What is Gratia's shield loop?
Gratia plays as a loop between attack and defence. Blunted Blade builds her blade string and her Muscle Memory, while Special Block absorbs damage and builds Stalwart Fury. When Stalwart Fury is full, releasing the block key fires Shield Rush: a Glacies hit that interrupts whatever it connects with.
The loop is not "block until everything dies". Special Block costs stamina, and the fastest way to fill Stalwart Fury is to take hits while holding it. You are trading stamina and tempo for a stored interrupt, then using that interrupt to cancel an elite's dangerous skill. The 50% reduction is what makes the trade survivable.
How does Blunted Blade build Muscle Memory?
Blunted Blade is a five-hit Glacies string. Hits four and five are the fast Muscle Memory generators; the earlier hits still deal damage but contribute less to the bar. That makes the back half of the string more valuable than the front, and it is why the shortcut inputs are worth learning.
The exact spend for Muscle Memory is not documented in the CBT2 data, so do not treat it as a currency for Shield Rush. The two resources are separate: Muscle Memory comes from the blade, Stalwart Fury comes from blocking.
How does Special Block turn defence into Shield Rush?
Hold the block key to raise the shield. While it is up, incoming damage is reduced by 50% and Stalwart Fury accumulates. Taking hits accelerates the accumulation, and the guard drains stamina while held. When the bar is full, press or release the block key to launch Shield Rush.
Shield Rush deals Glacies damage and interrupts the target. A full Stalwart Fury also strengthens the rush's suppression and base damage, so emptying the bar early is a waste. Think of it as a stored parry that you can aim, not as a damage skill you press on cooldown.
Which shortcuts do dodge, block and charge give?
Three inputs skip parts of the string. A perfect dodge lets the next basic attack perform hit four. A successful block lets the next basic attack perform hit three. The Lv2 charged attack is a ground slam, and pressing the basic attack button before it ends links into hit four. The pursuit attack after a dodge is a separate 26.65% hit.
| Input | Effect |
|---|---|
| Perfect dodge, then basic | Performs hit 4 |
| Successful block, then basic | Performs hit 3 |
| Lv2 charged, basic before end | Links into hit 4 |
| Pursuit attack | 26.65% |
These shortcuts matter because hits four and five are the Muscle Memory hits. A perfect dodge does not just avoid damage; it puts you directly on the part of the string that builds the resource. The wider dodge and parry rules are in the combat guide.
How much damage do her hits deal?
The string is uneven: hit five is 63.73%, more than the first three hits combined, while hit four is only 17.39%. That is deliberate-looking design, but the practical point is that the fifth hit is the one you want to reach.
| Move | CBT2 value |
|---|---|
| Hit 1 | 22.02% |
| Hit 2 | 40.56% |
| Hit 3 | 23.17% |
| Hit 4 | 17.39% |
| Hit 5 | 63.73% |
| Lv1 charged | 42.87% |
| Lv2 charged | 74.62% |
| Pursuit attack | 26.65% |
The Lv2 charged slam at 74.62% is the largest single number after the fifth basic hit, and it has the hit-four link attached. Use it when the string is about to be interrupted, not as an opener.
How do you obtain Gratia?
Gratia is the limited-banner character in the CBT2 data. She is a 5★ Glacies Guardian, a royal knight with the epithet Her Majesty's Protégé, and the official route description says she cannot be earned through the main story or normal play. The banner carried a 100-pull guarantee.
That is a test-build route. The global launch may change the banner, the pity count or the availability, so the 100-pull figure is a snapshot rather than a promise. The gacha page covers the banner rules without spending advice.
How do you land the anti-air execution?
Against flying units, Gratia has a dedicated throat-throw execution. It has a long wind-up, which makes it easy to miss on a moving target. The documented fix is the Detective's revolver: marking the weak point first improves the execution's hit rate.
That is a party requirement, not a solo trick. If you plan to use Gratia against air units, bring the Detective or accept that the execution will often whiff. It also means the pair have a reason to be fielded together beyond raw damage, which is covered on the team building page.
What role does Gratia fill?
The data set labels her Survival & Healing, with the Guardian identity. In practice she is the character who holds a dangerous lane: the shield reduces incoming damage, Stalwart Fury stores an interrupt, and Shield Rush cancels the skill that would otherwise wipe the party. She is not a pure healer, and she is not a pure damage dealer.
For the rest of the roster, see the characters page. The other 5★ damage kits are on the Detective build and Rex build pages.
Common questions
Is Gratia free to earn?
No. In CBT2 she was limited to her banner with a 100-pull guarantee, and the official route description says she is not available through the main story or normal play.
Does Special Block cost resource?
It drains stamina while held. Taking hits while guarding accelerates Stalwart Fury gain, so the cost is a deliberate trade.
Are Muscle Memory and Stalwart Fury the same bar?
No. Muscle Memory comes from Blunted Blade hits four and five; Stalwart Fury comes from blocking. The published data does not document a spend for Muscle Memory.
Can another character do the anti-air execution?
The throat-throw execution is Gratia's dedicated move. The Detective's revolver mark improves its hit rate but does not replace it.