GamePress

Nine-Colored Deer

Position
Attack Type

Tags

Archetype

Traits

Deals Arts damage; When skill is active, attacks instead restore the HP of allies (heal amount is equal to 75% of ATK)
heal_scale = 0.75

Operator Description

Nine-Colored Deer, the blesser and protector, forever a guardian at your side.

Operator Quote

The trees tranquil, words silent, bamboo leaves' shake. In sun rising, clouds sprawling, countless led in her wake.

Obtain Approach

Activity Acquisition
The Operator is acquired by completing specific activities (in-game Events).
Obtain Approach Detail
Headhunting: No Recruitment: No
Release Date (CN) 1/10/2022
Release Date (Global) 7/14/2022

Potentials

Potentials
Trust extra status

Talent

Apply 8% Shelter effect to allies within range with less than 40% HP
Info
Apply 14% Shelter effect to allies within range with less than 40% HP
Info
Apply 20% Shelter effect to allies within range with less than 40% HP
Info
Talents from Module Upgrades

Stats

Level:
HP
ATK
DEF
Arts Resist
15
Redeploy Time
70
DP Cost
9
Block
1
Attack Interval
1.6

Skills

SP Cost:
40
40
40
35
35
35
30
30
30
30
Initial SP:
5
5
5
10
10
10
10
12
12
12
SP Charge Type
Skill Activation
Duration
15 Seconds
15 Seconds
15 Seconds
20 Seconds
20 Seconds
20 Seconds
25 Seconds
25 Seconds
25 Seconds
25 Seconds
Skill Effect
ATK +10%
ATK +15%
ATK +20%
ATK +25%
ATK +30%
ATK +35%
ATK +40%
ATK +45%
ATK +50%
ATK +60%
Detailed Skill Info
atk 0.1
atk 0.15
atk 0.2
atk 0.25
atk 0.3
atk 0.35
atk 0.4
atk 0.45
atk 0.5
atk 0.6
SP Cost:
50
50
50
45
45
45
40
40
40
40
Initial SP:
20
20
20
25
25
25
28
28
28
30
SP Charge Type
Skill Activation
Duration
5 Seconds
5 Seconds
5 Seconds
10 Seconds
10 Seconds
10 Seconds
15 Seconds
20 Seconds
20 Seconds
20 Seconds
Skill Effect
ASPD +10 and gain 30% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +14 and gain 30% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +18 and gain 30% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +22 and gain 40% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +26 and gain 40% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +30 and gain 40% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +35 and gain 40% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +40 and gain 50% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +45 and gain 60% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
ASPD +50 and gain 70% ranged Physical resist. HP Ratio required to activate this unit's Talent is increased to 100%
Detailed Skill Info
attack_speed 10
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.3
attack_speed 14
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.3
attack_speed 18
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.3
attack_speed 22
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.4
attack_speed 26
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.4
attack_speed 30
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.4
attack_speed 35
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.4
attack_speed 40
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.5
attack_speed 45
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.6
attack_speed 50
talent@hp_ratio 1
prob 0.7

Modules

'Elixir'
Lvl. 1
Lvl: 50
Trust: 100 (10,070 Points)
Availability: na
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Equip Trait
Deals Arts damage; When skill is active, attacks instead restore the HP of allies (heal amount is equal to 100% of ATK)
Equip Attribute Bonuses
Stat Value
atk 25
def 15
Unlock Information
Materials
x2
x3
x40000
Missions
During battle, have Nine-Colored Deer use Return to the Immortal Mountain a total of 8 times (excluding Support Units)
Clear Side Story IW-3 with a 3-star rating; You must deploy your own Nine-Colored Deer, and cannot include any other Supporter Operators as members

RIIC Base Skills

Causality Lvl: 1
(因果)
Room Type:
Workshop
When this Operator is assigned to the Workshop, a byproduct is guaranteed when 40 points of Causality are accumulated
Karma Lvl: 1
(业报)
Room Type:
Workshop
When this Operator is assigned to the Workshop, a byproduct is guaranteed when 80 points of Karma are accumulated

Quick Evaluation

+ Talent: Grants Shelter (reduces Physical and Arts damage taken) effect to allies with less than 40% HP.
+ A Healer/Caster hybrid that can sometimes replace a full medic to provide extra damage while also covering healing needs.
+ S1: Generic skill, but has decent uptime if you want to use her as a caster/medic hybrid.
+ S2: A unique skill that grants a huge self-block chance against ranged physical damage. Grants shelter to ALL allies within range (the Talent HP threshold is dropped) and increases ASPD.
- S2: poor uptime and weak Shelter effect
- Increasing survivability is usually a less effective strategy than increasing damage. Her Shelter buffs are not significant enough to make much difference in most cases, and because of the HP threshold, it only becomes active when an operator is already in danger of dying to serious threat.
- Other Abjurers have better utility, healing, and/or support.

Operator Overview

Nine-Colored Deer is a crossover unit who hails from a 1981 children’s movie based off an old Buddhist legend. In the movie, she is a sacred envoy who saves the lives of others until she is betrayed by a greedy merchant, who intends to hunt her down and sell her pelt to the emperor. The Nine-Colored Deer is protected from the hired hunters by a halo of sacred light and walks away to give her gifts to other parts of the world. In Arknights, Nine-Colored Deer is a mysterious doctor and herbalist who provides medicines and remedies for free to poor villages who need it. However, when a village views her with suspicion—thinking that her herbs are causing diseases rather than curing them—she departs for Rhodes Island instead, becoming an Abjurer Supporter who heals allies and resists ranged attacks. You can probably see the parallels between the stories already.

Abjurer Supporters are odd units designed for defensive support. They deal Arts damage normally, but when they have a Skill active, they heal allies instead. Healing allies makes sense with their defensive role, especially since Abjurers have faster ASPD than most Medics and so can be more reactive with their healing. However, the healing stops when the Skill ends, so Abjurers aren’t usually a reliable replacement for a Medic. Furthermore, Abjurer Talents—like Nine-Colored Deer’s Ethereal Iridescent Clouds—involve placing a defensive Shelter buff on low-HP allies within the Abjurer’s attack range. The idea seems to be for the Shelter buff to keep a low-HP ally alive long enough for the Abjurer to activate a Skill and heal them. In practice, however, Shelter is usually too weak to be helpful (and increasing damage output is generally a more powerful tactic than increasing damage mitigation anyway).

Since Abjurer Supporters must time their Skill usage carefully in order to heal allies when needed, it’s important to know what their Skills do! Nine-Colored Deer’s S1, Fortune Bringer of the Mortal Realm (what a mouthful!), is a simple ATK buff. Since it also triggers Nine-Colored Deer to heal, however, what it really does is make Nine-Colored Deer a stronger healer than her low ATK stat would suggest. Her S2 (Return to the Immortal Mountains) also does this, but in a different way: it increases her ASPD. And that’s not all—the Skill also gives all allies within range the Shelter effect for its duration, regardless of their current HP! This removes Shelter’s anti-synergy with Nine-Colored Deer’s healing, and while that doesn’t make Shelter useful, it at least makes the effect easier to use. The Skill also grants Nine-Colored Deer herself a high amount of ranged Physical block (to represent the arrow-blocking from her story—very cool detail!)

Nine-Colored Deer has a cool story, a terrific visual aesthetic, and a Skill that beautifully integrates her lore with her gameplay. Unfortunately, she won’t typically have much impact on the battlefield. She has low stats (like other members of her archetype) and her S2 has terrible uptime and a slow cycle. More importantly, she fails to put up meaningful numbers for her Shelter buff and doesn’t even apply it until allies are already in danger of dying at the hands of any serious enemy. It’s too bad that Nine-Colored Deer decided to invest in the “blocking arrows” part of her lore rather than the “drowning the unworthy” part… though since Reunion hasn’t betrayed Nine-Colored Deer to Wei Yenwu yet, maybe the “drowning” part wouldn’t have worked anyway.

Newbie Tier List Explanation

Mostly irrelevant kit for early game (and for mid or late game, for that matter). It is possible that the hybrid healing/damage role could be useful for some limited rosters, but it just isn't impactful enough to warrant spending the resources, and there are other options for this role that function better and are cheaper to develop (e.g. Podenco).

Skill Discussion

Skill
Mastery
Story
Advanced
Roguelike
S1M3 None

Note: This unit does not have Mastery grades. This means the unit is generally not one worth spending the resources of Mastery on. However this write-up should help with skill selection, should you want to use the unit regardless.

NCD is best left in the base for her base skill or on the assistant screen for her beautiful art, because she isn't very effective on the field. If you really wanted to, I would lean towards her S1 which makes her a modestly effective healer. However, since her archetype doesn't heal while skills aren't active, the SP cost can feel like it takes forever. Her S2 might be occasionally useful, but Shelter is just not a significant factor in the game, and Mastery doesn't notably improve the skill's usability.

Operator Featured Articles

Skill Upgrade Costs

Level Requisites Materials
1 ➝ 2
Lv1
x4
2 ➝ 3
Lv1
x4
x7
3 ➝ 4
Lv1
x6
x3
4 ➝ 5
Lv1
x6
x4
5 ➝ 6
Lv1
x6
x4
6 ➝ 7
Lv1
x6
x2
x3
Skill Level Requisites Materials
1
Lv1 8h
x5
x3
x2
Lv1 16h
x6
x3
x5
Lv1 24h
x10
x4
x3
2
Lv1 8h
x5
x3
x1
Lv1 16h
x6
x3
x3
Lv1 24h
x10
x4
x4

Overall Skill Cost

Elite Upgrade Costs

Level Materials
x20000
x4
x6
x3
x120000
x3
x7
x14

Overall Elite Cost

Total Cost

Operator Profile

Artist IRIS_呓
CV 杨梦露
Gender Female
Place of Birth Yan
Birthday Dec 8
Race Elafia
Height 172cm
Combat Experience
None
Infection Status Medical tests have confirmed that no infection is present.
Nation
Physical Strength Normal
Mobility Normal
Physiological Endurance Standard
Tactical Planning Excellent
Combat Skill Standard
Originium Adaptability Standard

Profile

Nine-Colored Deer, claims to come from a mountain forest in Yan, specific location as yet unascertained.
Possesses ample knowledge related to gathering and processing of herbals, and holds a degree of combat ability. Through introduction from other operators, came to Rhodes Island on exchange study, traveling with Rhodes Island for the near future.

Clinical Analysis

Increase Trust to 25.
Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this operator is believed to be uninfected.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0%
Operator Nine-Colored Deer shows no signs of Infection.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.13u/L
Operator Nine-Colored Deer fulfils fundamental protective measures in aiding Oripathy sufferers, and we have detected no risk of Oripathy infection.

Nine-Colored Deer is in very good health. We hear she's very familiar with the herbals of Yan; we can consider having her teach other operators the way to distinguish them. And while we're at it, we can have her talk with Myrrh a little more, too. Maybe we'll have some way to rid the herbs of that bitterness...
—Medic Operator Breeze

Archive File 1

Increase Trust to 50.
Though she's never had standard training, Nine-Colored Deer bears a fairly distinct awareness of the battlefield. We have no way to know of her former experiences, but based on her emergency treatment of wounds and skill in transporting casualties, she must have been through many desperate situations. Each person takes away different things from a disaster, some choosing to flee, some choosing to actively confront it. Nine-Colored Deer is the latter, and has continuously conferred with and studied from the Medical Department's operators since arriving at Rhodes Island, her mind for constant learning catching on with others, other departments' operators beginning to learn first-aid knowledge with her.
'Nothing wrong with learning a little more first aid! If we ever end up in danger, I can even help out!'
—An operator from HR

Archive File 2

Increase Trust to 100.
'Um, right, I randomly met Nine-Colored Deer while out in Yan collecting herbal samples. It gave me a shock when she suddenly appeared next to me. No... I heard her footsteps, but... when some fowlbeasts perched on her shoulders, that really startled me. Who brings fowlbeasts with them hiking? ...Oh, yeah, she said she'd moved up to the mountains long ago. I was really curious how she managed to live in the mountains for such a long time. Don't you get restless being all alone up there...?'
'Her room was filled with unfinished herbal pills. Uh-huh, she said she usually went into the mountains to collect fresh herbs, and she'd worked out a special way to make herbal pills. She blended Yanese tea leaves and local ground herbs and made a pill from it, and it had a faint tea flavor when you ate it, and it wasn't too strongly bitter. No, don't worry, it was just a pill to help with health. Hey, don't look at me like that! I don't just eat anything I see, I swear!'
'There was a clinic in the village at the mountain's base, where she'd take the pills she'd made to the patients. The clinic seemed to have worked with her for a long time, and she'd provide them with herbal medicine free of charge... really, it really was free! Why would I be lying to you? When she first gave them medicine, the doctor had doubts about the quality. When does something just land in your lap for free, after all? So at first, they went without using any of it. It took until a doctor came across Nine-Colored Deer treating a villager who tripped and crashed onto a rock, and they saw her medical skills, before they realized they were that close to letting someone so able slip away. Yeah, the doctor there told me! Afterwards, they even went to compliment her for her medicinal knowledge and knack for treatment. And, you know, there's never enough medical resources in remote areas like that, and the fact the patients there could get her treatment really did feel heaven-sent. Oh, yeah, she barely ever gave treatment directly at the clinic, she just gave them herbal pills. She'd only lend a hand when the clinic needed the help. Makes you wonder too, right? I thought she was a little frightened of human contact, but it seemed like she'd gone through something before, and I didn't want to dredge it up.'
'After that, I thought it wouldn't do much harm if I stayed a few more days, so I chatted for a while longer with her. She wanted to improve her own medical skills, and go save more people. So I gave her an invitation, hoped she'd come to Rhodes Island for a kind of skill exchange. Whoa, the clinic doctor and the patients there really wanted to hit me when I suggested the invitation. They didn't want her to leave at all. I completely understood the feeling, so I stopped running my mouth there...'
'After that, she spent a long time talking it over with the patients, and in the end proposed she'd come to Rhodes Island for a week or two at a time to communicate and study... I just need to go and fetch her. Can we get her set up in my dorm when the time comes? ...Alright, I guess that'll do it. Huh? I have to submit my reason for overstaying there on paper? G—Gimme a sec and I'll go write it.'

—A certain Operator's field voice recording

Archive File 3

Increase Trust to 150.
In her early years, Nine-Colored Deer traveled Yan, treating and saving people as she roamed. Rescuing the dying and wounded, asking for nothing in return, those were her principles. When passing through a village just recently struck by Catastrophe, she stopped in her tracks and stayed to aid the casualties. She treated people with the greatest kindness, but sadly never received their goodwill in turn. Communications in the village had been cut off at the time, and stockpiled medical supplies and drugs were critically insufficient, more and more patients being bedridden due to lack of medicated treatment. She and the one doctor left in the village were forced to search for herbals in the nearby mountains, in order to make up for the deficiency. She firmly believed she could pull this village with nothing left away from the brink. But contrary to her hopes, rumors began spreading among the already feeble populace, and within them, Nine-Colored Deer transformed from a physician to an evil, a herald of calamity.
'This woman only stays here so she can promote her cures, and gain our trust!' 'Look at her Originium Arts! She's the one who brought the Catastrophe!' She had to face not just the bitter cries of the sick, but the unguessable human heart. Though she never took notice of the villagers' slander, these rumors rotted some of the people inside. Finally, a few brute villagers assembled in front of her, forcibly demanding the 'Elafia who brought us disaster' leave the place.
In the end, she entrusted her books filled with methods to treat illnesses, her methods for making herbal pills to that doctor, and walked far to the closest town, to inform the outside world this village still needed aid. Following that, she left that place, headed for the mountain forests to find somewhere secluded.
However, the mountains were by no means always so peaceful, and the clinic at their foot always had patients in need of help. After hesitating again and again, she delivered her herbals to the doctor after all. Fortunately, this time saw no reprisal of the last.
She still maintains her principles, and she firmly believes, treating the heart of the people is more important than treating the body.

Archive File 4

Increase Trust to 200.
'You're finally back~ How was field work this time? Er... are you alright there?'
'I'm dead on my feet here... hold on, how long's it been since we saw each other?'
'About seven days? What's up...?'
'What have you been eating to fill yourself out like that? Look, you've got meat on your chin now!'
'Food's been really good at the canteen lately. Just been having more, that's all.'
'You sure you didn't beg Hung to make a whole week's food for you?'
'Gimme a break... I'm not even like that. It was a Yan operator, codename's Nine-Colored Deer. I've told you, the Yan cuisine she makes is suuuuper good.'
'Any left? Lemme try some!'
'Still plenty. She's kept a whole bunch of food ready in the fridge, especially for operators who get back late. What are you hankering for? Spicy or not? Something sweet? I'll heat it up and bring it over to you.'
'You can choose what you want?? Gimme something spicy, then, uh... no, scratch that, non-spicy. Belly's not been feeling good lately.'
'What's wrong with it? There's stomach pills here too. Here, have one.'
'What, pills? Nah, nah, nah, leave it, they're too bitter for me. I'll have some porridge when I get back.'
'These pills aren't bitter at all. They've got a little tea flavor, even. Try 'em. I had a bad gut when I got back a few days ago, and it was taking the pills for a few days that cured it.'
'You sure? Shoot me one, then... they're *not* bitter!'
'Right? I told you.'
'First time I've had a pill that's not bitter. Who made it? Can I buy a few?'
'Same person from Yan. She made the one you just had. Hold on, I found the congee. Lemme heat it one sec, and then you take your time eating.'
'Don't tell me she made that too?'
'Still her. Everything on the top shelves in here, she made. All the food with stickers on it. If you want more, you can pull some out and warm it. Oh, right, she left all the pills in this box here too. Stomach medicine is the blue sticker. Don't get mixed up.'
'She made all this medicine herself?'
'She collects herbs all the time in Yan, and she makes the pills and brings them in.'
'What can't she do... I feel like I know why you got meat on your bones so quick now.'
'I mean, you know? Meals have just been amazing lately. If my mom could make stuff so delicious, I'd be a ball by now.'
'Nothing wrong with that. Here, hey-hey-hey, you have some too. Too sad eating by myself.'
'Sure. I'll go get another bowl.'
'You've been eating this for days on end and you haven't gotten any present to thank her or anything?'
'I sent her some flowers earlier, but it's just all flowers outside her dorm door. All of them from everyone else.'
'I've got something good here. Bought it on the way back from the field. Let's go together tomorrow and give to her.'

——Cafeteria recording monitor, unknown timestamp

Promotion Record

Upgrade to Elite LV2.
Nine-Colored Deer likes the fresh scent of vegetation, admiring the ink of scrolls while it's still not dry, and trying delicate new teas.
She likes all of these, and it's because of it that she so carefully cherishes them.

Voice Lines

Default
Appointed as Assistant The files that needed sorting have all been put away. I hope it'll help reduce some of your pressure, Doctor.
Talk 1 The atmosphere in here is duly soothing, much like my mountain forest. Doctor, you're free to come play when you're not busy.
Talk 2 I've talked a lot with the Medical Department's operators, and now I can understand what everyone's goal is. Doctor, allow me to rescue this land together with you.
Talk 3 This herbal pill... it's fine work. Myrrh's combined the properties of the medicinals and processed them in a special way. Hmm... I've never attempted such a manner of processing myself. In a little while, I'll see about learning from Myrrh.
Talk after Promotion 1 Aid and sanctuary are unalike. The former cures the body, the latter saves the soul.
Talk after Promotion 2 To live is an endless cycle, reaping what one sows, all beings beholden to this. I imagine you can understand, having been through so much. Leaving your own memories behind in a different incarnation, constructing your own view of the outside world; that is the purpose of this life.
Talk after Trust Increase 1 These pills have not just the aroma of tea, but all sorts of flowers too. Many patients consider herbal pills bitter, so I've put my mind to diminishing that bitterness. I hope... the people of Rhodes Island won't dislike this flavor.
Talk after Trust Increase 2 I very much agree with the tea here, its aroma calm, its true flavor apparent. As with tea, so with man. In this dwelling, those irrelevant rumors can be kept away; it's a rare place of respite.
Talk after Trust Increase 3 Doctor, the operators can have the dishes labelled with my name to eat, as well as some bottles of drinks I made myself. Everyone's been to truly tiresome lengths as of recent, and I wanted to do a thing or two to help alleviate their fatigue...
Idle Are you tired? Rest well for a while. Don't worry; I'll protect you.
Onboard It's nice to meet you; I'm Nine-Colored Deer. Hm? Are these motifs so beautiful? Th-Thank you... please, observe them as you like.
Watching Battle Record May I go with you next time? I want to ensure everyone's safety.
Promotion 1 You've endorsed me? So I have been of help to you, then. Wonderful...
Promotion 2 The things I've learned may save many, but there remain yet more in need of aid. Doctor, can I still be more powerful than I am now?
Added to Squad Worry not, I won't betray your trust.
Appointed as Squad Leader Am I taking command? No problem.
Depart Don't worry, I'll bring everyone home safely.
Begin Operation Don't separate. We meet the battlefield now.
Selecting Operator 1 I see them... an unknown enemy.
Selecting Operator 2 Are these new orders? Mm, acknowledged.
Deployment 1 This... is the chill of the battlefield.
Deployment 2 I'm ready.
In Battle 1 The mind is as truth, a mirror reflecting all ways.
In Battle 2 A thought leaving reality, delusion in all cases.
In Battle 3 Heaven and earth come alike, all beings come together.
In Battle 4 Everything has its way, per flame and per current.
4-star Result Mm... this battle was very smooth.
3-star Result Life is sincerely precious, but base and wicked life is punished in the end.
Sub 3-star Result You needn't be sad. Though there were slight faults, with a little more of a try, you will always succeed.
Operation Failure If it has no power, no one should be shown that mercy.
Assigned to Facility What a strange place. So much I've never seen before.
Tap 'Kindness' is something not to be exploited, Doctor.
Trust Tap Doctor, here's a scented tea for you. It'll perk you up.
Title Arknights.
Greeting You seem very energetic, Doctor.

Operator Records

Record: Great Compassion
Unlock: E2, Level 1, Trust Required: 50