Arknights: The Problem with Saileach

Saileach is a strong Operator, there’s no question about that. She’s the 6★ representative of the Standard Bearer archetype, widely regarded as one of the most powerful in the entire game, and has powerful support mechanics that set her apart from the other two Operators in it. This article will not try to convince anyone that she isn’t, but rather explore how the Arknights metagame has evolved in such a way that, powerful as she is, the majority of players should think twice before actually pulling for her.

As always, while the data presented in this article is objective, the opinions derived from it are the author’s (me!) thoughts. Players are recommended and encouraged to think about the arguments presented here and extract their own conclusions. 

Finally, keep in mind this is not a review of Saileach and will assume some prior knowledge on how her kit works and what roles she can and can’t cover.

Saileach is a Standard Bearer. Her first job is to print DP, but does she do this better than other Operators of her same archetype? Surprisingly, she, in fact, does not. While her main DP-generating skill has the exact same characteristics as Elysium’s, Saileach finds herself in a very weird spot as her higher rarity effectively worsens her early-game DP economy (where Standard Bearers matter most) by virtue of the slightly higher cost this upgrade in rarity ensues.

This isn’t an issue for the other two Operators in her archetype, Myrtle and Elysium, who not only are already of a lower cost owing to their rarity, but also find it relatively easier to obtain Potentials. These Potentials are huge improvements for most Vanguards, but even more so these three. Myrtle especially, if only by virtue of being a 4★, is very easy to get at an incredibly cheap cost of 8 at E2, while players who already have obtained Saileach might struggle to get another copy of her to reduce her cost from 12 to 11.

The graph below shows how each of the Bearers’ skills hold up against each other, assuming a P6 Myrtle, P2 Elysium and P1 Saileach.

Furthermore, Saileach’s DP economy as sole Vanguard remains worse than Elysium (at equal Potential) even when taking into account their talents as long as there’s at least one Sniper in the party. While this is, of course, not indicative of much (as this comparison is only really accurate if both Operators whose cost is reduced are deployed right after the Bearer), it highlights a problem with Saileach’s core design as she really needs Potentials to work better than lower rarity Operators.

Still, this shouldn’t be a very big deal in any aspect of the entire game, as stages are usually slow enough to open that one can get by without a single vanguard very often, but what about when they aren’t? What about the stages where players slot both Elysium and Myrtle and still complain about a critical lack of Deployment Points?

Assuming a player already has all Standard Bearer Vanguards built (which is going to be the case for most people who started before Surtr got released), what would be the reasons to use Saileach over the others? Or even better, to use all three of them together?

The answer to the first is simple: content easy enough where her DP economy issues do not matter and she can be very easily swapped in for Myrtle. Fair, there’s absolutely no issues here as the support she can provide with her third skill is more than welcome even if it absolutely tanks her DP-printing abilities, but it still does not justify pulling for her as neither of her effects are the best in their category and role compression is not an important factor for content where the previous statement about Myrtle is also true. 

The second question is far more interesting and the crux of why Saileach is not a recommended pull for the average player. It’s the content where another Standard Bearer would shine, where Saileach’s role compression would be incredible, where she was touted as the new must-pull Operator, but also where her flaws shine the brightest: High Risk Contingency Contract.

If you are not the kind of player to find enjoyment in going above and beyond in this event, clearing Risk levels well past 18 and into the high 20s and low 30s, this is the point where you should reconsider whether Saileach is a good use of your Orundum. If you are that kind of player, though, you probably should start reconsidering whether it’s already too late for you.

As the Risk level goes higher and higher, so does Saileach’s usability, to the point where it might be the only territory where she is a step above most other operators, but it is also in this context where the Potential gates are felt the harshest, where a single Deployment point can make the difference between taking a Risk 30+ home or getting stuck in the very opening of the stage. Compounded with Saileach’s pre-existing struggles with her DP economy, players who wish to use her here must mentally prepare not only to pull her, but to go all the way to her full Potential and pull six whole copies of this 6★ Operator for that last DP Cost reduction.

Whether or not a player should pull for Saileach is an incredibly complex debate, even simply focusing on the meta aspects. It depends on what their budget is, how much they value pulls for future banners like Nearl the Radian Knight's, and what their objectives are in terms of high-end endgame content such as Risk 30+ Contingency Contract. 

If you are still deciding, please consider all the points from this article and her review before making your mind, as there's no simple answer anyone can give you.