The ratings found in this and the following 5 posts will all be based purely on the entire character kits at the time of their Awakening, be relative to each other, and exclude EX weapons. For updated ratings moving forward and insight on EX weapons, please see one of the many character guides when they pop up.
TL;DR
Squall is strong. Cecil is so-so. Shantotto is suck.
This is the first in a series of posts comparing the 3 characters that share the same Crystal Color in the first 3 Waves of Awakening. We’re starting with Black Crystal.
How very fortunate that in my opinion, the Black Crystal Characters line up worst to best in order of release! While it won’t always be so cut and dry, it’s a good chance for everyone to see the kind of accelerated powercreep DFFOO will be experiencing going forward, and how much difference a single month can make in terms of character expectations. Hopefully by the end, this series will help players decide how they want to spend their first batch of limited resources right out of the gate and how these first few waves of characters function.
Table of Contents
Shantotto: The Elemental Magic BRV Shaver
Stats
| Modifiers | HP | INT BRV | MAX BRV | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl 60/60 | 5322 | 1093 | 3500 | 709 | 597 |
| +MLB | 6130 | 1326 | 6589 | 1729 | 1445 |
| +Passive Buffs | 6130 | 1326 | 6589 | 1729 | 1445 |
| +Self Buffs | 6130 | 1326 | 9224 | 2161 | 1445 |
Awakening Passives
| C. Lvl | Description |
|---|---|
| 51 | Level Cap +10 |
| 52 | HP +630 |
| 53 | CP +50 |
| 54 | HP Damage ATK Up: Increases ATK by (+10%) for 3 turns after taking HP damage. |
| 55 | Extended Spirit Magic: Aero: Increases the potencies of Spirit Magic: Aero and Play Rough: Aero by (+15%/15%)respectively. Increases MAX BRV Up effect on Play Rough: Bio by (+40%). |
| 56 | DEF +150 |
| 57 | MAX BRV +1000 |
| 58 | BRV SPD Up: Increase SPD when BRV is above 50% MAX BRV. |
| 59 | ATK + 100 |
| 60 | Extended Spirit Magic: Bio: Increases the potencies of Spirit Magic: Bio and Play Rough: Bio by (+10%/10%)respectively. Increases Poison potency by (20%). Adds an HP attack at the end of Play Rough: Bio. |
Abilities
| Ability | Description | Type | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Magic: Aero | Single Target 3-Hit BRV Magic Wind Attack. (ATK 150%) potency. Grants Shantotto (+40%) MAX BRV Up for 5 turns. Transforms into Play Rough: Aero for 3 turns after taking BRV or HP damage. | BRV Attack, Self-Buff | 7 |
| Play Rough: Aero | Single Target 5-Hit BRV Magic Wind Attack. (ATK 215%) potency. Grants Shantotto (+80%) MAX BRV Up for 5 turns. | BRV Attack, Self-Buff | See Above |
| Spirit Magic: Bio | Single Target 1-Hit BRV Magic Dark Attack. (ATK 190%) potency. Grants Shantotto (+25%) ATK Up for 5 turns. Inflicts (INT BRV 20%) Poison for 6 turns. Transforms into Play Rough: Bio for 3 turns after taking BRV or HP damage. | BRV Attack, Self-Buff | 7 |
| Play Rough: Bio | Single Target 1-Hit BRV+HP Magic Dark Attack. (ATK 230%) potency. Grants Shantotto (+25%) ATK Up for 5 turns. | BRV+HP Attack, Self-Buff | See Above |
Analysis
As is appropriate, Shantotto is the first of the Black Crystal Awakenings and the worst. She once again gets the short end of the stick when it comes to tuning passes. On release, she was plagued by an abominable kit that revolves around the least manipulatable condition: taking HP damage. Not only that, but she’s not exactly well equipped for it either. Abysmally low DEF and HP along with a CHANCE-based taunt (30%) means that more often than not, Shantotto is hitting for subpar potencies and there’s not much you can do about it.
But it’s okay because Awakenings are here to fix everyone, right?
Wrong. Shantotto takes one step forward, then two steps back. The biggest changes Shantotto get in her Awakening are Play Rough mode being activated on BRV attacks as well now, a BRV+HP on her Play Rough: Bio, and an increase in her chance to taunt. Great. Except that taking BRV damage still revolves Shantotto getting hit, and with her shit defenses and her now 60% chance to taunt, that’s neither a good idea nor is it that much more reliable. And the best part of her Awakening, the BRV+HP, still relies on the off-chance she gets hit! It’s kind of poetic in a way. I’m just seeing it now. Even at her core, she needs to have a chunk of BRV or HP taken away before she can work. One step forward, two steps back, just like her entire character design.
And the concept just keeps going. Yes, Shantotto has type coverage in Wind and Dark, but being locked to types can also be detrimental. Hell, Dark doesn’t even have an Imperil in the game yet OR viable summon boosts. And while she is the first to get an EX weapon that’s not too shabby – it imperils Fire, Holy, Lightning, and Wind – for some reason it DOES NOT IMPERIL HER ONE BRV+HP ATTACK!
I really like Shantotto as a character, and she’s so good in all the other games she’s in, but DFFOO… It feels like the dev team really forgot about her… and therefore you should too. We’ll try again next tuning pass.
Longevity: Low
Final Score: 2/10
Cecil: Dark Elemental Launcher
Stats
| Modifiers | HP | INT BRV | MAX BRV | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl 60/60 | 6468 | 846 | 2624 | 709 | 744 |
| +MLB | 7329 | 1076 | 5512 | 1801 | 1622 |
| +Passive Buffs | 7329 | 1076 | 7717 | 2161 | 1622 |
| +Self Buffs | 7329 | 1076 | 9095 | 2701 | 1622 |
Awakening Passives
| C. Lvl | Description |
|---|---|
| 51 | Level Cap +10 |
| 52 | MAX BRV +630 |
| 53 | CP +50 |
| 54 | Buff Boost: Increases MAX BRV by (+20%) while buffed. |
| 55 | Extended Darkness: Increases the potency of Darkness by (+30%). Increases BRV damage dealt by (+60%) if there is only a single enemy. |
| 56 | DEF +210 |
| 57 | HP +1000 |
| 58 | Danger Boost: Increases MAX BRV when HP is under 20% MAX HP. |
| 59 | ATK + 100 |
| 60 | Extended Valiant Blow: Increases the potency of Valiant Blow by (+10%). Adds an HP attack at the end of Valiant Blow. |
Abilities
| Ability | Description | Type | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darkness | AoE 1-Hit BRV Ranged Dark Attack. (ATK 180%) potency. Grants Cecil (+25%) MAX BRV Up for 2 turns. Increases BRV damage dealt by (60%) against a single enemy. Consumes 15% of Cecil’s Current HP. | AoE BRV Attack, Self-Buff | 6 |
| Valiant Blow | Single Target 3-Hit BRV+HP Melee Dark Attack. (ATK 250%) potency. Grants Cecil (+30%) ATK Up for 3 turns. Deals 50 Launch damage. Consumes 40% of Cecil’s Current HP. | BRV+HP Attack, Launch, Self-Buff | 4 |
Analysis
Cecil has always been a high risk, high reward character. He deals out massive punishment but risks death at every turn. In the 15 CP Era, this was negligible; most enemies never even got a chance to fight back. As the 35 CP Era progressed, it started becoming more and more noticeable as not only did enemies beging killing him more and more often, his stats just did not hold up anymore and he leaked BRV like crazy.
Cecil’s Awakening doubles down on his double-edged sword concept by bring his DPS up to par with the new era while also further rewarding him for remaining at low HP as much as possible in a time where monsters can and will easily shred him to pieces. On the plus side, his low MAX BRV stat has now been removed as a crippling weakness.
The first gift Cecil got from Awakening is Valiant Blow turning into a BRV+HP attack. This does HEAPS for his DPS. Valiant Blow is already a high potency launch on a character with an outstanding ATK stat, but now it dumps BRV and multiplies the HP damage dealt? I mean, you’re literally getting a minimum 1:1.1 BRV to HP damage conversion here. Much more if you set up the launch right. It’s… It’s fantastic. The only downside is that this move used to chunk Cecil’s HP by 40% in return so you did NOT want to eat an HP attack afterwards. Well, now it also leaves him without BRV so you don’t want Cecil to eat ANY attacks after Valiant Blow or else you’re in for a bad time.
The second thing Cecil really gets from Awakening is that now he receives a 20% buff to his ATK and MAX BRV while he’s under 20% HP. The bad news is… Oof. In this era, that’s basically death as soon as any enemy targeting him isn’t broken.
Honorable mentions goes to Darkness for being viable against single targets now. (But not really because who would want to spend 15% HP hitting a single target for 180% potency?)
Anyways, while this supposed to be a Black Crystal comparison post, the inevitable comparison to Cloud has to be made before deciding whether you want to invest your Black Crystals into Cecil or Squall or Shantotto.
Right off the bat, I can tell you that Cecil does much more damage than Cloud and is definitely the way to go if you want a more aggressive playstyle. Cloud bursts harder and synergizes better with buffer, but Cecil has much higher resting stats, much more damage, and more ability uses. The problem is that Cecil faces the same problem he always did: high skill ceiling. Cecil is someone who can die and ruin your run in a single turn, but can get you much faster clears if you know how to play him right. If you’re a player who can confidently clear this round of LC fights without taking any HP damage, then you’re in good shape, but if not, steer clear. He is not for everyone.
Team comp also needs to be taken into consideration. Cecil needs to be paired with strong BRV Shavers to get the most out of his launches and to prevent incoming HP damage but balks at healers because if they bring him above 20% HP, he loses 20% ATK and 20% MAX BRV. 50% if you’re running Odin. Cloud, on the other hand, is much more flexible and works better with healers.
Worth mentioning is that in theory, Cecil gets more launches in the long run if you get your hands on his EX weapon, as it gives him back a charge of each of his abilities per use. Realistically, that’s only maybe 2-3 more charges in a long fight, but sometimes 2-3 more launches can make a difference.
Anyways, if you want to invest into a launch comp and favor a much more aggressive character – that will do wonders in those difficult one wave battles with high score requirements in LCs, by the way – Cecil isn’t the worst choice for your Black Crystals. I believe he IS technically a better performer launch-wise compared to Cloud if played right, and he has a good run before Layle comes along and sweeps them both.
Longevity: Medium
Final Score: 7/10
Squall: Trashslayer
Stats
| Modifiers | HP | INT BRV | MAX BRV | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl 60/60 | 5322 | 1093 | 3500 | 709 | 597 |
| +MLB | 5446 | 1436 | 6593 | 1801 | 1447 |
| +Passive Buffs | 5446 | 1580 | 9889 | 2702 | 1447 |
| +Self Buffs | 5446 | 1436 | 10549 | 3242 | 1447 |
Awakening Passives
| C. Lvl | Description |
|---|---|
| 51 | Level Cap +10 |
| 52 | HP +630 |
| 53 | CP +50 |
| 54 | Buff ATK and Boost Up: Increases ATK and MAX BRV by (+40%) while buffed. |
| 55 | Extended Solid Barrel: Increases Solid Barrel charges by 1. Increases the potencies of Solid Barrel and Solid Barrel+ by (+20%/40%) respectively. 5th BRV hit of Solid Barrel becomes AoE. If Current BRV is above 80% of MAX BRV by the end of Solid Barrel+, adds an HP attack. |
| 56 | DEF +150 |
| 57 | MAX BRV +1000 |
| 58 | Buff High SPD Up: Increase SPD while buffed. |
| 59 | ATK + 100 |
| 60 | Extended Renzokuken: Increases Renzokuken charges by 1. Increases the potencies of Renzokuken and Renzokuken+ by (+30%/60%) respectively. Renzokuken+ deals 50% HP damage to all other enemies. |
Abilities
| Ability | Description | Type | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Barrel | Single Target 4-Hit BRV Melee Non-Elemental Attack. (ATK 160%) potency. Grants Squall (+40%) INT BRV Up for 5 turns. Transforms into Solid Barrel+when Current BRV is under 250% of INT BRV. | BRV Attack, Self-Buff | 6 |
| Solid Barrel+ | Single Target 5-Hit BRV+HP Melee Non-Elemental Attack. (ATK 270%) potency. Grants Squall (+40%) INT BRV Up for 5 turns. If Current BRV is above 80% of MAX BRV by the end of Solid Barrel+, adds an HP attack. | AoE BRV+HP Attack, Self-Buff | See Above |
| Renzokuken | Single Target 3-Hit BRV+HP Melee Non-Elemental Attack. (ATK 120%) potency. Grants Squall (+30%) ATK Up and (+20%) MAX BRV Up for 5 turns. Transforms into Renzokuken+ when Current BRV is under 250% of INT BRV. | BRV+HP Attack, Self-Buff | 6 |
| Renzokuken+ | Single Target 6-Hit BRV+HP Melee Non-Elemental Attack. (ATK 240%) potency. Grants Squall (+30%) ATK Up and (+20%) MAX BRV Up for 5 turns. Deals 50% HP damage to all other enemies. | BRV+AoE HP Attack, Self-Buff | See Above |
Analysis
Oh, man. So Terra is the first huge powercreep we’re getting next, but Squall is next in line for the throne and accomplishing the monumental task of becoming the FIRST MALE META QUEEN!!! It’s frightening to see how much of a difference there is between Squall and Cecil, let alone Squall and Shantotto, and Cecil’s Awakening is damn decent all things considered. Squall’s gimmick is, uh… He doesn’t really have one… you could argue his one weakness is that his damage falls off considerably if he’s accompanied by a BRV Battery, but is that really that much of a weakness? I guess if I had to pick something, I’d say Squall’s gimmick is MASSIVE DAMAGE TO EVERYTHING (except phys resistant enemies).
I’m kind of glad I started with Black Crystals because it’s the perfect demonstration of the powercreep/power difference between each wave of Awakenings. First, let’s look at Passive Buffs. Wave 1 Shantotto gets a conditional 10% buff to one stat. Wave 2 Cecil gets two 20% buffs to his stats, one being easy and the other being intuitive to his kit. Wave 3 Squall gets an easy 40% buff to two of his stats, and a huge SPD increase that’s intuitive to his kit. It’s not even fair.
Then let’s compare Extended passives. Wave 1 Shantotto gets 10-15% potency increases. Wave 2 Cecil gets 10-20% potency increases and a damn good BRV+HP attack. Wave 3 Squall gets 40-60% potency increases and his entire moveset is converted into BRV+HP attacks. It’s just… Forget it. It’s just straight up powercreep at this rate.
Until now, we’ve been introduced to attacks that do better against groups or single targets, with the tradeoff that they suffer in efficiency against the other category respectively. Well, now Squall gets the best of both worlds. Twice.
Solid Barrel+ now gains a single AoE BRV hit at the end. This means it performs at 100% on a single target, AND it gets a bonus IF there are more targets present. No tradeoff, just pure extra gains. Oh, and it’s a BRV+HP attack if Squall finishes the move above 80% of his MAX BRV. So, huge shaving potential into a BRV dump. Wait, wasn’t that what Renzokuken was?
Well, Renzokuken+ gets a power-up too. Now after the single target BRV+HP attack, all other enemies take 50% HP damage. That’s right, you read that correctly. It’s not “All targets take 50% HP damage” or “Split HP damage among all targets,” it’s “Do full damage to your target, and every other target ALSO takes 50% HP damage.” This unique property sets him head and shoulders above the rest when he Awakens, and when his single target damage falls behind the powercreep – as is natural order in gacha – he manages to stay relevant far longer than he should be still being an amazing trash wave clearer. Even when his damage becomes irrelevant on bosses, he is STILL taken on the hardest content to single-handedly carry the team through all the waves prior, reserving his teammates’ ability charges and getting them to the final stage in record time.
It’s freaking ridiculous. Squall can fight a single target and already be a freaking monster. Throw him into an AoE situation and he doesn’t lose a beat. Hell, he’s better. His Awakening is SO strong that at the time, the only weakness he has is against physical resistant enemies. He’ll excel in literally every other situation. He even sheds his old weakness of incompatibility with BRV Batteries in the form of Selphie, a BRV Battery that exponentially raises his INT BRV allowing him room for BRV gains or regens without hurting him.
Squall is basically now built to sprint out of the gate at top speed now. Encouraged to go from 0 – 100 and do max damage without any build up. Solid Barrel + only triggers when BRV is low, then rewards you for nearly capping in a single move. Same with Renzokuken+. It is insane powercreep and insanely fun. Just be sure to make sure Squall’s MAX BRV is low enough that he CAN cap in a single ability yet high enough to prevent BRV leakage. That’s the true balancing act Squall players must master. Besides that, enjoy a Meta Queen with roughly the same lasting power as Lightning and more than all those who came between them.
Longevity: High
Final Score: 10/10
Special credit: MinoSpelgud
