Tana: Winged Princess

[LordFrigid]

General

Base Stats

HP: 33 / 36 / 40
Atk: 31 / 34 / 37
Spd: 33 / 36 / 39
Def: 22 / 25 / 29
Res: 22 / 25 / 29

Tana possesses a well-optimized offensive stat line, rivaling that of Cordelia: Knight Paragon. This stat line allows her to do well on teams with mixed movement types, though she gets ideal results on a flier team. As a flier, she can traverse most terrain without penalty, and carry the Guidance skill (one of her natural Passives) or seal to provide additional mobility to allied infantry and armored units. She also carries the personal weapon Vidofnir, which bolsters her Def against Axe, Lance, and Sword units on the enemy phase.

As a flier, Tana has a weakness to flier-effective weapons. She is also very squishy due to her low HP and mediocre defensive stats.

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Suggested Skill Sets

• When multiple options are available, my personal recommendations (if any) will be in bold.
• Budget options will be colored red.

Vidofnir

Spoiler

Usage Intention: General use, physical offense or defensive sword/lance check.

Asset/Flaw: +Atk or +Spd/-Res
Weapon: Vidofnir
    Weapon Refinement: Flexible
Assist: Flexible
Special: Flexible
A Passive: Atk/Spd Solo 3, Life and Death 3, Swift Sparrow 2, Fury 3, [Stance] Skill, or Close Def 3
B Passive: Desperation 3, Quick Riposte 3, or Guard 3
C Passive: Guidance 3, or Flexible
Sacred Seal: Spur Atk or Spur Spd (esp. for use with Guidance), or Flexible

Overview

Vidofnir provides a +7 Def boost when defending against Axes, Lances, and Swords, combining with the standard 16 Mt of a melee Legendary Weapon to give Tana a stronger EP presence than her stat line might suggest. When refined, it instead provides +7 Def and Res against all one-range foes, and its effect refinement adds an additional +4 Atk and Spd when within range of an Infantry or armored ally (providing good synergy with Guidance). This allows Tana to effectively run Player Phase, one-range Enemy Phase, and mixed phase sets.

Asset/Flaw and Skill Choices

+Atk brings her base offensive stat line to 37/36, while +Spd brings it to 34/39. Both are workable, with +Atk being better against bulkier foes, and +Spd helping her keep up with the fastest of swords (though she will be hard-pressed to double them, even with Flier support). -Res is the best flaw, as she does not need Res for her role.

Vidofnir’s refinement is flexible. An offense-oriented Tana used on a Flier team, will probably want the Spd refinement. When used on a mixed team, the Effect refinement provides a solid offensive stat boost with the proper positioning.

Tana's assist is flexible, depending on her team's needs.

Her special choice depends on what she's being used for. A defense-oriented set can use her default Moonbow for one-round activation to help secure KOs, or Luna/Bonfire, which sacrifices one-round activation for higher damage output when her special does activate.

Tana's A Passive depends on the user's usage preference. Atk/Spd Solo, Life and Death, and Swift Sparrow are pure offense options, bolstering both of her offensive stats. Note that with a Vidofnir set, it may be harder to satisfy Atk/Spd Solo's positioning requirement. Stance skills (eg. Sturdy Stance) and Close Def are pure defense options, bolstering her stat line when attacked. Fury can be used on either set; it is a budget option on an offense set, but very useful on a defense or mixed phase set, where it gives her stats an all-around boost.

For her B Passive, Desperation benefits offense-oriented sets (and can work on defense-oriented sets running Fury, or with a Flier team). Quick Riposte and Guard are for defense-oriented sets, with the former ensuring that she lands double attacks on Spd-stacking foes, and the latter preventing foes from charging specials on her. 

On a flier team, a flier-oriented buff or aura should be used. On a non-flier-exclusive team, running Guidance in the C Passive slot can benefit any of Tana's infantry and armored allies, allowing them to extend their movement range. I have found it to be an especially useful tool for:

• Baiting an enemy to one part of the map, then simply having the bait Guidance-warp out (particularly useful on maps with restrictive path options, such as the Arena two-bridge map).
• Allow an ally to Guidance-warp over inhibiting terrain, or into forests from 2-3 spaces away.
• Assist a retreating/weakened ally without actually needing to use a positioning assist, saving Tana's action to do something else (including using a positioning assist afterward to get the ally further out of harm's way, if necessary).
• Get an ally into the fight without using a positioning assist. Tana is then free to use a positioning assist to get them to safety after combat.

Tana's Seal slot is flexible. A Spur is especially useful when used in combination with Guidance, as any ally warping next to her is guaranteed to receive the Spur's effects. She can also run Atk +, Spd +, Quick Riposte, Heavy Blade (for one-round Luna or Bonfire), or Close Def, depending on the user's preferences and what kind of build she is running.

Other Options

• Brazen Atk/Spd can be used in place of Life and Death for a stronger offense boost once she is at or below 80% HP. Note, however, that it is best used in combination with the Ardent Sacrifice or Reciprocal Aid assist, as Tana suffers from not having the offense boost for her first combat.

Shell Lance

Spoiler

Usage: Red check for a flier team.

Asset/Flaw: +Atk or +Spd/-HP, -Def, or -Res
Weapon: Shell Lance+
    Weapon Refinement: Spd
Assist: Reposition
Special: Moonbow or Luna
A Passive: Atk/Spd Solo 3, or Life and Death 3
B Passive: Desperation 3
C Passive: Flier field or combat buff
Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade, or an Atk or Spd boosting Seal

Overview

It's a tough time to be a Lance user with an offensive stat line. The red pool, which they are expected to check, carries a wide variety of threats that range from bulky (Tiki) to super-speedy (Karla), to somewhere in between (Ayra, Zelgius). Lances don't have the option to stack damage and target the foe's (usually lower) Res stat like Blárblade+ users, and they often have a Spd tier that is just barely not competitive with the fastest swords. The Shell Lance (Atk/Spd/Def/Res+2 when initiating combat) allows Lance users with stat lines like Tana's to stat-stack to the point where they can remain competitive with the growing red cast.

Asset/Flaw and Skill Choices

Tana can take either +Atk or +Spd for this set. +Spd is good if the player really wants to be protected against Spd-stacked foes, but is usually unnecessary (especially on a Goad Team).

The Shell Lance, with the Spd refinement, is the centerpiece of the set. Offensively, it is a straight upgrade to unrefined Vidofnir, or refined Vidofnir when she is not near an Infantry or Armored ally. It effectively has 16 Mt when initiating, and additionally provides HP/Spd+5, and Def/Res+2.

Reposition is the standard assist for a Flier Team (though other options are usable as well, if desired).

Moonbow combines well with the Heavy Blade seal for one-round activations once she enters the Desperation HP threshold. If Heavy Blade is not used or available, Luna provides a powerful damage boost every other combat (assuming she doesn't OHKO her foes).

Atk/Spd Solo and Life and Death provide potent, consistent boosts to Tana's offenses. Swift Sparrow can be used if the user does not like the positioning requirement or the defense drop, but Atk/Spd Solo is fairly easy to satisfy, and Life and Death is generally safe on Red and is mitigated somewhat by the Shell Lance's Def/Res+2 bonus.

Desperation is the standard combat sustainability option for a full offense unit.

As this set is intended to be used on a Flier team, a Flier field or combat buff should be used in her C passive slot to help support her teammates.

Heavy Blade is used to net one-round Moonbow activations. If it is not used or available, Atk and Spd boosting seals are also powerful options.

Additional notes

• A Goad Team may be required to have enough Spd to double Ayras of higher merge level than Tana. Note that the majority of highly merged Aryas carry Distant Counter or Swift Sparrow in their A Passive slot.
• Karla and Mia are easier to OHKO than Ayra, and can be doubled with the same setups that can double Ayra.

Standard Brave Lance

Spoiler

Usage Intention: General use.

Asset/Flaw: +Atk/-Res
Weapon: Brave Lance+
    Weapon Refinement: N/A
Assist: Flexible
Special: Escutcheon or Flexible
A Passive: Atk/Spd Solo 3, or Life and Death 3
B Passive: Desperation 3 or Flexible
C Passive: Flexible
Sacred Seal: Attack + (or equivalent), Brazen Atk/[Stat], Spur Atk, or Spur Spd

Overview

Standard Brave set for 2-4HKOing enemies.

Asset/Flaw and Skill Choices

+Atk is the standard Brave weapon asset, giving her +3-12 Atk points worth of damage in any given engagement. -Res is the standard flaw for Tana, as she does not need Res for her role.

Tana's assist is flexible, depending on her team's needs.

Tana usually does not need an offense-oriented special to net important KOs, so she can use Escutcheon to help her safely set up Desperation. If the user is confident that she will only be fighting enemies that she can safely set up Desperation against without Escutcheon, then she can use a damage-oriented option such as Luna, or a high-SP-cost option like Aether or Galeforce (Galeforce can also come in handy for Chain PvE modes).

The Atk/Spd Solo or Life and Death + Desperation combo is standard for Brave users with high base Atk and Spd. If the user is confident that she will only be fighting enemies she can 2HKO (most non-armored swords & red tomes), she can use a different B Passive such as Wings of Mercy (situational utility) or Drag Back/Hit and Run (positioning).

Tana's C Passive slot is flexible, and depends on what kind of team she's being run on. Please refer to the notes laid out in the Vidofnir set for more information.

With a Brave Lance, Tana benefits from stacking as much Atk as possible. The Attack + Seal helps her do this. Brazen Atk/[Stat] can also come in handy, sacrificing a bit of first-round performance compared to Attack +3, but gaining much more power when below 80% HP. If she is using Guidance in her C Passive slot, she can also run Spur Atk or Spur Spd to help teammates that warp to her. 

Standard Firesweep

Spoiler

Usage Intention: General use.

Asset/Flaw: +Atk or +Spd/-HP, -Def, or -Res
Weapon: Firesweep L+
    Weapon Refinement: N/A
Assist: Flexible
Special: Flexible
A Passive: Atk/Spd Solo 3, or Life and Death 3
B Passive: Drag Back or Hit and Run
C Passive: Flexible
Sacred Seal: Flexible

Overview

The Firesweep Lance allows Tana to freely engage any enemy without fear of being counterattacked (effectively negating Close Counter, Vantage, and enemy damaging specials), and preserves her high Atk and Spd tiers, with the drawback of preventing her from counterattacking.

Asset/Flaw and Skill Choices

Tana can take either +Atk or +Spd for this set. She can take -HP, -Def, or -Res without any penalty to her player phase combat capability, as she cannot be counterattacked. -Res has the best compatibility with the other sets, if the user is interested in them.

Besides the Firesweep L+, offense-boosting A Passive, and Drag Back or Hit and Run, the rest of Tana's set is entirely flexible. I recommend considering Guidance on non-Flier-exclusive teams (see the Vidofnir set for more details). Attack + or Speed + are great seal choices to add to her ORKO potential, though if Guidance is used, Spur Atk or Spur Spd can be used as well.

Galeforce

Spoiler

Usage intention: General use.

Asset/Flaw: +Atk or +Spd/-HP, -Def, or -Res
Weapon: Slaying Lance+
    Weapon Refinement: Spd or Atk
Assist: Flexible (likely Reposition)
Special: Galeforce
A Passive: Atk/Spd Solo 3, Life and Death 3
B Passive: Desperation 3
C Passive: Flexible
Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade

Overview

This set is intended to get safe, one-round Galeforce activations once Tana is at or below 75% HP by combining the Slaying Lance, Heavy Blade seal, and Desperation. It is strongly recommended to run Atk and Spd buffs to support the set.

Asset/Flaw and Skill Choices

+Atk helps her get KOs and ensures that Heavy Blade provides a +1 cooldown rate to Galeforce. +Spd will help her net doubles on faster or Spd-stacking reds. -Res is her safest flaw, as she doesn't need Res for her role.

Either the Spd or Atk refinement for the Slaying Lance can be used for this set. I prefer the Spd refinement, as 56 Atk (before any buffs) is safe for ensuring Heavy Blade. Compared to the Atk refinement, it helps prevent Tana from straight-up OHKOing enemies, preventing a one-round Galeforce activation. Finally, it helps her double enemies that stack Spd through nature, inheritance, and/or buffs.

Galeforce, Atk/Spd Solo or Life and Death, Desperation, and the Heavy Blade seal are all centerpieces of the set.

Tana's assist and C Passive slots are flexible, but on a Flier team Reposition and a Flier buff/aura are her strongest picks. On a non-Flier-exclusive team, her natural Guidance can be used in her C slot (but she must forgo using a Spur in her Seal slot).

 

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Change Log

Spoiler

• 25 Dec 2017: Initial Release (Vidofnir, Standard Brave Lance, and Standard Firesweep sets).
• 26 Dec 2017: Added Brazen Atk/Spd to a new "Other Options" section for the Vidofnir set.
• 28 Dec 2017: Added the Galeforce set.
• 29 Dec 2017: Modified the Galeforce set to remove the Flier-exclusive team recommendation.
• 24 Jun 2018: Tweaks to the Vidofnir set for meta relevance. Addition of the Shell Lance set, also for meta relevance.
• 17 Oct 2018: Updates for the Vidofnir refinements. Added Brazen Atk/[Stat] to the list of seal considerations for the Brave Lance set.
• 29 Oct 2018: Added Atk/Spd Solo to the list of considerations for all sets.
• 31 Dec 2018: Terminology updates. Adjustments to the Shell Lance set, adding one-round Moonbow as the preferred option over straight stat-stacking.

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by LordFrigid

[May]

With Vidofnir, I was thinking Tana could use Brazen Atk/Spd with Desperation. With the Close Def 3 Seal, her defense could be 38 at neutral (more when buffs or Spurs are added) when a foe initiates. She could be an enemy-phase unit until she gets hit by an enemy, and become a player-phase unit after. Is this viable?

Edited December 26, 2017 by Aera

[LordFrigid]

On 12/25/2017 at 7:31 PM, Aera said:

With Vidofnir, I was thinking Tana could use Brazen Atk/Spd with Desperation. With the Close Def 3 Seal, her defense could be 38 at neutral (more when buffs or Spurs are added) when a foe initiates. She could be an enemy-phase unit until she gets hit by an enemy, and become a player-phase unit after. Is this viable?

It’d probably work well enough, but I don’t really see the need for Close Def. 68 combined HP & Def from just natural stats + Vidofnir should be good enough to take a single hit from a Sword or Lance. Heck, 63 combined (Life and Death + Vidofnir) isn’t that bad, and gives her +5/5 offenses on her 1st combat.

I’ll look into Brazen tomorrow, and may end up listing it as an option, but at the moment I’m not sure it’s necessary.

~

Edit:

After looking comparing Tana's matchups with Brazen Atk/Spd vs Life and Death, my personal determination is that Brazen hurts her first combat too much, and does not provide enough return once active to justify that. It could be useful in combination with Ardent Sacrifice, if the player in question is into that sort of thing. I'll add a note saying such, but it wouldn't be my personal choice for a build.

On another note, after reviewing Tana's matchups with the Heavy Blade seal (specifically, using Desperation for one-round Moonbow activations), I have come to the conclusion that Atk + and Spd + give her similar or better results. It might be useful if the user wants to one-round charge Galeforce or something, but I will be leaving it out of the Suggested Skill Sets listings for now. At this point in time, my thinking is that the biggest benefactors from the Heavy Blade seal are units with high Atk & Spd, with access to a "+x damage when special activates" skill (i.e. combine with Desperation for one-round activations of a damage-boosted special). Offensive Slaying weapons might benefit too, but I haven't looked at any numbers on that yet.

Edit 2: Slaying + HB/Galeforce may receive a set/analysis. I’ll have to look into it more when I get home.

Edit 3: After successfully play-testing the Galeforce set on a non-Flier-exclusive team, I will be updating the set to remove the flier-exclusive team recommendation.

Edited December 30, 2017 by LordFrigid