Hello! In this guide I'll be looking at the 3 new core signet sets, Pardofelis', Kosma's, and Vill-V's. I'll look at which valkyries/signets they work with, and compare them to the other core set.
Check out my other guides!
Core Signet Tier List
Helical Contraption
Goushinnso Memento
• Table of Contents •
1. Pardofelis' Signets
a. Overview
b. Recommended Combos
c. Analysis
2. Kosma's Signets
a. Overview
b. Recommended Combos
c. Analysis
3. Vill-V's Signets
a. Overview
b. Recommended Combos
c. Analysis
4. TL;DR Summary
1. Pardofelis' Signets
- Overview -
Since shops are generally about 4-6 floors apart, depending on when you choose to enter, as long as you visit every shop consistently, you can have 100% uptime on VIP Service. Alternatively, you can ignore them throughout the run as long as you spend enough in the final shop, since the bosses are most important.
To get the maximum stacks, you need to spend 800 coins, or more if you have the enhanced signet [Snowy Paw], which can give a maximum of 8 total stacks, costing 1600 coins. I wouldn't recommend going that high due to diminishing returns, but if you have the coins and the signet, more damage wouldn't hurt.
This signet also comes with 3 new enhanced signets.
Upgrades:
+0 --- Each stack of VIP Service additionally increases Total DMG by 10%
+1 --- 12%
+2 --- 14%
+3 --- 16%
The main bonus to this signet is the discount. I would say the upgrades aren't really worth it, but if you have coins to spend and nothing else to buy then sure. Best of the 3 enhanced signets, just for the discount.
Upgrades:
+0 --- Can gain 1 extra stack of VIP Service per shop
+1 --- 2 extra stacks
+2 --- 3 extra stacks
+3 --- 4 extra stacks
If you consistently visit shops and don't skip any (taking the shop at the first chance and not the second), you won't need the longer duration. One benefit though, is that there will be a 2 floor overlap in which you still have the stacks from 2 shops ago, but if you're spending properly and earning enough coins you should constantly be around the cap anyways.
As mentioned before, too many stacks of VIP Service gives diminishing returns, but if you have the coins then more damage is always good. I would upgrade this one over [Improv Magic] as it gives more Total DMG overall, but only if you're sure you'll have enough coins to get the full stacks.
Upgrades:
+0 --- 800% Adaptive DMG, 50% more total DMG
+1 --- 1000% Adaptive DMG, 60% more total DMG
+2 --- 1200% Adaptive DMG, 70% more total DMG
+3 --- 1400% Adaptive DMG, 80% more total DMG
This is a pretty good signet, the most combat focused of the 3. The multiplier is "enemies take", which is good, and can have 100% uptime with 3 stacks of VIP Service.
- Recommended Combos -
This set is versatile, and can be taken with any valkyrie. The main goal of the set is to buy as many signets/upgrades from the shop as possible.
Because you can't buy core signets and can only get them from portals, I would recommend valkyries who don't need that many core signets to work, or are themselves versatile. One example is Twilight Paladin, who mainly wants Su's signets but is otherwise versatile, and another would be Spina Astera, who mainly needs Elysia, but other than that can take anything.
Obviously, the best user for this set is Pardo herself, Reverist Calico. She gets so many coins that spending them is easy, and has her own passive shop discount. Both the 1st core and this one work for her, so it's mostly personal preference which one you prefer.
- Analysis -
Compared to the 1st core set, which is more combat focused, this one is more shop focused, though with a few combat buffs thrown in. I think this set would be most fun on a lower difficulty run, to grind for Rusted Insignias and experiment with a variety of signets. The best one for a shopping build is the enhanced [Improv Magic].
While I might use the 1st core in a slightly higher difficulty mode than this one, I wouldn't use either of them in a high difficulty run. Pardo's signets require you to go straigt for them early on, to get maximum coins, which leaves valkyries weaker and may lead to an early loss in a high difficulty run.
It definitely seems like a fun set though, and just has the vibes of Pardo (good vibes).
2. Kosma's Signets
- Overview -
This is... a very unique signet. It sacrifices a very small amount of health for a small damage bonus, which gets better the more stacks of rend you have. The maximum possible Rend you can have is 70 stacks, but in practice I've never gotten it that high. With the right valkyrie/playstyle it's definitely possible though.
Two ways to use this are: high amounts of rend for a glass cannon-type build, or small amounts of rend + [Dawn, Perpetual Wait] for a damage bonus over time.
This signet also comes with 3 new enhanced signets.
Upgrades:
+0 --- Reduce Total DMG taken by 1%, max 30%; Increase Breach by 2%, max 30%
+1 --- Reduce Total DMG taken by 1.2%, max 36%; Increase Breach by 2.4%, max 36%
+2 --- Reduce Total DMG taken by 1.4%, max 42%; Increase Breach by 2.8%, max 42%
+3 --- Reduce Total DMG taken by 1.6%, max 48%; Increase Breach by 3.2%, max 48%
Each time you recover/lose health while you have a rend stack, this signet gives a buff. It's unclear if the buff stacks go away after losing the rend stacks though. If you have the normal signet that stacks rend on basic/combo/charged attacks it shouldn't matter, as you'll likely always have at least 1 Rend stack.
Upgrades:
+0 --- 3000% Adaptive DMG
+1 --- 3600%
+2 --- 4200%
+3 --- 4800%
This does high Adaptive DMG, the current highest if you ignore the 1st core's damage (5000% ATK but only to shields, 1500% otherwise). It also heals, not by much, but the amount shouldn't matter as any healing triggers [Dawn, Perpetual Wait]. The upgrades then boost the adaptive damage even further, which isn't bad, but also isn't something to rely on as it doesn't get any DMG buffs that Valkyrie attacks do.
Upgrades:
+0 --- 1.5% more Phys/Ele DMG per Rend stack
+1 --- 1.8% per stack
+2 --- 2.1% per stack
+3 --- 2.4% per stack
This one is very simple, just a slightly different version of the core, using a different stat buff. It's decent enough, but since it's more general than the other two are, it doesn't really have any synergies.
- Recommended Combos -
The main combo with this set would be with Kalpas' signets, especially his 2nd core. The small amount of HP loss will trigger some of Kalpas' signets, while HP restored from [Choice, Ensuing Regret] helps to charge Bloodboil Armor. Higher max HP from Kalpas' signets means any HP lost from Kosma's is less risky, and you'd probably want to lose the HP anyways.
If you plan on trying this combo, I recommend either a valkyrie with a lot of invincibility (eg Golden Diva) or with a shield (eg Palatinus Equinox), as you will very quickly get down to 1 HP.
Aside from that, another recommendation is to take the normal signet [Talons], which stacks rend from Basic/Charged/Combo ATKs, and keep a low but constant Rend count for [Dawn]. This does require an enhanced signet though, and there are better ways to get Breach than this.
Finally, valkyries that can stack more Rend get more buffs. This requires relatively frequent use of Ultimates and Evasions, though because of the CD in applying stacks, they don't need to be that frequent.
- Analysis -
This set is definitely better than the 1st core, and does set Kosma apart from Griseo. It's still not great, but at least it can get some use with Kalpas signets. The healing also isn't super great, so it's not a perfect synergy with the Bloodboil Armor.
An interesting thing about this set is that there's nothing related to shield-breaking at all, which means that the description of Kosma's signets in-game is somewhat false. There is still the one normal signet that helps shield-break with Rend stacks, but it's not much. I'm fine with the shift away from shieldbreak though, it's not like it was very helpful.
3. Vill-V's Signets
- Overview -
This core has everything, Time Fracture, Gather, Damage, and a relatively short CD. Since only 1 can exist at a time, the CD is technically 7s (1s to detonate, 6s duration). The main limiting factor here is the frequency of casting the weapon skill.
This signet also comes with 3 new enhanced signets.
Upgrades:
+0 --- 30% Breach
+1 --- 36%
+2 --- 42%
+3 --- 48%
This enhanced signet is the best one of the 3, giving a nearly 100% uptime for the Time Fracture and giving a Breach buff. This signet is definitely top priority.
Upgrades:
+0 --- 20% Total DMG during Gravitational Field, 30% during Time Fracture
+1 --- 24% Total DMG during Gravitational Field, 36% during Time Fracture
+2 --- 28% Total DMG during Gravitational Field, 42% during Time Fracture
+3 --- 32% Total DMG during Gravitational Field, 48% during Time Fracture
While [Puppetry] is clearly the best one, this signet is also amazing. Giving a total DMG buff that is "enemy takes", going up to a 50% multiplier at base or an 80% at +3, combining it with the extended time fracture from [Puppetry] makes it even better.
Upgrades:
+0 --- Extra 500% Adaptive DMG
+1 --- 600%
+2 --- 700%
+3 --- 800%
This one is probably the weakest one of the 3, but it's still good. While extra gather won't help against bosses, it will help on the bonus signet floors, and is just generally a quality-of-life type of buff.
- Recommended Combos -
The best combo with Vill-V is of course Vill-V, Helical Contraption. All her attacks count as weapon skills, making it easy to trigger the signets and get close to 100% uptime on the buffs. On top of that, some of her attacks are explosive, meaning the gather helps a lot.
Aside from Vill-V, other valkyries that can make good use of the set are those that cast weapon skills frequently, about every 7s. This is, of course, very weapon dependent and less valkyrie dependent, but those with similar playstyles are Palatinus Equinox (with Midnight Eclipse/Ataegina), Starchasm Nyx (with Sanguine Gaze), or Fervent Tempo: Delta (with Sleeper's Dream) to name a few. Those that are less weapon dependent are the Bow users, like Miss Pink Elf♪, Prinzessin der Verurteilung! and Midnight Absinthe, and also the chakram-using Reverist Calico.
- Analysis -
If you couldn't tell, I like this core a lot. Vill-V's 1st core was ok, but the restriction of Physical damage buffs meant it didn't really get much of a use outside of Fervent Tempo and maybe Miss Pink Elf♪. Meanwhile, this core takes a bunch of great buffs and good support effects and puts them all together.
As a personal preference, the thing I actually value most about this set is the gather, it's reliable and pretty frequent. I usually if not always have VC or Astrologos support for gather, as well as Water's Edge ELF, because keeping the enemies together just helps so much in stages.
4. TL;DR
Pardofelis' signets: Very fun, good for grinding low difficulties for Rusted Insignias and experimenting with all kind of signets, but probably not for high difficulties.
Kosma's signets: Very unique, niche usage but better than the 1st core set. Works with Kalpas.
Vill-V's signets: Amazing, one of the best sets if you can trigger the effects often. Not restricted by physical damage unlike the 1st set.
I was really surprised by Kosma's set, and even more surprised when it turned out to be somewhat decent (at least better than the old one). And I was even more surprised when I saw how much I liked Vill-V's set. Pardo's set is good, I'll probably use it more next week when the Rusted Insignia count refreshes.
I was thinking of doing a tierlist of all the signets now that all the flamechasers have 2 core sets, never done something like that before. Wonder if they'll make a 3rd set?
Thanks for reading!
Check out my other guides!
Core Signet Tier List
Helical Contraption
Goushinnso Memento
[UID 12340784] SEA Server
