Blue Archive Chinatsu (Hot Spring) Overview

Character Overview

Chinatsu (Hot Spring) is a Permanent 3* Mystic Striker student who will have a rate-up banner during the upcoming event "Operation record of No. 227 Hot Spring Resort" alongside other banners Cherino (Hot Spring), Nodoka (Hot Spring), and Shigure (Hot Spring). On release, O.Chinatsu was a top choice for a damage buffer, synergizing well with Auto Attackers while also having strong survivability tools. 

If you are reading this on her banner, you might be wondering whether or not she is worth pulling. We recommend skipping this banner, as she is not required to clear any raid. In addition, there is an upcoming limited/collab banner.


Strengths

  • Strong offensive buffs
  • Strong self shields

Weaknesses

  • Needs an Auto Attacker DPS

Skill Review

EX Skill

Chinatsu’s EX Skill increases the ATK SPD of 1 ally (Except herself) for 30 seconds. Unlike Crit/ATK buffs, not all students can take advantage of ATK SPD, which is most common in students who have SR or HG as weapons. 

For students like Izuna, who needs to AA several times to proc Basic Skill, this greatly improves their damage output. Additionally, it has a low cost and generates a shield (Sub Skill) when used, making it a great survivability tool.

Basic Skill

Similar to EX Skill, this increases ATK SPD for one ally except herself for 20s. Most of what was said in EX Skill still applies here but does not cost skill points and targets a random ally.

Enchanced Skill

O.Chinatsu’s Enhanced Skill increases her Max HP both at Base and Enhanced+. In most cases, you will not need the additional HP that Enhanced+ provides. This is mainly due to her strong self shields on Sub Skill.

Sub Skill

Lastly, we have another core component of O.Chinatsu’s kit. After using an EX Skill, a shield is generated that scales off her Healing, lasting up to 30s. At level 90, the shield has around 11k HP for a single target shield. In addition, the shield can easily be reapplied, allowing her to tank hits in raids without the need for healing/sustain from another student.


Gameplay Progreession

Early game: Surprisingly, O.Chinatsu performs decently in general content/stages, as Auto Attacks contribute towards a good portion of damage. If you are lacking a student or need a filler O.Chinatsu can be a great choice due to her low skill cost.

Late game (High Investment): In raids (Extreme and below), O.Chinatsu's usage depends on which damage dealer she supports. It is not an exaggeration to say she could either be one of the best DMG supporters or bring nothing to the table if your damage dealer is not centered around Auto Attacks. In INS+, the same still holds true, but she can struggle to survive in raids that deal Explosive damage. Note that O.Chinatsu prefers to be in a hypercarry team to stack both her ATK SPD buff on one student.

  • Minimum Required Investment: 3*
  • Skill Leveling Priority: Basic > Enhanced = Sub

Conclusion

Overall, O.Chinatsu is a strong but niche student who is more dependent on the team than the raid. She is an invaluable student for players who have mainly run Auto Attackers as damage dealers. There is also an inherent value of having O.Chinatsu in your roster, as there are only a handful of ATK SPD buffers.

How Much Should I Invest?: 3* is usually enough if you can guarantee her survivability.