Here we have the fresh new FF XV realm and a couple new characters to go along with it!
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Gladiolus and Iris, the sibling super duo, join Noctis to provide a solid start to the new realm. The best part of this is the fact that we’ve never had a XV banner before, which means that this is a clean banner other than for those few that drew on Summer Festival Banner 2 and ended up with Noctis’s OSB. That’s a really nice thing as long as the characters are good and the relics follow suit. Luckily for us, they are and they do.
New Characters
Gladiolus
Level 99 Stats: 7475 HP, 210 ATK, 184 DEF, 120 MAG, 121 RES, 115 MND, 26 ACC, 25 EVA, 117 SPD
Weapons: Daggers, Swords, Katanas, Axes
Armor: Shields, Hats, Helms, Light Armor, Robes, Bracers
Ability Schools: Combat 5, Knight 5, Samurai 5
Iris
Level 99 Stats: 6218 HP, 160 ATK, 142 DEF, 117 MAG, 149 RES, 207 MND, 26 ACC, 25 EVA, 173 SPD
Weapons: Daggers, Fists, Rods, Staves, Thrown
Armor: Hats, Light Armor, Robes, Bracers
Ability Schools: White Magic 5, Monk 3, Dance 4(5 w/ Record Dive)
New Legend Dives
Noctis: +800 HP, +35 ATK, +25 DEF, +20 RES, +20 SPD, Minor Blind Resist, Moderate Blind Resist, Combat Ability Damage +9%
Gladiolus: +1000 HP, +35 ATK, +30 DEF, +30 RES, Minor Confuse Resist, Moderate Confuse Resist, Knight Ability Damage +9%
Iris: +500 HP, +30 DEF, +40 RES, +40 MND, Minor Silence Resist, Moderate Silence Resist, +9% WHT Healing
New Legend Materia
Noctis LM1 “Trail of the True King”: PHY attacks deal 10% more damage
Noctis LM2 “Successor of the Father King”: Grants Haste and Instant Cast 3 at the beginning of the battle
Gladiolus LM1 “Vanguard Valor”: PHY attacks deal 10% more damage when equipping a sword
Gladiolus LM2 “Guardian Servant”: ATK +3% for each hit taken by damaging attacks, up to +50%
Iris LM1 “Amacitia Teachings”: WHT abilities restore 15% more HP
Iris LM2 “Brave Logistic Support”: MND +1% for each hit dealt with White Magic abilities, up to +35%
Banner 1
Noctis OSB (1/14%)
Relic “Sword of the Father”: Sword
Soul Break “Armiger”: NE, 15.0x
Breaks damage cap, grants Armiger and Stoneskin 30%“Stoneskin 30%” [ID:265]
Reduces damage taken to 0, up to an amount of damage equal to 30% of the character’s maximum HP to the user
Key Statuses “Armiger”: ATK +30%, cast speed x3,00, removed if the user doesn’t have any Stoneskin
Description: With a massive multiplier and a strong buff, one could be forgiven for lumping this together with Orlandu’s overpowering OSB, but there’s a couple key differences. First, purely non-elemental damage hinders its ability to be boosted but also ensures strength versus nearly any boss. Second, Armiger has an infinite duration as long as Noctis never loses the Stoneskin status. This is a tough sell by itself, as I rarely see Stoneskin 30% last longer than Orlandu’s Thunder God’s Might, which has a 25 second duration. They key here, is that the Stoneskin need not be the one that he receives with this OSB cast, so it can be refreshed by external sources like Noctis’s BSB C2 and Iris’s BSB entry. But most importantly, this creates a combo in the future with Noctis’s USB, which grants him Stoneskin 100% as well as another buff that lasts as long as Stoneskin is active. Alone, however, this is a finisher for Noctis and little more.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 60/100 (+10 if you intend on pulling for Noctis’s USB on 30th Anniversary Banner 5)
Gladiolus OSB (1/14%)
Relic “Blade of Brennaere”: Sword, +Fire, RS +Earth
Soul Break “Dawnhammer”: Earth/NE, 11.44 – 12.93
Breaks damage cap, multiplier increases with hits taken
Description: The second 6* Fire sword after Seifer’s USB. This one is on a much better banner. Otherwise, it’s an OSB and that’s swell.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 60/100 (+20 with BSB)
Gladiolus BSB (1/14%)
Relic “War Sword”: Sword
Soul Break “Tempest”: Earth/NE
Six group attacks (0,83 each), grants Haste, Attach Earth and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Groundbashing Shield”: Earth/NE, Knight
1/2/3/4/5 single attacks (0,48 each) at 327/654/1700/2490 DEF
C2 “Royal Guard”: Earth/NE, Knight
Two single attacks (1,25 each), grants Sentinel“Sentinel” [ID:502]
DEF +200%, taunts single-target PHY and BLK attacks for 25 seconds to the user for 25 seconds
Description: Here’s the improved and earthen version of Warrior of Light’s BSB. The first command is nice with a great scaling 5-hit, and the second that gives him Sentinel for tanking and helping him hit that upper threshold on the first command. Just an all-around good BSB, and made better in the future with the release of Earthbringer, a 5* Knight ability similar to his C1 but with one less hit and a much higher multiplier.
Recurrence: 30th Anniversary Banner 5? (ETA: Late October)
Rating: 70/100
Iris BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Moogle Plushie”: Thrown
Soul Break “Kupo Cure”:
Restores HP (55), grants Astra“Astra” [ID:594]
Prevents Poison, Silence, Paralyze, Confuse, Slow, Stop, Blind, Sleep, Petrify, Berserk, Sap, Stun and Frozen once. Lasts 25 seconds and Stoneskin 30%“Stoneskin 30%” [ID:265]
Reduces damage taken to 0, up to an amount of damage equal to 30% of the character’s maximum HP, grants Haste and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Support Elixir”: Instant Cast
Restores HP (105)
C2 “Support Potion”:
Restores HP (25) to party
Description: I do like Curaga medicas more than Cura, obviously, but I penalize them less than most. The most direct comparison we can draw here is to Larsa’s BSB which loses the Stoneskin 30% but gains Curaga over Iris’s Cura. They even have identical commands. Even considering Stoneskin’s SB generation issues, I’ll take this BSB over Larsa’s. Of course, Larsa also has the coveted Wrath access, so he wins out there in the end. Either way, both of these healer BSBs are rightly considered two of the best in the game due to the Astra status and their appearance on great characters.
Recurrence: A Photographer’s Journey (ETA: October 19th)
Rating: 80/100 (+10 with LMR)
Noctis BSB (1/14%)
Relic “Prince’s Fatigues”: Light Armor
Soul Break “Kings of Old”: NE, Instant Cast
Ten single attacks (0,77 each), grants Combat King“Combat King [ID:6003]”
ATK, DEF and RES +30% to the user for 25 seconds, grants Haste, and Burst Mode to the user
C1 “Warp-Strike”: NE, Combat
Two single attacks (0,95 each), grants High Quick Cast 2“High Quick Cast 2” [ID:2021]
Cast speed x3,00, lasts for 2 turns to the user
C2 “Point-Warp”: Combat
Grants Stoneskin 30%“Stoneskin 30%” [ID:265]
Reduces damage taken to 0, up to an amount of damage equal to 30% of the character’s maximum HP, Smart Ether 1“Smart Ether 1”
Restores a Use to the ability with the least Uses remaining to the user
Description: Since there’s no use giving a non-elemental user an EnElement or Imperil, you buff their stats instead. Combat King is an old but still great tri-buff, and that, the instant cast entry, and the High Quickcast 2 C1, gives us the keys to an Omega Drive or Full Charge machine. I’d say he’s also a fine user of the damage focused Celerity abilities, but it’s obvious from his LMR and Legend Dive that he’s meant to be using Combat abilities. The C2 seems to be intended to be used with his OSB to refresh his Stoneskin status, but I feel that due to the fact that it does no damage ends up hurting more than helping, even if you’re able to restore a charge of Omega Drive in the process. Simpler to use than it looks, and potent with the right stuff to use it with.
Recurrence: A Photographer’s Journey (ETA: October 19th), 30th Anniversary Banner 5? (ETA: Late October)
Rating: 60/100 (+20 with LMR)
Noctis LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Bronze Bangle”: Bracer
Legend Materia “Divine Revelation”: 25% chance to dualcast Combat abilities
Description: Everything except Noctis’s SSB relies on this LMR to turn Noctis into the non-elemental freak that he is.
Recurrence: A Photographer’s Journey (ETA: October 19th)
Rating: 50/100 (+30 with BSB)
Gladiolus LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Kite Shield”: Shield
Legend Materia “Shield of the King”: 30% chance to cover PHY attacks that target allies, reducing damage taken by 20%
Description: The cover LMR shared by many a knight is underpowered and is simply a nice thing to have rather than a foundation for what makes Gladiolus good.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with OSB or BSB)
Iris LMR (1/14%)
Relic “Power Wristband”: Bracer
Legend Materia “Amicitia Line”: 25% chance to dualcast White Magic abilities
Description: White mages yearn for the dualcast LM. Iris struts her stuff here with something that sets her apart from Larsa.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 60/100 (+20 with BSB)
Gladiolus SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Two-handed Sword”: Sword
Soul Break “Pep Talk”:
ATK +50% to all allies for 25 seconds, grants Last Stand“Last Stand [ID:261]”
Prevents KO once, restoring HP for 1% maximum HP
Description: Minfilia SSB clone. It’s a source of Last Stand, at least. Probably the worst pull on the banner, but not an awful complimentary piece for Gladiolus if you’re able to pull other stuff for him.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 40/100 (+10 with OSB or BSB)
Iris SSB (2/14%)
Relic “White Choker”: Light Armor
Soul Break “Eclipse”: NE
Five group attacks (2,80 each), grants Haste and Critical 50% to all allies
Description: Weird that it’s non-elemental damage coming from a White Mage. Regardless, this is a great SSB; a straight upgrade to Relm’s old Brush Up. Complimentary and standalone this is a decent pull.
Recurrence: None
Rating: 50/100 (+10 with BSB)
Noctis SSB (2/14%)
Relic “Airstep Sword”: Sword
Soul Break “Gladiolus Link”: NE, Instant Cast
Six single attacks (1,27 each), grants Instant Cast 1 to all allies
Description: It’s a little silly that something this powerful exists as an SSB, but here we are. Non-elemental instant cast speed granting Instant Cast 1 to the party is the stuff dreams are made of from a character with a high damage potential. With this, Noctis can fit onto any team and improve it, reducing your effective need for strong characters to fill teams of any element. This is a rare gift in this very elementally focused game.
Recurrence: A Photographer’s Journey (ETA: October 19th)
Rating: 80/100 (+10 with LMR)
Banner Overview
I’ve spilled many words about this banner already, and now that I’ve gone over it in detail I can confidently say that I feel as good about it as I have since I first learned of it.
Noctis, with his excellent Legend Materia, ability access, and well designed Soul Breaks that capitalize on his strengths, is an S tier character with the right pieces. Strangely enough, that strength comes in different varieties. The BSB alone is good but needs the LMR to break through, while it’s his SSB that can stand alone as an A-team worthy relic. Each are boosted considerably by the LMR and I’ll personally be hoping to pick that and the SSB up to give me the green light in Legend Diving him.
The strength doesn’t stop there. While Gladiolus represents a less often used element, it’ll be no less valuable to have Earth characters when Magicite dungeons come around. He’s above average at the role and takes it a step further with his OSB, which is a great relic in its own right and worthy of excitement alone.
Finally, Iris. This demon slaying White Dancer gets saddled with a stellar Astra BSB and the enviable dualcast LMR. With fantastic stats for her class, Dancer access, and relics like that, she immediately shoots up the charts as one of the best healers in the game.
The beauty of this banner is that not only do you probably not have anything from it, but almost everything on the banner is good to great to fantastic. I can easily suggest at least dropping 50 mythril on it, and possibly more if you can afford it in this era of remarkable banners. I’ll be going in for 50-100 hoping for that Noctis SSB, but I like the fact that there’s only a small chance I’ll walk away unsatisfied with the decision.