Ideal
CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG
Desire
Order DMG% > ATK%
Imagination
ATK%
Chaos Zero Nightmare (CZN)LukeBuild and Guide
Introduction
Best guide and build for Luke from Chaos Zero Nightmare (CZN). Luke is a 5✦ character from the Hunter class and Order attribute, who belongs to the Ironrain [Wolf Platoon] faction.
Update tracker
Last review update
Season 2
Last build update
Season 2
Last profile update*
11.03.20265
*Profile update means updates done to reviews/builds/gear within a season - showing the last date we changed anything on this page.
To learn more about Luke check the sections below. Use the tabs to quickly switch to the kind of information you're looking for.
Profile
Review
Epiphanies
Gear
Deck & Teams
Profile
Cards
Starting Cards:
1
Single Shot
100% Damage.
1
Shadow Concealment
100% Shield.
Show Effects
1
Chain Fire
50% Damage x 2.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
Epiphany Cards:
1
Stealth Reload
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
1
Seize the Opportunity
100% Shield.
Next Bullet Card used +120% Damage Amount.
Next Bullet Card used +120% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
1
Dance of the Demon
50% Damage.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
-
Finisher Round
200% Damage.
After using 5 Handgun Bullet card time(s), remove Unusable.
After using 5 Handgun Bullet card time(s), remove Unusable.
Show Effects
Generated Cards:
0
Magnum Shot
70% Damage.
Show Effects
0
Silver Shot
50% Damage.
Weakness Attack: Increase Damage Amount by 100%.
Weakness Attack: Increase Damage Amount by 100%.
Show Effects
0
Uranium Shot
50% Damage.
If the target has Shield, increase Damage Amount by 100%.
If the target has Shield, increase Damage Amount by 100%.
Show Effects
0
Tracer
30% Damage.
1 Mark.
1 Mark.
Show Effects
0
High-Velocity AP Round
200% damage.
Guaranteed Critical.
Guaranteed Critical.
Show Effects
Ego Skill:
5
Lethal Design
Ego Skill
+300% Damage.
For each card in hand +15% Damage Amount.
For each card in hand +15% Damage Amount.
Epiphany Variants:
Epiphany cards are special evolutions for the cards you can obtain while playing the roguelike mode. Only some cards in the character's deck can get Epiphany effects. Since there's quite a lot of them, we don't display them by default - press the button below to show them. There are also Divine variants of Epiphany cards, but we're still working on gathering them.
1
Chain Fire I
75% Damage x 2.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
Show Effects
1
Chain Fire II
30% Damage x 3.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
1
Chain Fire III
300% Damage.
For each Critical Hit, create Handgun Bullet.
Guaranteed Critical.
For each Critical Hit, create Handgun Bullet.
Guaranteed Critical.
0
Chain Fire IV
100% Damage x 3.
+50% Critical Chance.
+50% Critical Chance.
Show Effects
1
Chain Fire V
100% Damage x 2.
For each Critical Hit, Draw.
+70% Critical Chance.
For each Critical Hit, Draw.
+70% Critical Chance.
1
Stealth Reload I
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
+30% Critical Chance of that card.
+30% Critical Chance of that card.
1
Stealth Reload II
Create 3 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
1
Stealth Reload III
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
At the start of the next turn, create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
At the start of the next turn, create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
0
Stealth Reload IV
At the start of the turn, create 1 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
2
Stealth Reload V
Create 5 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity I
150% Shield.
Next Bullet Card used +170% Damage Amount.
Next Bullet Card used +170% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity II
100% Shield.
Next 2 Bullet Cards used +120% Damage Amount.
Next 2 Bullet Cards used +120% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity III
100% Shield.
For 1 turn, Bullet Card Damage Amount +70%.
For 1 turn, Bullet Card Damage Amount +70%.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity IV
100% Shield.
+100% Damage Amount of the next Attack Card used.
+100% Damage Amount of the next Attack Card used.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity V
+30% Handgun Bullet Card Damage.
Show Effects
1
Dance of the Demon I
75% Damage.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
1
Dance of the Demon II
50% Damage.
For each Attack Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Attack Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
1
Dance of the Demon III
50% Damage.
+1 hit per Bullet card used this turn. Weakness Attack: +50% Damage.
+1 hit per Bullet card used this turn. Weakness Attack: +50% Damage.
Show Effects
1
Dance of the Demon IV
50% Damage.
50% Shield.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit and add +50% Shield.
50% Shield.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit and add +50% Shield.
Show Effects
3
Dance of the Demon V
50% Damage x 5.
When Bullets are used, decrease Cost by 1 for 1 turn.
When Bullets are used, decrease Cost by 1 for 1 turn.
Potential
Epiphany Bonus
Potential 1
When entering Chaos, obtain 1 random Rare Card with an activated Epiphany.
Basic Card Upgrade
Potential 2
Increase Damage, Shield, and Healing Amounts of Basic Cards by 2/20%.
Common Card Upgrade
Potential 3
Increase Damage, Shield, and Healing Amounts of Common Cards by 2/20%.
Basic Card Proficiency
Potential 3-1
Add Bullet to Single Shot card.
Unique Card Upgrade
Potential 4
Increase Damage, Shield, and Healing Amounts of Unique Cards by 2/20%.
Critical Chance Proficiency
Potential 5
+2/10% Critical Chance.
Basic Card Proficiency
Potential 5-1
+5% Luke's Single Shot Damage.
If Luke’s Critical Chance is greater than 20%, an additional +5% to that value.
If Luke’s Critical Chance is greater than 20%, an additional +5% to that value.
Divine Epiphany Adaptation
Potential 5-2
Increases the chance for a Divine Epiphany to appear by 25%.
Critical Damage Proficiency
Potential 6
+2.4/12% Critical Damage.
Unique Stat Upgrade
Potential 7
If Luke's Critical Chance is greater than 40%, +3% Handgun Bullet Damage.
For every 5% Critical Chance exceeding that value, an additional +2% (up to an additional +12%).
For every 5% Critical Chance exceeding that value, an additional +2% (up to an additional +12%).
Manifest Ego (dupes)
Sleeping Memory
Manifest Ego 1
+50% Damage Amount to Finisher Round, Handgun Bullet card use condition changes from 5 cards to 4 cards.
Awakening Memory
Manifest Ego 2
If Luke uses 3 Bullet Cards, create 2 Handgun Bullet Cards in hand.
Decreases Damage Amount of cards created through this effect by 50%.
This effect activates once per turn.
Decreases Damage Amount of cards created through this effect by 50%.
This effect activates once per turn.
Vivid Memory
Manifest Ego 3
+50% Damage Amount of Lethal Design, and the Damage Amount per card in hand is changed from +15% to +25%.
Inner Memory
Manifest Ego 4
Whenever Luke uses a Bullet card, gain Target Analysis.
Target Analysis: For 1 turn(s), +10% Luke’s Bullet Card Damage Amount (max 4 stacks).
Target Analysis: For 1 turn(s), +10% Luke’s Bullet Card Damage Amount (max 4 stacks).
Complete Memory
Manifest Ego 5
Increase the level of [Basic Card Upgrade], [Unique Card Upgrade], and [Common Card Upgrade] in Potentials by 3.
Liberated Memory
Manifest Ego 6
The Damage Amount Increase effect of Target Analysis changes to +15%, and each time 12 Bullet Cards are used, create 1 High-Velocity Armor Piercing (HVAP) Round Card in hand
Stats (level 60)
HP
329
DEF
155
ATK
491
Gallery
Review
Introduction
Luke is a 5-Star Order attribute Hunter who comes prepared for any encounter, creating a constant flurry of bullets to gun his enemies down with precision.
Luke's playstyle revolves around their different "Shot"/Bullet cards that he generates via multiple of his cards.
Luke can access consistent Bullet generation via his Stealth Reload and Chain Fire cards that allow him to reload his magazine to continue his attack. He has inbuilt buffing capabilities to cards with the [Bullet] tag, opening up potential synergies to other characters who also use [Bullet] cards.
Luke does require a somewhat high Critical Hit Rate (50%+) to be able to consistently access Bullets from his “Chain Fire” card. However, there are many sources of additional Crit Chance through Partners, Gear and Potential Nodes that can help with fulfilling this requirement.
He doesn’t offer any Card Draw in his kit, thus it's best pairing him with units who can help cycle his deck to ensure he can continually generate [Bullet] cards to remain as effective as possible. Thanks to his low-cost Bullet Cards, he doesn’t demand AP to function. As most of hisAttack Cards have low base values and also have access to multi-hitting attacks, Luke benefits immensely from additive Damage buffs such as Morale.
In content where AoE excels, Luke may not be the best pick as he lacks any AoE from his cards. However, he can definitely dish out some extremely consistent single-target damage if built correctly and supported appropriately.
If you like the idea of overpowering your opponents with a non-stop barrage of Bullets, Luke definitely comes prepared.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Solid single-target damage, but must build enough Crit to properly access it.
Generates many 0-cost attacks for free with abilities that scale well with Morale like effects.
Cons
No AoE Cards.
Requires Crit investment to function at the highest level.
Hand space issues with [Retain] cards and status effects.
Needs a buffer to perform at an acceptable level.
Ratings
The ratings below are based on the Season Save Data modes and the Chaos Manifestation mode. Each of the modes values different mechanics, so some characters may shine in one of the, while being underwhelming in the other.
Key Mechanics
Handgun Bullet Cards (Generated Bullets): 0 Cost Attack Cards generated through numerous parts of Luke’s kit. They can only be used on the turn they are generated due to the [Ephemeral] tag and [Exhaust] after being played.
These are the possible [Bullet] cards that can be generated:
Magnum Shot: 0 Cost Attack - 70% Damage.
Silver Shot: 0 Cost Attack - 50% Damage. Attack Weakness: Increase damage by 100%.
Uranium Shot: 0 Cost Attack - 50% Damage. If the target has Shield, increase damage by 100%.
Tracer Shot: 0 Cost Attack - 30% Damage. Mark 1.
Potential
Luke’s Signature Potentials offer significant damage boosts as well as some additional functionality, making them a high priority to unlock.
3-1: Adds the [Bullet] tag to his Basic Attacks, helping set up combos with his Unique cards.
5-1: Adds an extra 5% damage to Luke’s Basic Attack Cards, with an additional 5% if his Crit Chance is above 20%. A moderate bonus, but welcome since Luke tends to want to keep his basics for consistency.
7: Gives an extra 3% Generated Bullet Damage if Luke’s Crit Chance is above 40%, with an extra 2% for every 5% Crit Chance above that. Can be stacked up to a total of 12% extra damage if you can get your Crit Chance high enough.
Dupes Review
E0
Base
E1
Ego 1
Luke first Ego buffs his Unique/Signature Skill - Finisher Round. It increases the damage dealt by an additional +50% and reduces the activation requirement of 5 Handgun Bullet cards down to 4. Not a terrible node, mostly assisting in Chaos content, as some fully refined Luke decks can find themselves removing this card. However, if you do have access to Luke’s Signature Partner, Janet, this card’s value does increase quite tremendously and becomes a solid node to have unlocked, as it contains the [Bullet] tag to further enhance Bullet generation.
E2
Ego 2
Luke’s next Ego node is absolutely game-changing for Luke. Whenever Luke uses 3 Bullet cards, he creates an additional 2 Handgun Bullet cards in his hand, but their damage is reduced by 50%. This can only trigger once per turn, but it really allows Luke to keep up their attacks continuously to feed his Dance of the Demon card. Again, in conjunction with owning Janet, when triggering this passive, it will provide enough Bullet cards to activate her passive, etc.
E3
Ego 3
His third Ego, when unlocked, amps his Ego Skill, increasing the damage dealt by an additional +50% and the damage per card in hand is increased to +25%. A nice increase to his damage output, but overall not important to their gameplay.
E4
Ego 4
His fourth Ego grants Luke 1 stack of “Target Analysis” whenever he uses a Bullet card. This buff stacks up to 4 times, lasts a single turn and grants an additional +10% damage to Luke’s Bullet cards. This is a fantastic self-contained buff that further increases his damage output. Combined with Luke’s second Ego, this is extremely easy to maintain at almost all stages of a fight to ensure his damage output is high at all times.
E5
Ego 5
This node increases the base and maximum level of their [Basic Card Upgrade], [Unique Card Upgrade] and [Common Card Upgrade] Potentials by 3. As most of Luke’s base damage is quite low, these multiplicative multipliers don’t overall increase his damage too extensively, but it is nice to have regardless.
E6
Ego 6
Luke’s final Ego increases the boost provided by his E4 to 15% per stack and additionally, whenever 12 Bullet cards are used, Luke creates 1 “HVAP Round” card. This is also a [Bullet] card that deals 200% damage and is a guaranteed Critical Strike. This is a pretty solid overall final node for Luke, which gives him access to a hard-hitting attack whilst also amping his regular Bullets further.
Cards & Ego Skill
5
Lethal Design
Ego Skill
+300% Damage.
For each card in hand +15% Damage Amount.
For each card in hand +15% Damage Amount.
Lethal Design
Luka’s Ego Skill is called Lethal Design, which deals more damage the more cards you have in your hand. At 10 Cards, it’s a 450% multiplier, which, while a large hit, is only on a single enemy, while also not offering any utility. It can be useful as a single-target nuke but requires strong card generation or many [Retain] effects to reach maximum Potential.
1
Single Shot
100% Damage.
Single Shot
Luke’s Basic Attack Cards are mostly stock standard outside of the additional damage they gain from Potentials and the fact that they gain the [Bullet] tag with his 3-1 Potential.
1
Shadow Concealment
100% Shield.
Show Effects
Shadow Concealment
Luke’s basic shield is completely standard and doesn't have any extra synergy with his kit.
1
Chain Fire
50% Damage x 2.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
For each Critical Hit create a Handgun Bullet.
+50% Critical Chance.
Chain Fire
A 1 Cost Attack Card that deals damage twice, has bonus Crit Chance and creates [Bullet] cards based on how many hits were critical. Scales well with Morale and other Damage buffs. With 100% Crit, it is an incredibly efficient 4-hit attack baseline - without Crit, though, it can feel inconsistent at times.
1
Stealth Reload
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
Stealth Reload
A 1 Cost Skill card that creates 2 [Bullet] cards. Luke’s most reliable source of [Bullet] cards before achieving a high Crit Rate.
1
Seize the Opportunity
100% Shield.
Next Bullet Card used +120% Damage Amount.
Next Bullet Card used +120% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
Seize the Opportunity
A 1 Cost Skill with the [Lead] tag that gives some Shields and increases the damage of the next [Bullet] card by +120%. Good if you have consistent [Bullet] generation. Best used on a multi-hitting Attack Card if possible.
1
Dance of the Demon
50% Damage.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
Dance of the Demon
A 1 Cost Attack Card that deals a small amount of damage but gains additional hits based on how many Bullets have been used this turn. Best used immediately after your strongest Bullet generators have been used and all Bullets have been dumped.
-
Finisher Round
200% Damage.
After using 5 Handgun Bullet card time(s), remove Unusable.
After using 5 Handgun Bullet card time(s), remove Unusable.
Show Effects
Finisher Round
An unusable attack that becomes usable after using 5 Handgun Bullets (Generated Bullets), becoming a 0-cost high-damage ability for the rest of the combat. Takes time and sufficient Bullet generation to access.
Best Epiphanies
Best Epiphanies
Note
We have given a star rating for each Epiphany, showing how strong and useful it is - with 1★ being the lowest rating and 5★ the highest.
Card 1
Neutral Epiphany
Err
Err
Err
Err
Err
Epiphanies:
- Neutral - Target Neutral Epiphany: Draw 1, 1 AP.
While this can be a solid option, as the Neutral Epiphanies can elicit effects similar to that of Divines, it has the major downside of just making less Bullet options than alternatives like Chain Fire II and Chain Fire I which are his premiere ways of making his needed Bullet cards. - Err- The same card as base, but it gains the [Retrieve] tag. This is an exceptional card for t1 OTK as it enables him to increase his Bullet gain to 4 per Chain Fire on top of gaining an extra 2-hit of Chain Fire itself. Outside of OTK, it will perform worse since its [Retrieve] tag will be lost on use or at the turn end.
- Err- The card now hits 3-times, making a Bullet for each Critical still. This card is one of the most consistent options for Bullet generation, on top of being a card that scales well as an attack (with additive buffs) by itself.
- Err- The card now only hits once, only making one Bullet. In well-built Luke set-ups, this will be outperformed by options that make 3x to 4x the number of Bullet’s for the same one card use.
- Err- The card no longer makes Bullets but does a bit more damage itself. While this can be nice if you have no other buffs, very often you are playing him with an additive buffer like Cassius or Rei, so this has very little benefit for what you lose, in the end.
- Err- While this card loses the [Bullet] tag, it supports a more Supportive draw playstyle, especially if you have Cost Reduction, since it can get Draw 2 per Chain Fire used.
Divine Epiphanies:
Which Divine Epiphany to go for will depend on what your team needs and which Epiphany you chose, but here are the main ones to look out for if you have spare Save Data: Cost Reduction.
Card 2
Neutral Epiphany
1
Stealth Reload I
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
+30% Critical Chance of that card.
+30% Critical Chance of that card.
1
Stealth Reload II
Create 3 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
1
Stealth Reload III
Create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
At the start of the next turn, create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
At the start of the next turn, create 2 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
0
Stealth Reload IV
At the start of the turn, create 1 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
2
Stealth Reload V
Create 5 Handgun Bullet Card(s).
Show Effects
Epiphanies:
- Neutral - Target Neutral Epiphany: Draw 1, 1 AP.
While this can be a solid option, as the Neutral Epiphanies can elicit effects similar to that of Divines – it has the major downside of just making less [Bullet] options than alternatives which can hurt Luke’s potential a deceptive amount as he scales with every attack he does on Dance of the Demon, alongside typically driving a unit like Hugo or Selena. - Stealth Reload I- Now, the [Bullet] cards you make have increased Crit Rate. This can lower the Crit threshold you need for Luke even more, as it is yet another card with an increased Crit Rate effect. However, making more Bullets will generally be preferred.
- Stealth Reload II- A very consistent and good 3 Bullet’s per skill use. This can be a preferred dupe choice when used alongside Hugo, as it enables Hugo’s Commence the Hunt via being a Skill Card.
- Stealth Reload III- After its first turn of use, this should net 4 Bullets per turn, but will lose you 1 Bullet compared to Stealth Reload II on your first turn. This can be a preferred dupe choice when used alongside Hugo, as it enables Hugo’s Commence the Hunt via being a Skill Card.
- Stealth Reload IV- While a 0-cost Upgrade is nice, it cuts down the number of Bullets you get from this card by over half.
- Stealth Reload V- While this is a premiere option for OTK, it is even less valuable outside of it than Chain Fire I, as it is completely removed from your deck after use via [Exhaust]. It is not recommended to take unless you are sure your build will be primarily OTK-only.
Divine Epiphanies:
Which Divine Epiphany to go for will depend on what your team needs and which Epiphany you chose, but here are the main ones to look out for if you have spare Save Data: Cost Reduction, Draw 1.
Card 3
Neutral Epiphany
1
Seize the Opportunity I
150% Shield.
Next Bullet Card used +170% Damage Amount.
Next Bullet Card used +170% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity II
100% Shield.
Next 2 Bullet Cards used +120% Damage Amount.
Next 2 Bullet Cards used +120% Damage Amount.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity III
100% Shield.
For 1 turn, Bullet Card Damage Amount +70%.
For 1 turn, Bullet Card Damage Amount +70%.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity IV
100% Shield.
+100% Damage Amount of the next Attack Card used.
+100% Damage Amount of the next Attack Card used.
Show Effects
1
Seize the Opportunity V
+30% Handgun Bullet Card Damage.
Show Effects
Epiphanies:
- Neutral - It is not recommended to take Neutral Epiphanies on this card because the base card can be rather underwhelming in most recommended builds.
- Seize the Opportunity I- The limit to this buff only being for ‘the next Bullet card’ can be extremely limiting and often very low value, since Luke’s Bullet cards are 1-hit attacks.
- Seize the Opportunity II- The limit to this buff only being for ‘the next 2 Bullet cards’ can be extremely limiting and often very low value since Luke’s Bullet cards are 1-hit attacks.
- Seize the Opportunity III- The buff now being applied to all Bullets for the entire turn makes it a much more enticing choice. Its buff can be equated to around 3.5 Morale (70% additive), which isn’t groundbreaking but will be a noticeable increase in damage. This is a preferred option when Elasticity (Boss Immunity to multihits past 7-hits) is active, which has become quite common.
- Seize the Opportunity IV- This is the go-to Epiphany as it synergizes very well with his main way of dealing damage (Dance of the Demon).
- Seize the Opportunity V- While the buff is less than Seize III, this will be permanently active after being played and does not need to be drawn before your other attacks – thinning your deck. This is a preferred option when Elasticity (Boss Immunity to multihits past 7-hits) is active, which has become quite common.
Divine Epiphanies:
Which Divine Epiphany to go for will depend on what your team needs and which Epiphany you chose, but here are the main ones to look out for if you have spare Save Data: Cost Reduction, Draw 1.
Card 4
Neutral Epiphany
1
Dance of the Demon I
75% Damage.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
1
Dance of the Demon II
50% Damage.
For each Attack Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
For each Attack Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit.
1
Dance of the Demon III
50% Damage.
+1 hit per Bullet card used this turn. Weakness Attack: +50% Damage.
+1 hit per Bullet card used this turn. Weakness Attack: +50% Damage.
Show Effects
1
Dance of the Demon IV
50% Damage.
50% Shield.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit and add +50% Shield.
50% Shield.
For each Bullet Card used this turn, 1 extra Hit and add +50% Shield.
Show Effects
3
Dance of the Demon V
50% Damage x 5.
When Bullets are used, decrease Cost by 1 for 1 turn.
When Bullets are used, decrease Cost by 1 for 1 turn.
Epiphanies:
- Neutral - While this card isn’t bad, its exclusivity to Bullet cards makes it worse than Dance of the Demon II, so Neutral Epiphanies are not recommended.
- Dance of the Demon I- While this card isn’t bad, its exclusivity to Bullet cards makes it worse than Dance of the Demon II, so it is generally not recommended for a generalizable or optimized build.
- Dance of the Demon II- This card is just flat-out better than all other options, scaling not only with Luke’s cards or Bullet cards but ALL attacks. This can be utilized with Supports/Sub-DPS who do attacks as well, like Hugo and Cassius, to further increase his multi-hit.
- Dance of the Demon III- While this card isn’t bad, its exclusivity to Bullet cards makes it worse than Dance of the Demon II, so it is generally not recommended for a generalizable or optimized build.
- Dance of the Demon IV- This can potentially be used to support Metallization Amir (activate Amir attacks on shield gain), but is otherwise not recommended as Luke is not traditionally used as a shield unit.
- Dance of the Demon V- This can easily be a 0-cost 5-hit Card, which is decently strong and can be considered versus enemies with Elasticity (Boss Immunity to multihits past 7-hits), but is generally not the go-to choice.
Divine Epiphanies:
Which Divine Epiphany to go for will depend on what your team needs and which Epiphany you chose, but here are the main ones to look out for if you have spare Save Data: Cost Reduction.
Gear
Memory Fragments
The Memory Fragments & Equipment suggestions below are based on calculations we did. If you want to check the damage formula and how scaling the damage works in CZN, check this guide.
Recommended Loadout
98.94%
[2-PC]: +25% Critical Damage.
[2-PC]: +12% Attack.
Flex
The safest of all set combination for Luke to use in Chaos and Save data based game modes but which can lose out to more specialised sets under the right circumstances. Check out Luke's other two gear options to know which scenarios they beat out 2/2/2 for.
For more damage use 2P Cursed Corpse (if you can keep Agony on targets at all times). Alternatively for stronger Chaos starts try 2P Seth's Scarab, or if you want more survivability use 2P Healer's Journey. If none of that appeals, you can use any 2 strong sub/main stat pieces instead of a final 2P set bonus as well.
95.25%
[4-PC]: When Attack Cards are used, increase Damage Amount of Order Cards by 10% for 1 turn (Max 2 times).
[2-PC]: +25% Critical Damage.
Falls behinds 2/2/2 in save data game modes in teams which feature a substantial amount of Card Damage boosting such as Morale. However in low card damage scenarios like Chaos 4/2 beats out 2/2/2 in damage potential by a small amount. Unless you're planning on specializing your Luke in Chaos only or are willing to swap sets between different modes 2/2/2 is still usually the better choice is general tanks to its superior save data performance.
Specialist Loadout
[4-PC]: +35% Critical Damage of 1-cost cards.
[2-PC]: +25% Critical Damage.
A specialist set for Save Data Luke builds who deal the majority of their damage via 1 cost attack cards such as Dance of the Demon. In these teams Conqueror's will outperform 2/2/2 by a small amount thanks to Crit DMG% being more valuable than ATK% and the Flex slot.
Main and sub-stats
In a lot of cases, flat sub-stats are better than percentage ones when it comes to HP, ATK and DEF. The reason behind this is that in CZN the characters stats are pretty low and you get more value from flat bonus rather than percentage one based on calcs.
Substats:
CRIT Rate% = CRIT DMG% > ATK > ATK%
To play Luke Effectively you want at least 50% Crit Rate to ensure that the majority of Rapid Fire Epiphanies have a guaranteed chance at granting Handgun Bullets with each hit. Building this amount of Crit Rate will also automatically activate Luke's Potential 7 and grant extra scaling based on its extra effect.
Partners
Our best Partner recommendation try to balance both the raw damage boost they provide based on our calculations with the additional utility provided by the skill - combined with how it interacts with the characters's kit. We have rated each Partner based on how much additional damage and the utility they provide. Read the comments under each Partner to better understand our reasoning.
No calculations in Chaos Zero Nightmare are completely accurate for all scenarios, including the ones below. What team, decks, epiphanies, gear, equipment, and enemies you’re facing all impact them. Because of this, take the results as guidelines and combine them with the explanations to make your decisions. Calculations use endgame save data set-ups, including 5 turns of combat using the whole deck with all Ego skills unless otherwise stated.
1
Passive - Understanding and Ideas
Increase the assigned Combatant’s Attack by 16–24%.
+9/18% Critical Chance of the assigned combatant's attack cards costing 1 or less.
When the assigned combatant uses 5 Bullet cards, generate a random Handgun Bullet card. Increase Damage Amount of the created card by 50/200%.
Skill - Ultimate Missile Turrent! - 3 EP cost
Deal 150% Damage to all enemies.
Increase Damage Amount of Designated Combatants‘s Bullets by 20% for 1 turn
-
2
Passive - Understanding and Ideas
Increase the assigned Combatant’s Attack by 16–24%.
+9/18% Critical Chance of the assigned combatant's attack cards costing 1 or less.
When the assigned combatant uses 5 Bullet cards, generate a random Handgun Bullet card. Increase Damage Amount of the created card by 50/200%.
Skill - Ultimate Missile Turrent! - 3 EP cost
Deal 150% Damage to all enemies.
Increase Damage Amount of Designated Combatants‘s Bullets by 20% for 1 turn
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3
Passive - Ensemble
Increase the assigned Combatant’s Attack by 12–20%
The Critical Chance of the combatant's attack cards increases by 8/16%.
When the assigned combatant's attack results in a Critical Hit, +3/5% Critical Damage. Stacks up to 5 times.
Skill - Crimson Romance - 3 EP cost
Deal 250% Damage. Apply 2 Vulnerable.
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4
Passive - Ensemble
Increase the assigned Combatant’s Attack by 12–20%
The Critical Chance of the combatant's attack cards increases by 8/16%.
When the assigned combatant's attack results in a Critical Hit, +3/5% Critical Damage. Stacks up to 5 times.
Skill - Crimson Romance - 3 EP cost
Deal 250% Damage. Apply 2 Vulnerable.
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5
Passive - Self Defense
Increase the assigned Combatant's Attack by 8/16%.
The damage of the combatant's Bullet cards increases by 10/20%.
When the combatant lands their first critical hit, Bullet card damage increases by 12/24% for 1 turn(s).
Skill - What I Wished to Protect - 2 EP cost
For 1 turn, +25% Critical Chance of Designated Combatants's Attack cards.
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6
Passive - Cantrip
The assigned combatant's Attack is increased by 8/16%.
Upon the first shuffle, the assigned combatant's damage dealt is increased by 8/16%.
Skill - Drone Deployment! - 3 EP cost
Draw 2 Cards.
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7
Passive - Self Defense
Increase the assigned Combatant's Attack by 8/16%.
The damage of the combatant's Bullet cards increases by 10/20%.
When the combatant lands their first critical hit, Bullet card damage increases by 12/24% for 1 turn(s).
Skill - What I Wished to Protect - 2 EP cost
For 1 turn, +25% Critical Chance of Designated Combatants's Attack cards.
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Equipment
In the Zero System, it’s incredibly easy to access all items acquirable via the shop thanks to the five free refreshes you get each shop node - that's why the recommendations below are limited to them only. ATTENTION! Area-specific items can sometimes be more powerful than shop items, but are far less consistent to get or require running a specific world or giving up certain event options. Use the shop list as a starting point for building up your deck saves.
The equipment recommendations are based on items obtainable in Season 2’s Chaos - Burning Life. If you’re running content outside of Season 2, it’s possible some options may not be available for acquisition, or that other options not obtainable in Burning Life may be better.
DPS
- Intellect of Discord
![Equipment]()
- RFS-17
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- Dagger That Tricked the Shadow
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- Sword Reflected in the Lake
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- Obsidian Sword
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Support
- Tentacles of Chaos
![Equipment]()
DPS
- Fairy King's Crown
![Equipment]()
- Mask of Flames
![Equipment]()
Support
- Star-Lit Cloak
![Equipment]()
- Vine Camouflage
![Equipment]()
DPS
- Amorphous Cube
![Equipment]()
- Quantum Collector
![Equipment]()
Support
- Sphere of Randomness
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Comments - Weapons
- - Offers a huge 18% Combat Attack passively which for most Attack scalers makes this weapon the defacto best in slot weapon if you're able to acquire it alongside the correct save and don't have another better Mythic equipment options.Intellect of Discord
![Equipment]()
- - One of the strongest Legendary Weapons for any combatant that deals the majority of their damage via 0 cost abilities either naturally or as a result of discounts.RFS-17
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- - 12% Crit DMG is always a competitive option if you can find it in your runs and nothing better turns up or is required for your build.Dagger That Tricked the Shadow
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- - A generic weapon that provides a large 25% (Multiplicative) damage boost but only while you hold 6 cards or more. This is a strong legendary equipment providing you can satisfy its conditions while using the majority of your highest damaging abilities, but this is much easier said than done making it only situationally good in certain decks.Sword Reflected in the Lake
![Equipment]()
- - Very easy to find and grants 12% (Multiplicative) damage to everything. It's never the best, but if you have nothing else you should definitely grab it.Obsidian Sword
![Equipment]()
- - Provides 8% Combat Attack to all operators in the team making it the go-to support weapon for most characters not acting as the main DPS when supporting Attack scaling carries providing the Mythic slot isn't required elsewhere.Tentacles of Chaos
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Comments - Armor
- - The Crit Rate this armour provides is almost always in demand and a competitive option making it a piece worth seeking out unless you're able to obtain better more specialized options.Fairy King's Crown
![Equipment]()
- - Provides a 35% (Multiplicative) damage boost against enemies which are vulnerable. Powerful on characters that value multiplicative damage boosts (less so on those that don't) but only so long as you can consistently keep Vulnerable applied.Mask of Flames
![Equipment]()
- - A generic defensive option usable by all combatants making it a fine supportive addition if no other options are found. However not generally as enticing as direct damage or more immediate utility options for most builds.Star-Lit Cloak
![Equipment]()
- - An easy to get and nice inclusion for teams that have use for a powerful (but conditional) survival mechanic. Usually not the most optimal choice within the armor slot for most characters but if you miss no all other options is very easy to pick up as a fall-back.Vine Camouflage
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Comments - Trinkets
- - The go-to generic damage accessory for most characters that is trivially easy to use and always for the most part a solid addition for any character that can make use of additive damage. Wont beat out more specialized options but always a great fallback.Amorphous Cube
![Equipment]()
- - Grants 20% (multiplicative) damage to the wearer any time any combatant uses an upgrade card (no limit) but only for 1 turn. In specific teams targetting low turn count kills this can be the best accessory available, but in longer fights, or low upgrade teams it loses a lot of its appeal.Quantum Collector
![Equipment]()
- - An exceptionally powerful generic support trinket that grants both 1 draw and 1 AP at the start of battle turbo charging your early game. Is a Mythic item meaning it wont be suitable for every character, but on those who can afford to run it and don't need other accessories in this slot is well worth slotting in if it comes up in your runs.Sphere of Randomness
![Equipment]()
Deck & Teams
Recommended Build
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Build Comments
- Sustained DMG Luke - This deck utilizes Rapid Fire to make 3 Bullets per use, then uses Dance of the Demon II as a finisher. Keep in mind that Dance of the Demon II works with ally attacks, so ideally, he is used with supports or additional carries that can use attacks as well, like Cassius and Sereniel.
- One Turn Kill Luke - This deck is effectively the same as Sustained DMG Luke, only now the Rapid Fire has [Retrieve], which will allow you to make 4 Bullets per use (6 attacks per Rapid Fire versus the Sustained Version’s 4). This version can be really hard to play without Divine cost-reduction, as you will typically play Rapid Fire a total of 8 times for a cost of 8AP without cost-reduction.
- Max Hugo [Bullet] Driver - Generally not recommended for maximizing unchecked damage, but it is probably the go-to Luke build when the enemy has Elasticity (hit-count cap). While it is recommended to still use Hugo alongside him with other builds, this build maximizes the amount of total [Bullets] you can make, allowing for even more Hugo attacks. Do note that the build does not have very many skills built in, so it is typically needed to have an avenue for skills from the 3rd ally with Hugo, like Tiphera’s Archetypes or Cassius’ Quests.
Removal
- Single Shot- Removed in basically any Luke deck. It can be considered to keep if you have Janet (signature partner) and it will help reach a break-point for her ability to make an extra Bullet for her passive, though.
- Shadow Concealment- Removed in basically any Luke deck.
Conditional Removal
- Finisher Round- Much like his Basic Attack, unless you have Janet and need it for an additional bullet card, it is typically removed to thin the deck, as its damage itself is quite low. However, it is kept more commonly for his OTK build or any build that benefits from just a bit extra damage, making it a bit more common to keep and less conditional even outside of use with Janet.
Copying
- Chain Fire- This is his bread-and-butter go-to copy allowing him to make his bullet cards on-top of being a strong multihit attack itself.
- Stealth Reload- This is an alternative option when used with Hugo, if you need the extra skills for his Hunting Instincts’ Commence the Hunter (extra attack) effects.
Best Synergies
- Through neutral Morale Epiphanies on cards like Devil Dice or Dice Trick, Cass can give high additive buffing with little cost.
- Cass’ buffing coming from attacks allows him to scale Luke’s Dance of the Demon II.
- However, it’s worth noting that Cass can be difficult to play with her without Divine Epiphanies, as he generally wants cost-reduction on Devil Dice (with neutral Morale 2 Epiphany) so he can act as both draw and buffer together.
- Luke can do a high number of attacks, allowing him to drive Hugo’s Extra Attacks well.
- Hugo is able to supplement him as a draw unit, on top of using him as a driver for his own damage.
- Keep in mind that Hugo requires the use of skills for his Commence the Hunt; this can be difficult with Chain Fire-based Luke builds, but can be circumvented via supports. Still, it’s worth considering Stealth Reload II or Stealth Reload III as alternatives when played with Hugo, as they make his Bullet attacks through skills instead.
- Sereniel can do a very high number of attacks, which will help raise the strength of Luke’s Dance of the Demon II.
- They both benefit greatly from the same types of buffs and allies and good Sereniel decks often have little to no draw or AP costs, making them easy to work well together.
Best Teams
Chaos Teams
Generic - Chaos
DPS
Flex
Flex
Healer
Flex
Save Teams
Triple-Carry Sereniel
DPS
DPS
Support DPS
Dual-Carry Luke
DPS
DPS
Support
Hyper-Carry Luke
DPS
Support
Support
Base performance of the character.