Arknights: Should You Pull? Joint Operation 4

Featured Operators:

Rarity	Operator
6★ Rate Up	Thorns - Ranged Guard Suzuran - Slower Supporter Weedy - Pusher Specialist Nightingale - AoE Medic
5★ Rate Up	Andreana - Long-Range Sniper Leonhardt - AoE Caster Elysium - Utility Vanguard Nearl - Healing Defender Silence - ST Medic Franka - Duelist Guard

• The listed operators will be the only units available for their respective rarity
• Operator Feature Banners do not add Operators to the Distinction shop

Maybe. This banner has a lot of good options, but also a lot of mediocre ones. Are you feeling lucky, Doctor?

The mechanics of a Joint Operation banner make it easy to pull units from the pool, but hard to pull a specific unit. In this particular case, all of the 6★ units and Elysium are quite good, and Silence and Nearl may be useful if you need members of their archetype. Franka, Leonhardt, and Andreana can be fun, but are not widely used in the current Arknights meta.

• If you don’t have any of the 6★s, then YES, it is worth pulling until you get one of them, since you will be guaranteed to get a strong 6★ Operator that you don’t have.
• If you have some of the 6★ Operators already, it’s probably not worth pulling in hopes of getting the specific one you’re missing. Chances of a duplicate increase dramatically with each one that you have.
• Elysium is a strong Operator, but there are too many unimpressive 5★s mixed in to make it worth pulling for him alone.

Like with normal banners, a 5★ or higher Operator is guaranteed in the first 10 rolls. Should you pull for that? Probably not, considering that so many of the 5 Stars are not particularly strong. With “Deep Drown Lament” just behind us and multiple limited banners likely to come up in the near future (i.e., Summer Stars and Path to Radiant), Doctors may prefer to save their resources instead.

AoE Medic

+ Serviceable AoE healer

+ Hard-counters enemy Arts damage

+ Distracts ranged damage away from allies with her Phantoms (E2 Talent)

- Loses value compared to her alternatives on maps where no enemy Arts damage is present

Push Specialist

+ Excellent Push Specialist with a lot more potential than existing Push Specialists

+ Can push from two locations by deploying her Water Cannon

+ S1 Stuns targets who get Pushed

+ S2 is a permanent buff that allows her to push multiple targets from a distance

+ S3 does true damage based on how far enemies move; with the proper setup (lots of space, Water Cannon next to Weedy, Angelina S3 active) the amount of damage dealt is brain-melting

- Still loses some viability when there are no holes or hazards on the map, despite her DPS

- S3 needs space to deploy her Water Cannon next to her and long straightaways to Push enemies away for maximum damage

- The Water Cannon is not permanent; it disappears after a short time and must be redeployed, creating downtime and costing DP

Slower Supporter

+ Talent charges [Per Second] SP for other Supporter allies

+ E2 Talent inflicts Fragile (take increased damage) on enemies who are in her attack range and inflicted with Slow

+ S2 is a great multi-target Slowing ability and also does decent DPS

+ S3 covers a huge range, Slows all enemies within it (triggering E2 Talent), increases the strength of her Fragile debuff, AND constantly heals all allies within range

- Most of her power comes from amplifying the DPS of her allies, but she can’t actually do this until she gets E2’d (Fragile debuff is on her E2 Talent and her S3); before E2, all she really does is Slow enemies

- S1 triggers automatically and S2 has a relatively long charge time (though her own Talent shortens it)

Ranged Guard

+ E1 Talent does Arts damage over time (double the amount to ranged enemies)

+ E2 Talent regenerates Thorns’ HP when he has not attacked for 2 seconds

+ S2 has terrific uptime and great stat boosts

+ S3 increases attack range and greatly increases Thorns’ DPS, leading to very high consistent damage output

+ After using S3 twice, the effects become permanent for the rest of the fight!

= Can’t attack while S2 is active, but counterattacks with multi-target damage instead

- S3 has the [Attacking Enemy] SP charge type, which means it can take a long time to charge if he doesn’t have enemies to attack

Dreadnought Guard

+ E1 Talent gives her a chance to ignore enemy DEF, so she’s great against high-DEF enemies

+ Talent activation chance is greatly increased by Skill 2

- Skill 2 also lowers her DEF to 0, making it a double-edged sword (haha)

- Usually, Arts damage is an easier way to counter high-DEF enemies

ST Medic

+ Strong ST Medic with decent stats for her role

+ Buffs the ASPD of other Medics with her Talent, allowing them to heal more quickly

+ The Medical Drone from her S2 is incredibly versatile, in large part because it can be deployed on any empty deployable space:

• It can heal allies anywhere on the map
• It can heal multiple allies simultaneously (and Silence will still be healing those within her range as well)
• If deployed within Silence’s healing range, both she and the Drone can heal the same ally/ allies, serving as a kind of burst healing

- Lacks forms of non-healing utility (i.e., Shining’s shields or Warfarin’s attack buff)

Healing Defender

+ Ground-deployed healer with a lot of healing power

+ E2 Talent increases the healing received by all allies while Nearl is deployed

- Low HP and no DEF-boosting Skills, so she is not a good damage soak

- Inferior to Saria in basically every way

Standard Bearer Vanguard

+ Generates even more DP than Myrtle over time (!)

+ Talent buffs ASPD of all Sniper Operators and reduces their DP cost as long as Elysium is deployed

+ S2 is an excellent counter to Stealthed enemies and also inflicts movement speed and DEF debuffs on several targets within range (while still generating DP!)

= Doesn’t Block while Skills are active

= S2 still generates DP, but less than S1; if you want him for debuff/ anti-Stealth, you have to give up some DP gain

- Usual archetype weakness: Stops attacking while Skills are active

- His S1 requires more SP than Myrtle’s S1, so it takes him longer to start generating DP (important on some maps with very fast starts)

- Low stats make him ill-suited for actual combat

AoE Caster

+ High potential AoE burst damage because his S2 can store multiple charges

+ Has exceptionally wide AoE because his S2 increases his attack range for one hit and targets all enemies within that range (it’s a true AoE, not splash damage)

+ Talent increases his ATK when multiple enemies are within his range; this is ideal, since AoE Casters are usually used to counter swarms

+ S2 debuffs enemy RES, enhancing his own damage and that of other Arts-DPS Operators

- Usual AoE Caster weaknesses: slow ASPD and high DP cost

Deadeye Sniper

+ Usual benefits of Deadeye Snipers: huge attack range, prioritizes low-DEF enemies

+ Talent increases ASPD of Abyssal Hunter allies (i.e., Specter, Skadi)

+ S2 has decent uptime and an outrageously high ATK buff (+240% ATK at M3!)

- Usual downsides of Long-Range Snipers: very slow ASPD, does not prioritize aerial enemies

- While S2 is active, she does not attack enemies who have less than 50% health

Nightingale is the ultimate counter to enemies with Arts damage. Used well, her Talents and Skills can make allies within her range virtually immune to Arts damage, and she brings multi-target healing on top of that. Her Fleeting Phantom Talent is particularly useful, giving her two birdcages (it’s symbolic!) that she can deploy as decoys to soak up ranged damage.

When enemy Casters or similar units hit the field, Nightingale is the MVP. However, on any stage where enemy Arts damage is nonexistent (or just easily survivable without Nightingale’s help), she loses her luster. She has no utility other than mitigating Arts damage; if that utility isn’t bringing value, Nightingale has very little to offer.

I recommend pulling for Nightingale. Arts DPS enemies are often very dangerous, and every Doctor needs a contingency plan to deal with them.

Weedy is a Push Specialist, and she Pushes harder than any other Specialist to date. For one thing, she knows better than to go it alone. From E1 onward, Weedy can deploy her Water Cannon that also Pushes enemies, albeit with lesser force. Weedy and the Water Cannon can Push in two places at once, but they work best as a team: when placed next to each other, they can activate the legendary Liquid Nitrogen Cannon in tandem, sending enemies flying to the other side of the map and melting them with tremendous Pure damage as they go.

Weedy is subject to the same basic limitations as other Push Specialists: Pushing is strongest on maps with instant-death pits and loses some of its luster otherwise. However, Weedy’s kit is so strong that you may not even notice this in most cases. She’s durable, she hits multiple targets, she can be deployed on ground or ranged grids, she Pushes with the force of a semi, and her damage potential is terrific, making her one heck of a complete package.

I recommend pulling for Weedy. She’s noticeably better than Shaw or FEater.

Suzuran is the ultimate damage amplifier for her allies. She Slows enemies to keep them in attack range for a longer period of time, and while they’re Slowed she afflicts them with the Fragile debuff, increasing the amount of damage her allies deal. The combination is simple but effective, especially during her S3, which increases Suzuran’s range as well as the effect of her Fragile debuff. It doesn’t matter if you’re facing a massive wave or a single mighty boss: once they hit the gravity well of Suzuran’s S3, they move like molasses and tear like tissue paper.

The problem with a “damage amplifier” unit is that they need someone else to provide damage for them to amplify. Suzuran’s direct damage potential is negligible, especially in comparison to a powerhouse like Angelina. Furthermore, as a young and inexperienced Operator, Suzuran needs a lot of training. Her big selling point is the combination of Slow and Fragile, but she can’t actually cause Fragile until she’s promoted to E2. That’s a long time to wait for an Operator to do their job if you are a newer player.

I recommend pulling for Suzuran, especially if you don’t have Angelina.

Thorns is one of the strongest sources of consistent Physical damage currently available in Arknights. He hits hard and at range, and his Talent deals extra Arts damage over time. Activate his S3 for the first time in a battle and his ATK, ASPD, and attack range all increase. Activate his S3 a second time, however, and Thorns goes Super Saiyan, doubling the numerical buffs from the first activation… and keeping them permanently for the rest of the fight!

The full power of an unleashed Thorns is mighty to behold, but it’s important to understand that it doesn’t automatically solve all of your problems in Arknights. Consistent DPS is amazing for cutting through 99% of enemies, but the biggest, toughest opponents generally require burst damage to reasonably defeat, and burst damage is not Thorns’ specialty. He’s NOT a substitute for fellow Ranged Guard SilverAsh—he has his own unique niche in the Arknights meta, and the power of that niche should NOT be underestimated.

I recommend pulling for Thorns.

Franka is a Dreadnought Guard who specializes in taking down high-DEF targets. Her Talent gives her a chance to ignore enemy DEF when attacking, and her Skill 2 greatly increases this Talent’s activation chance. Once that Vorpal Edge goes snicker-snack, heads are sure to roll.

In a vacuum, Franka is perfectly effective. The issue is that her job is usually done more easily by units who use Arts damage. If you invest in Franka, she can pull her weight, but it’s difficult to find a situation where she would be preferable to a Caster or an Arts Guard (especially today, in the Reign of Surtr).

I don’t recommend pulling for Franka.

Silence is arguably the gold standard for 5-star ST Medics (well, the ones that focus on healing, at least, rather than ones like Warfarin who focus on buffing). Her Talent increases the ASPD of other allied Medics, and her S2—Medical Drone—gives her some of the most versatile healing in Arknights. The ranged deployment and AoE capabilities of the Medical Drone can be put to good use on just about any battlefield.

Unfortunately, for most content, there is little reason to bring a pure healer over one that also has utility. With lower-rarity Medics like Sussurro able to cover healing into the current end game, there just isn’t a real reason to develop the more-expensive 5-star Silence.

I don’t recommend pulling for Silence.

Nearl is a great ground-based healer, with strong healing Skills and an E2 Talent that increases direct healing given to all allies anywhere on the battlefield while Nearl is deployed. This Talent makes Nearl a powerful multiplier for other healers, such as her fellow Healing Defenders. However, on her own, Nearl can struggle: her low HP and lack of mitigation makes it difficult for her to Block strong enemies.

I don’t recommend pulling for Nearl. She’s a decent Healing Defender if you don’t have Saria, though.

Elysium has a pretty high opinion of himself, but he’s not wrong to be proud of his skills. He’s an excellent navigator, a reliable communications manager, and a potent Standard Bearer Vanguard who can generate oodles of DP to mobilize his allies into combat. He’s also one of the few Operators who can cancel Stealth on enemy units, and his Talent allows him to communicate a host of useful buffs to allied Snipers.

I recommend pulling for Elysium. He’s one of the most efficient DP-generating Operators in Arknights to date. (Keep in mind that the 6-star version of his archetype is in the pipeline, though. She doesn’t generate more DP than he does, but her additional utility may be more to your liking than his, especially if you don’t use a lot of Snipers in your strategies.)

Leonhardt uses his Originium Arts for two purposes: exploding anything in his way to smithereens, and keeping those smithereens away from his designer wardrobe. If he’s got enough talent to keep dirt, mud, and monster parts off his expensive sneakers, you’d expect his Arts to be pretty strong… and you’d be right! Leonhardt is an AoE Caster who becomes stronger the more targets he has in his attack range, and he uses his S2 to blast all enemies in that range simultaneously while also reducing their RES in preparation for his next assault.

AoE Casters are a famously undertuned archetype—strong in the early game, usually unable to keep up later on—but Leonhardt is one of the better examples, especially if you missed limited unit Dusk. He’s perfect for blowing up hordes of weak units, and he also brings some support to other Arts Operators by reducing enemy RES. He still suffers from the usual AoE Caster issues of slow ASPD and outsized DP cost, though.

I don’t recommend pulling for Leonhardt.

Andreana is something of an odd duck (er, octopus?) Deadeye Snipers have huge attack range and very high base ATK, but their ASPD is so slow that they often struggle to contribute meaningful damage. On paper, Andreana sounds like she makes this problem even worse: her S2 dramatically increases her ATK but prevents her from targeting any enemies that have less than 50% of their HP remaining.

In a way, however, this works perfectly with the limitations of being a Deadeye Sniper. Because Andreana attacks slowly, frontloading her damage with the S2 attack buff gives her a lot more bang for her buck. (Don’t use her against the Avenger-type enemies that power up at low health, though. Bad idea. Very bad idea.)

Andreana isn’t very special while her S2 isn’t active, and because of her S2’s limitations, there are plenty of other Operators who can boast more consistent damage. However, between her enormous attack range and the truly ridiculous damage spikes she can inflict when used correctly, Andreana can fill an interesting niche on your squad.  

I don’t recommend pulling for Andreana.