Blue Archive
Blue Archive

Raid & Co-op Content — Blue Archive Guide

Master Blue Archive Raids and Co-op Operations for Sensei. Learn strategies for defeating challenging bosses like Kaiser PMC by exploiting their weaknesses and.

·Multi-source verified (118/118)

Raid & Co-op Content

Welcome, Sensei, to the ultimate guide for conquering Kivotos' most challenging encounters! This section will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to dominate Raids and Co-op Operations, securing those coveted rewards and pushing your students to their limits. Mastery of these modes is crucial for acquiring rare materials, enhancing your students, and climbing the competitive leaderboards.

Total Assault (Raids)

Total Assaults are Blue Archive's premier competitive PvE content, pitting your entire roster against powerful boss enemies. These events run for a limited time, typically a week, and offer substantial rewards based on your cumulative score.

Understanding Total Assault Mechanics

  • Boss Types: Each Total Assault features a specific boss with unique attack patterns, elemental weaknesses, and resistance types (Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Special Armor). Tailoring your team to exploit these weaknesses is paramount.
  • Difficulty Tiers: From Normal to Insane (and sometimes Torment), higher difficulties offer greater score multipliers and better rewards. Always aim for the highest difficulty you can consistently clear, even if it takes multiple attempts.
  • Entry Tickets: You receive a limited number of entry tickets daily. Utilize them wisely, focusing on your strongest teams and strategic retries to optimize your score.
  • Score Calculation: Your score is determined by the damage dealt to the boss and the time taken to defeat it. Faster clears and higher damage output lead to better rankings.

Team Composition & Strategy

Building an effective Total Assault team involves careful consideration of roles, elemental affinities, and skill synergies. A typical team consists of 4 Striker students and 2 Special students.

Striker Roles:
  • Main DPS: Your primary damage dealer. Examples include Haruna (Outdoor) for Mystic, Iori (Indoor) for Explosive, or Hoshino (Swimsuit) for Piercing. Focus on students with high single-target EX Skills.
  • Sub-DPS/Utility: Students who can contribute damage while also providing buffs (e.g., Ako's Critical Damage buff) or debuffs (e.g., Himari's Attack buff).
  • Tank: Essential for drawing aggro and protecting your damage dealers. Tsubaki and Yuuka are excellent choices due to their high defense and self-sustain.
  • Healer/Support: Keeps your team alive and provides crucial buffs. Serina (low cost, single target heal) and Koharu (burst heal, cleanse) are popular choices.
Special Roles:
  • Buffer/Debuffer: Students like Ako, Himari, and Kaho are game-changers, significantly amplifying your team's damage or reducing the boss's effectiveness.
  • Off-Healer/Utility: Provides additional healing or utility skills. Hibiki offers area-of-effect damage and defense down, while Chinatsu can provide emergency healing.

Actionable Walkthrough Steps (General)

  1. Scout the Boss: Before committing tickets, check the boss's elemental weakness, armor type, and main attack patterns. The in-game "Information" tab for the Total Assault will provide these details.
  2. Formulate Your Teams:
    • Team 1 (Main Clear): Your strongest team designed to deal maximum damage on your first attempt. Prioritize elemental advantage and strong synergy.
    • Team 2/3 (Cleanup/Support): If your first team can't clear the boss, prepare backup teams to finish the job. These can be less optimized but should still aim for elemental advantage.
  3. Skill Rotation Planning:
    • Opening: Typically, you want to open with your main buffer's EX Skill (e.g., Ako's EX) followed immediately by your main DPS's EX Skill.
    • Sustained Damage: Cycle through your DPS and sub-DPS skills, interspersing buffs and debuffs as their EX Skills become available.
    • Defensive Measures: Use healer or tank EX Skills proactively before major boss attacks, or reactively if a student's HP drops critically low.
  4. Positioning: Pay attention to the boss's attack indicators. Move your students (by tapping and dragging) to avoid AoE attacks or to group them for buffs/heals.
  5. Retries & Optimization: Don't be afraid to retry if a run goes poorly. Experiment with different skill timings, positioning, and even student swaps to find the optimal strategy for your roster.

Rewards & Shop

Total Assault offers Total Assault Coins, which can be exchanged in the Total Assault Shop for valuable items such as:

  • Mystic Blueprints: Essential for crafting high-tier equipment.
  • Eligma: Used to raise a student's Star Rank.
  • Artifact Materials: For enhancing specific student equipment.
  • Skill Materials: For leveling up student skills.
  • Limited-Time Items: Often includes unique furniture or student fragments.

Joint Firing Range (Co-op Operations)

Joint Firing Range is a cooperative content where you team up with other Senseis to take down powerful enemies. This mode is crucial for acquiring Tactical Training Blu-rays and Technical Notes, which are vital for upgrading student skills.

Understanding Joint Firing Range Mechanics

  • Co-op Nature: You bring one team of 4 Striker students and 2 Special students, and another Sensei brings their team. You control your team, and the other Sensei controls theirs.
  • Boss Types: Similar to Total Assault, bosses have specific elemental weaknesses and armor types. Coordinate with your partner to ensure complementary teams.
  • Entry Tickets: You receive a limited number of entry tickets daily. You can also join other Senseis' rooms without expending your own tickets, but you won't receive the full rewards.
  • Difficulty Levels: Higher difficulties yield better rewards. Always aim for the highest difficulty you and your partner can comfortably clear.

Team Composition & Strategy (Co-op)

The key to success in Joint Firing Range is synergy between your team and your partner's. Communication (even through quick chat options) is highly recommended.

Your Team's Focus:
  • Primary DPS: Focus on bringing your strongest damage dealers that align with the boss's elemental weakness.
  • Support/Utility: Consider bringing students who can provide buffs (e.g., Ako, Himari) or debuffs (e.g., Hibiki) that benefit both teams.
  • Tank/Healer: Ensure your team has sufficient sustain, especially if your partner's team is more damage-focused.
Coordinating with Your Partner:
  • Elemental Coverage: If the boss has multiple weaknesses or resistances, try to cover them between your two teams. For example, if the boss is weak to Explosive and Piercing, one Sensei could bring Explosive DPS and the other Piercing DPS.
  • Buff Overlap: Avoid bringing too many of the same type of buffer if their buffs don't stack. For instance, two Akos might not be as efficient as one Ako and one Himari.
  • Tanking Strategy: Decide who will be the primary tank. Sometimes, having two tanks can be overkill, while other times it's necessary for survival.
  • Skill Timing: Communicate (if possible) when to use crucial EX Skills, especially powerful buffs or debuffs, to maximize their impact.

Actionable Walkthrough Steps (Co-op)

  1. Check Daily Boss: The Joint Firing Range boss changes daily. Note its elemental weakness and armor type.
  2. Find a Partner:
    • Friends List: The most reliable option. Coordinate with friends who have strong rosters.
    • Public Matchmaking: Can be hit-or-miss. Be prepared to adapt your team or retry if synergy is poor.
    • Community Channels: Many Blue Archive communities (Discord, forums) have dedicated channels for finding co-op partners.
  3. Team Selection & Discussion:
    • Before Starting: If playing with a friend, discuss your team compositions. If in public matchmaking, quickly assess your partner's chosen students.
    • Adjust as Needed: If you see your partner has a strong DPS for a specific element, consider bringing more support or a different elemental DPS to complement them.
  4. Execute the Battle:
    • Focus Fire: Both teams should generally focus fire on the boss.
    • Buff & Debuff Coordination: Try to time your buffs (e.g., Ako's Critical Damage) with your partner's main DPS bursts. Similarly, apply debuffs when both teams are ready to unleash damage.
    • Healing & Protection: Keep an eye on both your team's and your partner's students' HP. If you have a healer, be ready to assist if needed.
  5. Collect Rewards: Upon successful completion, you'll earn Tactical Training Blu-rays and Technical Notes specific to the boss's type (e.g., Explosive Tactical Training Blu-ray from the Explosive boss).

By diligently participating in both Total Assault and Joint Firing Range, and by applying these detailed strategies, you'll significantly accelerate your progress in Blue Archive and solidify your position as a top Sensei!