This guide aims to teach the basics of handling the Valkyrie. The ability to tackle higher difficulties depend on your personal loadouts and acquired advantages at present.
Core Playstyle
Delta's default playstyle has been converted to a berserker. Her normal attacks and Juice meter are modified so that she maximises her engagements in Fervent Mode, enhancing her attacks at a feverish pace. Short of any mismanagement, she will easily stay in this mode throughout battle without fail, making her a very simple fighter to use.
Usage Difficulty
Handling: Moderate
- While Delta's battle routine is extremely simple, the key to efficiency boils down to her timing and move rotations, and SP management. Taking advantage of her Ultimate's counterattack - Strike Back EX - requires very keen eyes and knowledge of enemy movesets to utilise fully (this is assuming you avoid the Silence signet which extends the duration of Fortress Mode to the maximum. The best opportunities come from boss fights, where their resilience and constant counterattack against Delta allows for frequent EX counters.
Power Ramping
- Delta hinges on being in Fervent Mode, while using the Ultimate to deliver burst damage.
Power Drought Situation(s)
- In the early phase, Delta consumes SP quickly and needs a passive source urgently. Whenever she is also out of Fervent Mode, she isn't dealing damage to the best of her ability.
Equipment
Special Adjustments
Exclusive Signets
- The Ultimate damage only applies to the "Strike Back / EX" reprisal attack. The ensuing attack chains belong to Fervent Mode and is not considered Ultimate damage.
[Silence -> Mixing] -> Fervor / Solitude -> Thorns
This route is for owners of her PRI-Arm, as it has the necessary parts to work with. Beginning with Silence, Delta gains a lot of useful passives to initiate battle with. Because of the fast CD for her Ultimate, she'll need a healthy source of SP.
- For the Weapon Active cooldown, it is a 6s reduction. There are 3 strikes in her Ultimate attack, each contributing 2s with each hit.
- Fortress Mode is basically "DEF Stance" in her Ultimate descriptions. The key difference is that with Silence, you don't need pinpoint accuracy to reprise an attack anymore.
The next essential signet is Mixing, which confers a powerful gather before the slash attack of the Ultimate. Given the focused nature of Delta's melee combat, this is extremely helpful against enemies that tend to spread themselves out.
From there on, the choice is yours between Fervor and Solitude. The only difference in performance is that with Fervor, Fervent Mode will end faster, so you need to be efficient and maximise damage output when the mode engages.
In most situations, the effects of Thorns are not as desirable. SP is not a major problem unless you mismanage your SP expenditure. The SP expenditure effect only has benefit if you have Gold's Core (II) to take advantage of the effect, which can then add a significant Total Dmg charge that piles up quickly thanks to Delta's quick Ultimate CD.
[Mixing -> Solitude] -> Silence -> Fervor / Thorns
Without the PRI-Arm, you won't have a cost-effective active to use. Alternative greatswords can be used just for the ATK value rather than their ability.
Starting with Mixing, you get utility from a powerful gather. Solitude simply adds more damage to your build. From this point, if you've got a 3rd choice, then decide based on your SP situation. By now you should be able to service Silence as it is an SP hungry signet giving you faster Ultimate reuse. The last two, Fervor and Thorns are optional as they change the usage timing of your Ultimate as well as speed up Fervent Mode use, which can throw you off your rhythm.
- Fervor isn't that bad either. Remember, most of the damage comes from the powerful burst slash of the Ultimate, not so much from the Fervent Mode melee, that's why there's a huge emphasis on the Ultimate in the signets.
Using Thorn Crown
1) Mixing + Solitude / Silence
- Based on the main body recommendations above, pick your 2nd signet based on your weapon loadout, as it affects which signet best performs with it. Mixing and its huge gather is already a great boon for a very short ranged melee combatant like Delta.
Signets
Priorities
Key Signets - Discipline, Decimation
Sub Signets - Setsuna, Deliverance
- Helix & Stars (Best only if Sleeping Beauty PRI-Arm is used)
The PRI-Arm changes a lot of your strategy, so plan around it. Not having to use an active also simplifies your controls in combat.
Core Contributions
Deliverance (I)
- If your combat cycle becomes Ultimate-centric, Deliverance will be there to support you in damage and SP needs.
Setsuna (II) - (Bonus: Time Mastery)
- Delta naturally evade-moves a lot, to reposition or to gain Juice, so this is just great opportunity.
Decimation (I)
- Adds Blood Boil to her already powerful melee. Even though she has enough defence, play counter-actively and evasively for best results.
Discipline (II)
- She is capable of using all signets without much concern of reduction, which is Ultimate Evasions.
Daybreak (I) / (II) - Caution
- Although she is granted Bleed effects, I am not certain if Daybreak's Bleed bonus will apply. As it is an adjustment effect, and not part of Delta's tags. I will choose to believe that it works, since the signet description says "Can deal Bleed Dmg".
- Given the potential of Delta's abilities, she can make use of all 3 types of Rend signets, adding shieldbreak to the shredding burst damage she possess.
- Only use Core (II) if you are avoiding Decimation.
Helix (I)
- Allows Delta to capitalise on her weapon's fast CD (Silence signet required)
- Be advised, the active itself is not a damage dealer.
Any Questions? Go ahead and write in the comments below too. Thanks for reading!
