Mystic Caster
< Caster
| Caster branches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Splash | Blast | Chain |
| Mech-Accord | Phalanx | Mystic | Primal |
| “ | Attacks deal Arts damage; When unable to find a target, attacks can be stored up and fired all at once (Up to 3 charges). | ” |
| —Trait description |
Mystic Caster, colloquially known as Burst or Charge Caster, is a branch of the Caster class in Arknights.
Mystic Casters are unique in which they have an attack range of 2×3 tiles with a 1-tile extension up front ahead of them initially or 3×3 tiles ahead from Elite 1, which prevents them from attacking enemies in the sides, and a very high ATK – the highest of all Caster branches, in fact – as well as the slowest attack interval; slightly slower than Splash Casters.
Another unique ability of Mystic Casters is to "charge up" their attacks, which works as follows:
- If there are no enemies within their attack range, the Mystic Caster will store their attack, stopping when the maximum limit of three attacks is reached.
- If an enemy is within their attack range, the Mystic Caster will attack them as usual, but if they have stored at least one attack, these will be released alongside that attack. Therefore, the Mystic Caster will release four attacks at once should they have stored three attacks!
- If the Mystic Caster's attack is interrupted, the stored attacks won't be lost as long as the attack's projectile is not launched.
- This effectively means that so long as the Mystic Caster's stored attacks are not topped off, they will always attack without interruption unless when the Mystic is disabled or disarmed by certain enemies.
Operators
| 6★ |  | |
|---|---|---|
| 5★ |    | |
| 4★ |  | |
Operator Modules
| Module | Information |
|---|---|
 MSC-X
|
Trait improved: Attacks deal Arts damage; When unable to find a target, attacks can be stored up and fired all at once (Up to 4 charges) |
 MSC-Y
|
New trait: ASPD +30 when there are stored attacks |
 MSC-Δ
|
New trait: When dealing Arts damage, deals an additional 8% of ATK as Necrosis damage |
Strategies
- Mystic Casters can charge their attacks to deal unmatched damage in single shots, which can deal enough damage to defeat even bulky enemies in a single blow. However, they are limited by their slow ASPD and single-target attacks.
- They are best used against powerful but infrequent enemies that will allow them to charge up their shots without wasting them on fodder, as their uncharged attacks have very low DPS despite their high ATK.
- Many Mystic Casters have some way to temporarily stop their attacks with Ebenholz being able to restrict his attacks to only targeting elite and boss enemies with The Sound of Silence, letting them build up more charges before unleashing them. Careful timing of their skills can be used to maximize the number of charged shots fired.
Modules
- The MSC-X Module bolsters the Mystic Caster's damage potential even further at the cost of having to charge up their attacks slightly longer than before.
- The MSC-Y Module allows the Mystic Caster to charge additional attacks quicker for a more consistent high-damaging attacks.
- The MSC-Δ Module allows the Mystic Caster to deal Necrosis Damage which can be useful against enemies with mixed defenses in addition to weakening their offensive.
Tips
- Any form of RES reduction will make Mystic Casters better against enemies with high RES, specifically against elites and bosses.
- High ATK of Mystic Casters means that scaling ATK buffs work much effectively on them.
- ASPD buffs will help Mystic Casters to build up charges faster (as what the MSC-Y Module does).
- Mystic Casters' charges are essentially wasted when attacking weaker enemies (but will usually defeat them instantly), hence have them at the back of the defense line to prevent this from happening.
- Sleep is a perfect solution for Mystic Casters, as they'll not attack Sleeping enemies (which helps them to build up charges).