Guide
How the kit works
Before combat, use Mercy Is Not Forgiveness to attack enemies within range. On entering battle, it deals Lightning DMG and has a 100% base chance to apply Shock for two turns.
Once a teammate attacks, Gentle but Cruel launches a Follow-Up ATK against the primary target. It has a 100% base chance to apply the same Shock as the Ultimate. The Talent has up to two triggers available and regains one at the end of Kafka’s turn.
Use Caressing Moonlight against enemies already carrying DoTs. It hits one target and adjacent enemies, then makes their current DoTs immediately deal 75% or 50% of their original damage. Midnight Tumult is a single-target Lightning attack when you do not use the Skill.
Twilight Trill hits all enemies, has a 100% base chance to Shock them for two turns and immediately triggers their current DoTs for 120% of the original damage. Its Shock deals Lightning DoT equal to 290% of Kafka’s ATK at the start of each affected enemy’s turn.
With Thorns unlocked, using the Ultimate restores one Talent trigger, and the Follow-Up ATK makes the target’s current DoTs deal 80% of their original damage. Plunder restores 5 Energy when a Shocked enemy is defeated.
Build and why
Eagle of Twilight Line is the first relic choice in the guide evidence. Its four-piece effect advances Kafka’s action by 25% after her Ultimate. The two-piece Wind DMG bonus does not improve her Lightning attacks. Pair it with Lushaka, the Sunken Seas for Energy Regeneration Rate; put another character first in the lineup to give that character 12% ATK.
For a more damage-focused alternative, use four pieces of Prisoner in Deep Confinement. Its ATK bonus suits Kafka’s scaling, and its four-piece effect ignores 6% DEF per DoT on the target, up to three DoTs. Revelry by the Sea is a planar option with ATK and DoT bonuses at 2400 and 3600 ATK.
The first weapon choice is Before the Tutorial Mission Starts. It gives 20% Effect Hit Rate and restores 4 Energy when its wearer attacks a DEF-reduced enemy, so the Energy effect needs a source of DEF reduction. Patience Is All You Need comes next: it raises DMG and SPD and can apply Erode, a Lightning DoT that also counts as Shock.
Lies Dance on the Breeze is another option. It gives 18% SPD and attacks have a 120% base chance to apply Bamboozle to all enemies, reducing their DEF by 16%. At 170 SPD, attacks also have a 120% base chance to apply Theft, which reduces DEF by another 8%.
For main stats, use Effect Hit Rate or ATK Percentage on the body, SPD on the feet, Lightning DMG Boost or ATK Percentage on the sphere, and Energy Regeneration Rate or ATK Percentage on the rope. The game’s substat order is ATK Percentage, SPD, then Effect Hit Rate.
Leveling priority
The game’s leveling order is Twilight Trill, Caressing Moonlight, Midnight Tumult, then Gentle but Cruel. The Ultimate hits every enemy and triggers their DoTs; the Skill gives you another way to trigger DoTs on its target and adjacent enemies. The Basic is placed ahead of the Talent in this order.
For maximum ascension, you need 308,000 Credit, 65 Shape Shifter’s Lightning Staff, and 15 each of Thief’s Instinct, Usurper’s Scheme and Conqueror’s Will.
To max all skills, you need 3,000,000 Credit, 8 Tracks of Destiny, 18 Obsidian of Dread, 69 Obsidian of Desolation, 139 Obsidian of Obsession, 12 Regret of Infinite Ochema, 41 Thief’s Instinct, 56 Usurper’s Scheme and 58 Conqueror’s Will.
Eidolons worth it
Leggiero (E6) is worth considering for Kafka’s own Shock: it raises its damage multiplier by 156% and extends its duration by one turn when applied by her Ultimate, Technique or Talent Follow-Up ATK. Reaching it requires all earlier Eidolons.
Fortississimo (E2) is a useful earlier stopping point for a DoT team, increasing all allies’ DoT by 33% while Kafka is on the field. Da Capo gives her attacks a 100% base chance to increase the target’s DoT taken by 30% for two turns.
Capriccio (E3) and Doloroso raise skill levels rather than adding a new effect. Recitativo (E4) restores 2 Energy when an enemy takes damage from Kafka’s Shock. You can stop at E2 if those later gains are not what you need, but you cannot skip them on the way to E6.
Teams
Torture increases an ally’s ATK by 100% when that ally has at least 75% Effect Hit Rate. Check your teammates’ stats when planning around this passive rather than assuming everyone receives the bonus.
Common mistakes
Do not fire Caressing Moonlight into enemies without DoTs and expect its extra DoT damage. Let Kafka or a teammate apply an effect first when possible. Twilight Trill also benefits from current DoTs on the field.
Do not treat a 100% base chance as an unconditional application. Effect Hit Rate is a listed build stat, and Before the Tutorial Mission Starts supplies some of it. Its Energy effect still needs the attacked enemy to have reduced DEF.
Do not forget the positioning condition on Lushaka, the Sunken Seas. If Kafka is first in the lineup, its ATK bonus for the first character does not activate. If you want more of her own DoT damage instead, consider the Prisoner in Deep Confinement and Revelry by the Sea combination.
