I recommend to read this post in dark mode.

Hello and welcome to this Asral Ring explanation!

I hope I'll be able to help you, let's start~

Note: Content might get updated, guide not fully finished yet

✦ Table of contents ✦

Introduction

General information

Stellar Outburst

Specialization: World Star

Specialization: Wheel of Destiny

Specialization: Rite of Oblivion

Conclusion

✦ Introduction ✦

The Astral Ring mechanic was released in 7.3 with Part 2 replacing ELFs.

Poor cutiepies...

Well, ELFs can still be used with Part 2 but in a different way as AstralOPs

Basically the Astral Ring mechanic makes u now deal super high DMG for 30% of the time and lack a lot of DMG otherwise, yeah

✦ General Information ✦

✧ AstralOPs ✧

ELFs as well as Collaborators can be used as AsralOP.

ELFs got an additional Skill page for their purpose of AstralOP.

Collaborators by default only have skills to act as AstralOP.

The AstralOP provides buffs, mainly for the Stellar Outburst.

✧ Astral Ring mechanics ✧

Each Part 2 character is protected by a Astral Ring Specialization.

Each Specialization has different effects I'll explain later.

The Astral Ring is activated when the leader is a Part 2 character and the Specialization will be that the leader is protected by.

Cooldown and Stellar Outburst duration are decided the same way.

Thelema lead: Protected by Wheel of Destiny -> Wheel of Destiny gets activated

Activating and not activating the Astral Ring or a special Specialization changes the buffs of Part 2 characters.

(Example Skills from Thelema)

However, the main skills are not affected as far as this.

✦ Stellar Outburst ✦

✧ Astral Ring Intensity ✧

"Astral Ring Intensity" is the SP needed to activate Stellar Outburst. It's shown left of other control buttons replacing the ELF Ultimate button.

Astral Ring Intensity can be restored in multiple ways:

• Attacking enemies (P1 characters included)
• Character Skill: Stellar Drain; S rank characters gain a stack after entering battle or exiting Stellar Outburst. they are consumed by specific attacks (mostly special attacks) of the character owning them.
• Astral Ring Intensity Packs: Work like SP packs

✧ Stellar Outburst effects ✧

When maxing out SP, press the Stellar Outburst button to enter it.

During Stellar Outburst P2 characters deal way more DMG, cannot restore Astral Ring Intensity and have some skills canged.

Changes are based on the character's skills.

Stellar Outburst changes are written in those walls of text in the Astral Ring skill section.

Like, who's supposed to read those?

Special Charges are usually filled with "Quantum Mech Energy" which is replaced by the original Charge in case it is not used until the Stellar Outburst ends.

Quantum Mech Energy being consumed has different effects from the usual ones.

If Thelema for example uses her Quantum Mech Energy during Stellar Outburst (World Star) she triggers 4 special attacks and only then uses Moment of Indulgence.

Special Attack

Moment of Indulgence

Otherwise Stellar Outburst effects differ a lot depending on the Specialization, so let's go over the actually important stuff!

✦ Specialization: World Star ✦

The World Star nieche is currently taken by Senadina with Thelema and Helia supports.

The characteristic feature of World Star as the resonances.

✧ Resonances ✧

Certain characters can set up a Domain Resonance Mark with their special Stellar Outburst attacks.

In addition there are characters that have Resonance Attacks, triggering the Resonance Marks and causing the Resonance Mark's creator to deal DMG of their own type.

(Lightning DMG from Senadina here)

This causes the World Star characters to split into two roles:

Resonance Provider: Set up Domain Resonance Marks and deal DMG with them

Resonance Trigger: Has Resonance Attack that trigger the Domain Resonance Marks

✧ Current Characters ✧

Deepspace Anchor: First Light

Roles: DPS; Resonance Provider

Summary: Part 2's first Lightning DPS and protected by Astral Ring Specialization: World Star. Replaced Cosmic Expression in SD bosses and is the currently best and only World Star DPS.

Valkyrie Boltstorm

Roles: Support; Resonance Provider

Summary: A Lightning Support protected by Astral Ring Specialization: World Star. Used to support Part 2 characters only.

Valkyrie Blastmetal

Rles: Support; Resonance Trigger

Summary: A Fire type universal support protected by Astral Ring Specialization: Rite of Oblivion. A very generic support for Part 2.

Mad Pleasure: Shadowbringer

Roles: Support; Resonance Trigger

Summary: An Ice type World Star elemental support protected by Astral Ring Specialization: Wheel of Destiny. Works very well with Senadina.

✦ Specialization: Wheel of Destiny ✦

The World Star nieche is currently taken by Thelema with Senadina and Coralie supports.

The characteristic feature of Wheel of Destiny as the Phantoms.

✧ Phantoms ✧

When entering a character with the power to morph her team mates into Phantoms during Stellar Outburst (Phantom DPS), disable the function to switch out. Instead, the switch buttons are replaced by Phantoms.

Then there are certain characters that can aid as Phantom in battle (Phantom Support). In case there are not 2 characters in battle that can transform into Phantoms, the rest of the spots are filled with the character on the field.

By "switching" to the Phantom you can trigger their effects.

Using a Phantom causes the on-field character to enter Rondo in the Shadows for a certain amount of time.

Buff time and effects are based on the Phantom character's skills.

During Rondo in the Shadows Phantoms provides certain buffs depending on the Phantom's and on-field character's skills and causes the Phantom to attack with the on-field character in some attacks.

✧ Current Characters ✧

Mad Pleasure: Shadowbringer

Roles: Phantom DPS; Phantom support

Summary: Mainly a Phantom Ice DPS. Weak Elemental and Physical Phantom support, protected by Astral Ring Specialization: Wheel of Destiny.

Deepspace Anchor: First light

Roles: Phantom support

Summary: An Elemental and Physical Phantom support protected by Astral Ring Specialization: World Star.

✦ Specialization: Rite of Oblivion ✦

A generic Astral Ring Specialization.

No special skills or effects.

Activating Stellar Outburst will not trigger anything special, the specialization belongs to general supports as it seems.

✧ Current Characters ✧

Valkyrie Blastmetal

Summary: A generic support that works in any Astral Ring and with any element. Not the strongest but in exchange she can be used anywhere.

✦ Conclusion ✦

the Astral Ring mechanic will heavily influence future teams and gameplay.

It adds many new roles and therefore makes team building more complex.

But overall it might also make more characters work together. We'll see.

Thanks for reading my guide, I hope I was able to help you!

Have a great day