Karla

A quasi-OHKO build, the only I would recommend on Karla and the only wrath build I recommend on Karla. Her high spd and ability to achieve bonus damage on every strike using her prf effect makes multi-hit builds more attractive to me than OHKO builds. According to that criterion, this build is a multi-hit build because the focal target will always receive at least two blows: one on the special activation, and another to finish him/her off.

During her first fight, Karla must win in normal fashion, which makes even spd wave helpful to compensate for the lack of A-skill. On any subsequent turn, she can activate the AoE special for +17 damage to all targets affected and gain two special charges striking her target. At the beginning of the following turn, wrath grants one special charge, enabling her to repeat the process. She therefore becomes Ares-like, except she is limited to one special activation per turn. Note that flashing blade means that opponents with guard will not be able to prevent Karla from getting the strategy rolling (unless they can match her spd, in which case she fails to double and probably fails to down her opponent anyways) - she will still gain one special charge each time she attacks, and wrath will give her the third charge at the beginning of her next turn.

Hardy bearing is a safeguard against vantage, which would often shut down this build otherwise. If you are not concerned about getting stopped by vantage, putting flashing blade in the seal slot enables Karla to use fury or L&D for extra damage. Swift sparrow or brazens are not recommended because they will not grant bonus damage on the special activation. Other options for seals include phantom spd, which helps guarantee a full +7 from the prf effect, atk+3, and spd+3.

Another option is to use infantry rush support, which also enables the use of a damage-boosting A-skill, which would bring Karla's atk well above 55, especially if the infantry rush provider also uses drive atk and/or is Karla's ally support.

This build is the most gimmicky of Karla's builds, but even so it is not all that gimmicky for having such high atk and spd and it has some distinct advantages, almost all of which are common advantages of AoE special builds. It is the only Karla build that inflicts significant splash/chip damage. It is also the only Karla build with good potential to blow through wary fighter thanks to the artificial double. It improves her potential to overthrow the weapon triangle because AoE special damage ignores the weapon triangle. It enables her to one-round opponents such as Ayra, Mia, possibly Sumia (but Sumia's spd will likely dampen prf bonus damage, and her def will not be easy for Karla to get through), and Caeda who may be fast enough to prevent Karla from doubling naturally. Flashing blade may not activate, in which case Karla may need to wait an extra turn before her special is fully charged again, but perhaps not even, because she may be able to OHKO enemies with their HP chipped down.

Teammates especially helpful for using this build include:
- buffers who can help compensate for Karla's lack of stat-boosting skills,
- debuffers, especially those wielding Hoshidan Festival weapons, because Karla may activate vantage/desperation on opponents
- by similar logic, firesweepers
- dancers, who can help Karla take advantage of the splash damage she just inflicted
- by similar logic, galeforcers, but they need to plan ahead because weakened enemies may fall in one hit, which can cause issues for activating galeforce.
- high atk DC vantage-killers, especially those who are likely to cover targets against whom Karla may struggle. M.Grima is a prime example, being green, having innate DC on a colossal atk stat, and targeting res (or whichever stat is lower on a ranged unit) whereas Karla hits def.

In light of the above ideas, a sample team involving the featured Karla build:
Karla with fury/L&D and hardy bearing
Dancing Xander using Sky Maiougi+def, death blow, wings of mercy, infantry rush, drive atk or drive spd
M.Grima using Expiration, reposition, glimmer, brazen atk/def (or atk/res), vantage, res smoke, armoured boots or deflect melee (deflect melee is a ticket into vantage range by initiating on any opponent)
Donnel or B.Charlotte using firesweep, rally atk/spd, galeforce, fury/L&D/swift sparrow, chill def, def smoke, quickened pulse

It is noteworthy that Fir and Karel can use similar builds using Nameless Blade. However, their atk stats are significantly lower, and their prfs are all about special attack damage, which means they will struggle to get the strategy going compared to Karla, whose prf grants extra damage without a special, helping her win her first engagement.

Extremely bad luck but I still pulled through.

Summoner Supported, her below average defenses are supported by her ridiculous HP stat, further boosted by the Boon. Her low defenses make it easier for her to get into Brazen range, which makes her offense insane, completely outdoing her Spd Bane. Heavy Blade is there to abuse the insane (in brazen) 60 Atk. Her Spd is boosted to a great 46, which is more than enough for +0 Meta.

One of the issues many Karla players report is her squishiness. At the time of writing, builds featuring wrath outnumber those featuring desperation by about 7 times, which might offer some explanation. If Karla did not come with wrath, I doubt that people would put it on her, because 23/22 defenses suggests "glass cannon" and she wants to exploit her spd to double, especially given the effect on her prf.

However, there is another option, one which enables Karla to tank. The surprising tank build that made its debut on Raven actually works equally well on Karla. The rationale behind this build is that both Raven and Karla hit hard enough without their specials, which justifies galeforce builds. The other use for a special is for defense, which is exactly what this build does.

The cooldown reduction on her weapon enables her to use pavise to cut 50% off all incoming damage at melee range (including from close counter units, assuming she initiates). Shield pulse will shave off an additional 5 damage, meaning that big enemy specials which normally hit for 30-40 damage are suddenly reduced to damage in the teens. Moreover, cutting specials such as moonbow and aether will have very little effect because she has almost no defenses to begin with.

Karla's performance with this build is very close to Raven's. Karla's stats with +spd -res are 42HP, 56/49/18/14; Raven with the same boon and bane has 44HP and 60/48/15/9 including the Basilikos refine. Karla's spd superboon makes her 1 pt faster, and extra damage from her prf enables her to hit harder than Raven if she is fast enough compared to her opponent. Having slightly higher defenses compensates for having 2 less HP.

Final notes: in this build, avoid reducing HP. Due to pavise+shield pulse, HP is worth at least twice as much as def or res. The only worse banes are spd and probably atk

Seal: Atk/def+2 - other options like flashing blade etc possible

Summoner Support and L!Hector blessing - Sol for sustain and she benefits from Ostias pulse. Otherwise Moonbow. Enjoy the slaughter

Player-phase nuking build.

With the combination of "slaying" from her prf-weapon, Flashing Blade, and Wrath, Karla can effectively fully charge Blazing Wind every Player Phase and have it ready again next turn. Her Vassal Blade's speed-advantage bonus dmg and +10 dmg from Wrath would also make her special do up to an additional +17 dmg.

A battle would go as follows:
> Karla initiates on enemy
> Blazing Wind triggers pre-combat, ignoring WTA with bonus +17 dmg
> Karla cleans up weakened enemy mid-combat and with Flashing Blade, her special cd gets reduced by 2.
> Next Player Phase, Wrath finishes charging her special.

Her special can let her win some unfavorable blue matchups and lay waste to surrounding enemies as well. Phantom Speed + her base speed should be enough to trigger Flashing Blade and her Vassal Blade's speed-based effects.