Fate/Grand Order FAQ

[KamikazeAardvark]

General Questions

What should I put on my Support List?

Short answer: Your favorites. Outside of the Caster slot and events, veterans rarely care what is in your slots.

For events you should equip whatever gives the best event drop bonuses and, to a lesser extent, the best event damage bonuses(only applicable if the bonus Servant has a level roughly equal to or better than, your Normal Support for that slot). Of importance though is that you should always split your Support Lists between Event and Normal. If you are unaware of how to perform this then see the following guide:

How to Split your Support Lists

From the Main Menu open: Formation → Support Setup. Once on the Support List you can arrange what Servants go in what Slots along with their CEs. If you look closely you’ll note that you can make multiple Support Lists(Up to 3 as of writing), your primary Normal Support should be your first of three options to avoid confusion. Once you have set your Normal Support Select the first of two buttons beside the OK button in the bottom-right corner. If done correctly the button should read as:

Normal
SET I
Selected

Once your Normal Support has been established swap over to one of your two remaining Support Lists and arrange your Servants particular to whatever the current events and any event CEs you might have as well. Once done click the second of two buttons beside the OK button in the bottom-right corner. If done correctly the button should read as:

Event
SET II OR SET III
Selected

If desired you can also use the third slot to prepare an Event Support for future events you know to be coming, though ultimately it isn’t required.

For your standard list the only slots that will see consistent use are Berserker(for new players) and Caster(for veterans), though Rider(for QP farming) and All(for specific instances) may also see some use, so for simplicity this guide will only go into detail on those slots as the others rarely matter. Of more importance to a Normal Support List is the CEs you choose to run on your Servants, in particular CEs with 50%, 75%, 80%, or 100% starting gauge as these options allow easier access to offensive Noble Phantasm that are often a player greatest source of damage.

Caster: A Meta Caster with either Chaldea Teatime or Bella Lisa are only options most veterans will pick, though some will pick any Servant with either of those CEs as they do not need the help when farming. Meta Casters are Waver, Merlin, Skadi, & eventually Castoria. Of note is the fact that Bella Lisa is only a good choice on Casters if the Casters in questions are either Skadi or Castoria as they enable Noble Phantasm “looping”.

Rider: If you lack any looping Casters, or simply prefer to use Chaldea Teatime on them instead, putting up an AoE Rider with Bella Lisa may be a better option for you as when beginning a “Door run” the Support screen will start on the Rider tab.

Berserker: New players need easy burst damage or Servants with good survivability. Heracles with his Bond CE(Castle of Snow) is the easiest survival option to field. Cu Chulainn Alter is another survival option, but harder to obtain though with more CE variety; his bond CE is viable as are any options that allow him to use his Noble Phantasm faster or give him a starting number of evade/invincible. Arjuna Alter is the most expensive option but his Noble Phantasm clears waves quickly; if you have him a Kaleidoscope(MLB or not) or MLB Imaginary Element is recommended for easier access to his Noble Phantasm.

All: If you have a second Meta Caster and the other major support CE as well as no great attachment to any of your Servants it can be worth putting your second Meta Caster and the other CE here.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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Should I do Story or the Event?

The simple answer is that if you can do the event then you should do the event. Events give Materials for Ascension, Fire & Blazes for leveling, and occasionally free SR Servants commonly known as “Welfares”; all in larger quantities and easier to acquire than through normal gameplay. Welfares themselves are powerful Servants and worthwhile additions to any Roster, but are particularly helpful to new players with less options.

Events usually run twice with a “rerun” occurring either 1 or 2 years after the initial events. This is far from guaranteed so if possible you should complete each event. In addition events are a limited time thing, if you miss them then all the rewards, including Welfare Servants, could disappear forever. The story is permanent, it will always be available, so doing the event should always take priority; if you cannot perform the event, but could feasibly unlock it before it ends through story progression then it is highly recommended you do so.

For a complete list of events and whether or not the current even is a rerun of not see here: Event List (US) | Fate/Grand Order Wiki | Fandom

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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When should I use Apples?

Short answer: Lottos.

Long answer: Lotteries are the best use of your apples as lotteries can give QP, MP, Gems, and Mats in abundant quantities. Raids, while not as lucrative as lotteries can often give both a better drop rate on certain rare Mats and good to abundant QP drops, with higher level Raids often dropping QP numbers similar to 40 AP “door” runs. Hunting Quests are also a solid option as they drop specific embers and mats in reliable amounts. The only other truly advisable times to use Apples are to rush an Event when you’re behind, rush story to unlock an Event, or farming dailies when dailies are half AP.

Ultimately though how you use Apples and how many you save come down to your tolerance, patience for compressed grind, and impatience concerning 40 AP nodes.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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Continued in next section: Summoning

[KamikazeAardvark]

Summoning Questions

Which GSSR banner should I roll?

As the most recent GSSR has passed this information is now out-of-date, though it may still provide useful information. This answer will be updated closer to the next GSSR due around New Years.

Information on GSSR and its banners are only good for the most recent GSSR. Each year it will be updated twice to reflect the changes in the system. This information is only good for the year of 2021 on the NA Server.

Short answer: Knight for AoE. Cavalry for ST. Cavalry if you are new and/or just need Supports.

A GSSR is an opportunity to roll for 1 random limited SSR(5*) Servant that occurs twice per year. The roll is guaranteed to give you at least one of the Servants listed on the banner, but can give you multiple if you are lucky enough. The Anniversary and New Years banner are different, though any given Limited Servant available at the time of the GSSR is always available on one of the banner regardless of GSSR.
(GSSR require paid SQ to roll. Specifically 15 paid SQ)

This Anniversary GSSR is group based. You can roll Knight Class Banner which includes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Ruler, Avenger, Moon Cancer, & Foreigner. Or you can roll Cavalry Class Banner which includes: Rider, Assassin, Caster, Berserker, & Alter Ego

As for which banner you should roll, that is a difficult question to answer comprehensively. The simplest answers are that you should choose based on personal appeal or on what you are missing from your own Roster of Servants. If you are just beginning and have no real Roster to speak of then the best banner to roll is either Cavalry(Anniversary) as Caster Servants like Merlin, Skadi, and eventually Castoria are all powerful options that enable a whole host of strategies and damage dealers.

If you are simply looking for a powerful AoE option then rolling Knight class is likely your best bet. Strong neutral AoE options are Dantes and eventually Space Ishtar as their counter-class(Moon Cancer) rarely appears in the game meaning their damage is consistent and their Noble Phantasms, in the correct setups, are loopable. Meanwhile options like Jeanne Archer, Gilgamesh, & Ishtar are powerful options that can more easily retain their class advantage in certain scenarios. Even in a vacuum Gilgamesh and Ishtar can perform well, though lack the aforementioned loopability in most setups; Jeanne Archer retains loopability but requires more investment(more NP levels) to truly shine. Arjuna Alter and Da Vinci Rider also warrant special mention. Da Vinci Rider can loop with ease though like Jeanne Archer requires extra investment, meanwhile Arjuna Alter is a powerful option that can work in many compositions and retains almost universal class advantage; they are both, however, Cavalry options.

If you are simply looking for a powerful ST option then rolling Cavalry class, though this is less clear cut then the AoE option. Extra Class has a powerful looper with Meltryllis(at times referred to as the “3 turn Queen” for her strong anti-Cavalry damage when supported by Skadi), and strong burst with Abigail(Strong Neutral NP with Buff Removal before damage) as well Jeanne Alter(Strong Noble Phantasm with even stronger crits). Berserker also has strong options with Kintoki(self-sufficient burst damage with near universal advantage) & Vlad III(can loop in Castoria setups). Assassin has both a strong looper in Kama, and a strong soloer in King Hassan. Worth mention however are several Knight class options such as Artoria Archer(Strong loopable Archer), Scathach(Powerful Lancer with good trait damage and loopable with Skadi), Musashi(Some of the highest unsupported NP damage in the game), & Nero Bride(Strong damage, but also strong Support options).

*Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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When do we get our next SR/SSR ticket?

Currently there is no news on further SR tickets in FGO. There is an SSR ticket scheduled to be released in Late April to Early May 2022.

• Last updated July 26th, 2021

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What Servant should I get with my SR/SSR ticket?

Short answer: Your favorite, whoever fills the biggest hole in your Roster, or Parvati(SR)/Waver(SSR).

Parvati/Waver

Parvati - Parvati is one of those Servants you don’t really get until you use her. Her kit can come across as fine but not great and her NP can seem disappointing given the hype. Where she shines is in Skadi setups where her NP alone can refund half her gauge as well as help allies by increasing their gauge and have a decent chance to charm any surviving enemies, all while still dealing respectable AoE damage and dropping a buttload of stars for the next turn. This loopability is already a solid reason to invest in her, but even if she doesn’t quite make enough to refund her NP Parvati is capable of “donating” 10% of her gauge which magically(at max level) gives 20% gauge to an ally. While she can use this on allies, she can also use it on herself to net gain 10% battery and fulfill the conditions needed to loop if she comes up short.

Zhuge Liang (El-Melloi II)[Waver] - What makes Waver so good? In a word: Battery. Waver has 2 party-wide 10% batteries as well as a targetable 30% battery giving him an absurd amount of party charge as well as a considerable amount of control over where that charge goes. Overall Waver’s battery is capable of giving a maximum 90% charge spread out over himself and his team and all this is before we get to what his skills do besides donate charge. One of his Party batteries gives 30% partywide Attack and 500 Damage Plus while the other gives 30% partywide Defense and 500 Damage Cut. This allows him to boost party damage and survivability regardless of card type and his targetable battery gives a 50% Crit Strength buff which ensures that any crits hit just that much harder. His NP, while not as amazing as the rest of his kit, still manages to perform well by inflicting AoE 30% DEF down, drain, & has a coin flip chance to stun all enemies.

Long answer: If you’re reading this far we’ll just assume you have no favorite and no holes in your Roster as well as possess or are uninterested in Waver/Parvati. That makes answering your question difficult, but doable through highlighting standouts.

SR Standouts

Nitocris - Though a Caster, Nito is primarily useful for clearing early waves due to her AoE Instant Death on NP and ability to fully charge her own gauge. Low rarity enemies(bronze colored) have innately low Death Resistance, this fact combined with Nito’s ability to significantly increase her Death Success Rate for 3 turns mean that her NP damage is almost a non-factor when used for farming or just removing a minor obstacle before the real challenge.

Lancelot(Saber)[Saberlot] - 30% battery, 20 star star bomb, 15 star regen, & the ability to make sure he takes every single star he generates allow Saberlot to deal tremendous single target damage and even loop his NP in the right circumstances using nothing but his own kit provided he crits which his kit all but assures he will(and hard) for 3 solid turns.

Helena - Helena has a rather unique appeal. With a 20% party-wide battery as well as a party-wide tri-color buff, star regen, and a decently strong NP for her Class. Helena can be slotted into many farming setups to quickly clear an early wave and empower the remaining two members of the team to do the same.

Heracles - Heracles doesn’t die easily. This may sound trite but that is his greatest strength. With his Bond CE and skills Herc is capable of surviving an absurd 5 turns of combat alone on the field with no aid. With a 60% uptime on his major damage steroid and a future buff to his Guts his damage can hit truly respectable numbers even before accounting for his NP.

Astraea - A Critical Arts DPS is often considered somewhat of a Holy Grail in and of itself. Critting with Arts cards is an easy way to refund a Noble Phantasm and with a 20% battery, starbomb, 30% Arts steroid, and 20% NP Gain buff Astraea is capable of doing just that. Though she will struggle to refund more than once with just her own kit, a future buff to her NP will all but eliminate this issue allowing her to loop with ease. Add to this her Ruler class and you have a powerful looping neutral damage dealer that takes half damage from half the classes in the game.

SSR Standouts

Artoria - A truly absurd degree of neutral Noble Phantasm damage is what earns Artoria her spot here. In certain scenarios she can even loop her ridiculous NP without aid.

Jeanne - Jeanne is the stall support you want for your team and excels in difficult content thanks to a 1 turn party-wide invincible and health regen on NP, targetable stun, and star regen. She can keep the team alive and feed them stars needed to hit back hard.

Ozymandius[Ozy] - Ozy is a strong supporter who can also selectively ruin 1 enemy’s day. With a party-wide 20% battery, Charisma, & a strong ST NP that can inflict NP Seal Ozy can help a team hit quickly and hard while pulling a substantial amount of weight himself.

Jack - A bit of a dark horse due to her class Jack still is worth a mention due to her ability to consistently NP off of her own Quick Crits, which she can sustain on her own due to her absurd hit counts and Drop Rate. The fact that her NP also allows her to destroy female opponents without care for their Defense buffs while staying alive far longer than she has any right to is almost an aside.

Ganesha(Jinako) - Jinako is a fantastic supporter who also happens to have a lot of potential for solo content. She has almost all of Helena’s kit on a single skill as well as 2 sources of Invincible(one of which is on her NP along with a heal), means she can support her team and easily remain alive with little to no help thanks to both hard survival and the highest health stat in the game. These factors, along with her Moon Cancer class meaning she’ll almost always take neutral damage, also allow her to solo respectably. Which is good as she’ll often be the last member of your team still alive.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

Continued in next section: Gameplay

[KamikazeAardvark]

Gameplay Questions

How do I Solo?

There is no universal answer to this question. Each instance requires careful examination of each of the following factors: the number of enemies, the classes in play, any gimmicks at play, & the individual enemies faced per encounter. As such the best advice is simply listing what makes soloing work and what pieces tend to show up most.

1. Servant should have Class advantage or at least resist damage if possible, though not a requirement.

2. Servant should have some form of renewable survival, ideally evade or invincible on an easily accessible NP, though Stun/Charm, Heal, & Guts also aid in survival.

3. Servant should be equipped with either a survival CE like Volumen Hydrargyrum, Under the Sun, or Bitter and Sweet; or a CE that will aid in looping their specific NP. Though Kaleidoscope and
   Prisma Cosmos are almost always good choices(Kaleidoscope for immediate NP, Prisma Cosmos for gauge every turn).

4. Balancing NP Gain and damage is important. No Servant can survive forever so getting your shots in when you can is an important factor to consider. In general if you cannot rebuild your gauge in a given turn it may be better to focus on damage and stars by starting with a Buster card and finishing with a Quick.

5. Added NP levels are advised if available as the added damage will shorten encounters and thus aid in survival.

6. Mystic Codes with survival options are necessary to buy time for skills to come off cooldown or avoid an otherwise deadly NP. Chaldea Mystic Code, Atlas Academy Uniform, & Anniversary Blonde all provide some form of survival for a turn.

7. You cannot field just once Servant, at minimum you must field two of your own and one friend/NPC Support. To ensure these allies do not get in the way of the main soloer it’s recommended to field Servants with some form of taunt and a CE with an on-death effect like Battle of Camlann. Alternatively you can field a Servant with an on-death skill(Avicebron or Mori) equipped with a taunt CE(Outrage or GudaGuda Poster Girl). Furthermore a Servant like Chen Gong can be used(through his NP) to jettison a support that has served their purpose while still providing respectable damage. Also as always Arash is an excellent and cheap option to field.

8. While far from Universal some notable soloers are: First Hassan, Enkidu, Heracles, Qin Shi Huang, Ganesha, Scathach, Cu Chulainn(Alter), Kingprotea, Yagyu Munemori, Nero Claudius, & Assassin of Paraiso. Use their skill sets as a reference for your own solo setups.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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What is a good Quick/Arts/Buster/Stall composition?

Compositions are a tricky thing to balance around. Often with no singular answer the answer instead depends on what your primary DPS is and who you have available. Since these questions tend to be so highly specific to the Rosters involved an assumption will be made that you already have a DPS in mind and simply want an idea of who to use to support them and how to decide what they’re missing.

And before you ask: No Buster is not dead. It is not currently the ideal card type to balance around, but perfectly viable for clearing any content. You should always focus on what you prefer using over what is currently the most powerful Meta Composition.
(Of note: Just because a Servant is best suited to supporting one type does not always mean they are incapable of working outside of that niche)

All DPS benefit from Attack, NP Strength, Crit Strength, & gauge charge.

All Support

Waver - Waver possesses a ridiculous amount of gauge support with two 10% party-wide charges as well as a targeted 30% charge. On top of this he can also boost Defense and Attack significantly for the entire team and boost 1 ally’s Crit Strength. His NP is capable of decreasing Defense, stunning, and draining charge for all enemies.

Reines - Reines could be considered a lesser version of Waver were you to only look at their similarities: party-wide gauge but less, targeted gauge but less, Defense but less, Attack better, but only for one ally. Where she shines though is her NP which gives the entire team a pass on class disadvantage for 3 turns along with a respectable Defense debuff and self-cleanse.

Ganesha - Ganesha’s primary use comes from having a lot of Helena’s kit on just her first skill with a party-wide gauge(20%), attack(20%), and star regen buff(5 per ally per turn) in one. While this alone would earn her a mention she also possesses both a taunt and Invincible allowing her to stall as well. Combine this with an offensive NP that also debuffs defense while keeping herself alive and you have a solid supporter that will likely outlive your DPS, and still be fine.

BB (Summer) - BB Summer is on here for her one unique skill that allow her to lock whatever cards dealt for 3 turns and regen stars(10) at the same time. In any setup relying on or just utilizing crits in any significant capacity she can prove invaluable in removing the rng’s ability to screw you over. Though this is her only true Support skill it cannot be undersold how much controlling RNG aides in any DPS composition.

Helena - Helena is a cheaper option over Ganesha, but not necessarily a worse one. While they have many similarities(Stars per turn, Offensive Arts NP, party-wide gauge[20%]), Helena manages to distinguish herself with a party-wide tri-color buff that is always valuable. Though less predictable she also has a chance at an NP Strength buff which can give her NP respectable numbers.

BB - Normal BB is a bit of a grab-bag of abilities. Solid ST NP that gives party-wide gauge(20%) including herself and a powerful Crit Strength and Gather Rate buff allow her to loop her NP to pull in respectable numbers that also happens to jumpstart her ally’s NP accessibility. That she can also stun, remove hard survival, and cleanse is also worth mentioning though feels confused in the face of her ST damage potential and gauge support.

Chiron - Chiron is similar to Helena but still worth mentioning. While his tri-color buff is only ST he comes with a star bomb and crit strength buff and his NP can open up an otherwise invulerable ally through Defensive buff removal while still pulling in some good damage numbers.

Elisabeth - Eli is a strange beast, but worth fielding if you have multiple female DPS options given her Charisma can double in those instances. Combine that with her Defense debuff and she can effectively increase damage against one enemy by 60% for a whooping 3 turns. Her NP is less than spectacular but is still offensive and can help reduce buff success rate which isn’t nothing… barely.

Helena(Archer) - As one might guess Helena Archer is very similar to normal Helena. While possessing a slightly better first skill that bundles the star regen into her party-wide gauge(20%), the rest of her kit is unimpressive. Even with solid buffs up and a better class modifier she does significantly less damage than her normal version even when buffed compared to her other version’s unbuffed state. Overall she’s a good battery and can do some damage, but her normal version should be fielded over her when given the opportunity.

Hans - Hans is, simply put, amazing for his rarity. AoE crit strength and targetable gauge(10%) and stars(15) per turn is good enough to land him a spot on this list his NP is where things truly become absurd. Hans’ NP has an 80% chance to add each of the following: Attack(20%), Defense(20%), & Drop Rate(20%) each, along with a guaranteed Health regen(1,000). This NP combined with his 75% battery allows him to launch his NP on his own with cheap, widely available CEs.

Quick benefits most from Quick card buffs, Drop Rate buffs, and Stars per turn.

Quick Supports

Skadi - Skadi is consider the Quick Support. 50% Quick buff, 30% Defense debuff, & a targetable 50% gauge give her the ability to enable looping in Servants with good NP Gain and Quick NPs with high hit counts, though such looping usually requires an additional Friend Skadi. While simple, stacking these buffs enables some absurd NP damage and her additional 100% Crit strength with Quick Crits buff means any follow up with likely crit and crit very hard. When doubled Skadi enabled Quick crits can surpass NP damage. Her own NP is the weakest part of her kit, which is saying something as it gives a party-wide 1 time evade on activation as well as a slew of other buffs.

Osakabehime - Bat is a bit of a hybrid support. Her skills are great but not spectacular with a targetable gauge(20%) & Drop Rate, party-wide Crit Strength(50%) as well as targeted buff removal and a Defense debuff(40%). Where she shines is her NP which grants a party-wide Quick and Buster buff(20%) as well Defense(20%) and Max HP(2,000). This gives her a rather unique ability to stall while also providing significant damage bonuses. A 3-turn Support she is not, but for longer battles she can prove invaluable for helping you stay alive while maintaining good damage.

Wu Zetian - The original Quick Support. Wu is notable for enabling Quick DPS not just through her party-wide Attack(20%) and Quick (20%) buffs and her Defense(20%) debuff, but also for opening up an enemy for attacks thanks to buff removal on an NP with a fair bit of power behind it already. While possessing no gauge and ultimately having lower numbers when compared to Skadi’s support it is worth noting that Wu is closer to a semi-support in that she can still carrying a fair bit of the DPS weight herself while further enabling damage for the rest of the team

Alexander - Alex is not intended as a Support unit, but due to his AoE Attack(16%) and Quick(20%) buffs he makes the cut. His buff removal and charm also help and his AoE NP bringing stars(15) as well as thunder only increase his weirdly strong support potential.

Bartholomew - Bart is an odd case. Very cheap to field he also comes with a star bomb(20) and a way to decrease his own gather as well as increase the Attack(17%), NP Strength(17%), and Crit Strength(40%) of his allies. His NP, in the right scenarios, isn’t anything to slouch at either with bonus damage to “low rarity” enemies. Not the best Quick Support, but solid and cheap.

Arts benefits most from Arts card buffs, NP Gain buffs, and debuff resist down debuffs.

Arts Supports

Tamamo - Tamamo is… divisive. For those favoring stall her more frequent gauge from her more easily accessible NP along with the heal and CD reduction it gives makes her the best Arts support far and away. Her targetable Arts(50%) and party-wide NP Strength(30%) also give her the best damage support for Arts Servants. The only area in which she’s lacking is immediately accessible gauge. Such an oversight might sound minor in theory but in practice it gives the enemy a turn to move and potentially cast all manor of buffs or debuffs which can end up nerfing damage more than desired. Despite that one oversight in her design she remains an excellent Arts support “once you get the ball rolling”.

Nero Bride - Bride is a bit of a hybrid Support. All of her skills are targetable and include such useful gems as gauge(30%), NP Gain(45%), Attack(40%), Drop Rate(50%), & Defense(20%). She also is in possession of a respectable ST Arts NP and a good Attack stat, meaning she can serve as both an Arts Support or an Arts DPS, though not the best at either. Still, until Castoria, she could be considered the single best Arts Support for looping.

Prince of Lan Ling - Lan Ling is a solid party Arts Supporter. While his gauge charge may only be targeted(20%), he makes up for it with the absolutely absurd amount of party-wide Attack he can bring to bear(70% at max) as well as good Arts(20%), drop rate(50%) and critical strength(50%) buffs he gives the party. It is worth noting that the 70% max on his attack comes from 500% overcharge on his NP as well as a skill; in a non-ideal setups the max Attack buff from both would be closer to 50%. Lan Ling can also offer stall support thanks to a drain on his NP.

Ryouma - Ryouma is essentially a free Arts Support thanks to his welfare status and as such is quite good at his job. Offering party-wide Attack(17%), Arts(20%), and gauge(10%) on top of a star bomb(15) Ryouma offers good coverage for any number of scenarios. His low skill cooldowns and drain on NP also ensure he can continue to support the team for a while. While hardly the best Arts support his free welfare status and wide range of buffs make him a decent pick in many compositions.

Gilgamesh(Caster) - Arts DPS have a problem: They want stars to loop but can’t make them. CasGil is the solution to these problems. With party-wide Attack(21%), Arts(30%), & Drop Rate(Whopping 100%) CasGil can enable the team to hit hard and generate the stars to hit harder next time. On top of his buffs CasGil has a respectable AoE NP with absurd hit counts which allows him to further capitalize on his own Drop Rate buff and flood the field with stars as well as further weaken the enemies with a Defense debuff. At higher NP levels he can even act as a DPS in his own right and once Castoria drops gains the ability to loop his NP.

Paracelsus - Though unremarkable upon first glance Para hides a skill upgrade that make him the budget Arts Support for looping. A targetable 50% NP Gain as well as a party-wide Arts(20%) buff lets Para enable many Arts loopers at lower cost than other options. His self gauge(80%) also allows him to get in on the action himself if necessary.

Asclepius - Asclepius is a solid alternative to Helena or Merlin if your team comp is running a bit high. Party-wide gauge(20%), cleanse, & NP Gain(30%) give the team easier access to NPs and an easier time looping them; while his NP provides party-wide regen(1,000), debuff immune, and Guts(Not for himself though, the doctor is too selfless). Critically he lacks damage support, but his targetable healing(5,000) and NP Seal alongside his NP allow the team to survive long enough for that not to be a problem.

Boudica - Often derided as a worse Mash Boudica has trouble keeping up with our number one Kouhai for many situations, but a future Servant makes her far more viable. Sadly we are not at that point in NA quite yet, but in the right scenarios Boudica can still be a solid support. Primarily her Support aspects come from her party-wide Arts(20%) buff and party-wide Defense(40%) and Attack(20%) on NP; but notably against Romans she can enable team damage with significant party-wide Anti-Roman(60%) and crit strength(50%) buffs.

Mozart - Arts Support in Cost Minor: Mozart. Party-wide Arts support and a star bomb might sound underwhelming until you account for the numbers: 44% & 50 stars respectively. It may only be for 1 turn, but Mozart is capable of making that one turn truly spectacular.

Buster benefits most from Buster card buffs, Gauge per turn buffs, and star bombs.

Buster Supports

Merlin - Merlin is not only the foremost Buster support in the game, he may just be the best support period. Party-wide Attack(20%) and gauge(20%) is a solid beginning, then you add a targeted Buster(50%) and Crit Strength(100%) buff topped off with a max HP(3,000) and he becomes very strong. Throw in a party-wide Invincible(1 turn) and he becomes arguably the best support in the game, but we’re not done yet because his NP gives health(1,000), gauge(5%), & stars(5) every turn for a whooping 5 turns. All this combines to make him not only the best Buster Support, but also one of the best stall supports in the game. Did I mention his NP buffs can stack?

Nightingale - A healer at heart the Nurse of Steel carves out a damage niche not only for herself with a self anti-humanoid(50%) buff, but also a targetable Buster(50%) buff. Add to that a heal with debuff and death immune and an NP with a party-wide heal, cleanse, and damage debuffs; and Nightingale carves out a unique niche to both enable Busters DPS and keep them relatively safe for longer battles.

Queen of Sheba - Sheba is less a Buster support than a hybrid Buster/Arts support. Party-wide Attack(17%), Buster(20%), and Arts(20%) give Sheba a roll in empowering a Buster NP and any follow-ups to recharge said NP. Her star bomb(10) while nice is no game changer and AoE Defense(10%) and Attack(10%) debuffs on NP while ultimately helpful don’t aid in her case. Far from a bad choice Sheba is perhaps best suited to Semi-Support given her self Pierce and Gather rate.

Quetzalcoatl(Samba/Santa) - Samba is a decent support given her welfare status. On first glance the only key features are her party-wide Attack(20%) and stars per turn(10), with a minor nod to her targetable gather and drop rates(30%). Where she shines though is after launching her Noble Phantasm. With a 100% drop rate on an AoE NP with good hit counts and a party-wide crit strength(30%) buff; her NP can drop a lot of stars on the field that her targetable gather can help your primary DPS scoop up and capitalize on the following turn.

Chen - Is Chen an Arts DPS or a Buster support? The answer is both(though mostly for Berserkers). Party-wide gauge(10%), targetable taunt, targetable Buster(50%), and targetable crit strength(100%) for Berserkers give Chen a good degree of flexibility in how the battle plays out already, but then we account for his NP. You see Chen’s NP deals absurd damage at the cost of the life of your leftmost ally and in certain setups can be looped. This combination of skills and NP allow an absurd degree of flexibility in how fights playout; between Chen’s Support potential for Berserkers and his ability to “cycle” through your backline Supports for further buffs Chen’s kit makes him a formidable force despite his low rarity and Caster class modifier.

Shakespeare - Simple but effective best sums up Shakespeare’s role in the game. Party-wide Buster(40%) and targetable gauge(20%) may not be the most ground-breaking support, but his low cost & respectable survivability make Shakespeare an easy choice when you just need to hit something fast and hard, but also wouldn’t mind an encore.

Bunyan - When you want cheap damage support Bunyan is who you want. Party-wide Buster(20%), crit strength(20%), and AoE Defense debuffs(20%) give Bunyan a respectable amount of damage support all at 1* team cost. Her Berserker fragility can even be considered a boon as she will likely die quickly after fulfilling her role and make way for other supports.

Stall benefits most from Health per turn, hard survival(Evade or Invincible), Seal(NP or Skill), and DEF buffs. For a more complete stall guide see: F/GO: The Ultimate Guide to Stall

Stall Supports

Jeanne - Jeanne is who you go to when you’re tired of a boss and just want it dead no matter how long it takes. With an NP that provide party-wide invincible, cleanse and health regen(1,000), as well as skills that can stun and provide stars per turn(9), Jeanne can ensure the team survives, remains healthy, and hits back hard when the time comes. Sometimes that’s all you really need in a Servant.

Beni-enma - Beni’s kit is best described as busy. Party wide Attack(20%), gauge(20%), buff removal resist(100%), AoE Defense debuff, and AoE NP Seal give her a veritable grab-bag of tricks to use and her ST NP allows her to hit hard against the right opponent(Chaotic Evil). While she is seldom the best support to pick she’s also never a bad support to pick.

Ozymandius - The way Stall works is slightly different from Quick, Arts, or Buster in that it doesn’t always have a primary DPS. While a DPS can exist in Stall it’s perfectly valid to just stack healers and hard survivalist and go. “Why the tangent?” you might ask. The answer is simple: Ozy is a DPS. While he possess stall potential with a party-wide gauge(20%), Attack(18%), & a ST NP that inflicts NP Seal and a Defense(20%) debuff, that’s not his true role. His NP inflicts tremendous damage along with it’s NP Seal and the Buff Success Rate buff on his battery makes the Attack(40%) & Defense(40%) buffs on his Imperial Privilege reliable steroids. Overall though he could be considered ideal for Stall teams as he can stall the enemy while ramping damage.

Edison - Edison is a veritable Swiss army knife in terms of his Support. Targeted Cooldown reduction is very important to stall setups when the enemy throws you a curveball, and targeted Overcharge, while niche, can prove invaluable to certain Servants. Add to that Stars(10) & Gauge(10%) per turn on a Servant with an AoE NP that can inflict NP Seal, Skill Seal, and an Attack(10%) debuff with already great NP Gain and you have a recipe for Stall success

Mash - Our number 1 Kouhai herself: Mash. In Galahad form Mash has amazing stall potential with a possible 70% Defense and 2,775 Damage Cut at max on top of taunt and targetable Invincible with gauge(20%) Galahad is very good at keeping the team alive. Ortinax form falls behind with less maximum Defense(50%) and Damage Cut(775) as well as a shorter duration on them(3 times as opposed to Galahad’s 3 turns), but can make up for it with 2 taunts in the correct compositions.

Circe - A potentially odd choice to some Circe deserves a spot on this list for two reasons: 1. Party-wide cleanse tied to a drop rate(50%). 2. An NP that inflicts Pigify(stun) and the ability to charge it entirely on her own with a full gauge charge. She also possess an AoE DoT(1,000) and Defense debuff(20%) to speed up encounters. Perhaps an odd choice for a stall composition, but a valid one nonetheless.

PassionLip - Lip is perhaps a less ideal choice for stall given her lack of class advantage to mitigate damage in 90% of scenarios, but a potent one for speeding up a stall composition. Her taunt also boosts Attack at low health(30-50% depending on health remaining) on top of Defense(30%) and her primary damage steroid further boosts Attack(30%) and Defense(30%), as well as apply Pierce(comes with a stun that can be negated by her own debuff immunity skill). These facts combined with her AoE NP that also restores health(3,000) for the entire party on top of her relatively low skill CDs allow Lip to walk a fine line between DPS and Stall.

Martha - What can be said about Martha? She’s a tank without a taunt? A DPS with bad Attack? A healer with little healing? A little of all of that, but still solid nonetheless. Targetable buff removal and Defense debuff(30%), party-wide heal and cleanse, & an AoE NP with Defense debuff is an odd kit, but thanks to a triple Arts deck Martha can make it work, though in a more offensive capacity.

Medea(Lily) - Medea Lily is likely the best healer in the game with both a party-wide skill heal(3,000) and a heal(4,000) + cleanse on her NP. These two things combined with a skill that allows her to easily charge her NP to full mean that she can heal and heal consistently. Healing is all she does, but she does it well.

d’Eon - d’Eon is your tank. While others Servants have taunt, very few have it for the 3 turns d’Eon does and with their high health as well as built in evade(1 turn), odds are d’Eon will make full use of all 3 turns of their taunt before going down. If d’Eon survives the full taunt cycle though they can still contribute to the team with AoE Attack(10%) and Defense(10%) debuffs as well as a chance to charm(30%) with their NP.

Irisveil - Iri is a welfare healer. Honestly less useful than Medea(Lily) thanks to worse healing on NP(3,000) and more limited healing with her skill(3,000 but only for one ally). The one distinction she has is a party-wide Guts on NP which gives a form of soft survival to the party.

Stheno - One word: Charm-lock. Fine one hyphenated word. Stheno has the potential to lock down one male enemy almost indefinitely thanks to a charm on skill(100%) and NP(100%) and enough inherent NP gain to NP every other turn. Add to that a drain, battery(27%), and party-wide Attack buff(20% with a further 20% for Divine allies) and Stheno can not only lock down a male target but ensure attacks hit hard(Defense debuff on NP) and land consistently(buff removal on NP).

Kotarou - As is perhaps appropriate for this ninja, Kotarou’s grab-bag of support options make him a decent support for most scenarios given his AoE Attack(10%) and Defense(20%) debuffs. What earns him a placement as a stall support though are his targetable evade(1 turn), AoE Buff Block(1 time), and 5 turn chance of skill seal on NP(30%). His NP damage and Defense(20%) debuff also allow him to hit well enough and give allies opportunities to hit even harder.

Georgios - I could try to list a bunch of reasons why you might want George as a Support, but the only one anybody ever cares about is his 3 turn taunt and Guts which allow him to absorb 2 enemy turns when leveled for a cheap but effective way to keep pressure of your primary DPS. Even at level 1 he possesses his 3 turn taunt which makes him a valuable asset even with no investment.

Leonidas - Though not as simple as George, Leonidas can provide similar effects to George should you be able to charge his NP which, combined with his skills, can provide a potential 4 turns of taunt. As for why you might run Leonidas instead of George: Leo provides both stars(25) on NP and party-wide Buster(25%) buffs to enable more potential damage than George, albeit with more hoops to jump through.

Benkei - Benkei is often considered worthless, both by the story and many players, but while not as good as many other supports on this list he has immediate access to two skills that can prove invaluable against the right opponent. Targetable skill seal(100%) & AoE NP Seal(80%) allow Benkei to “blue-ball” many of the more difficult enemies in the game, combined with a 1 turn taunt these skills can allow you to stall potential problems and remove Benkei from the field in the process.

Asterios - Asterios is a bit of an odd pick. His primary use comes from his NP which inflicts AoE Attack and Defense debuffs of 60% for one turn that lower into a still respectable 20% Attack and 10% Defense debuffs for an additional 5 turns. This is good, but his lack of healing and his Berserker status mean he himself receives very little benefit. However against an enemy NP that cannot be protected his debuffs might prove the key deciding factor to keep the team alive when pitted against an opponent with Pierce or Buff Removal on NP.

Mata Hari - Mata Hari is another odd choice, but effective enough for her rarity. Possessing both an AoE Male Charm(60%) skill & an AoE Charm(60%) NP she can potentially lock down an opposing team for several turns while opening them up to explosive damage thanks to her Charm skill and NP also inflicting AoE Defense(20%) debuffs each, along with a targeted Defense debuff(20%) and skill seal. She’s subject to a lot of RNG, but when she works she works well.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

Continued in next section: Buying and Selling(Burning)

[KamikazeAardvark]

Buying and Selling(Burning)

When should I burn a gold Servant?

Short answer: Never, unless they are NP5.

Long answer: Even if a Servant is undesirable to you, burning them should not considered at all if they are your first or second copy. You never know when a Servant will get a buff that dramatically alters their use and there is a significant jump in effectiveness of a Noble Phantasm when going from NP1 to NP2. For your third through fifth copies it becomes less clear cut, though general consensus is that you should never burn a Servant when you can upgrade the Noble Phantasm on your first copy instead.

Ultimately though this is a personal choice and taste can play a part in whether or not you will use a Servant. So instead of further suggestions here are some relevant numbers that may effect your decision:

1. Upgrading from NP1 to NP2 increases damage as much as upgrading from NP2 to NP5. Upgrading from NP2 to NP3 increases damage as much as upgrading from NP3 to NP5.

2. The odds of rolling any SR is 3%. The odds of rolling an SR that is on solo rate up is 1.5%. The odds of rolling a specific SR that is on dual rate up is 1.2%.

3. The odd of rolling any SSR is 1%. The odds of rolling an SSR that is on solo rate up is 0.8%. The odds of rolling a specific SSR that is on dal rate up is 0.4%.

4. On average a player will only accumulate enough SQ in a year to reliably get 3-4 SSRs and 9-12 SRs.

5. Getting your 6th - 10th copy of a Welfare Servant will award 1 RP each. Getting a second copy of a 5* Command Code also rewards 1 RP.

6. Events sometimes contain bonuses for certain Servants, having more Servants with said bonuses can greatly reduce the amount of grinding needed per Event.

7. The majority of Servants have Interludes and/or Rank-Up Quests available to them. These quests can be a good source of Saint Quartz as each Interlude rewards either 1 SQ or buff and each Rank Up Quest rewards 2 SQ and a buff. As well every 10 Interludes performed and every 10 Rank Up Quests performed reward 10 SQ.

8. Certain campaigns will reward RP for mission completion.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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What should I buy with RP?

General consensus is that the order of purchases from the RP shop should be: Chaldea Lunchtime(+10% bond points when equipped), Mona Lisa(+10% QP per drop when equipped), Chaldea Teatime(+5% bond points; +15% when equipped on Support), & Bella Lisa(+5% QP; +15% when equipped on Support). Lunchtime aides in generating Saint Quartz through bond levels, while Mona Lisa helps reduce QP grinding time. Teatime and Bella Lisa help generate Friend Points.

Other strong options include: Anniversary Blonde(Mystic Code used for Buster Critical teams) & Lantern of Chaldea(Used to increase maximum bond level past 10). Increasing bond level from 10 to 11 and onward reward 30 Saint Quartz each.

Of note: “CBC 2019 Limited Craft Essence Exchange Shop” contains the useful 4* CE Outrage that can provide a turn of Taunt to the Servant equipped with it. Sweet Crystal is a Starting Gauge CE with Pierce, but requires an investment of 25 RP to reach it’s full potential. Similarly Fondant au Chocolat is another Starting Gauge CE that also applies extra damage vs. Divine enemies though also requires an investment of 25 RP to reach it’s full potential.

Option you should NEVER choose: 20,000 Friend Points.

(It may be wise to limit RP expenditure until you can maximize your gains in each instance. This means not unlocking Mona Lisa, Bella List, Chaldea Lunchtime, & Chaldea Teatime until you have the requisite number of Mana Prisms to MLB them[5,000 for one set, 20,000 for all sets]. The same holds true for Fondant au Chocolat & Sweet Crystal.)

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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Should I buy the new shop CE?

The general consensus is that you should only buy future CEs from the Mana Prism shop if you have at least 11,000 Mana Prisms and already have as many of the following CEs(at MLB) as are available to you: Mona Lisa, Bella Lisa, Chaldea Teatime, Chaldea Lunchtime.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

Continued in next section: Other

[KamikazeAardvark]

Other Questions

Who should I use my Special Ascension on?

This is a highly personal decision, but generally people fall into one of two categories if they even bother asking this question: Veterans who have a complete Roster and several unleveled members and new players that got lucky with multiple SSRs early.

Veterans should use it on the Servant with the worst Material requirements, either due to low drop rate or high number requirements.

New players should focus on Support options such as Waver, Skadi, Merlin, & Castoria as they will open up more options as your roster develops. Absent any of those it depends on what you are currently lacking in terms of team composition. Another potential factor is availability of materials for Ascension; certain materials are unavailable as drops until you have progressed through certain key story points, if you have a Servant with Ascension materials you cannot acquire through drops then they would make a favorable choice.

Though tierlists should not be adhered to religiously, with no niche to fill and no favoritism involved on the part of the Master, they may prove to be the deciding factor. Also worth noting is that the availability of the Special Ascension is 90 days, so holding onto your Special Ascension until you find something you truly wish to use it on is a perfectly valid call. Just don’t forget to use it before the end of the 90 days.

Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

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What are CE Bombs and how do I make them?

CE bombs are a QP cheap method to increase the level of a Craft Essence(CE). They can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make them, though the more convoluted methods are ultimately cheaper in the long run. As such both a Simple Method and a Cost Efficient method are listed for both levels of effort you may wish to expend.

Simple Method

For people who don’t wanna think about the logistics too much just feed everything into a 1* CE until it hits level 40. Then feed those into whatever you want to level:

Into:

This method is easier for people who don’t wanna think about the logistics too much and still greatly reduces the QP cost of leveling CEs.

Cost Efficient Method

CEs cost increasingly more QP to enhance per CE the higher the rarity and level. For example, this SSR CE at level 80 costs almost 9k QP per CE to enhance, making a set of 20 cost over 177k QP for a relatively tiny amount of exp.

But this 1* level 1 CE enhanced with those same 20 CEs costs a mere 1.2k QP to enhance.

So, how do you build your CE bomb?

1. Pick a 1* or 2* CE at level 1 to enhance.
2. Select “Fodder” CEs until just under the Max Level limitation(Fodder refers to any unwanted CE no matter the rarity).
   
   
3. Select any previously made MLB CE.
   
   
4. Select at least 4 identical CEs to MLB your current CE Bomb in progress.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Pick a different 1* or 2* level 1 CE and repeat the process until the accumulated EXP is enough to reach level 50 (for a 1* base) or level 55 (for a 2* base). Picking a different base CE each time is important because the enhancement cost is most expensive if your CE Bomb in progress is an MLB CE.
6. Feed your CE Bomb(s) to the CE you wish to enhance for a much reduced total QP cost. Leveling an SSR CE from 1 to 100 takes roughly 8 level 50 bombs or 5 level 55 bombs.
   
   

Note: The total QP saved is greater using 1* CEs as the bomb base, but they don’t fit as much fodder at a once. 2* CEs with a higher base cap can fit more fodder CEs at a time for quicker leveling.

• Last Updated: July 26th, 2021

End of current FAQ

[KamikazeAardvark]

Should you have any questions or suggestions about or for the FAQ please see the development thread for it: FRQ

If you need to follow-up on an answer or just see your question hasn’t been answered here there is also the Guides and Resources thread for more generalized information & the General Support Thread for very specific questions regarding your own personal game.

There you can also see everyone who contributed to the production of this FAQ. If you have free time head on over and give them a like, they all worked very hard on this.