Krampus/Strategy

NOTE: This page currently under construction.

(This page is for Krampus strategy guide. For the standard Krampus page, click here.)

Overview

Krampus is one of the few units whose element changes with rarity; his 3star being WOOD, his 4star being NETHER, and his 5star being FIRE. Fire and Wood tend to have more weaknesses than Nether, but in most cases, element advantage shouldn't matter much.

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Krampus serves as a debuff-oriented damage dealer, and he fulfills that role by inflicting CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff) on enemies when he's struck as well as draining a whopping 50 CP and inflicting StigmaDEF Down by 1.15x ~ 2.3x, -150~-300HP/turn for 3 turns (Debuff) when he attacks. He has an innate damage boost against Curse, and Stigma itself roughly doubles the damage enemies take; as a result, Krampus can offer quite potent offense. He can give himself ConcentrationATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x, skill activation rate +10% for 2 turns (Buff) each Phase start, which bolsters his damage further and helps him trigger his skills, and can also give teammates ArdorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x, +5CP/turn for 2 turns (Buff) and CP when moved.

However, many of Krampus' skills are limited in use, and their individual chances to trigger aren't very high. His Curse infliction will only trigger about half the time at best, and Krampus will still take the full brunt of an attack due to the skill triggering after damage has been dealt. His on-move Ardor and additional CP lets him strengthen his teammates, but it also only triggers half the time. His Phase-start Concentration is meant to help alleviate these issues by increasing his proc chances, but even this status isn't a guarantee each Phase. As such, Krampus greatly benefits from status buffs that improve the chances of his skills triggering, such as Concentration, Glint+10% skill activation rate for 2 turns (Buff), and Prayer+10% skill activation rate for 6 turns (Buff).

Ultimately, the real draw to Krampus is his reliable -50 CP drain and Stigma infliction, which triggers while he attacks and therefore roughly and routinely doubles his damage against anything he hits.

☆5 Krampus

Much like his other cards, Krampus (Jiangshi) also offers strong offensive capabilities, reliable debuffs, CP drain, and slight team support, but he does so in ways which are comparatively more reliable (and useful) to the player.

Krampus' main source of damage is through his StigmaDEF Down by 1.15x ~ 2.3x, -150~-300HP/turn for 3 turns (Debuff) infliction every five turns, his bonus damage to said Stigma, his ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) when he appears, his nearly-constant source of LimitATK Up by 1x~2x → 2x~4x as HP→0 for 1 turn (Buff), and his BreakCannot move at will, DEF Down by 1.2x ~2.4x for 2 turns (Debuff) on Charge. His skills are structured such that his temporary ATK Up will never overlap with his natural Stigma; even so, he'll always have at least a x2 to x4 attack modifier just by being on the field, depending on his health. To supplement this role, Krampus is also immune to all status effects that reduce his attack, which makes his offense that much more consistent.

In a longer battle, even after his ATK Up has worn off, his many offense-boosting statuses can still coincide. His Limit is practically constant, his Stigma can be easily exploited by using another debuffer or simply accounting for turn progression, he naturally has an innate x2 attack bonus against Stigma, and his Charge inflicts Break, further reducing enemy defenses. Under normal gameplay, it's possible for Krampus to routinely gain a x9 attack modifier, and if you also apply his Charge, his initial ATK Up, or any other attack buffs, that modifier goes even higher.

Krampus retains his ability to inflict debuffs, keeping Stigma but trading the others for Nullify BuffPrevent receiving buff once for 4 turns. Vanishes after use. (Debuff) and Remove BuffRemove one buff (Debuff). While Krampus cannot inflict Stigma by attacking, he can inflict Nullify Buff and Remove Buff by doing so, and his weapon type now allows him to potentially disable enemies' status buffs and drain their CP in a more generous range than his other cards. Stigma is now an every-5-turn nuke, and will hit all enemies on the map regardless of their position; while Krampus cannot inflict this status per attack like his other cards, it is still guaranteed to trigger regardless of Phase and is still quite an advantage. The every-5-turn Stigma nuke also doubles as a slight team support, due to it effectively doubling your whole team's offense, quadrupling Krampus', and bestowing Blessing+300~600HP/turn for 4 turns (Buff) to your entire field.

Highlights

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Class: Glass Cannon, Debuffer

Gameplay Role:

Pros

+ Default and LB3+ allow Krampus to deal very potent damage, LB3+ in particular. LB3+ also lets him completely shut down enemy Charges.

+ LB1 allows him to boost his teammates' offense.

+ LB2, LB3+, and Charge let him inflict multiple debuffs, which can be very useful in certain team compositions.

Cons

- Less-than-ideal proc rates for most of his skills; he'll need some help to make them consistent.

- LB2 triggers after damage is dealt, which makes it hard to efficiently use.

- Slash attack range, which limits his LB3+, delegates him to a front-line role, and makes for less flexible team formations and setups.

☆5 Krampus

Class: Glass Cannon, Debuffer, Disruptive Support

Gameplay Role:

Pros

+ Default, LB2, and LB3 give Krampus (Jiangshi) very high damage output due to the numerous buffs he gives himself and the debuffs he inflicts, notably Stigma. LB2 also allows him to maintain his damage at high levels due to being immune to all attack reduction debuffs.

+ Krampus doesn't need to be moved to trigger any of his skills, making him self-sufficient and able to be used in many team setups and compositions.

+ LB1 lets Krampus nullify and remove enemy buffs. While it only has a 50-60% chance to trigger, it's noteworthy that Krampus can do so by simply attacking.

+ LB3 gives Krampus an every-5-turn Stigma and Blessing nuke, essentially granting him slight team support.

Cons

- In the instances where Krampus needs to be moved, he offers absolutely nothing to himself, nor his team.

- Default only triggers when Krampus appears. While it grants him a strong opening hand, it does not reapply itself at any other point during battle. As such, Krampus is encouraged to attack quickly to maximize his initial offensive power.

- Krampus offers no defensive abilities after Default runs out, and will take the full brunt of any attack unless properly shielded.

Gameplay Role

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Glass Cannon

Krampus specializes in damage output which hinges on his debuff infliction. If the enemy is given Curse, either by Krampus taking damage or through some other means, Krampus can utilize his innate damage boost against said debuff. Furthermore, Krampus is a very reliable source of Stigma, which also increases his damage output; if Concentration happens to also trigger, that damage will be strengthened even more.

Debuffer

Thanks to his skills, Krampus can inflict three separate debuffs through various means. He can give Curse by getting hit, although he'll be taking full damage himself; he can give Stigma by attacking, effectively doubling the damage enemies receive; and he can give Fear through his Charge. Although his attack range is limited, Krampus can prove to be useful, especially for certain team compositions that take advantage of these specific debuffs.

☆5 Krampus

Glass Cannon

Krampus (Jiangshi) excels at attack power through Stigma, Limit, ATK Up, and his bonus damage to Stigma. However, he lacks defense, and after his initial DEF Up wears off he is completely defenseless.

Debuffer

While Krampus lacks the amount of debuffs his regular card can inflict, he can still routinely inflict Stigma every few turns, and can inflict Nullify Buff and Remove Buff by attacking.

Disruptive Support

In the situation where Krampus cannot attack or his attacks do not hit any enemies, his Stigma and Blessing nuke can still be launched every 5 turns, granting his team additional attack power and passive healing to help them clear Phases.

Stats and Seed Usage

Unit	(Effective) HP		Base ATK		ATK per square		CS ATK per square (SALV1)
	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded
	5665	7574	4232	5897	1904	2653	3808	5307
	6325	8197	5015	6716	2257	3022	6770	9066
	7262	9124	5417	7046	2438	3171	9751	12682
	7209	9062	5471	7108	3009	3909	2188	2843

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Krampus serves as a damage dealer and debuffer. Because his skills have trouble triggering, anything that helps him do that job should be prioritized, such as Attack seeds and Skill seeds.

☆5 Krampus

Krampus (Jiangshi) serves as a very potent damage dealer and debuffer. Thankfully, most of his skills are guaranteed or nearly guaranteed to trigger, save for enemy buff removal and nullification; while he'd appreciate Skill seeds, they aren't vital. Krampus would benefit the most from Attack, HP, and Level seeds, in order to compensate for his lack of defenses and strengthen his offense as much as possible.

Team Synergy

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Damage Boosters

Krampus' damage output mainly depends on Curse and Stigma, which are two debuffs. As such, he is a viable target for other buffs in order to multiply his damage further. Units such as Claude (Christmas) or Kenta (Valentine) can boost his offense considerably.

Damage Mitigation

Krampus' only means of reducing enemy damage is through his Curse infliction, and he takes full damage regardless if the skill triggers or not. Because of this, he's virtually defenseless. It's highly recommended to pair him with units who can bolster his defenses, such as Surtr or Triton.

Healers

Similarly, Krampus has no means of healing himself or other teammates. If you're attempting to trigger his CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff), then taking units who can heal his HP is especially vital, such as Choji or Gyumao (Valentine).

Debuff Exploitation

Krampus can inflict three separate debuffs which other units can take advantage of. Curse can be exploited by Hanuman (Journey), for example, or Krampus himself can take advantage of Curse inflicted by other units, such as Shiro, Licho, or Fenrir (Make Sail). Stigma can be capitalized on by units such as Fenrir (Make Sail) or Krampus (Jiangshi), and Fear can be used by units such as Nyarlathotep. If you'd like to really make use of his debuffs, you could pair him with units like Volos (Beachside), who deals additional damage to enemies with nearly any kind of debuff.

☆5 Krampus

Damage Boosters

Krampus (Jiangshi)'s offensive capabilities will mostly hinge on his Stigma and Limit. Given that that amounts to a single debuff and single buff, Krampus is an excellent target for additional buffs in order to further boost his damage. Units that can do so, such as Kenta (Valentine) or Thunderbird, would be recommended.

You can also boost Krampus' offense by bypassing the 5-turn limit on his Stigma nuke and instead use units who can inflict the debuff by attacking or on Charge, such as Zabaniyya, Arc, or Fenrir (Make Sail).

Damage Mitigation

Krampus gains a single means of defense through DEF Up, but after that runs out, he's completely vulnerable. Pair him with units who can give him defense, such as Marchosias.

Healers

While he can heal himself through Blessing every 5 turns, Krampus cannot heal himself or other teammates by any other means. Use units who can supplement additional healing through Unction or Regeneration, like Chernobog (Beachside).

Board Nukers

It's possible to time Krampus' Stigma nuke with an All-range Charge in order to completely wipe out the enemy field. Consider pairing him with Kotaro (Beachside) or Gyumao.

AR Equipment

☆3/☆4/☆5 Krampus

ARs that bolster Krampus and Krampus (Jiangshi)'s damage output are recommended, as that is his strength. Both Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining and Chocolate From The Abyss offer damage boosts against enemies inflicted with Curse, and those damage boosts stack with Krampus' innate one. Similarly, A Teacher and Student from Kamata gives Krampus (Jiangshi) a progressively stronger attack boost as the battle proceeds, which aligns with his every-5-turn Stigma nuke.

You can also play to Krampus' lesser strengths. If you'd like to shut enemies down even further, you could try Battle between Swordsmith and Swordsman, which gives Krampus (Jiangshi) the chance to apply an additional Remove Buff after he attacks, or Double Hero of the Holy Eve!, which gives Krampus a failsafe Guts in case he takes too much damage trying to trigger Curse.

Checks and Counters

☆3/☆4 Krampus

Skill Reduction

Krampus already has subpar proc rates on a good portion of his skills, so to be inflicted with a penalty to trigger said skills is quite a detriment to him. Be wary of Obstruct and Drain.

Forced Movement

Krampus' range is Slash, which means that in order to make full use of his attack range and skills, he must be a front-line unit. Unfortunately, this means that if he happens to be blown back by an enemy such as Amatsumara, he'll have a tough time getting back into place to effectively contribute to your team.

☆5 Krampus

Attack Prevention

Krampus (Jiangshi) truly shines through his attacks, so if he is inflicted with Charm or is locked out of range with something like Oppression or Paralysis, his capabilities are practically moot.

Teambuilding Options

This section consists of user-submitted builds that may not necessarily be viable for high level quests.

Arbitrary Team Name

Team Details (submitted by UserName)
Krampus 【Debuffer】	Krampus 【Moveslut, CP Battery】	Krampus 【Healer, Tank】	Krampus 【Support unit】	Licht 【example of variant call】	Anyone / no one 【Flexible】
Cost: ≥X

Example team function description.

Gameplay examples

• Example external link