Arcana Guide & Analysis

Overview

• A buffer exclusive to Isabel; the majority of her incredibly strong buffs only work on Isabel, and she must burst at the same burst phase as Isabel is bursting in.
• Makes Isabel incredibly powerful, at the expense of the rest of the team, since Arcana’s general buffs are either not as strong or have a short duration compared to other B2 buffers.
• Base 40s CD mandates a second B2 on the team for the second B3 DPS unit.
• Rotations with Isabel are smooth thanks to cooldown that activates when the condition is met.
• Very beautiful…

Newbie/Incomplete Box Section

Arcana offers powerful buffs in the form of a CD B2 skill, but there’s a caveat: her abilities will only benefit a Burst 3 electric unit that reduces its burst cooldown duration. At present, Isabel is the sole Nikke character who can effectively leverage Arcana’s massive boosts.

In simpler terms, although Arcana provides some general boosts to the entire team, these benefits are significantly overshadowed by what she offers to Isabel. With Isabel benefiting from both the common buffs and Arcana’s unique buffs that persist into the next burst phase, Isabel’s attack power becomes so high that it compensates for the reduced attack power when using a support character who primarily focuses on boosting a single unit.

As an enthusiast, I’ve noticed that both Arcana and Isabel require a substantial collection of skill books to reach their full potential. Arcana’s buffs are remarkably scaled, and for Isabel, her skills need to be exceptionally strong to effectively harness the immense power she receives. The fact that two slots are dedicated to enhancing a single unit might lead to complications when it comes to team composition.

In contrast to many other duos, the effectiveness of Arcana and Isabel is significantly enhanced when they are used together. While most duos can function independently based on team configurations, Arcana becomes less effective without Isabel, and Isabel alone lacks significant power. This can lead to a high cost, as both units need to be developed simultaneously to yield noticeable results.

Basic Information

• Skill 1: Awakened Destiny
• Skill 2: Cycle of Destiny
• Burst: Shackles of Destiny
• Cooldown: 40s

Skill 1: Awakened Destiny

When the Full Burst ability concludes, it triggers an effect on all allies who had previously utilized their Burst Skill 3 (Electric Code) if the Magician is in Wheel of Fortune status.

The Magician’s Skill 2 cooldown decreases by 75% and remains reduced for 15 seconds, and its attack damage increases by 180% during this same period.

In simpler terms, when the Full Burst is over, it boosts the abilities of all allies that had used their Burst Skill 3 (Electric Code) if the Magician is in Wheel of Fortune mode. The cooldown for the Magician’s Skill 2 decreases significantly and its attack power increases substantially for 15 seconds. Additionally, the Magician’s attack power also increases by 5% of their own attack power for 10 seconds when Full Burst ends.

If Full Burst concludes while Arcana maintains her Wheel of Fortune effect, it will initiate Awakened Destiny, reducing Isabel’s S2 cooldown drastically (from 15 seconds to 3.75 seconds) and significantly boosting her attack damage by 180% for 15 seconds. Since this is an attack damage bonus, it combines with regular ATK buffs, making a B1 ATK booster like Liter increase Isabel’s damage output considerably. With Arcana’s effect, Isabel’s S2 will activate approximately four times during each buff cycle.

It’s worth noting that Isabel doesn’t benefit from burst time buffs or bonus damage from her own Full Burst immediately, nor can she use her Damage Taken debuff from her own burst with Arcana’s buff. Instead, because the exclusive buffs last 15 seconds, if Isabel generates enough burst energy, she can take advantage of both the B1 supporter’s buffs and the second B2 supporter’s buffs, as well as Full Burst bonus damage during the time when the second DPS unit is bursting.

This ability also provides a 5% boost to everyone’s attack for 10 seconds. On its own, it might seem insignificant, but when combined with the other general buffs that Arcana offers through her skills, characters who deal burst damage quickly can still benefit from Arcana’s generic buffs, even if they aren’t as powerful as Isabel’s.

Skill 2: Cycle of Destiny

■ The effect takes place once Full Burst concludes. It benefits Electric Code allies with a Burst Level of 3, assuming the self is in Wheel of Fortune status.

Strength: Boosts attack power by 180% of the caster’s for 15 seconds.

■ The effect takes place once Full Burst concludes. It benefits all allies if the self is in Wheel of Fortune status.

Death: Decreases the cooldown of the Burst Skill by 6 seconds. Additionally, it boosts attack power by 50% of the caster’s for 5 seconds.

■ The effect takes place once Full Burst concludes. It benefits all allies.

Attack damage is increased by 7.5% for a duration of 10 seconds.

In a similar fashion to her Skill 1 (S1), the Cycle of Destiny will activate if Arcana has her own burst’s bonus when the Full Burst concludes. Once this condition is satisfied, it provides Isabel with a significant 180% boost to her attack power from the caster for a duration of 15 seconds. Similar to S1, due to activating after the full burst ends, Isabel can maximize the benefit of the large buff during the second phase of damage dealing (DPS).

Because the buff depends on the caster’s attack, and the multiplier is substantial, this means that Arcana becomes one of the top scaling units in the game, although at present it primarily benefits just one unit – Isabel. For each point of attack Arcana gains, the effect almost doubles when distributed to Isabel.

This powerful ability not only boosts your strength significantly, but it also temporarily enhances the attack power of your teammates by 50% of their casting abilities for a brief 5 seconds, and increases their attack damage by 7.5% for a duration of 10 seconds. However, since this buff’s duration is short, allies who can unleash all their damage at once upon casting, such as those with burst abilities, are best suited to maximize the limited benefits Arcana provides them.

The cool-down provided by the skill is primarily designed to prevent Isabel’s reduced burst duration from disrupting regular burst cycle patterns. Typically, employing any unit that reduces burst time requires two cooldown units to keep the burst cycles running smoothly, which was a significant issue because cooldown units are crucial for team compositions in raids and it’s rare to have more than one in a team. Arcana specifically addresses this problem for Isabel by solving it.

Burst: Shackles of Destiny

■ Impacts every ally following the Electrical Code. (Wheel of Fortune: Increases attack damage by 10% for 10 seconds.)

■ Affects all adversaries. (Deals 300% of final attack power as Burst Skill damage to all enemies.)

■ Impacts every enemy. (Judgement: Increases damage taken by 10% for 10 seconds.)

Compared to the strong buffs from her S1 and S2 abilities, Arcana’s burst buffs are significantly weaker. However, it’s crucial to note that these weak burst buffs form the foundation of her entire skill set. Only when Arcana possesses the Wheel of Fortune buff at the end of Full Burst can her S1 and S2’s massive buffs become active.

To use both abilities (S1 and S2) with a standard full burst duration, you’d need to shorten the burst time using a character’s burst time reduction debuff like Isabel or Vesti have. This is because Arcana’s S1 and S2 buffs activate only for electric B3 allies that also cast their burst within the same burst cycle, making Isabel the ideal choice given this condition.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed that when Isabel cuts the duration of my Full Burst by 5 seconds, it leaves me with a 5-second window to leverage the benefits from my burst, along with any generic buffs from Arcana that activate once Full Burst ends. If I can churn out the Full Burst quickly, allies like Scarlet who have an instant damage burst can capitalize on the combined 10% increased damage taken, 17.5% attack damage boost, and a 55% caster’s attack bonus, in addition to the buffs their B2 supporter provides them.

Campaign

If you don’t plan on involving Isabel in your campaign, it wouldn’t be ideal to rely solely on Arcana. As a 40-second cooldown B2 unit, Arcana isn’t suitable as the only B2 member in your team. Without Isabel, Arcana’s large buffs won’t benefit any other units, which could lead to wasted potential. Even with Isabel present, Arcana doesn’t offer much utility beyond her personal buffs, so you’d need other units to compensate for healing or shielding abilities she lacks.

When it comes to Isabel’s Arcana skills, they are highly potent but require investing in two separate units for optimal performance, which could prove costly compared to developing versatile units with broader team applicability. However, if you’re set on using her abilities, I suggest proceeding cautiously as it may not always be the most effective strategy unless your primary objective is mastering Isabel’s Arcana.

Arena

In simpler terms, the Rocket Launcher from Arcana isn’t particularly impressive, reloads slowly, and Isabel performs average in player versus player (PvP) matches. Even if Isabel were more effective, the significant boosts for her character only become active after a full burst, which is too slow for PvP. Therefore, I would advise against using Arcana in PvP situations.

It’s important to point out that among the currently accessible Rocket Launchers (excluding clips and special ones), Arcana generates the most burst damage.

Special Interception | Union Raid | Solo Raid

Because Isabel, empowered by Arcana’s immense strength, makes an undeniably effective pair for raids focusing on electric weak enemies. But do keep in mind that the field of electric DPS is currently quite crowded, boasting heavyweights like Cinderella, Ein, Scarlet (particularly with Trina), xMaiden and sAnis, not to mention Maid Privaty with its specialized shotgun team. If you’re planning on investing in both units for this duo, they should hold their ground admirably.

If you find yourself short on seasonal electric units, consider investing in the Arcana Isabel duo as a viable solution. Since they’re versatile and adaptable, they can seamlessly fit into any team composition. To maximize Isabel’s potential, it’s best to construct a team that will grant her the most benefits from buffs, as she stands to gain the most from them.

Despite the significant power Isabel acquires from Arcana, she proves ineffective as a damage dealer against the Mirror Container Interception. This is because the glass slippers mechanism requires a single powerful blow to break a slipper and lower the mirror container’s defenses.

Because Isabel is a shotgun-style character, her initial attack disperses into 10 pellets for damage distribution. This means that only one instance of damage will be recorded, which makes it challenging for Isabel to shatter glass slippers compared to more established characters like Ein or Red Hood. If you’ve already built up enough strength to destroy the glass slippers with any unit, you might not necessarily require the duo either.

Teams

Liter,Arcana,Trina,Isabel,Scarlet

This team effectively balances the potential drawbacks when deploying Arcana and Trina together. Typically, each of these units enhances one unit significantly, while providing smaller enhancements to other members in the team. By fielding both superboosters along with their associated units within a single team, neither attacker will face a shortage of necessary buffs.

1. Option A: Trina offers both burst damage and healing capabilities which are not present in Arcana or Isabel. Scarlet is another unit that can utilize Arcana’s remaining buffs effectively with her boosted, swiftly striking burst attack. This unit is advisable if you have already assembled a sufficient electric DPS team for an electric raid.

2. Option B: Trina possesses both burst damage and healing attributes, unlike Arcana or Isabel. Scarlet is another character who can make use of Arcana’s lingering benefits with her Trina-enhanced, rapid-fire burst attack. This character is a good choice if you have already established an electric DPS squad for a raid.

3. Option C: Trina has both burst damage and healing skills that neither Arcana nor Isabel have. Scarlet can also leverage Arcana’s remaining buffs with her enhanced, quick-striking burst attack thanks to Trina. If you already have an electric DPS team assembled for a raid, this character could be beneficial.

4. Option D: Trina offers both damaging bursts and healing abilities, something that neither Arcana nor Isabel can do. Scarlet is another unit that can exploit Arcana’s lingering bonuses when she uses her Trina-boosted instantaneous burst attack. This character is recommended if you already have a solid electric DPS team for a raid.

5. Option E: Trina provides both burst damage and healing abilities, unlike Arcana or Isabel. Scarlet can also capitalize on Arcana’s residual benefits with her Trina-amped, lightning-fast burst attack. This unit is suggested if you have already built up an electric DPS squad for a raid.

Liter,Arcana,Flex B2,Isabel,Drake (Treasure)

As a gamer, when it comes to electric raids featuring Maid Privaty as our main DPS for the shotgun squad, it becomes quite tricky to squeeze in both Bunny Soda and me, Drake, on the same team. That’s why I find it best to focus on buffing Isabel, as Maid Privaty and Bunny Soda require a fair amount of attention already. My special ability (S1), when boosted by my favorite item, provides a substantial attack boost, ammo, and hit rate enhancement for Full Burst, which Isabel greatly benefits from.

In this scenario, when Drake’s S1 attack buff and Arcana’s attack damage buff are combined, Isabel has the highest potential for buffing among all units currently available. Notably, Drake can also benefit from Arcana’s general buffs to enhance her burst’s power, which means Arcana isn’t just beneficial for Isabel but can be useful for Drake as well.

Special Note: Tove

One could consider that Tove would be beneficial for Isabel by increasing her attack speed. On paper, it seems like an excellent choice, but in practice, there are some constraints. Tove isn’t a unit with a quick cooldown (B1), and Arcana requires another B2 unit due to Arcana’s 40-second cooldown. This means that the second B2 unit has to be Dolla.

In the present game scenario, Dolla’s enhancements are exceptionally feeble, and her cooling-off period is not as advantageous as that of a B1 cooldown character. Moreover, Bunny Soda’s ability to prolong burst times hinders Isabel from getting Arcana’s powerful buffs.

For the time being, Tove doesn’t work so great with Isabel, and by extension, Arcana.

Strengths

• The most powerful buffs in the game, even if they are exclusive to one unit.
• The best scaling buffs in the game, even if they are exclusive to one unit.
• Due to the fact that Isabel is a burst time reduction unit, team comps with Isabel and Arcana will burst more often, so Isabel can maximize time spent with huge buffs.
• Her lingering generic buffs that activate after full burst ends can still be used by allies with strong, instant damage bursts with enough burst gen.
• Smoothens burst rotations when bursting with Isabel, making it easier to use 1 cooldown reduction unit.

Weaknesses

• Buffs are exclusive to Isabel for the foreseeable future, this reduces team potential. 
• Both Arcana and Isabel must be invested in to make the use of how polarizing the duo are, making it expensive to build both at once.
• Outside of buffing Isabel, Arcana provides very little to the team. No heals, shields, and cooldown only when bursting alongside Isabel.
• 40s CD burst cooldown mandates a second B2 unit.
• Electric DPS is saturated.

Rating

IMPORTANT: Her tier is based on the pairing with Isabel. On her own she is basically unusable.

Recommended Cubes

bastion cube,resilience cube

To get the most out of the powerful boosts that Arcana offers to Isabel, it’s best to use the highest-leveled Cube you have, even though Cubes typically don’t offer much on their own. The level of the Cube doesn’t matter in this case – what counts is maximizing the caster attack buff provided by Arcana for Isabel.

Expected Skill Priority

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2025-07-01 15:06