Full analysis
For MPK alone, all you really need to know is that it’s a terrible idea. So let’s discuss the paired combo.
MPL + MPK create a combo that can shred through most enemies regardless of how much HP they have. MPL amplifies the damage they take, MPK quenches them. When directly next to each other, their range is far enough to catch most enemies. The usually horrific debuffs they apply to their allies, damage amplification and % maxHP damage, also don’t manifest due to the synergy skill.
Assuming no other factors, MPK’s skill will deal more than 100% of a unit’s HP in 34 seconds. But this presents some problems. One creates a really weak defensive HP shielding, and the other applies a really weak version of the smoke grenade on enemies. Both SMGs are not well equipped to directly facetank enemies. Reliance on other far better tanks such as RO635Mod can help lift the pressure from needing to survive for long periods of time, while they sit on the sidelines providing support and DPS.
Due to MPL’s bonus skill effect when affected by an MPK stack, this combo can shred through units that rely on damage capping like Orthrus with their flat damage.
Here’s the quirks of MPK’s skill and the combo:
- Her passive always keeps activating, even while moving.
- The range for the Scatter pulses uses the formation tile system, and is based on the X-Axis distance only.
- The 1 second pulse time is actually affected by cooldowns, so cooldown reduction will make it pulse faster.
- Quench has a maximum stack limit of 1, so the effects of the skill don’t stack for each pulse.
- Despite the skill description seemingly saying so, MPK’s active skill does not seem to buff the enemy’s firepower, only allies’.
- MPK’s Quench damage is only affected by damage amplification, damage reduction and damage capping. So MPL’s damage amplification increases the damage it deals. MPK’s firepower buff does not increase it. Force Shields reduce it, Orthrus shields reduce it (MPL’s still ignores this).
- This of course means it ignores evasion and armor.
- Despite enemy Force Shields preventing MPK’s passive damage, allied Force Shields do not for some reason.
- MPK does not hurt herself with her Quench passive.
- For the synergy skill, “adjacent” means in the 4 tiles directly next to them. Diagonals don’t count. “Side-to-side” means MPL and MPK are in the same column (Y-Axis) and in neighboring tiles. So position 5 and 8 work.
A method of kiting to get every enemy you can into MPL + MPK range is to move back to the second column, then pushing forwards when the enemy stops.
One-linked enemies might be right on the edge of the team’s range and how far the skill can reach.
Due to the specific nature of their skill ranges and placement restrictions, MPL + MPK can sometimes be difficult to work with, moving 2 units around, with neither being particularly tanky. Because they scale off maximum HP, they’re not particularly suited for more HP-light fights. But their maximum DPS can be ludicrous, and their lack of target limits means they can tear through some incredibly stacked fights. They are definitely a niche but good investment for drawn-out fights.