Cid Raines
Special thanks to y0shimuRa for his exclusive Raines artwork!
Infographic (April 2023)
Character Notes & Recommendations
Have updates or suggestions? Contact us via Reddit or Discord, find our info Behind the Scenes!Summon Board Passive selections:
Numbers listed below refer to the 7 passives to select for each Ultimate Summon Board for the character. Top is 1, bottom is 7.Ramuh choose 4 / 5 / 6
Pandemonium 4 / 6 / 7
Odin choose 4 / 6 / 7
Bahamut choose 3 / 6 / 7
Usuals:
Ifrit, Shiva, Brothers 4 / 5 / 7
Leviathan, Alexander, Diabolos 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 Spheres: BRV DMG or ATK to make him hit even harder. His Impact Strike ignores DEF so BRV DMG helps fight reductions better. He launches often which can make some spheres (like his own) easier to put on him.
How-To-Play Notes
Raines is a powerful magic attacker with heavy reliance on launches (that he enables for himself) as he has a unique attack after he starts a launch! It's very important to maintain his buffs as losing them will lose out on launches and the special attack!
Ruinga Storm (S1) provides his Cavalry Commander buff as well as being his filler attack if you aren't playing ping pong with Rem/Aphmau.
Cavalry Commander enables Impact Strike (his unique launch follow up)
Cavalry Rush (S2) allows you to grab an ally to act after Raines. It also batteries and launches for your allies, especially as the ally you pulled will always participate in the launch.
Seraphic Ray (EX) provides great utility with a cleanse and dispel all in one along with solid damage which batteries the party before launching the target, delaying all enemies, and making non-targets launch ready. It also gives Raines his overhead, Metamorphose. This gives Raines strong buffs to all his most important stats.
Heavenly Fist (LD) allows Raines to pull both of his allies forward, batteries them and launches the target. It also provides Raines with his very important I, too, will challenge my fate buff which enhances his follow-up during launches and also provides him with yet another buff to his and his allies' damage. On top of everything else, this buff ensures that Raines launches with every attack he deals.
HP Attack (Heavenly Fist) is a one use HP attack Raines gains after using his LD. This AOE attack comes with an instant turn along with AOE delay.
Opposing Destiny (BT) grants his short BT effect that provides aura boosts but also upgrades Impact Strike+ even further into Seraphic Charge!
vs ST: HP (Heavenly Fist) or Free use S2 -> S1 -> S2 -> EX -> LD -> FR
vs 2+: HP (Heavenly Fist) or Free use S1 -> S2 -> S1 -> LD -> EX -> FR
Impact Strike+ is gained from having both his S1 buff as well as his LD buff at the same time. If his S1 buff drops off he will not join his own launches and if his LD buff wears off he will only do his inferior Impact Strike. Impact Strike+ is what truly makes Raines shine, causing his launches to truly pack a punch.
With his BT effect active, he will replace Impact Strike+ with Seraphic Charge a huge 7 hp attack follow up when Raines launches so make the most of it in Force Time!
Raging Rebellion (FR) pulls up his allies similarly to his LD and his Force Time conditions ask for
Party members to participate in launches (20% per ally who joins) &
Party members to start a launch (30% if Raines starts one, 20% for anyone else)
Ideally you want Raines to launch during his Force Time as he will gain 90% (30% + 20% + 20% + 20%) as Raine's starting a launch and joining a launch gets extra bonus. This is why his BT phase is so good too!
Allies who initiate launch can get up to 60% (20% + 20% + 20%) which is very likely to happen as even with consecutive turns from Quick Prayer will be interrupted when Raines brings his allies up. Kain/Freya can't be brought up while in the air which can help Raines set up his Force Time.
Allies joining in launches also get a 20% HP Damage & HP DMG Limit boost thanks to his FR board extension!
With his BT effect lasting 6T and being unable to launch, it can make setting up Raines' Force Time a bit clunky as you either
BT finisher, Luna LDCA on his next turn (or have friend/ally Luna apply Quick Prayer), Raines FR (BT effect goes down a turn, so 5T remaining), up to 2 allies will go right after this, one of which may not launch (8T of Force Time left).
OR
Luna LDCA (or have friend/ally apply Quick Prayer), Raines FR, 2 allies go (8T of FR time left), Raines BT finisher (7T of FR time left) and go into BT phase and capture the BT finisher. If using Kain/Freya the number of allies being pulled up (and therefore going after Raines' FR attack) is less which may allow for entering BT phase with 8T of FR remaining allowing for a big Level 50 summon hit on the last turn of FR time.
Thanks to FR Echo, he has more flexibility in the amount of FR turns remaining if his allies use FR Echo early while also increasing the FR bonus even more for Raines' BT phase to pop off!
That said, Raines' on-turn damage is nutty high in his Burst Phase (11 - 14 ST HP attacks with BT effect active) so any FR with high bonuses or FRs that can be passed off with a high bonus (Kam/Hope as examples) can still make use of Raines' enourmous damage and not need to sacrifice a turn of his BT effect as you could BT finisher into BT phase with this strategy! However you still want to get the FR as it's a giant attack for the final turn of his Burst Phase under FR time.
Cor is a notable ally for Raines as Cor's linked attack is boosted by wall damage on launches.
If you're a Raines fan, you can enable an interesting interaction he has when you cancel his FR ability and then select another skill under the right conditions. Here's Theologica's video demonstrating it! tl;dw lots of BRV Gains, OF (gained) and the FR cancel will give Raines his FR HP DMG Limit for the first HP attack which can be a nice boost in damage in his Burst Phase.
RainesMau Looping Infographic (Oct 2021)
Note: While this IG is a bit dated as other turn maniuplating supports (Rem) and other BT effects (Garnet, Ramza, etc.) can replace parts of the IG and function mostly the same. Rem has better personal damage, but might not have as much momentum to steal more turns before the 3rd aurabot runs out of auras, but with current aurabots dealing as much damage as they do it's not as big a worry if they get turns. Rem also allows Raines to use his HP (Heavenly Fist) which he can't do with Aphmau because of how Aphmau's ally LD buff worked.