Evaluation Criteria
- Versatility: Works across multiple builds and characters
- Damage Contribution: How much it raises a build's damage ceiling
- Unlock Difficulty: Cost of obtaining
- Timing Flexibility: Strong at 0:00, 11:00, or 21:00
S Tier — Auto-Pick (6)
| Arcana |
Why |
| I Gemini |
Doubles listed weapon damage at completion |
| VI Sarabande of Healing |
Foundation of regen builds — offense + defense in one |
| VI Moonlight Bolero (Darkana) |
Doubles chest spawns — accelerates every build |
| VIII Mad Groove |
Pulls all stage items — unique for unlocks and evolution rushes |
| XIII Wicked Season |
Breaks stat ceiling — uncapped scaling in long runs |
| XIX Heart of Fire |
Damage + emergency clear in one slot |
A Tier — Build-Defining (13)
| Arcana |
Build |
| 0 Game Killer |
Chest economy build |
| I Sapphire Mist (Darkana) |
Active weapon spam |
| II Twilight Requiem |
Curse explosion build |
| III Hidden Anathema (Darkana) |
Long food-heavy runs |
| IV Awake |
Aggressive character insurance |
| V Pale (Darkana) |
Homing-focused builds |
| VII Iron Blue Will |
Linear-projectile builds |
| X Beginning |
Starter-weapon focus |
| X Hail from the Future (Darkana) |
High-leveling characters |
| XII Out of Bounds |
Freeze explosion build |
| XII Crystal Cries (Darkana) |
Freeze build polish |
| XIV Jail of Crystal |
Freeze build foundation |
| XVI Slash |
Crit builds |
| XVIII Victorian Horror (Darkana) |
Magnet/chest builds |
| XX Silent Old Sanctuary |
Minimalist weapon builds |
B Tier — Niche but Strong (10)
| Arcana |
Build |
| III Tragic Princess |
Mobility build |
| V Chaos in the Dark Night |
Speed-scaling weapons |
| IX Divine Bloodline |
Armor-focused characters |
| XI Waltz of Pearls |
Magic-weapon build |
| XIII Call of a Mad Moon (Darkana) |
Stat-skewed build |
| XV Disco of Gold |
Greed builds |
| XVII Lost & Found Painting |
Duration-scaling weapons |
| XVIII Boogaloo of Illusions |
AoE-scaling weapons |
| XXI Blood Astronomia |
Amount/Magnet build |
| XXI Wandering the Jet Black (Darkana) |
Regen build offshoot |
Tier Trends
S Tier Patterns
Universal "raw strength" — viable in nearly every build. VI Sarabande, VIII Mad Groove, and XIII Wicked Season are the three foundation picks; when in doubt, take any of these.
A Tier Patterns
Conditional powerhouses — explode in specific compositions. Two-Arcana stacks like XII+XIV (freeze), II+XIII (curse), or XVI+XIII (crit) define their value.
B Tier Patterns
Strong niches with low versatility. Reserved for advanced players intentionally building around the effect.
Pick-Order Heuristic
- 0:00 slot: Take cumulative or foundation Arcanas (XIII Wicked Season, VIII Mad Groove, etc.)
- 11:00 slot: After your build crystallizes, add a damage booster (XII Out of Bounds, II Twilight Requiem, etc.)
- 21:00 slot: Finishing piece or insurance (IV Awake, XIX Heart of Fire, 0 Game Killer)
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