Lian Animus Spotlight

Flameborn Phoenix Lian is the first SSR animus every player receives in Etheria: Restart, and she’s far more than just a starter unit. With strong AoE damage, built-in self-sustain, and the rare ability to manipulate turn order, Lian offers insane early-game value and remains impactful in PvE and PvP as you progress. Best of all, she comes with tons of account progression rewards for investing in her, making her one of the smartest early-game focuses for any player.
In this Article, we are going to be breaking down the best ways to utilize Lian, and how to gear her for the best possible results.

• Skill 1 – Infernal Blade

  A three-hit chain cast on a single target, dealing 90% damage per hit. Lian heals for 40% of the total damage dealt. For every unique buff on her, she gains +6% bonus damage, up to five stacks.

  ➤ Great for sustain and synergizes well with buff-heavy team comps.

• Skill 2 – Blazing Wings

  Deals 4 hits of 160% damage to a random enemy. For every buff on Lian, she summons an additional phoenix (max 3). If phoenixes hit the same target, damage is reduced by 20% per hit, but still remains strong as a clean-up or spread damage tool.

  ➤ Functions well in both AoE and single-target scenarios.

• Skill 3 – Imperial Scorch

  Lian unleashes a massive AoE attack dealing 300% damage to all enemies and has an 80% chance to steal 30% Strike Prep (turn meter) from each target.

  ➤ Her most powerful skill – sets up turn order control and allows seamless rotation into Skill 2.

Skill leveling priority is crucial for Lian’s consistency and synergy. Here’s how to invest:

Skill 3 – Imperial Scorch

• Boosts damage from 280% → 300%
• Increases Strike Prep steal chance to 80%
• Increases pushback to a full 30%

➤ This is her engine – max this first to unlock her rotation power and make her a strong opener.

Skill 1 – Infernal Blade

• Boosts damage per hit to 90%
• Raises healing to 40%
• Increases the per-buff bonus to 6%

➤ Improves her ability to sustain and finish targets.

Skill 2 – Blazing Wings

• Boosts damage to 160%
• Increases the number of hits
• Reduces cooldown by 1 turn

➤ A great follow-up tool but less critical than Skills 1 and 3.

Early Game Module Sets:

• Onslaught Set – +45% ATK➤ Pure power boost for maximizing damage across all skills.
• Swift Rush – +35 Speed➤ Lets her go earlier and take advantage of her Strike Prep stealing mechanics.

Mid to Late Game Upgrades:

• Keeneye – +18% Crit DMG, and first 3 hits of a turn deal 25% / 15% / 5% bonus➤ Perfect for burst builds, especially when comboing Skill 3 into Skill 2.
• Harvest Set – +10% ATK and ignore 30% DEF on high-HP targets➤ Great against tankier enemies and cleave teams.
• Bramble Set – +10% DEF, 25% chance to counter with basic attack➤ Pairs well with her healing to give unexpected survivability and turns.

Early Game:

• Crit Rate → ATK% → Effect Accuracy➤ Crit Rate lets her land consistent damage, ATK% scales all her skills, and Accuracy ensures Skill 3 hits properly.

Mid to Late Game:

• Crit DMG → Crit Rate (maintain ~70%) → Effect Accuracy or ATK%➤ Once gear stabilizes, shift into scaling up her burst and utility. Accuracy becomes more important for PvP control.

Why Accuracy Matters:

Lian’s Strike Prep steal depends on landing a debuff, so building Effect Accuracy is critical for PvE bosses and PvP scenarios where turn order matters.

Early Game Shells:

• Agent Lizard – Consistent and easy to get
• Unbridled Science (Shadowrunner) – Provides bonus Strike Prep, helping Lian rotate more quickly
• Budo Panda (Apate) – General utility option for sustain and flexibility

Mid to Late Game Shells:

• Twilight Knight (Phoebe) – Helps reduce incoming damage
• Crossroads (Whitney) – Enhances healing based on her Skill 1 mechanics
• White Fang (NikoNana) – Provides additional damage sustain synergy
• Count (Asarte) – Top-tier PvE and PvP utility; favorite among experienced players

Pros

• Strong AoE nuker with solid single-target potential
• Self-sustain lets her stay alive even without a dedicated healer
• Turn manipulation with Skill 3 gives her massive PvP/PvE tempo advantage
• Flexible in both buff teams and cleave setups
• Starter investment comes with resource bonuses and unlocks

Cons

• Falls off in DokiDoki, one of the most important dungeons, due to attribute mismatch
• Squishy despite healing; can still be burst down without proper speed or protection
• Heavily reliant on buff uptime for full scaling
• Needs consistent turn control to keep her rhythm—if denied, her impact drops significantly