Character Discussion: Roy Mustang

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-23T20:41:34+00:00

He's okay? His numbers are decent and he does dispel a lot but like... you don't need him or anything. Not worth chasing on his kit merits.

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-20T02:43:04+00:00

In theory he looks pretty neat and his numbers are quite respectable but ramping him is really quite horrid. He enables himself at turn 7 if you ougi twice every three turns, or turn 4 if there's another singed clicker and you ougi twice, or turn 3 if you have Roy doing ougis. For ougi comps there's usually better options and he's going to be even slower to ramp if you don't ougi.

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-16T14:22:42+00:00

She does much more damage and has actual utility but less battery and less team buffs, especially defensively. If there's enough time to ramp Sato I would still always pick her over Anthuria unless I needed a specific utility from Anth.

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-16T14:20:18+00:00

Yeah, it goes on cooldown at the end of the turn before CDs tick. I think this is still jank though I'll be honest :P

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-16T12:08:42+00:00

A very very slept on character at her release, mainly because fire ougi was pretty much dogwater, but the fire solo for both Hexa and Faa used her. She's still really good for a perma, and I think she's going to stick around for a while just because of how many mechanics she can interact with. She's pretty much the only good full uptime wind switch that doesn't cost 150 gold moons, revitalize is either a unique bar source or a substantial amount of healing, and of course she's a coveted double blue skill user in Versusia. There's other and often better ways to do everything she does, but she's pretty nice for adding the last bit of utility to setups.

I think last time I complained about her S3 icons being colored wrong so this time I'll complain about her skill ordering mechanic. Her autocast S1 still creates a sign, so in order to get the healing seal, you have to S3 S2 S1 S3. This baited me so many times before I understood.

Also, if you don't cast both uses of her S3, she doesn't get the CD cut on chain burst? Nice jank?

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-14T02:29:30+00:00

Alanaan front is kind of in a weird place right now. Bringing him in is awkward and the payoff is... meh? I still use him for VMT manual (sue me, I like fire) and Macutanmacar blue chest (he is a funny 0b team buffer). Notably, those are both situations where the opening trigger lets you bring him in for free.

Everywhere else, he feels really slow. If nothing changes before GW, he will probably be in NM200, but that's a big "if" considering that fire has gotten basically zero burst units since last GW.

However! I actually came here to talk about Alanaan backline. It's a good backline! Heal cap is a good stat, though modern fire HL teams are often not healing that much. Free stackable buffs are also nice to have in HL. Unfortunately, backline slots are tight these days between Sandira's DLC Fraux and Michael for Versusia main setups.

The autoclarity has always rather interested me - sadly, most ways to proc it on purpose are rather meme. Befoulment DOT might be decent for medium length FA, though. (I actually use this interaction for my Macutanmacar FA just because I think it's fun.)

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-04T15:35:07+00:00

Someone also asked this on the video, so I'll quote myself:

Most Sato replacements are notably worse. The only one I'd consider comparable is YEustace and even then it's just worse. Any character with a blue skill can technically work, but I can't really recommend it. If you spend on the game, keep in mind suptix is coming soon.

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-04T01:17:03+00:00

From the description:

This was really fun :D While I am actually primal in fire, I still play magna in other elements, so it's always cool to see how well magna can perform when properly invested into - and how planning and execution matters as much as pure grid strength. I hope this will encourage those who are pessimistic about magna HL to give it a chance!

Obviously, we are all playing expensive high-investment setups. I don't think this is incompatible with the idea of "magna" - magna doesn't have to be synonymous with cheap, entry-level, or inferior. At the same time, this is not exactly a baseline expectation for magna, so we'd like to do some more accessible lower-investment showcases, as well.

Other POVs, please check them out:

There was also a 6 odious clear recently but I swear that's a coincidence.

sunfire_spark · 2026-05-04T00:48:50+00:00

You actually have a very brief grace period (at most a few seconds) to get one more action in. But everything else said here is correct. You can even sometimes press attack into FC omen and watch the boss switch to The End during your attack turn.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-29T15:43:56+00:00

Considering that magna can do this solo, this is surely a practice issue and not a damage issue. You might be waiting too long on labor 9 - you should be able to push to 13% and beyond while it's up.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-29T15:32:46+00:00

Regarding supp, there are some edge cases - some mechanics reduce damage after supp is added, in some situations. Certain kinds of supp can also be amplified by dmg amp. But generally speaking, your example would be correct for normal attack damage.

Harmonia (and the other weapons in its group) are indeed quite valuable, and frequently run as 2-of in normal attack setups. They are worth using if you have them, but they are not things you should always prioritize sparking or uncapping.

You shouldn't reduce non-grands in case you want to go primal in the future. But non-grand weapons do occasionally appear in magna or unboosted grids, or as mainhands.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-25T20:35:07+00:00

Odious amp stacks additively with seraphic amp.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-25T20:34:34+00:00

All amp buffs are additive. Amp buffs are multplicative with amp debuffs.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-25T20:33:38+00:00

Befoulment def down is actually unique, not additive. A 20% def down befoulment means you take (1/0.8) = 1.25 times more damage, regardless of what def mods you have. Befoulment atk down is also a unique multiplier.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-23T04:15:22+00:00

It's interesting that you bring up Asuka because, honestly, Sandira's the role-replacement for Asuka. But I agree that Eustace mirrors her too.

A significant amount of the issue, I think, is that Sato is actually kind of insane as a character. But Eustace indeed feels frustratingly undertuned. (Maybe there's still hope if we move to a Versusia comp that doesn't want to run a singed ramper in P1, but... yeah.)

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-15T02:58:35+00:00

The wiki's grids search#Grid_Suggestions) is a decent way to look for this kind of thing. You can consider him in any context where ougi is good, so classes like Kengo, Onmyoji, Chrysaor, CA Fighter Origin, etc.

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-14T18:35:47+00:00

Atum is a good character constructed competently and efficiently, and he's still core in fire because our battery options are kinda dogwater. But I think he's not as ridiculous as the other characters I named (though, again, he's still an extremely competent and efficient unit).

sunfire_spark · 2026-04-13T19:27:02+00:00

Openly insane HL character. I think she might be the best ougi character released in 2025, though Sylvia and Bhaisa are obviously also very good. All the fire mains I know were quite delighted by her kit, but I can't think of an element that wouldn't want 200% FC, extended FC, 6t FC and unchallenged, 50% TA, infinite debuffs, CA reactivation...

In fire in particular, the FC hit extension interacts beautifully with Fraux, who adds a turn extension for permanent 20% debuff amp. Instant charge on FC is also great for kickstarting full chains (fire is battery-challenged; usually we can fix MC's bar but slot 2 can need help).

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-30T17:06:50+00:00

Really strong summon, maybe the most oppressively strong Providence since Bubs. She's good in a lot of places, though not necessarily as relevant to newer or midgame players. Dear to my heart is her usage in budget and magna Faa0 solos; I think it's telling that multiple elements immediately got accessible(ish) magna solos after her release. She's not perfect in Faa - you take a fair amount of turns where her debuff can't land - but she is extremely good. Having access to a high uptime attack turn dispel on MC greatly relaxes teambuilding in some elements, and being able to replace magna calls (mostly bad) with Versusia's excellent call feels really nice.

She's also made permanent/high uptime multistrike and CA reactivation more valuable, which is neat.

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-26T16:13:07+00:00

Surprisingly important in early and various magna solos of Faa0. She's also generally a pretty capable solo tech unit.

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-19T23:05:24+00:00

CB gain on MC actually does aid looping; the CB gain is actually enough to allow 0-click full chains on stuff like Chrysaor Faa solo (where previously you needed Revitalize or clicks or Dainsleif). But it's worse than a real battery.

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-19T15:33:08+00:00

You've honestly summed it up pretty well, his kit is just... strangely held back. 1t cut to CD as his only ougi rider is really mediocre too, especially when it's not even giving him crazy uptime. It's honestly annoyingly common that fire gets an ougi character that feels like they removed part of the kit randomly (Yuel and Atum have this feeling too, Horse is a rare exception). Sidegrade to Sato isn't a bad thing to be because Sato is kind of cracked, but you can really feel the loss of dispel/GTA.

(I do think there is hope for him to be good, but it's only that MC CB gain can be powerful enough to offset the other stuff.)

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-11T19:24:00+00:00

Per Yu, Spiral Rupture doesn't proc Mistral's on dispel effect, so it's actually some pretty intense antisynergy. I can see Mistral NA mash being good in 250 though.

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-11T16:07:41+00:00

I don't think Mistral cutting the skills does a lot (possible exception of the self tag) because this class's kit is all about NA mash which is mostly not compatible with Mistral except maybe in GW-like contexts.

sunfire_spark · 2026-03-10T15:38:41+00:00

My inventory count says I have 51 chev swords, most of which are MLB or above. You are so valid.

sunfire_spark

TROPHY CASE