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Henry, Twisted Mind


Junkhead
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I find that there hasn't been someone touching up on the subject regarding, and after some experimentation, I think it's safe to say I know a thing or two.

And from what I've managed to gather, you may change your mind on how you see him.

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Context Within Meta

Henry is seen by an important amount of people as one of the worst characters in the game. And to be honest, you can't really blame them.

Right off the bat, with only 23 base Atk, you can tell how he's been shafted. This doesn't help that he's also one of the slowest characters, in terms of Spd (only 22 Spd). And to top it all off, he doesn't even have the "priviledge" of being a melee unit- which would've at least make it seem more reasonable, given his statline... At 45 HP/32 Def, Henry is pretty the bulkiest mage in the game, even being comparable to other bulky Reds, such as Winter Tharja and the two Sword variations of Ike. Some would say that's pretty much the only thing he has going for him.

For this particular entry, I don't feel like I have a whole lot to say regarding ample amount of builds. I'll mostly be focusing on the thing I feel he performs best at, as well as their respective budget options.


Ideal IVs

Spoiler

+Def/-Spd:

+Def is choosing to maximise on his biggest strength, which should be tanking physical hits. Not only that, but since his Atk is so low, he basically outright depends on Specials alone to get him through kills. Close Counter builds specifically, really appreciate this (we'll get to that).

+Res/-Spd:

I'd argue this is his best boon. His Def is already pretty good, but then +Res hits a superboon of 29. With things like Refines, Close/Distant Def and support, he actually becomes a solid mixed phase tank. He's already really slow, so you'll also be minimising matchups against Dragons and a few mages. +Res also allows him to be flexible between +Def and +Res refines better, given the superboon status.

+HP/-Spd:

Not particularly ideal, but one of the lesser evils. +HP is appreciate when you don't have either of the above. It helps a bit more with tanking in general, as well as it makes him even better with certain skills, such as Panic Ploy and Infantry Pulse.

 

While one's first thought may be to simply go for +Atk, I don't feel it's a boon worth taking. It's already bad, no matter what. And if you do focus on trying to improve it, you just end up neglecting the areas he's actually good at. Part of making a character stand out is making them really good at what they're already good at, rather than trying to fix what they're bad at. Someone mentioned a +Atk IV would ensure killing the bulkiest of characters if they're massively merged, which is a point I guess.

 

Rauðrraven [Budget?]

Spoiler

Weapon_Rau%C3%B0rraven_V2.png?version=f1

Starting off with his cheapest, most basic build. His own Raven Tome is not only seen as a staple way to use him, but some would also outright believe it's basically the only he's realistically usable. This is your go-to if you like Henry somewhat, but enough to justify further investment + AA.

That's pretty much what it is. I don't feel there's a whole lot to say about it. Quick Riposte is a given, as it is what allows him to kill off of this. However, if you do give him a QR B-slot, it frees up the S-slot for a Distant Def seal.

Rauðrowl

Spoiler

Weapon_Rau%C3%B0rowl_Plus_V2.png?version

If you want to use Henry in a way that aligns to his actual statline, I feel this is the way it's meant to be. If you are giving him this as it is, you may as well take a leap of faith and give him Close Counter while you're at it.

I think Owl Tomes in itself are somewhat slept on; but part of that would also have to be that very few characters have the stats to exploit these to their most potential. Henry, being one of the few.

 

Close Counter

Very few characters use these two at it's best effect. I'm talking about in terms of massive potential in durability. A +Res mixed phase Henry can even tank a few Dragons, in the right conditions. And when I say "right conditions", I'm likely talking about the kind of support that enables this kind of setup to it's fullest.

Since you can now retaliate up close, this gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of positioning. It's not hard to setup at least 1-2 adjacent partners, with at least one of them having defensive Spurs (Spur Def/Res is the best support). Mixed teams also heavily favour him in the form of Def/Res Tactics. If you have a Dancer with Earth Dance, that also helps for extra buff stacking.

 

 Defensive Buff Stacking

Ever since I realised it's potential, I pull it off very consistently. Effeciently. And by this, I mean that I can do so in a way it doesn't take away from other character's own performance just to support Henry. I also don't feel like the support itself is as high investment as it may seem. For starters, it's how the tome's mechanics play out in the first place. Defensive play also allows certain positioning to be more feasible, and especially with skills like Swap.

 

Example:

Spoiler

 

- Def Tactic buddy (+6)

- NY Azura (Hagoita +2 Def/Res, Res Tactic, Drive Def seal)

- Support buddy with Spur Def/Res (Optional)

- Close Def/Distant Def

In that example, a +Res Henry would be reaching at least 51 Def/Res with their adjacent support partner. The extra two would net him 53-55 of each.

And I mention a support partner, because that's how he takes full advantage of it. It's really easy, and it only really requires one of them being adjacent (unless Def/Res Tactics are hard to pull of for you)

 

For C-slot, things like Atk Smoke, Threaten Atk, Atk and Panic Ploy are things that can really add and synergise with these. It makes him even harder to kill. I currently run him with Atk Smoke, and I have a lot of success with it. The only drawback would have to be debuffing the first guy right in front of you, but then it also allows you to face multiple enemies at once.

I don't really recommend running these as Seals, as they take away from things like Close/Distant Def, which they actually synergise with. But hey, it's an option if you're on a budget .

 

Guard/Dull-Ranged + QR (Seal) or QR (B-slot) + Close/Distant Def?

When it comes to tanks, this is actually something I'm always indecisive about.

On one hand, Guard and Dull-Ranged afford you stability and completely remove certain factors off the table (Blade Tomes and things like Bold Fighter > Black Luna). The other is their drawbacks in actual practice, which to me, are things relating to their opportunity cost and the like. Guard stops working below 80% of HP (assuming they've encountered you before the battle starts). The opportunity cost factor is if you can get by with missing out on +6 Def/Res (Close/Distant Def), since you're more than likely to be running QR (Seal) along with it.

It all comes down to how often you meet lower cooldown special threats and if you can play around not having Close/Distant Def. I've been experimenting with the Guard combo, and I see to be getting through pretty well (granted, it does take more defensive support, like an extra adjacent ally or two). If you can play around that, it's amazing.

 

How do I kill???

This is kind of the fun part.

If you have your defensive support down to it's fullest, Henry will be throwing massive Bonfire/Ignis bombs. Bonfire is if you want consistency and don't really care killing most Blues. Ignis is when shit hits the fan and you just want to be flashy (actually no I do pretty alright, in terms of consistency). Bonfire is outright garanteed when you get doubled, and it should kill a fair amount of enemies. Hell, I kill some Sharenas and Reinhardts off of it. Ignis is your thing if your Henry is durable enough and you don't mind the extra cooldown. A well-buffed Ignis is outright ridiculous, and almost mitigates his Atk deficiency entirely. Not even kidding.

Iceberg/Glacies also work, if you have a +Res Henry and just want to be cute.

 

Going Against the Odds and Bad Matchups

The very mechanics of this game make it so that the Weapon Triangle is more oppresive to us than ever. That said, this particular build I'm laying out allows Henry to defy a couple of them here and there. But also given certain opportunity costs (not having Guard or Dull/Ranged or one of Close/Distant Def), things won't always be perfect.

It's a given certain Blues will usually give him a hard time. Characters like LA Lyn come to mind, as well as the obvious Delthea with her massive Atk. He also requires more of a specific setup to effectively tank a Reinhardt without leaving him either at single-digits or simply dead. Nowi also comes to mind, but I'm having a fair amount of success against her, given she's not +Atk (especially if you run Close Def). Then again, that's why you can also run Panic Ploy.

A CC Henry with the right tools can take things like 60+ Atk Ephraims to single-digits. It's pretty awesome how high the celing goes.

 

Ranged Counter

Alright, I basically entirely skipped this section. But he has it going.

Think of it, since you're actually usin A-slot this time around, you may as well be taking things like Brazen Def/Res, Distant Def or maybe one of the Stance skills or things like Earth Boost if you're on a budget. Hell, he might even succesfully take on Reinhardt under the right conditions.

It's there, and it's also cheaper than taking a Close Counter. So keep that in mind.

 

Candelabra

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This is your poor man's Owl Tome. And this is totally not speaking as someone who tried to get one for Henry but miserably failed.

It's basically packed with an "Owl Spur 1" (this is what I call the Owl effect of one adjacent partner). It's "better" when you have no partners around. The only time I'd see it come in handy is to give people a hard time in Arena Defense, since AI won't time Owl's effects properly.

It also looks really fucking great, so there's that??

 

General, closing thoughts and recommendations

In the end, Henry may just be a character that you're either comitted to, or not. It's true that he's not "good" in the sense regarding flexbility and kind of investment involved. But now that Raurowl is accesible to F2Players, this really sets him up to a new level- a level that wouldn't be possible without this, and that people would very easily overlook.

- No matter the build you're running, he uses Panic Ploy, Infantry Pulse and Atk Smoke really well.

- For Assist Skills, I find that Swap synergises best when having adjacent buff partners. Reciprocal Aid is to heavily aid his durability, if you don't mind missing out on movement skills.

- Apparently he can actually be pretty good with CC + Blade Tomes. I haven't looked too deep into this, but I'll definitely try it out when I get the chance. The idea is that he can build up enough Atk to 2HKO consistently, as well as having good enough durability to be able to pull it off consistently on Enemy Phase.

- Fortress Def Seal is surprisingly okay. You wouldn't really take it over something like Close Def, but one of it's perks is having stronger Bonfire/Ignis on Player Phase (if you can't afford an Enemy Phase turn) and doubles for Bow matchups.

 

Demonstration Videos
 

Spoiler

Courtesy of your's truly

 

 

 

 

Edited by Oz ♠
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22 minutes ago, Oz ♠ said:

While one's first thought may be to simply go for +Atk, I don't feel it's a boon worth taking. It's already bad, no matter what. And if you do focus on trying to improve it, you just end up neglecting the areas he's actually good at. Part of making a character stand out is making them really good at what they're already good at, rather than trying to fix what they're bad at.

In the context of Arena Assault, overkill is more important than survival in my opinion since Triangle Adept on top of Breakers will ensure you live against units you counter.

On the other hand Glimmer-Triangle Adapt-Breaker alone might not be enough to ensure a kill against certain 5*+10 enemies, so +Atk and Attack +1 Sacred Seal are necessary to counter those enemies, especially if your unit is only 4*+10 and does not have a Weapon+.

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12 minutes ago, XRay said:

In the context of Arena Assault, overkill is more important than survival in my opinion since Triangle Adept on top of Breakers will ensure you live against units you counter.

On the other hand Glimmer-Triangle Adapt-Breaker alone might not be enough to ensure a kill against certain 5*+10 enemies, so +Atk and Attack +1 Sacred Seal are necessary to counter those enemies, especially if your unit is only 4*+10 and does not have a Weapon+.

Good point.

If I overlooked something like that, it might be because I don't see him as something to offer without good investment. If you're invested in him, you may as well make him as good as he can be than half-ass it. What you suggest could very well just add to the first idea I put up.

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Henry's flagship build is definitely his Raudhrowl build.

What nature you run with depends mostly on the enemies you see and intend for him to fight. +Res is standard for all-round performance, but I wouldn't count out +Atk if the vast majority of your opponents deal physical damage (or can't kill you with magic damage regardless). The boost to damage does help him break through some of the magically bulky green armors that exist.

My personal recommendation is

Henry [+Atk/Res, -Spd] (Raudhrowl+ [Def], Reposition, Bonfire, Close Counter, Guard 3, Quick Riposte 3)

Similarly, the choice of Guard or Dull Ranged depends on what opponents you tend to see.

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20 hours ago, Ice Dragon said:

Henry's flagship build is definitely his Raudhrowl build.

Your first statement alone gives me relief, for you simply understanding what I actually mean. While I can agree he's not the most flexible unit in terms options, I'd also argue that can be more of a lack of a strength, than an outright weakness (okay it's a weakness but bear with me). What I mean to say is that he's one of those characters that just perform exceptionally well with a certain weapon. Somewhat of a straw comparison is Beruka, whom you can find very similiar to Henry (bar Slaying Axe vs. Owl Tome). You don't just give her a Brave > Death Blow build and talk about how bad she is afterwards.

And with the accesibility of Owl Tomes for F2Players now, I actually think he's a pretty solid ranged counter. And he can still probably work with CC + Blade Tomes, but that's something I'd like to experiment with, personally. It might also not be farfetched to be able to build a 4*+10 if you've been around for a while. It was my original idea, but then decided to make him into my first *5+10.

 

20 hours ago, Ice Dragon said:

What nature you run with depends mostly on the enemies you see and intend for him to fight. +Res is standard for all-round performance, but I wouldn't count out +Atk if the vast majority of your opponents deal physical damage (or can't kill you with magic damage regardless). The boost to damage does help him break through some of the magically bulky green armors that exist.

My personal recommendation is

Henry [+Atk/Res, -Spd] (Raudhrowl+ [Def], Reposition, Bonfire, Close Counter, Guard 3, Quick Riposte 3)

Similarly, the choice of Guard or Dull Ranged depends on what opponents you tend to see.

I just assume what the general concensus sounds like. Dragons are a thing either way, so that +4 Res really comes in handy here. It's not just patching up a weakness; it can turn it into a bit of a strength. Apparently, the mass duel calculator ("700-710 Tally"?) most of the time estimates better results with +Def boon and refine. Maybe it's for the more "meta" characters involved in the list, as well as it scales off of his Bonfire/Ignis kills (seems the case for Sophia, too).

Personally, I haven't ran into such bulky Greens he'd run into trouble with. To struggle to kill, they'd have to be one of Henry or Sheena on a cover tile...otherwise, the nature of QR+Guard makes it so that you end up being a sort of timebomb. They really have to plow through, and they're not outlasting him in most cases. As such, I don't see much of a use for it, unless it's for what XRay mentioned with his TA + Glimmer setup. That +3 Def also translates really well into an Ignis bomb, as well as outlasting opponents.

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On 7/12/2018 at 5:09 PM, Junkhead said:

20180613_075836.thumb.png.bee95e4f58c5ef

I just assumed the index would've held record of these.

As I understand it, Ice Dragon has been kinda busy and had trouble updating it I suppose. I've just been Ctrl+F'ing my way through each page of the subforum just to be sure anytime I need to check if an analysis has been done.

(also yeah I suppose that is a fitting reaction given the circumstances, huh xD)

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4 hours ago, BANRYU said:

As I understand it, Ice Dragon has been kinda busy and had trouble updating it I suppose. I've just been Ctrl+F'ing my way through each page of the subforum just to be sure anytime I need to check if an analysis has been done.

(also yeah I suppose that is a fitting reaction given the circumstances, huh xD)

hey I posted in your topic too

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