LuviaBuild and Guide

Luvia is a Kinetic Odd Affinity Animus, highly specialized in controlling a single enemy and debuffing the rest of their team.

Skill 1

Luvia hits one enemy a single time, with a high chance of inflicting them with 1 stack of [Witherbloom].

[Witherbloom] absorbs the healing done on the afflicted Animus until its max capacity is reached. The amount of healing that can be absorbed per stack depends on Luvia’s max HP. This effect cannot be purified and its duration cannot be shortened or extended. If the Debuff is still active upon reaching the end of its duration, it deals damage to the afflicted unit equal to the remaining amount of Healing not absorbed.

Can be leveled to 3 at first if you’re tight on resources. Has the 2nd priority for level 5. 

Skill 2

S2 is a 2-hit AoE, with each hit having a high chance to Dispel 1 buff from each enemy as well as applying 1 stack of [Witherbloom] on them.

Same as S1, if you plan to counter Healing, level 3 is mandatory. Levels 4 and 5 are both very strong, so take it quickly to level  3/4, depending on how you use Luvia, then bring it to level  5 later on. Has the 3rd priority for level  5.

Skill 3

Luvia’s S3, Deathcycle, brings a new type of Control to the game: the [Exile] effect. [Exile] is an effect that temporarily removes a character from play. This means that the afflicted character cannot be targeted by friends or foes, does not receive damage or healing/shields, does not get any boost or malus to Turn Meter, etc. This effect cannot be applied to monsters, and automatically ends/cannot be applied if only 1 enemy remains on the field (counting the afflicted Animus). Luvia applies the [Exile] effect for 2 turns to her main target, fully bypassing EFF RES once the skill is level 4.

On top of this tremendous Control effect, Luvia grants a 2-turn [SPD+] to her team, deals a bit of damage to the enemies and inflicts those not exiled with a 2-turn [SPD-].

This is Luvia’s greatest skill, and it can, by itself, end the fight before it even begins. For this reason, raising the skill to level  4 is a must, and level  5 is crucial if your fights last more than 2/3 turns. Has the highest priority for level  5.

PVE

Luvia isn’t really designed to be played in PVE. Her greatest, and somewhat only appeal, is her ability to give both SPD- and SPD+ to the enemy and yourself, respectively. [Exile] doesn’t work on monsters, [Witherbloom] barely does any damage for triggering after 2 turns, etc. In short, there are way too many Supports/Debuffers ahead of her in PVE to consider her unless you really want to play her.

PVP

In PVP, however, Luvia easily finds her place at the top of the meta. The [Exile] mechanic is strong, especially on Offense, where you can choose your target. And bringing a double SPD manipulation with the same button is the cherry on top. Similarly, [Witherbloom’s] ability to neuter Healing for a few turns is yet another strong counter to some frequent meta comps.

Luvia isn’t without counters, as Moon Bunny/Law of Silence are especially strong to protect an Animus you absolutely don’t want targeted. Moon Bunny is usable to bait Luvias in a defensive setup (as the targeting is automatic). Immunity works too, even though nothing prevents your opponent from bringing a super-fast Dispeller. Lastly, Animuses such as Palin who can force the targeting can throw you off.

Conclusion

Luvia is a PVP-focused Controller/Debuffer, whose highly specific range of application works greatly in her favor, making her a perfect pick to counter certain strategies without warping the entire meta around her, thanks to her clear counters in both manual and auto-play.