Version 1.4 Best Team Rotations & Builds — NTE

Rotations and builds for the strongest teams of version 1.4, each with the substitutes that keep it working if you are missing a piece.

General Build Advice

Every damage dealer wants DMG% and a high ATK total, and around 2,000 ATK is the number to aim for. A few characters want a specific stat on top of that: Blackbird wants Cycle Intensity and Daffodill wants Break Intensity.

Do not underrate the jump from level 8 abilities to level 10. On a DPS character it is often a very large upgrade, so finish those levels before you start chasing better module rolls.

Zankou Break Team with Blackbird

4 OR

Rotation

Zankou — swap straight out
Daffodill — swap straight out
Blackbird — Ultimate twice, then Skill at A1; Skill, then Ultimate at A0
Daffodill — Ultimate, then Skill
Linko — Skill, then Ultimate
Zankou — Skill until she is upgraded, then her Ultimates, and repeat

Opening on Zankou means Scorch is the first reaction on the target, and Scorch lasts 15 seconds, so with Linko’s A1 the team keeps Hexed up for the whole fight. You can open on Linko, but depending on how fast you play you may miss the Hexed damage on Zankou’s first Ultimate.

Scorch Duo Cycle

Incantation Chaos

Chaos

Upon triggering Esper Cycle, inflicts Scorch on the target for 15s, dealing DoT.

Resonance

Baicang

Moderate Mischief

Scorch Enhancement: Inflicts another instance of Scorch with the same effect as the existing one when a Power Word is generated on a target affected by Scorch.

Sakiri

Can I Eat This?

Scorch Enhancement: Increases DoT taken by the target by 25% for each type of DoT effect while in Scorch state, up to 100%.

Adler

Temperance

Scorch Enhancement: Applies one of three random debuffs whenever Scorch is inflicted on a target: -20% ATK, -10% Esper Resistance, or +10% Break Efficiency, lasting for 15s. The same effect cannot stack.

Zankou

Silent Sunset

Scorch Enhancement: Scorch can be stacked up to 3 times. For each DoT effect allies inflict on a target afflicted with Scorch, Zankou inflicts 1 stack of Scorch on them, replacing the DMG, type, and duration of existing Scorch on the target with those of the newly inflicted effect. Scorch inflicted by this effect cannot trigger it again.

Hexed Duo Cycle

Anima

Incantation

Deals an additional instance of follow-up attack DMG to the target equal to 20% of Anima or Incantation DMG taken within 12s after triggering Esper Cycle.

Resonance

Linko

Weakness Radar

Hexed Enhancement: Increases the base DMG of additional Follow-up Attacks from Hexed to 30% while Linko is on the team. Targets affected by Hexed take 10% more Follow-up Attack DMG.

Zankou’s two Ultimates do not have to come out in one stay. After the first one you can still swap out, for a fresh Hexed trigger or another Daffodill Skill, and come back for the second before its window closes.

The Zankou Break team at Terminal Station

With Sakiri in Linko’s slot, the only change is the opener: Sakiri goes first with Ultimate and Skill, then Zankou, Daffodill and Blackbird as above. That puts Sakiri’s ATK buff on Blackbird, which is worth a lot when Blackbird is at A1.

Builds

Daffodill — Break Intensity. At A1 and A2 it is always the priority; at A0 a DPS build can come out ahead.
Blackbird — at least 150 Cycle Intensity. It raises her Nova and Scorch damage and makes the Stain buff stronger in Stain teams.
Linko — a classic DPS build. Her Arc options in order: Voice of the Voyager , then Nanally’s Ready-Ready , then Fluff of Fortitude , then Raging Flames .
Zankou — a classic DPS build as well.

Blackbird Nova Team

1 OR

4 OR

Nova Duo Cycle

Chaos

Psyche

Inflicts Nova on the target for 5s after triggering Esper Cycle. When the effect ends, the target takes massive Mental Damage.

Resonance

Fadia

Furnace of Guilt

Nova Enhancement: Allows all allies to drain Max HP from the target when Nova ends. The target loses Max HP equal to 200% of Fadia's base Max HP, and each ally gains Max HP equal to 10% of Fadia's base Max HP. Total drained cannot exceed 50% of Fadia's base Max HP. Restores both parties' stats upon exiting combat.

Haniel

It's Friendship!

Nova Enhancement: Allows all allies to drain ATK from the target when Nova ends. The target loses ATK equal to 4% of Haniel's Base ATK, and each ally gains ATK equal to 8% of Haniel's Base ATK. The total drain is capped at 16% of Haniel's Base ATK, and the target cannot lose more than 20% of their initial ATK. Restores both parties' stats upon exiting combat.

Aurelia

Harmonics

Nova Enhancement: Deals 3 instances of Psyche DMG to the target after their Nova status ends, each equal to 50% of ATK.

Blackbird

Thrushsong

Stain Enhancement: Increases Stain's base DMG Bonus to 30% and extends its duration to 20s. Nova Enhancement: When Nova ends, deals additional Mental DMG equal to 20% of the actual total DMG taken by the target while Nova was active (excluding DMG dealt by the Support Skill that triggered Nova and by Nova itself), up to 1,000× Blackbird's Base ATK. This additional DMG is not affected by any other DMG Buffs or Debuffs. Inflicts Nova on the target once afterward. Prevents Nova inflicted by this effect from triggering the Nova reapplication effect again.

Rotation

Fadia or Haniel — Ultimate, then Skill
Sakiri — Ultimate, then Skill. If you have trouble staying on the enemy, one Basic Attack closes the gap.
Blackbird — Ultimate twice, then Skill at A1; Skill, then Ultimate at A0
Lacrimosa — ten stacks from her Basic Attacks, then Ultimate, then her Anomaly Skill
Cancel into Blackbird and Basic Attack until her Skill is back, then return to Lacrimosa and repeat

Blackbird is at her most fun in this team, because you swap between her and Lacrimosa constantly: every time her Skill comes back, she gets a turn on the field.

With Daffodill in Lacrimosa’s slot the rotation stays the same, since the two share an element. You will probably stay longer on Blackbird’s Ultimate, because there is less to swap out for.

Builds

Blackbird — Cycle Intensity, then a damage build.
Lacrimosa — as much damage as possible, with a very high Crit Rate.
Fadia — the Speedy Hedgehog cartridge set. Its ATK buff on Ultimate lines up exactly with her cooldown.
Haniel — her stats barely matter, because her ATK buff scales off her Base ATK.

Fadia and Haniel need very little from their stats, so some Cycle Intensity on either of them is a good use of the spare room, especially in longer fights. It keeps Nova damage high when someone other than Blackbird triggers it.

The Stain Version

Stain is not worth building yet unless you are playing Chaos . Running it only to buff Blackbird makes the rotation worse, and Nova is clearly ahead until the roster has a Lakshana support.

Stain Duo Cycle

Psyche

Lakshana

Increases the target's Psyche and Lakshana DMG taken by 20% for 12s after triggering Esper Cycle.

Resonance

Blackbird

Thrushsong

If you want to play it anyway, open on Sakiri with Ultimate and Skill, then swap to Blackbird or Hathor . With a built Hathor, go to Blackbird first so Stain is already on the target when Hathor comes in. Hathor and Chaos both take a basic damage build.

Chaos Team with Blackbird

Rotation

Blackbird — Skill, then Ultimate once at A0; Ultimate twice, then Skill at A1
Hathor — Skill, then Ultimate, and swap out after the first Skill press
Zero — Ultimate, then Skill
Chaos — play her out

If your Hathor is not built, go straight from Blackbird to Chaos. From there, swap to Chaos, Blackbird or Zero whenever one of their cooldowns is ready: Blackbird’s Skill or Ultimate, Zero’s Skill or Ultimate. Played this way, Stain is already on the enemy when Blackbird uses her Ultimate.

A1 Blackbird feels very good here, and the team performs well overall. Blackbird keeps her Cycle Intensity build, and Hathor and Chaos take a basic damage build.

Shinku Charge Team

2 OR

4 OR

Charge Triple Cycle

Cosmos

Anima

Lakshana

Grants the active character 10 additional Ultimate Energy when Vita Pistils hit targets affected by Remora.

Resonance

Zero

Appraiser

Creation Enhancement: Each "Creation Flower" will split into 2 flowers that fly together towards the target within range and explode.

Chiz

Hanahaki Disease

Charge Enhancement: Grants active characters 4 additional Ultimate Energy.

Edgar

Gentle Edge

Charge Enhancement: Grants 120 Ultimate Energy instantly when a character triggers Charge using a Support Skill. Disables Ultimate Energy gain from Vita Pistils when hitting Slowed targets afterward. Cooldown: 30s.

Shinku

Lone Stride

Charge Enhancement: Grants off-field characters the same amount of Charge when the active character gains Ultimate Energy. While Shinku is active and in Charge state, each trigger deals AoE DMG equal to 400% of ATK (scales with Basic Attack level, reaching 863.6% at level 11), and increases her ATK by 5% for 30s, up to 10 stacks. Cooldown: 1s.

Rotation

Shinku — build to max stacks, use her Skill, build back to four stacks, then attack
Hathor or Skia — Ultimate, then Skill
Zero — Ultimate, then Skill
Iroi or Nanally — Ultimate, then Skill, and swap into Shinku
Shinku — Ultimate, then Skill five times

Swap into Shinku right after the Anima character’s Skill, so that Skill is not cancelled. Done correctly, there is time for Shinku’s Ultimate and all five Skills before you swap to the Lakshana character again and repeat.

Shinku's burst against the Black Tome at Ninth Stop

Skia has one advantage over Hathor: she can carry Good Boy's Grand Adventure , which buffs the whole team’s ATK.

Nanally Hexed Team with Linko

3 OR

Rotation

Sakiri — Ultimate, then Skill
Zero — Ultimate, then Skill
Linko — Skill, then Ultimate
Nanally — deal the damage, then repeat

Iroi in Linko’s slot adds more Blossom damage, and she is the better choice if your Linko is not well built.

Blossom Duo Cycle

Cosmos

Anima

Generates 1 Vita Bud near the target after triggering Esper Cycle, which blossoms 5 Vita Pistils.
Vita Pistils then fly toward targets within range, exploding every 2s and dealing DMG to an area.
Up to 3 Vita Buds can exist on the field at once.

Resonance

Nanally

More Than Passionate

Blossom Enhancement: Fires 10 Vita Pistils with Vita Bud, reducing the interval between each shot to 1s.

Mint

Transform! Super Mint!

Blossom Enhancement: Expands Vita Pistils' damage area on hit.

Hotori

Ghost Orchid Crest

Blossom Enhancement: Prevents Vita Bud attacks from pausing during Time Stop.

Jiuyuan

Seize the Moment

Blossom Enhancement: Spawns 1 additional Vita Bud and increases Vita Bud limit on field to 6.

Iroi

Mirror Image

Blossom Enhancement: Generates a Vita Bud Copy when the current Vita Bud has existed for 3s. This copy cannot duplicate and does not count toward the Vita Bud limit. The copy produces 20 Copied Vita Pistils. Every 0.5s, one Copied Vita Pistil flies toward a target within range and explodes, dealing 37.5% of the original Vita Pistil's DMG.

Builds

Nanally — the standard DPS build. Arcs: her signature Ready-Ready , then the battle pass Fluff of Fortitude , then Raging Flames as the free option.
Linko — a damage build here too. Arcs: Voice of the Voyager , then Ready-Ready, then Fluff of Fortitude, then Raging Flames.
Zero — as much Cycle Intensity as you can fit, to push the Blossom damage.
Sakiri — her ATK buff scales off her Base ATK, so put some damage on her and move on.
Iroi — focus on Cycle Intensity. Arcs: her signature The Wrong Gate , then Youthful Fantasy , then Fluff of Fleetness , then Shiny Days as the four-star option.

Hotori Blossom Team

3 OR

Rotation

Hotori — Skill
Zero — Ultimate, then Skill
Iroi — Ultimate, then Skill
Nanally — Skill, then Ultimate, and stay on her until Hotori’s Ultimate is nearly ready
Zero — Skill
Iroi — Skill, which groups the enemies in AoE content
Hotori — Ultimate

Ending the loop on Zero and Iroi gathers the enemies and sets up Blossom just before Hotori’s Ultimate, so the Ultimate hits every target and Blossom lands inside it.

Nanally on the field in the Hotori team at Eleventh Stop

Jiuyuan can take Iroi’s slot with exactly the same rotation, though Iroi feels very good in this team.

Builds

Hotori — maximum damage. Her signature Marching Beyond Time and Fluff of Fearlessness are close to each other, then The Rain That Shook the World and Hethereau's Keeper . Played as a support, she takes Blow up the Crowd .
Jiuyuan — her signature, which is free, and a damage build. She does not need Cycle Intensity, because Zero covers it.