Buck
Overview
Harnesses the power of molten earth. Excels at applying Ignite debuffs for sustained damage through fire-based effects. Strong AoE damage potential.
Abilities
Magma Pulse
Thrusts tail into the ground, releasing pulsing shockwaves that deal 270% of Attack as magic damage to enemies in a large circle and apply [Ignite].
⚡ Flamethrower
Summons a scorching wall of fire in the target area for 5 seconds, dealing 140% of Attack as magic damage to enemies passing through. Enemies caught in flames take an additional 50% of Attack in magic damage per second.
🔐 Arsonist
Increases Attack by 42% when attacking enemy units with [Ignite] status.
Talent: Flame Armor
When HP first drops below 30%, gain [Flame Armor] and recover 140% of Attack as HP over 3 seconds.
Level Enhancements
⭐ Level 2
[Flamethrower] can trigger [Punishment]. When triggered, additionally applies [Ignite]
⭐ Level 3
Attack is increased by 12%
⭐ Level 4
When self-triggered [Elemental Reactions] occur, additionally applies [Magic Defense Down]
Our Take on Buck
Buck is an SR fire Mage who sets up his own damage bonus. Magma Pulse hits a large circle for 270% of Attack as magic damage and applies [Ignite], and his secret skill Arsonist then gives him 42% more Attack against any enemy with [Ignite]. Flamethrower adds a 5-second wall of fire that deals 140% to enemies passing through plus 50% of Attack per second to those caught in it.
Strengths
- +Arsonist's 42% Attack bonus is self-enabled, because his own Magma Pulse applies [Ignite] across a large circle.
- +Flamethrower keeps dealing 50% of Attack per second for its 5-second duration, which suits groups that stay in one place.
- +At talent level 2, Flamethrower can trigger [Punishment] and apply another [Ignite] on success, and level 4 adds [Magic Defense Down] whenever he triggers an [Elemental Reaction] himself.
Weaknesses
- −Arsonist only applies to targets with [Ignite], so before his first Magma Pulse (or if [Ignite] is removed) he loses that 42%.
- −Flame Armor's heal of 140% of Attack over 3 seconds triggers only the first time his HP drops below 30%, so his survival tool works once per battle.
- −None of his listed skills apply crowd control, so he relies on teammates to hold enemies inside Flamethrower's area.
How to Play Buck
Place Buck in the back row and open with Magma Pulse on the largest enemy cluster so [Ignite] is on as many targets as possible before anything else hits. Follow with Flamethrower on the same area; enemies inside take the per-second damage with Arsonist's bonus active. Talent level 2 is worth reaching early because it gives Flamethrower a second route to [Ignite]. Level 4 matters in teams that trigger elemental reactions, though the in-game text does not define what causes one. Level 3's 12% Attack is a simple stat gain.
Good Teammates
- Melina (SSR) – Melina's Phoenix Talon applies [Ignite] along a line, keeping Arsonist's 42% Attack bonus active on targets Buck's Magma Pulse missed, and her [Magic Defense Down] helps his magic damage.
- Siegfried (SR) – The SR Siegfried's Infernal Wyrm inflicts [Ignite] on enemies it collides with along 3 paths, an extra [Ignite] source for Arsonist from the front row.
- Bladeheart (SR) – Bladeheart gains 30% Attack against enemies with [Elemental Debuffs] at talent level 4, and Buck's large-circle [Ignite] sets that up for him.
Keywords in brackets are explained in the status effect glossary.
Should You Invest?
Buck is an SR rated T4 on this site, so he is a low priority for most accounts. His kit is coherent, with Magma Pulse enabling Arsonist, which makes him a usable budget option for [Ignite]-focused teams or multi-wave stages. Beyond talent level 2, resources are probably better spent on higher-rated mages.
Buck FAQ
- What does [Ignite] do for Buck?
- His secret skill Arsonist increases his Attack by 42% when he attacks an enemy with [Ignite]. He applies [Ignite] himself with Magma Pulse, and from talent level 2 also through Flamethrower's [Punishment] trigger.
- Does Buck have crowd control?
- Not in his listed skills. Magma Pulse, Flamethrower and his talents deal damage and apply [Ignite] or [Magic Defense Down], but none of them stun, freeze or knock back.