v6.0 Updated ELF Investment Guide
1. Advantages and Disadvantages of ELFs
Before we start, we should consider the pros and cons of investing in an elf in the first place.
Why would you want an ELF?
- Adds extra damage and utility for a team, making rotations smoother in most cases
- Benefits teams by around 10% and useful in all levels of Abyss (though mostly Nirvana)
- Pushes a team above and beyond by an extra bit
Why wouldn't you want an ELF?
- Expensive. A 3 star ELF is considered the baseline (most useful skills are unlocked at 3 star) and that costs 30k xtals max, which is more than an S-rank valk.
- Not future proof. Newer ELFs tend to directly powercreep older ELFs in terms of damage and utility.
Now that we've established a few pros and cons, let's get into each individual ELF!
Note: Each ELF will h**e a bracket in their title stating if they are not worth, worth, or in between. However, "worth" can be subjective and this is speaking on whether a complete team would find use in an additional 2-3 star ELF. Additionally, we will be considering whether the ELF is worth it as a new pull, not so much if you're a veteran who already has the ELF. For the "main uses" section, the most important use was listed first.
2. Jingwei's Wings, Fire (Not Worth)
Jingwei is the only ELF that is directly given to us once we hit Level 50. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Healing
Pros:
- Useful in Elysian Realm for Kalpas buffs and general healing
- Useful in Masters abyss when there is consistent bleeding on the player
Cons:
- Not worth it to level up as she has minimal damage
- Expensive to rank up, as she wants 4 star (costs asterite to farm fragments fast)
- Not many skills to level up (3/4 branches h**e either 1 or 2 skills only)
Final Verdict: Not worth. Can be used if Jingwei is your only option.
3. Blood Embrace, Physical (Not Worth for Spenders, Useful for F2P)
Blood Embrace is the only other farmable ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Damage and Shield Break
Pros:
- The ELF most F2P and low spending players will be using.
- Better damage than Jingwei with some shield break
- More skills to level up (though not as many as Gacha ELFs)
Cons:
- Expensive to rank up, as she wants 4 star (costs asterite to farm fragments fast)
- Not a good choice for other players with better ELFs. She's directly powercrept by other ELFs.
Final Verdict: Best option for F2P and low spenders. Not worth for players with other physical ELFs.
4. Selune's Elegy, Ice (Not Worth)
Selune's Elegy is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Freeze Trauma and Damage
Pros:
- Freeze trauma is unlocked at 2 star, so she is inexpensive in that sense. She does not need rank-ups.
Cons:
- Freeze trauma has many other sources that are more notable (eg: RC)
- Oldest gacha ELF so she is powercrept by other ice ELFs that h**e been released since then.
Final Verdict: Not Worth.
5. Book of Fuxi, Fire (Not Worth)
Book of Fuxi is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Elemental Debuff and Forcing Fire QTEs
Pros:
- Her main use skills are unlocked at 2 star so there's no reason to rank her up.
- Versatile in all elemental teams due to her all elemental debuff.
- Forcing fire QTEs on valks like HOFS who h**e damage QTEs is very useful.
Cons:
- Slow SP regen and not much damage or utility outside of her ult.
- Not the newest fire ELF so she has been partially powercrept already.
Final Verdict: Not Worth.
6. Tesla ZERO, Physical (Decent if Owned, Not Worth if Not)
Tesla ZERO is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Shield Break (including hit count) and Physical Debuff
Pros:
- High hitcount for hitcount shield break.
- Better damage compared to Blood Embrace (built in Crit Rate and bleeds enemies)
- Provides team buffs and debuffs (only for 3 star)
- Two buttons can help stack Mobius buffs in Elysian Realm (although this is not needed for valks who use Mobius signets)
Cons:
- Only notable in the following bosses: HOS, Jizo, DXY
- Only useful in expensive teams
Final Verdict: Not Worth to Pull Now.
7. Bella, Lightning (Not Worth)
Bella is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Damage and Paralyze Trauma
Pros:
- Provides paralyze trauma
- Compared to Klein, Bella has higher damage
- Lightning debuff (only 3 star)
Cons:
- Slower rotation compared to Klein
- Minimal utility (provides some heals but nothing significant)
- Paralyze trauma is not really needed now with valks that h**e built in paralyze trauma (HOT, Eden)
Final Verdict: Not Worth.
8. Water's Edge, Ice (Decent if Owned, Not Worth if Not)
***er's Edge is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Gather and Ice Debuffs
Pros:
- Can gather enemies
- Provides Ice debuffs on 2 star so there's no need to rank her up more.
Cons:
- No freeze trauma
- In the awkward middle stage between Selune and Elf Elysia. She's not great but not bad.
Final Verdict: Not Worth to Pull Now.
9. Sirin, Fire (Worth)
Sirin is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Ignite and Team and Self Damage
Pros:
- Ultimate can ignite the enemy, proccing QTEs.
- Elemental shield break and heals (utility)
- High self damage
- Newest Fire ELF
Cons:
- Similar damage output compared to Fuxi (however, it's not suggested to invest into Fuxi in case she is fully powercrept in the future).
- Fire teams are lacking now in general, so pulling her might not be the best option.
Final Verdict: Worth but Consider Account Progress and the Potential for Future Fire Valks
10. Klein, Lightning (Worth but Needs 3 Star)
Klein is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Switch CD Reduction, Forces Lightning QTEs and Debuffs
Pros:
- Reduces the Switch CD of valks
- Forces the QTEs of Lightning valks (especially useful in teams where QTE procs can be unreliable, eg: Mobius/FR/PV)
- Lightning debuffs similar to that of Bella's and provides more utility
- Paralyze trauma
- Newest Lightning ELF
Cons:
- Expensive, requires 3 star to unlock most of her utilities.
Final Verdict: Worth.
11. Blade Durandal, Physical (Worth)
Blade Durandal is a Gacha ELF. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Damage and Physical Debuffs
Pros:
- High self damage (mostly at 3-4 star)
- Physical debuffs
- Newest Physical ELF
- Dabs
Cons:
- Minimal utility, mostly damage focused ELF
- High SP cost, high CD compared to the other two Physical ELFs
Final Verdict: Worth.
12. Elf Elysia, Ice (Worth)
Elf Elysia is the newest ELF and Gacha only. Here are her highlights:
- Main Use: Damage and Some Utility
Pros:
- High self damage against frozen enemies
- Reduces Switch CD
- Constant self SP regen
- Gather
- Newest Ice ELF
Cons:
- No freeze trauma (however, this can be solved with RC and other valks/gears)
- Wants 3 star for more self SP regen and Ult CD reduction
