'Seven Knights Re:BIRTH' (hereinafter SKRB) Meca Ranking time. It seems the battlefield has been graced by a fresh wave of heroes, each taking turns to dictate the meta. Leading the charge in the latest update is the versatile 'Aris'. As you might have guessed from that kit, the hero is already making waves in defensive decks.

Furthermore, the addition of the Awakening for 'Rudy' has handed defensive decks a brand new tactical option. A majority of top-tier rankers are now fielding Aris and Rudy in tandem to dominate the arena. Let's peel back the layers of this meta shift with some team composition stats.

New Hero Aris Hits 69.3% Pick Rate Upon Arrival

Following 'Clemis', the arrival of Aris and the newly Awakened Rudy has sent the pick rates of core defensive heroes skyrocketing. Staples like Clemis saw a 45% point jump, while 'Radgrid' climbed by 43% points. Aris hit a staggering 69.3% pick rate right out of the gate, tying with 'Palanus' for third place overall. Meanwhile, Rudy successfully clawed back into the charts with a 66.7% pick rate after unlocking that Awakening power.

The fallout? The offensive decks, which had long enjoyed a vice-like grip on the meta, have been unceremoniously pushed aside. 'Awakened Dellons' and the rest of the top-five squad saw a massive collective drop—over 53% points, effectively surrendering the meta throne to the defensive wall. They’ve even fallen behind the 'Instant Death' teams like 'Kris, Loji, Achilla, and Mist' (who sit at joint 6th), so expect to see those offensive heroes lurking in the lower charts for a while.

On a side note, 'Jury' just scraped into the top 15 following a hefty buff in the last update. Interestingly, Jury isn't playing in a mage deck, but rather finding a home in the aforementioned Instant Death squad. A slight boost to the co-op attack probability when 'Immortal' triggers is working wonders with 'Instant Death' statted rings. With improved survivability and easier access to effect resistance, Jury has become the only mage-type hero on the chart, albeit with a modest 9% pick rate.

Defensive Decks Perfect the Two-Dealer System with 'Balanced Formation'

In these defensive setups, Aris functions effectively as a primary dealer. The hero brings enough defensive synergy to ensure that signature, immovable bulk we’ve come to expect, while possessing the stamina to survive—and even win—1v5 situations. The transition from the old single-dealer Palanus meta to a double-dealer setup has pushed the 'Balanced Formation' pick rate up by 13.3% points.

Aris has even upended the pet meta. With a passive that drastically cuts enemy healing, you no longer need a pet for healing suppression. Consequently, 'Yu' has been benched, while 'Lu' has surged to a dominant 1st place with a 66% pick rate. The decline of the offensive deck is clearly reflected in the plummeting pick rates of 'Zeo' and Yu, which dropped by 16.3% and 38.7% points respectively, landing them in 3rd and 4th place.

High-Rank Arena Defensive Team Analysis

※ High-rank arena defensive team stats as of 12:00 PM on July 15.
※ Statistics are based on the defensive setups of the top 100 ranked players.
※ Current defensive team information may vary slightly from real-time data.

A new season has kicked off in the high-rank arena alongside these meta shifts. Checking in on the top 100, the results mirror our previous observations: Defensive, Offensive, and Instant Death decks are splitting the field at a 60:26:12 ratio. For those curious, mage decks are a rarity, accounting for only 2 out of the 100 players.

The rising tide of Instant Death decks is quite intriguing. It seems the buff to Jury was welcomed more warmly by these players than any mage enthusiast. More than half of the 12 players running Instant Death defensive teams have slotted Jury into their rosters. The resulting 'Best 5' for this archetype is currently Mist, Loji, Achilla, Kris, and Jury. Some are even testing out Awakened Rudy in these setups for extra bulk and counter-attack potential; we shall see if that carries any real weight.

Clear of the Week - Tower of Trials 5th Floor

The Tower of Trials has also opened a new season with the latest update. Many adventurers are already gunning for those medals for the sweet rewards. For those not yet accustomed to the tower, the 5th floor 6-medal clear is likely the first real hurdle. While the goal is simply to take down Pascal, you are simultaneously up against the 'Advent Expedition' versions of the Four Lords of Old.

To speed things up, here’s a tip for the early rounds: watch for the 2nd turn when the opponent summons the Lords of Old. If 'Yeonhee' appears, things get messy. Her 'Hand of Destruction' has a nasty habit of putting your team to sleep, adding unnecessary RNG. I highly suggest restarting until the first summon brings out two Lords of Old other than Yeonhee.

Once you clear that hurdle, it’s plain sailing. You can take down Pascal in a flash using the so-called 'Beam-Cho-Beam' tactic. Just ensure your Pascal is geared with Weak Point and Critical hit rates as close to 100% as possible. Prioritize Weak Point attack stats over Critical hit rates, as failure to trigger a Weak Point attack often results in the AI targeting the Lords of Old instead of Pascal.