Skia is an A-Rank Lakshana Sub DPS and debuffer in Neverness to Everness who fights through shadow manipulation and relentless martial arts pressure. Despite the game listing him as a Main DPS, his kit is purpose-built for short, high-impact rotations - applying Fang Thrust stacks, diving underground to detonate them, and enabling Stain and Remora reactions for the rest of the team. He brings genuine crowd control, Lakshana resistance shred, and one of the most unique traversal kits in the game. This NTE Skia build guide covers his best Arc, Cartridges, Modules, Awakenings, team compositions, and how to play him effectively.
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Skia Character Overview
| Sub-Dps | ||
Skia | Rarity | A-Rank |
| Esper Type | Lakshana | |
| Arc Type | Gas | |
| Affiliation | Bureau of Anomaly Control, ETD-4 | |
Skia is the lieutenant of ETD-4 and is frequently mistaken for the squad captain. He is available from all standard character banners at launch, and his A-Rank rarity makes him easy to acquire and dupe over time. While he sits in C-tier as a pure on-field carry, he fills a highly specific and valuable role as the best F2P Lakshana enabler for Stain and Remora reaction teams - particularly for players without access to Hathor. His kit also doubles as one of the strongest tools for overworld traversal in the game.
Skia Skill Breakdown
| Skill Type | Name | Description |
| Basic Attack | Arresting Art | Up to 5 consecutive Lakshana DMG strikes. Each hit splits a Fang Thrust from Skia's shadow to pursue the target. Up to 3 Fang Thrusts can lock onto a single enemy simultaneously. |
| Basic Attack | Territory Control | Deals 1 instance of Lakshana DMG on impact, scaling up to 100% bonus with fall height. Rarely used in practice. |
| Basic Attack | Fang thrust | Splitting from Skia's shadow, these shattered shadows resemble the fangs of a giant beast. They automatically track and attach to targets, disappearing after dealing 1 instance of Lakshana damage. |
Basic Attack: (Critical Resposte) | Pen to paper | Triggers when using Arresting Art after a Critical Dodge. Strikes enemies with ink-splah shadows, dealing 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to an area and reducing Break. |
| Skill | Shadow Hound Chase | Skia dives underground into the Tailed state. While submerged, he latches onto nearby enemies and continuously triggers Fang Thrusts already attached to them for Extra DMG. Must be cast close to enemies to deal damage. 15-second cooldown. |
| Ultimate | The Pack | Deals AoE Lakshana DMG, boosts Fang Thrust damage for 15 seconds, and applies a CC disruption effect to enemies on each subsequent hit. |
| Support Skill | Arrest Warrant | The relentless Shadow cannot be shaken off. Commands the shadows like a police canine to bite the target, dealing 1 instance of Lakshana DMG to an area. |
The most important thing to understand about Skia is that his Basic Attack damage is not the point. Every part of his kit exists to set up and detonate Fang Thrusts via Shadow Hound Chase. Using the skill away from enemies, or before stacks are applied, results in near-zero damage. The correct play is always: apply stacks first, then dive in.
Skia Skill Priority
| Skill | Priority |
Arresting Art (Basic Attack) | ★★★★★ First |
Shadow Hound Chase (Skill) | ★★★★☆ High |
The Pack (Ultimate) | ★★★☆☆ Low |
Arrest Warrant (Support Skill) | ★★★☆☆ Low |
Skia Best Arc (Weapon)
Best in Slot - Good Boy's Grand Adventure (S-Rank)
| Best Arc | |
Good Boy's Grand Adventure | S-Rank |
| Atk | 474-Max |
| Atk% | 45%-Max |
| Arc Effect(Mixing T1) | Mixing T1: Morphix - Boosts Charge Efficiency by 18%; grants the whole team +10% ATK for 20s after Ultimate, an additional 6% if enemies are controlled |
Good Boy's Grand Adventure is Sakiri's signature Arc and Skia's strongest overall weapon when played as a Sub DPS and team buffer. The Ultimate-triggered team ATK buff is seamless - Skia's Ultimate applies CC automatically, so the enhanced 16% bonus activates every cycle without extra effort. It drops from the Morphix Story Boss in the open world, making it technically free to obtain, though sharing it with Sakiri requires a choice.
Best in Slot (Damage-Focused) - Watch Your Heads! (A-Rank)
| Best Arc | |
Watch Your Heads! | S-Rank |
| Atk | 475-Max |
| Crit DMG% | 40.00%-Max |
| Arc Effect | Mixing T1: Increases 10% ATK and +10% Lakshana DMG against Remora/Stain targets for 15s after Redirect Skill |
Watch Your Heads! is a fully free A-Rank Arc dropped by the bird boss in the open world, and it is Skia's best weapon for pure personal damage output. The 40% CRIT DMG substat alone competes with S-Rank options. Since Skia's Suppression passive continuously stacks Remora on every Fang Thrust hit, the Lakshana DMG bonus maintains near-permanent uptime in any reaction team. For crit-focused builds, this is often the better pick over Good Boy's Grand Adventure.
Alternative - Failing You, Heavy in My Heart (A-Rank)
| Best Arc | |
Failing You, Heavy in My Heart | S-Rank |
| Atk | 475-Max |
| Break Intensity | 120-Max |
| Arc Effect | Mixing T1: Grants the wearer 1 stack of spider knowledge when dealing damage with Basic Attacks, up to 8 stacks (up to 1 stack every 0.5s). All stacks are consumed when casting Ultimate. Increases the entire team's ATK by 1.00% for 10s per stack consumed. Increases ATK by an additional 2.00% when 8 stacks are consumed |
Provides ATK +25% on its 4-piece as a straightforward generalist option. Lacks Street Boxer's CRIT Rate spike and Type III Module depth, but works as an early-game placeholder.
Skia Best Cartridges and Modules
Best in Slot - Street Boxer
| Best in slot Cartridge | |
Street Boxer | Epic: 2 Piece - Lakshana DMG +10%. Legendary: 4 Piece - Increases Crit Chance by 14%. Team triggering Remora or Stain increases the bonus to 14% for 20s. |
Street Boxer is Skia's best Cartridge for both playstyles. The 2-piece applies a flat Lakshana damage boost to every Fang Thrust. The 4-piece conditionally doubles his CRIT Rate bonus whenever Remora or Stain is triggered - which, in a proper team, happens on nearly every rotation. The set also supports up to four Type III Module slots, granting up to 40% additional ATK from Skia's Console bonus alone, making it the most stat-efficient path available.
Alternative - Shadow Creed
| Best in slot Cartridge | |
Shadow Creed | Epic: 2 Piece - ATK +10%. Legendary: 4 Piece Increases wearer's ATK by 25% for 20s after casting a Skill. |
Tallies Basic Attack hits and increases DMG when Skia's Ultimate fires. Less efficient for Sub DPS rotations, but usable if neither option above is available.
Required module
| Module |
Substat Priority
| Substats Priority |
| CRIT Rate = CRIT DMG > ATK% > Lakshana DMG Bonus |
Console Bonus: Skia gains +10% ATK per Type III Module equipped. Always prioritize building paths that maximize Type III Module slots.
Best Team Compositions for Skia
Team 1 - Recommended (Stain + Remora)
| Main Dps | Sub-Dps | Buffer | Healer |
Hathor | Skia | Sakiri | Fadia |
The strongest team for Skia in the current patch. Hathor carries the bulk of the damage while Skia applies Fang Thrusts, stacks Remora through Suppression, and triggers the Stain reaction to shred enemy Psyche and Lakshana resistance. Sakiri buffs the team without occupying Esper Cycle slots, and Fadia covers survivability. Rotation provides 5–7 seconds of enhanced DPS uptime per cycle.
Team 2 - F2P Stain Team
| Main Dps | Sub-Dps | Buffer | Healer |
Skia | Esper Zero | Sakiri | Edgar |
A beginner-friendly setup requiring no S-Rank pulls. Skia handles on-field Lakshana damage while Esper Zero maintains instant Esper Cycle procs. Sakiri locks enemies down and applies team buffs. Edgar heals to sustain Skia's on-field uptime. Stain reaction is already woven into the rotation.
Skia Awakening Priority
| Awakening | Priority | Effect |
| A6 | ★★★★★ Unbothered Appearance | Increases the Extra DMG ratio of Fang Thrust by 20% while in Shadow Hound Gnaw mode when touching an enemy locked onto by Fang Thrust |
| A4 | ★★★★☆ Resolution | Extends the duration of Tailed to 12s. Increases Attachment DMG by 2% per second a target is attached, up to 40%. |
| A3 | ★★★★☆ Solution | Skia's damage to targets locked by Fang Thrust is increased by 4%. If only one field, Skia's damage to it is further increasedby 4%. |
| A2 | ★★★★☆ Law and Order | Increases Skia's Crit Chance by 10% and Resistance to Interuptions by 50% for 15s after casting Shadow Hound Chase. |
| A1 | ★★★☆☆ Process of Elimination | Skia increases the auto-attack DMG Ratio for Fang Thrust by 60%. |
| A5 | ★★★☆☆ Social Contract | Increases the target's mass by 50 and reduces its movement speed by 20% for each Fang Thrust locked onto it. |
Recommended order: A6 → A4 → A3 → A2 → A1 → A5
Resonance
| Resonance | Effect |
Cubical Survival Manual (Unlock at A3) | Increases the skill level of Arresting Art, Shadow Hound Chase, and The Pack by 1. |
Employee of the Month (Unlock at A6) | Reduces the locked-on target's lakshana Resistance by 2% per Fang thrust, up to 6%. |
How to Play Skia in NTE
Skia's rotation is short, efficient, and punishing when executed correctly:
- Cast The Pack (Ultimate) to activate the 15-second Fang Thrust damage buff and apply CC.
- Use Arresting Art (Basic Attack) to stack 2–3 Fang Thrusts on the priority target.
- Cast Shadow Hound Chase (Skill) directly into enemies. Move into them while underground to continuously trigger attached Fang Thrusts.
- Hold the Tailed state for its full duration - do not cancel early. A2 extends this to 12 seconds with a 40% Attachment DMG ramp.
- Rotate teammates during the cooldown window, then repeat from Step 1.
- Use Suppression (Support Skill) on cooldown during transitions to keep Remora stacks building between rotations.
The single most common mistake with Skia is rotating out too early. Fang Thrusts vanish the moment he leaves the field. Every early swap resets all stacks and loses the rotation window. Time your exits around Esper Cycles and heal opportunities - never out of habit.
Overworld Utility: Shadow Hound Chase costs no stamina, letting Skia scale walls and buildings freely. Activating it before enemies detect him keeps them unaware as he passes - making him one of the strongest characters for Pink Paws Heist stealth sections and open-world exploration.
Conclusion
Skia is one of the most misread characters at the NTE launch. The game calls him a Main DPS, but his actual value sits firmly in the Sub DPS and debuffer role - short field time, Fang Thrust detonation, Remora multiplication, enemy resistance shred, and one of the best CC kits among A-Rank Espers. Both of his top Arcs are free from open-world bosses, Street Boxer pairs perfectly with his Console bonus, and his Awakening priorities are clean and approachable. For any F2P player building a Stain or Remora reaction team before pulling premium Lakshana units, Skia is among the best pieces to invest in at launch.
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