Summer Tiki (Adult)

• Preferred IV: +DEF or +ATK or +SPD / -SPD or -HP
• Weapon: Slaying Axe+ (+Def) / Melon Crusher+ (+Def)
• Assist: Reposition
• Special: Bonfire / Ignis / Aether
• Passive A: Steady Breath / Warding Breath / Distant Counter / Close Def
• Passive B: Guard / Quick Riposte / Renewal
• Passive C: Atk Smoke / Flexible
• Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Close Def / Distant Def

This is a standard tanking setup for Summer Tiki. The first decision to make is based on IVs: if running +SPD, then change the weapon refines to +Spd refines to maximize Summer Tiki’s Speed to avoid as many doubles as possible. If running neutral or -SPD, then a +Def refine is better since Summer Tiki will likely be getting doubled by a number of enemies.

One of the benefits of a tank setup is that Summer Tiki has access to massive nukes in the form of Bonfire/Ignis activations. As a result, a Slaying Axe is highly preferred to ensure she activates her Special as much as possible. Her base Melon Crusher is acceptable if necessary for budget - it is best paired with some form of healing (from Summer Tiki’s team or somewhere in her build, such as running Renewal as a B skill or Aether as her Special) to maximize the number of times she can utilize its effect.

Summer Tiki’s A skill will determine her best Special. Steady Breath is extremely powerful as in addition to the +4 Defense when attacked, Summer Tiki can activate Bonfire on every counterattack after getting attacked when wielding a Slaying Axe. Warding Breath is not quite as good due to physical melee attackers being much more prevalent than magical melee attackers, but is acceptable since the important part is the increased Special charge generation. Distant Counter is an option to allow Summer Tiki to take on ranged threats, while her base Close Def is acceptable for increasing her mixed bulk. If running Distant Counter or Close Def with a Slaying Axe, then use Ignis if expecting Summer Tiki to get doubled a lot, or Bonfire if stacking Speed and wanting her to avoid doubles. If not running a Slaying Axe, then run Ignis with Steady/Warding Breath or Bonfire otherwise.

Guard isn’t quite as important on green tanks as it is on blue or red tanks due to the strongest Special users being red (such as Ayra and Zelgius). However, running Guard on Summer Tiki will reduce incoming damage by a massive amount, particularly when fighting armored units with Bold Fighter. Make sure to run the Quick Riposte Seal if using Guard. Otherwise, Quick Riposte in Summer Tiki’s B skill slot is fine to ensure that she can double her opponents.

Summer Tiki’s C skill is entirely up to preference, but Atk Smoke is a great choice for tanks as applying the debuff allows them to more easily take on multiple enemies in a single turn.

The Quick Riposte Seal is a must if running any B skill other than Quick Riposte (such as Guard). Otherwise, Close Def is a fantastic choice for increasing Summer Tiki’s overall bulk. Distant Def is worth consideration if running Distant Counter as well.

• Preferred IV: +ATK / -HP or -SPD
• Weapon: Brave Axe+
• Assist: Reposition
• Special: Bonfire / Glimmer / Moonbow
• Passive A: Death Blow / Sturdy Blow
• Passive B: Chill Def / Hit and Run / Axebreaker
• Passive C: Def Smoke / Threaten Def / Flexible
• Sacred Seal: Attack +3 / Heavy Blade / Quickened Pulse

Summer Tiki can take advantage of her strong Attack stat with a Brave Axe set to take enemies out before they can even retaliate. This set works much better with team support, but is capable of functioning independently as well.

Bonfire is a great Special to use thanks to Summer Tiki’s strong Defense. It is far more consistent than Luna due to Summer Tiki performing much better against enemies that have their Defense debuffed. Glimmer or Moonbow are good options depending on Summer Tiki’s Sacred Seal and level of team support. If she can get any form of Attack buff support, then Glimmer is likely going to be much better unless she is fighting enemies with high Defense. Attack buff support pairs well with a Heavy Blade Seal, or the far superior alternative of having an ally providing Infantry Rush support (which frees up Summer Tiki’s Seal so she can run Attack +3). Running Quickened Pulse or having access to Infantry Pulse support also allows Summer Tiki to run either Glimmer or Moonbow to great effect, as she will be able to activate her Special in her first combat.

Due to the purely offensive focus of a Brave weapon setup, Death Blow is the ideal choice as it provides the most raw Attack. Sturdy Blow provides a bit more protection when fighting enemies that can survive Summer Tiki’s first two attacks (such as armored axe users if she is running Axebreaker). It also has the benefits of increasing Bonfire damage and being worth a bit more for Arena scoring.

Chill Def applies a powerful Defense debuff that allows Summer Tiki to break through enemies with high Defense. If unavailable or debuffing is covered elsewhere, then Hit and Run (or Drag Back) is a great option to help keep Summer Tiki safe after attacking. Axebreaker is also a good option to allow her to break through super tanky axe units like Hector (LA) or Winter Chrom.

Def Smoke is a fantastic debuff if Summer Tiki has access to Refresher support so that she can engage multiple enemies per turn. Otherwise, Threaten Def offers another method of applying a Defense debuff to her opponent. Summer Tiki’s C skill can easily be replaced to suit the team, however. Keep in mind that field debuffs do not stack, so running Chill Def along Def Smoke or Threaten Def can result in some redundancy if they target the same unit.