Hello, and welcome to the fourth episode of the Bean Build Channel! Now, you’re probably wondering: “Isn’t this @Sir_of_Coffee’s series? Why’s Gamingbro1 making this?” Which is understandable. I’m happy to announce that starting with this episode, we’ll be working on this series together! It’s a lot of work, and I like building units, so I offered my help, and he was kind enough to accept it. I worked on this episode myself, and he simply did some polishing.
Now, for those that are new, or have forgotten, you’re probably wondering: “What is the Bean Build Channel?” To answer: It’s a series in which Sir_of_Coffee (and starting with this episode, yours truly) compare similar units, seeing what makes them unique or why they don’t stand out.
There will be an overall ranking at the end, but the individual analysis is more important. An important note is that these units are compared to each other, and not to units outside their group. I doubt these guys can rival L! Roy in much, right?
All units we discuss here are in the 3/4 star pool. This can thus be a guide as to who’s a good for merging.
I’ll be giving every unit a short intro, sum up their strengths and flaws, mention what stands out the most about them and give some builds and general ideas.
Today, we’re talking about Sword Infantry. Due to the sheer number of them in the 3/4 star pool, we’ll be splitting this episode into into three different parts. This part will be about the Myrmidons. Units that tend to drop their Defenses in exchange for decent Atk and Excellent Spd. There are exceptions, but that’s the general rule. Namely:
Hana: Focused Samurai
Lon’qu: Solitary Blade
Athena: Borderland Sword
Fir: Sword Student
Hinata: Wild Samurai
Each will be discussed in detail.
Hana
Everyone’s least favorite Samurai (I heard one guy likes her though) Hana specializes in being Absol-utely Adorable while being a great player phase unit. Her weapon’s great for countering Armored units, and she makes great use of it. Otherwise, she’s kinda outclassed by Soleil, who has higher Atk and similar Spd.
Strengths
Great at countering Armored units
Most optimised offensive spread this list has
Flaws
Can’t take much of a hit
Locked into one role
Biggest standout factor
Her offensive stat spread of 35/36 is pretty great, even if she’s outclassed. Swift Sparrow in her weapon boosts that nicely. She’s also got Armor effectivity, really making her a solid choice for anti-armor builds.
Rating
4.5/5
Builds
She’s made for Player Phase, no matter how you look at her. Best to amplify that. It’s best to take a +Spd IV, as it helps her get a lotta doubles, and she’s still got plenty of Atk.
Budget
This build is your standard Firesweep build. All it takes is 20K feathers for the Sword itself, and the rest is simple enough.
Premium
This build abuses her weapon, as since it has built-in Swift Sparrow, you may as well go all out. She’ll hit an offensive stat spread of 62/51 Atk/Spd, top that with a Glimmer, and not much will survive.
As for another premium build, this focuses on making her a pure anti-armor unit, disabling Fighter skills with Null Follow-up, and hitting them hard with her armor Effectiveness and Atk stacking. Sturdy Impact is there to help her survive, as plenty of armors can reach levels of Atk high enough to one-shot her on the counter. +Atk may be a better IV for this one, but either works.
Lon'qu
Arguably one of the more popular Myrmidons, and definitely the fastest, Lon’qu specialises in his High Spd and HP, making him difficult to take out in one round. He’s also got decent Atk, so he can deal a bit of damage. Can’t take too many hits though.
Strengths
Excellent Spd and HP, so it’s hard to one-round him.
His Atk, while lacking, is more than workable.
Flaws
His defensive stats are dumped
Can’t take more than one hit most of the time
Biggest standout factor
His Speed really opens room for flexibility. He can do a lot, albeit not at the same time. He looks great, too.
Rating
4.5/5
Builds
Seeing how his Speed is already very high, with his weapon raising it further, there’s no need to give it a boon. +Atk is more ideal, as his Atk is a little lacking, so it could appreciate a boost.
Budget
This guy makes a great Galeforcer. All he really needs is, well, Galeforce. Def Smoke is available on Panne at 4 stars, though something like Threaten Def could work as an alternative. Fury is for that very nice boost to his stats, so he can more than take a hit, and he gets into Desperation range pretty easily.
Premium
Lon’qu is one of few units that can abuse Shield Pulse, thanks to his high HP and Spd. He can completely dump his defenses, while being able to last multiple rounds of combat. Infantry Pulse is replaceable with something else, but I put it there, as it would be useful for an Infantry based team.
This next one is a neat idea I’ve had in mind for a while. Miracle and Mystic Boost. As long as he avoids things like ranged units and forced doubles, he’ll never die. While those are common in Multiplayer, he makes an excellent candidate for a PvE team. Mystic Boost isn’t fodder everyone’s willing to give up, however, hence why this is another premium set.
Hinata
Known as the Wild Samurai, and for good reason, our friend Hinata here really stands out from the rest of these guys. While the rest of them drop their Defenses in exchange for Speed, he’s pretty much the opposite. He drops his Speed in exchange for his great base Def of 36, and his fantastic base HP of 47. Decent Atk, too.
Strengths
Great Base Def
Extremely High HP
Workable Atk
Flaws
Low Spd
Pitiful Res
Biggest standout factor
His high Def and HP are stuff the other guys here can’t dream of having. His prf also synergeises beautifully with his statline.
Rating
4/5
Builds
Looking at this guy’s stats and weapon, it’s clear you want an enemy phase set. He can be built either to tank or kill, and fulfills both roles admirably.
Budget
This build tries to make Hinata a great enemy phase tank, that can take hits like they’re nothing. Guard means he doesn’t have to worry about Specials, so he can get doubled safely. QR is so he can double back, as his Attack stat is actually quite decent.
This next build is more Player Phase focused, but is very potent in Enemy Phase as well. It abuses the Fury from his weapon to help him get in Brashperation range, and with his high Atk and Def, he’ll take hits on enemy phase, and dish em out on Player Phase. Pretty great.
Premium
This build works on nuking the foe on the counter. We all know the standard Steady Breath + Special Spiral combo, but not many of us thought of Hinata’s capability with it. I know I didn’t before making this. He hits a solid 57 both in Atk and Def, and those Ignis bombs are worth 40+ Damage on their own. He’ll hit hard!
Fir
The Sword Student, known for her unusual Res and low Attack, Fir is unique amongst sword units. She dumps her Atk in exchange for High Speed, decent Res, and respectable HP. She’s also got a great PRF in Nameless Blade, which is a combination of Slaying Edge and Wo Dao. A very decent weapon.
Strengths
Great Spd
High Res for a Sword Infantry
Decent HP
PRF opens lots of possibilities
Flaws
Physical Bulk isn’t too impressive.
Pitiful Atk, requiring investment to work.
Biggest standout factor
Her high Res opens up lots of possibilities. Much can be done with it, including Ploys, Sabotage skills, and specials like Iceburg or Glacies.
Rating
3.5/5
Builds
Like most on this list, Fir prefers having a strong Player Phase, abusing her Nameless Blade for quick and powerful Special activations. Her high Res allows for use of Ploy skills as well, to help her get an extra edge in battle.
Budget
Thanks to her decent HP, she’s able to get into Desperation range quite easily, making her a potent attacker. Brazen Atk/Spd helps fix her rather mediocre Atk stat, and Def Ploy makes her hit even harder.
Premium
This build specializes in making our Sword Student a hard Player Phase nuke, abusing her high Res and unique weapon. With a +6 Buff to Res (Available with a Res Tactic buff) and everything active, Her Iceburgs deal a solid 37 Damage on their own, and with her Atk stat of 58 with everything active (64 with a +6 Buff) she’ll handle most threats.
Athena
Our foreign warrior here is known for her unique voice, and not much else. She has decent Spd, and rather balanced stats, but powercreep has caught up on her, and she has become pretty much forgotten.
Strengths
Good Spd
Very balanced in other areas
Flaws
While she’s balanced, it’s more of a curse than a blessing to her. All of her stats are rather lacking, and units like Rutger pull off balanced stats better. She’s just outclassed.
Rating
2.5/5
Builds
It’s best to take a +Atk IV to help boost it a little, while investing in her Spd, so she has a bit to use. Cause she needs it.
Budget
Her decent mixed bulk means she can safely get into Desperation Range, and her high Speed let’s her double rather consistently. Fury is used to give those all a much appreciated boost, and Flashing Blade is used with Wo Dao+ for fast and powerful specials. Fir does this better, but if you want to build Athena for offense, this is the way to go.
Premium
Her high Speed and Decent Atk allow her to make a decent Brave Sword user, as she can be built to quad, and have a Decent Atk stat whilst doing so. The main idea here is to get into Desperation Range (easily achievable, due to her lower HP) and get out and quad, mainly relying on Luna to kill tougher enemies.
Overall ratings
5
4.5 - Hana, Lon’qu
4- Hinata
3.5 - Fir
3
2.5 - Athena
2
1.5
1
Previous Episodes
#1 - Lance Cavaliers
Bean Build Channel - Class Comparison episode #1 - Lance Cavaliers [Sully updated 12-5]
#1x - Lance Cavaliers {Grail Edition}
Bean Build Channel - Class Comparison episode #1x - Lance Cavaliers {Grail Edition}
#2 - Axe Fliers
#2x - Axe Fliers {Grail Edition}
Bean Build Channel - episode #2x - Axe Fliers {Grail Edition}
#3 - Infantry Archers
#3x - Infantry Archers {Grail Edition}
Bean Build Channel - Episode #3x - Infantry Archers {Grail Edition}
