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Best Saint Converter Build for Whitestar Airship XV

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The best strategy to complete Airship XV with SSS score is using Ronin DPS with a Saint converting enemy element to Dark.

In fact, you can complete the instance with just that (and good affix).

There are 2 types of Saint converter, either using Auto Attack(AA), or Magnus Exorcismus(ME). The better build is AA because of the multiple debuffs it offers more than the ME build, and faster + more consistent convert.

This guide will explain how to build and play the AA Saint converter.

1. Equipment

1a. Debuffing

Other than converting, there are a lot of debuffs that you can apply to the enemy.

Most debuffs don't stack, so if a teammate is already using a listed equipment, you should use other recommended gear. For example if you have a Ninja using Dancing Flame, you should use Meow Wave.
Multiple burn sources stack as long as they are from different equipment. So your party can use Dancing Flame + Magic Firewood and they will count as separate burn.

Weapon

+15 Hammer of Solem V is the weapon choice. It gives automatic cast of Lex Aeterna, and with tier V activated the Lex Aeterna affects 6 hits before expiring.

Owl Baron ★ Card for extra Lex Aeterna casts. Also affected by Hammer of Solem bonuses, granting 6 hits Lex Aeterna at max power.

Mutant Dragon★Card for -15% enemy's damage reduction.

Firelord Kaho ★ Card for extra source of burn (-25% enemy's fire reduc).

Soth Card for -10% enemy's skill damage reduction. Even though you are using auto attack, it will trigger the effect because your auto attack also releases skills.

Headwear

Colorful Virtual Screen boosts your team's damage to MVP by 3%.

Revenant Owl Baron Card for more Lex Aeterna.

Face

Meow Wave for +5% damage increase

Dancing Flame for extra source of burn (-25% enemy's fire reduc).

Starry Rekenber Monocle boosts your team's damage to MVP by 2%.

Mouth

Magic Firewood for extra source of burn (-25% enemy's fire reduc).

Back

Rathgricy - Fallen Feather for more Lex Aeterna. Even though you are using auto attack, it will trigger the effect because your auto attack also releases skills.

Chicken Axe for +10% damage increase.

Tail

Sweet Bee for -3% enemy damage reduction

Accessory

Chepet ★ Card for -5% enemy damage reduction.

1b. Surviving

Most of the time you are also the tank of the team, being the target of enemy attacks. You should dedicate the remaining slots to increase your survivability, even sacrificing some debuff slots if necessary.

You can use any tank equipment that you like, but here are some important ones.

Endure

Eddga ★ Card so you can actually land your attacks. There are a lot of thing that will stagger you otherwise.

Poison Resistance

Only on weeks with Plague or Corruption affix, you need to have at least 100% poison resistance or immunity.

Argiope Card with deposit for 50% poison resistance.

Enchantment on Weapon, Armor, Garment, or Shoe slot for at most 25% poison resistance per slot.

Light Detoxification S rune

DO NOT use Chimera ★ Card because there is a chance that you will poison the enemy, which will invalidate all "Damage increase to burned target" effect.

Other Statuses

It is recommended to have high resistance to Fear, Stun, Freeze, and Petrify. This is not mandatory because it's random whether the enemies in final wave will have it or not, but it's nice to have. You can get them all from equipment enchantment, or some other ways:

Fear

Mentalist Card

The Chosen's Gown

Stun

Orc Hero Card

Oracle Mirror: Deathcat Armor or Meteorite Armor

Example

For weeks with Plague or Corruption, I changed my armor to use Argiope Card

Ideally, the shadow equipment accessory slot should also be using tank equipment, and the relic should be Horn of the Unyielding (HP block).

2. Stat Allocation

The goal is to reach 402 Hit (Dreamy Cait Flee is 382) and 480 Attack Speed. The rest you can put into VIT for more tankiness, or INT to boost the Matk of your Ronin (via Assumptio).

This is my stats after self buff using Prepare for Elite:

You might need to get extra Hit or Attack Speed from your equipment enchantment.
The High Priest skill Demon Bane also gives Attack Speed.

For LIL/CML/PSR, you need 520 Hit

3. Skill Build

There are only a few spells that you have to take. Here are the recommended skills, take max level unless stated otherwise. The rest you can put into whatever you like.

Acolyte

Blessing
Increase Agility

Priest

Resurrection
Aspersio
Magnus Exorcismus (exactly level 9)
Require blue gem with no performance increase above level 9

High Priest

Lex Aeterna
Only so you can unlock the next job's spell
Angelus
Assumptio
Suffragium
Magic Prayer (only need 1 level)
Only so you can unlock the next job's spell

Archbishop

Exhort
Oratio
Slow Poison
Even though you don't need this, your teammate might need this
Duple Light (at least level 10)
Achieves max duration at level 10
Doesn't trigger exhort, but triggers Lex from Wings

Saint

Badr's Aria
Hammer of Blessings
Hammer of Blessings - Auto ATK
Pain Release
Pain Release - Vulnerable
This reduces enemy's dmg reduc by 20%, but does not have 100% uptime. For best result, coordinate with the other Saint in the party for the timing.

Others

Faith Pray
From Aeisr monument
Prepare for Elite
From adventure skills

Example

Skill slot (2 bars):

Prepare for Elite: Blessing, Angelus, Assumptio, Suffragium, Duple Light, Hammer of Blessings, Ode of Hope.

The Light Shield slot is flexible depending on affix, usually replaced with Slow Poison when necessary.

4. Runes

Dark Rival Rune is not useful for your team as it only affects yourself. Do not use.

Blessing Rune with 3rd line unlocked is necessary, you also receive less damage when casting it.

Silent Prayer Rune for auto Oratio, make sure the first line is at least 10%, then as high 2nd line as possible

Divine Grace Cross Rune for instant cast Magnus Exorcismus. Prioritize having instant cast first before delay.

Glow Blessing Rune for tankiness, with 3rd line active and high Skill Dmg Reduction

Nemesis Hammer - Star Rune for tankiness, prioritize high 2nd line.

The final slot can be anything you want for extra survivability. I personally use Divine Healing Rune or Light Detoxification Rune, depending on the affix
For arcane rune, Tai Chi runes is recommended

Example

5. Strategy

Team Composition

Mandatory:

Inferno Armor (top dmg)
Saint convert (you!)

Fill the extra slots with whatever you need, usually more debuffing supports depending on the affix (or more Saint support is good too):

Saint support (heal + buff support)
Yamata (debuff support)
Hollgrehenn (debuff support)
Thor (Lightning Cling support)
Divine Avenger (tank support)
Spirit Whisperer (buff + debuff support)

You need to complete the instance in at most 6 minutes 20 seconds to get SSS. Each resurrect costs 10 seconds, and each chest stolen costs 30 seconds.

Gameplay Tips

Your primary job is to convert the enemies. To do this you have to constantly attack the enemy as much as possible without dying.
Do not move around too much. The more time you spend moving, the less time you spend attacking. Try to stand your ground and attack the boss as much as possible.
Make sure you have Aspersio, Duple Light, and Hammer of Blessings active when hitting.
You are the first priority of Faith Pray from your support Saint, while you use Faith Pray on another team member that's prone to dying (preferably the Inferno Armor).
Hit the same target as your Inferno Armor, especially when the monsters are scattered. If you have trouble coordinating, you can just use the Follow feature after the boss died

Time your cannon usage properly. Usually there will be a wave where you need to kill the Fire Spirits manually, or all 3 waves if your team is slow.
Change auto skill slot from Auto Attack to Magnus Exorcismus to hit and convert the Fire Spirits on the side of ship (do it after other monsters are cleared)

The map is separated into 3 areas as depicted in the image below
Optimally, everything is fought at the FRONT area (fastest time)
However 3rd wave can be too hard to do at FRONT area, because of the final enemy spawn with devastating spells (and statuses)
These enemies can't reach the MID area, so you can fight there for easier time
Fire Spirit attacks still can reach you at MID, but not at the BACK. So fight there for maximum safety (but slowest time)

Do not resurrect your team unless absolutely necessary
Each resurrect costs 10 seconds, so don't resurrect if you can't save more than 10 seconds by doing it.
Cast Pain Release after the enemy is converted, not before.
You can cast Magnus Exorcismus before the enemy arrives for extra tick of convert chance.