Help on Dark AR-D?

[kuraki]

Hello everyone! I would just like to ask for some friendly opinions regarding my defense. I mean, I can just follow the high-end defense meta and be done with it but I just want my AR-D to still be a legit defense without spending exclusive 5 stars for skill fodder.

Anyways, here is my current defense >.<

My original build for H!L’Arachel and B!Veronica is that they both have the close and far drive def, but I guess it’s useless if they’ll be one-shotted. As for Sothis, most of the times she can’t proc her natural solo conditions so I’ve changed her skill (Fury was already inherited for an Abyssal battle)

As for OG!Azura, I do have other lances. Norne’s lance seems pretty good but let’s be honest, she’s not gonna see the light of battle.

Thoughts? >.<

[Vicarious]

1. You could give Restore+ (20k feathers from 5* Nanna) to B!Veronica and build a restore trap. You probably don’t want her on the front, instead put Sothis since at least you have her at +3. You’ll depend on the enemy debuffing any of your front units so it probably would be most consistent when a bonus structure that targets them is in rotation (example: Bright Shrine and Infantry School targets Nótt, Panic Manner targets everything, etc.)
2. You need Ground Orders on C or sacred seal on any of your fliers standing next to Azura, to make sure the restore trap activates whenever any of your frontliners gets debuffed.
3. Give Sothis some form of guard skill on A instead of Fury. Any will do, just anything with guard. If you have spare Surtrs or F!Berkut they are perfect fodder for her. Just make sure to give her a sacred seal stance that gives spd and the other defensive stat not on A (example: if you have Steady Stance 4 from Surtr, give her Swift Stance 2 seal for a net +4/+8/+4 Spd/Def/Res on enemy phase. No need of Quickened Pulse because she’ll retaliate with Sirius on her first hit thanks to TP.
4. Change your own Bright Shrine for Dark Shrine. Restore traps want to be offensive, so a shrine that targets the enemy tanks is overall better for this type of strat.
5. Restore traps work inmensily better if you have 2 dancers on your team. So replacing Aversa or H!L’Arachel for a dancer could be an option.
6. You lack a duo/harmonic unit on this team. You could replace Aversa for H!Dorothea or L’Arachel for H!Azura and you would be hitting 2 birds with 1 stone. Once you place a duo/harmonic unit on your team, it is vital you change Bolt Tower for Duo Hindrance, since Bolt Tower on defense doesn’t bring you much value, and Duo Hindrance alone might save you against very oppresive duo units like N!Lyn and N!Corrin.
7. Always remember: aether structures are valueless on defense, don’t hesitate to relegate those to structure blocks if you need to. No need to protect those over Duo Hindrance or a Shrine.

Edit: 8. Change Savage blow seal for Blade Session seal on B!Veronica. If you end up going to the restore trap strat, this means she and another unit (most likely a dancer) will move before she initiates combat. This ensures she gets +9/+9 Atk/Spd if the restore trap activates, which could be the difference between getting the KO and not getting it.

[kuraki]

1.) Ohh this would be good! Was also thinking of adding Harsh Command to others, would that be okay? Also, would that mean that I have to have other defense formats if the shrines or debuffs are not in rotation?

2.) I guess I’ll remove the tactics from Yune for Ground Orders

3.) I think I can spare an extra Osian for her. Ooohh how exciting!

4.) Got it, will do

5 and 6.) If so, I’m gonna replace H!L’Arachel with H!Azura (It’s been a good service surviving B!Hectors and killing Peonys, candy dealer!). Was trying to hold back in using H!Azura since she’s blessing-less, and blessed units cannot be unblessed (lol nitpicky)

7.) My defense sucks so I would rather annoy them by not giving them all the required energy lolololol

P.S. As far as my run goes, both H!L’Arachel and B!Veronica can survive from A!Fjorm, which is why I was also thinking of WOM shenanigans. Would I change her A slot for a push skill?

[Vicarious]

You probably can build something like this:

Anima Restore Trap

Frontliners (debuff targets)

Dancers

3 mov range threats

Last Astra/Anima season was Infantry School bonus week so this restore trap works 2nd best in those cases. If the opponent has the infantry school in lane 3, 4 or 5, or if they have some other form of debuff reaching Seiros, the trap activates. B!Veronica restores Seiros, then D!Peony refreshes B!Veronica from the right. In this case you can see there’s also a 2nd trap, a rally trap, built in. Bladetome Olwen rallies B!Veronica from the left, then Mirabilis dances Olwen. This way both B!Veronica and Bladetome Olwen gets visible +6 to all stats and have reach across all the map, making it very difficult for a single far save tank to protect all the enemy units. If the trap works the way it’s meant, theres a secret someone jumping 3 spaces and AoE nuking everything in her way.

[Moop]

I am not here to contribute to your ARD.

I am here to say your Magikarp picture looks beautiful.

[kuraki]

Awww thanks >.<
Me newb hands are happy >.<

[Vicarious]

Harsh command doesn’t work the same as Restore+ or HC+ on the hands of the AI, so I would go for a restore+ user and a rally user, this way you can have 2 traps.

Yes, this strat highly depends on the enemy giving debuffs to your frontliners. Smart and/or high level players will notice this, and bring team comps without any kind of debuffs. This means that this strat works best when the enemy can’t choose on team preview wether or not your frontliners gets debuff’d, meaning when a bonus structure in rotation gives those debuffs.

To note this type of strat isn’t weak to [False Start], but it’s very weak to [Isolation]. Meaning Mila will have no problem turning it into a field walk. This is why imo this type of trap is better suited to Anima, because Elimine can’t do nothing.

[Vicarious]

Also, Osian (Mirror Stance 3) is probably a highly valuable fodder, better suited for other competent tanks. No need to give Sothis this skill. Steady Stance 4 and Warding Stance 4 aren’t that premium though, so they could fill the need nicely without wasting premium fodder.

Decently supported A!Fjorm can kill both B!Veronica and any green tome cav. It depends on the player and the team they bring.
If you have A/S push to spare, go for it!

[kuraki]

All of these are noted. However, I have decided to stick with my ye olde Armor Team for my Anima. Inconsistent and unreliable, I know, but it is very meme-y and can net kills from unsuspecting prey.

I’ll decide for B!Veronica if she’ll have the A/S push, will check first. She has no other A-Slot aside from the basic Spd+3 anyways lol

As for Mila, I guess double Milas make this a cakewalk. Galeforce teams too. I guess I was just fascinated on how Vero And L’Arachel survived hits from A!Fjorm.

And for the stance skill, hmmm. Don’t have any spare Surtr, and am simp for F!Berkut but I’ll rethink since Mirror Stance 3 can be combined with Wrath (if that is still useful in today’s meta.

Thank you so much for the insights I really learned a lot!

[Vicarious]

No problem!

[Seeker]

Which dark mythics do you have at your disposal?

[kuraki]

Sadly, the three are my only dark mythics

[Seeker]

Pardon the delay, been extremely occupied. A few things I would say here:

• go just with Nott and Yune. In the current game Sothis isn’t a threat. (Yune isn’t much of one either but she’s doing better than Sothis.)
• switch Azura with someone like M.Eldigan, Berkut, or even Xander (if you invest in him) who’s hard to isolate using Mila. With the single refresher there who’s also vulnerable to Mila, you may as well build the team without a refresher.
• don’t give away your bolt tower. That’s a free WoM for your opponent.
• in the current game I’d say you can’t really afford to include Aversa on defense. Maybe after her refine this will change.
• as others have pointed out, you need a duo/harmonic and duo’s hindrance.

Do you have other high damage outut units?

[kuraki]

Update: Thanks for those that have helped me in building my team, I guess it’s a success?

Unfortunately, I did not follow through the other promises hehe XD

[MysticWolves]

Well, I’m always having issues with AR defense, so I’m always seeking help here too. But I can tell you some of the things I’ve learned.

-First, always overlap attacking areas. And make sure they are strong, or can live easily.
-Make sure there is at least one Dancer, maybe even two during dark season.
-never close in your units unless you are making a save team.
-if you do make a save team, make sure to de-equip the front people’s weapons so they can’t kill themselves.
-keep up with the bonus structures and bonus heroes to minimize lift loss.
-And lastly, never keep expectations too high. There are always crafty people that’ll ruin your day and find a way to break through. So try not to get too frustrated over AR.

Hope the advice given to me can help you my friend. Best of luck!

[kuraki]

Thanks! I myself am not too particular with impenetrable defenses, I just want my favorites to kill something. Well, they’re not exactly my favorite per se but on a budget they can defeat at least one or two units.

Investing on AR-D is not viable if I also don’t invest in AR-O

[MysticWolves]

I suppose I understand. I happen to been playing this since the day it launched, so I have a lot of good units to work with! I just hope you figured out your defense, because I’m still struggling myself in Dark. Granted, it deals with the vault of heaven as well, so that might have something to do with it!

Best of luck to you!