Table of Contents
Character Overview
Nodoka (Hot Spring) is a Permanent 3* Explosive Special 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), Chinatsu (Hot Spring), and Shigure (Hot Spring). On release, she has been a go-to choice in raids as a healer in extra teams that need a strong sustain unit. Nowadays, there are now other farmable alternatives for a healer, which has led her to see less usage.
If you are reading this on her banner, you might be wondering whether she is worth pulling. We recommend skipping this banner since Koharu is now farmable for free via the Tactical Assault shop. In addition, there is an upcoming limited/collab banner.
Strengths
- Strong healing
- Offensive buffs as a healer
- Can switch healing targets
Weaknesses
- EX Skill is stationary (Only matters for General content)
- Farmable alternatives available
Skill Review
EX Skill
Starting things off with O.Nodoka’s EX Skill summons her to the selected location and heals one ally with the lowest HP every 3 seconds. The healing amount is chosen at random (any of the 3 snacks), but this is not relevant and should not dissuade you from having her in your team.
O.Nodoka will not follow the party when moving between areas for general content. In most cases, this is irrelevant since you will only encounter this issue IF YOU CLEAR THE WAVE TOO QUICKLY. If you are in this situation, then usually having more damage in the team is a better solution.
Basic Skill
Every 30 seconds O.Nodoka’s Basic Skill increases the Recovery Boost for 1 ally with the lowest HP by 20s. In most cases, this buff will go to your tank as they will be taking the most damage. An underwhelming skill, which can be leveled last as the rest of her skills are more consistent.
Enchanced Skill
Nodoka’s Enhanced Skill increases her Healing at both base and Enhanced+. If you plan on having her on your team for Hieronymus, unlocking Enhanced+ allows you to heal the lantern to full.
Sub Skill
Lastly, O.Nodoka has an ATK Sub to buff allies giving you a good mix of survivability and damage. Prioritize raising this skill over Enhanced or Basic, as it increases the team’s damage output.
Gameplay Progression
Early game: During the early game, O.Nodoka has mostly been relegated to a secondary choice for healers if you have Koharu or Serina. The main downside to bringing O.Nodoka is her healing is done over time and stationary. For general content, you will be moving around the map making it unlikely to receive the full healing. Note that this is only an issue if you deal enough damage to clear the wave before she gets to heal the team.
Early game alternatives:
Students listed here are only some of the notable options available.
Late game (High Investment): In raids, O.Nodoka mainly found usage in Hieronymus as a healer that could fully heal the lantern even with a debuff. This would usually mean having another healer to help keep your team alive while she targets the lantern.
Outside of this, she has mainly been relegated to being a comfy pick in almost any raid that does not reduce healing. This can be great for players who are looking to do Torment raids and need extra teams to clear the raid.
- Minimum Required Investment: Unique Equipment 40
- Skill Leveling Priority: Sub > Basic = Enhanced
Conclusion
Overall, O.Nodoka is still a top choice if you need a healer to keep your entire team alive. Note that with teams and raids being more damage-oriented for higher scores, O.Nodoka has to compete against other Special students that bring better damage buffs to the table (Ako, Himari, and NY.Fuuka). This has led to other Striker healers being the primary choice in raids that do not counter their armor type.
How Much Should I Invest?: Unique Equipment 40, is a good stopping point to unlock Enhanced+.
