The Ballad of Ice and Snow: Aether’s Ice Path and Team Support Mastery
In this fantastical continent blanketed by ice and snow, amidst the biting cold and howling winds, Aether emerges like an ethereal ice snow goddess, bringing unique flavors to her team through her culinary prowess. As a soon-to-debut five-star Ice-element character, she resembles a skilled chef. While primarily fulfilling the role of a sub-DPS, her support abilities are nothing short of extraordinary, capable of significantly lowering enemies’ resistance to Water and Ice elements, enveloping the entire team in her icy embrace.
Aether’s role defines her presence on the battlefield. Wielding a long-handled weapon and gliding effortlessly through the snow, her Elemental Skill resembles a meticulously orchestrated coordinated attack. Her Elemental Burst, on the other hand, is akin to a healing feast, restoring the team’s HP based on her Attack stat. Most commendable is her passive talent: when the team includes 1/2/3/4 Water or Ice element characters, she reduces enemies’ Water and Ice resistance by 5%/10%/15%/55%, respectively—a buff tailor-made for an Ice team.
When it comes to talent priority, as a sub-DPS character, Aether’s damage primarily stems from her Elemental Skill, making it the most critical to upgrade. Her Elemental Burst serves as an added bonus, providing healing and further enhancing overall combat effectiveness. Ordinary attacks, playing a secondary role, can be prioritized less urgently.
Weapon selection often dictates a character’s damage output. For Aether, choosing a weapon that emphasizes Critical Hits can maximize her damage, much like adding the perfect seasoning to her culinary creations. Weapons that enhance Elemental Energy recharge efficiency are also excellent choices, allowing her to generate energy more efficiently and unleash her Elemental Burst more frequently.
In weapon selection, the “Symphony of Flavors” stands out as the best supporting actor for Aether. This five-star weapon, seemingly tailor-made for her, boasts a base attack of 608 and a +66.2% Critical Damage substat. Its effects are equally captivating: it increases Attack by 12%, and when the equipped character is off-field, Attack is further boosted by 12%. After healing, both the healer and the healed character gain the “Savoring the Harmony” effect, increasing Attack by 32% for 3 seconds. This effect can even be triggered when the healer is off-field.
If “Symphony of Flavors” is unavailable, the four-star weapon “Duelist’s Pike” is a commendable alternative. With a base attack of 454 and a +36.8% Critical Rate substat, its effects shine at R5: when surrounded by at least two enemies, it grants a 32% Attack and 32% Defense boost; with fewer than two enemies nearby, it provides a 48% Attack boost. This adaptability to battlefield conditions perfectly showcases Aether’s versatility.
Sacred Relic selection is another crucial factor in determining a character’s effectiveness. The Golden Theater set is the optimal choice for maximizing Aether’s personal damage: the 2-piece set increases Elemental Skill damage by 20%, while the 4-piece set boosts Elemental Skill damage by 25% and further enhances it by 25% when off-field. The Rocky Stability set, on the other hand, offers more team-oriented support: the 2-piece set increases HP by 20%,