Cthugha/Strategy

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

Overview

Despite being a Slash unit, Cthugha is better characterized as an All-ranged nuker due to his plethora of buffs and CP accumulation which trigger with an [After Buff] skill timing. Due to this type of skill timing, if one were to buff Cthugha, this can trigger a chain reaction of other buffs to accumulate since the buffs that he gains can activate the skill timing again. For this reason, despite the rate of activation being nominally low, Cthugha's buffs are actually very consistent and make him a real offensive and defensive powerhouse since these buffs are BrawnATK Up by 1.15x ~ 2.3x for 4 turns (Buff), ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff), AdamantineDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), and [[|No name provided .]]No description provided. (Unknown). Since Cthugha receives +16 CP for every buff, he charges his All=ranged CS extremely fast and can easily wipe the board with it. Thus, Cthugha alternates between weapon ranges regularly and is powerful in both cases. In the context of previous All-ranged nukers like Typhon (Make Sail) and Kotaro (Beachside), he has the niche of being defensively oriented and having his rapid CP charging not being strictly tied to the start of a phase, which can be useful in the situations which call for it.

Concerning Cthugha's weaknesses, the one that stands out the most is his application of Remove BuffRemove one buff (Debuff) to himself after being hit by an enemy. Although this can indeed hurt his durability, this is actually a critical part of Cthugha's kit to his benefit. Regarding the [After Buff] skill timing, the issues with strategies that involved CP charging through the method was that status effects with long durations could not be refreshed as regularly and were therefore less useful. However, Cthugha's self buff removal circumvents this issue by allowing himself to remove these otherwise long-lasting buffs in order to refresh the effect. Almost all of Cthugha's buffs fit this category, so there is also a very clear intent here to use Cthugha in this way. So while repeated attacks against Cthugha can be a potential issue, one should use Cthugha to tank hits and the notion that he should always be kept from receiving damage is naive and should be dispelled.

Highlights

Class: Bruiser, Tank

Gameplay Role: Damage Dealer, Debuffer

Pros

+

Cons

-

Gameplay Role

Example gameplay role

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
	6581	8632	3290	4811	3290	4811	1843	2694
	7631	9503	5048	6666	2272	3000	2019	2666
	7701	9584	4978	6585	1593	2107	6372	8429

Skill seeding Cthugha is highly recommended since his [After Buff] skill procs are low and it improves the consistency of his buffs. Other seeds can then be done in any order of preference due to Cthugha being both offensively and defensively oriented.

Team Synergy

Example synergy

AR Equipment

Example AR Equipment

Checks and Counters

Example Counter

Teambuilding Options

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

Ikebukuro Dungeon Mentors

Team Details (submitted by milk)
Ded 【Damage Dealer, Healer】	Triton 【Damage Attenuator】	Avarga 【Damage Dealer】	Cthugha 【Damage Dealer, Tank】
Cost: ≥40

The only really essential team members here are Triton and Cthugha and the others are there to fill out mentor roles appropriately. The remaining support slots can be filled out with any units as desired and obeying cost limitations for EXP purposes. The basic strategy of this team is to use Cthugha to soak up damage in the front line and have Triton refresh his buffs with ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff) and Reflect DebuffReflect debuff once for 4 turns. Vanishes after use. (Buff) from Wave Bender+. Furthermore, using the Chocolate Dynamite! AR on Triton allows him to heal Cthugha on move as a nice bonus. After a few turns, Cthugha should have his CS charged to nuke the board.

Although Ded and Avarga are not essential, they do play useful roles in the team which I found pertinent to include. In particular, Ded can be used to eliminate troublesome AETHER enemies which often boast high damage output. Avarga is used for positioning purposes and for eliminating Thor at the end of the dungeon through his CS. I use the Oath of Pioneer AR to gradually boost Avarga's CP without having him engage enemies. He also has EvasionDEF Up by 0.01x ~ 0.005x for 1 turn (Buff) so he can employ some hit and run tactics.

Formation-wise, I employ a column formation whenever possible with Cthugha on top, Triton in the middle, Ded on the bottom, and Avarga on the side. This is used for a number of reasons. First, luchador can pull enemies when they miss or when they are struck, so it's best to have Ded behind someone to obstruct this forced movement. Cthugha is in the front due to his ability to soak damage quite well, and Triton is behind him to support him. Finally, despite Avarga not having much to do, he is best placed on the side in order to increase his movement range and facilitate maneuvers which call for his movement.