Sword Art Online Collab Review and Analysis – April 2020

Introduction

The Sword Art Online (SAO) Collab will be making a return around 15 months since its last appearance in North America. This time gap has granted all of the cards valuable buffs along with three new additions to the rolling pool.

Sadly, this event still remains top-heavy due to the fact that the 5-star cards range from okay to horrible due to no Weapon Assists and terribly low Weighted stats. Thankfully, due to the 5 Magic Stone cost, the Monster Exchange rates are significantly cheaper.

As such, doing your free roll and then trading for Alice might be the best course of action for many players as she can function as a fantastic leader pairing for Fasca while also being well poised to act as a sub for future Transforming teams.

This article will outline the pros and cons for each card within the Sword Art Online Collab to give players a better understanding of what each card can do.

Video commentary

—video coming soon—

Overview

Sword Art Online Pros & Cons – April 3, 2020
Pros
Cons
  • 5-Stone Egg Machine
    • Cheaper Monster Exchange rates
    • Alice is valuable and easy to acquire
  • No need to roll due to Monster Exchange
    • Free roll, stop, maybe Monster Exchange
  • Voice awakenings
  • 82.5% chance for a weak 5-star
    • No Weapon Assist
    • Terrible Weighted stats
  • Top heavy event
  • Low Weighted stats all around due to 5-Stone cost
Sword Art Online REM
 6 Star base
(2.5%  each, 17.5% total)
    
 5 Star base
(82.5% total)
 
Sword Art Online Rankings – April 3, 2020
S
A    
B
C
D  

Order within each tier is random and not reflective of ranking

Regardless of card’s ranking, you should always keep it if it is your very first time acquiring them

Limit Breaking

Limit Breaking is the process of leveling a card beyond level 99. This will unlock more weighted stats along with the potential to receive Super Awakenings. These additional awakenings can add significant power, but only function in solo mode.

Any card that can qualify for Limit Breaking will have their level displayed in blue and feeding a Super Snow Globe will push them beyond the level 99 cap.

You can read more about Super Awakenings HERE.

Monster Exchange

The Monster Exchange System has mostly eliminated the need to roll in most events as players can simply trade in for a card of their choice. This is often done during lackluster events to avoid spending Stones on poor bottom rarity cards or to snipe a specific card if luck is not on your side.

Weapon Assists

Weapon Assists are a special evolution for select cards that will be used exclusively as inherits. This form retains the same base stats as the original form, but will also transfer over all awakenings on the Weapon Assist card and this occurs if the Awoken Assist  is present.

My approach to Collab rolling

Rolling any Rare Egg Machine is a gamble and it becomes a matter of maximizing your rate of returns in an event.

This translates into rolling when the bottom rarity has high value as those will be the most common cards. Furthermore, I may utilize the Monster Exchange system to acquire the higher rarity cards if they will significantly advance my progress. As such, I tend to look most closely at the 5-star pool to determine if it is worth rolling in.

This is just my own personal approach and everyone has different goals/motivations so take this section with a grain of salt.

6 Star base

Alice – S

Active: Charge all allies’ skills by 2 turns; For 2 turns, 3x RCV; For 2 turns, 3x ATK for Light Att. (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 8x ATK for Water and Light Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds; 2x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 6 or more connected orbs [1/256/1/43.75%]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist Time Extend
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 878 (1098)
HP 3730 (4662) / ATK 1888 (2360) / RCV 383 (479)

Pros
Cons
  • Evolved form is Fantastic
    • Stronger awakenings & LS
  • Make Evolved form or Weapon Assist

Alice is the first new card within the Sword Art Online and is the main prize of this event but only in her Evolved or maybe Weapon Assist form.

Alice

Active: Charge all allies’ skills by 2 turns; For 2 turns, 3x RCV; For 2 turns, 3x ATK for Light Att. (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x HP for Light Att.; 5x ATK when 4 or more combos up to 10x at 9 combos; 1 additional damage when matching 3 or more Light combos; 2x ATK when matching 2+ Light combos [4/400/1]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist Time Extend Time Extend 45 45  
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Attacker / Physical
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer Healer Killer Machine Killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 908 (1135)
HP 3730 (4662) / ATK 2508 (3135) / RCV 100 (125)

Pros
Cons
  • Powerful Fasca pairing
    • Provides a conditional Auto Follow Up Damage
    • 7×6 board
    • Two actives counter most mechanics in the game
  • 4-6 Effective Skill Boosts
  • Natural Tape Resist
  • Powerful active
    • 2 turns Haste + RCV & ATK buff
  • Easy to Monster Exchange for
    • Four 6* GFE
    • Potentially worth trading for
  • Can function as a powerful sub if a stronger leader comes along
  • Auto Follow Up Damage is unreliable
    • Must have 3 unique Light combos
    • Harder with VDP
  • Lower weighted stats
    • Problem with 5-Stone event

Alice’s Evolved form is a tremendously powerful Fasca pairing as they are able to create a 3/320/4/25% team with a natural 7×6 board and potential for Auto Follow Up Damage. While this team is restricted to Attackers, it will have less issues Transforming due to Alice.

For the most part, Transforming cards are the way of the future and while Alice herself cannot Transform, her 4-6 Effective Skill Boosts Skill Boost greatly help those that do. This will greatly ease team building restrictions as your goal of 18 became that much closer with only a single card. Furthermore, Alice also provides a natural Tape Resist along with her own multipliers taking effect as soon as you enter a dungeon. This means you may be able to get away with 1 less Skill Boost as it may be possible to survive a single hit without Fasca’s Transform.

While all of this is appealing, players must be mindful that Alice is not without fault as her Auto Follow Up Damage is conditional on having 3 Light combos. This is quite orb hungry, even on a 7×6 board, but becomes more complicated when you must match a VDP (requires 9 + 3 + 3). Thankfully, Fasca naturally comes with an FUA which will be required modestly often.

Another valuable aspect to Alice and Fasca pairing is that between your two leaders, you effectively counter almost all of the mechanics within the game outside of orb changing and Damage Absorption. Together you have 2 Haste, RCV & ATK buff, Movement Time, clear Unable to Match Orbs, along with full Bind and Awoken Bind clearing. Essentially, you only have to bring orb changers and a Fujin-style active and you are good to go from an actives point of view.

Taking all of this into consideration, I feel that Alice is worth Monster Exchanging for assuming you have a box to support an Alice x Fasca team. Their leadership potential is one of the strongest currently available along with Alice being able to function as a potent sub should a better Auto Follow Up leader come along. Furthermore, Monster Exchanging for Alice will only cost four 6-star Godfest Exclusives which is a far cry from the regular 10-Stone machines as they use 7-star GFE and require 5 Trade Fodder.

In regards to team building, it will become apparent quite quickly whether or not you have enough Light Attackers within your Monster Box. If looking for some possible inspirations, I used this generic Ilmina search for Light Attackers with 6 or more stars which you can further narrow down on your own.

With that being said, some notable options include, but not limited to: Ariel (4 SB), Bradamante (2 SB), Dark Karin (3 SB), Goury (2-4 SB), Asuna (2 SB), Elsha (6 SB), and Athena Another Shin Athena (5-6 SB).

Weapon Assist Imp ATK Imp ATK

Active: Charge all allies’ skills by 2 turns; For 2 turns, 3x RCV; For 2 turns, 3x ATK for Light Att. (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • Cloud Resist
  • L
  • Active provides 2 Haste along with RCV & ATK buff
    • Helps others Transform
  • Costly to use your only Alice in this way

Alice’s Weapon Assist is a powerful solution for any mono Light team as it provides 2 turns of Haste to help others Transform along with an RCV and ATK buff. These can be used to counteract various debuffs while the Cloud and L provide additional utility.

As a whole, this is a powerful Weapon Assist but the main issue would be giving up your single copy of Alice for this form. If I were in the situation of owning only one Alice, I would choose her Evolved form at this point in time.


Eugeo (New) – A

Active: Create 6 Water orbs; For 5 turns, recover 40% of max HP (17 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 5x ATK & RCV for Water Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds; 3x ATK and increase combo by 1 when matching 6 or more connected Water orbs at once [1/225/25]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist Water Row Water Row Water Row Water Row  
Super Awakenings: Devil killer 
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 885 (1106)
HP 3590 (4488) / ATK 2130 (2662) / RCV 300 (375)

Pros
Cons
  • Full Blind Resist
  • Not Dragon or Attacker
    • Cannot use on Lamp teams
    • Would not be a Bright idea

Eugeo is the second new card to be released within the Sword Art Online Collab and his Base form comes with Super Blind Resist . At this point in time, only three Water cards in North America have this awakening but sadly for Eugeo, his Balacne typing excludes him from Lamp teams. While he can still be used on Minaka paired with non-Lamps, you are excluding him from the current best option which is unfortunate to say the least.

Of course Eugeo can still be used for variuos mono Water teams as his Water Rows Water Row provide passive damage. In regards to his active, Eugeo is able to generate 6 Water orbs along with 5 turns of 40% healing. This is interesting but effectively unpractical as 2 Eugeos cannot loop their healing which somewhat defeats the purpose of having a long lasting healing active. As a result, his base cooldown is modestly long.

Eugeo

Active: Create 6 Water orbs; For 5 turns, recover 40% of max HP (17 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: [No skyfall] 5x ATK when matching 6 or more connected Water orbs; 5x ATK when above 80% HP; 1.5x HP for Water Att. [2.25/625/1]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist Devil killer 
Super Awakenings: Devil killer 
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 908 (1136)
HP 3590 (4488) / ATK 2230 (2788) / RCV 310 (388)

Pros
Cons
  • Huge VDP vs Devils
    • 126.6x under right conditions
      • Adds more with Latents
  • All damage is primarily tied to VDP or Devils
  • >80% is restrictive
    • 56.25x otherwise
  • Balance typing excludes him from Lamp teams
  • Deena is more reliable and stronger with better typings

Eugeo’s Evolved form is able to produce an incredible amount of damage against Devil spawns when forming a 3×3 Box. This is because they can acquire 2 Devil Killers Devil killer (9x) along with their double VDP (6.25x) and two >80% (2.25x) .If all of these line up properly, Eugeo is able to enjoy 126.6x personal damage which is ridiculous and possibly overkill to say the least.

Furthermore, the >80% is one of the more restrictive awakenings as it can be difficult to always stay above 80% health. Thus, if players drop down below, Eugeo will only have 56.25x (still really high) against Devils with a VDP. For comparison, Deena is 75x against Devils with 7 combos and VDP.

Presently speaking, Devils are the most commonly seen encounters within Alt. Arena 3 which is arguably one of the best dungeon to play due to valuable rewards all around. Thus, using Eugeo as your damage solution can be meaningful. Sadly, his Balance typing does exclude him from Lamp teams along with all his damage being tied to Devil spawns or forming a VDP.

One thing I want to mention is that Eugeo’s viability may increase in the future if we find an ideal team to use him on.

Weapon Assist Water Row Water Row Water Row Imp ATK

Active: Create 6 Water orbs; For 5 turns, recover 40% of max HP (17 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • Passive Damage for Water teams
  • Tape Resist
  • Primarily for mono Water teams

Eugeo’s Weapon Assist is a strong-all around solution for Tape on mono Water teams. This is because it provides Passive Damage via Rows Water Row alongside a defensive metric. Furthermore, his base cooldown is modestly long which helps prevent accidental charging.

Overall, a solid Weapon Assist which may be the best option at this point in time if you find yourself unable to fully take advantage of his two other forms.


Kirito – A

Active: For 1 turn, increase combo count by 1; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Water and Dark orbs (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 1.5x all stats for Dark Att.; 3x ATK when 6 or more combos; 3x ATK when matching Dark and Water [2.25/182.25/2.25]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist TPA TPA Skill Boost  
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 805 (1006)
HP 3065 (3831) / ATK 1945 (2431) / RCV 328 (410)

Pros
Cons
  • Easy to use leader
  • Potentially 5 Skill Boosts Skill Boost
  • LS has low multipliers
  • Requires 7×6 to truly shine
  • D/B is superior

Kirito’s Base form feels like a gentle-introduction leader as they have reasonable and forgiving multipliers while only requiring Dark and Water to activate. This may be helpful for brand new accounts and is further improved with their D/B form as it has much stronger awakenings.

Kirito

Active: For 1 turn, increase combo count by 1; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Water and Dark orbs (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 1.5x all stats for Dark Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds; 3x ATK when 6 or more combos; 3x ATK when matching Dark and Water [2.25/182.25/2.25]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist TPA TPA 45 45 
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 905 (1131)
HP 3465 (4331) / ATK 2245 (2806) / RCV 328 (410)

Pros
Cons
  • 2.25/182.25/2.25 + 4s movement
  • Multipurpose active
    • Bicolour board
    • Unlocks orbs
    • +1 Combo
  • High personal damage
  • Valuable Super Awakenings
  • LS will be quickly outdated
    • Mostly an intro leader

Kirito’s D/B form greatly upgrades his Base form’s Leader Skill which now becomes even easier to use due to bonus movement time. With that being said, it will be quickly outpaced by newer options and would mostly be used as an introduction/training wheels leader.

Thankfully, their awakenings grant them flexibility to be used as a potent Dark sub. This is because their base awakenings grant double 7 Combo 45 and VDP  while their Super Awakenings let them further specialize. If choosing the triple 7 Combo route, players will have a solid offensive solution whereas Super Jammer Resist provides an additional layer of utility. Furthermore, the Super Skill Boost can bring their total number of Skill Boosts up to 4 which can help Transforming card.

At this point in time, Kirito cannot be fully taken advantage of due to his Attacker typing and exclusion from current Transforming options but this may change in the future. Of course, he can still be used on less restrictive mono Dark teams such as Ina .

Kirito (New)

Active: For 1 turn, bypass void damage shield effects; For 1 turn, increase ATK by 30% for each Skill Charge awakening skill on the team (25  -> 25 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: [Board becomes 7×6] 4.5x ATK & RCV when 7 or more combos; 2x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 4 or more colors [1/81/20.25/43.75%]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist  
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 908 (1135)
HP 3765 (4706) / ATK 2045 (2556) / RCV 368 (460)

Pros
Cons
  • Voids Damage Void
    • Adds a unique Burst component
    • Requires numerous Skill Charge
  • Valuable 7×6 Rainbow leader
    • 9x ATK / 4.5x RCV / 25% Damage Reduction
  • ATK multipliers are low
  • Low Effective HP

Kirito’s new evolution grants him Rainbow prowess as he is able to function as a 7×6 Rainbow leader who favours RCV or as a solid sub. As a leader, his multipliers are low, especially the ATK along with only 25% Damage Reduction for Effective Health. This is most certainly on the lower end but in content such as AA3, you can survive all preemptives when paired with someone with at least 2x HP.

As such, pairing with NY Reeche would be a solid solution as the Balance typing can be taken advantage to create a 2/171/4.5/43.75% team. This is reasonable overall and as long as you have sufficient triple 7 Combo 45 cards, it may be enough damage. One thing to keep in mind is that Kirito’s 10 Combo will reliably activate which can further alleviate damage needs.

If this seems unappealing, Kirito can function as a potent sub as his active provides a Void Damage Void along with a unique Gemstone-style burst that scales from Skill Charge This two-in-one effect can help players safely overcome Void spawns which are particularly annoying for Rainbow teams.

Weapon Assist TPA Imp ATK Imp ATK 

Active: For 1 turn, increase combo count by 1; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Water and Dark orbs (18 -> 13 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • TPA TPA
  • TE+ 
  • TPA is relatively niche

Kirito’s Weapon Assist is able to provide a single TPA along with an extra second of orb movement time. For the most part, this is underwhelming as TPA is a less utilized awakening. With that being said, this option may be valuable for Grigory teams if they can already cover all the required Resists.


Asuna – A

Active: For 2 turns, increase combo count by 2; For 3 turns, 2x RCV (19 -> 14 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 3x ATK for Light Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds; 4x ATK when matching 5 or more connected orbs [1/141/1]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist God Killer God Killer physical killer 
Super Awakenings:  
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 805 (1006)
HP 3078 (3848) / ATK 2159 (2699) / RCV 195 (244)

Pros
Cons
  • Super Blind
  • Make other forms

Asuna is a returning card for the Sword Art Online Collab with her Base form not having much usage.

Asuna

Active: For 2 turns, increase combo count by 2; For 3 turns, 2x RCV (19 -> 14 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 3x ATK and 1.5x HP for Light Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds; 5x ATK when matching 5 or more connected orbs [2.25/225/1]

Awakenings:  Skill Boost  Skill Lock Resist Light Row Light Row Light Row 
Super Awakenings:  
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 905 (1131)
HP 3278 (4098) / ATK 2159 (2699) / RCV 195 (244)

Pros
Cons
  • Super Blind Resist
  • Provides 3 Light Rows Light Row
  • Does not fulfill much for a given team
  • Less utility compared to Diaochan
  • Long CD active

Asuna’s original Evolved form has not aged well as she does not provide much as a whole outside her Super Blind Resist This is not to say that this is a poor awakening, it is more so she does not fulfill many other niches and is easily outclassed by Diaochan who also has Full Bind Immunity.

As such, Asuna would be best made into either her new L/B form or Weapon Assist.

Asuna (New)

Active: For 2 turns, bypass damage absorb shield effects; For 2 turns, 2x orb move time (22 -> 22 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x HP; 5.5x ATK when 8 or more combos; 3x ATK and increase combo by 1 when matching 4 or more colors [4/272.25/1]

Awakenings:  Skill Lock Resist 45 45  
Super Awakenings:  
Typing: Attacker / Healer
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer Dragon Killer 37
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 908 (1135)
HP 3078 (3848) / ATK 2259 (2824) / RCV 445 (556)

Pros
Cons
  • Super Blind
  • 2 turns Damage Absorb Void
  • Strong personal damage
  • Attacker type
    • Fasca sub
  • Skill Charge may be hard to use

Asuna’s new Evolved form greatly changes her kit for the better as she now boasts strong personal damage, a highly valuable active,  Super Blind , along with the correct typing for Fasca .

L/B Asuna boasts double 7 Combo 45 and VDP but also brings a 2 turn Damage Absorb Void which is must be brought into any Arena-style content. While 2 turns may feel excessive, it does help guarantee a smoother clear if facing Machine Athena and Durga back-to-back. Furthermore, the Super Blind can help alleviate other inherits and her Attacker typing means she can be used on Fasca teams.

Fasca is one of the strongest leaders available at this point in time and if paired with Alice from SAO, almost all mechanics are taken care of outside of Damage Absorption and orb changers. Thus, Asuna can be put to wonderful use as all you are now missing is Cloud , orb changers, and Poison Resist. This is pretty magical considering this came from only 3 cards with no inherits.

As a whole, Asuna’s L/B form is a powerful Damage Absorb solution who also provides full Blind immunity.

Weapon Assist Poison resist Poison resist Imp ATK Imp ATK 

Active: For 2 turns, increase combo count by 2; For 3 turns, 2x RCV (19 -> 14 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • 40% Poison Resist Poison resist
  • Full Bind Immunity
  • Can overwrite RCV debuffs
  • Most things are Bind Immune

Asuna’s Weapon Assist provides full Bind Immunity  along with 40% Poison Resist Poison resist. This combination makes her one of the strongest Full Bind Immunity Weapon as it has universal value across all teams. Furthermore, the RCV component has become more prized as it can be used to overwrite existing debuffs which are becoming more common in end game content.

As such, this can be a powerful solution to several metrics and while most cards are immune to Binds, someone like Diaochan or Beach Fujin can make strong use of this.


Leefa – A

Active: Recover 40% of max HP; Change Fire, Jammer, Poison, and Mortal Poison orbs to Wood orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 3x ATK and reduce damage taken by 50% when above 80% HP; 3x ATK when matching 2 Wood combos, up to 4x at 3 Wood combos [1/144/1/75%]

Awakenings:  Skill Lock Resist Skill Boost Time Extend   37 
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Healer
Available Killers: Dragon Killer 37
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 805 (1006)
HP 3513 (4391) / ATK 1378 (1722) / RCV 535 (669)

Pros
Cons
  • Niche value vs Attackers
  • Make other forms

Leefa’s Base form is underwhelming as it does not provide much value outside of the possibility of dealing large amounts of damage to Attackers when forming a 3×3 Box while above 80% health.

This is not practical to say the least and players will be better served pursuing her other forms.

Leefa

Active: Recover 40% of max HP; Change Fire, Jammer, Poison, and Mortal Poison orbs to Wood orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 4x ATK and reduce damage taken by 50% when above 80% HP; 3x ATK when matching 2 Wood combos, up to 4x at 3 Wood combos [1/256/1/75%]

Awakenings:  Skill Lock Resist Skill Boost      
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Healer
Available Killers: Dragon Killer 37
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 905 (1131)
HP 3813 (4766) / ATK 1578 (1972) / RCV 625 (781)

Pros
Cons
  • Five >80% awakenings
    • 7.6x personal damage
  • Only works when above 80%
  • Niche farming/Ranking applications

Evolved Leefa has the ability to deal 7.6x damage to all spawns when above 80% health. This is a relatively unique ability as only a total of 5 cards have 5 >80% awakenings.

For the most part, this is the worst type of offensive awakening as it has the smallest window for success but at the same time, can be valuable if planned right. Generally speaking, these types of cards would be used on Farming or Ranking dungeon teams so the amount of value Leefa can bring to your box hinges on this aspect.

With that being said, Leefa will still be a niche card overall as it may be hard to take advantage of her offensive capabilities. Thankfully, her Weapon Assist is quite powerful.

Weapon Assist   Enhanced Wood Orb Enhanced Wood Orb Enhanced Wood Orb Time Extend Imp ATK

Active: Recover 40% of max HP; Change Fire, Jammer, Poison, and Mortal Poison orbs to Wood orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • >80% provides 1.5x ATK
  • 3 Enhanced Wood orbs Enhanced Wood Orb

Leefa’s Weapon Assist provides a significant boost to both personal and overall team damage due to the >80%  and three Enhanced Wood orb Enhanced Wood Orb awakenings. For the most part, these types of offensive Weapon Assists are chosen once all important Resists are taken care of.

Thankfully, it is now becoming easier to protect yourself against various mechanics and being able to sprinkle in additional damage is always welcome.

For the most part, this will be Leefa’s strongest and most valuable form.


Sinon – B

Active: Reduce HP by 50%; Deal 100x Light damage to an enemy; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Fire, Water, Wood, Light, and Dark orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x HP & ATK for Attacker type; 2x ATK when below 80% HP; 3.5x ATK when matching 4 or more colors [4/196/1]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist  45  
Super Awakenings:   45
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 805 (1007)
HP 3253 (4066) / ATK 2228 (2785) / RCV 103 (129)

Pros
Cons
  • Potential for high personal damage when <50% HP
  • Lacks VDP
    • Damage is wasted vs Voids

Sinon’s Base form is able to achieve 16x personal damage when hitting 7 combos while also being below 50% health. This sounds wonderful but the main issue is that she lacks a VDP awakening. As such, all of her damage will be wasted against any Void spawn which essentially invalidates her entire kit.

As such, I am more inclined to look at her Evolved and Weapon Assist forms.

Sinon

Active: Reduce HP by 50%; Deal 100x Light damage to an enemy; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Fire, Water, Wood, Light, and Dark orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x HP & ATK for Attacker type; 2x ATK when below 80% HP; 4x ATK when matching 4 or more colors up to 5x at 5 colors [4/400/1]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist   
Super Awakenings:   45
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 905 (1132)
HP 3553 (4441) / ATK 2578 (3222) / RCV 103 (129)

Pros
Cons
  • High personal damage when below 50% HP
  • Natural Tape Resist
  • Rainbow requirement
  • Must be below 50% HP
    • 4x HP makes this easier
    • Must carefully manage healing
  • Subs must be Attackers
    • Might as well use Fasca
  • Must manage HP when facing preemptives
  • Vulnerable to binds
  • No VDP

Sinon was originally a powerful leader upon the previous SAO Collab due to her 400x ATK and high personal damage. This enabled players to tackle challenging content without fear of having insufficient damage.

Sadly, so much has changed within PAD which puts Sinon in an awkward spot. Their restriction to Attackers does lower their sub pool but at the same time, Fasca is the top Attacker leader. While Fasca can pair with essentially any Attacker, pairing with Sinon may be a frustrating experience as it will be hard to manage your health, match 4 or more colours, and hitting 8+ combos.

This is quite a bit to manage and you have to remember that Sinon only truly shines when below half health which may be difficult overall due to Fasca’s massive RCV multiplier.

As such, double Sinon can still function but the sheer number of things to try and juggle can will be problematic along with your two leaders having no way to harm Void spawns along with VDP being difficult for Rainbow teams without Void Damage Void.

Weapon Assist Imp ATK

Active: Reduce HP by 50%; Deal 100x Light damage to an enemy; Unlock all orbs; Change all orbs to Fire, Water, Wood, Light, and Dark orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • <50%  = 2x ATK
  • Team HP
  • Provides no Resists
  • Relatively small secondary benefit

Sinon’s Weapon Assist features the still relatively rare <50% awakening which provides 2x personal damage for the owning card. This is a wonderful way to layer in additional damage for your key cards but one must be aware that the additional benefits for this Weapon Assist are quite small.

While a single Team HP does provide +5% health, this feels like a relatively small benefit considering this is a top rarity card. As such, the amount of value you will gain from this Weapon Assist will hinge on what other options you currently own.

With that being said, I feel Sinon is in an awkward place overall and feel her Weapon Assist is her current strongest form.


Yuuki – A

Active: Remove all awoken skill binds; Change the far right column to Fire orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 4x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 4 or more connected Fire orbs; 3x ATK when matching 5 or more connected non Fire orbs [1/144/1/43.75%]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist Time Extend TPA TPA  
Super Awakenings: TPA 
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 805 (1006)
HP 2813 (3516) / ATK 2593 (3241) / RCV 15 (19)

Pros
Cons
  • Super Blind
  • 3 Skill Boosts Skill Boost
  • Multi purpose active
    • Full awoken bind clear
    • Spawns a column of Fire
    • 7 turn CD
  • May be difficult to find a home for

Yuuki is the final 6-star card within the Sword Art Online Collab and her Base form is able to provide Full Blind Immunity along with 3 Skill Boosts Skill BoostThis is a valuable kit within the Transforming meta and I feel the difficulty with using Yuuki will lie in finding an ideal home for them.

Whenever I see Attacker, I think of Fasca and then try to determine if said card can be used on any Fasca team. In the case of Base Yuuki, she can most certainly fit on a Kamen Rider Super-1 team with a Fasca pairing to produce a 3/288/4/43.75% Damage Reduction composition. This is a solid pairing and can technically let players use either Fire or Light Attackers and may give Yuuki some value.

Only trouble is possibly finding Kamen Rider friends along with possibly electing to use other pairings which may not allow Yuuki to be used. With that being said, there is always the potential for Yuuki to find additional value as more cards are released. Thankfully, their Weapon Assist is valuable to own and she can safely be converted to this form at this point in time.

Yuuki

Active: Remove all awoken skill binds; Change the far right column to Fire orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 4x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 4 or more connected Fire orbs; 4x ATK when matching 5 or more connected non Fire orbs [1/256/1/43.75%]

Awakenings:  Skill Lock Resist  TPA TPA TPA TPA 
Super Awakenings: TPA 
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 905 (1131)
HP 3413 (4266) / ATK 2793 (3491) / RCV 15 (19)

Pros
Cons
  • Multi purpose active
    • Full awoken bind clear
    • Spawns a column of Fire
    • 7 turn CD
  • 4 Skill Boost Skill Boost
  • Potentially strong TPA TPA damage
  • Outclassed as a leader
  • Relies on TPA for personal damage
    • Cannot function on Grigory teams
  • Horrible RCV

Yuuki’s Evolved form feels weaker compared to her Base iteration due to the absence of a Super Blind Resist While she does gain an additional Skill Boost Skill Boost and higher TPA TPA damage, Yuuki cannot be truly capitalized upon as she lacks the Physical typing for Grigory .

As with her Base form, Evolved Yuuki can be used on Fasca x Super-1 pairings but I feel the Base form is simply superior due to the Super Blind.

With this in mind, I would be most inclined to make her Weapon Assist form as it provides several strong benefits.

Weapon Assist Skill Boost Blind Resist Blind Resist Imp ATK

Active: Remove all awoken skill binds; Change the far right column to Fire orbs (12 -> 7 turn cooldown)

Pros
Cons
  • Skill Boost Skill Boost
  • 40% Blind Resist Blind Resist
  • Two Team HP
  • Valuable active for Fire teams

Yuuki’s Weapon Assist has become significantly stronger due to the new inclusion of 40% Blind Resist along with Skill Boosts Skill Boost being a highly prized awakening within the Transform meta.

Being able to provide 40% protection against a highly relevant mechanic is a wonderful collateral benefit when trying to Transform and can ease inheritance building. Furthermore, the original two Team RCV  adds further value as all teams can benefit from an increase in healing. Furthermore, the actual active still retains the ability to clear all Awoken Binds along with a column of Fire.

5 star base

For the most part, the 5-star cards within this event are underwhelming despite the additional buffs this time around. This because they are bottom rarity Collab cards that costs 5 Magic Stones to roll. As a general statement, these types of cards tend to be lackluster due to terrible Weighted Stats, no Weapon Assist, and often times under 9 awakenings.

Cardinal (New) – B

Active: For 2 turns, reduce damage taken by 75%; For 2 turns, increase orb move time by 2 seconds (17 -> 12 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: [Board becomes 7×6] 2x ATK and 1.5x HP for Balanced type; 1.5x Rank EXP [2.25/4/1]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost +heart +heart +heart +heart 
Super Awakenings:  
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 886 (1152)
HP 3420 (4446) / ATK 1905 (2476) / RCV 490 (637)

Pros
Cons
  • 1.5x Rank Experience + 7×6 board
    • Swap right away to enjoy both benefits
  • 4 Skill Boosts Skill Boost
  • 4 Enhanced Heart Orbs +heart
    • Helps solve RCV issues
  • Orb Skin
  • Only truly shines with Leader Swaps
  • Competes with Farmable Eir
    • Both are Healing solutions but Eir has a stronger active

Cardinal is the only new 5-star to be added to the Sword Art Online Collab and comes with an Orb Skin. As such, Cardinal has higher Weighted Stats compared to other cards at this rarity but at the same time, has significantly lower rolling rates that are similar to the 6-star cards.

Moving beyond this, Cardinal’s main appeal will be to enter a dungeon in order to take advantage of the 7×6 board and 1.5x Rank Experience. While this is lower compared to Saline’s 1.8x, the larger board can help players when they tackle more challenging dungeons. The main idea is to enter with Cardinal as a leader and then immediately Leader Swap in order to have a “real” multiplier.

For myself, I do not personally see value in farming Rank Experience in this manner (despite being Rank 957 and 926 for my two accounts) but there are those who highly prize this method of playing. As such, the value of Cardinal will greatly hinge on how interested you are in farming Rank Experience. Furthermore, the truly eager players have already built their teams with Saline who does reward more Rank Experience overall.

Beyond this, Cardinal is a modest Healing Solution due to their 4 Enhanced Heart Orb +heart awakenings but I feel Eir is a stronger and farmable answer due to higher RCV and better active.

Orb Skin


Klein – D

Active: For 1 turn, reduce damage taken by 75%; Change the 2nd row from the top to Fire orbs (15 -> 10 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x ATK & RCV for Attacker type; 3x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 4 or more connected Fire orbs [1/36/4/43.75%]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist Time Extend 45 45
Super Awakenings:
Typing: Attacker
Available Killers: Devil killer physical killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 705 (916)
HP 3218 (4183) / ATK 1858 (2415) / RCV 34 (44)

Pros
Cons
  • Forms a row of Fire
  • Minimal value overall
  • Poverty Fire sub
    • Low Weighted Stats
    • Few awakenings

Klein was underwhelming last time around and continues to hold that title as his additional buffs have no way of salvaging his pitiful kit. Maxing out at a distressing 916 Weighted Stats at level 110 along with weak and fewer awakenings gives him little hope of being chosen as a sub.

With that being said, there is a possibility his Row active may be useful in truly niche scenarios where you want to break up a mono-colour board.


Agil – B

Active: Delay enemies’ next attack by 2 turns; Change Jammer, Poison, and Mortal Poison orbs to Heal orbs (14 -> 9 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: All  attribute cards ATK x4 when HP is greater than 50%. Wood attribute cards HP x2. RCV x2.5 when matching exactly 4 connected heart orbs.

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist Machine Killer Machine Killer Skill Boost Skill Boost
Super Awakenings: God Killer
Typing: Physical
Available Killers: Machine Killer Healer Killer
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 706 (917)
HP 4094 (5322) / ATK 1481 (1925) / RCV 0 (0)

Pros
Cons
  • 4 Skill Boosts Skill Boost
    • 6 Effective SB with Delay
  • Physical typing
    • Budget Duval alternative for Grigory
  • Only natural double Machine Killer Machine Killer for Wood
    • 9x personal damage
    • Can use Machine Killer latents
  • Outclassed by Duval
  • Niche usage as a Machine Killer

Agil is still the only Wood card to feature 2 Machine Killers Machine Killer while also being able to wield Machine Killer latents. For the most part, this is restricted to certain Farming Builds or specific Ranking Dungeons but Agil has now discovered some newfound value due to Transforming cards.

Agil is able to naturally provide 4 Skill Boosts Skill Boost along with 2 turns of Delay which grants an effective 6 Skill Boosts. This can be a boon to players who are struggling to Transform and Agil’s best home is on Grigory teams due to his Physical typing.

Unfortunately, Agil is greatly outclassed by Duval also provides 6 Effective Skill Boosts with their Delay which means you cannot use both actives at the same time. Furthermore, Duval will self Transform which grants them significantly stronger awakenings while also having much higher weighted stats.


Lisbeth – C

Active: For 1 turn, increase ATK by 30% for each Two-Pronged Attack awakening skill on the team; Create 4 Fire orbs (17 -> 12 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x ATK and reduce damage taken by 25% when matching 4 or more connected orbs; 3x ATK & RCV on the turn a skill is used [1/36/9/43.75%]

Awakenings: TPA TPA Skill Boost Skill Lock Resist Skill Lock Resist TPA TPA
Super Awakenings: 45
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 705 (917)
HP 3144 (4087) / ATK 1387 (1803) / RCV 341 (443)

Pros
Cons
  • Gemstone-style active
    • Bonus damage scales with TPA TPA
    • Similar to Facet Facet
  • Creates 4 Fire orbs
    • Can fix bad boards and give another TPA
  • Facet was rarely used
    • TPA is uncommon on most teams
  • Lisbeth only lasts for 1 turn

Lisbeth is similar to Facet Facet in that both scale with TPAs TPA for their burst but differ in small ways. Firstly, Lisbeth’s burst only lasts for a single turn which can be an issue in most content where it is not uncommon for two dangerous floors to be encountered back to back.

Secondly, Lisbeth is able to generate 4 Fire orbs which can help fix bad boards or give some extra firepower to TPA-oriented teams. Sadly, Facet and Lisbeht will be generally underutilized as most teams are built around 7 Combos 45 instead of TPAs along with Burst not truly being needed outside of Colosseum 2.

With that being said, Grigory teams would be able to hit comically high damage but this may ultimately be unneeded.


Silica – C

Active: Change the far left column to Water orbs and change the far right column to Heal orbs; For 4 turns, recover 25% of max HP (16 -> 11 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 3x ATK and 2x HP for Healer and Dragon type; 20x RCV additional heal when matching orbs [4/9/1]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost     
Super Awakenings:
Typing: Healer / Dragon
Available Killers: Dragon Killer Machine Killer Healer Killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 705 (916)
HP 3314 (4308) / ATK 1058 (1375) / RCV 485 (630)

Pros
Cons
  • Double Column generator
    • Hearts for easy FUA 
  • 25% max HP heal for 4 turns
    • Value on 4x HP teams
    • Helpful on farming teams
  • Natural Cloud Resist
  • 10 Combo
  • Team HP
  • Situational active overall
  • Cannot loop the healing component
  • 916 Weighted stats at level 110

Silica could have been s more desirable card if her template was used on a 10-Stone event as her 916 Weighted stats greatly gouge her ability to be used on various teams.

Looking at their awakenings, Silica does provide a natural Cloud Resist , 10 Combo , and 2-3 Team HP  awakenings along with a useful active. For the most part, this can have some merits on Minaka  x Lamp teams due to their Dragon typing.

While these awakenings are useful, numerous stronger options exist with Gamayla essentially providing all of this but significantly more damage and stats. Perhaps the Team HP may add justifiable bulk but at the same time, you would be heavily investing into a relatively weak card to do so.

Looking at Silica’s active, it is quite helpful as it generates a column of Water and Heart orbs for both damage and FUA potential while the 25% HP heal may be useful. Sadly, I feel the healing component will often go to waste due to the small 25% and inability to loop.


Sachi – C

Active: For 1 turn, increase combo count by 2; Create 3 Dark orbs (15 -> 10 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x HP & ATK for Dark Att.; 2x ATK when 4 or more combos up to 3.5x at 7 combos [4/49/1]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Skill Boost Skill Boost 45 Multiplayer Bonus 45 45
Super Awakenings: Dragon Killer Machine Killer
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 705 (916)
HP 3451 (4486) / ATK 1315 (1710) / RCV 290 (377)

Pros
Cons
  • Fast charging +2 Combo count
    • 3 Dark orbs can help correct bad boards
  • 3 Skill Boosts Skill Boost for 3 Player farming
  • Triple 7 Combo 45
  • High personal damage in multiplayer Multiplayer Bonus
  • Lacks VDP
    • All damage is wasted vs Void spawns
  • 916 Weighted stats at level 110
    • Terribly low ATK

Sachi still owns one of the faster charging +2 combo actives but has been greatly improved this time around due to her triple 7 Combo 45 through her base awakenings. This translates into 8x personal damage which can be further augmented with her Multiplayer Boost Multiplayer Bonus when used in coop. This can help offset the terrible Weighted Stats but at the same time, their value is middling.

This is because they are an offensive card with high personal damage and no VDP . This means all of their personal damage is wasted against Void spawns. With that being said, I am probably overestimating their damage output due to their abysmally low ATK.

As a whole, Sachi will struggle to find true value as a bottom rarity card in a 5-Stone event.


 Argo – C

Active: Unlock all orbs; Reduce awoken skill binds by 3 turns (8 -> 3 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 2x Coin Drop rate; 3x ATK for Wood Att.; Increase orb movement time by 2 seconds [1/9/1]

Awakenings: Skill Lock Resist Skill Lock Resist Healer Killer physical killer 37 Balance killer
Super Awakenings: Healer Killer physical killer 37 Balance killer
Typing: Balance
Available Killers: God Killer Dragon Killer Devil killer Machine Killer Healer Killer physical killer Balance killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 706 (918)
HP 3070 (3991) / ATK 1457 (1894) / RCV 322 (419)

Pros
Cons
  • 4 unique Killers
    • Same 4 as Super Awakenings
    • Can use any Killer latent
  • Provides 2x Coins
    • Ganesha 3071 alternative
  • All killers are different
    • Less likely to line up
  • No Skill Boosts Skill Boost
  • Coin farming is usually not a priority
  • Unlocking orbs is common now

Argo would have been a stronger card if they had been given two or three of the same Killer awakening. This is because it will be challenging to line up most of those typings for optimal damage. While they can gain another Killer via Super Awakenings, it still presents the same issue of lining up typings. Furthermore, Argo lacks and Skill Boosts Skill Boost which would make it challenging to use on many farming or Ranking Dungeon teams as actives may not charge up fast enough.

On the other hand, Argo is able to provide 2x Coins which can help newer accounts but this is a pretty low priority overall as farming for Coins has been somewhat invalidated by the generous Monthly Quest rewards.

Alice – D

Active: Change Water, Poison, and Mortal Poison orbs to Light orbs; Lock all Light orbs (11 -> 6 turn cooldown)

Leader Skill: 3x ATK and 2x RCV for Light Att.; 2.5x ATK when matching 2+ Light combos [1/56.25/4]

Awakenings: Skill Boost Time Extend Time Extend Time Extend Time Extend
Super Awakenings:
Typing: Healer
Available Killers: Dragon Killer 37 
Weighted Stats (Limit Break): 709 (922)
HP 3012 (3916) / ATK 1212 (1576) / RCV 497 (646)

Pros
Cons
  • Locking orbs can help with Spinners
  • Wrong Alice
  • Niche value overall
  • Only partially counters Spinners

Alice is the final card in the Sword Art Online Collab and is the wrong Alice to acquire in this event. This is because this Alice is destined for mediocrity due to their bottom rarity status along with no real niche they fulfill.

5-star Alice can only lock Light orbs and her awakenings are undesirable. As such, they might only be used as a weak inherit which would probably never be done as it does not even fully counter Spinners.

Do I plan to roll? & Dream rolls

I do not plan on rolling the Sword Art Online Collab Egg Machine due to the poor value at the bottom rarity that has no Weapon Assists and terrible Weighted Stats. As such, the best way to approach this Collab from a value perspective is to do your free roll and trade for Alice if you can build a competent team for her and Fasca . One nice aspect to this pairing is that Alice and Fasca solves so many problems on their own including 4-6 Skill Boosts Skill Boost to help Transform right away.

With that being said, there is not too much to say for the Dream rolls section as Alice is the clear winner for the 6-star pool while Cardinal provides a unique and more valuable niche over Agil . Machine Killers and the potential for 6 Effective Skill Boosts may occasionally be helpful, but Cardinal has strong staying power as a Healing solution if Eir cannot be used.

Bottom line is avoid rolling unless you love the franchise as you will most likely be disappointed otherwise.

My Dream Rolls
6*
5*

The above chart are the cards I would love to acquire from each rarity if I could choose one for my Mantastic account. This is my own personal opinion based on my Monster Box, goals and whether or not I have dupes.

Conclusion

The Sword Art Online Collab is terrible event to roll in due to the lackluster nature of the 5-star cards due to no Weapon Assists and terrible Weighted Stats.

Thankfully, this event only costs 5 Magic Stones which drastically reduces the Monster Exchange costs and can enable players to acquire Alice with relative ease. I am pushing the exchange for Alice partially because of the power she offers and partially for the reduced trading cost.

Most desirable cards now come from 10-Stone events which uses a completely different set of Trade Fodder. Of course, you should only Exchange if you have a viable way to make use of Alice.

Let me know what you think about the Sword Art Online Collab and how much you plan on rolling in the comments below.

Happy Puzzling!

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43 thoughts on “Sword Art Online Collab Review and Analysis – April 2020”

  1. I’ve been looking at sites online to find a team layout for AlicexFasca.
    I’ve mainly struggled with how to get a cloud resist. I want to use a Bradamante’s super awakening but am afraid of her personal damage lowering.
    Is it worth it more worth it to get a cloud resist or give Bradamante more damage output?

    Like

  2. I need help deciding whether or not to trade for Asuna. I’ve already decided to trade for Alice as it’s a better pairing for Fasca over Haohmaru. The notable Light Attackers I have include Haohmaru, Tifa, R. Ariel, Gourry, 2x Yuna, and Bradamante. The problem is whether or not I replace R. Diaochan as I think that she has too much utility I would be giving for damage. Currently, I have Dark Raizer inherited on her and I also have on-color Tape- and Cloud-resists.

    Like

    1. Running a single off-type card such as Diaochan is perfectly fine as she was not contributing damage any way

      So lets say you have Alice, Ariel and DC all with SB+ SA. You then have 14 SB right there with no inherits. Use Bradamante, 16 SB. You have one sub left and 2 SB to cover along with 6 assists

      So you are okay for SB and it seems your main concern is having 2 turn Fujin. Asuna is strong for sure and do you feel she will bring enough value to advance your box?

      Like

    2. I would opt for Diaochan over Asuna. In high-end contents such as AA3, there are a lot of 1 or 2 turns awakening binds or time debuff which can be critical and have Diaochan really help a lot. Assist her with Faiz gear or Raizer and after you have dealt with MAthena and Durga, you will have a fantastic ultility sub.

      Like

      1. There are very few awoken binds in AA3. You have Earth Baron’s preemptive awoken bind on Floor 14 and Hamal’s preemptive awoken bind on Floor 16, both of which are stallable (though Hamal will generate a nasty board of poison orbs). Other than that, awoken binds really only come into play when you reach execute thresholds (Zeus Verse and Yog) or you stall and chip down (Zweihander and Kunpoo). Furthermore, there is only one noticeable time debuff and that is Scarlet’s on Floor 9 which can inadvertently be avoided if encountering Titania on Floor 8. In fact, two spawns in AA3 can provide a beneficial time extend that you would not want to overwrite.

        My point is that you can’t just throw out a general set of dungeons like “endgame content” because each dungeon (especially in the endgame) is vastly different from one another. While REvo Diaochan is powerful due to her versatile utility, it doesn’t mean she is worth opting over Asuna in every scenario. In this case, I would actually prefer Asuna over Diaochan because Asuna would let me easily bypass Floor 12 & 13 (one of the main obstacles in Grotesque Being) while Diaochan would only solve minor problems.

        At the end of the day, it is just personal preference. By all means, prefer Diaochan over Asuna. I simply want to state an example to show that it does not always have to be so.

        Like

    3. At this point, a two-turn Fujin is simply a luxury, as its only applicable use is to conveniently bypass Floor 12 and 13 of A5/AA3; there is really nothing in the game that a regular Fujin active cannot handle. You already have Raizer to work with as well. At this point, is the slight optimization of having Asuna really worth sacrificing four powerful 6★ GFE/6★ SAO cards?

      I would personally say no, but if you can afford it, by all means.

      Like

    1. A third Alice seems quite redundant and right now, I cannot fathom a situation where you would need her. With that being said, do you have a different 6* GFE to use as fodder?

      Main concern is what if Alice gains more value in dupes next time around and it is harder to acquire the collab card compared to a 6* GFE

      Like

  3. Thanks for the review as always!

    Terrible rolls this time: 1 Argo, 2 Silica, and 2 Sachi. Ugh…

    Do you feel Alice is worth trading for if you have a working Yugi team? (I rolled both Yugi and Nelle). For more context I have light attackers, most notably Ariel, BZela, Goury, Venus, DKarin, Ford, Lugh… and some others but no Fasca and I would also be depleting my 6GFEs (funny enough I have a lot more of the 7s

    Like

    1. Hi,
      I was simply wondering do I try to have full rainbow for Asuna L/B awakening when making the FascaxAlice team or that would be irrelevant? So far I have Fasca, Asuna, and Bradamante. I can slot in Tifa for the red but I’m not sure what to slot in for the dark as I am missing D.karin.

      Like

      1. It depends on the dungeon you are playing but with that being said, I feel it is only Colo2 that would truly need the Skill Charge

        For AA3 or A5, the two absorbtion spawns are back-to-back and you will probably have 18SB to start to transform Fasca so there will be no issue having Asuna ready in time. Thus, there would be no need for the Skill Charge

        Like

    2. You are most welcome =)

      That is amusing you have more 7* fodder but on the bright side, there are not too many other events that demand 6* GFE

      I feel a well developed Nelle x Yugi team is stronger but having options can be valuable and both have a different play style. One thing I feel is that Alice can help future Transform teams due to 6 effective SB along with a valuable active and awakenings

      Like

  4. I don’t have Fasca and I don’t have a BF that has her. Should I trade for Alice regardless?

    Are there any other leads that support Alice?

    I have enough to trade without hurting my box (dupes) so I’m just curious how important she may be or is.

    Should I trade for another instead if I don’t have Fasca?

    Thanks.

    Like

    1. You can always find more friends with Fasca (hopefully you have your BFF token) but can you actually make a strong team for her? Also, will Alice surpass you other options?

      Like

      1. I do have a BFF token still so I could use that. Question is how often do they rest? I hate to use it on someone then have them quit.

        I have an established box so yes I can make a team, I have as fair number of wine you mentioned.

        I’m not sure what you mean by surpass. I have a full Yugi team that I’m rocking but if Alice I’d one of those don’t pass up then I’ll get her.

        I just don’t know of any other leads to pair with. Everyone just says Fasca but would Tifa work? Do you have any other suggestions for other leader?

        Thanks again. Always looking for advice.

        Like

        1. I would say they reset every 4-6 months?

          By surpass I mean will an Alice x Fasca team greatly outperform your other teams? If yes, that is a big motivation to trade

          Most people say Fasca because the 7×6 and you basically just combo on the bigger board and everything dies

          Like

          1. Thanks again. I did the trade anyways. I had lots of dups that I forgot and basically traded away.

            Maybe I’ll try out Tifa or someone who has 7×6 and can complement Alice.

            Like

    1. I have used both for AA3 and I do enjoy the pure combo nature of Alice but I did find movement time a bit of an issue without the TE badge (10 vs 12s). I could probably get away with 10s if I am not streaming but that was the biggest hurdle for me

      With Lamp, it is quite easy to stack damage and you have a wider sub pool, I also feel my sub pool for Lamp is a bit stronger as I lack Asuna for Alice

      Perhaps with optimal cards/inherits etc. I feel Alice comes out a bit ahead due to a pure combo nature and higher damage overall which makes life easier as a whole.

      Also, Alice’s active > Lamp when paired with Fasca as she solves burst + RCV whereas Lamp is Burst and shared awoken bind with Fasca

      Like

  5. As no one noticed, I want to underline the pun for lamp as not a bright idea is BRILLIANT and put you under the LIGHT.
    That said, I want to correct the number of SB for athena another as you forgot 1 turn haste. So the correct number is 5-6 SB.
    Thanks again for your review, can’t wait to read them.

    Like

      1. Thx for your answer and for the video (didn’t see it was online…)
        Tried AA3 for the first time with alice x fasca and it is soooooooooooo powerful.
        Will try with karin x tifa now but I see a big big fail

        Like

  6. I had the worst luck. 6 rolls and i got Alice, eugeo, leefa and dina.

    I have yugi, lamp, minaka. Great teams.

    Now im wondering if I should burn eugeo, leefa and two others for Asuna. I only have one other 2 turn fujin and i am so lazy about assists. She’s a great sub easily in reach.

    I am end game, only care to farm aa3/a5 rank and stay on meta.

    Like

    1. Trading your only copy of eugeo, leefa, and two 6* GFE may have you regretting later as both are quite powerful equips. A 2 turn fujin makes life easier for sure for the 25% of runs that have the back-to-back spawns but Durga is unlikely to kill you

      Do you feel you will gain more from Asuna as a sub instead of leefa and eugeo?

      Like

  7. Is the Song Princess Yuna in the MP store worth the 500k?

    So about Alice Syn 30, I have 2 Leefas, Sherias Root (2), Kaede, and AmenominakuSushi. Worth it?

    I tend to run with Edward / Haohmaru / Ed with other mainly light mons. Alphonse, Yoh (Shaman King), or Mega Sylvie to round out my group.

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    1. I don’t feel she is worth it from a value point of view as she does not bring much to the table. Her damage is conditional on >80% and she only has 2 and her base active is meh along with weighted stats

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  8. Is it worth it to trade for Alice?

    I have a comfortable amount of trade fodder but I’m not particularly excited about her as a leader. I mostly run Tifa x Haoh and it feels sufficient, so my only point of interest is if Alice will have lasting value as a sub/equip for future transform teams.

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  9. Managed to get the following in this event:

    Two Kiritos, Two Asunas, One Yuuki, Cardinal and Alice through Trading. I still had my Sinon when this first came out but other than that, no regrets.
    But I would like to know what they are saying when we use their skill. Anybody knows?

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  10. Last comment for me here since I’ve noticed that nobody else are commenting on this Collab: I’ve sacrificed 1 Asuna, my only eugeo, 1 Sinon and 1 Yuki to receive one more Alice because This was the last day for the Sao Collab and I wasn’t sure about getting another Alice. Any advice on how to use the Second Alice? Btw if you’re wondering, yes I’ve traded twice to get two Alices most of the cast and the green Sonia. Here’s to hope that the new season of sao anime will be a damn good one!!

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      1. Well I’m made a light team and most of them have almost everything that I need against most dungeons and while I do have my ny Reeche, I feel that her skill will be a lot longer to build up. But if it comes to it, I’ll make My second Alice a weapons assist but thanks for the reply. And stay safe!

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