Arcana R5 Public Test Server Review - Melodic Puppeteer (Puppetry)

There were some bugs in Week 1, such as certain combos not connecting properly. Since the polish usually improves by Week 2, I decided to wait and conduct the review during the second weekend, which delayed the process.

* Screenshots were taken on the Test Server; for the latest information, please check the linked skill pages.

Melodic Puppeteer (Puppetry Arcana)

Puppetry + Music Arcana

There are many skills to manage, and since the flow feels different from the traditional Act 7: Climactic Crash-focused playstyle, it seems like it will take some time to adjust.

Climactic Crash still deals high damage and needs to be used frequently, but since it requires mouse control, both hands are going to be very busy.

Echo Marionette

On the Test Server, it says no materials are required. However, considering that a Grandmaster can craft Echo Marionettes, it is likely that "Taillteann Farm" resources or "Seasonal Life Special Gathering/Crafting" items will be needed once it hits the live server.

Looking at the UI above, I wonder if it will function similarly to the Taillteann Storage system.

As revealed in the January 13th Live Connector, various factors like age and body fat can be controlled.

Hair Ampoules and Beauty Coupons can be used for customization. Some users might feel this is an added cost due to increased consumption, while others might see it as a benefit for increasing the market volume of these items.

Echo Marionettes can be summoned via "Action" > "Marionette Link." While the base name cannot be changed, if you own multiple "Echo Marionettes," you can assign a different nickname to each one.

Echo Marionette equipment can be changed freely, and dungeon loot can also be equipped.

Items that do not match the gender of the marionette will be disabled.

There is a minor bug(?) where rapidly switching Echo Marionettes can cause the UI to display a different marionette than the one actually summoned.

The image above shows a male marionette with black hair, but the actual Echo summoned is a different one named "Name 2."

When the Arcana is active, Act 7: Climactic Crash and Act 4: Rising Action are deployed at the mouse location, and the marionette is summoned only for the duration of the skill before being unsummoned.

(Without the Arcana active, the skills function in the traditional way.)

Three-Hander Stage

This skill increases marionette damage but also increases the cooldown of base Puppetry skills.

Since it allows multiple marionettes to be controlled simultaneously, this seems intended to prevent the existing pattern of spamming Act 7: Climactic Crash.

Interlude Slash

This skill is based on Act 4: Rising Action.

Without reforges, Rising Action is 1020%, making Interlude Slash's damage 306%. One might think it's weak, but...

While the skill multiplier seems low, it affects all currently attacking marionettes. Therefore, it is most effective when multiple marionettes have been summoned at once. It pairs well with skills like Tracking Step that keep the marionette on the field for a long time.

If you use 1 or 2 other skills after Tracking Step, you might be able to land 2 or 3 hits... but looking at the following...

Looking at it frame-by-frame, it isn't clearly confirmed if damage is dealt multiple times even with multiple marionettes out. It still seems like a solid choice for AoE damage.

Downbeat Accent

This technique is based on Act 2: Threshold of Pleasure.

Without reforges, it combines the 1344% of Threshold of Pleasure with an additional 500% for a total of 1844% damage.

Tracking Step

Based on Act 1: Inciting Incident, this skill attacks 7 times at 480% damage.

It has a 10-second cooldown, but it takes nearly the full 10 seconds to complete all hits. It can be viewed as a skill that should be used continuously every 10 seconds.

Wire Web

This skill deals Melody Shock damage + 600% = 1100% total.

It applies an AoE equal to Act 6: Crisis + a 7m radius.

Since Melody Shock reforges are located on instruments and accessories, it can be considered a skill that cannot be directly reforged. As for the Crisis range, the base range is already so large that it feels somewhat unnecessary.

The cooldown is 10 seconds but the duration is 15 seconds, so you don't need to time it perfectly every 10 seconds. It is expected that the debuff can also be shared by others.

I wonder if they felt Rage Impact didn't fit the Puppetry damage cycle...

But then again, should Lance and Knuckle users be forced to use Rage Impact in their cycles either?...

Quick Swing

This skill requires a marionette to be summoned. It seems useful for sticking to enemies when using skills that have a long attachment time like "Tracking Step." If you need to run away or dodge, you might use it as an escape after deploying "Act 4: Rising Action" or "Act 7: Climactic Crash" at a distance.

Grand Finale

This skill attacks 3 times with the damage of Act 7: Climactic Crash. Without reforges, this is 2580% * 3 = 7740%.

It acts as an ultimate move with a long cooldown, which recalls all currently summoned marionettes upon use.

Reforges

Since the Arcana skills use the multipliers of Act 1, 2, 4, and 7, and all these skills have reforges available on Control Bars, we can analyze the efficiency.

Downbeat Accent

- Act 2: Threshold of Pleasure

- 4s Cooldown

- 3% increase per level -> 60% at level 20

- 60 / 4 = 15% per second

Tracking Step

- Act 1: Inciting Incident * 7

- 10s Cooldown

- 5% increase per level -> 100% at level 20

- 100 * 7 / 10 = 70% per second

Grand Finale

- Act 7: Climactic Crash * 3

- 45s Cooldown

- 8% increase per level -> 160% at level 20

- 160 * 3 / 45 = 10.67% per second

Interlude Slash

- 30% of Act 4: Rising Action damage

- 4s Cooldown

- 5% increase per level -> 100% at level 20

- 100 * 0.3 / 4 = 7.5% per second

If we only look at Arcana skills, Act 1 reforges seem the most efficient.

However, since base skills can also be used every 4 seconds, if you rotate them without downtime:

Act 2: Threshold of Pleasure

- 3% increase per level -> 60% at level 20

- 60 / 4 + 60 / 4 = 30% per second

Act 1: Inciting Incident

- 5% increase per level -> 100% at level 20

- 100 * 7 / 10 + 100 / 4 = 95% per second

Act 7: Climactic Crash

- 8% increase per level -> 160% at level 20

- 160 * 3 / 45 + 160 / 4 = 50.67% per second

Act 4: Rising Action

- 5% increase per level -> 100% at level 20

- 100 * 0.3 / 4 + 100 / 4 = 32.5% per second

However, the actual skill usage ratio will likely differ. (Based on No Reforges)

Act 1: Inciting Incident

- 480% / 4 = 120%

Act 2: Threshold of Pleasure 🥈

- 1344% / 4 = 336%

Act 4: Rising Action

- 1020% / 4 = 255%

Act 7: Climactic Crash 🥇

- 2580% / 4 = 645%

- 2580% / 5 = 516% (Assuming 1s charging time)

Downbeat Accent 🥈

- (1344% + 500%) / 4 = 461%

Tracking Step 🥈

- (480% * 7) / 10 = 336%

Interlude Slash🥉

- (1020% * 0.3) / 4 = 76.5%

Grand Finale 🥇

- (1020% * 3) / 45 = 68%

Since Grand Finale has a long cooldown, if we set it aside, Climactic Crash has the highest damage multiplier.

Even assuming a 1-second charging time, Climactic Crash remains the highest, so it seems best to focus on Climactic Crash reforges.

I imagine the combat style will involve constantly cycling Climactic Crash, while periodically weaving in Tracking Step, Downbeat Accent, and Threshold of Pleasure, with Interlude Slash and Grand Finale being used whenever their cooldowns allow.

Even so, with 6 offensive skills + Wire Web, it looks like you'll have to keep pressing 7 different skills without rest while hunting.