Table of Contents
Character Overview
Hanako (Swimsuit) is a Limited 3* Sonic Striker student who will be our new and upcoming FES student alongside the first FES student, Wakamo. On release, S.Hanako did not have a specific niche to cater to but still managed to find usage in several AoE-related raids such as Perorodzilla, Goz, and Chesed. With the release of Kurokage in JP, S.Hanako now has a raid to take advantage of her damage type and terrain bonus.
S.Hanako’s overall playstyle is somewhat unique when compared to other damage dealers. She can immediately redraw her EX Skill after use. This allows for higher burst windows but can also lead to weird skill rotations, her EX Skill can end up unaligned.
If you can only pull for one student during the FES banner, we highly recommend prioritizing S.Hanako over Wakamo. As Wakamo has several Mystic damage dealer alternatives, Sonic is a relatively new damage type. This leads to there not being a lot of alternatives if you are looking to clear Kurokage.
Strengths
- High AoE damage
- Core pick for current Sonic raid (Kurokage)
- Strong pick for off-color raids
Weaknesses
- Limited FES
Skill Review
EX Skill
Starting things off, we have S.Hanako’s EX Skill, which deals damage to enemies in a fan-shaped AoE. This skill is directly tied to her Sub Skill as it consumes a water gauge to keep the card on hand, which allows you to use EX Skill multiple times. In addition to this, this skill has a low cost of 2, which allows for repeated use.
Basic Skill
S.Hanako’s Basic Skill deals damage to enemies in a circular AoE and leaves behind a residual AoE, reducing the enemies' DEF for 20s. While initially, this skill may look like your traditional AoE with some utility, the DEF debuff it applies is considered a unique debuff, allowing it to stack with every other DEF down in the game. Even with all these effects, we recommended raising this skill last, as her other skills provide better effects.
Enchanced Skill
Moving on to S.Hanako’s Enhanced Skill, we have a somewhat unique split scaling with buffs to both ATK and Crit DMG. This is an amazing effect that should be prioritized over her Basic and Sub Skill if you have Unique Equipment 40 unlocked.
Sub Skill
Lastly, S.Hanako’s Sub Skill is tied to her EX SKill. This skill adds a unique mechanic to S.Hanako, a water gauge. This gauge is charged by 40% every time an ally other than herself uses an EX Skill. Once fully charged it increases her ATK for 20 seconds and can hold a total of 2 charges.
The only minor downside this skill has is requiring you to pay attention to your rotation to get the most out of the ATK buff. We recommend raising this skill or Enhanced Skill first if you have Unique Equipment 40 unlocked.
Gameplay Progression
Early game: While there may not be any enemies with Elastic armor in the early game, S.Hanako still finds usage in the early game. This is mainly due to her high stats, strong EX Skill multipliers, and low cost. You can bring her into any armor-type general content, as she deals enough damage to deal with trash mobs.
Late game (High Investment): In the late game for Global, S.Hanako does not have a specific raid to cater towards, but this does not mean she performs badly for the raids currently released. She does well as an AoE damage dealer for Perorodzilla to deal with Perorominions and Goz in P1. On top of this, if you do not have better alternatives, she can be brought to Chesed. For the upcoming raid, Kurokage, S.Hanako is a must-pull to have a competitive score for Insane+.
- Minimum Required Investment: Unique Equipment 40
- Skill Leveling Priority: Enhanced = Sub > Basic
Conclusion
Overall, S.Hanako is a must-have character that has continued the trend of FES students being strong. Her amazing base stats and self buffs, strong skill multipliers, and low cost allow her to have great coverage in raids. Newer players will also highly benefit from S.Hanako's wide coverage in general content, as she can fit into almost any content.
How Much Should I Invest?: Unique Equipment 50, to maximize her damage in Kurokage.
