Guide
How the kit works
Start with Basic Attack: Moon Hunter. Pressing it produces up to five Physical strikes; holding it charges the attack and deals Ice DMG. Complete the charge to get the 80% Daze increase from Core Passive: Metallic Paws.
Use EX Special Attack: Thrill of the Hunt (Special) when Lycaon has enough Energy. Hold it to consume Energy and strengthen the attack. A hit lowers the target’s Ice DMG RES by 25% for 30 seconds, and Lycaon is invulnerable during the skill. Without enough Energy, Special Attack: Time to Hunt still deals Ice DMG and can be charged.
Switch Lycaon in with Defensive Assist: Disrupted Hunt when the active character is about to be attacked. The parry deals massive Daze. Follow it with Assist Follow-Up: Vengeful Counterattack for Ice DMG and the same Ice DMG RES reduction. Both skills give Lycaon invulnerability while used.
When the enemy is Stunned, hit it with Lycaon to activate Additional Ability: Elegant Predator, provided another squad member shares his Attribute or Faction. Choose him for Chain Attack: As You Wish when a Chain Attack is triggered, or use Ultimate: Mission Complete at Maximum Decibel Rating. Both deal Ice DMG and make him invulnerable during the attack.
Dodge: Suitable Positioning gives him an invulnerable dash. After a Perfect Dodge, use Dodge Counter: Etiquette Manual for Ice DMG. Dash Attack: Keep it Clean deals Physical DMG during a dodge, while Quick Assist: Wolf Pack brings him in when the active character is launched.
Build and why
King of the Summit is the first set to consider. Its four-piece effect gives the squad 15% CRIT DMG for 15 seconds when Lycaon uses an EX Special Attack or Chain Attack. At 50% CRIT Rate or more, it gives another 15%. Pair it with two pieces of Shockstar Disco for 6% Impact.
The game’s build instead recommends four pieces of Shockstar Disco and two of Polar Metal. Shockstar Disco makes Basic Attacks, Dash Attacks and Dodge Counters inflict 20% more Daze on the main target; Polar Metal gives 10% Ice DMG. Four pieces of Swing Jazz are another option, giving the squad 15% DMG for 12 seconds after a Chain Attack or Ultimate.
For main stats, use CRIT Rate on disc 4, Ice DMG Bonus or Percent ATK on disc 5, and Impact on disc 6. CRIT Rate also helps reach the King of the Summit threshold. The game’s substat order is CRIT Rate, Percent ATK, then CRIT DMG.
Blazing Laurel is the weapon to put first. A Quick Assist or Perfect Assist raises Impact by 25% for 8 seconds. Basic Attack hits apply Wilt for 30 seconds, up to 20 stacks; each stack raises the CRIT DMG of Ice and Fire damage dealt by squad members by 1.5%.
Ice-Jade Teapot is another option: Basic Attack hits build stacks that raise Impact, and reaching 15 stacks gives the squad 20% DMG for 10 seconds. The Restrained fits the charged Basic Attack plan too. Hits build up to five stacks, each increasing Basic Attack DMG and Daze by 6% for 8 seconds.
Leveling priority
Follow the game’s order: Core Passive: Metallic Paws first, then Basic Attack, Special Attack, Chain Attack, Assist and Dodge. The Core Passive supports both charged Basic Attack Daze and the Ice RES reduction. Basic Attack comes next because charging it is a regular part of Lycaon’s field time.
Special Attack covers his Energy-powered Ice attack, while Chain Attack and Assist improve actions used around switches. Dodge comes last in this order.
For ascension to the maximum level, you need 800,000 Denny, 4 Basic Stun Certification Seal, 32 Advanced Stun Certification Seal and 30 Buster Certification Seal.
For all skills, the listed total is 2,905,000 Denny, 25 Basic Freeze Chip, 75 Advanced Freeze Chip, 250 Specialized Freeze Chip, 5 Hamster Cage Pass, 9 Finale Dance Shoes and 60 Higher Dimensional Data: Ethereal Pursuit.
Mindscapes worth it
For a Stun-focused Lycaon, Full Moon Momentum is a good first upgrade to consider. An EX Special Attack hit increases that attack’s Daze by 12%, once every 8 seconds. Completing its charge adds another 10% to the buff.
Ruthless Hunter is worth considering for Lycaon’s own damage. Charged hits make the target take 10% more DMG from him per stack, up to five stacks for 12 seconds. Each skill use can add only one stack. Energy Feedback gives him 5 Energy when he Stuns an enemy or triggers a squad member’s Chain Attack, up to once per second.
Attendant Training and Alpha Nature each add two levels to his main skill categories. Graceful Demeanor gives a Shield when he is attacked during a Basic or Special Attack. If your goal is Stun support, these are reasonable upgrades to skip rather than chase.
Teams
Pair Lycaon with an Ice damage dealer such as Hugo, Ellen or Yidhari. They match his Attribute for Additional Ability: Elegant Predator and can benefit from his Ice DMG RES reduction. Soukaku is an Ice Support option who also satisfies the Attribute condition.
A team of Hugo, Lycaon and Soukaku is one option. Stun the target with Lycaon, hit it to increase its Stun DMG Multiplier, then bring in Hugo to attack. Refresh the Ice DMG RES reduction with Lycaon’s EX Special Attack or Assist Follow-Up when needed.
Corin is a Physical Attack option from the same Faction as Lycaon, so she also enables his Additional Ability, though her Physical damage does not benefit from the Ice RES reduction. Rina shares their Faction and is a Support option.
Common mistakes
Do not release every Basic Attack early. Core Passive: Metallic Paws gives its 80% Daze increase when the charge is completed, so finishing the charge matters. Watch the enemy’s attacks and use a dodge or Defensive Assist when you need safety.
Do not assume the Stun DMG Multiplier increase is always active. Another squad member must share Lycaon’s Attribute or Faction, and Lycaon must hit the enemy after it is Stunned. Also check your CRIT Rate if you use King of the Summit: its extra 15% CRIT DMG needs at least 50% CRIT Rate.
