Academy Badge
Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| English Name | Academy Badge |
| Chinese Name | 学院徽章 |
| Category | Special passive (DLC) |
| Required DLC | Tides of the Foscari |
| Rarity | 10 (does not appear in normal level-up selections) |
| Max Rank | 5 |
Effect and Rank Progression
A trade-off item that sacrifices Growth (XP gain rate) in exchange for alternating increases to Amount (projectile count) and Revival (extra lives).
| Rank | Growth | Amount | Revival | Cumulative (G / A / R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -3% | +1 | — | -3% / +1 / +0 |
| 2 | -3% | — | +1 | -6% / +1 / +1 |
| 3 | -3% | +1 | — | -9% / +2 / +1 |
| 4 | -3% | — | +1 | -12% / +2 / +2 |
| 5 | -3% | +1 | — | -15% / +3 / +2 |
Max rank 5 total effect:
- Growth (XP gain rate): -15%
- Amount (projectiles per shot): +3
- Revival (extra lives): +2
How to Obtain
Stage drops
Appears as a map item in:
- Lake Foscari
- Abyss Foscari
Character milestone reward
Obtained by leveling the following characters to level 30:
- Eleanor Uziella
- Maruto Cuts
- Keitha Muort
Usage Notes
Academy Badge has rarity 10 and never appears in standard level-up pools — it only drops from Foscari stages or via character milestones. The trade-off is a permanent -15% Growth (slower XP gain) in exchange for +3 Amount across all weapons and +2 Revival.
On Growth loss: Slower XP gain means slower leveling. However, +3 Amount is a near-equivalent of having 4× the base projectile count on every weapon, which in most builds vastly outweighs the leveling slowdown. Pair with Crown to offset the Growth penalty.
On Amount value: Every weapon firing 3 more projectiles is a multiplicative DPS boost. Arcana XXI Blood Astronomia, which deals AoE damage proportional to Amount, becomes especially explosive.
On Revival value: Two extra lives function as a safety net in long or high-difficulty runs, significantly reducing the risk of run-ending deaths.
Build Synergies
| Combination | Reason |
|---|---|
| XXI Blood Astronomia | AoE damage scales directly with Amount — +3 from badge is massive |
| X Beginning | Grants +3 Amount to the main weapon on top of the badge's global +3 |
| I Gemini | Cloned weapons also carry the Amount bonus, effectively doubling output |
| Crown + XP passives | Offset the Growth penalty to maintain leveling speed |
| Eleanor | Thematic character with natural synergy; also one of the unlock sources |
Countering the Growth Penalty
When running Academy Badge, use these to compensate for -15% Growth:
- Crown: Up to +40% XP gain, fully compensating the loss
- XIII Wicked Season: Doubles Growth among other stats
- Imelda: Character's innate +10% Growth partially offsets the penalty
FAQ
Q: Does Academy Badge appear in the level-up selection?
A: No. Rarity 10 items are excluded from the standard level-up pool. Obtain it from Lake Foscari or Abyss Foscari stage items, or reach level 30 with Eleanor, Maruto, or Keitha.
Q: Is -15% Growth a serious drawback?
A: In most builds, +3 Amount's damage multiplier outweighs the slower leveling. Crown and XP passives bring Growth back to neutral or positive territory.
Q: Is Academy Badge available without the DLC?
A: No — it is exclusive to the Tides of the Foscari DLC.