are two ways of doing this, either through lead brands or Mitama.
+
*His signature [[Occult Flash]] is a high-damage, high-critical single target Physical skill that inflicts Mortal (instant Death).
−
**Lead brands will bump you up 1 slot in turn order. They are farmed from [[Brands of Sin]] Vanity stages.
+
*Both Purple and Teal can be used depending on team composition:
−
**You can also use Mitama infusion to bump up his AGI. As all the Heralds are pretty close in AGI and you can infuse a max of +20 AGI, you can easily manipulate the turn order to your liking.
+
**Purple gives him Phys Amp, greatly amplifying his damage.
−
**In the event two demons have the same AGI, turn order for the two is determined via '''their position on the team roster'''. As such, it is better to speed tie demons, so you can freely switch them up as you wish.
+
**Teal gives him [[Drain Phys]], making him a good partner for Rama's [[Drain Pierce]] (allows Drain resistances to invalidate Pierce effects).
−
*[[Sunrise]] should be maxed with Kasane for T1 potential and additional damage.
+
*'''[[Masakado]] is the best Stance demon period.''' There is no reason to not use him if you do have him.
−
*He has the best panels among all Archangels. P2 chains a [[Rakunda]] (defense down) debuff on your opponent after [[God's Fire]] procs. This greatly increases your team's damage, and should be a priority to panel if you get the choice.
 
  
−
=====Skills and Brands=====
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
*[[Fire Amp]] and [[Fire Boost]] are good choices to further boost his damage
+
*[[Phys Boost]] and [[Epitome of Carnage]] are good options to boost his damage.
−
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness] can be used to raise battle speed. Going first is vital for the team.
+
*[[Great Aim]] and [[Epitome of Aggression]] can be used to patch up his shaky accuracy.
−
*Divine Brands are required to cast [[Sunrise]] on Turn 1. Speed brands are the recommended sub-set to raise battle speed.
+
*Auto skills allow him to further support his team. Players who run this build typically use him purely for inflicting Mortal via [[Occult Flash]].
 +
*Usually runs Life brands to compensate for his rather low HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.
  
−
====Gabriel====
+
====Atavaka====
−
{{DemonIcon|Gabriel}}
+
{{DemonIcon|Atavaka}}
−
*A light specialist.
+
*Has [[Intimidating Stance]] in purple.
−
*She can run either Red or Purple, depending on your preference:
+
*His unique active [[Enemy Annihilation]] fully debuffs the enemy before firing off a powerful Piercing AOE Physical attack.  
−
**Red grants her access to discounted [[Mahamadyne]]. This is useful to sweep teams without Light NDR, like certain Intimidating Stance teams. However, be careful as it '''does not pierce'''.
+
*His other unique, [[War Aid]], increases his accuracy and acts as Anti-Pierce: While he is alive, Repel Resistances will negate Pierce effects.
−
**Purple gives her [[Elec Enhancement]]. As she wants to focus on Light damage, the increased Elec damage portion of the passive is largely wasted. It will however let her nuke slightly harder against demons with uncovered Light weakness, for example [[Hecate]] and [[Lilith]].
+
*High STR, decent HP with low AGI makes him the perfect Stance demon.
−
*[[Ascension]] should be maxed with Kasane for T1 potential and additional damage.
+
*This combination of abilities make him a highly flexible unit.
 +
*'''[[Atavaka]] is the only Stance demon with an Anti-Pierce and also the only one with a debuff skill.'''
  
−
=====Skills and Brands=====
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
*[[Light Amp]], [[Light Enhancement]] and [[Fire Boost]] are good choices to further boost her damage
+
*[[Phys Amp]] is a good option to boost his damage.
−
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness] can be used to raise battle speed.
+
*[[Great Aim]] and [[Epitome of Aggression]] can be used to patch up his shaky accuracy.
−
*Maxed [[Ascension]] has a MP cost of 5. As such, she can run Spell brands for more damage and still be able to cast it T1. Speed brands are the recommended sub-set to raise battle speed.
+
*Auto skills allow him to further support his team.  
−
**If you picked Red, you will need to run Divines in order to cast [[Mahamadyne]] turn 1. This can impact her damage.
+
*As [[Enemy Annihilation]] has a high MP cost, most players choose to run Divine Brands. Life brands can also be used to increase his HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.
  
−
=== Third Herald ===
+
====Surt====
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In order to unlock their passives, a minimum of three Herald / Divine demons are required. As such, one of the following demons is used to fulfill the requirements.  
+
{{DemonIcon|Surt}}
 +
*Has [[Intimidating Stance]] in Clear.
 +
*[[Tetra Shift]] synergizes well with Stance, and is great to catch teams running leads without Phys Pierce / cheap attacks.
 +
*[[Ragnarok]] is a single-target Nuke that hits extremely hard despite his low MAG.
 +
*On the downside, his AI is notoriously bad for defense if not running Divine Brands with maxed Ragnarok.  
 +
*'''[[Surt]] is the only Stance demon with a Magic focus.''' Use him if you desire a balanced team.
  
−
====Raphael====
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
{{DemonIcon|Raphael}}
+
*Surt can be run as either a Nuker or a Support.
−
*Third of the Archangel trio. As his passive does not deal damage, he is not treated as a core demon.  
+
*If run as a Nuker:
−
*He does however complement the team very well, being a powerful Force mage. [[Tailwind]] is useful for cleaning up any demons that survive your initial onslaught and it also breaks [[Endure]]s. It should also be maxed with Kasane for reduced MP cost and more damage.
+
**[[Fire Amp]] and [[Fire Boost]] are good options to boost his damage.
−
*Purple is the recommended color, as [[Force Enhancement]] lets him nuke even harder.
+
**Divine Brands are recommended on Defense, as the AI will default to [[Berserker God]] after the first maxed [[Ragnarok]] without it.
−
*[[Force Amp]] and [[Force Boost]] are good choices to further boost his damage.
+
**Spell Brands can be used for Offense, or if you are confident of winning after a single [[Ragnarok]] on Defense.
−
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness] can be used to raise battle speed.
+
*If run as a Support:
−
*Maxed [[Tailwind]] has a MP cost of 5. As such, he can run Spell brands for more damage and still be able to cast it T1. Speed brands are the recommended sub-set to raise battle speed.
+
**Auto skills allow him to further support his team.  
−
*Compared to the other options, Raphael is a lot faster, letting the team hit higher battle speeds. On the flip side, Tailwind's random targeting nature might backfire at times due to bad RNG, and it can be stopped by certain Anti-Pierce combinations such as [[Rama]] + [[Susano-o A]].
+
**Life Brands are useful for increasing bulk.  
  
−
====Mastema====
+
====Zhong Kui====
−
{{DemonIcon|Mastema}}
+
{{DemonIcon|Zhong Kui}}
−
*Mastema's signature skill [[Trial of Hate]] is a powerful AOE light attack that also applies a random debuff.
+
*Has [[Intimidating Stance]] in Purple.
−
**This attack '''does not pierce''' by default though. [[Light Pierce (weak)]] is mandatory as NDR Light is common.
+
*High STR and LUK lets him hit hard and crit for Press Turns.
−
**With Panel 3, he will apply two random debuffs instead.
+
*Innate [[Auto-Taruka]] increases your team's damage.
−
*He gains access to [[Light Amp]] in purple, and P1 further increases his light damage.  
+
*On the downside, he does not have Pierce and his accuracy is shaky at best.  
−
*As he is one of the easier 4x4 fusions in the game, he is one of the more achievable P3 demons.  
+
*Being a 4 Star, '''[[Zhong Kui]] is a very accessible source of [[Intimidating Stance]].''' He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.
−
*He needs to run Divine Brands in order to cast [[Trial of Hate]] T1. Speed brands are the recommended sub-set to raise battle speed.
 
−
*Pick Mastema if you want another AOE sweeper to go with your other AOEs.
 
  
−
====Metatron====
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
{{DemonIcon|Metatron}}
+
*[[Phys Pierce (weak)]] prevents him from being walled by Phys NDR and Tetra Shift.
−
*Metatron's [[Fire of Sinai]] is similar to Raphael's Tailwind, a random-targeting skill. However, it does 5 hits instead of 4, and is almighty element instead of Force.
+
*Auto skills allow him to further support his team.  
−
**This makes it a lot safer for him to spam, as Almighty can only be stopped by [[Five Elements]] (which you should not be seeing if you are going first!)
+
*Due to his high luck, he can also run Ailment skills like [[Mahashibabooon]].  
−
**As with [[Tailwind]], this is a very useful spell for cleaning up and breaking Endures.
+
**Consider running Sick Brands with Ailment Infliction % stats if running him as such.
−
*Red gains access to discounted [[Mahamadyne]], giving you the option of casting either an AOE or [[Fire of Sinai]] for clean-up.
+
*Life brands can be used to increase HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.
−
**Mahamadyne will '''not pierce''' though, so bear that in mind.
 
−
*Metatron has the highest Base Magic among the options, and has access to [[Infinite Chakra]] by default, allowing him to run Spell Brands and still be able to spam either [[Mahamadyne]] or [[Fire of Sinai]] turn 1.
 
−
**While not easy to achieve, Panel 3 increases all damage dealt by a significant margin.
 
−
*Pick Metatron if you are okay with sacrificing a bit of battle speed for more reliable firepower.
 
  
−
The other Herald / Divine demons don't provide enough advantages to be considered. Please keep your [[Seraph]]s on Democalypse duty.
+
====Baihu====
 +
{{DemonIcon|Baihu}}
 +
*Has [[Intimidating Stance]] in Purple.
 +
*The earliest fuseable Stance demon.
 +
*'''Cheapest Stance demon'''. He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.
  
−
=== Fourth demon ===
+
*High STR and LUK lets him hit hard and crit for Press Turns.
−
While you could run 4 Heralds, aesthetics aside there is little reason to do so. Your last team slot is better suited for another demon that compliments the team better, namely for improving battle speed.
+
*Innate [[Auto-Taruka]] increases your team's damage.
 +
*On the downside, he does not have Pierce and his accuracy is shaky at best.
 +
*Being a 4 Star, '''[[Zhong Kui]] is a very accessible source of [[Intimidating Stance]].''' He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.
  
−
====Masakado A====
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
{{DemonIcon|Masakado A}}
+
*[[Phys Pierce (weak)]] prevents him from being walled by Phys NDR and Tetra Shift.
−
*Arguably one of the most meta-defining demons. [[Guardian of the East]] provides your team an additional Press Turn going first, giving you even more turns to delete them Turn 1.
+
*Auto skills allow him to further support his team.  
−
*[[Kuyo Flash]] swings offensive buffs entirely to your favor, countering any defensive Autos.
+
*Due to his high luck, he can also run Ailment skills like [[Mahashibabooon]].
−
*As his kit is fully self-sufficient, he has great flexibility over transfer skills and brands:
+
*Life brands can be used to increase HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.
−
**[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness] are recommended to raise battle speed.
 
−
**[[Auto-Rakunda]] can be used to increase your combo's damage right off the bat.
 
−
**Double speed brands are recommended to further bump up battle speed. Focus on speed Primary for the Legs, and Speed Tertiaries for everything else.
 
−
*'''Pick Masakado A if you have him.''' The only exception is if you are manually choosing targets and need a faster demon to outspeed.
 
  
−
====Garuda====
+
=== Supporting Demons ===
−
{{DemonIcon|Garuda}}
+
When picking Supporting Demons, always consider your team's Turn Order. Ideally you will want to lead with a high Crit demon so that you can cast [[Kuyo Flash]] on the half turn. Avoid having [[Masakado A]] in the number 1 spot, as he will waste the entire Press Turn casting [[Kuyo Flash]].
−
*Second fastest demon in the game.
 
−
*Innate [[Auto-Rakunda]] helps to increase your team's firepower.  
 
−
*Colors don't really matter for him. Most go with Purple for [[Berserker]] for a minor boost in damage.
 
−
**[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness] are recommended to raise battle speed.
 
−
**[[Bufula L]] is a nice, cheap spell to exploit Ice weakness (which is usually uncovered) for Press Turns.
 
−
**Double speed brands are recommended to further bump up battle speed. Focus on speed Primary for the Legs, and Speed Tertiaries for everything else.
 
−
***P1 is required for him to cast [[Zandyne]] T1 on defense, otherwise he will not have enough MP and end up auto-attacking, running the risk of missing or hitting into [[Tetra Shift]].
 
−
*Panel 3 increases his Battle Speed and is worth aiming for.
 
−
*Garuda is the "tried-and-true, can't-go-wrong" option.  
 
  
 
====Kartikeya====
 
====Kartikeya====
 
{{DemonIcon|Kartikeya}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Kartikeya}}
−
*The fastest demon in the game.
+
*One of the fastest demons in the game, [[Kartikeya]] is used to accelerate your battle speed.
−
*His unique skill [[Skanda]] raises his Crit rate. Combine this with innate [[Mortal Jihad]] (a high base crit rate skill) and high base LUK, he can reliably crit for Press Turns.
+
*His unique aura [[Skanda]] raises your whole party's Crit rate and Accuracy, both important stats for the team. Combine this with innate [[Mortal Jihad]] (a high base crit rate skill) and high base LUK, he can reliably crit for Press Turns.
−
*Comes with innate [[Speedster]] in Clear. Some potential transfer skills include:
+
*Comes with innate [[Speedster]] in Clear.
−
**[[Phys Pierce (weak)]] is highly recommended to avoid being walled by [[Tetra Shift]]
+
*Unless you have a specific Metagame strat, '''[[Kartikeya]] is the safe pick, providing everything your team needs.'''
−
**[[Epitome of Swiftness] can be used to raise battle speed. It's a very rare transfer skill though.
+
 
−
**[[Savage Glee]] brings his already impressive Crit rate to near-guaranteed levels.
+
'''Skills and Brands''':
−
**[[Auto-Rakunda]] can be used to increase your combo's damage right off the bat.
+
*[[Phys Pierce (weak)]] is mandatory to avoid being walled by [[Tetra Shift]].
−
**Double speed brands are recommended to further bump up battle speed. Focus on speed Primary for the Legs, Crit rate for the Arms and Speed Tertiaries for everything else.
+
*[[Epitome of Swiftness]] can be used to raise battle speed. It's a very rare transfer skill though.
−
***With P1, you can run double speed and still T1 Mortal Jihad. Unfortunately, Kartikeya is notoriously difficult to fuse, costing upwards of 8 million Mag from scratch.  
+
*[[Savage Glee]] brings his already impressive Crit rate to near-guaranteed levels.
−
*Kartikeya is the luxury option. While he brings a lot to the table, he also requires a lot of investment in terms of Magnetite and rare transfer skills.
+
*[[Auto-Taruka]] and [[Auto-Rakunda]] can be used to increase your team's damage right off the bat.
 +
*Double speed brands are recommended to further bump up battle speed. Focus on speed Primary for the Legs, Crit rate for the Arms and Speed Tertiaries for everything else.
 +
**With P1, you can run double speed and still T1 Mortal Jihad. Unfortunately, Kartikeya is notoriously difficult to fuse, costing upwards of 8 million Mag from scratch.
 +
 
 +
====Shiva A====
 +
{{DemonIcon|Shiva A}}
 +
*[[Shiva A]] is a powerful Almighty Sweeper.
 +
*[[Ishvara]] gives him a guaranteed Crit on his first attack to get the Crit Ball rolling.
 +
*[[Third Eye]] is a fully unblockable Almighty attack that can also Crit for massive damage.  
 +
*'''Panel 2 is mandatory for him, as he is walled by [[Tetra Shift]] otherwise.'''
 +
*It is recommended to make him the lead demon, as [[Ishvara]] guarantees he will crit pass for [[Masakado A]]. This will also allow him to gather enough MP to cast [[Third Eye]] in the same turn, even if he is running Spell Brands.
 +
**You will need to do some creative branding if you plan to run him with [[Kartikeya]]. He needs to have a minimum of +3 AGI Mitama to speed tie [[Masakado A]], with both him and [[Masakado A]] running Lead Brands in order to go before Kartikeya.
 +
*Purple is the recommended color. [[Savage Glee]] increases the odds of [[Third Eye]] landing a crit.
 +
*'''[[Shiva A]] is the luxury option, pick him if you managed to Panel him.'''
 +
 
 +
'''Skills and Brands''':
 +
*[[Butcher]] is used to increase [[Third Eye]]'s damage.
 +
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness]] can be used to raise battle speed.
 +
*[[Great Aim]] can be used to patch up his accuracy if required.
 +
*Spell Brands are recommended to increase his damage. Aim and Speed brands are acceptable sub-sets depending on preference.
 +
 
 +
====Asura Lord====
 +
{{DemonIcon|Asura Lord}}
 +
*[[Asura Lord]] is a single-target Nuker that carries a valuable aura.
 +
*His unique aura [[Endless War]] buffs the critical rate and damage of all your teammates.
 +
**It also stacks with [[Kartikeya]]'s [[Skanda]], giving your whole team a whopping +40% to crit!
 +
*[[Slaughter All]] is a ''fully unblockable'' Almighty Single Target attack that deal '''ridiculous damage''', has above average Crit rate, bypasses [[Endure]]s and can be casted T1, either through Divine Brands or Panels.
 +
**Did I mention '''ridiculous damage'''? Not taking into account any transfer skills, [[Slaughter All]] has '''210 BP''', plus 12% from levels, 20% from Master Assassin and 10% from his Aura, with 40% base crit rate fired off a Titanic '''242 STR''' (4th highest in the whole game).
 +
*Purple is recommended to boost his damage further through [[Master Assassin]].
 +
*He is best run in the 3rd position, abusing [[Slaughter All]]'s high crit rate to generate a Press Turn for your 4th attacker. This also lets him take full advantage of [[Kuyo Flash]]'s buff swing to assassinate a key opponent even through [[Endure]]s.
 +
*'''[[Asura Lord]] is a very solid Nuker with a very helpful Aura, pick him if you have him.'''
 +
 
 +
'''Skills and Brands''':
 +
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness]] can be used to raise battle speed.
 +
*[[Great Aim]] can be used to patch up his accuracy if required.
 +
*[[Assassin]] and [[Berserker]] can be used to buff [[Slaughter All]]'s damage.
 +
*[[Savage Glee]] lets him reliably Crit for press turns, while indirectly buffing [[Slaughter All]]'s damage.
 +
*Divine is required to cast [[Slaughter All]] turn 1 without Panels. If you have Panel 2, War Brands are also acceptable to increase his damage.
 +
*Aim and Speed brands are acceptable sub-sets depending on preference.
 +
 
 +
====Susano-o A====
 +
{{DemonIcon|Susano-o A}}
 +
*[[Susano-o A]] is a Physical Nuker that excels in defense teams, as his unique passive [[Heavenly Valor]] deals piercing AOE damage whenever the enemy passes.
 +
*[[Violent Slash]] is a hard-hitting single target Physical attack that grows in power the more it is cast. The skill has 150 Base Power initially and can be cast T1 even without Divine Brands, making him a great candidate for the team.
 +
**Purple is recommended for [[Master Assassin]], which raises [[Violent Slash]]'s damage.
 +
*Innate [[Epitome of Carnage]] means he will naturally crit a lot, especially if paired with [[Kartikeya]] and [[Asura Lord]] auras.
 +
*He is best run in the 3rd position, abusing his high crit rate to generate a Press Turn for your 4th attacker. This also lets him take full advantage of [[Kuyo Flash]]'s buff swing to assassinate a key opponent.
 +
*'''A very good candidate for Defense Teams'''. If you plan to run this team on Defense, definitely try to slot him in!
 +
 
 +
'''Skills and Brands''':
 +
*[[Phys Amp]] and [[Phys Boost]] can be used to increase his damage.
 +
*[[Great Aim]] and [[Epitome of Aggression]] can be used to patch up his shaky accuracy.
 +
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness]] can be used to raise battle speed.
 +
*War Brands are usually used to maximize his damage potential. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.
 +
 
 +
====Cu Chulainn A====
 +
{{DemonIcon|Cu Chulainn A}}
 +
*[[Cu Chulainn A]] is a dual-element physical sweeper.
 +
*[[Barbed Spear]] is a piercing Force-element Physical attack that deals multiple hits on all enemies.
 +
**This gives him increased chances to crit for a half turn. On the other hand, it is also possible to lose turns from missing. As such, he is typically run in the 3rd or 4th position, depending on your risk aversion.
 +
**Beware teams running [[Rama]] + [[Susano-o A]], as the combo walls him.
 +
*'''[[Cu Chulainn A]] is a high risk high return pick.''' Against teams without Force Anti-Pierce, he can deal massive amounts of damage while generating Press Turns from crits. Inversely, teams that do run Force Anti-Pierce will completely invalidate him.
 +
 
 +
'''Skills and Brands''':
 +
*[[Force Amp]] can be used to increase his damage.
 +
*As Accuracy is very important for him (Barbed Spear has 12 chances to miss and lose Press Turns), [[Great Aim]] is recommended.
 +
*Due to [[Barbed Spear]]'s low MP cost, he can run War Brands for increased damage. Aim or Speed brands are acceptable sub-sets.
 +
 
 +
====V☆====
 +
{{DemonIcon|V☆}}
 +
*[[V☆]] is an Almighty Mage that excels at dealing spread damage.
 +
*Whenever someone on your team does an auto-attack, V will follow up with [[Griffon-Bolt]], dealing light Almighty damage to 4 random enemies.
 +
**This is an incredible follow up to [[Kartikeya]] and/or [[Shiva A]]'s initial attack, and [[Masakado A]]'s own auto-attack after running out of MP.
 +
**It also allows him to clean up any [[Endure]]s remaining, and balance up the team by providing Magic damage.
 +
*[[Shadow-Shock]] essentially guarantees he will never have MP issues, as it gives him a free Almighty ST attack that also triggers his own [[Griffon-Bolt]].
 +
*He is best run in the 4th slot, as his auto-attack is not able to crit for Press Turns.
 +
*'''[[V☆]] is the safer option compared to [[Cu Chulainn A]]. While less explosive, he does not have to worry about NDR and Accuracy.'''
 +
 
 +
'''Skills and Brands''':
 +
*[[Butcher]] and [[Serial Killer]] can used to increase [[Griffon-Bolt]]'s damage.
 +
*[[Speedster]] and [[Epitome of Swiftness]] can be used to raise battle speed.
 +
*Spell Brands are used to increase his damage. Speed brands are the preferred sub-set.
  
 
==Finalized Team==
 
==Finalized Team==
−
To recap, your finalized team should contain both [[Uriel]] and [[Gabriel]], another Herald and one Speedster demon. It should look something like this:
+
To recap, your finalized team should typically look something like this:
 +
*1st demon should have high Crit rate to start the crit chain.
 +
*2nd demon should be [[Masakado A]].
 +
*3rd demon should have high Crit rate to generate another press turn.
 +
*4th demon is flexible, though an AOE is appreciated at this point.
 +
 
 +
=== High Speed Hero Masakado ===
 +
{| border=0 align="left"
 +
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Kartikeya|archetype=Clear|skill1=Phys Pierce (weak)|skill2=Savage Glee|brands=Speed, Speed|statreq=40% speed}}
 +
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Masakado A|archetype=Purple|skill1=Herculean Strike L|skill2=Speedster|brands=Divine, Speed|statreq=15% speed}}
 +
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Susano-o A|archetype=Purple|skill1=Phys Amp|skill2=Speedster|brands=War, Aim|statreq=15% speed}}
 +
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Cu Chulainn A|archetype=Purple|skill1=Force Amp|skill2=Speedster|brands=War, Aim|statreq=15% speed}}
 +
|}
 +
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
 +
 
 +
Assuming maxed AGI Mitama on everyone, the above team can reach 40k Battle Speed, enough to outspeed the majority of the metagame. Both [[Susano-o A]] and [[Cu Chulainn A]] are capable of unleashing their unique skills Turn 1, and [[Masakado A]] can mop up any remaining demons with [[Herculean Strike L]].
  
 +
=== Anti-Midrange Hero Masakado ===
 
{| border=0 align="left"
 
{| border=0 align="left"
−
|+ Sample Archangel Team.
+
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Shiva A|archetype=Purple|skill1=Butcher|skill2=Great Aim|brands=Spell, Aim|statreq=15% speed, P2 unlocked}}
−
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Garuda|archetype=Purple|skill1=Bufula L|skill2=Speedster|brands=Speed, Speed|statreq=40% speed, +20 AGI from Mitama}}
+
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Masakado A|archetype=Purple|skill1=Epitome of Swiftness|skill2=Speedster|brands=Divine, Speed|statreq=40% speed}}
−
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Uriel|archetype=Purple|skill1=Fire Amp|skill2=Speedster|brands=Divine, Speed|statreq=10% speed, +20 AGI from Mitama}}
+
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Asura Lord|archetype=Purple|skill1=Assassin|skill2=Savage Glee|brands=Divine, Aim|statreq=15% speed}}
−
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Raphael|archetype=Purple|skill1=Force Amp|skill2=Speedster|brands=Spell, Speed|statreq=10% speed, +8 AGI from Mitama}}
+
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=V☆|archetype=Red|skill1=Butcher|skill2=Serial Killer|brands=Spell, Speed|statreq=15% speed}}
−
| valign="top" |{{DemonBuild:Thin|demon=Gabriel|archetype=Purple|skill1=Light Amp|skill2=Speedster|brands=Spell, Speed|statreq=10% speed, +20 AGI from Mitama}}
 
 
|}
 
|}
 
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
 
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
  
−
The above team hits 41k battle speed, enough to outspeed every PVE challenge and the vast majority of PVP defenses.
+
Unlike the high speed version above, this variant sacrifices speed in order to improve the matchup versus [[Intimidating Stance Teams]] and [[Drain Teams]]. Assuming maxed AGI Mitama on everyone, the team can still reach ~27k Battle Speed (enough to outspeed Midrange Teams) while still running offensive passives and brands on the main attackers. All of the attacks are Almighty element, allowing the team to counter [[Drain Teams]].
 +
 
 +
A typical battle versus double [[Intimidating Stance Teams]] (5 initial Press Turns reduced to 3) will look something like this:
 +
*Press Turn 1: [[Shiva A]] crits from [[Ishvara]] --> [[Griffon-Bolt]] follow-up.
 +
**Half Turn 1: [[Masakado A]] casts [[Kuyo Flash]].
 +
*Press Turn 2: [[Asura Lord]] casts [[Slaughter All]], deleting a demon and scoring a crit.
 +
**Half Turn 2: [[V☆]] auto-attacks (turns into [[Shadow-Shock]]) --> [[Griffon-Bolt]] follow-up.
 +
*Press Turn 3: [[Shiva A]] casts [[Third Eye]], scoring a crit. By this point the enemy team should be mostly annihilated.
 +
**Half Turn 3: [[Masakado A]] auto-attacks --> [[Griffon-Bolt]] follow-up to clean up any remaining demons.
  
 
== Checks and Counters ==
 
== Checks and Counters ==
−
While they are a powerful combination, the Archangels are by no means invincible. There are several ways to counter angels both on offense and defense.
+
While very oppressive, Hero Masakado teams are by no means unstoppable. There are several ways to counter them on both offense and defense.
  
 
=== Outspeed ===
 
=== Outspeed ===
−
{{DemonIcon|Kartikeya}}
+
{{DemonIcon|Uriel}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Nekomata A}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Nekomata A}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Garuda A}}  
 
{{DemonIcon|Garuda A}}  
−
*While Archangel teams are fast, they are not the '''fastest'''. This is especially evident if you chose to run Metatron or Mastema as your third Herald.
+
*Hero Masakado teams are glass cannons, being outsped is usually a death sentence.
−
*Being outsped is almost an automatic loss. Even if they do not teamwipe you on their turn, losing just one Herald means your chain effects will not trigger the next turn, severely reducing your damage output.
+
*Speedy teams like [[Archangels]] can outspeed and decimate them T1.  
 +
*This is especially true versus the Anti-Midrange variant that sacrifices speed for power.
  
−
=== Repel Pierce ===
+
=== Crit Resistance ===
−
{{DemonIcon|Asura Lord}}
+
{{SkillIcon|icon=yes|name=Wild Instinct}} <br />
−
{{DemonIcon|Vairocana}}
+
{{SkillIcon|icon=yes|name=Epitome of Fortitude}} <br />
−
{{DemonIcon|Atavaka}}
+
*As Hero Masakado teams rely on crits to generate press turns and have highly optimized turn orders, missing a single crit can be game-losing.
−
{{DemonIcon|Alilat}}
+
*Crit Resistance swings this in your favor, especially versus Hero Masakado defense teams as the AI will always try to attacking low LUK demons for Press Turns.  
−
*[[Asura Lord]] and [[Vairocana]] innately repel both Fire and Light, the main two elements in an Archangel team.
+
**Bulky Demons like [[Asherah]] who have low LUK are the best carriers of the skill, as the AI will likely target her and fail to crit.
−
*[[Alilat]]'s [[Repel Pierce]] and [[Atavaka]]'s [[War Aid]] both prevent Repel resistances from being pierced.
+
**She also appreciates the extra HP granted from [[Epitome of Fortitude]].  
−
*This team composition is extremely hard to attack into, as the repelled attacks will carry over their piercing properties, dealing full damage to you. Casting AOEs like [[Sunrise]] will also result in Press Turns being burned as a penalty for attacking into NDR.
 
−
*It is almost impossible to wipe this team T1, and they will no doubt hit back hard on their counterswing.
 
  
−
=== Asherah and Daisoujou ===
+
=== Bulky Teams and AOE Resistance ===
 +
{{DemonIcon|Orcus}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Asherah}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Asherah}}
−
{{DemonIcon|Daisoujou}}
+
{{DemonIcon|Nidhoggr}}
−
*[[Asherah]] and [[Daisoujou]] are both bulky support demons that are often run together as a support duo.
+
*[[Orcus]] helps to soften the damage from [[Third Eye]], [[Kuyo Flash]] and [[Griffon-Bolt]].
−
*[[Asherah]]'s Panel 2 halves the damage she takes from Fire attacks, while [[Daisoujou]]'s Panel 1 halves the damage he takes from Light attacks. These resistances '''cannot be pierced''' as they are not your typical NDR.
+
*[[Asherah]] is bulky and [[Mother's Creation]] allows her to revive a sweeper with an extra press turn for the counter-sweep.
−
*Combined with their natural bulk, they are almost impossible to burst down T1.  
+
*[[Nidhoggr]] is naturally bulky and has innate [[Enduring Soul]] plus [[Wild Instinct]] (in purple).  
−
*[[Asherah]] carries [[Mother's Creation]], the strongest revival spell in the game. It resurrects a teammate while refunding a full press turn, giving the revived teammate a chance to act immediately.  
+
**His unique skill [[Nastrond]] heals a large portion of his HP whenever a teammate is killed. This greatly increases his chances of surviving the Turn 1 onslaught (provided he is not killed through Endure by [[Slaughter All]]) and turning the tables through [[Recarmdra]].
−
*[[Daisoujou]] typically carries [[Recarmdra]], a party-wide resurrection.  
 
−
*They can usually tank your entire combo, revive their fallen DPS demons and wipe you on the counterswing.
 
  
 
=== Quetzalcoatl A ===
 
=== Quetzalcoatl A ===
 
{{DemonIcon|Quetzalcoatl A}}
 
{{DemonIcon|Quetzalcoatl A}}
 
*[[Quetzalcoatl A]] is a deadly Fire mage that is capable of dealing high amounts of damage, thanks to having innate [[Fire Amp]] and [[Butcher]].
 
*[[Quetzalcoatl A]] is a deadly Fire mage that is capable of dealing high amounts of damage, thanks to having innate [[Fire Amp]] and [[Butcher]].
−
*His unique passive [[Ce Acatl]] automatically revives him if he is dead at the start of your turn, and refunds a Press Turn icon.
+
**His unique passive [[Ce Acatl]] automatically revives him if he is dead at the start of your turn, and refunds a Press Turn icon.
−
*When paired with a bulky demon like [[Orcus]] or [[Asherah]], he becomes a soft counter for Archangel teams used on defense.
+
**Paired with [[Nidhoggr]] (who is almost guaranteed to survive) or another tank like [[Orcus]] or [[Asherah]], [[Ce Acatl]] will automatically bring him back to life the next turn, letting him sweep with two [[Aztec Pulse]]s (pass on the tank).
−
** As long as the tank survives, [[Quetzalcoatl A]] will come back to life the next turn and respond with two [[Aztec Pulses]] (pass on the tank).
+
 
 +
=== Intimidating Stance ===
 +
{{DemonIcon|Masakado}}
 +
{{DemonIcon|Atavaka}}
 +
*Less press turns = Less turns for Hero Masakado teams to deal damage.
 +
*[[Asherah]] is a very good teammate, as [[Mother's Creation]] allows her to revive your sweeper with an extra press turn for the counter-sweep.
 +
*Beware the AntiMidrange variants though, which are crafted specifically to counter these teams.

Revision as of 11:36, 30 March 2020

Written by Reika

Overview

Intimidating Stance Teams are built around the powerful Intimidating Stance passive, which reduces the enemy's Press Turns if going second. These teams aim to out-slow the enemy, denying their Press Turns and unleashing powerful attacks on the counter-swing.

Concept

  • Intimidating Stance removes a Press Turn from the opponent if going second. This ability may not stack more than twice.
    • As such, there are two flavors of Intimidating Stance Teams: Single Stance and Double Stance
  • Going second also gives your team additional MP. This allows you to fire off stronger attacks without using Divine Brands.
  • These teams typically run slow but bulky demons, with the aim of going second, surviving the initial turn and countering hard on their next turn.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Going second gives you access to more MP and in turn stronger attacks.
  • Flexible team composition, can easily adjust battle speed depending on team members. Useful for revenging.
  • Can safely ignore the speedwar as the team aims to go second anyway.
  • Low barrier of entry: The team can be built using fuseable demons.
  • High damage ceiling, depending on how much you invest into the team.
  • Highly resistant to Meta shifts: These teams have been around since game launch and will continue to remain relevant for a long time.

Cons:

  • Best options are Gacha and Banner exclusives.
  • Will be at a disadvantage is out-slowed. This makes them prime targets for revenging.

Team

Now lets go in-depth as to how to build this Team.

Core Demons

There are five demons in the game with the Intimidating Stance passive. As this effect does not stack more than twice (using more than 2 will cause the third to not remove any PTs), you should pick at most two demons from the list below for your party. Note that even though Masakado's passive is not named Intimidating Stance, it still has the same stack restrictions.

Masakado

Masakado.jpg Masakado

  • The OG PVP Nightmare, Masakado is a physical powerhouse who is still one of the most powerful demons in the game.
  • His unique passive Warlord's Wrath not only provides him Intimidating Stance, it also gives him Phys Pierce and a 100% Counter on receiving Physical damage.
  • His signature Occult Flash is a high-damage, high-critical single target Physical skill that inflicts Mortal (instant Death).
  • Both Purple and Teal can be used depending on team composition:
    • Purple gives him Phys Amp, greatly amplifying his damage.
    • Teal gives him Drain Phys, making him a good partner for Rama's Drain Pierce (allows Drain resistances to invalidate Pierce effects).
  • Masakado is the best Stance demon period. There is no reason to not use him if you do have him.

Skills and Brands:

  • Phys Boost and Epitome of Carnage are good options to boost his damage.
  • Great Aim and Epitome of Aggression can be used to patch up his shaky accuracy.
  • Auto skills allow him to further support his team. Players who run this build typically use him purely for inflicting Mortal via Occult Flash.
  • Usually runs Life brands to compensate for his rather low HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.

Atavaka

Atavaka.jpg Atavaka

  • Has Intimidating Stance in purple.
  • His unique active Enemy Annihilation fully debuffs the enemy before firing off a powerful Piercing AOE Physical attack.
  • His other unique, War Aid, increases his accuracy and acts as Anti-Pierce: While he is alive, Repel Resistances will negate Pierce effects.
  • High STR, decent HP with low AGI makes him the perfect Stance demon.
  • This combination of abilities make him a highly flexible unit.
  • Atavaka is the only Stance demon with an Anti-Pierce and also the only one with a debuff skill.

Skills and Brands:

  • Phys Amp is a good option to boost his damage.
  • Great Aim and Epitome of Aggression can be used to patch up his shaky accuracy.
  • Auto skills allow him to further support his team.
  • As Enemy Annihilation has a high MP cost, most players choose to run Divine Brands. Life brands can also be used to increase his HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.

Surt

Surt.jpg Surt

  • Has Intimidating Stance in Clear.
  • Tetra Shift synergizes well with Stance, and is great to catch teams running leads without Phys Pierce / cheap attacks.
  • Ragnarok is a single-target Nuke that hits extremely hard despite his low MAG.
  • On the downside, his AI is notoriously bad for defense if not running Divine Brands with maxed Ragnarok.
  • Surt is the only Stance demon with a Magic focus. Use him if you desire a balanced team.

Skills and Brands:

  • Surt can be run as either a Nuker or a Support.
  • If run as a Nuker:
    • Fire Amp and Fire Boost are good options to boost his damage.
    • Divine Brands are recommended on Defense, as the AI will default to Berserker God after the first maxed Ragnarok without it.
    • Spell Brands can be used for Offense, or if you are confident of winning after a single Ragnarok on Defense.
  • If run as a Support:
    • Auto skills allow him to further support his team.
    • Life Brands are useful for increasing bulk.

Zhong Kui

Zhong Kui.jpg Zhong Kui

  • Has Intimidating Stance in Purple.
  • High STR and LUK lets him hit hard and crit for Press Turns.
  • Innate Auto-Taruka increases your team's damage.
  • On the downside, he does not have Pierce and his accuracy is shaky at best.
  • Being a 4 Star, Zhong Kui is a very accessible source of Intimidating Stance. He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.

Skills and Brands:

  • Phys Pierce (weak) prevents him from being walled by Phys NDR and Tetra Shift.
  • Auto skills allow him to further support his team.
  • Due to his high luck, he can also run Ailment skills like Mahashibabooon.
    • Consider running Sick Brands with Ailment Infliction % stats if running him as such.
  • Life brands can be used to increase HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.

Baihu

Baihu.jpg Baihu

  • Has Intimidating Stance in Purple.
  • The earliest fuseable Stance demon.
  • Cheapest Stance demon. He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.
  • High STR and LUK lets him hit hard and crit for Press Turns.
  • Innate Auto-Taruka increases your team's damage.
  • On the downside, he does not have Pierce and his accuracy is shaky at best.
  • Being a 4 Star, Zhong Kui is a very accessible source of Intimidating Stance. He can also be deliberately capped at Level 1 to forcibly lower your own Battle Speed.

Skills and Brands:

  • Phys Pierce (weak) prevents him from being walled by Phys NDR and Tetra Shift.
  • Auto skills allow him to further support his team.
  • Due to his high luck, he can also run Ailment skills like Mahashibabooon.
  • Life brands can be used to increase HP. Aim brands are the recommended sub-set.

Supporting Demons

When picking Supporting Demons, always consider your team's Turn Order. Ideally you will want to lead with a high Crit demon so that you can cast Kuyo Flash on the half turn. Avoid having Masakado A in the number 1 spot, as he will waste the entire Press Turn casting Kuyo Flash.

Kartikeya

Kartikeya.jpg Kartikeya

  • One of the fastest demons in the game, Kartikeya is used to accelerate your battle speed.
  • His unique aura Skanda raises your whole party's Crit rate and Accuracy, both important stats for the team. Combine this with innate Mortal Jihad (a high base crit rate skill) and high base LUK, he can reliably crit for Press Turns.
  • Comes with innate Speedster in Clear.
  • Unless you have a specific Metagame strat, Kartikeya is the safe pick, providing everything your team needs.

Skills and Brands:

  • Phys Pierce (weak) is mandatory to avoid being walled by Tetra Shift.
  • Epitome of Swiftness can be used to raise battle speed. It's a very rare transfer skill though.
  • Savage Glee brings his already impressive Crit rate to near-guaranteed levels.
  • Auto-Taruka and Auto-Rakunda can be used to increase your team's damage right off the bat.
  • Double speed brands are recommended to further bump up battle speed. Focus on speed Primary for the Legs, Crit rate for the Arms and Speed Tertiaries for everything else.
    • With P1, you can run double speed and still T1 Mortal Jihad. Unfortunately, Kartikeya is notoriously difficult to fuse, costing upwards of 8 million Mag from scratch.

Shiva A

Shiva A.jpg Shiva A

  • Shiva A is a powerful Almighty Sweeper.
  • Ishvara gives him a guaranteed Crit on his first attack to get the Crit Ball rolling.
  • Third Eye is a fully unblockable Almighty attack that can also Crit for massive damage.
  • Panel 2 is mandatory for him, as he is walled by Tetra Shift otherwise.
  • It is recommended to make him the lead demon, as Ishvara guarantees he will crit pass for Masakado A. This will also allow him to gather enough MP to cast Third Eye in the same turn, even if he is running Spell Brands.
    • You will need to do some creative branding if you plan to run him with Kartikeya. He needs to have a minimum of +3 AGI Mitama to speed tie Masakado A, with both him and Masakado A running Lead Brands in order to go before Kartikeya.
  • Purple is the recommended color. Savage Glee increases the odds of Third Eye landing a crit.
  • Shiva A is the luxury option, pick him if you managed to Panel him.

Skills and Brands:

  • Butcher is used to increase Third Eye's damage.
  • Speedster and Epitome of Swiftness can be used to raise battle speed.
  • Great Aim can be used to patch up his accuracy if required.
  • Spell Brands are recommended to increase his damage. Aim and Speed brands are acceptable sub-sets depending on preference.

Asura Lord

Asura Lord.jpg Asura Lord

  • Asura Lord is a single-target Nuker that carries a valuable aura.
  • His unique aura Endless War buffs the critical rate and damage of all your teammates.
    • It also stacks with Kartikeya's Skanda, giving your whole team a whopping +40% to crit!
  • Slaughter All is a fully unblockable Almighty Single Target attack that deal ridiculous damage, has above average Crit rate, bypasses Endures and can be casted T1, either through Divine Brands or Panels.
    • Did I mention ridiculous damage? Not taking into account any transfer skills, Slaughter All has 210 BP, plus 12% from levels, 20% from Master Assassin and 10% from his Aura, with 40% base crit rate fired off a Titanic 242 STR (4th highest in the whole game).
  • Purple is recommended to boost his damage further through Master Assassin.
  • He is best run in the 3rd position, abusing Slaughter All's high crit rate to generate a Press Turn for your 4th attacker. This also lets him take full advantage of Kuyo Flash's buff swing to assassinate a key opponent even through Endures.
  • Asura Lord is a very solid Nuker with a very helpful Aura, pick him if you have him.

Skills and Brands:

Susano-o A

Susano-o A.jpg Susano-o A

  • Susano-o A is a Physical Nuker that excels in defense teams, as his unique passive Heavenly Valor deals piercing AOE damage whenever the enemy passes.
  • Violent Slash is a hard-hitting single target Physical attack that grows in power the more it is cast. The skill has 150 Base Power initially and can be cast T1 even without Divine Brands, making him a great candidate for the team.
  • Innate Epitome of Carnage means he will naturally crit a lot, especially if paired with Kartikeya and Asura Lord auras.
  • He is best run in the 3rd position, abusing his high crit rate to generate a Press Turn for your 4th attacker. This also lets him take full advantage of Kuyo Flash's buff swing to assassinate a key opponent.
  • A very good candidate for Defense Teams. If you plan to run this team on Defense, definitely try to slot him in!

Skills and Brands:

Cu Chulainn A

Cu Chulainn A.jpg Cu Chulainn A

  • Cu Chulainn A is a dual-element physical sweeper.
  • Barbed Spear is a piercing Force-element Physical attack that deals multiple hits on all enemies.
    • This gives him increased chances to crit for a half turn. On the other hand, it is also possible to lose turns from missing. As such, he is typically run in the 3rd or 4th position, depending on your risk aversion.
    • Beware teams running Rama + Susano-o A, as the combo walls him.
  • Cu Chulainn A is a high risk high return pick. Against teams without Force Anti-Pierce, he can deal massive amounts of damage while generating Press Turns from crits. Inversely, teams that do run Force Anti-Pierce will completely invalidate him.

Skills and Brands:

  • Force Amp can be used to increase his damage.
  • As Accuracy is very important for him (Barbed Spear has 12 chances to miss and lose Press Turns), Great Aim is recommended.
  • Due to Barbed Spear's low MP cost, he can run War Brands for increased damage. Aim or Speed brands are acceptable sub-sets.

V☆

V☆.jpg V☆

  • V☆ is an Almighty Mage that excels at dealing spread damage.
  • Whenever someone on your team does an auto-attack, V will follow up with Griffon-Bolt, dealing light Almighty damage to 4 random enemies.
    • This is an incredible follow up to Kartikeya and/or Shiva A's initial attack, and Masakado A's own auto-attack after running out of MP.
    • It also allows him to clean up any Endures remaining, and balance up the team by providing Magic damage.
  • Shadow-Shock essentially guarantees he will never have MP issues, as it gives him a free Almighty ST attack that also triggers his own Griffon-Bolt.
  • He is best run in the 4th slot, as his auto-attack is not able to crit for Press Turns.
  • V☆ is the safer option compared to Cu Chulainn A. While less explosive, he does not have to worry about NDR and Accuracy.

Skills and Brands:

Finalized Team

To recap, your finalized team should typically look something like this:

  • 1st demon should have high Crit rate to start the crit chain.
  • 2nd demon should be Masakado A.
  • 3rd demon should have high Crit rate to generate another press turn.
  • 4th demon is flexible, though an AOE is appreciated at this point.

High Speed Hero Masakado

ArchClear.png Kartikeya.jpg Kartikeya
Skills
Phys Pierce (weak)
Savage Glee
Brands
Speed, Speed
Requirements
40% speed
ArchPurple.png Masakado A.jpg Masakado A
Skills
Herculean Strike L
Speedster
Brands
Divine, Speed
Requirements
15% speed
ArchPurple.png Susano-o A.jpg Susano-o A
Skills
Phys Amp
Speedster
Brands
War, Aim
Requirements
15% speed
ArchPurple.png Cu Chulainn A.jpg Cu Chulainn A
Skills
Force Amp
Speedster
Brands
War, Aim
Requirements
15% speed

Assuming maxed AGI Mitama on everyone, the above team can reach 40k Battle Speed, enough to outspeed the majority of the metagame. Both Susano-o A and Cu Chulainn A are capable of unleashing their unique skills Turn 1, and Masakado A can mop up any remaining demons with Herculean Strike L.

Anti-Midrange Hero Masakado

ArchPurple.png Shiva A.jpg Shiva A
Skills
Butcher
Great Aim
Brands
Spell, Aim
Requirements
15% speed, P2 unlocked
ArchPurple.png Masakado A.jpg Masakado A
Skills
Epitome of Swiftness
Speedster
Brands
Divine, Speed
Requirements
40% speed
ArchPurple.png Asura Lord.jpg Asura Lord
Skills
Assassin
Savage Glee
Brands
Divine, Aim
Requirements
15% speed
ArchRed.png V☆.jpg V☆
Skills
Butcher
Serial Killer
Brands
Spell, Speed
Requirements
15% speed

Unlike the high speed version above, this variant sacrifices speed in order to improve the matchup versus Intimidating Stance Teams and Drain Teams. Assuming maxed AGI Mitama on everyone, the team can still reach ~27k Battle Speed (enough to outspeed Midrange Teams) while still running offensive passives and brands on the main attackers. All of the attacks are Almighty element, allowing the team to counter Drain Teams.

A typical battle versus double Intimidating Stance Teams (5 initial Press Turns reduced to 3) will look something like this:

Checks and Counters

While very oppressive, Hero Masakado teams are by no means unstoppable. There are several ways to counter them on both offense and defense.

Outspeed

Uriel.jpg Uriel Nekomata A.jpg Nekomata A Garuda A.jpg Garuda A

  • Hero Masakado teams are glass cannons, being outsped is usually a death sentence.
  • Speedy teams like Archangels can outspeed and decimate them T1.
  • This is especially true versus the Anti-Midrange variant that sacrifices speed for power.

Crit Resistance

Passive.png Wild Instinct Passive -75% to Critical hit rate of damage received.
Passive.png Epitome of Fortitude Passive +20% to max HP, -50% to Critical hit rate of damage received.

  • As Hero Masakado teams rely on crits to generate press turns and have highly optimized turn orders, missing a single crit can be game-losing.
  • Crit Resistance swings this in your favor, especially versus Hero Masakado defense teams as the AI will always try to attacking low LUK demons for Press Turns.
    • Bulky Demons like Asherah who have low LUK are the best carriers of the skill, as the AI will likely target her and fail to crit.
    • She also appreciates the extra HP granted from Epitome of Fortitude.

Bulky Teams and AOE Resistance

Orcus.jpg Orcus Asherah.jpg Asherah Nidhoggr.jpg Nidhoggr

Quetzalcoatl A

Quetzalcoatl A.jpg Quetzalcoatl A

  • Quetzalcoatl A is a deadly Fire mage that is capable of dealing high amounts of damage, thanks to having innate Fire Amp and Butcher.
    • His unique passive Ce Acatl automatically revives him if he is dead at the start of your turn, and refunds a Press Turn icon.
    • Paired with Nidhoggr (who is almost guaranteed to survive) or another tank like Orcus or Asherah, Ce Acatl will automatically bring him back to life the next turn, letting him sweep with two Aztec Pulses (pass on the tank).

Intimidating Stance

Masakado.jpg Masakado Atavaka.jpg Atavaka

  • Less press turns = Less turns for Hero Masakado teams to deal damage.
  • Asherah is a very good teammate, as Mother's Creation allows her to revive your sweeper with an extra press turn for the counter-sweep.
  • Beware the AntiMidrange variants though, which are crafted specifically to counter these teams.
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