Chrono Ark: Beginner’s Guide to Shield Class Characters

This guide is a basic tutorial for beginners on how to use shield class characters in Chrono Ark. It is mainly aimed at newcomers who are not familiar with the functions of shield class characters and have difficulty using them effectively.

Unlike typical RPGs, Chrono Ark does not have a front row design, so the use of shield class characters is not as straightforward. Generally, shield class characters serve several purposes: supporting damage output, tanking damage, providing utility, and acting as the main tank when card synergy allows.

Tanking Damage: As mentioned earlier, Chrono Ark does not have a front row design, so understanding how to tank damage effectively is crucial. There are two main ways to tank damage: using taunt to attract damage and protect teammates from high damage, and using cards to increase the team’s survivability.

Regarding taunting, it’s important to note that taunt cards in Chrono Ark primarily target single enemies. The purpose of taunting is to control the damage dealt by high damage enemies rather than absorbing all incoming damage.

“Take It”

The “Take It” card from Chainsaw is a classic taunt card. Taunt cards generally require going through walls (ignore taunt) to receive higher damage from backline enemies.

“Counterattack”

This card is not a taunt, but its effect is much stronger than taunting. In the case of this card, the blocking mechanism is similar to taunting, but the conditions are more complex, requiring judgment based on the opponent’s speed and one’s own countdown. However, both mechanisms redirect the opponent’s actions towards oneself. Due to Lian’s passive block, controlled enemies will deal less damage.

It’s worth noting that even among taunt cards, there are variations in strength. The main distinction is whether the taunt card prioritizes hitting the tank or can only hit the tank. The key difference lies in situations where fire mages AOE our team. Is only the tank taking damage, or is everyone taking damage? Generally, when both strong and weak taunt cards hit the same enemy, monsters will prioritize attacking the stronger taunted unit.

“Duel”

This is the description of Duel. It cannot attack targets other than Steelheart, allowing it to soak up AOE damage from the opponent. There are only three strong taunt cards, and the remaining two are “Too Weak” and “Implanted Hatred.”

It’s important to note that using a strong taunt card on Death will cause Death’s Mark to be applied to the tank, resulting in instant death.

Now let’s move on to the core of Chrono Ark shields, increasing the team’s survivability.

For regular shields, due to the limited stamina, it is advisable to avoid having a character take repeated damage. However, there are cards that can make this limitation disappear, such as Stamina Limit Protection.

The main focus here is on group stamina limit protection that lasts for multiple rounds. The classic card is “Flame Land.” After using this card, stamina limit becomes less of a concern. Control the ratio of support and damage cards; in mid-game, you can freely use attack cards without worrying about casualties. It is an essential card for killing enemies efficiently. In addition to Flame Land, there is Lian’s Roadblock and Shield Brother’s Full Guard, which have similar effects.

Nahran, Tao Li, and Chicken do not have this type of card. So how can their survivability be improved?

Nahran’s Insight allows seeing the opponent’s actions, making it easier to plan card usage. For example, using Nahran’s stun card to control critical moves, keeping one healing card to heal teammates who will be attacked multiple times, or adjusting the priority of attacks to lower-threat units that repeatedly target our characters, significantly improving the team’s stability.

Chicken’s role is mainly to soak up damage. Chicken’s health is not actual health; it can be regenerated by eating bread. With Chicken, stability is guaranteed. However, it’s important to note that in many cases, such as weak intermediate-level enemies or the presence of other stamina protection cards, Chicken taking damage may result in greater loss compared to regular characters. It is recommended to minimize Chicken’s non-cursed damage intake to deal with difficult minions or bosses. Of course, if there are bread digestants available, Chicken can take on a significant amount of damage.

Tao Li is the most special tank. She absorbs a portion of the damage received by all members of the team and stores it as cards. With Tao Li, teammates will not take too much damage. Her ability to attack desires greatly enhances the team’s line defense capabilities.

Damage Output: Due to multiple rounds of nerfs, shield class characters’ damage output is no longer on par with main DPS characters. However, in situations where card synergy allows, shield class characters can still be used as the main DPS:

Shield Brother in Lailin’s Shield Strike system, Chainsaw Miss in Snowsaw system, Phoenix in Claw Strike system, Nahran stacking HP, Lian leading the battle, and Tao Li, who can easily deal excessive damage with appropriate card selection.

Tao Li is unique because she was released later in the game, and her damage output has not been significantly reduced. She can be fully utilized as a DPS character, relying on stacking desires to deal additional damage. Other than Tao Li, using shields for DPS requires proper coordination or pure improvisation, which can be challenging without playing this specific playstyle. I won’t go into specific details as the most enjoyable part of gaming is the process of exploration.

Auxiliary Damage Output: Dealing supplementary damage is relatively straightforward. All characters have some form of damage-dealing cards, and using them is not a problem. Generally, the shield class has low-cost AoE attack cards that work well, such as Chainsaw’s “Playing with Fire,” Shield Brother’s “Trusted Assault,” and Tao Li’s “Charge.” These cards are effective against enemies like ghosts and wolves that require cards to counter. The overall damage output of the shield class is generally not high, making these cards suitable for countering stealth enemies.

For single-target damage, Phoenix’s “First Strike” and “Slap,” Chainsaw’s “Engine Ignition,” Shield Brother’s “Shield Strike,” and Tao Li’s two damage cards provide significant multipliers. These cards can easily supplement damage for main DPS or even deal significant damage to backline enemies from the start.

Utility Cards: There are many utility cards available in Chrono Ark. Here, we will focus on a few key ones.

“Pursuit”

A deceptive card, as it allows drawing cards from the discard pile during the same round, making it cost-effective as long as the deck is not full of low-cost cards. After it becomes fixed, it costs one card, but even with just one Blood Burst, there’s a chance to play it three times in one round. The 25% damage increase may seem small, but it adds up quickly.

“Pure Protection”

The value of this card lies in extending buffs, including Absolute Defense, Mirage, and Mobius Loop. Especially Mobius Loop, the value of unlimited draws for two rounds can be crucial in boss battles, potentially allowing for two stages of the boss fight.

“Protective Wall”

This card may seem underwhelming at first, but its core value lies in compressing the deck. Most shield class cards are relatively weak, so having a card that provides defense and can be played for just one card is practical. In Lailin’s Shield system, the value of this card increases significantly. In many situations, shields are more useful for defense rather than offense.

“Mental Trauma”

The only true god-tier Mental Trauma, the ultimate utility card for physical builds. It’s great for stunning enemies with critical moves, countering stealth enemies, and boosting Nahran’s damage output.

The main purpose of this card is to enable powerful critical move cards. The base effect applies a 20% chance of being critically hit to the opponent, while subsequent damage bonuses are significant. Any critical hit damage will skyrocket to an incomprehensible level. It’s worth noting that the critical hit bonus depends on the opponent’s disturbance resistance; the higher the resistance, the higher the numerical value. It is advisable to control the enemy first before dealing damage.

“Mind Lock”

In the mid-game, it can let enemies skip a turn, and in boss battles, it can stun key moves such as Ascension Slash, Death Mark, and Divine Transformation. It can also be paired with Mental Trauma.

“Trojan Horse”

This card is also one-to-one, allowing teammates to ignore taunt while providing some damage. Although situational, it occasionally proves effective.

“Calmness”

The basic effect of this card, damage immunity when near death, can be a lifesaver. While you may think this is a dream scenario, it comes in handy during high-pressure situations. Being immune to damage can provide a guarantee of safety. Additionally, it is effective within the current area and can be used to handle curses and bosses.

“Absolute Defense”

Fixed, invincible at a glance.

“Block Tactics”

A powerful skill that combines card draw and block recovery. However, it can be challenging to use effectively. As Lian typically has only one block, this card serves as a supplemental block. The recovered block will refund the cost. The actual cost of this card is 0, but since Chrono Ark has only one type of play (offense), playing at a slower pace to gain an advantage in the next round is not feasible (mainly due to non-positive gains, only breaking even).

“Protect Allies”

Lian’s core card. It’s important to note that the protected target will also benefit from the defense and stamina limit protection effects. With this card, protecting the main DPS becomes less of a concern. However, it cannot block attacks and untargetable damage that simultaneously target Lian and the protected target (such as Joker cards and damage from Pursuit). Be mindful of Death Mark and Absolute Obedience transferring to Lian.

“Vendetta”

In Blood Mist difficulty, this card gains value due to stunning caused by curses. It becomes very useful later on when facing opponents with multiple debuffs.

“Peach Pear Healing”

Half of Peach Pear’s core card, it works well with any red card and can withstand a lot of damage, either dealing damage or discarding it. Even without red cards, it can be paired with Brawl and miscellaneous cards like Charge and Assault to deplete desires.

“Minnow Discoverer”

A wall-crossing and damage-boosting card. At 1 cost, it provides stable wall-crossing and damage boost.

“Bread Digestant”

Phoenix’s core card. Although it costs one card, it applies to its passive ability. With this card, bread shortages are no longer a concern, and throwing bread deals considerable damage and returns to hand after battle (isn’t that dirty?). The drawback is that you need to find bread every round, which can be a hassle.

“Expert Advice”

A very useful card. Using “Fly” to determine the next card allows for a double attack card output, and combined with Solar Eclipse, three consecutive attack cards can be achieved. If used with Lucy’s card draw, it is equivalent to a one-cost Lucy card without overload. Due to Lucy’s self-overload, it is completely advantageous.