Hello everyone, /u/DefiantHermit here for another instalment of the SYP series, this time featuring a dual unit banner with Zelos and Sophie. Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Zelos

Element: Wind
Type: Sword
Role: Sub-Dps / Sub-Hitgen

Overview:

Zelos is the new addition to the Wind roster, with a bland, but still effective kit. His stat spread comes with above average HP, below average ATK and above average DEF (28,000 HP | 2,600 ATK | 2,900 DEF). He could definitely use more ATK, but for the role he’s going to perform, nothing stands out as too bad here.

His awakening skill provides 8% DEF to all allies and a 10% ATK boost to everyone when you reach the 20-hit mark. So we get another unit with a hybrid/balanced skill that works on all types of teams, but has no real lean or “wow” factor.

Skillset, as mentioned earlier, is very bland:

Both of Zelos’ artes are very similar in shape: average/above average modifiers, low amounts of hits and low cooldowns. The skillset is extremely in-line with other fast damage dealers like Leon, Stahn and Jude, but comes with no additional effects attached.

His Mystic Arte is a 212% -> 280% ST 13 -> 15 Hit skill costing 180 OL. The MA seals the deal on Zelos’ set and role, allowing him to consistently reach the 3 turn MA mark for raids on-element with no memoria support and off-element with memoria support.

As mentioned before, you can very clearly compare Zelos with the other fast attackers in other elements. Being able to perform a 3-turn MA cycle makes him very consistent and desirable for water raids and even if his ATK is on the low end of things, the 17~19 hit count, aside from crit damage from arte MA makes him a valuable overall asset for your burst turns.

Elemental Context:

Aside from Velvet and S.Kanonno, the other 2 Wind SSRs follow a close overall character sheet, with similar stat spread, guaranteed turn 3 MA and decent hitgen possibilities during MA turns. However, each one of them has its perks over Zelos:

• Kohaku trades one offensive arte for a heal cleanse and gets more hit potential on MA turn (24~27)
• Sorey has slightly lower ATK stat, but offers higher modifiers all around, more hits (21) and Wildfire Burn ailments

Both units can also output a turn 3 MA off-element as well without assistance, whereas Zelos needs OL gen to accomplish that.

Without wanting to sound like a broken record, Zelos looks way too bland compared to his competition. The extra ATK is too small to offset the massive versatility Sorey has on all content and the extra offensive arte is going to be meaningless in an overall battle compared to Kohaku’s heals/cleanses extra hits.

Off-Element Context:

While you can compare Zelos’ kit to the likes of Stahn and Leon in terms of cooldown, MA cost and hitcount, Zelos is waaaay behind in ATK and can only achieve a 3-turn MA on-element.

The closest unit you could compare him to is Jude, with similar statline and modifiers across the board, but Jude being able to output a 3 turn MA on all raids without assistance.

Memoria Stone:

To wrap Zelos’ analysis, his Memoria stone offers above average HP, average ATK and DEF stats and the unrestricted Assault effect: 35 -> 70 OL at the start of battle.

OL gen is a very powerful stone effect, but Assault is the more niche between the available types. At base, 35 OL only realistically benefits few units, while at max, 70 OL allows you to get an MA 1~2 turns earlier, depending on the unit.

The effect should have its peak usability in fast content, where you want to dish out a crucial MA as soon as possible, but don’t care about further uses. I’d say it's incredibly niche outside of arena and even there you might want a different effect altogether.

Sophie

Element: Water
Type: Martial Arts
Role: Sub-DPS / Sub-Hitgen

Overview:

Sophie is our second water unit to be released outside of the initial batch and is the first Martial Artist of the bunch. She comes with high HP, below average ATK and average DEF (33,000 HP | 2,220 ATK | 2,840 DEF), which is kinda meh for the role she wants to accomplish.

Her awakening skill provides a 17% HP boost to Martial Artists in your party and 15 OL to your party when the boss breaks. The HP buff is great if/when we reach more synergistic weapon-type parties, but the real prize here is the OL gain. It might sound like an insignificant and restricted buff, but it has the possibility to enable and increase the viability of several units by reducing their 4 or 5 turn MA cycles to 3 or 4 turns, respectively. This allows them to reach their burst turns when bosses break, greatly increasing their damage output or allowing them to be more proficient at generating hits for your DPS.

As far as skills go, here’s what Sophie has to offer:

It’s a standard hitgen kit, with a 2-5 CD spread between artes, similar to Yuri, Cress and Vicious. Both artes provide a decent amount of hits, with the first one bringing something extra to the table with the self crit chance buff.

Her Mystic Arte is a 278% -> 400% 6 Hit ST skill costing 220 OL. And here we see the her deviate from a strict hit-gen role, with a pitiful 6 hit count on MA. The cost is a bit weird, though. She has 12 OL gains from ascension board, putting her at a guaranteed turn 3 cycle against Fire, which is excellent, but requiring external OL gain for other content type (e.g a Genis Stone).

The stone requirement on non-fire raids dials back her potential damage, as she would really love a CritDamage stone to offset her low ATK and to go with that high hitting MA. The extra crit chance from her arte, while nice for non-break turns, doesn’t allow her to breach any turn thresholds, so you can consider that some free additional damage over time.

Elemental Context:

There are no current dedicated hit-gens on Water, but Kanonno offers a similar skill sheet, with about the same potential hitgen during burst turns (17 vs 19). Let’s disregard Nonno’s bug for a second and compare both units:

• Kanonno offers significantly higher ATK stat, but a similar modifier spread in artes (170/170 vs 130/200) and MA (360 vs 400)
• Both have similar OL costs (190 vs 220). While Kanonno has no OL gen in ascension board, she guarantees a turn-3 MA vs Fire with no investment. She requires help to reach turn 3 everywhere else, though, but guarantees a 4 turn MA.

Basically, when comparing their burst potential, Kanonno appears as a cheaper, more reliable and stronger competitor (again, not taking into account Nonno’s bug). The only real edge Sophie has on her is the insane potential on her Awakening ability, which is still unfortunately a distant dream for the majority of the playerbase.

Off-Element Context:

Kinda hard to compare Sophie outside of her element, since her role is not very well defined. Needing a stone to achieve turn 3 MA instantly puts her behind other on-element alternatives and units that need no assistance. Her low ATK puts her behind too many units in damage potential the second you need to take a CritD stone out to improve consistency.

Memoria Stone:

To finish things off, her Memoria Stone provides above average HP, average ATK and below average DEF, alongside a very desirable effect: 75% -> 150% CritDamage to Martial Artists.

This is a very good stone already at base awakening, if you can forgive the lower statline and gets increasingly stronger the further you awaken it. CritDamage stones are the meta stone for damage dealing units; this only lacks a real user, which is bound to be released.

Should You Pull?

Unless you’re going for looks/favourites (which is a very legit approach to gachas, don’t get me wrong), this is a very safe pass. None of the featured units offer something new to the table and while both can be used without any severe downsides, they don’t have a consolidated role and should be behind several competing units, even inside their own elements.

And honestly, rates are also real garbage and lack of safety nets these being permanent additions to the pool makes pulling only on EX-banners that much better, since you’re bound to get off-banner pulls anyway. If you do decide to chase any of these units, good luck mate, and if you get what you want, yaaay!