Ladies and Gentlemen, the Reddit Theater is proud to announce a totally-not first act of this nature. You've read about them everywhere. Our feature presentation, our Gatcha senation! ROXIE HART AND VELMA KELLY!

Actually, its just me. Hello everyone! You may have not seen me around much, but I'm /u/Letsdothisbro. I mainly stalk the daily help thread and am a dedicated fan of this subreddit. After our dearly departed srs_bsns moved on to a better world, I figured I'd give this whole Should You Pull thing a gander. Its my first time, so please be gentle with me.

Obviously, all my analysis and interpretations are my own and subject to my own biases. Please feel free to form your own opinions. I would love any and all feedback on this to help me decide if I should keep going in the future. I make no promise that my analysis is the best, and even less promises that my jokes are funny.

Honorary shout-out to /u/SometimesLiterate for holding my hand and really helping me with this. You're a paragon of this subreddit, my friend, and I thank you. Now, let the festivities commence!

Xiao

Rarity: 3* to 6*

Global Party Rating: 6.5/10

Chun Li Xiao is back and better than ever. While she was certainly unimpressive before, she is now a notable force to be reckoned with. She gains 30% Attack and 50% attack, and if you combine that with her unarmed bonus that is a grand-spanking 100% attack. Isn’t math fun?

Her base attack is in-line for a base-3* at 131 (157 with pots) and her weapon selection is awful. She hits 314 Attack while unarmed if max potted though, which is very respectable. Also, this takes zero weapons away from your other party members. She wasn’t going to do that to anyone but Firion or Snow anyways, but for players starting off, not requiring high-end gear to be strong is an amazing selling point.

Our little lady has also been hitting the gym in preparation for her upgrade. She comes with 100% immunity to blind and her 3579 (4089 with pots) max HP is good for a main DPS unit, and thats not even including her 20% HP! At max pots, its even higher then Lightning! And boy does Xiao need it.

Chun Li Xiao comes with several notable new moves. Rockbreaker is a solid 3 hit Aoe attack that ignores 30% defence! It isn’t the strongest chaining move in the world but its certainly not bad. She also comes with Crushing Kick, a three hit single target attack that smacks for 180% and breaks Attack/Defence by 40% for three turns. I sure love me some added utility on my DPS and that certainly does the job.

Chun Li Xiao has a new power in counter attacks as well, which have situational use in content and a lot of use in the Arena! She has an interesting skill called Perfect Balance which makes her skip her next turn in exchange for a good amount of HP/MP regeneration and a 40% Attack/Defence buff. I’m not sure about the balance part, but this certainly lacks in perfection. Especially if you have Embolden, where it becomes downright awful. That being said, if you don’t have Embolden or Cheer, I’m sure this can balance out somehow.

Still on the utility hype-train Chun-Li Xiao comes with some self status removal and a 30% HP/MP recovery in Chakra. This is handy and will have its uses. Sometimes your spiritual energy just isn’t doing enough on the inside, so you’ll need Unleashed Chakra. Chun Li Xiao goes Beserk and increases her target chance by 50% for three turns. I’m not the biggest fan of making my damage dealers get targeted (Looking at you Medius) but this buff is supposedly stack-able. A 100% bonus that stacks with Embolden/Cheer/other buffs might have its own place in the world.

Japanese Altema Rating: Xiao does not have 6* in Japan currently.

Global Trust Mastery Rating: Kaiser Knuckles - 101 Atk and Wind Element -7/10

This is one of the stronger weapons for one of the weaker groups. 101 Attack is hardly anything to laugh at but so few units can use knuckles well. The wind element is both a boon and a curse, in that its one of the lesser resisted elements but also one of the harder ones to properly gear with. It does work well with Bartz and his ability to reduce Wind resistance. Kaiser Knuckles are also the best knuckles currently on Global, so if you are looking to get the full bang out of your buck with Snow's trust mastery then these are a real consideration, and drastically raise the value. Also, when Firion gets his 6* in the future, these are one of the absolute best weapons for him. I wouldn’t jam Xiao on my first ever trust farming team, but if you are looking for someone to add she deserves all fair consideration.

Japanese TM Rating (altema.jp): S Rank

Why would you want Xiao?: She hits like a truck and doesn’t waste space like Medius? Overall, Xiao has earned her place as a not-terrible Gumi original. She is especially useful for newer players who don’t have to worry about the weapon slot, as she can hold her own unarmed. Also, she is super cute and who doesn’t like Chun Li?(Cammy is better, I’ll fight you all)

Is she Future-proof?: Xiao does not currently have enhancements in Japan. Her 6* is Global Exclusive though, so who knows what Gumi has planned.

Yun

Rarity: 5* to 6*

Global Party Rating: 8/10 (4/10 If you’re grinding EXP in an exploration)

Yun is our newest recruit to the Chocobo Fan Club, where he joins Refia, Sazh, and Ace. He also puts a serious challenge for the "saddest backstory" award, which Chizuru has dominated for far too long! He comes with solid stats for a 6* (150 base Atk) and a reasonable amount of damage. For passives, he has 30% Def/Hp/Atk, 40% Crit, as well as 50% Atk with Light Armor/Clothes and Beast Killer. He also comes with 100% resistances to Paralyze, Sleep, and Confusion. This is a lot of bonuses, making him fairly tanky as well as a powerhouse. 100% Status resistances are always nice, especially in the Arena. He also resists fire by 30%. Sure, why not? With Ifrit, thats a whopping 80% resistance to one of the more commonly seen elements.

His equipment range is awful, with weapons consisting of Daggers, Whips, Maces, and Knuckles. He can also equip Hats, Clothes, and Light armor. Its a shame that there's no convenient unit who might have a Knuckles trust mastery who might have gotten a 6* this banner. Nope. Not one. What a shame. His basic attacks hit twice, which seems to be one of his gimmicks. According to our lord and savior Nazta, this does NOT stack with Aurora Scarf or Twin Lance. So no Arena nightmares. This is for the best. He has two abilities that make his next regular attack MUCH stronger. Crimson Rage buffs 300% Atk and his Fire Resist by 30%. The other is Inferno Rage which increases your next basic by a fan-freaking-tastic 400% with a cap of 800%. That's a lot. A lot of a lot. Do note, these attack bonuses ONLY apply to his basic attacks, not to his abilities, which is unfortunate but entirely for the best. We don’t want THAT kind of power creep, trust me. Overall, I think these are redeeming features and let him push out some real damage.

He also comes with a 10 hit 300% physical single target, which is respectable in its own right as a great chaining ability against bosses, and a reasonable single target ability that hits five times for 185% Atk with ignore 25% Def (Normalizes out to 246%) and reduces the targets Fire Resist by 30%. This move is also innately Fire so if he has dual-wield the second strike will benefit, as well as element chain with your team. He also comes with a 25% reduce encounter rate, which is either great or awful depending on what you’re trying to do. Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not try and level a unit in Explorations with Yun to carry you. All it will bring is salt and tears.

Japanese Altema Ranking: Yun is a global exclusive, so he has no Japanese rating. Big shocker, I’m sure.

Global Trust Mastery Rating: Flames of Yun – Light Armor: 52 Def, 25% Fire Resist, 30% Atk with Knuckles. - 5-9/10

This is a very difficult one to evaluate, as its value is almost entirely in the attack passive. 52 Defence is fine, but hardly worth the TM grind. The 25% Fire resist is nice but only pays off when called for, otherwise it is entirely worthless. That being said, if you had some Knuckles from say, I dunno, Xiao then this becomes a real powerhouse. Hands down. Stronger than Ramza’s Brave Suit by 15% Atk (at the hopefully irrelevant cost of 15% Magic), and technically it also has one more Def. If you’re really hoping to make Yun/Future Firion into a real force and you have Yun, this is a must have Trust Mastery. Otherwise, meh.

Japanese TM Rating (altema.jp): Yun is a Global Exclusive unit, so his TM does not have an Altema Rating.

Why would you want Yun: You hate swiping. You like Chocobos. You want to complete to Chocobo Team. He’s perfectly fine with his base 5* stats, and strong physical attacks. Also, 80% Atk is a lot of passive attack. If you can take advantage of his Trust Mastery or his Fire Resist Reduction (which Seven does better, to be fair), then Yun’s your man. He’s hardly the next Orlandu/Noctis/Gilgamesh, but he’s very strong in his own right and has potential to be a good chainer.

Is He Future Proof: Yun is Global Exclusive so he does not have any Enhancements in Japan.

Ling

Rarity: 4* to 6*

Global Party Rating: 8/10

I’m just going to say it. Ling is amazing. She’s the mini Rikku we all didn’t know we were waiting for. For passives, she comes with 20% MP and Auto-Refresh, which are good on any character. This makes her have a real degree of long-term support potential in long fights and the trials. Her 40% Physical Dodge Chance and 25% Reduced Target chance are amazing inclusions and vital for keeping a support alive.

She also has a 100% LB Fill Rate Increase which is not bad by itself. Her Limit Break won’t do too much damage but it reduces Fire Resist by 50% at 6* level one, which is useful for Fire Element Chaining. She also has entrust, which makes her combo well with people like Noctis and Exdeath, whos Limit Breaks are superb.

Ling comes with a special passive called Trained Assassin, which increases her Physical and Magic damage versus Humans by 75% (Eat your heart out, Cloud of Darkness) and increases her Crit rate by 40%. Lastly, she 100% resists Sleep, Paralysis, Confusion, and Petrification, and has a 50% Fire resistance. These are slam-dunks for a support. She resists all the status effects that disable her ability to support well except for Stop, and a 50% fire resist is never a downside. And on the chance she gets poisoned or blinded, she has Chakra which covers those AND restores 30% Hp/MP. Wowza.

That’s a lot of very good passives. A lot. Which hopefully make up for her mediocre gear selection and stats. She can equip Daggers as a weapon, along with hats, clothes, and robes. Her Weapon selection is fairly awful, for sure, but her armour choices are in line with what you would want on a supporting character.

Her base attack is low at 124 (this matters), and she has low HP, Defence, and Spirit making her a glass cannon (well, more of a glass first-aid Kit). Very unfortunate but her Dodge and Target passives certainly mitigate a lot of the downside here. If you have a good provoke or cover tank, she is really only weak to AoE Magic.

he-hem Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Utility Hype-train! I’m your conductor, Letsdothisbro, and I’ll be driving this train on its way to our destination of Valuetown. Its going to be an intense ride with ups and downs. I hope you all enjoy your trip! All aboard!

Seriously though, this right here is what you’be been waiting for. The real reason you want her. She has a series of moves that all do something, and then pump her next normal attack by 100%, at a cap of 1000%. These are amazingly diverse, and have unbelievable utility. They are as follows.

• Feint Step: 36 MP – Aoe 45% Def/Spr Break for 2 Turns.

• Daunting Step : 36 MP – Aoe 45% Atk/Mag Break for 2 Turns.

• Invigorating Dance: 64 Mp – Recover 30 MP to all Allies (except Self)

• Dance of Life: 36 Mp – Cure all ailments of all Allies (except Self)

• Dance of Death: 36 Mp – Aoe 30% Chance to inflict all Status Ailments (Max 2).

• Dance of Rebirth: 36 Mp – Aoe 30% Hp Revive. (Yes, you read that right)

Ok. Sit back. Breathe. Take that in. She does all this, and they all have the 100% Bonus next basic attack buff. WoL is amazing in Japan, in part, because of his Erasures (not the oldies pop band that sung the Unicorn Love Attack theme) that do exactly what the first two do, except WoL's last one turn longer. Also, in case it wasn’t enough, these are all abilities. This means they can’t be dual-cast. A real downsideindeed but it also means silencing her doesn’t inhibit her powerful supporting. And every few turns or so, if there is no supporting to be done, then Ling will prove she’s a strong independent woman who don’t need no DPS.

Japanese Altema Rating: Ling is a Global Exclusive Unit, and has no Altema Rating.

Global Trust Mastery Rating: Venomous Edge – 85 Atk, 30% Poison / Paralysis Chance – 7/10

This is a perfectly ok Trust Mastery. It is a dagger, which means it does have lower attack then most weapons you are trying to grind out, but a lot of units can use it. Also, the two statuses are nice, especially if you have Dual Wield. Overall, its solid but not a priority.

Japanese Tm Rating (altema.jp): Ling is a Global Exclusive, so her TM does not have an Altema Rating.

Why would you want Ling: Do you like value? Are you a train enthusiast? Do you not have Tilith or Wol? If so, then you want Ling. She is easily THE best support in Global right now, with an AoE Esuna, MP Recovery, Offensive and Defensive breaks that are stronger than full break, an Aoe Revive, and Aoe Status infliction. The only thing she DOESN’T do is heal. This certainly sucks but your Healer not having to Esuna and Raise your team really eases their burden. Also, every so often, Ling will take a turn off to hit respectably hard. Nevertheless, if you have Tilith or WoL, they both do fulfill her Niche and do other things better when they get their 6*. If you have either especially Tilith, and aren’t struggling with current content, then Ling is passable. WoL is similar, though she does fulfill roles he doesn’t so that is more up to personal discretion. Rikku is still better in my opinion so if you want to save and hold on for her then I can hardly fault that.

Is she future proof?: Ling is a global exclusive, so currently she has no enhancements in Japan.

Should you pull?: Yes, but with stipulations. Ling is obviously the prize here, but if you have Tilith you can give her a pass. If you’re a new player, Xiao and Ling are what you’re looking for. And if you want the Mounted Chocobro then all power to you. Overall, this banner is way better then I was expecting from Gumi and its really nice to have exclusives that are worth our time. Hopefully this is an indicator of future Global Exclusives!

And there we have it! I hope this was even slightly helpful to anyone and the jokes didn't make you want to kill yourself ^{or me.} Please, once again, any and all feedback is really appreciated. Happy pulls to all and happy Lunar New Year!

Edit: a few minor edits because formatting is hard

Edit 2, electric boogaloo: I'm a filthy plebian who forgot to write that Yun's Blazing Combo is also a Fire element attack, so with Dual Wield he should apply the fire debuff to the second strike. Thanks to /u/brodude1991

Edit 3: Wow this blew up. Thank you everyone, especially whoever gilded me.

Also, one more edit. I incorrectly stated Snow and Xiao could make use of Yun's tm. It has been pointed out to me they can't use light armour.