Fate/Grand Order - Are you my Master?

[NeoPhoenix0]

while i could get a new servant, stheno and carmilla are a bit redundant for me, could get an emiya to fit into my arts teams, wouldn't mind getting lancer beth if only for the farming and nero's dialogue. however i think i need to go for the tamamo cat since she has been dropping like candy for me and this would be number 5

edit: hero proofs? how, i have 450 of them after shoveling them into big blue saber herself. anyway it will only be a matter of time before we go into the monthly ticket system and have 3 things each month to choose from. that will be exciting.

[Nerocite]

We are having the 3 Million Downloads campaign, which comes with a lot of goodies!

Here's the official link!

Will probably go for Redman, I could use an AoE archer.

[NeoPhoenix0]

now what i would really like is if atalante was in the pool.

[Hunter Noventa]

I'm actually kind of surprised there's no caster in the pool at all.

[nightwyrm]

I'm actually kind of surprised there's no caster in the pool at all.

Yeah, there were no SR casters when the game started. If you rolled a gold caster in the first 4 months, it was guaranteed to be Waver.

[Blackhawk748]

I think i may just grab Carmilla for a lvl 2 Phantom Maiden, cuz i'll start using her again once her Strengthening quest comes out.

[nightwyrm]

I have all the tutorial servants except for Stheno and Herc. So there's really only one reasonable pick for me....unless I do something insane like NP5 my Martha.

[Hunter Noventa]

Yeah, I'm almost certainly going to boost someone since Sieg is a one-trick-swordsman. Probably EMIYA, BERZERCAR, Elizabeth or Tamamo Cat.

[Blackhawk748]

I mean, i could boost my EMIYA. I think hes got NP 4 cuz when i whaled like a mofo for Okita it decided that i needed EVERY ARCHER THAT WASNT A 5 STAR. No im not bitter at all

[nightwyrm]

I would highly recommend people pick a servant they don't have instead of boosting NP levels. NP is just damage. An extra servant gives additional team building options or plug holes in your lineup.

[Blackhawk748]

I would highly recommend people pick a servant they don't have instead of boosting NP levels. NP is just damage. An extra servant gives additional team building options or plug holes in your lineup.

The only servant from the starters i dont own is Herc and Tammamo Cat, and i have Beowulf who does similar stuff, so im probably gonna boost Carmilla or Atalanta as i doubt i'll ever actually pull Carmilla

[Rusty Spoon]

I would highly recommend people pick a servant they don't have instead of boosting NP levels. NP is just damage. An extra servant gives additional team building options or plug holes in your lineup.

I am definitely grabbing Emiya or d'Eon. On one hand, I would love another Saber. On the other hand, Unlimited Blade Works.
Siegfried was also tempting at first, but his skillset looks more niche.

Currently leaning towards d'Eon, but man. Emiya has been on my wishlist since day 1. I'm bound to get another saber eventually, right?

[nightwyrm]

I am definitely grabbing Emiya or d'Eon. On one hand, I would love another Saber. On the other hand, Unlimited Blade Works.
Siegfried was also tempting at first, but his skillset looks more niche.

Currently leaning towards d'Eon, but man. Emiya has been on my wishlist since day 1. I'm bound to get another saber eventually, right?

It depends on what you're looking for. D'Eon is a tank. They're a good tank but that pretty much all they do. They're no SAlter or Nero and their damage is poor.

Emiya is a very decent AOE archer and becomes a good crit archer after strengthening quests.

[Rusty Spoon]

It depends on what you're looking for. D'Eon is a tank. They're a good tank but that pretty much all they do. They're no SAlter or Nero and their damage is poor.

Emiya is a very decent AOE archer and becomes a good crit archer after strengthening quests.

Mash is my only tank, currently. So another solid tank would be good, but I could always level up... St George? He can tank, right?
I don't have an AOE archer yet, so there's that. Could level up Arash, but... nah. And I can definitely build a team around crits.
Emiya should also play nice with my default of Mash and Martha +1.

[nightwyrm]

Mash is my only tank, currently. So another solid tank would be good, but I could always level up... St George? He can tank, right?
I don't have an AOE archer yet, so there's that. Could level up Arash, but... nah. And I can definitely build a team around crits.
Emiya should also play nice with my default of Mash and Martha +1.

Both St. George and Leonidas are great low rarity tanks.

I started with Martha and Emiya and found them to work quite well together. Both of them having 3 Arts card each means they can Arts chain often and NP often.

[Rusty Spoon]

Both St. George and Leonidas are great low rarity tanks.

I started with Martha and Emiya and found them to work quite well together. Both of them having 3 Arts card each means they can Arts chain often and NP often.

Excellent! I'll add Leo and George to my slowly leveling pile.

Just realised I'm pulling a Rin. Wanted to summon a saber, ending up with Emiya. Heh.

[ImperatorV]

I have all of these except Sieg and d'Eon, and I already have plenty of sabers (two 5star two 4star). So... Probably going to boost Herc unless I decide I really want one of them.

[Yael]

Both St. George and Leonidas are great low rarity tanks.

St. George is a pretty good tank, with his first skill he taunts and gains a lot of defense, which is useful. Also his damage isn't that low because of the rider damage multiplier.

[Hunter Noventa]

I would highly recommend people pick a servant they don't have instead of boosting NP levels. NP is just damage. An extra servant gives additional team building options or plug holes in your lineup.

For me it's either Sieg (who's really only good against Dragons and I have Nero and Fergus maxed out) or Martha (who's...there? When i already have SAlter and maxed Medusa oh and Marie too) that I don't have

Boosting EMIYA seems like the obvious choice really.

[Neon Knight]

For me it's either Sieg (who's really only good against Dragons and I have Nero and Fergus maxed out) or Martha (who's...there? When i already have SAlter and maxed Medusa oh and Marie too) that I don't have

Boosting EMIYA seems like the obvious choice really.

Martha has a unique niche in that she has a group wide debuff cleanse, which you can use with self-stunners like Frankenstein/Tamamo Cat or against an enemy with super annoying debuffs (like the Caster Demons in this event's Tianzhu level. Stop debuffing my crits, you jerks!)

As for me, I'm going to get Marie because a) she's cute, and b) Astolfo and Martha are my other two gold rarity Riders, and now they can all hang out and be French together while kicking down doors.

[Red Fel]

Okay. For those who are still on the fence, here are some quick summaries of each Servant in this freebie batch:

Spoiler

Show

Starting in the top left, spiraling clockwise:

• Marie (Rider):
  • Pros: She's extremely durable, with high HP and an Invulnerability button that lasts three hits. Her NP is a party heal and de-debuff. Adorable.
  • Cons: Her ATK is extremely low, so her NP damage is negligible, even with class advantage. She lacks an offensive steroid button, and one of her active skills (two if you count Grace as designed to boost Charm) are specifically designed to be anti-Male.
  • Conclusion: Useful if you want a healer/de-debuffer mascot, not amazing otherwise.
• EMIYA (Archer):
  • Pros: Dodge button improves durability. NP is AoE, deals reasonable damage, ignores DEF, and reduces ATK. After Strengthening quests, gains an all-types steroid button and a powerful crit-generator button. Arts focus gives him an easier opportunity to generate NP gauge. Franchise mascot.
  • Cons: NP's damage, while reasonable, is not amazing. EMIYA is a late bloomer; much of his benefit won't be seen until after his Strengthening quests come out, which will be awhile.
  • Conclusion: He's not the strongest Archer, but he's functional. And if he's your husbando, you have your answer.
• Siegfried (Saber):
  • Pros: High HP and good durability skills (self-heal, +DEF vs. Dragons). Golden Rule means good NP gen. Extremely effective against Dragons and Dragon-trait Servants.
  • Cons: Sumanai. His damage output when not fighting Dragons is low. He offers no other benefits aside from being an anti-Dragon weapon. Sumanai.
  • Conclusion: Having trouble with Dragons? Pull Siegfried. Not having trouble with Dragons? Sumanai.
• Chevalier d'Eon (Saber):
  • Pros: High HP, self-heal, self-de-debuff, Dodge button; very durable. Taunt button makes for effective tanking, especially when coupled with Dodge. Magic Resistance passive, coupled with active skills, means high resistance to debuffs. Two Arts cards plus Arts NP means easier NP charging and effectiveness on an Arts team. AoE NP debuffs enemy ATK and DEF, may Charm. Immune to effects that target Male or Female. Really, really pretty.
  • Cons: Low ATK, no offensive boosting skills, non-damaging NP; inoffensive overall. Basically only useful for stalling.
  • Conclusion: If you want a tanking Servant, and don't want to use one of those low-rarity wimps, this is your guy. Or gal. Or... whatever.
• Carmilla (Assassin):
  • Pros: High ATK, plus an active skill that lowers enemy DEF, plus an NP that boosts self ATK, means she can hit a lot harder than some other Assassins. Vampirism means she can charge her NP faster. NP is super effective against Female servants, who are the majority. Three Quick cards means solid crit generation.
  • Cons: Aside from the minor heal from her NP, lacks survivability tools. Third skill is mostly useless, and only unlocked after a yet-unavailable Strengthening quest.
  • Conclusion: If you need an Assassin, she's still pretty effective. If you have Shiki, you probably don't need an Assassin.
• Saint Martha (Rider):
  • Pros: High HP, debuff resist and removal, and two healing active skills; she's very durable. Three Arts cards means good NP generation, and a good contribution to an Arts team. AoE NP reduces enemy DEF, making an effective force multiplier, while active skills make an effective healer. Has an edge to her.
  • Cons: Low offense. No offensive boosters and NP damage is weak. Because her kit is healing-focused, she doesn't have a lot to do when the party doesn't take damage, other than help with Arts chains.
  • Conclusion: She's a pretty effective healer if you need one. Then again, Irisviel is too, and you should already have her. Then again, pet dragon.
• Elisabeth Bathory (Lancer):
  • Pros: Active skills that boost party ATK and reduce enemy DEF make her an effective force multiplier. This also keeps her NP damage reasonable. Decent NP gen for a Lancer, particularly due to Territory Creation passive. Guts button for survival. Of the seven standard Classes, high-rarity Lancers are the fewest.
  • Cons: Her actives are the only thing she provides to a team; without them, her damage output is not amazing. Although her NP gen is good, it relies on only one Arts card. Terrible, terrible singer.
  • Conclusion: If you got literally any high-rarity Lancer (other than McCool), you're probably fine. If you don't have any high-rarity Lancers (or only have McCool), and aren't comfortable Grailing Cu, she's useful to fill the slot.
• Tamamo Cat (Berserker):
  • Pros: Quick NP, uncommon among the class, blends well in Quick teams. High HP and +DEF skill improves durability. Fluffy.
  • Cons: NP stuns her, which is terrible. Low Arts gain, even by Berserker standards. ATK boost only lasts two turns.
  • Conclusion: It's a shame that she's in the same pool as Heracles, because he's almost strictly superior.
• Heracles (Berserker):
  • Pros: Highest ATK of any 4-star Servant, even before his massive Madness Enhancement and Divinity boosts. Buster-oriented deck and Buster NP means damage focus. Dodge skill, Guts skill, and Bond CE granting multiple extra lives makes him one of the most survivable Berserkers in the game. Better NP gain than most Berserkers. Strong single-target NP with DEF debuff. Also functions as an armored vehicle. Friend to all lolis.
  • Cons: Selfish skill kit and typical Berserker weaknesses. Other than that, not much.
  • Conclusion: Heracles is one of the best Servants in the game, certainly one of the best Berserkers. If you don't have him, you don't have an excuse.
• Stheno (Assassin):
  • Pros: Powerful anti-Male unit, with an effective Charm skill and useful instant-death and Charm effects on NP. Exceptionally high NP gain means that her NP borders on spammable with the right card chains. Core of the Goddess and Magic Resistance give her exceptional debuff resistance. Gains a useful party ATK-boosting skill.
  • Cons: Despite the Divinity boost from Core of the Goddess, her damage output is weak, her NP deals no damage and is mostly useless against non-Males. Her third skill is locked behind a Strengthening quest. Also, she's a little creepy.
  • Conclusion: Overall a very weak Assassin. Carmilla is generally better. And if you have Shiki, she's generally better too.

On review, I'm probably going to go with d'Eon. I could use a better Saber, and d'Eon is, statwise, strictly superior to Lily. (So is Siegfried, but... I have said too much. Sumanai.)

As an aside, with regard to boosting NP, keep in mind that you really get diminishing returns after NP levels 2 or 3. You're probably not going to Overcharge over 200%, so all you're really looking at is the base damage boost. Much as I love my Bersercar, I don't see a need -

Know what? I take that back. At NP 2, his damage jumps from 600% to 800%. That's actually really worth my while.

[Hunter Noventa]

As an aside, with regard to boosting NP, keep in mind that you really get diminishing returns after NP levels 2 or 3. You're probably not going to Overcharge over 200%, so all you're really looking at is the base damage boost. Much as I love my Bersercar, I don't see a need -

Know what? I take that back. At NP 2, his damage jumps from 600% to 800%. That's actually really worth my while.

Good summary Red. My issue with taking Bersercar and boosting his NP is his atrocious NP gain. Basically if I'm not slapping Kaleidoscope on him, it's not happening. The only competition is Martha, that debuff-removal would be nice to pair with Tamamo Cat, though it's very rare I use my Berserkers at all.

[Red Fel]

Good summary Red. My issue with taking Bersercar and boosting his NP is his atrocious NP gain. Basically if I'm not slapping Kaleidoscope on him, it's not happening. The only competition is Martha, that debuff-removal would be nice to pair with Tamamo Cat, though it's very rare I use my Berserkers at all.

Oh, it's hardly spammable, but even without an NP-charging CE on him, I can usually get at least one NP out of him in a fight. Part of it is the fact that he's able to withstand multiple hits, and charge his NP that way. Part of it is that I regularly employ BQA chains on him, or stick him onto the end of an Arts chain, which charges him well. And part of it is the fact that, despite everyone using the plugsuit meta, I use the Mage's Association Uniform MC, with its 20% NP charge and card shuffling commands. End result is that I can generally get him charged by the last wave, which is where I unload beast mode.

But yeah. A new Servant is useful all the time that Servant is on the field, while an NP boost is only useful when using the NP. Fair.

[Hunter Noventa]

Oh, it's hardly spammable, but even without an NP-charging CE on him, I can usually get at least one NP out of him in a fight. Part of it is the fact that he's able to withstand multiple hits, and charge his NP that way. Part of it is that I regularly employ BQA chains on him, or stick him onto the end of an Arts chain, which charges him well. And part of it is the fact that, despite everyone using the plugsuit meta, I use the Mage's Association Uniform MC, with its 20% NP charge and card shuffling commands. End result is that I can generally get him charged by the last wave, which is where I unload beast mode.

But yeah. A new Servant is useful all the time that Servant is on the field, while an NP boost is only useful when using the NP. Fair.

Hey you're not the only one who uses the Mage's Association Uniform, I love that free 20% charge!

[Blackhawk748]

Correction. Carmillas Phantom Maiden is a Buster NP

[Red Fel]

Correction. Carmillas Phantom Maiden is a Buster NP

Whoops! Corrected, was thinking of a different, better Servant. Fixed.

[NeoPhoenix0]

there is one really good advantage tamamo cat has over heracles. She is a very solid universal farmer, and heracles np is single target. other than that i won't deny heracles is pretty much bettter than tamamo despite tamamo cat having a fluffy tail.

[Resileaf]

If a fluffy tail isn't enough to make you better than everyone else, then what is even the point?

[Red Fel]

there is one really good advantage tamamo cat has over heracles. She is a very solid universal farmer, and heracles np is single target. other than that i won't deny heracles is pretty much bettter than tamamo despite tamamo cat having a fluffy tail.

Actually, a surprising number of Berserkers have AoE NPs. Let me rattle off a few.

• Spartacus: Buster AoE NP that deals damage and self-heals.
• Eric Bloodaxe: Buster AoE NP that deals damage and boosts own ATK. 1000 HP penalty.
• Darius III: Buster AoE NP that deals damage and reduces enemy ATK and DEF.
• Kiyohime: Buster AoE NP that deals damage, inflicts Burn, and may Stun.
• Tamamo Cat: Quick AoE NP that deals damage and grants Regeneration. Self Stun penalty.
• Frankenstein: Quick AoE NP that deals damage and reduces enemy crit. Self Stun penalty.
• Lancelot: Quick AoE NP that deals damage and boosts own ATK.

While, yes, Tamamo Cat can help farm anything, thanks to her AoE NP and universal offensive type advantage, that Stun penalty really hurts. Contrast her with Kiyohime, whose farming potential is known and appreciated, or Lancelot, who can pretty much do what Tamamo does without penalty.

So, yeah. Tamamo Cat is technically better than Heracles for sweeping, due to her AoE NP, but she is hardly the best at that, either.

If a fluffy tail isn't enough to make you better than everyone else, then what is even the point?

The waifus, friend. The waifus are the point.

[Callos_DeTerran]

[*]Carmilla (Assassin):

• Pros: High ATK, plus an active skill that lowers enemy DEF, plus an NP that boosts self ATK, means she can hit a lot harder than some other Assassins. Vampirism means she can charge her NP faster. NP is super effective against Female servants, who are the majority. Three Quick cards means solid crit generation.
• Cons: Aside from the minor heal from her NP, lacks survivability tools. Third skill is mostly useless, and only unlocked after a yet-unavailable Strengthening quest.
• Conclusion: If you need an Assassin, she's still pretty effective. If you have Shiki, you probably don't need an Assassin.

Carmilla doesn't just have a high ATK, she has the highest ATK of 4 star Assassins, even in Japan. Her third skill also boosts her ability to survive and her damage by lowering the enemy's crit chance and being a better Revelation than Jeanne's (which is Jeanne's best skill and the only one really worth leveling up). In other words, very worth leveling up considering Carmilla's three quick cards once it comes out. And aside from Stheno, Carmilla has the highest NP generation on attack of currently available 4 stars with Kiritsugu slightly better at star generation than her (or close to it).

Carmilla is very effective as a discount Jack and, weirdly, is more team friendly than Jack in some ways since there are more ways to buff Buster attacks than Quick ones so Carmilla has slightly better team support in that regard alone. Jack's self-buff is crazy after all so she doesn't need help in that specific regard, it just makes her..well..win more.

Shiki's advantage is...well...for one you get her for free, that's actually pretty huge. She also has better star weight even before popping her skill than other four star assassins and you'll have her NP at above level one which is also rather important. But being an Arts NP kind hurts when it comes to dealing out damage and Arts teams aren't well known for their innate star generation (not counting CEs). That said, Shiki makes plenty of stars on her own and her QQAAB deck is pretty versatile.

If you have Shiki? Great! You want a buster NP Assassin or want a discount Jack? Consider getting Carmilla anyway. She might have generic caster orbs right now and low hit counts, which hurt, but she gets an animation update later that helps with at least part of that.