Standard Banner: Hoshiguma & Nightingale
The new Standard Banner features the following Operators:
Featured Operators:
| Rarity | Operator |
| 6★ |  Hoshiguma - Normal Defender
 Nightingale - AoE Medic
|
| 5★ |  Croissant - Normal Defender
 Waai Fu - Fast Redeploy Specialist
 Zima - Skill-DP-Recovery Vanguars
|
- Based on previous patterns, it is likely but not 100% certain that the Operators for purchase in the Distinction store will be Nightingale and Waai Fu
- 6★ Rate-Ups have a 50% chance of appearing when pulling a 6★
- 5★ Rate-Ups have a 50% chance of appearing when pulling a 5★
Should You Pull?
No.
Hoshiguma and Croissant are still good Defenders, but their specific strengths are not heavily impactful and both can be reasonably replaced in most content. Waai Fu has fallen off big time now that so many enemies are immune to Silence, and Zima has always been niche (although if you’re using more Vanguards in your frontline lately, i.e., Saga, then Zima may be of interest to you).
Nightingale is the crown jewel in this banner, but she can also be fairly niche. If you really want her, it’s probably better to buy her in the store (if you can) rather than gamble on this otherwise-mediocre banner.
At the very least, Doctors might consider doing Headhunt x1 on this banner until they pull a 5★ or higher Operator, since one is guaranteed in the first 10 rolls.
Quick Overview
+ Excellent Defender who has both high durability and high DPS through her S3
+ E1 Talent has a chance to resist incoming Physical or Arts damage
+ E2 Talent buffs DEF of other Defenders
+ S2 reflects damage (can be used to counter invisible enemies, especially ranged ones)
+ S3 has very high AoE DPS and also increases Hoshiguma’s DEF for the duration; it also has decent uptime for such a powerful Skill
- Vulnerable to Arts damage; she has 0 base RES and none of her Skills mitigate
Arts damage (though her Talent does help)
- Lacks extra utility or team support (other than her E2 Talent)
+ 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
+ Talent makes her and adjacent allies more durable
+ S1 is a good tanking Skill that also helps adjacent allies
+ S2 deals good damage, Stuns, and knocks enemies away from her
- Can’t tank with S1 and push enemies with S2 on the same map; you have to pick one
- Talent is random and S1 activates automatically, so her survivability can be erratic
+ Can knockback enemies with her Talent
+ S1 is decent for assassinating squishy enemies
+ S2 deals instant AoE damage and seals enemy special abilities upon deployment
- Usual archetype weaknesses: mediocre stats, Skills activate “On Deployment” only
- Many difficult enemies in the current meta are immune to Silence
- Other Fast Redeploy Operators have advantages that are generally more useful
+ Terrific synergy with other Vanguards, between E2 Talent (Vanguard DP cost -1) and S2 (buffs all Vanguards and gives them +1 DP when killing an enemy)
+ Very durable; high DEF and HP for a Vanguard (and boosts her own DEF with S2)
- S2 is very strong, but it has terrible uptime
- Low ATK
Hoshiguma
Hoshiguma is sometimes called “the meat grinder” due to the murderous damage potential of her S3, which deals AoE damage to all enemies in front of her. She’s pretty simple as far as Defenders go: she Blocks-3, randomly resists incoming damage, and blitzes enemies into bite-sized chunks when her S3 is activated. Direct, dependable, and deadly: what’s not to love about Hoshiguma?
If you don’t already have at least two strong Defenders, it may be worth pulling for Hoshiguma. Keep in mind that 4-star Defender Cuora is very comparable to Hoshiguma in most content and is a lot more accessible; if you haven’t gotten Cuora yet, consider raising her for your second Defender rather than spending resources on Hoshiguma.
Otherwise, I don’t recommend pulling for Hoshiguma, but she can be worth raising if you get her.
Nightingale
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 AoE 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 for the map. 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; when that utility isn’t bringing value, Nightingale has very little to offer.
I don’t recommend pulling for Nightingale, but she’s very worth investing in if you pull or buy her. Enemies with Arts damage are often a tremendous pain when they show up, making Nightingale a good ace to have up your sleeve.
Croissant
Croissant is a Defender who can pretend she’s a Pusher. She can Block-3 and has a defensive Talent and S1, but her S2 is a strong hammer slam that inflicts damage, Stun, and knockback, Pushing her enemies away from her.
Croissant has a lot of power, but she’s not the most reliable Operator around. Her Talent runs on RNG, her S1 triggers automatically (so it can’t be saved for exactly when you want it), and her S2’s Push can backfire on you if enemies end up in unexpected positions. It’s also worth noting that her S1 is purely defensive (no Pushing utility) and her S2 is pure utility (no damage mitigation whatsoever), so you have to choose what role you want her to fill before you start a fight. She’s a strong Defender, and her versatility is nice, but the lack of control can be a stumbling block.
If you already have two or more strong Defenders, I don’t recommend pulling for Croissant, but she may still be worth investing in if you pull her (especially if you like the idea of having a Defender who can Push).
Waai Fu
Waai Fu’s claim to fame is her Seven-Styles Kick Skill, which instantly does AoE damage and inflicts Silence (sealing enemy special abilities) when Waai Fu is deployed. This Skill makes Waai Fu an excellent counter to enemies like the exploding spiders or the Stun-inflicting Defense Crushers, since she seals their major gimmick with her Silence.
In early- to mid-game content, Waai Fu can be a lifesaver, sealing away enemy special abilities so you don’t have to deal with them. Many difficult enemies in more recent content are immune to Silence, however, and if she can’t inflict Silence, Waai Fu doesn’t have a lot to offer.
I don’t recommend pulling for Waai Fu. If you’re a relatively new player and you get her by chance, you may want to E1 her so you can Silence enemies when you need it, but as far as the actual Fast-Redeploy role goes, a lower-rarity option like Gravel are probably better short- and long-term investments.
Zima
Zima is a strong Operator, but her power is a little more niche than Vanguards like Texas or Myrtle. Zima’s big selling point is the way she multiplies the power of other Vanguards. Her E2 Talent reduces their DP cost, helping you set up quickly at the start of a fight, and her S2 is a massive buffet of buffs (a buff-et, if you will!) that increases the ATK, DEF, and DP generation of all allied Vanguards.
When used alongside other Vanguards, Zima’s potency can add up to become quite astounding. However, when only one Vanguard is needed or her buffs can’t be fully taken advantage of, then Zima can be quickly outclassed.
I don’t recommend pulling for Zima, but she’s worth raising if you like using multiple Vanguards as your frontline (she’s not necessary if you’re only using Vanguards for their DP generation).
