Bael/Strategy

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

Overview

Acting as a disruptive support with Magic range, Bael is a great source of damage mitigation for a team. For starters, he specializes against enemies that have buffs, being able to punish them with either Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) or through his increased damage for each buff the enemy has. Secondly, his ability to apply DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff) to allies and ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff) to the team on phase start adds another layer of defense. Furthermore, his LB3 makes him shine as a disruptive support akin to Shiro, being able to yet again reduce damage with CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff) and perform crowd control with OppressionCannot move at will for 2 turns (Debuff). Finally, when Bael activates his CS, he gives EvasionDEF Up by 0.01x ~ 0.005x for 1 turn (Buff) to the team and DazzleATK Down by 0.7x ~ 0.35x for 3 turns (Debuff) to enemies, providing yet another avenue for Bael to act as a defensive support.

On the flip side, Bael is also able to act as an offensive support. By applying WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff) to enemies and ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) to allies, he is able to easily bolster the team's damage output, especially if he is in the leader slot. Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) also acts like an additional Weakness if the enemy has a buff, further boosting Bael's ability as an offensive support.

In summary, Bael is an easy unit to use, providing multiple sources of damage reduction from enemies and damage amplification for allies. Buff Reversal further exacerbates this advantage, punishing enemies with buffs. Since the main way for a unit to deal a high amount of damage is through buffs, this makes Bael an ideal candidate for improving a team's survivability.

Highlight

Class: Disruptive Support

Gameplay Role: Debuffer, Mixed Buffer, Damage Dealer

Pros

+ Multiple sources of damage mitigation through CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff), DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff)

+ Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) and his extra damage to enemies with buffs severely punishes enemies with buffs

+ CS effectively grants a free turn by giving EvasionDEF Up by 0.01x ~ 0.005x for 1 turn (Buff) to the team

+ Acts as offensive support by applying WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff) to enemies and ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) to allies

+ OppressionCannot move at will for 2 turns (Debuff) allows him to perform crowd control on top of damage reduction

Cons

- Susceptible to damage due to INFERNAL typing, especially if enemies outside of his weapon range attack him

- Moving him reduces allies' HP by 1000, leading to potential issues about survivability without appropriate healing in the long run or if the rest of the team is unable to move

- Since his kit partially relies on enemies having buffs, teammates who can remove buffs from enemies can somewhat hinder him

- Needs to move for ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) and DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff) to allies

- Multiple sub-100% procs encourage skill seeding for consistency, especially since he is debuff-oriented

Gameplay Role

Disruptive Support

To give an idea of how Bael acts a support unit, let's first consider the numerical multipliers of Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) and then see how he compares to other defensive units. As described in its page, Buff Reversal applies a 2.5x defensive drop and a 0.25x offensive drop onto enemies if the enemy carries a buff. However, since the effect necessitates a buff in the first place, the real value of Buff Reversal is less clear. At skill level 100, a typical defensive buff has a multiplier of 0.45x, meaning that Buff Reversal would effectively nullify that buff. On the other hand, a typical offensive buff like VigorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 3 turns (Buff) has a multiplier of 2.4x, meaning that Buff Reversal still reduces damage on top of that. To break even, one would need a buff like CritATK Up by 2x ~ 4x for 1 turn (Buff) or an additional offensive buff to deal at least the same amount of damage without buffs. Furthermore, enemies are at most level 80 so far, so the real multipliers are more in favor of Bael. In short, an enemy would need roughly two offensive buffs and one defensive buff to break past the penalties of Buff Reversal.

This is extremely useful in terms of advantage. As shown above, Buff Reversal can act partially as a Crit-nullifier, so mobs such as Ruby Scaled Wyvern and Water Merman are no longer as much of a threat. The status has a relatively long duration of three turns, making it similar to having both DazzleATK Down by 0.7x ~ 0.35x for 3 turns (Debuff) and StigmaDEF Down by 1.15x ~ 2.3x, -150~-300HP/turn for 3 turns (Debuff). On the other hand, there is an issue of status uptime, especially since the enemy needs a buff for the status to take effect. So unlike Stigma, teammates will likely not be able to exploit the defensive drop of Buff Reversal in the first turn of each phase unless addressed appropriately.

However, Buff Reversal is only one part of Bael's damage mitigation. Earlier, the word advantage was used, and this refers here to the net accumulation of offensive/defensive advantage over the enemy. While crude, it provides a rough idea of how effective of a support Bael is. Like the one found in the strategy page for Shennong, the following table presents the multipliers associated with certain defensive support units:

Summary of Defensive Supports
Unit	Status Effects	ATK Multiplier	DEF Multiplier	Notes
	ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff), DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff), WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff)	5.3x	0.20x	Not phase start
	ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff), DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff), WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff), ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff)	5.3x	0.09x	Phase start
	ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff), DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff), WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff), Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff)	13.2x	0.05x	Not phase start, enemy has buff with no stat modifier
	TenacityDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff), AdamantineDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff)	1x	0.20x	Can BindCannot activate skills, ATK Down by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns. CS effects still apply. (Debuff) enemies
	ArdorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x, +5CP/turn for 2 turns (Buff), UnctionDEF Up by 0.85x ~ 0.425x, +150~300HP every turn for 2 turns (Buff), FreezeDEF Down by 1.1x ~ 2.2x, -200~-400HP/turn for 4 turns (Debuff)	5.3x	0.425x	Doesn't need to move
	VigorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 3 turns (Buff), Nourishment+150~300HP/turn, ATK Up by 1.1x ~ 1.5x for 3 turns (Buff), UnctionDEF Up by 0.85x ~ 0.425x, +150~300HP every turn for 2 turns (Buff), ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff)	3.6x	0.19x	Needs to be hit
	Poison-100~-200HP/turn for 5 turns (Debuff), [[|No name provided .]]No description provided. (Unknown), Nourishment+150~300HP/turn, ATK Up by 1.1x ~ 1.5x for 3 turns (Buff)	3x	0.65x	Needs to have Poison on allies
	TenacityDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff), VigorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 3 turns (Buff)	2.4x	0.45x	Can BindCannot activate skills, ATK Down by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns. CS effects still apply. (Debuff) enemies
	ProtectionDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 1 turn (Buff), DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff), CurseATK Down by 0.8x ~ 0.4x for 5 turns (Debuff)	1x	0.09x	Needs to switch between Weapon Range

As shown in ATK multipliers and DEF multipliers in the table above, Bael pushes the envelope regarding offensive/defensive advantage. Unlike some of the other units in the table, he only needs to move occasionally compared to all the time like a traditional support like Aizen. Furthermore, he is able to create such an advantage even without Buff Reversal, and he does the job consistently compared to some of the other units here which are generously given some of their less likelier procs.

On the other hand, the table is clearly flawed for a number of reasons. It does not document healing and CP generation, which are factors to team sustainability. Bael, of course, performs worse here, sapping ally health and not providing any CP. Furthermore, there is a tacit assumption that this advantage is being directed only to enemies that are struck by Bael, which is not always the case and is limited to Bael's Magic range, as respectable as it is. Lastly, it does not document which effects apply to the support unit themselves, which is not always in the case of Bael. Despite this however, the table still gives a rough idea of Bael's effectiveness as a support unit.

On one final note, Bael is able to apply OppressionCannot move at will for 2 turns (Debuff) to enemies, which gives some form of crowd control. It's worth noting however that this forces enemies outside Bael's weapon range to attack the team, something which is potentially most dangerous for Bael and should be dealt with appropriately.

Damage Dealer

Unit	(Effective) HP		Base ATK		ATK per square		CS ATK per square (SALV1)		Notes
	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded	Unseeded	Seeded
	8706	10728	6115	8766	1817	2455	4844	6545	Infernal advantage assumed for all entries
	8706	10728	27597	43831	9083	12273	4844	6545	Enemy has one non-defensive buff, Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff)
	8706	10728	56060	90292	18711	25282	4844	6545	Enemy has one non-defensive buff, Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff), Bael has ComboATK Down by 0.6x (excepting charge attacks), attack twice each turn for 2 turns (Buff) and applies WeaknessDEF Down by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 1 turn (Debuff)
	7471	9317	26144	38926	8396	10899	6361	8257	With ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff), ArdorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x, +5CP/turn for 2 turns (Buff)
	7243	9084	40397	62355	13395	17459	4566	5952	With ConcentrationATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x, skill activation rate +10% for 2 turns (Buff), CritATK Up by 2x ~ 4x for 1 turn (Buff)

As shown in the stat table above, Bael's damage dramatically increases when enemies have a buff, owing to the fact that Bael has no innate buffs of his own. For reference, Jinn and Andvari here are used as representatives of offensive mages. From here, it is clear how Bael's damage scales as the enemy gains more buffs, and when it will overtake the other units listed for comparison. Note that Bael's extra damage skill to buffs roughly nullifies a defensive buff's effect, so only non-defensive buffs should be considered. Bael also has the advantage of not relying on buffs here, so an offensive support can boost his damage with buffs that are redundant for the other two.

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
	6625	8672	3246	4770	909	1336	1818	2671
	8706	10728	4325	5844	1211	1636	4844	6545
	7597	9636	3594	5117	1617	2302	4852	6907

Since Bael has quite a number of sub-100% procs which are also activated for every enemy hit, skill seeds are highly recommended for consistency purposes. From there, it's up to personal decision between prioritizing offense or defense.

Team Synergy

Units who can apply buffs to the enemy

Since Bael counters enemies with buffs, units who can force buffs onto enemies are natural candidates for having good synergy with Bael. Transients such as Licho and Sitri (Christmas) are prime examples, being able to give Weapon Change (Blow)Changes the unit's weapon type to Blow-ranged for 3 turns. (Buff) and Blessing+300~600HP/turn for 4 turns (Buff) to enemies respectively. In particular, this allows the team to take advantage of Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) on phase start, in which the enemies have not had their turn yet to activate their own buffs.

Healers

Since Bael provides no method of healing and he chips at allies' HP whenever he moves, a healer is recommended, especially for longer battles. Examples include Chernobog (Beachside), Choji, and Tangaroa (Canaan).

Buff Spreaders

Since Bael only gives ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) and DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff) to himself, allies who can spread these buffs back to him are great allies. Moreover, since the majority of Bael's kit does not grants buffs to himself, this is a neat way for Bael to get some buffs himself. Along wih the aforementioned Christmas Sitri and Canaan Tangaroa, Sanat Kumara applies here.

AR Equipment

ARs which prevent debuffs such as Coming from the Sea Abyss and Watching the Same Moon are recommended since this is one of the main ways to counter Bael. For a lower rarity option, Which of Us is Your Real Friend?! is ideal since it gives him extra CS damage and boosts CP on phase start to get there more easily.

Checks and Counters

Debuffs

Bael is not immune to skill locking debuffs like BindCannot activate skills, ATK Down by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns. CS effects still apply. (Debuff), so he can be shut down easily with such effects. Movement-restricting debuffs such as FearCannot move at will, -10CP/turn for 5 turns (Debuff) also prevent him from supporting his allies through ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) and DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff). Finally, defensive debuffs circumvent Buff Reversal and allow enemies to deal damage without fearing retaliation from his extra damage against buffs. Ironically, a good example of such a unit who depends on debuffs and almost no buffs is Bael himself.

Debuff Removal/Nullification/Immunity

If an enemy is immune to Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff), this is a large blow to Bael and it requires him to play more safely. Furthermore, his reliance on debuffs means he is especially weak to typical debuff handling. In particular, Reflect DebuffReflect debuff once for 4 turns. Vanishes after use. (Buff) will reflect Buff Reversal first due to skill timing, which is the most dangerous effect from his skill set. Finally, a unit like Kalki (Christmas) who simply removes all debuffs from themselves will be able to thwart Bael's damage mitigation, although they'll still be susceptible to defensive drops.

Teambuilding Options

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

Support Bael

Team Details (submitted by milk)
Chernobog 【Healer, Mixed Buffer】	Licho 【Debuffer】 Ose 【Debuffer】	Sanat Kumara 【Damage Dealer】	Bael 【Support unit】
Cost: ≥48

This is a standard buff spreading team with Bael as a support unit for those who don't have him. If one has Bael but not Chernobog (Beachside), they can swap places. Sanat Kumara is used here for reasons of team cost, so his rarity can be used if availability or team cost is not an issue. For the most part, he functions just as well so it isn't an issue. Finally, this team is only a suggestion so rearrangement based on unit availability can be done as seen fit. For example, one can substitute Sitri (Christmas) if extra horizontal movement is not an issue.

The main idea of this team is to use Bael's damage mitigation to cover Sanat Kumara's fragility and be able to spread back his buffs to improve Bael's survivability. Beachside Chernobog is here for being able to heal, give ArdorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x, +5CP/turn for 2 turns (Buff), and UnctionDEF Up by 0.85x ~ 0.425x, +150~300HP every turn for 2 turns (Buff) without having to move. Sanat Kumara can spread Ardor back to Beachside Chernobog, a buff which he doesn't apply to himself which is useful. Sanat Kumara is placed in the third position specifically so that he can move Chernobog into position for wider maps and possibly spread Unction to other teammates on the first turn if RNG allows. Following that, Bael can spread ATK UpATK Up by 1.1x ~ 2.2x for 4 turns (Buff) and DEF UpDEF Up by 0.9x ~ 0.45x for 4 turns (Buff) to his allies, which Sanat Kumara can spread back to Bael. With the multiple sources of damage reduction that Bael is able to achieve alone, this solidifies the team's defensive ability, covering for the weaknesses of using Sanat Kumara.

Concerning the debuffer, Licho and Ose are both good picks. Licho is good for skill locking enemies, weapon changing them, and his natural synergy with Bael due to being able to force Buff ReversalWhen holding buffs: ATK Down by 0.25x, DEF Down by 2.5x for 3 turns. (Debuff) to activate. Furthermore, Sanat Kumara has a Like affinity with Licho, so Sanat Kumara will be more consistent. On the other hand, Ose can charge his allies' CP, give VigorATK Up by 1.2x ~ 2.4x for 3 turns (Buff) to allies, and further reduce damage from enemies with DazzleATK Down by 0.7x ~ 0.35x for 3 turns (Debuff). The introduction of Vigor leads to more offensive play in comparison to Licho. Both debuffers are useful for covering Bael's blind spots, and each have their own unique advantages so choosing one is up to preference.