Reina SR
Commanding Lancer of the Stalwart Shield · Lightning · Destroyer
Melee Lightning Destroyer built around Lightning Energy stacks and the Variant Attack system. Reina charges Lightning Energy via her spear thrusts, consumes 2-6 stacks for Variant Attacks, and converts incoming hits into Steel Retaliation buffs. The launch HP-scaling Lightning knight.
- SR
- Lightning
- Destroyer
- Melee
- Variant Attack
- Steel Retaliation
Verdict
Reina is the launch SR Lightning Destroyer melee and the only Lightning carry with HP scaling. Her Passive (Superconductive Body) makes her Neutralization DMG scale off her Max HP — meaning HP substats double as survival AND stagger damage. She charges Lightning Energy via Special, Tag-in, Ult, and BA 4th Hit; then consumes 2-6 charges via Variant Attack to trigger increasingly powerful 1st/2nd/3rd Hit lightning bursts.
Steel Retaliation is the secondary loop: taking a hit during Variant Attack grants +Lightning DMG + heals on 2nd/3rd Variant Hit finish. Reina turns boss telegraphs into self-buffing windows. Her Tag-out applies Lightning Affliction for Spirit King 4pc payoff; her Ult charges Lightning Energy on cast (refresh the loop). C2 cuts Variant Attack stack cost in half (-2 per Variant) — turns her into a sustained Variant chain rather than a burst-then-wait kit.
Pull-priority: standard pool, signature SR Lightning Destroyer artifact (Unrelenting Chivalry — named for her knight identity, perfect synergy). Skip if you already own Penny + Benjamin; she becomes the third Lightning slot. Pull if you have Penny (Brawler) and want a Destroyer partner for stagger-focused Lightning play.
Strengths
- Unrelenting Chivalry signature artifact is named for her knight identity — Spirit of Chivalry stacks scale her BA + Lightning DMG perfectly.
- HP-scaling Neutralization DMG is unique in the launch Lightning pool — HP substats double as survival + stagger damage.
- Variant Attack 3rd Hit dumps massive single-instance Lightning DMG — clean burst window for stagger phases.
- Steel Retaliation converts taking damage during Variant Attack into +Lightning DMG buff + self-heal — turns boss telegraphs into self-buffing.
- Lightning Energy charges from multiple sources (Special, Tag-in, BA 4th Hit, Ult) — sustained Variant Attack cycling possible.
- Tag-out applies Lightning Affliction — sustains Spirit King 4pc + the Lightning team payoffs without on-field time.
Weaknesses
- Variant Attack stack cost (2/4/6) makes the kit feel resource-gated at C0 — you cannot spam Variant 3rd Hit without building energy first.
- Steel Retaliation requires taking damage — counter-bait timing matters. Facetank players never see the Lightning DMG buff or self-heal.
- Melee in a Destroyer role — average HP/DEF curve. Pair with Francis for sustain on harder content.
- Outshone by Penny for pure Lightning DPS once you own her. Reina is the Destroyer slot specifically, not the lead carry.
- Variant Attack 1st Hit is the weakest cast — 2nd Hit and 3rd Hit are where the real damage / Steel Retaliation lives.
- Heavy reliance on positioning — Variant Attack chains require staying on the boss, not kiting away.
Best gear
Reina's recommended artifact + equipment set, with farmable alternates for F2P.
Alternates
- Ice Heart (2pc) + Sticky Gorger (2pc) — SR bridge. Ice Heart 2pc gives +3% Lightning Attack Neutralization DMG (which scales off her HP via Superconductive Body passive). Sticky Gorger 2pc gives +3% ATK. F2P-accessible until Spirit King craft.
- Ground-Shaking Tremors — SR Destroyer alternate artifact — Taking a hit grants +5% Neutralization DMG. Niche stagger-focus pick; Unrelenting Chivalry outperforms in BA-rotation comps.
- Dreaming Adventurer — SR Destroyer alternate — Special grants +18% Ice DMG on next Basic Ice Attack. Wrong element (Ice, not Lightning). Avoid.
Kit overview
Five abilities. Lightning Energy fuels Variant Attacks; Steel Retaliation rewards counter timing.
- SpecialForm 1 - Thunderstorm
Five rapid spear thrusts + finishing jab — Lightning DMG. Final jab charges Lightning Energy. Primary Lightning Energy source between BA combos. Use on bosses for sustained damage.
- Basic AttackSpear of Retribution
Forward spear thrust + blunt weapon transformation — Lightning DMG. 4th Hit charges Lightning Energy. Holding BA with 2+ Lightning Energy triggers Variant Attack (1st/2nd/3rd Hit costs 2/4/6 charges). Variant Attack windows take reduced DMG + grant Steel Retaliation on hit.
- PassiveSuperconductive Body
Neutralization DMG scales off her Max HP — HP substats double as survival + stagger damage. Landing certain attacks / skills charges Lightning Energy. Unique in the Lightning SR pool.
- Tag-InCelestial Lightning Spear
Tag-in: dash + stab + detonate Lightning Energy for Lightning DMG + charge more. Tag-out: leap + stab for Lightning DMG + Lightning Affliction on hit enemies. The team-amp swap window.
- UltimateSecret Technique - Radiant Dragon
Jumps high + throws spear for massive Lightning DMG + lands for bonus Lightning DMG + charges Lightning Energy. All hit enemies are Lightning-Afflicted. Use to open burst windows + refresh Lightning Energy for the next Variant Attack chain.
Canto priority
C2 is the Variant Attack discount. C4 is the HP-scaling cap. C6 is the Ultimate burst.
Canto value (in order)
- C2 — Knight of Colossal Power — Variant Attack stack cost -2 (1st/2nd/3rd Hit costs 0/2/4 instead of 2/4/6). Steel Retaliation values × 2 + 2/3-Hit Variant grants Steel Retaliation without taking a hit. Variant 3rd Hit total DMG +20%. THE Canto. Transforms the resource economy.
- C1 — Charge Forward — BA after Special triggers a piercing bonus attack (counts as BA) + generates 2 extra Lightning Energy. Major QoL — sustains Variant Attack chains without resource starvation.
- C4 — Just Blow It All Up! — Max HP +10% + Neutralization DMG Boost cap raised to 15% of Max HP. End-of-curve HP-scaling ceiling. Major endgame pick for stagger comps.
- C6 — Work Smarter, Not Harder! — Ult DMG +30% + immediate 6 Lightning Energy on Ult + +30% DEF (6s) + Celestial Energy team buff (Variant 3rd Hit generates 4 Lightning Energy). Niche cap — only chase with free dupes.
- C3 / C5 — flat statsticks — +2 skill levels + minor BA / Ult DMG bumps. Pickup between meaningful jumps.
How to play her — Variant Attack rotation
Five steps. Charge Lightning Energy, spend it on Variant 3rd Hit, repeat.
- 1. Tag-in (Celestial Lightning Spear) for entry + Lightning Energy charge — Dash + stab + Lightning Energy detonation. Builds your initial stack to ~2-4 charges. Triggers Tag-out → Lightning Affliction on swap-out (for Spirit King 4pc payoff).
- 2. Special (Form 1 - Thunderstorm) for damage + Lightning Energy charge — Five spear thrusts + finishing jab. Charges Lightning Energy on jab. Reliable primary energy source between BA combos.
- 3. BA combo to land 4 hits (Lightning Energy on 4th Hit) — Spear thrusts → transform. Always commit to the full string to charge Lightning Energy. C1 (post-Special BA piercing attack) adds bonus Lightning Energy.
- 4. Hold BA at 2+ charges for Variant Attack — Variant 1st Hit (2 charges) — light burst. Variant 2nd Hit (4 charges) — medium burst + Steel Retaliation chance. Variant 3rd Hit (6 charges) — big single-instance Lightning DMG. Drop the 3rd Hit on bosses.
- 5. Ultimate (Secret Technique - Radiant Dragon) for the burst + Lightning Energy refresh — Spear throw + landing strike + Lightning Affliction + Lightning Energy charge. Use to open burst windows and immediately fuel the next Variant Attack chain.
Should you pull / invest?
Decide based on Lightning team existing roster and Destroyer slot need.
Beginner / new player
Skip unless you do not own Penny. Reina's Variant Attack resource economy is harder to manage than Yeonhwa's simpler Shadow crit loop. If you do pull, prioritise C2 ASAP — it transforms the resource gate.
F2P / low spend
Decent pull target if you want a Lightning Destroyer. Unrelenting Chivalry craftable, Ice Heart 2pc bridges Spirit King at ~75% efficiency. Build with HP % main + Crit DMG substats. Push C2 via standard pool — it halves the Variant Attack cost.
Invested / dolphin
C2 first (Knight of Colossal Power — Variant Attack stack cost -2). C1 second (Charge Forward — post-Special BA bonus + Lightning Energy). C4 for HP-scaling ceiling. Skip C3 / C5 / C6 unless free dupes.
Endgame / theory-crafter
Run Penny + Reina + Bonnie for the launch SR/SSR Lightning core: Penny leads Brawler carry, Reina chips in Destroyer role for stagger, Bonnie covers Wind support (Encore C2 amps team Crit DMG regardless of element). Or Penny + Reina + Benjamin for mono-Lightning triple-DPS once C2 unlocked.
Teams featuring Reina
Reina is the Destroyer slot for any Lightning team — pairs with Penny for the launch SR/SSR core.
- 1
PennySSR Lightning Brawler. Coin economy + Electric Overload. Penny + Reina is the launch SR/SSR Lightning backbone — Penny leads, Reina anchors Destroyer stagger.Lightning · Brawler - 2
BenjaminSR Lightning Slayer melee. Nightmare Sprint Enhanced Special. Pairs with Reina for double-Lightning melee burst windows.Lightning · Slayer (SR) - 3
YeonhwaSR Lightning Slayer. Shadow + crit-trigger Support Skill. Lower stagger priority than Reina — pair if your team needs a second Slayer.Lightning · Slayer (SR) - 4
FrancisSR Earth healer. Universal launch healer — covers Reina's melee survival during Variant Attack chains.Earth · Supporter (SR)
Penny + Reina is the launch SR/SSR Lightning Destroyer pair. Add Francis for survival or Benjamin for second Lightning Slayer burst.
Plan it on ZeroLuck
This guide tells you how the kit works — these free community tools let you actually build it, share it and race it.
FAQ
- Is Reina worth pulling at launch?
- Yes if you do not own Penny, OR if you have Penny and want a Destroyer-role stagger amp partner. Skip if you already have Penny + Benjamin + Yeonhwa; she becomes the fourth Lightning slot.
- What is Reina's best artifact?
- Unrelenting Chivalry (SR Destroyer signature). Spirit of Chivalry stacks gained on Tag-out / Switch / Special (3 stacks on Ult). BA consumes all stacks for +3% Lightning DMG + +3% BA DMG per stack (max 3 = +9% each). Themed to her knight identity.
- What is Reina's best equipment set?
- Spirit King 4-piece (SSR Lightning). 2pc +8% Lightning DMG on BA, 4pc +10% Lightning DMG vs Lightning-Afflicted. SSR-gated — bridge with Ice Heart 2pc (Lightning Attack Neutralization +3%, scales off her HP) until craftable.
- Should I stack HP or ATK on Reina?
- HP % main + Crit DMG substats. Superconductive Body passive makes her Neutralization DMG scale off Max HP — HP substats double as stagger damage. ATK is secondary; HP is the primary stat for stagger Lightning comps.
- How does Variant Attack work?
- Reina charges Lightning Energy via Special (final jab), BA 4th Hit, Tag-in detonation, and Ult landing strike. Holding BA with 2+ Lightning Energy triggers Variant Attack: 1st Hit (2 charges, light burst), 2nd Hit (4 charges, medium burst + Steel Retaliation chance), 3rd Hit (6 charges, big single-instance Lightning DMG). C2 cuts the costs in half (0/2/4).
- Which Canto should I prioritise for Reina?
- C2 (Knight of Colossal Power) first — Variant Attack stack cost -2, Steel Retaliation ×2, Variant 3rd Hit DMG +20%. Transformative resource economy. C1 (Charge Forward) second — post-Special BA bonus + Lightning Energy. C4 for HP-scaling ceiling. Skip C3 / C5 / C6 unless free dupes.
- How do I play Reina in a boss fight?
- Tag-in (Celestial Lightning Spear) for entry + Lightning Energy charge. Special (Form 1 - Thunderstorm) for sustained Lightning Energy generation. BA combo to land 4 hits (Lightning Energy on 4th Hit). Hold BA at 2+ charges for Variant Attack — drop 3rd Hit on bosses for big single-instance damage. Ult to refresh Lightning Energy + Lightning Affliction.
- What is Steel Retaliation?
- Buff granted by taking damage during Variant Attack — +Lightning DMG bonus + 2nd/3rd Hit Variant Attack finish heals Reina for a portion of Max HP. Counter-bait timing matters: position to take the boss attack during your Variant Attack channel for max Steel Retaliation uptime.
- Reina vs. Benjamin for Lightning melee?
- Reina = Destroyer (stagger-focused, HP-scaling Neutralization, Variant Attack burst). Benjamin = Slayer (burst combo, Nightmare Sprint single-target). Pick Reina for stagger-leaning comps; pick Benjamin for sustained Slayer burst windows. Cannot run both in most teams without losing a Brawler / Supporter slot.
- Can I play Reina F2P?
- Yes. Unrelenting Chivalry craftable, Ice Heart 2pc bridges Spirit King at ~75% efficiency. C2 is the make-or-break Canto — pull standard banner for it. Solid F2P Lightning Destroyer pick once you commit to HP-substat builds.
Sources & method
Every cooldown, gauge cost and bonus traces back to game data exports in games/mongil/data. Editorial reading is our analysis written in our own words.
- In-game character data (skills, ascension, Canto).
- Unrelenting Chivalry artifact text (Mongil 1.0 in-game tooltip).
- Spirit King equipment set text (Mongil 1.0 in-game tooltip).
- Community team composition guide — Mongil: Star Dive launch teams.
- Community feedback on Reina HP-scaling builds and Variant Attack resource cycles.