OK time for a big important day. What to send vs Judgment? She's Core CON so I need to hit her as hard as I can there on the first day, or else things will be difficult. I decide to try out this:
[X][X][X][X][X][X][ ] Duration (Next two: 30 EE)
[X][ ][ ][ ] Extra Captures (Next: 5 EE)
[X] Ambush (free)
[ ] Flight (Cost: 10 EE)
Suppressor: None (Cost: 60 EE plus 6 EE for Defiler)
Defiler: None (Cost: 66 EE)
Punisher: Parasitism [EXPO]
Your Commander is a mostly-transparent cloud which drifts across the battlefield until it comes into contact with a suitable host. After flowing into its targets, it can merge with and influence the psychic energy within them. Your Commander will lead your Demons into combat, allowing you to ambush your target and capture her for six rounds at the start of battle, and then one more time once you give the order. It is worth 9 Evil Energy. You have 5 Evil Energy remaining.
Flame will accompany you into battle!
Oh that last line comes from the Hot Tag. Who is Flame?
Flame
Real name: Baisho Aiko
Stamina: 100.0%
Motivation: 77.4%
Expertise
HATE: 21.0k (x1.008 dmg)
PLEA: 142k (x1.289 dmg) (x1.320 dmg from hypnotized opponents) (x1.400 dmg from Scar's hypnosis)
INJU: 317k (x1.406 dmg) (x1.555 dmg from drained opponents)
EXPO: 309k (x1.402 dmg)
x8.700 trauma dmg from retired banner's parasitism
Combat Style: Wild (100% INJU/EXPO)
Attacks indiscrimiately, dealing as much damage to the target's clothes and surroundings as to the actual target. Highly effective at distracting an entire team for follow-up attacks.
Training Plan: None
Remains idle when at full Stamina
Defiler Specialty: Tempt (PLEA)
Can switch mid-battle to a high-PLEA combat style with an extra damage multiplier at low Disgrace, can cause and intensify Morality/Confidence Distortion against valid targets
Trait: Superior Forsaken
Half motivation gain, +50% damage
Trait: Eager Partner
While Obedience remains below 40%, bonus to PLEA and EXPO damage equal to Motivation
First Hypnosis: Scar (+40.0% PLEA damage)
First Parasitism: retired banner (+770% trauma damage)
Hostility: 27% (Ambivalent about humanity)
Deviancy: 63% (Fetishizes aberrant actions)
Obedience: 39% (Obeys due to expectation of rewards)
Disgrace: 69% (Viewed with contempt)
Flame is... a badass, that's who. She's only a Superior Forsaken, but that's been enough to keep her useful, though I'm bringing her replacement online in the next Loop or two.
So what she do? She does INJU/EXPO, later switching to PLEA when that's not enough. It's awesome, so glad I changed things up this run! Her PLEA damage is kept juuuust below the threshold it needs to be to turn her into a 3-damage-type Forsaken. She deals tons of extra damage because only costs 24.8. Her Motivation is a bit low right now, but I still expect her to tear through this damage resistance like a hot dick through a dirty pocket pussy.
What we know:
Testament +2 T1 T2 T3 T4
MOR (core) [ ][ ][ ][X][ ]
INN (min) [X][X][X][ ]
CON (sig) [ ][ ][ ][~]
DIG (core) [ ][ ][ ][ ][~]
Luster +2 T1 T2 T3 T4
MOR (min) [X][X][ ][~]
INN (core) [ ][ ][ ][ ][~]
CON (min) [ ][ ][ ][ ]
DIG (min) [ ][ ][ ][ ]
Judgment:
MOR (sig)
INN (sig)
CON (core)
DIG (sig)
I'm'a try it out. Plan is: go in with EXPO commander vs Luster, weak to EXPO. This will raise EXPO somewhat without raising her Trauma too high, because current Trauma counts in the Devil bonus.. The turn before Luster comes in, switch to Flame to capture Judgment, hopefully breaking right through and doing serious damage.
Buy Nursery Hives and in we go:
(R0: Capture)
EXPO: 999 [Lv 1] x1/2(SHAM) x1/2(highest Circ.) = x0.25 Total
Not going to get much more EXPO out of this, but I can get Level 2 to help with Judgment.
R1: Do Nothing
EXPO: 1341
This is good. Again not too much damage is what we want. It might even be better to release now and start raising other stats. I'll try that.
R2: Swap Commanders
(this automatically releases Luster, even with turns remaining)
This is the coolest thing that you can do with Hot Tag--you can release early on a Demon Commander, essentially, and set up your Forsaken to surround later. The risk comes if Luster regens back to Level 1 EXPO
R3: Do Nothing
R4: Do Nothing
Judgment arrives!
R5: Judgment->Capture
FEAR [-'''''''''] ( 0 + 150 = 150) nervous eyes
DISG [''''''''' ] ( 0 + 97 = 97) only a little disturbed
PAIN [-------'''] ( 0 + 759 = 759) wincing in pain
SHAM [---'''''''] ( 0 + 364 = 364) face downturned
HATE [ ] ( 0 = 0)
PLEA [ ] ( 0 = 0)
INJU ['''''' ] ( 0 + 69 = 69) only superficial injuries
EXPO [------''''] ( 0 + 653 = 653) clothes have some small tears
I was hoping for a bit more but this'll at least reach Level 1 INJU without too much trouble, then I can switch to Tempt.
R6: Luster->Surround
I see that Judgment will grow into Level 2 INJU, which was my hope, in 2-3 more turns, before switching over to Tempt.
R7: Luster->Pummel
Judgment:
FEAR [------''''] ( 384 + 245 = 629) nervous eyes
DISG [----''''''] ( 279 + 191 = 470) lips curled in distaste
PAIN [~~--------] ( 1463 + 1316 = 2779) gasping with pain
SHAM [~---------] ( 1200 + 707 = 1907) urge to hide
HATE [ ] ( 0 = 0)
PLEA [ ] ( 0 = 0)
INJU [------''''] ( 210 + 441 = 651) light bruising
EXPO [~---------] ( 941 + 711 = 1652) clothes torn across her hips and chest
R8: Luster->Grind
Judgment is close to Level 2 INJU.
R9: Luster->Caress
Judgment reaches Level 2 INJU. +2EE for T0 CON break!
R10: Judgment->Tempt
999 PLEA damage, great!
Luster breaks free, let's re-surround.
R11: Luster->Surround
9999 PLEA damage to Judgment. Badass!
R12: Luster->Grind
99999 PLEA damage to Judgment. I'm on fire! Judgment breaks free, so:
R13: Judgment->Surround
Not every turn can be as awesome.
Looking at options for R14: I can Pummel Luster, breaking her T1 CON (minor) or Grind to break Judgment's level 1 MOR, which is a break that has to happen for her to be Rampant. I opt for that option, since Judgment is escaping 3x as fast.
R14: Judgment->Grindr (T1 CON break! +3EE!)
Considering options for R15, I can Caress on Judgment (breaking T1 INN), which is fine since I can't ever Despair on the third Chosen, or do some damage to Despair to keep her locked in for next time. I figure with 99.9K PLEA, I'll get the option on Judgment to Caress next turn.
R15: Luster->Caress ("T0" INN break! +2EE!)
R16: Judgment->Caress (T1 INN break! +3EE!)
I notice that Judgment is still Surrounded when she was at "Surrounded for 2 more turns" last round (while escaping at
triple speed, not a bug, just wasn't sure).
I check and no more breaks are possible, so let's get Judgment up to 100k PAIN (she's v. close)
R17: Judgment->Pummel (successfully over 100k PAIN)
Judgment escapes! Extermination is finished, so this will be the last capture/Surround.
I can either do a sure thing, capture Judgment with Flame again to break her T2 EXPO, or surround her with Thralls and possibly break her T1/T2 MOR. A quick calculation says that T2 MOR is probably impossible (she'll start out if T1 breaks with Violence so ughhh) but still I'd rather have a MOR break than a DIG break because that one makes the rest easier. So let's surround and see if I can get a T1 MOR break. Worst case, I have t
R18: Judgment->Surround
Luster escapes!
I notice that I can get either a DIG or a MOR break on Judgment. Here's where she stands:
I can't do Confidence Break as that'll ruin her for Rampancy.
Both Grind and Humiliate cause Dignity break, which means if I get that one first, she may (or may not) be able to break MOR on a subsequent Grind next turn. Her 12 more turns of opening levels will actually only last 5 turns so it's iffy, but I think CS calculates based off the full number without counting the Angel escape assist when determining whether to break. Time to find out.
I'm gonna do it:
R19: Judgment->Humiliate (T1 DIG break! +3EE)
Ah damn, can't get the T1 or T2 MOR break, I suppose it does depend on the actual number of surround turns. That's rough.
R20: Judgment->Grind
I'm working for T2 EXPO break on Luster to set her up for Rampancy later as well, which will work very well if controlled.
R21: Luster->Capture
Oh yeah you forgot about this bitch huh?
Another few turns and I'll be at 10k EXPO for a T2 break (skipping T1 for now)
R22: Judgment->Pummel
Yeah Luster is getting torn a new asshole.
Time to let everyone see.
R23: Luster->Broadcast
I'd like to retreat, but I don't yet have Causal Projection. It's bad to hit more breakpoints with these two. So I can get out of this fight by just Releasing Luster.
R24: Luster-Release
Well, that's it for today. I only earn 3EE from Downtime, but with all the EE in the battle that brings me up to 16EE so I can sort of do this all again.
Failed goal: ❌ Luster will never be Despaired. Eh, ok.
Successful: ✔ I got some important T1 breaks and one T2 break this fight.
✔ I can take any choice of Objectives from the Strategic Advantage system.
✔ I can send out any number of cheap or extra-cheap Demon/Forsaken pairs next round.
Not bad for day 4/26.
Save posted below as saves.sav (careful how you download it)