Hey guys, welcome to the latest New Unit Analysis!

I'll be heading off to Japan later today, so this will be the last of this series until I get back! Hope you guys will manage without me for 12 or so days. I'll likely have a lot of catching up to do when I get back. ;~;

Today we'll be looking at Kuda, the last unit from the current 6* batch! We'll be having a look at how he fares compared to fellow ATK/crit buffers as well as his place in the current metagame and his future prospects.

Disclaimer: As always, I try to keep these as objective as possible, but they're ultimately my opinion and yours may differ. Please read them with an open mind and a view to make your own decisions. :>

Master Assassin Kuda vs. Duel-SGX, Mariudeth, Kuhla Michele

Kuda's stats:

Lord: HP 6031 ATK 2278 DEF 1823 REC 1734

Max imp bonuses: HP 750 ATK 300 DEF 300 REC 300

LS: Reduction in BB gauge fill cost (BB gauge fill cost -20%)

Hit count: 15 (drop check count 2/hit)

BB: 18 hit multiple target Dark damage and increases ATK of all allies for 3 turns (28BC to fill, ATK 70%, damage modifier 250%)

SBB: 24 hit multiple target Dark damage, increases ATK and critical hit rate of all allies for 3 turns (48BC to fill, ATK 100%, crit rate 40%, damage modifier 450%)

• Kuda's stats are actually pretty amazing. Good HP with nice DEF to back it up and phenomenal ATK topped op with very good REC. His imp stats are average all round. His Leader skill is identical to Phee's and Zellha's, a variation on a BB-spam type leader skill. When this gets buffed in the future, combined with a high ranking arena sphere, Kuda's LS can allow FIRST turn BBs in the arena. Pretty insane. His normal attack is excellent at 30 total drop checks, this makes him one of the best arena units in the game. His BB isn't too shabby either, boosting ATK and having a good drop check count and damage modifier. His SBB is pretty excellent though. Kuda is a hybrid character, performing 2 roles strongly but not perfectly. His roles are that of a crit rate buffer and an ATK buffer and he does both in one unit very well but sacrifices a bit of potency. Definitely a very strong unit though.

• Our first unit up for comparison today is Duel-SGX. Compared to the crit buffing crab, Kuda has better HP ( 355), ATK ( 685) and REC ( 215), losing only slightly in DEF (-10). It's readily apparent that statistically, Kuda is the far superior unit with or without imps. Comparing their SBBs, Duel-SGX has the more potent crit buff at 60% vs. Kuda's 40%, he also has the dark attribute buff and a better fill rate at only 30BC to fill while Kuda requires 48BC. What Kuda brings to the table is more damage potential with his much higher base ATK, his much higher damage modifier ( 450% vs. 300%), his ATK buff and his higher drop check count (24 vs. 20). It's very difficult to say which one of these units is better than the other since Duel-SGX is still very much relevant despite his age as a unit. As a pure crit buffer, SGX is definitely superior, however Kuda's 40% crit buff also hits the crit cap after Amanohabaken/Havoc Axe/Geldnite Axe so in a lot of situations, Kuda's additional 100% ATK and his much better all round function as a unit makes him the superior choice. However Duel-SGX's dark buff, like all elemental attribute buffs remains one of the best buffs in the game and in situations like Frontier Hunter where exploiting weakness damage is a strong strategy, you'll find that he may perform better if there are light units running around. In fact any fight against a strong light type enemy, Duel-SGX probably raises the party's damage by more than Kuda can. So basically, for FH and against light type enemies (and also enemies with crit resistance (but not crit immunity)!), Duel-SGX is still probably your best bet. For anyone else, Kuda's the better unit.

• Next up for comparison is Mariudeth. Compared to the axe-wielding former emperor, Kuda has better DEF ( 20) and REC ( 190) but loses in HP (-40) and ATK (-75). The differences are already small in base form and after imps, they're even smaller. Kuda and Mariudeth actually end up having basically equivalent stats overall. Comparing their SBBs, Mariudeth does more damage with his higher damage modifier ( 580% vs. Kuda's 450%), and can take better advantage of spark with his 3 hits. In addition his crit buff is slightly stronger at 45% vs. Kuda's 40%. Both units have pretty much identical fill rates (48BC for Kuda, 47BC for Mariudeth) Kuda has his better drop check count and his 100% ATK buff under his belt. The crit difference here is pretty marginal, particularly if you factor in crit spheres since both units will reach the crit cap but even without, it's a small difference. Damage-wise, if you factor in imps and Kuda's ATK buff, Kuda only does 882 less damage than Mariudeth and when you consider how much extra damage that 100% ATK is going to add to the rest of the party, it becomes pretty clear that as a standalone unit, Kuda contributes more to party damage than Mariudeth. However you can easily pair Mariudeth with say, Lucca in the future for the same buff combination as Kuda but with 2 elemental attribute buffs and a stronger crit buff. In isolation, I think Kuda is the better unit, and he's also worth using over Mariudeth if BC generation is a problem since Kuda's actually a brilliant BB-spam unit. However if you have the right units to pair with Mariudeth, he can probably make a few more optimal combinations than Kuda can because he's a strong unit independently from his crit buff.

• Thirdly for today is Kuhla. Compared his aquatic batchmate, Kuda has better HP ( 5) and ATK ( 275) but less DEF (-30) and REC (-250). With roughly equivalent defences and Kuda's superior ATK and an irrelevant REC difference, Kuda wins this comparison overall but both units have great stats. Comparing their SBBs, Kuhla has the better ATK buff at 115% vs. Kuda's 100% as well as her BB gauge fill buff and the option to use an instant BB gauge fill with her BB if the need calls for it. Kuda in return has his crit rate buff, and his better drop check count (24 vs. 16). Overall the difference in ATK buff is pretty negligible and Kuda provides another strong buff in the same unit, which frees up a slot for you to fill at your leisure. To compete, Kuhla really wants to be paired with strong crit buffers like Mariudeth or Orna in her 6* form who are also excellent units besides. As for which of these two units is better? In isolation, Kuda wins again, however it'll depend on the units you have available. If you're willing to "sacrifice" an extra team slot for units like Marideth or Orna then Kuhla provides a little bit extra to the table compared to Kuda but if you'd like to conserve that team slot for another unit then Kuda's your man.

• Finally we have Michele. Compared to the fiery axe wielder, Kuda has better HP ( 500), ATK ( 350) and DEF ( 320) but less REC (-60). It's pretty obvious that Kuda has the much better stats overall. No real discussion needed. Comparing their SBBs, Michele has the stronger ATK buff ( 115% vs. 100%), a better fill rate (33BC vs. 48BC) and her fire attribute buff but Kuda wins in all the other parameters, sporting better drop checks (24 vs. 18), better damage modifier and base ATK ( 450% vs. 350%) and his crit rate buff. The differene in ATK buff isn't really significant at all and all things considered, Kuda is the better unit all round in most scenarios. What makes Michele still relevant is her fire element attribute buff which is still very useful in situations like Frontier Hunter or against Earth type enemies in general. With the advent of Orna/Fiora in the future this becomes a bit more of a competitive niche for Michele though. At the moment, I'd use Kuda in almost all situations except Frontier Hunter and the Lance Legend dungeon where Michele shines.

• Kuda's a very strong unit. He's a hybrid unit, and does both his jobs to a high standard however inevitably there will be some team combinations that do both his jobs better at the expense of an extra slot being taken up.

Kuda: Indepth Look

• Great stats. HP above 6k with pretty nice DEF makes him solid defensively and his ATK is phenomenal, one of the strongest units in the game offensively. His REC is nice too which is a bonus.

• His imp stats are only average, but that's perfectly fine considering a lot of units have sub par imp cap distributions.

• His Leader skill is very good. It's identical to Zellha's and Phee's which makes it a great option for BB-spam teams.

• I generally don't mention the latest JPBF buffs to existing units since they're not out yet in Global (I'll cover them when they are), but I'll mention Kuda's LS buff since it's pretty nifty.

• In the future he'll get his LS buffed to -25% BB gauge cost. In the upper echelons of Arena, there is a reward called the Elder Hat which reduces your BB gauge cost by a further -25%, stacking additively. Therefore with Kuda as your leader, any unit with the Elder Hat equipped has his BB gauge cost halved.

• In the Arena you start with half your BB gauge pre-filled. This means that with Kuda as your leader, any unit with the Elder hat equipped immediately starts with a full BB-gauge. So... turn 1 BBs become possible. The absolute best unit for this is probably Shida since his BB has a whopping 400% damage modifier, meaning if it activates, everything is dead.

• It's a bit gimmicky, probably not even more consistent than standard arena strategies, but it's novel and cool. Unfortunately, good luck accumulating the 1.25 million ABP you need for the Elder Hat!

• Putting that aside, Kuda is an excellent arena unit regardless of whether you want to use that strategy.

• He has sky high ATK power, is of the unresisted Dark element and his normal ATK gives 30 drop checks. That's enough to rank him as pretty much God tier in Arena at the moment. His only problem is his annoying Arena AI where his best chance to BB comes when there's an opponent with <50% HP left. In this regard, Elza has him beat.

• Kuda's SBB confirms his nature as a Hybrid unit. He's actually got 3 functions in one. He's an excellent ATK buffer, a good Crit rate buffer and an excellent BB-spam unit with his 24 drop checks.

• His ATK buff is very strong at 100%, it just falls short of Kuhla and Michele and equals Lucca in the future. The extra 15% ATK isn't a huge loss at all due to the nature of how ATK buffs stack so you can think of him as just as potent as Kuhla/Michele in the ATK department.

• His crit rate buff is 40% which is a unique level where only Kuda sits. It's a fairly neat percentage since it sits RIGHT on the threshold where one Amanohabaken/Geldnite Axe/Havoc Axe will take you to the crit cap of 70%.

• This means that on enemies with no crit resistance, as long as you fit your team out with the above mentioned spheres (2 of which are readily craftable in the Town), you'll enjoy just as high a crit rate as a Duel-SGX would provide.

• Finally 24 drop checks is excellent for BB-spam so he functions really well as a BC generator as well.

• So as you can see, Kuda is actually a really good hybrid unit, providing 3 services to the team in one unit and all of them to a high level. This means Kuda is legitimately a really good unit.

• The problem with Kuda is that he does get beaten in his various roles with the right unit combinations. For example Mariudeth Lucca together provide the same ATK buff, a slightly better crit buff and Lucca throws in an extra Earth and Water elemental attribute buff to boot. Plus Mariudeth himself is a really high damaging unit so he's just a good choice in a lot of squads in general so you don't lose much by him occupying a slot. However these two units can't quite fill the BB-spam utility that Kuda has.

• You could also run say, Kuhla and Orna, which gives you a stronger crit buff, a stronger ATK buff, Fire and Thunder elemental attribute buffs and probably even better or comparable BC generation (because Kuhla's BB gauge fill buff is pretty good) . However neither Orna nor Kuhla are particularly heavy hitters and the free slot from Kuda's presence can be used by one of those.

• As you can see, it's quite easy to match or beat Kuda at many of his roles individually, but it's very difficult to replicate ALL of them without sacrificing multiple team slots so Kuda's main niche is that he's super convenient and saves you a spot on your team.

• Something else to think about is the fact that providing both the crit and ATK buffs at once is actually optimal since an extra unit on your team gets both buffs while applying them separately means someone misses out on one of them (probably the ATK buff if you're doing it right), so that's also a point in Kuda's favour.

• Team mate wise, Kuda wants someone to provide a spark buff like Elza, Luther, Douglas, Raydn, Sodis etc since that's one of the major offensive buffs that he misses. In addition someone to provide an appropriate elemental attribute buff would also be nice. Finally, Kuda does really well on BB-spam teams so he appreciates team matess with high drop check totals.

• Future prospects wise? No one has the same buff profile as Kuda just yet so he's unique in that regard. Orna and Lucca are strictly better providers of the crit and ATK buffs respectively (since they also come with elemental attribute buffs) but neither can do both at once.

Typing Discussion

• As always, the most important thing to note here is that if typing is the only thing holding you back from using a unit, you should definitely just go ahead and use them. Please don't discard units because their typing isn't 'optimal'.

• I like Anima best for Kuda personally since I think 750HP is still significant enough that it aids survival and the REC loss is hardly noticeable.

• There's a pretty good argument for Breaker being the best typing for a lot of units given that Global's content difficulty to unit strength ratio is way out of whack though so it's definitely a typing that's way up there.

• Lord next in the middle.

• Guardian because ATK is definitely a more important stat than DEF in the current state of the metagame.

• And finally Oracle because no one needs REC nowadays. ;~; Still perfectly viable though!

That's it guys! That's all for me for the next 12 or so days. I'll see you on the other side of Nippon. <3

As always, I welcome your comments/criticims/encouragements. If you found this helpful, please drop an upvote on your way out, I'd really appreciate the support. <3

Until next time!

Links to previous Analyses