Fire elements, who belongs to the Mundus faction. Their position in combat is Mid.
Ikara is a DPS Crew Member capable of unleashing powerful Fire Status Effects such as Heartblaze and Extinction through her dragonic abilities. While enemies are under these effects, they take more damage, which can stack if both are applied; additionally, she can also amplify the damage of other Fire Status Effects. She becomes an incredible draw and cost support upon reaching Awakening 2 and 4.
Playstyle and Key Mechanics
Ikara can play the role of a Main DPS or a Support due to her kit. She applies debuffs and a handful of fire status effects; she also multiplies the damage of all fire status effects and provides cost generation, making her a staple crew member for the majority of team archetypes.
Main Cards:
For her first card, [Decus·Pyre], a 3-cost red card that fires [Draconis Decus] to deal fire damage to the target over 3 hits while inflicting [Break], [Corrupt], and [Heartblaze] in sequence.
Next is [Oracle·Investiture], a 3-cost yellow card that draws 2 cards, prioritizing hers and grants Cost equal to the total Cost of the cards drawn. As it enters the discard pile, it lets her obtain an ally’s card from the deck or discard pile and use it immediately, then marks the cardholder as [Dragonborn] while stacking [Investiture] on them. Each [Investiture] stack shares Ikara’s RESO Talent, so if she is RESO 2, for example, she can only stack 2 for each ally.
Ikara’s Oracle · Investiture Config Rule
Base: Hand ≤ 5
Base + Hulton Balloon: Hand ≤ 5
Base + Dawncloud Seal: Hand ≤ 7
Base + Hulton Balloon + Dawncloud Seal: Hand ≤ 6
Base + Nayuta(Shuffle): Hand ≤ 9
Base + Nayuta(Shuffle) + Hulton Balloon: Hand ≤ 7
Base + Nayuta(Shuffle) + Dawncloud Seal: Hand ≤ 10
Base + Nayuta(Shuffle) + Hulton Balloon + Dawncloud Seal: Hand ≤ 9
Then her ultimate [Draconis·Fiery Calamity], where she fires [Draconis] and deals high fire and dragon damage to all enemies over 9 hits and inflicts [Wildfire] 3 times. Afterwards, the card transforms into [Draconis·Extinction Edict].
Derivative:
[Draconis·Extinction Edict] - [Draconis] shoots the flame that defies all laws, dealing DMG to all enemies over 9 hits, triggering [Wildfire] once, and inflicting [Extinction] once to the enemy with the highest HP. Afterwards, [Draconis·Extinction Edict] transforms to [Draconis·Fiery Calamity].
Investment
Ikara is one of the most highly sought-after crew members in the game and it is needless to say that she is a must-have for every account that is playing for META; similar to other characters, her primary breakpoints are Awakening 2 and 4. Awakening 2 is where she shines the most and can effectively provide more cost if played correctly while also increasing her personal DMG, and having her Awakening 4 will just make your cost problems vanish while including a variety of QOL combat effect, Therefore its advisable to pull for her Awakenings and plan your pulls whenever she is available.
Awakening 1 - Whenever a Fire Status effect is applied, she increases her ATK% respectively to the Fire Status effect that was inflicted. This goes up to 99%
Awakening 2 - Instantly applies a stack of [Investiture] to all allies at the start of the battle, gains 1 cost for every 3 [Dragonborn] cards used, applies [Wildfire] and has a chance to gain [Restless] every 6 cards drawn, as well as makes [Extinction] deal more damage for every 9 cards drawn.
Awakening 4 - For each [Dragonborn] present, Cost recovers 20% faster, cards are replenished 0.2 seconds faster, and [Discard] action cools down 1 second faster, which effectively stacks up to 5 as long as allies are alive.
Awakening 5 - All red cards deal more DMG per [Investiture] stack across your team; max DMG can be achieved upon reaching 20 stacks (Investiture can stack up to 25 total).
Resonance
Resonance 1 — Enables her to cheat death once, and she can heal herself as long as [Wildfire], [Extinction], or [Heartblaze] is in effect and the healing effect is increased for each [Dragonborn] present.
Resonance 2 — Adds one of her cards at the start of battle and whenever the deck reshuffles; this can be only trigger 3 times.
Resonance 4 — Fire Status effects deal 36% more damage.
Resonance 5 — Enemies under [Heartblaze] or [Extinction] take 18% and 36% more Fire DMG, respectively and this can stack if both are applied.
Synergies
❗ ❗ ❗ The Synergies mentioned here are merely samples. Taking their core mechanics as an example, you can use many other characters as replacements or other synergies. ❗ ❗ ❗
Dustin - A support that can apply [Ignite] consistently through Celestial Fires; when played with Scorching Spike, they can take advantage of having [Wildfire], which greatly synergizes with Ikara’s Resonance Abilities. He can also increase the duration of Fire Status Effects.
Olivien - One of the staple supports for cost generation, but mainly for teams that can deal Frost or Fire DMG. Given that Ikara can deal Fire DMG and has relatively expensive cards, you can expect them to work well together.
Kaleya - A bit of healing, efficient Card Draw and she can apply a field effect that makes certain Fire Status Effects deal 100% more damage while also consistently applying Ignite with that field effect and her drones.
Paladi - Only works if Paladi is Awakening 5.
Gear and Affixes
Some examples of overall good equipment choices for Ikara. For specific picks, please check the respective teams.
Weapons:
UR Scorching Spike: Whenever [Ignite] is inflicted 8 times or [Blaze] is inflicted 4 times, inflicts [Wildfire].
UR Space Tangent: Draws 1 more card at the start of battle prioritizing own Ultimate card.
SSR Volcano: [Ignite], [Blaze], [Wildfire], and [Inferno] dealt deal 25% more burning damage per second. This effect stacks.
SSR Infinite Incineration: At the battle's beginning, remove 1 Cost, and all allies' Flame/Physical DMG is increased by 7%.
SSR Unbewusstes Probe: Whenever you play a Red Card of cost 3 or more, random enemy receive 3% less healing. This effect stacks up to a maximum of 75%.
SSR: Degenerate Blackrock: Increases wearer's final DMG dealt by 10%. This effect stacks.
SR: Dissection Tool C: Using [Discard] action restores 1 Cost. This effect stacks.
R Gardener Multi-Tool: Playing a Red Card increases ATK by 0.5%. This effect stacks.
R Mass Projector: Using [Leader Skill] increases ATK by 1.5%. This effect stacks.
Armor:
UR Lucid Dream Fiber: Wearer's Red Cards heal the wearer for 2% of the damage dealt.
UR Grandfather Reactive Armor: At the start of battle, convert 5% ATK of the ally with highest DEF to the wearer's ATK. When taking DMG, transfer 25% of the DMG taken to the ally with highest DEF.
SSR Simulated Stars: Using [Leader Skill] restores 5% HP. This effect stacks.
SSR External Memory Matrix: Max damage taken per hit is 33% of Max HP.
SSR Black Rock Armor: Reduces wearer's final DMG taken by 10%. This effect stacks.
SSR High Dimension Construct: Generating a Black Card restores 5% of Max HP. This effect stacks.
SR Resonance Fiber: When own skill card is used, restores 2% of Max HP.
Accessories:
UR Eye of Logos: Activates [Discard] action at the start of the battle.
UR Karma Dice: Increases all allies' all trigger rates by 3%. This effect stacks.
UR Dawncloud Seal: Max Hand Size +1
UR World Line ß Box: Draws a card whenever you encounter a wave of enemies, prioritizing wearer's skill cards.
SSR Mobius: Cards in your hand are replenished 0.25 seconds faster. This effect stacks.
SSR Divinity Seal: Gains 2 Cost at the battle's beginning. This effect stacks.
SSR Fengshui Tactical Drone: For every 8 cards used, increases ATK or DEF by 2%, up to a maximum of 50%.
SR Magic Spring: Restores 0.02 Cost per second. This effect stacks.
