Meta Naito
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14 Min read Kafka is one of the first units of HSR and an essential component for Damage over Time (DoT) teams. Normally, DoT requires you to wait for the enemy turn to deal damage. Thanks to Kafka, she can instantly detonate all existing DoTs on the enemy! She is the only unit capable of doing this, which is why her role is so coveted.
With the limited support DoT characters have received compared to FUA or break comps, DoTs have seen a stagnation in their potential recently. However, they are still more than capable of clearing all the content for endgame and provide a different style of gameplay as you see your enemies melt on their turn and from placing all the hazards on them, compared to your traditional DPS.
Kafka originally released in Version 1.2 and her banner ran from August 9, 2023 to August 29, 2023. Her latest rerun took place in the first half of Version 2.5, which released on September 9th, 2024 and lasted until October 2nd, 2024.
Kafka’s kit is straightforward. You want to apply as many DoTs as you can on the enemy and detonate them with her abilities.
Her skill does 160% of the Attack stat to the enemy and 60% to adjacent targets, so you want to build as much Attack as you can. The most important part of her skill is that Kafka will also detonate existing DoTs on the main target, doing 75% of the original dmg.
Her ultimate does 80% of her Attack to all enemies, and applies her own DoT called Shock, which has a 290% multiplier. In addition, Kafka detonates existing DoTs on all the enemies, this time doing 100% of the original damage.
Kafka’s talent is a follow-up that triggers when an ally basic attacks, applying Shock. Her technique also applies Shock at the start of battle to all enemies, allowing you to trigger your DoTs on her first turn.
Kafka wants to attack as much as possible, and have allies that can apply more DoTs. This way she can frontload the DoTs that are placed on the enemies. This allows her to do damage both on her and the enemy’s turn. It should be noted: DoTs cannot crit! Since Kafka cannot utilize crit, we want to maximize speed and attack for her builds.
Kafka and the DoT archetype perform well in MoC and PF, yet are not the best in AS, as their breaking capabilities aren’t that good. The Nihility path is also very strong in the Simulated Universe, where you can see some crazy rainbow numbers with the correct blessings and curios.
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 100% of Kafka’s ATK to a single enemy.
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 160% of Kafka’s ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to 60% of Kafka’s ATK to enemies adjacent to it.
If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to 75% of their original DMG.
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 80% of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG from their current Shock state, equal to 100% of its original DMG. Shock lasts for 2 turn(s).
While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 290% of Kafka’s ATK at the beginning of each turn.
After an ally of Kafka’s uses Basic ATK on an enemy target, Kafka immediately launches 1 follow-up attack and deals Lightning DMG equal to 140% of her ATK to that target, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate to the attacked enemy target, lasting for 2 turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.
Immediately attacks all enemies within a set range. After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka’s ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate on every enemy target for 2 turn(s).
When the Ultimate is used, enemy targets will now receive DMG immediately from all currently applied DoT sources instead of just receiving DMG immediately from the currently applied Shock state.
If an enemy is defeated while Shocked, Kafka additionally regenerates 5.0 energy.
The base chance for target enemies to get Shocked by the Ultimate, the Technique, or the Talent-triggered follow-up attack increases by 30.0%.
| E1 | Da Capo: When the Talent triggers a follow-up attack, there is a 100% base chance to increase the DoT received by the target by 30% for 2 turn(s). |
| E2 | Fortississimo: While Kafka is on the field, DoT dealt by all allies increases by 25%. |
| E3 | Capriccio: Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10. |
| E4 | Recitativo: When an enemy target takes DMG from the Shock status inflicted by Kafka, Kafka additionally regenerates 2 energy. |
| E5 | Doloroso: Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. |
| E6 | Leggiero: The Shock inflicted on the enemy target by the Ultimate, the Technique, or the Talent-triggered follow-up attack has a DMG multiplier increase of 156% and lasts 1 turn(s) longer. |
While Kafka’s eidolons are good in a vacuum, there are stronger eidolons to increase power budget for her overall comp, such as Black Swan’s E1 or any of her supports she will be paired with. In addition, her signature light cone should be prioritized over eidolons, as it synergizes very well with the Prisoner in Deep Confinement relic.
Still, if you want to go vertical on Kafka, the priority would be E1 which provides a ST boost, and E2 for overall increase in team damage. Kafka’s E4 can be marginally helpful in pure fiction or AOE situations, where extra ults can help you clear more enemies, but is not worth aiming for.
Increases DMG dealt by the wearer by 24% / 28% / 32.0% / 36% / 40.0%. After every attack launched by wearer, their SPD increases by 4.8% / 5.6% / 6.4% / 7.2% / 8.0%, stacking up to 3 times.
If the wearer hits an enemy target that is not afflicted by Erode, there is a 100% base chance to inflict Erode to the target. Enemies afflicted with Erode are also considered to be Shocked and will receive Lightning DoT at the start of each turn equal to 60% / 70% / 80.0% / 90.0% / 100.0% of the wearer’s ATK, lasting for 1 turn(s).
Kafka’s signature is unsurprisingly, very good for her not just from the damage increase but the QoL it provides. With the addition of the prisoner relic and Glamoth planar, this signature makes hitting those requirements much easier, namely due to the extra speed and DoT it provides, something that would be unachievable or require heavy relic investment otherwise.
For every debuff the target enemy has, the DMG dealt by the wearer increases by 12% / 15% / 18% / 21% / 24%, stacking up to 3 time(s). This effect also applies to DoT.
In the early days, GNSW (S5) was as competitive as her signature, which goes to show how good this light cone is. Although now it loses out due to the introduction of new relics that complement the signature so well, it remains a solid option, as other nihility light cones weigh heavily on debuffs or provide effect hit rate, something Kafka does not need too much of.
Increases the wearer’s Effect Hit Rate by 20.0% / 25.0% / 30.0% / 35.0% / 40.0% and increases DoT by 24.0% / 30.0% / 36.0% / 42.0% / 48.0%.
A decent stat stick where Kafka benefits from the increased DoT damage; however, the Effect Hit Rate it provides is excessive.
Increases the wearer’s Break Effect by 16.0% / 20.0% / 24.0% / 28.0% / 32.0%, and increases their DMG to enemies afflicted with Shock or Wind Shear by 16.0% / 20.0% / 24.0% / 28.0% / 32.0%.
Kafka’s F2P option, indicated by her presence in the art! Kafka necessitates the need for another DoT character, so will benefit from the increased damage to shock/wind sheared units. Uptime on the DoTs however will affect the damage, so it is important to not let them fall off.
Increases the wearer’s Break Effect by 20.0% / 25.0% / 30.0% / 35.0% / 40.0% . When the wearer uses their Ultimate, increases DoT dealt by the wearer by 24.0% / 30.0% / 36.0% / 42.0% / 48.0% , lasting for 2.0 turn(s). When a target enemy suffering from DoT imposed by the wearer is defeated, regenerates 4.0 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.5 / 6.0 Energy for the wearer.
In pure fiction since the damage threshold is lower than other modes, getting more actions is advantageous. This LC allows Kafka to get more ults up due the energy regen it offers when killing multiple enemies in an AoE situation.
Since DoTs can’t crit, Kafka can only scale with Attack and Speed. Lightning Orb is preferred as there is an oversaturation of Attack and no source of DMG% in her kit. Boots are really a matter of how many speed substats and external speed sources you can get without sacrificing her damage.
Kafka benefits from being incredibly easy to build at first. Kafka only has two chase stats after she meets her EHR requirement; Speed and Attack. Meeting Speed thresholds is the tricky part of building Kafka, where her speed needs vary depending on your needs, while trying to get as much attack.
When it comes to speedtuning, things will change depending on Kafka’s teammates and her Light Cone. Let’s look at an example for achieving 160 in-game speed. With her Sig and Ruan Mei on the team, you can lower your speed requirements heavily. Sig will grant 14.4 SPD and RM will provide 10 SPD. This lowers your stat page SPD requirement to 136, which is achievable with 2-3 SPD substats on every piece.
With this setup, you can afford to run ATK boots for more damage without missing out on multiple actions. If you struggle to hit this, you can opt for SPD boots instead.
Players should play around in-game to look for ideal speed goals for their respective teams. These speeds are not mandatory nor static goals! This is just one example. You can have them be lower/higher and still be fine.
Having Kafka’s teammates go before Kafka in the beginning of the battle is also another thing to consider so that she can trigger her follow-up as soon as possible to detonate her Shock on her first skill.
For Kafka there really is no reason not to use the prisoner set, a DoT tailored relic that offers defense shred, one of the most powerful debuffs in the game, especially when stacked with multiple sources. However having 3 DoTs can be cumbersome, which is why her signature is helpful due to the additional DoT it provides.
An alternative to the prisoner set. Gives Kafka DMG% that she lacks, and ATK when skilling, which she will be doing constantly. Still inferior to the prisoner relic, and also of terrible investment value as the relic domain for Prisoner(DoT) also allows you to farm for Duke(FUA), while Knight of Purity Palace(DEF) is hardly used on anyone these days.
Eagle set, in general, is limited in its usefulness. It is only useful when you meet certain requirements, usually through vertical investment of other units, where Kafka’s personal damage no longer is a priority compared to her detonating her teammate’s DoT’s. It is however a fun build and can be effective when optimized!
This planar is the perfect pair for Kafka, who only builds Attack and Speed! The 2nd speed threshold is much more attainable with her signature. Reaching 160 speed is still not an easy task, so using a speed buffer like Ruan Mei or Asta is helpful.
Decent alternative for Kafka, though outclassed by Glamoth, especially if you meet the speed thresholds.
Kafka is different from traditional DPS, where she functions more as an enabler to detonate her teammate as well as her DoTs. As such, her synergies lie with characters that can provide that. Kafka should always want at least one other DoT unit in her team, so that she can have 3 DoTs to utilize the prisoner relic. Since Kafka wants to skill all the time, SP-positive characters are preferred.
DPS
Kafka’s best synergy, where each depends on each other. Black Swan cannot trigger her own DoTs, which Kafka can help with. Black Swan’s arcana provides powerful DoT damage while also providing DEF shred, stacking nicely with the prisoner relic.
Jiaoqiu at E2 possesses very potent DoTs, alongside his usual powerful debuff capabilities. His E2 increases his DoT multipliers by 300%, being one of the strongest vertical options available for DoT teams.
Kafka can serve as one of the units to fulfill Acheron’s nihility requirement and provide debuffs with her DoT to charge Acheron’s ult faster.
4-star alternatives that provide DoT which Kafka can trigger, and can be used for their respective weaknesses. Sampo and Guinaifen are more helpful in AoE, while Luka is exclusively single target, yet has the strongest DoT(Bleed), which scales off enemy HP.
Ruan Mei, Robin and Jiaoqiu both perform roughly the same for a DoT comp. However Ruan Mei’s speed buff can help Kafka reach the Glamoth speed thresholds easier, and her SP friendly nature is helpful since Kafka wants to skill whenever it’s her turn.
Ruan Mei’s delay also extends the dot proc and reduces damage taken to the team, something that is appreciated since Kafka is rather squishy.
Just the merit of being the strongest harmony buff wise in the game warrants her being included here. However, Robin’s high ult cost and SP unfriendliness can become a problem when the battle drags out too long. As such, a Quid Pro Quo user to battery her ult is helpful.
Jiaoqiu’s strong debuffs that don’t fall off and DoT he provides are great for Kafka. His damage capabilities at E0 aren’t that impressive, but still can be helpful as an additional DoT source for the prisoner relic.
Her energy batterying can allow Kafka and/or teammates to ult more often, which is always welcomed.
Strong AoE defense shred, SP friendly kit, helpful for SP hungry DoT teams. Can also stack DEF shred with Black Swan + Prisoner.
A free 4 star option that provides attack and speed, something DoT values nicely.
Huohuo as of now is by far the most helpful to DoT teams. Her ult provides a 40% attack boost and 20% of their max energy, increasing the tempo of Kafka’s team. Her cleansing capabilities are also second to none. Huohuo’s E1 also grants a 12% speed boost, one of the hardest stats to get in-game. Other limited sustains are strong in their role, but don’t offer much synergy to DoT comps.
Gallagher’s SP friendly kit is very welcomed for DoT’s hungry nature, and is just a solid option for a 4 star healer. Gallagher can also proc Kafka’s talent whenever his ult is up, due to the action forward.
This is DoT’s premier comp. Black Swan provides DoTs for Kafka to detonate, Ruan Mei provides speed, DMG%, and RES PEN for the team, while Huohuo provides energy and attack for the whole team. Little is wasted on each unit, other than Ruan Mei’s break efficiency, that is more beneficial for break comps. Black Swan would want to act first when starting the battle, so that Kafka can start stacking her arcana stacks as soon as possible to get the defense shred.
Without Kafka’s signature, you would require 3 DoTs to make use of the prisoner relic. You can opt for any 3 DoT characters and a healer. If you don’t have any of the limited support units to spare, Tingyun, Pela, or Asta can be used instead.
This comp is good when you require a lot of AoE, such as pure fiction. Kafka serves as a nihility unit for Acheron’s trace and provides her with stacks for her ult. Acheron is strong enough on her own if you give her the required 2 nihility units, making this comp surprisingly viable.
Kafka and DoT teams once were praised for their high floor, ease of use, and being able to be played anywhere back in 2.0, when Black Swan was released. With the introduction of break characters, they’ve sadly lost their title for ease of use and high floor. There are many comps as of now that are simply better than the DoT archetype, namely because DoT has not received any new support since Black Swan.
Does this mean DoT is bad? Not necessarily. DoT teams possess strong AoE and respectable ST damage, and although may not clear the fastest, will always get the job done. From a pull value point though, Kafka needs Black Swan to reach her maximum potential, and sadly those are two limited characters. Black Swan or Kafka are not easily splashable, compared to say a harmony, making the value worse.
Kafka is unique in that only she can detonate ally’s DoTs, so if you want to play DoT right now or bank on HSR releasing future synergies for her, Kafka can be considered. For new players though, it will be easier to play one of the newer units.
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