July 8

New Banners

Mizuki [Limited, Debut]

Limited Combo Banner [Free Choice Up To Crimson Hare Bartholo]

Recommendation For Newly Starting Players

This is currently the best time to start/restart.

Reroll for the Limited Combo banner and choose Aoi, Saika, and Sora/Mirabelle. Aim to get one of them during rerolling, two if you are patient.

Simple Rerolling (Don't start with limited units): Same process as always (Link to guide)

Advanced Rerolling (Start with at least 1 limited unit): Use the Advanced Rerolling guide (Link) 

Recommendation For Regular Players

The Combo Banner has priority over Mizuki.

LIMITED COMBO PRIORITY: Check out the Limited Units page.

Mizuki is probably a skip, but you can try your luck next week when the free tickets roll around. 

New Event

Elite Mode

Edalia (Boss), Zaphael

Very high AOE damage from Edalia two turns in a row.

Zaphael will apply DEF Down as a nonattack.

Recommended Strategy

I brought my regular ass Red Hunt team and it won on the first attempt so keep that in mind.

You may bring AOE damage reduction or other damage mitigation measures to withstand Eda's AOEs or you can plan for a unit or two dying & push on with aggressive DPS.

The boss isn't very tanky so bring your best foot forward and you'll win in no time.

Event Shop

Featured 5*: Theresa

She is not useful at all. Buy for Rainbow value or skip.

New Unit: Mizuki

Not to be confused with Mitsuki

E7: Flan

Mizuki is a support buffer and a debuffer. She supports her team with S2, and harms the enemy with S3.

S2 is a single target buff-and-push (very similar to Saika's S2) that doesn't heal or cleanse, but applies ATK Up and also CDMG Up, which in theory results in explosive damage output for whoever is pushed. The gauge increase amount is also the same as Saika at 50%.

S3 is a nonattack AOE that pushes skill cooldown by 1 and applies DEF Down and a 20% gauge pushback, with the obvious downside being the lack of buff strip: All of the effects will be blocked by Immunity. It can be soulburned for an extra turn to naturally chain into S2.

While an all-round aggressive supporter in theory, Mizuki suffers from fundamental deficiencies in her kit that places her in an awkward position. She would've been a great normal recruit unit, but unfortunately, she's limited.

Mizuki also would've been a great high-value PvE unit, again, if she were normal recruit. However, common wisdom dictates that you never pull Limited units for PvE.

Strengths

S3 is, in theory, extremely high value. AOE CD push, gauge pushback and DEF Down is devastating to the enemy team if it lands. They will not be able to fight back properly & will be highly vulnerable to any followup attacks, which Mizuki can help set up with S2.

No other unit in the game can provide both ATK Up and CDMG Up at the same time. This combo of buffs on a slow nuker (who sacrificed speed to build for more damage, relying on Mizuki for tempo; most famously Mirabelle) will dish out huge amounts of damage. 

Weaknesses

The most obvious and biggest downside is her S3's lack of buff strip. She either needs a seperate opener to remove all the Immunity from the enemy team, or her effects will be completely blocked. However, running two openers is usually not recommended due to poor deck thinning and the fact that Mizuki herself doesn't have any provisions to help her grab the turn after your first opener. 

Many units can also do many of Mizuki's job already: Lucia has an AOE nonattack strip and CD push, Saika has an arguably better S2, Mitsuki AOE buffs ATK Up and pushes while also dishing out heavy damage herself, the list goes on. This only shrinks Mizuki's niche to stand in the meta.

Bringing a Book mage to soulburn S3 is semi-mandatory, which limits the team comp options further.

While Mizuki gains 30% EHR from discipline, she cannot soulburn to ignore RES, meaning that she must invest in EHR if she wants S3 to land on tanks and healers. Even worse, she will be subject to 15% Absolute Resistance no matter what.

Disappointing base speed of 115 limits her potential as an opener.

S2 not having any buff removal effects makes her vulnerable to enemy debuffs of any kind. Mizuki will struggle to shine in a debuff-heavy brawler matchup because she can't care for her allies properly.

Build Guide

Conventional sub-opener build: Speed + Accuracy, right side HP% + EHR% + SPD.

Shifting emphasis towards more tank or perhaps more self-damage (fitting for Crit Rate, for example) could alter her role in the team slightly.

Other News

Bond Shop Updates

Mizuki's bond: Good for Snipers who cast a Nonattack as an off-turn action. Currently this only includes Mina and Yuri. However, they both usually run Mina's bond for kill security, so there isn't much room to run this bond. Otherwise not a very useful bond; The effect of granting 10 souls can help you soulburn a nuker for more damage, but the number of units who can utilize this at all is very little.

Nothing else noteworthy.

Popularity Poll

The poll itself is meaningless, it is unclear whether Neversoft considers the "feedback" at all. New units are drafted and made months ahead of time.

However the event gives you 200 free energy a day, so it's a good thing nonetheless.