Papalymo
Infographic (October 2023)
Character Notes & Recommendations
Have updates or suggestions? Contact us via Reddit or Discord, find our info Behind the Scenes!Summon Board Passive selections:
Ifrit choose 3 / 4 / 7
Shiva choose 3 / 4 / 7
Odin choose 4 / 6 / 7
Bahamut choose 3 / 4 / 6
Usuals:
Ramuh, Brothers 4 / 5 / 7
Leviathan, Pandemonium, Diabolos, Alexander 4 / 5 / 6
For more details and help with summons, check Summon Hub!
Sphere Recommendations
NOTE: The sphere letters below are hyperlinked to our Sphere Hub which lists all available spheres sorted by effect! A Sphere - Magic damage dealer who hits weakness often. He wants ATK, MATK, BRV DMG or ATK/iBRV spheres if you have some.
How-To-Play Notes
These notes are thanks to the work of Renki#4255, who proactively wrote these notes, allowing Cel to edit & add them here. Papalymo has 2 stances, Astral Fire and Umbral Ice. Astral Fire is more centered around doing AoE damage while Umbral Ice is Single Target. Papalymo’s new LD grants him an overhead allowing him to gain access to very strong HP and BRV variations to greatly increase his damage output. Papalymo starts the fight with a free ability use and instant turn rate and his EX gauge nearly charged. This can be used to swap from Fire to Ice and deal strong single target damage followed by his EX.
Astral Fire (S1) will remove his Umbral Ice buff and grant Astral Fire. This grants some decent stat buffs to Papalymo. Astral Fire will also inflict Fire & Ice Resist Down on all targets.
Umbral Ice (S2) will remove his Astral Fire buff and grant Umbral Ice. This buff will boost Papalymo’s stats and provide a BRV regen. Umbral Ice also inflicts Ice Resist Down on the target.
Papalymo has 2 EX attacks that are dependent on whichever stance he is in: Fire IV and Blizzard IV (EX). His EX is slow charging, typically taking 3 skill uses to charge and have free turns with instant turn rate. Both EXs will inflict their respective Elemental Resist Down on the target(s) while extending Papalymo’s self buffs by 3 turns and granting 1 stack of Polyglot - his overhead that enables Xenoglossy and Foul.
Xenoglossy (BRV) is a very strong single target attack that is a free turn with instant turn rate.
Foul (HP) provides AoE damage that is a free turn with instant turn rate and provides a free skill use next turn.
Despair (LD) is a free turn with instant turn rate. It will remove Umbral Ice, grant Astral Fire & his Enochian buffs, and increase his Polyglot stacks by 1. This new LD buff grants numerous buffs to Papalymo’s damage. Once the stacks reach 10, his overhead gains 1 stack and his LD buff stacks reset to 1. Maintain this buff with your life.
He gains a stack every time anyone takes a turn.
Planetismal (FR) isn't very special and really wants magic attackers as it asks for:
Magic ability on turn: +40%
Elemental Weakness on turn: +40% (Papalymo enables this with BT and his framed debuff)
No FR effect.
The Far Edge of Fate (BT) provides the usual boosts:
BRV gains up
BRV DMG up & Limit up
HP DMG & Limit
He ALSO provides some unique effects depending on his active buff!
Astral Fire provides DEF ignore and an extra BRV hit on each BRV hit (Prishe LDCA/BT effect)
Umbral Ice provides BRV regen on every turn and BRV gains on each BRV hit
Both effects are great supportive effects just don't run out too fast as Papalymo might zoom with all his instant rate turns
Team Synergy
Papalymo is an interesting mesh of instant turn rate attacker (turn hog) and support (from BT).
If using him as the main damage dealer pair him with units like Weiss, Cor, Noctis, Leo, Kadaj (soon), etc. or big HP DMG Limit up units like Enna Kros, Deuce, Ciaran, etc.
Pairing with Cor runs the risk of running out of Cor's partner buff so keep an eye on it if you do!
Crystal Passive U4 can help maintain his LD buff (EX extends buffs) and Fire IV is his hardest hitting button which is also a free and instant turn.
In Umbral Ice stance he can provide BRV gains to units without any in their own kit. In Astral Fire stance he can help some units with BRV DMG requirements fulfill certain thresholds. Jesse (no BT in GL yet) will benefit from this effect when paired with a linked attacker.