Arknights Endfield Laevatain Build Guide

If you're hunting for a Heat DPS who rewards precision and timing, Laevatain stands at the top of Arknights: Endfield's damage dealers. This 6-star Striker doesn't just hit hard, she builds momentum through stacks, transforms basic attacks into devastating combos, and turns Combustion into a damage multiplier that spirals out of control. Here's everything you need to build her right.

What Makes Laevatain Different From Other Strikers?

Most Strikers in Arknights Endfield follow straightforward patterns. You'll hit your skills, deal damage, and move on. Laevatain flips that script entirely. She operates on a stack-based system called Melting Flame that fundamentally changes how you approach combat.

Here's the thing: Laevatain absorbs Heat Infliction from enemies when landing her Final Strike (the last hit in her basic attack chain). Each absorbed stack grants one Melting Flame charge, capping at four. At maximum stacks, she ignores 20 points of enemy Heat resistance for 20 seconds. That resistance shred works even against enemies with naturally low Heat resistance, making her consistently powerful across different enemy types.

Melting Flame stack display

What most players miss about her kit is the dual nature of her Battle Skill. The base version generates one Melting Flame stack and applies Heat, useful but not game-changing. At four stacks, the empowered version transforms into an AoE monster that deals massive damage, triggers Combustion across a huge area, and generates substantial ultimate energy. You'll never want to use this skill below four stacks unless you're resetting between waves.

Pro Tip: Watch your stack counter obsessively. Using empowered Battle Skill at four stacks versus three stacks represents roughly a 300% damage difference when you factor in the Combustion trigger and energy generation.

How Her Ultimate Changes Everything

Laevatain's Ultimate costs 300 energy, the highest in the game by a significant margin. That might sound punishing, but the payoff justifies the investment. When activated, she summons a spectral sword and switches to enhanced basic attacks for 15 seconds.

These enhanced attacks follow a four-hit sequence where the third hit applies Heat Infliction and the fourth counts as a Final Strike that absorbs stacks. During Ultimate, you'll actively generate and absorb Heat to reach four Melting Flame stacks again, then unleash empowered Battle Skill while still in Ultimate mode.

The empowered Battle Skill during Ultimate hits differently than the standard version. It strikes twice with powerful slashes, then finishes with a third hit that deals absolutely monstrous damage. Our Arknights: Endfield Ultimate Beginner's Guide covers ultimate mechanics in depth, but Laevatain's implementation stands out for its sustained pressure rather than burst-and-fade patterns.

Best Weapons for Laevatain

Forgeborn Scathe (Signature Weapon)

Forgeborn Scathe dominates as Laevatain's signature weapon for one simple reason: it amplifies exactly what she does most. At max refinement, it grants +156 Wisdom and +39% Attack, but the passive effect is where it shines.

The Twilight: Blazing Wail passive provides +25.6% Heat damage dealt. More importantly, when you cast your Ultimate, you gain Basic Attack damage dealt +120% for 20 seconds. Since Laevatain's damage loop revolves around enhanced basic attacks during Ultimate, this weapon synergizes perfectly with her natural rotation.

Forgeborn Scathe weapon stats

The downside? Forgeborn Scathe performs mediocrely on other Heat characters, making it a dedicated Laevatain weapon rather than a flexible option for your roster.

Umbral Torch (F2P Alternative)

Umbral Torch works as your accessible option without sacrificing too much power. At max refinement, it provides +156 Wisdom and +43.33% Heat damage—already solid stats for any Heat DPS.

The Infliction: Covetous Buildup passive grants +11.2% Attack baseline. Whenever Combustion or Corrosion is applied to an enemy, you gain Heat and Nature damage dealt +12.8% for 20 seconds, stacking up to twice with separate duration tracking.

Since Laevatain forcibly triggers Combustion with her empowered Battle Skill, activating this weapon is straightforward. You'll maintain near-permanent uptime on at least one stack during active combat, with two stacks during optimal rotations.

White Night Nova (Stat Stick)

If you're still building toward better options, White Night Nova provides consistent Arts Intensity bonuses without conditional triggers. It won't compete with signature weapons, but it keeps Laevatain functional while you farm better gear.

Gear Sets and Equipment

Hot Work Set (Primary Choice)

The Hot Work 3-piece set is tailor-made for Laevatain's kit. The set bonus grants +30 Arts Intensity, then provides a massive damage boost when you trigger Combustion.

Set Bonus Breakdown:

• Wearer's Arts Intensity +30
• When applying Combustion: Heat damage +60% for 8 seconds
• When applying Corrosion: Nature damage +60% for 8 seconds

Since Laevatain triggers Combustion on demand with her empowered Battle Skill, you'll maintain this bonus throughout extended fights. The key here is pairing this 3-piece set with an offpiece that grants Ultimate Gain Efficiency to accelerate your Ultimate cycling.

Recommended Pieces:

• Body: Tide Fall Light Armor (Offpiece) — Intellect, Strength, Ultimate Gain Efficiency
• Gloves: Hot Work Set — Intellect, Strength, Heat Damage Bonus
• Kit 1: Hot Work Pyrometer — Intellect, Battle Skill Damage %
• Kit 2: Hot Work Pyrometer — Intellect, Battle Skill Damage %

Hot Work gear configuration

Doubling up on Hot Work Pyrometer for kit pieces grants Battle Skill damage bonus—perfect since your empowered Battle Skill represents your primary burst window.

Eternal Xiranite Set (Alternative Build)

Here's an unconventional option that might surprise you: Eternal Xiranite focused on Ultimate Gain Efficiency stacking. The 3-piece bonus grants +1000 HP and provides +16% Attack to teammates for 15 seconds when you apply certain debuffs.

The real draw is stacking Ultimate Gain Efficiency across every piece. Combining all listed pieces grants a massive 82.8% Ultimate Gain Efficiency boost. Since Laevatain's main goal is casting Ultimate as frequently as possible, this set creates a high-tempo playstyle that's incredibly fun even if theoretical damage might be slightly lower than Hot Work.

Full Set:

• Body: Tide Fall Light Armor (Offpiece) — Intellect, Strength, Ultimate Gain Efficiency
• Gloves: Eternal Xiranite Set — Intellect, Strength, Ultimate Gain Efficiency
• Kit 1: Eternal Xiranite Set — Intellect, Strength, Ultimate Gain Efficiency
• Kit 2: Eternal Xiranite Set — Intellect, Strength, Ultimate Gain Efficiency

This build trades some raw damage for significantly more Ultimate uptime, letting you stay in your enhanced attack mode more consistently. For players who love action-heavy rotations, this approach feels far more engaging.

Building a Team Around Laevatain

Laevatain demands Heat teams built specifically around feeding her Heat Infliction stacks. Without consistent Heat application from teammates, she can't build Melting Flame charges efficiently, which cripples her entire damage output. Check out our Arknights: Endfield Team Comp Guide for broader team-building strategies, but here's what works specifically for Laevatain.

Core Team: Wulfgard + Akekuri + Ardelia

Wulfgard is your mandatory enabler. He generates more Heat Infliction than anyone else in the game by a significant margin. His constant Heat application keeps Laevatain's Melting Flame stacks building naturally through her basic attack chains.

Akekuri fills the battery role while contributing additional Heat stacks. Her SP generation keeps your entire team cycling skills faster, which translates directly to more empowered Battle Skills and faster Ultimate charging for Laevatain.

Ardelia applies Corrosion easily and consistently, which triggers Laevatain's Combo Skill for additional damage and stack generation. The healing Ardelia provides also keeps your team healthy during extended fights, letting Laevatain maintain aggressive positioning.

Optimal team formation

Alternative: Antal for Amplification

Antal offers slightly stronger damage amplification than Ardelia without the healing component. His skills can stack additional Heat Infliction on already-affected enemies, pushing Laevatain's damage even higher through increased stack generation and faster rotation cycling.

The trade-off is survivability. Antal focuses more on single-target damage amplification, making him better for boss fights but weaker in multi-target scenarios where Ardelia's healing and AoE Corrosion shine.

Combat Rotation and Skill Priority

Skill Upgrade Priority

Twilight and Smouldering Fire compete for top priority because they directly multiply each other's effectiveness. Your Ultimate enhances basic attacks, while your empowered Battle Skill deals the biggest single-hit damage in your kit. Upgrading both simultaneously maximizes your damage ceiling.

Standard Rotation (No Ultimate)

1. Build Melting Flame stacks through basic attack Final Strikes and base Battle Skill
2. Trigger Combustion with empowered Battle Skill at four stacks
3. Activate Combo Skill when Combustion triggers
4. Repeat while building Ultimate energy

Your teammates should constantly apply Heat during this phase. Every Final Strike you land absorbs those Heat stacks, converting them into Melting Flame charges. You'll reach four stacks quickly with proper team support.

Ultimate Rotation (Peak Damage)

1. Activate Ultimate when fully charged
2. Continue basic attack chains using enhanced attacks
3. Build to four Melting Flame stacks during Ultimate
4. Use empowered Battle Skill while still in Ultimate mode
5. Repeat step 3-4 if Ultimate duration allows

The empowered Battle Skill during Ultimate hits three times instead of the normal pattern, with the third hit dealing absolutely monstrous damage. You'll want to trigger this at least once per Ultimate, ideally twice if your rotation is tight.

Strengths and Weaknesses You Need to Know

Where Laevatain Dominates

AoE Situations: Her empowered Battle Skill and Ultimate both excel against grouped enemies. The Combustion application spreads across entire packs, triggering Combo Skills and generating massive energy.

Sustained Boss Fights: Unlike burst-focused DPS who spike then fade, Laevatain maintains pressure as long as Heat reactions keep flowing. Her stack-based system means she never truly falls off during extended encounters.

Heat Team Synergy: When properly supported, she becomes self-sufficient with SP generation and survivability tools. The combination of damage, energy generation, and resistance shred makes her incredibly well-rounded.

Where She Struggles

Solo Play: Without Heat applicators, Laevatain's damage output drops dramatically. She can't efficiently build Melting Flame stacks on her own, making her team-dependent by design.

Quick Skirmishes: If enemies die before you build four stacks, you're wasting her potential. She needs time to ramp up, which makes her less optimal for speed-clear content.

Anti-Element Stages: Content that heavily resists or nullifies Heat damage cripples her effectiveness. You'll need alternative DPS options for these scenarios.

Is Laevatain Worth Your Resources?

Laevatain isn't just strong, she's systematically dominant when played correctly. Her kit rewards planning, timing, and team building more than button mashing. If you're the type of player who enjoys mastering rotations and watching damage spiral upward through proper execution, she's one of the most satisfying carries in Arknights Endfield. In a way, she feels like that early Genshin Impact moment when Diluc showed up and suddenly every red-haired fire user was assumed to be busted by default.

The investment pays off. With proper gear, a Heat-focused team, and disciplined stack management, Laevatain earns her reputation as the game's premier Heat DPS. She transforms challenging content into manageable encounters through sheer sustained damage output.

For players who pulled her during the launch banner or are considering whether to reroll for her, the answer is straightforward: yes, she's worth it. Few characters match her combination of AoE damage, single-target pressure, and team synergy potential.

Just remember, Laevatain demands proper support to function. Don't try forcing her into teams without Heat application. Build around her strengths, master her rotation, and you'll understand why experienced players consider her essential for Heat-focused strategies. For more tips on managing your resources efficiently, check out our Arknights: Endfield AIC Factory Guide to maximize your farming efficiency.