The Fire-Attribute Hunter: Liu Zhikang’s Debut

Liu Zhikang is the newly released Fire-attribute Hunter of the Buster class. His kit is designed to maximize damage during the Overload phase in coordination with a Stacker, and once Overload ends, he uses his Burst to unleash the accumulated damage. Consequently, the meta is expected to shift toward pairing Stackers with Busters, and Breakers with Strikers.

While not identical, Liu Zhikang’s structure—which relies on a cycle of Transformation and enhanced skills—is roughly similar to Thomas Andre. The basic rotation involves using his ultimate skill to transform, executing a cycle of enhanced skills, and then using the ultimate skill again to deal massive damage.

Although Liu Zhikang is the first of the new Buster class, his playstyle is not significantly different from existing Strikers, with the only major distinction being the use of a Burst skill after Overload ends.

As a class specialized in front-loading damage during Overload, his party rigidity is very high. Therefore, he must be paired with the Stacker Christopher Reid. If you intend to utilize a Breaker, it is better to use Yoo Soo-hyun or Kanae Tawata, both of whom recently received buffs.

Liu Zhikang’s core mechanic involves transforming via his ultimate skill to project firepower, and he does not use a separate Power Gauge. Instead, using E and Q skills builds stacks of ‘Insight’; at two stacks, he transforms. This cycle allows him to transform immediately upon entering the field and exit with his ultimate gauge already filled, making gauge management virtually stress-free.

As a Attack-based Hunter, you should prioritize Attack for your Artifact and Core settings. For Artifacts, use the newly released ‘Surtr’s Flame.’ Structurally, his damage output increases progressively as Overload cycles repeat, making him stronger toward the end of a fight.

While Liu Zhikang’s skill descriptions are complex and daunting, his actual usage is very simple. After using the ultimate skill, simply press E, Core, and Q once each, and repeat this sequence twice. The order does not even matter much.

The first ultimate skill is a transformation skill. In this state, enhanced versions of E, Core, and Q are activated. Since these enhanced skills are consumed upon use, pressing each button once completes the first cycle. Even though I listed them as E, Core, and Q, they have no specific synergy effects, so the order is irrelevant.

The second ultimate skill is a damage-dealing move used while in the transformed state. It deals significant damage and ends the transformation. Afterward, you can deal additional damage with common skills and core attacks during the Burst window. At 1st Evolution, when the transformation ends via the second ultimate skill, the enhanced E, Core, and Q skills are reactivated once each, completing the two-cycle rotation.

You don’t need to worry about which skills you have or haven’t used. Liu Zhikang displays a large circular icon in the center of the screen when enhanced skills are active, allowing you to easily track remaining enhancements.

As a damage dealer, all of Liu Zhikang’s evolution effects focus on increasing his firepower, and the 1st Evolution is mandatory. It starts by activating the transformation ultimate upon entering the stage and using the Burst skill; furthermore, when the transformation ends after using the second ultimate skill, the enhancement stacks for common skills and core attacks are refreshed. In short, it allows you to use each enhanced skill one additional time after the transformation ends.

Additionally, the enhanced skills gain a cooldown reduction effect for the ultimate skill, making this evolution essential for Liu Zhikang to transform every cycle. It also adds the ‘Scorch’ stack application shared by Fire-attribute units and increases damage dealt per stack, allowing you to reach up to 50% increased damage. It offers a massive amount of utility for a 1st Evolution, so if you plan to use Liu Zhikang, you must aim for at least 1st Evolution.

The 3rd Evolution is relatively underwhelming. It increases critical hit damage by 5% per stack against enemies in the ‘Scorch’ state, up to a maximum of 50%. It also reduces damage taken and restores HP and MP while in the transformed state.

The 5th Evolution significantly boosts Liu Zhikang’s firepower. Various buffs that apply from transformation until exit are newly added and enhanced: ‘Unrivaled’ (increasing Attack and Defense Penetration) and ‘Flame Emperor’ (increasing damage of the second ultimate and Burst skills) are strengthened. A ‘Trance’ buff is added after using the second ultimate skill until exit, further increasing Critical Hit Rate, Overload, and common skill damage by 50% each.

This allows him to deal powerful damage without any loss in firepower even after the second ultimate skill is used. Notably, the ‘Unrivaled’ buff removes the cooldowns of non-enhanced Q and E skills.