It is time for the [Meca Ranking] of 'Seven Knights Re:BIRTH' (hereafter SKRB). The arena has been shaken to its core since the arrival of 'Reginleif'. With her entry, the magical heroes have awakened, turning the pick-rate charts upside down. As defensive-type heroes had been comfortably sitting at the heart of the meta, the magic-type team has surged, boasting a clear elemental advantage. Now, as magic-type usage climbs, the pick-rates for offensive-type teams are rising to counter them. The classic 'Defensive - Magic - Offensive' circle of rock-paper-scissors has returned.

A three-way battle between 'Radgrid, Reginleif, and Lu Bu'

The once-dominant 'Radgrid' has taken a step back. Though still boasting a high 45.3% pick-rate, that represents a massive 19 percentage point drop. Nevertheless, she managed to keep her spot at the top alongside 'Sun Wukong'. Looking at her peers, you can see she is frequently paired with 'Elysia and Palanus'. Broaden the scope slightly, and it is easy to guess that 'Gelius' fills the final slot. These five heroes constitute the meta composition commonly dubbed the 'All-rounder Defensive Team'.

Reginleif is a new magic-type hero specifically designed to snipe this defensive meta. Her passive provides a permanent 24% defense reduction, paired with a massive 44% reduction in 'healing received'. Just by slotting Reginleif in, you are effectively neutering the healing that serves as the backbone of defensive teams. Furthermore, she covers essential magic-team utilities like paralysis, healing, and debuff cleansing. Add in her guaranteed critical hit skills and a magic-vulnerability debuff that stacks up to four times when fielding five magic-type heroes, and she contributes significantly to overall firepower.

The results of Reginleif's field deployment are clearly visible on the pick-rate chart. The pick-rates for magic-type heroes surged by 13 to 36.7 percentage points, effectively occupying the center of the chart. Thanks to this, 'Yeonhee' has made a rare appearance after a long hiatus. She is currently competing with 'Melcure' for the fifth and final slot in the magic team.

If you need more healing suppression, pick 'Yu'

The arena and pet metrics have also tilted toward the magic meta. While the shift isn't as drastic as the hero pick-rates, the offensive formation dropped by 11.3 percentage points, and 'Yeonji' has reappeared on the charts. Regarding formations, quite a few players are opting for the offensive formation for their magic teams as well, with 'Milia' placed in the front. The standard practice for top-tier rankers right now is to use 'Freya and Reginleif' as main dealers, placed in the rear of a balanced formation.

The trend for pets is similar to formations. While Reginleif can handle enemy healing suppression, many rankers are slotting in Yu to push those numbers even higher. If you are keeping an eye on offensive-type team matchups, I recommend 'Yeonji' to boost your fire-power ceiling.

Best Pick of the Week

The quintessential 'Reginleif Magic Team' with five magic-type heroes

Many rankers have dove into researching magic teams since Reginleif's release. Those with less experience or incomplete builds seem to be gravitating back to defensive teams, but the top-tier players who have settled on magic teams are primarily using the composition above. Since every character except Milia is capable of significant damage output, the strategy is quite similar to the offensive team led by Lu Bu.

The custom elements here are Melcure and the pet Yeonji. You can swap Melcure for Yeonhee, and replace Yeonji with Yu. Removing Melcure means losing the magic backlash effect and weakening the effectiveness of status-effect-related skills. However, the trade-off is higher damage per skill, which boosts your win rate. This is particularly advantageous when facing difficult offensive team matchups. Swapping Yeonji for Yu also allows you to maintain a favorable position against defensive teams even without Melcure.

Total War Pick of the Week

The sole leader of Round 11, 'Ray'

The mid-rounds of Total War are a time for rankers to solidify their positions as more players enter the Legendary tier. This time, adventurer Ray has taken the lead. The current roster includes: 'Milia Magic Team, Lu Bu Offensive Team, Palanus Defensive Team, Radgrid All-rounder Defensive Team, and an Instant Death Defensive Team'.

The new hero Reginleif has been slotted directly into the magic team, while 'Jury' has vanished from the previous 25-hero roster. Following the departure of 'Pai' from the long-standing offensive team, Jury has now been relegated to the bench in the magic team. While the composition is largely similar to other rankers, the 4th team—the all-rounder defensive team—is slightly different. They have inserted Spike in the backline. Aside from Radgrid, there are no heroes forcing a specific type, so this is quite viable in live combat.

Real-time Arena Analysis Lab

1st place adventurer 'Geumdong's' use of Sara

The competition among top-tier rankers in the real-time arena pre-season is fierce. As more players accumulate know-how, unique compositions are beginning to surface. I was particularly struck by the unusual defensive team used by Geumdong, who is currently fighting to hold onto the number one spot. It is a standard Radgrid defensive team, but with the rare-grade hero Sara added to the mix.

Because Sara is easy to level up, her base stats are relatively low. She received a remake a short while ago, but the effects were geared toward conquering the Advent Expedition. However, Geumdong has found a way to repurpose her for the real-time arena environment. The core is the passive skill 'Devil's Contract', which clears all debuffs from all allies.

The recent PvP environment is always rife with potent status effects, and the real-time arena is no exception. Even the new hero Reginleif showed up with paralysis on her attack skills. By utilizing Sara, who lacks survivability, you can automatically handle status effects without needing to cast a skill. This is thanks to the 'Devil's Contract' passive, which clears all ally debuffs when health drops below 30%. If all heroes except Sara are affected by status effects, the 'Devil's Kiss' can also clear those debuffs.

For reference, Elysia is originally the perfect fit for this role. However, to enjoy the Palanus effect, you must include at least one support-type hero, and Sara is the perfect candidate for that slot. If you are looking for a hero to replace Elysia, consider the composition and operational points mentioned above.

Seven Knights Re:BIRTH User Poll

The latest developer note mentioned upcoming buffs for 'Teo, Rin, and Aquila'. While the release date hasn't been disclosed, these are popular heroes, so the community is buzzing. We conducted a user poll to gauge the excitement surrounding these buffs.

The hero generating the most anticipation is Teo, with 63.1% of the vote. He was a force to be reckoned with in the arena early on and also performed well in PvE content like adventures. Many adventurers are hoping he can recapture his former glory now that he has been sidelined by other heroes. Rin followed in second place with 27.9%, and Aquila took third.

Various events were held in SKRB for White Day. Naturally, the highlight has to be the costumes. The tailor shop released items for Kyrielle and Elysia, while Orly appeared in the White Day Ruby Pass. It is hard to pick a winner as each costume has its own charm, but it makes for a perfect topic for a user poll. Please vote for your favorite among these White Day seasonal costumes. Look forward to the results in next week's Meca Ranking.