Neverness to Everness · S-Rank · Chaos · Liquid
Lacrimosa Guide
ETD-4's Nightmare Collector: the community's top-rated off-field Chaos DoT Main DPS in Patch 1.0, who stacks Nightmare and detonates the whole stockpile in one 5th-hit burst. Elite ceiling — but it is genuinely gated behind A3, A1 and a disciplined rotation.
Overview
Quick Stats
| Rarity | S-Rank |
| Element | Chaos |
| Arc Type | Liquid |
| Role | Main DPS / off-field DoT |
| Playstyle | Stack Nightmare → 5th-hit burst → Ultimate reload |
| Rec. Arc | The Last Rose (game-recommended) |
| Rec. Set | Diabolos 4-piece |
Ratings
Contextual: elite as a sustained boss / AoE DoT carry, weak on raw burst speed, demanding on Ease of Use (rotation + awakening gated).
Community read — ZeroLuck tier-vote, Patch 1.0 (live, n=26 votes across roles): DPS SS 4.55/5 (20 votes) · Hybrid S 3.5/5 (4) · Support A 3.0/5 (2). She is voted overwhelmingly as a top-tier DPS (n=20); the hybrid and support entries are low-sample noise — they are not her real role, just a handful of voters testing flex placements.
Trend: in the rolling tier movement she recently shifted SS → A as a Support, which only reinforces the read above — the support role is unstable noise. Her DPS placement is stable in Patch 1.0; watch the live tier list for the current standing.
Strengths
- Top-tier sustained Chaos DoT — damages while off-field
- Whole Nightmare stockpile detonates in one A3 burst
- Scales hard with investment (Nightmare + Chaos-Thorn stacks)
- Multi-target by default — Nightmare hits every enemy
- Game-recommended arc + clear stat path straight from the data
Weaknesses
- Awakening-gated — A0 ceiling is well below showcase
- Needs a Scorch / Nova / Discord trigger (Baicang) for A6
- Slow ramp — short fights heavily penalise her DoT
- Best arc (The Last Rose) has no farmable 5★ substitute
Gameplay — Nightmare & the 5th-Hit Burst
Lacrimosa does not deal damage when she hits — she plants Nightmare. Her Skill and Ultimate inflict Nightmare stacks that tick Chaos DMG on their own timers. The whole game plan is stack Nightmare → detonate it all at once → reload.
Why she needs a team, not a buff stick
- Morning Spell (A6) — a free Esper Cycle when she swaps back from a Scorch / Nova / Discord ally within 5s of Devilish Gift
- Tomato Banquet — +400% ATK whenever Discord triggers on a Broken target (needs a Discord + Break partner)
- Molten Ice Cream (A3) — turns slow DoT ticks into a single burst window; without it she is a trickle
That is the honest read on Lacrimosa: the kit is conditional on a rotation. Solo and at A0 she is a middling DoT unit. Built around Baicang's Scorch trigger with A3/A1 online she is one of the best Chaos carries in Version 1.0 — meet the condition and she is S-tier; ignore it and she underwhelms.
Skills
Upgrade priority
- Working Day Judgement
- Morning Tomato / Devilish Gift
- Sweet and Sour
- Microwake
Ultimate
Working Day Judgement
Slams the Truck for 10 separate instances of Chaos DMG over an area and inflicts Nightmare on everything hit. Because each of the 10 hits rolls crit independently, CRIT Rate matters on every one — and each Nightmare stack ticks Chaos DMG on its own timer. This both reloads your Nightmare stockpile for the next loop and is a damage block in its own right, so it goes to skill level 10 first.
Skill
Morning Tomato / Devilish Gift
One slot, two forms. Morning Tomato throws Esper constructs for Chaos DMG and applies Nightmare — your stack engine. Devilish Gift is the Redirect form: it copies an ally's Esper ability and is what arms the 5s A6 Morning Spell window before you swap to a Scorch / Nova / Discord ally. Trigger first, damage second — both level together.
Normal Attack
Sweet and Sour
Two 5-hit Chaos combos — Tomato Metal (Frying Pan) and Tomato Percussion (Red Jelly). The payoff hit is the 5th: with A3 (Molten Ice Cream) it detonates every accumulated Nightmare stack at once. Never swap out before the 5th hit lands — that is the burst.
Chain Skill
Microwake
One instance of AoE Chaos DMG on swap-in. It only contributes at the moment Lacrimosa rotates in, so it is the lowest upgrade priority — level it last after the three core skills are maxed.
Passive
Tomato Banquet
Discord Enhancement: deals additional DMG equal to 400% of ATK when Discord triggers on a target that is already Broken. This is the line that ties her to a Discord + Break team (Daffodill) — every Discord proc on a Broken enemy adds a flat 400% ATK burst on top of her Nightmare output.
Passive
Sleep In
Grants 1 extra Morning Tomato attempt after she uses Tomato Metal or Tomato Percussion 5 times within the skill cooldown — once per cooldown. Completing a full Normal Attack chain inside the window literally buys an extra Nightmare application per rotation.
Passive
Sleepwalk
Out of combat, hold dodge to enter bat flight (costs stamina). Pure traversal — no combat value, but note ETD-4 units interact with her bat form (Baicang gains a super jump when swapped in during it).
Skill scaling — Lv 1 → Lv 11
Real damage ratios (% of ATK) from the in-game codex. Use this to pick the next skill level instead of guessing — Ultimate (Truck) and the 5th-hit Ranged combo are her biggest jumps per book invested, and Nightmare is the line A3 detonates.
| Source | Lv 1 | Lv 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Skill — Morning Tomato (DMG Ratio) | 300% | 647.7% |
| Ultimate — Working Day (Truck Ratio) | 253.3%×2 + 42.7%×5 + 93.3%×3 | 546.9%×2 + 92.2%×5 + 201.4%×3 |
| Normal Attack — Ranged 5th Instance | 95.3% | 205.7% |
| Chain — Microwake | 200% | 431.8% |
| Nightmare DMG Ratio (per tick) | 4% | 8.6% |
Sourcing: every row above is read verbatim from the imported scaling tables in games/nte/data/character-details/en/lacrimosa.json — fields skills[].scalingTable[i].formatted[0] (Lv 1) and [10] (Lv 11). The Nightmare line is her DoT per-tick ratio (the same value A3 burst-fires per stacked instance), which is why leveling Normal Attack matters as much as the headline Ultimate.
Awakenings
Priority: A3 → A1 → A6 → A2 → A4 → A5, then A7 / A8. Lacrimosa is the rare NTE unit where awakenings are not just a ceiling bump — A3 fundamentally changes how she plays, and A1 doubles that payoff. A6 + A2 are a package that unlocks the optimal rotation.
A3
Molten Ice Cream
Detonates every accumulated Nightmare stack at once on the 5th hit of Tomato Metal / Tomato Percussion. Instead of waiting for each stack to tick over time, the 5th Normal Attack fires them all in one window — this is her entire burst identity, not a luxury.
A1
Clock Out Clemency
+50% Nightmare DMG Ratio — a flat 1.5× on every Nightmare instance. Because A3 burst-fires the whole stockpile, A1 multiplies that entire burst directly. Skip it and her ceiling is roughly halved.
A6
Morning Spell
Auto-casts her Support Skill and triggers the matching Esper Cycle with no Cycle Rate cost when she swaps back from a Nova / Scorch / Discord ally within 5s of Devilish Gift. This is the engine of the optimal rotation — a free cycle every loop.
A2
Rise and Shine
+15% damage dealt for 15s when she swaps in via a Support Skill. A6's auto Support Skill swap-in triggers this every loop — A2 and A6 are a package, unlock both or neither.
A4
Almighty Lord of Tomatoes
Nightmare duration 3s → 6s. Doubles the window each stack has to survive between swaps — without it long rotations expire stacks before the A3 burst lands.
A5
Tempered Glass Judgement
Nightmare stacks survive when the target is healed, and the target's Max HP is cut by 200% of one Nightmare instance. Strong against self-healing / recovery bosses where DoT would normally be wiped.
A7
The Heart's Drowsy Flames
+1 skill level to Sweet and Sour, Morning Tomato, Devilish Gift and Working Day Judgement. A flat stat-stick that compounds at high investment — unlock after A1–A6.
A8
Lullaby
Her damage ignores 10% of the target's DEF, independent of Diabolos' Chaos RES ignore (both apply). Final unlock — clean but the smallest single jump.
Best Arc
These picks are grounded in her in-game cultivation data and arc-type compatibility (Lacrimosa equips Liquid arcs) — not invented tier claims.
Cassette Set & Stats
- 2-piece: Chaos DMG +10%
- 4-piece: Ignores 12% enemy Chaos RES; 24% for 20s after the wearer joins a Nova or Scorch reaction
Tailor-made: the 2-piece amplifies her element and the 4-piece RES ignore upgrades to 24% every loop because her rotation runs through a Scorch trigger — pure Chaos throughput.
- 2-piece: ATK +10%
- 4-piece: +25% ATK for 20s after casting a Skill
Generic offensive alternative. She casts her Skill every rotation, so the 4-piece uptime is reliable — a safe set while farming Diabolos.
Stat Priority
Best Team
Chaos · Liquid. Stacks Nightmare, then burst-fires the whole stockpile on her 5th Normal Attack. Off-field DoT carry — she does her damage while another unit is on screen.
Incantation · Bose. His Skill (Generous Guidance) fires the Scorch Esper Cycle that arms her A6 Morning Spell free-cycle window. A3 “Curses Spoken Into Being” raises his Power Word cap to 4, and A1 “Yo, Captain!” adds +30% next-Skill DMG per Silence with a −4s CD per Objurgate — every extra Power Word means more Scorch triggers and tighter swap windows for Lacrimosa.
Chaos · Liquid. Pushes Break + Discord so Tomato Banquet (Lacri’s +400% ATK on a Discord-affected Broken target) actually fires. A8 “Sunlight and Sanctuary” reduces the Broken target’s Anima RES by 15%, and A4 “In Concealment” adds +15% Break DMG per Insight stack — both lines amplify every Nightmare tick Lacrimosa lands during the same window.
Psyche · Solid. Off-field Damage Boost aura that persists once deployed. A8 “Sequel” adds +12% team Crit DMG while in Paranormal Ace, and A2 “Legendary!” extends Hootie by 4s — Lacrimosa’s Nightmare burst rolls Crit independently per instance, so a flat team Crit DMG layer multiplies the entire 5th-hit detonation, not just one skill.
Want the exact swap timings and the full Devilish Gift → Scorch → burst loop? The dedicated Lacrimosa Team Guide → covers it step by step. Or build your own: Team Builder →
Optimal Rotation
Devilish Gift — open the A6 window
Cast Skill in its Redirect form (Devilish Gift). This starts the 5s A6 Morning Spell window, begins the Nightmare cycle, and (with The Last Rose) grants 10 instant Chaos-Thorn stacks. Swap out immediately.
Scorch trigger → swap back
On a Scorch ally (Baicang) cast their Skill to fire the Scorch Esper Cycle, then swap back to Lacrimosa inside the 5s window. Morning Spell auto-casts her Support Skill for a free cycle, and A2 Rise and Shine goes live (+15% DMG, 15s).
Layer Discord + Break
Bring in Daffodill for the Discord Esper Cycle and Break pressure. Every Discord proc on a Broken target adds Tomato Banquet's +400% ATK on top of her Nightmare output.
Deploy the damage aura
Cast Haniel's Support Skill for the off-field Damage Boost aura. It persists once placed — set and forget for the rest of the loop.
A3 burst + Ultimate
Back on Lacrimosa, complete a 5-hit chain (Tomato Metal or Tomato Percussion). The 5th hit triggers A3 — every Nightmare stack detonates at once. Follow with Working Day Judgement to reload Nightmare and start the next loop.
Golden rule: never skip the 5th Normal Attack hit — that is where the whole Nightmare stockpile detonates.
Pre-Farm Materials
Stockpile these before pulling so she is combat-ready on day one. Plan your ascension →
| Material | Source |
|---|---|
| Lost Whispers | Common enemy · Ascension early |
| Obscure Whispers | Common enemy · Ascension mid |
| Paradoxical Whispers | Common enemy · Ascension late |
| Confessional Flower Seed | World Boss · Ascension phases 2+ |
Highest priority: Whispers ascension line · skill books · then arc / cassette farming
Should You Pull?
Pull if…
- You want a sustained off-field Chaos DoT carry that damages while others are on screen
- You own Baicang — his Scorch trigger is the cornerstone of her A6 free-cycle rotation
- Multi-target / AoE content is your focus — Nightmare lands on every enemy at once
- You enjoy a build that scales hard with investment (more Nightmare + Chaos-Thorn stacks)
- You run a Discord + Break partner (Daffodill) to fire her +400% ATK Tomato Banquet line
Skip if…
- You need instant burst for short phases — DoT needs ramp time before peak damage
- You do not own Baicang and have no Scorch / Nova / Discord trigger for A6
- Content kills enemies before Nightmare can tick (very short fights punish DoT)
- You are below A3 — without the burst awakening her damage is paced and unimpressive
- The Last Rose is unavailable and you dislike the BiS-vs-alt gap at high investment
New / casual players: she clears story and mid difficulty even at A0, but she is a slow starter who rewards a full rotation. If you want point-and-delete, a burst carry will feel better to you casually — Lacrimosa is a long-game pick.
F2P / low-spend: the honest read is that she is more awakening-sensitive than most. Without A3 you do not get the burst identity at all. Her best arc also needs a pull (only the 4★ Shiny Days is farmable). She is still a capable Chaos carry — just well below showcase until awakenings stack.
Invested / endgame:this is where she is genuinely top-tier. With A3 + A1, The Last Rose and Diabolos, run as Baicang's Scorch-cycle partner, she is one of the strongest sustained Chaos carries in Version 1.0. The condition is the rotation and the awakenings — meet them and she is S-tier; ignore them and she underwhelms.
Bottom line: she is the community's top-rated off-field Chaos DoT carry in Patch 1.0 (ZeroLuck tier-vote: DPS SS, 4.55/5) — an elite endgame DoT carry with a real entry cost. Her weakness is conditional (rotation + awakenings), not fundamental — but unlike a forgiving burst unit, you must actually meet the conditions.
FAQ
Is Lacrimosa a good DPS in NTE?
Yes — she is one of the strongest Chaos Main DPS units, but specifically as an off-field DoT carry. She stacks Nightmare on enemies and burst-fires the whole stockpile with her 5th Normal Attack (A3). The catch is that her ceiling is gated behind A3/A1 and the right rotation; her A0 raw numbers are unremarkable until those awakenings come online.
Do I need Baicang to play Lacrimosa?
Not to use her, but to play her optimally, effectively yes. Her A6 Morning Spell gives a free Esper Cycle when she swaps back from a Scorch / Nova / Discord ally within 5s of Devilish Gift. Baicang is the cleanest Scorch trigger for that window. Without any cycle trigger you lose the free-cycle loop and a large chunk of her rotation value.
What is the best Arc for Lacrimosa?
The Last Rose — and that is the game's own recommendation in her cultivation data. It is a 5★ Liquid arc with a CRIT Rate sub-stat plus a Chaos-Thorn passive that stacks CRIT DMG off her Nightmare ticks. Fluff of Fleetness (5★ Liquid, CRIT DMG) is the best alternative; Shiny Days (4★ Liquid, ATK%) is the farmable budget pick.
What is the best Cassette Set for Lacrimosa?
Diabolos 4-piece. The 2-piece is Chaos DMG +10% (her element); the 4-piece ignores 12% Chaos RES, rising to 24% for 20s after she participates in a Nova or Scorch reaction — which her Scorch-trigger rotation does every loop. Shadow Creed (ATK +10% / +25% ATK after a Skill) is the generic alternative.
What stats should I prioritise on Lacrimosa?
Straight from her in-game recommended attributes: Chaos DMG > CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > Universal DMG Bonus > ATK% > ATK. CRIT Rate is high because Working Day Judgement rolls crit on each of its 10 independent hits and every Nightmare instance crits separately.
Which Awakening matters most for Lacrimosa?
A3 (Molten Ice Cream) is the single biggest pivot — it converts her from a slow DoT trickle into a burst carry by detonating every Nightmare stack on the 5th hit. Then A1 (+50% Nightmare DMG Ratio) doubles that burst. A6 + A2 enable the optimal rotation. Priority: A3 → A1 → A6 → A2 → A4 → A5 → A7 → A8.
Is Lacrimosa F2P-friendly?
The character is strong without dupes once A3/A1 are reached, but her power is genuinely awakening-sensitive — more so than a typical burst carry. Her best arc also needs a banner pull (only the 4★ Shiny Days is farmable). F2P players still get a capable Chaos carry, just below her showcased ceiling until awakenings stack up.
Is she worth it for casual / story play?
Yes, with a caveat. Even at A0 her Nightmare + AoE clears story and mid difficulty fine. But she is a slow starter who rewards a full rotation — if you want point-and-delete, a burst carry feels better casually. She shines when content lasts long enough for DoT to accumulate.