Iron Saga Pilots Build
This section will cover pilots that are currently available in EN server (accurate as per Last update date).
Pilots will only have suggested build if they’re viable to certain extent, and will be labeled accordingly.
To prevent confusion on scope of PVE and PVP, the builds will be suggested using the following definition.
PVE – Mainly refers to boss type content, usually either mercenary quest, or corp boss quest.
PVP – General 4v4 arena and Mecha World Cup 6v6, with bias towards high rank arena (top500)
General story chapters, map encounters, and skirmishes are excluded from PVE due to several reasons:
They generally do not require specific build to go through, most contents are clearable as long as you have appropriate level on pilots and parts.
Team setup for these occasions are mostly similar to PVP setup, with slight variations on skill preference, due to different number of enemies.
Current major roadblocks (Grand Cannon Fortress, Shiva for example) can mostly be resolved with pvp builds.
In cases of boss type content, they can usually be cleared using the same strat used in mercenary/corp boss.
Disclaimer: The guide is still work in progress and missing contents will be updated in the future.
Table of Contents
Aalter
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Co-Pilot Slot | Support, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Occasionally used as co-pilot, for Full Evasion or Iron Will. Note that Bradley has the better version of Iron Will passive (Bradley’s Iron Wall prevents knock down as well). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Main Armament Rapid Fire Reloads and fires all main armaments. Increases the first main armament’s reloading and firing speed greatly for 2.5s.
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Skill2: Full Concentration [Attack] ATK +45% if no damage taken in the past 1s.
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Skill3: Full Evasion [Defense] Evades attacks once every 2s. The effect cannot be stacked with other 100% Evade effects.
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Skill4: Iron Will [Special] Cancels recoil and becomes immune to knock up. Duration of stun and interference -100%
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Airu
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Support, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comment and sample builds Recruitable pilot after clearing main story chapter 4-6. Nothing remarkable. AS is similar to Slokai AS. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Burst Fire The first main armament 5× scatters, dealing 100% bonus damage
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Skill2: Machinist [Special] Recovers 1.5% durability per second. Does not stack with other healing effects that heal every second.
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Skill3: Emergency Shield Creates an emergency shield for 4 seconds when durability is less than 25%.
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Skill4: Self-Destruction [Defense] Deals 25% of Max HP damage when being destroyed. Cannot be stacked.
Not the same as xbomb part. Does not work with clones. |
Alice
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Nothing remarkable. Toughness passive can be used if no other healing options are available. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Trust [Support] Recovers 25% durability to the ally with the lowest durability. Creates a shield that lasts for 4 seconds.
Shield duration is affected by parts with shield duration increase effect. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Toughness [Defense] Activates when HP is lower than 20%. Heals 50% for 5s.
Gradually recover over 5 seconds, maximum amount as per stated above. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill3: Machinist [Special] Heals 1.5% HP per second. Cannot be stacked with other recover per second type effects.
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Skill4: Force Damage taken decreases with lower HP. Up to 40%. Cannot be stacked.
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Amanda
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Support | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Mostly used for scapegoat passive, which is good for backline as anti-burst. Has one of the few passive with final attack modifier that stacks, unfortunately not sharable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Ice Melody [Control] Summons a blizzard to freeze enemies and blocks shells for 6s
Blizzard will affect projectiles and mines. 50 ice damage per hit, inflicts brief freeze debuff. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Scapegoat [Defense] When receiving fatal damage, switches position with a random ally. Heals 40% HP and enters stealth.
Enter stealth for 2s when activated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill3: Libido For every male pilot on the battlefield, final attack and defense +10%. Can be stacked.
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Skill4: Crisis Phantom When HP is lower than 40%, creates a clone that lasts for 5s at most.
Clone will inherit Amanda’s HP amount during creation. |
Archduchess Ann
Personality | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds One hit meme pilot. However many ways to counter AS as major damage is in one hit. Heavily affected by evasion/nullify/firm steel effect. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Epic Strike A jump attack that deals great damage, depending on weight, fighting, and skill level.
Total damage = BaseDamage * √(Weight / 35) * (1 + MeleeStat / 1000) / 1.5 Also inflicts stun, knock up, interference, 5% damage(6splits), and 2s paralyze. 100% Gmode for roughly 3s. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Perfect armor Withstands 8000 shell damage. Not bonused by defense. Cannot be stacked with other shield like effect
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Skill3: Armor Explosion [Defense] Activates when take damage the first time; Explodes and temporarily enhances yourself. Damage increases as skill level ups
50% Gmode for roughly 3s. Also inflicts knockdown, 2% damage, and knock up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill4: Challenger Activates when the enemy casts an active skill. Additional ATK & DEF by 50% and becomes immune to status conditions for 5s.
Gmode refreshes continuously during its 5s, thus will not be removed by a single purify hit. |
Archduchess Arseille
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Defense, Support, Control | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds PVP – 3421 (There are some builds that raise AS to lv10 to oneshot Gangkai’s ratels, usually not recommended) Supportive melee. Purify is very valuable in pvp to clear off buffs spam (including Gmode). Disruptive AS allows force activation of all her passives and mech chassis effect, also may allow her to reach the backline. Notable AS synergy with Susanoo’s chassis, although rarely used in pvp due to Susanoo’s squishiness. Occasionally used as copilot for Purify passive. Note that Arseille’s purify also works with Brun’s floating swords, Gawain’s big swords, or any projectiles that have melee attribute damage. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Unbreakable Collides to all enemies and activates all skills parts and chassis features that can be activated by action.
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Skill2: Cleanse 10% chance for melee attacks to destroy shields and force fields and apply knockdown effect.
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Skill3: Purify [Special] 80% chance for melee attacks to remove selves debuffs and enemies’ buffs
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Skill4: Vitality [Defense] Activates after using a mecha action. Heals 3% HP.
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Archduchess Rhea
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Control | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Mainly used for Love passive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Sillven’s Shield A shield that can withstand any attacks. No time limit but it can withstand up to 40 hits.
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Skill2: Love [Support] Recovers 1% of HP per second for all allies. Cannot be stacked with same kind of recovery effects.
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Skill3: Pacifism [Defense] HP+ 40%, ATK -10%
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Skill4: Polar Leader Complete Aura: Ice and fire attribute damage received, as well as freezing and burning duration decreased by 18%. Effect is doubled to all pilots in the Valhalla Alliance.
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Archduchess Trista
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Co-Pilot Slot | Defense, Support, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds PVE – 1243 PVP – 1234 One of the best missile pilots in game. Good amount of dps with missile akimbo, has some CC with multiple load passive, and double full reload burst AS. Mostly used in PVP for her burst potential, and has defense slot for survivability. For PVE, due to lack of attack/tech slot, she’s usually not the best dps choice, but usable. Despite the popularity, Trista Gawain is not a good combo due to low number of weapons for gawain, resulting in her emptying ammo too quickly, and will enter melee mode while range weapons are reloading. Trista Gawain GL is an entirely different story, as Gawain GL has access to more weapons, and scales much better in terms of bursting potential. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Missile rapid shot Missle weapons and drones fire in a volley for 2.67s. Reloads randomly
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Skill2: Dual-Shell Volley [Tech] Using 2 same missile weapons to attack simultaneously. Affected weapon’s attack +32%.
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Skill3: Awaken This pilot can use their active skill twice. Fills SP by 33% at the start of battle.
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Skill4: Multiple Load [Control] 30% chance for normal and explosive attribute missiles to inflict random status abnormalities.
Random status includes one of the following: 1s stun, 1s burn debuff (6% damage), 1s freeze debuff, 3% damage (15 splits) |
Auru & Fillo
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Defense, Support, Control | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Comments and Sample Builds Occasionally used as co-pilot for akimbo passive. Barrage counter is basically a skill version of Breathing Armor, without the elemental defense. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Elemental Blast [Special] ATK & DEF +20% and becomes immune to debuffs for 7.0s . Launches many elemental bombs for 7.0s
Will randomly launch fire/EM/ice projectiles around her in a slow interval. Each type of projectile has their respective debuffs. (Fire – burn, EM – paralyze, Ice – freeze) Ice/EM projectiles will travel further compared to fire projectiles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Elemental Affinity Non-normal attacks damage+20%. Non normal attacks taken-20%
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Skill3: Akimbo [Tech] When using 2 identical weapons simultaneously, ATK+28%.
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Skill4: Barrage Counter [Defense] Cleanse freeze, burn, and paralysis status conditions every 0.5s and counter with an attack of the same element.
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Aya
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Defense, Support, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Nothing remarkable. Has all co-slot, and is the only pilot that will use co-pilot’s AS first. Adversity Survival is the only full immunity in game, however need 50s at max level to reach full immunity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Recovery Field Allies heal 20% of HP per second in 3s. Ying Qi will get recovered wherever he is.
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Skill2: Study Pilot’s four attributes +25%, co-pilot’s ult will be the first choice
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Skill3: Adversity Survival [Defense] Debuff resistance+ 1% every 0.5s. Up to 100%.
Increase all debuff resistance, including acid, knock back, knock up, knock down, grabs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill4: Landmine Combinesor [Tech] Plants 1 random landmine every 2.5s.
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Bab
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Support, Control | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Niche mine pilot. Bab’s usually better as co-pilot as his mood is always happy, unlike Doctor Aoi. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Landmine Array [Control] Plants a landmine array. Damage increases with skill level
Also inflicts 10% percentage damage (5splits), slow 2.5s, and stun 1s. Only one percentage damage split per frame even if step on multiple mines. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Anma’s grace Cancels status abnormalities inflicted from freezing, flame and electromagnetic attributes. Recovers 5% durability after activation. Minimum activation delay: 1 seconds.
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Skill3: Iron Wall [Defense] The damage taken from turret or upper body’s front- 35%. Can be stacked
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Skill4: Sapper [Special] Plants a landmine every 2.5s.
350 explosive damage, also inflicts 10% percentage damage (5splits), slow 2.5s, and stun 1s. |
Barmov
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Defense, Support, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Comments and Sample Builds PVP – 4321 Niche offensive melee. Both rapid combo and art of mastery passives are beneficial to melee mechs. Highly dependent on mech selection, as Rapid Combo is useless if mech doesn’t have enough actions, or low impact (no iframes, low damage, etc). Rapid combo is comparable to Hong Wu’s Warlord passive. Rapid combo is more pvp oriented (allowing action chaining), while Warlord is pve oriented (increased action speed actually hurts action’s iframe duration, if any). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Primal Roar [Control] Roars and stun enemies ignoring all status immunity. Then boosts allies morale and increase allies’ ATK. Lasts for 5s.
Release shockwaves around him. Only enemies and allies within shockwave range will be affected. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Survival Instinct Heals up to 4% HP per second. The lower HP is, the faster HP it regens. This effect cannot stack with other hp regen abilities.
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Skill3: Rapid Combo [Tech] 80% chance to cancel end lag of an attack animation. User’s next attack deals 50% more damage.
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Skill4: Art of Mastery Mech’s ability cooldown –24%.
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Bekas
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Defense, Support, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Comments and Sample Builds PVE / PVP – 3412 Starter pilot. Decent all-rounder, and has all co-pilot slots available. AS provides good burst with full reload (with added bonus of action cd reduction beneficial to melee as well). Unyielding also provides strong tank capability early to mid game. Since he has defense slot, he can easily stack up to 15s of LS effect with just mech chassis, co-pilot, and his own Unyielding. Current maximum duration achievable for LS stacking is 19s (DJYG, alo pet, fiona Awareness passive). In end game it largely serves as anti-burst, allowing him to survive for another 5s for distraction and chances of dps after fatal damage. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Fire At Will Reloads and fires with all weapons for 3.0s. Gradually reduces melee skill’s CD
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Skill2: Consecutive Battle [Special] Activates when an enemy has been killed. Heals 25% HP. The effect halves if the enemy is killed by an ally.
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Skill3: Unyielding Upon taking fatal damage, remains active for 5s. Becomes immune to all debuffs and ATK+50%
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Skill4: Awaken [Tech] This pilot can use their active skill twice. Fills SP by 33% at the start of battle.
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Bethany
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Affection Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments and Sample Builds Nothing remarkable. Occasionally used as co-pilot for her Unity passive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Mass Shield [Support] Creates a shield for allies for 3s. The shield cannot block melee attacks and grenades.
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Skill2: Unity [Defense] If there are 4 or more ally pilots on the battlefield, final damage taken-30%. Cannot be stacked
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Skill3: Guardian Aura Team Aura: Def +15%. Effects last as long as user is alive.
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Skill4: Pacifism HP+ 40%, ATK -10%
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Bora
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Defense, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Comments and Sample Builds Mostly used for her Operational suppression passive, as it is effectively a final damage booster (pilot stat affects damage calculation) for pilots that do not have attack slot. Usual combo includes Wood (only source of damage boost) and Liselotte (good alternative to Eleven’s black cat passive). Skillset seems to mostly suit pvp, however her passives are severely limited by number of procs available per battle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Full invasion [Control] All enemies ATK and speed-50% for 5s
Inflicts -50% attack, freeze debuff, and 1s paralyze debuff. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill2: Operational suppression [Support] Adds 25% of the pilot’s reaction to the other three attributes
Reaction stat is not decreased, it just takes 25% of the pilot’s reaction value and adds it to other three attributes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill3: Crash Activates after 35 shots, the target disconnects for 3.5s. All your actions go into cooling
Not to be confused with Control debuff, as this skill is not affected by Control immunity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill4: Logical trap 1 enemy only, explodes it when its SP is full. Halves the SP. Damage increases as level goes up.
Percentage damage (as per skill level in above) in 6 splits, also deal 2s stun, 4s slow, and knock up debuff. |
Bradley
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Co-Pilot Slot | Attack, Tech, Control, Special | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Comments and Sample Builds Mainly used as co-pilot for Stillness passive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Skill1 [AS]: Iron Curtain [Defense] All allies’ (including self) defense increases by 50% for 6 seconds.
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Skill2: Stillness [Special] Cancels weapon’s shooting recoil. Invalidates daze, uncontrollable and knock back effects. 100% chance to invalidate knockdown effects except for grapple actions.
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Skill3: Guardian Aura Team Aura: Def +15%. Effects last as long as user is alive.
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Skill4: Man of Iron Invalidates damage received up to 40 times. |