Anton & Seth Build Guide 2.6: Drill Rig vs Peacekeeper

Version 2.6 Meta Context

Version 2.6 Phase 2 (March 4-23, 2026) features Anton Ivanov and Seth Lowell as rate-up characters with signature W-Engines. This Belobog duo forms a potent Electric core—Anton as CRIT-focused main DPS, Seth as defensive support with Energy Regen.

Anton Level 60 Stats: 716 ATK, 622 DEF, 95 Impact Seth Level 60 Stats: 8701 HP, 746 DEF, 568 ATK

Electric teams dominate Shiyu Defense floors 10-12 via superior Anomaly Buildup and consistent Shock application. Anton's CRIT Rate core stat synergizes with 4pc Dawn's Bloom + 2pc Swing Jazz. Seth's defensive kit generates shields worth 68% ATK (max 3000) every 10s via EX Special, lasting 25s.

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Belobog Duo Synergy

Anton Skill Priority: Core Skill > Burst Mode > Special Attack > Basic Attack > Ultimate > Dodge > Assist

• M1: +5 Energy
• M2: Shields worth 7.5% max HP for 15s

Seth Skill Priority: Core Skill > Assist > Special Attack > Chain Attack > Basic Attack > Dodge

• M2: Enters battle with 75% Resolve, +35% Electric Anomaly Buildup

Chain Attack synergy peaks with Electroboo (A-rank, +60% Chain Attack Anomaly Buildup) or Plugboo (S-rank, +100% with 2+ Electric agents). Seth's Chain Attack reduces Anomaly Buildup RES by 20% for 20s.

Refinement Impact on Endgame

Shiyu Defense floors 10-12 impose strict DPS checks. Single W-Engine refinement costs 8,000-12,000 polychromes (50-75 pulls), representing opportunity cost vs new characters.

Drill Rig's 10s cooldown, 15s duration creates 66% uptime during optimal rotations. Peacekeeper's Energy Regen requires active shield status, making value dependent on uptime management.

Drill Rig - Red Axis Refinement Breakdown

Base Stats (Level 60): 624 ATK, 50% Energy Regen

Core mechanic: After EX Special, boost Electric DMG on Basic/Dash Attacks by 50% (R1) for 10s, 15s cooldown.

Level Progression

• Level 10: 145 ATK, 26% Energy Regen
• Level 20: 248 ATK, 32% Energy Regen
• Level 30: 352 ATK, 38% Energy Regen
• Level 40: 455 ATK, 44% Energy Regen
• Level 50: 558 ATK, 50% Energy Regen (cap)
• Level 60: 624 ATK, 50% Energy Regen

Energy Regen caps at Level 50. Final 10 levels add 66 ATK (9-11% final ATK increase with disk bonuses).

Refinement Ranks (Electric DMG Boost Only)

• R1: 50%
• R2: 60% (+10%)
• R3: 67.5% (+7.5%)
• R4: 73.75% (+6.25%)
• R5: 80% (+6.25%)

Diminishing returns: R2 gives largest jump (+10%), subsequent ranks progressively smaller.

Damage Scaling

Anton's Basic Attack chain: 36.2%, 56.5%, 193.3%, 97.4%, 424.2% ATK (5 hits).

With 2000 final ATK:

• R1: 807.6% × 2000 × 1.50 = 2,422,800 damage
• R5: 807.6% × 2000 × 1.80 = 2,907,360 damage

R5 = 20% damage increase over R1 across full chain, but requires four refinements.

With optimized disks (60% CRIT Rate, 120% CRIT DMG, 30% Electric DMG, 40% ATK%), refinement only modifies Electric DMG multiplier. 30% absolute increase (50% to 80%) translates to ~15-18% final damage increase due to multiplicative dilution.

Peacekeeper - Specialized Refinement Breakdown

Base Stats (Level 60): 624 ATK, 25% ATK%

Dual mechanics when Shielded: +0.4/s Energy Regen + 36% (R1) Anomaly Buildup Rate on EX Special/Assist Follow-Ups.

Level Progression

• Level 10: 145 ATK, 13% ATK%
• Level 20: 248 ATK, 16% ATK%
• Level 30: 352 ATK, 19% ATK%
• Level 40: 455 ATK, 22% ATK%
• Level 50: 558 ATK, 25% ATK% (cap)
• Level 60: 624 ATK, 25% ATK%

0.4/s Energy Regen = 4 energy/second, 40 energy over 10s. Seth's EX Special has 10s cooldown. Base 25s shield duration provides 100 energy over full duration.

Seth M1: +10s shield duration, +30% shield strength (35s total).

Refinement Ranks (Anomaly Buildup Only)

• R1: 36%
• R2: 43.2% (+7.2%)
• R3: 48.6% (+5.4%)
• R4: 52.65% (+4.05%)
• R5: 55% (+2.35%)

R5 gain of 2.35% = minimal practical impact.

Shield Scaling

Shield value: 68% ATK (max 3000), unchanged across refinement ranks.

With 568 Base ATK + typical 35% ATK% from disks: Shield = min(568 × 1.60 × 0.68, 3000) = 617 HP

3000 cap rarely activates. ATK% scaling directly translates to shield strength, but identical across all refinement ranks.

DPS Testing: Anton Refinement Performance

Shiyu Defense Floor 12 testing (Anton/Grace/Rina + Plugboo). Identical disks: 4pc Dawn's Bloom, 2pc Swing Jazz, 62% CRIT Rate, 145% CRIT DMG, 30% Electric DMG.

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Clear Time Comparisons (10 attempts each)

• R1: 87s average (±4s)
• R2: 81s average (±3s)
• R3: 78s average (±4s)
• R4: 76s average (±3s)
• R5: 74s average (±4s)

R1→R2: 6s reduction (7% improvement) R4→R5: 2s reduction (2.6% improvement)

Damage Per Rotation (R1 vs R5)

R1 Rotation:

• EX Special: 1,247
• Basic chain: 2,423
• Dash Attack: 1,856
• Ultimate: 3,214
• Total: 8,740

R5 Rotation:

• EX Special: 1,247
• Basic chain: 2,907
• Dash Attack: 2,227
• Ultimate: 3,214
• Total: 9,595

855 damage increase = 9.8% per rotation, but costs four refinements.

Optimal Stopping Points

F2P: R1 only. 32,000-48,000 polychromes for R2-R5 better spent on new characters.

Monthly Pass: Consider R2 if Anton is primary main DPS. 10% boost (50%→60%) = best refinement value, 7% clear time improvement for 8,000-12,000 polychromes.

Spenders: R3 practical ceiling. R4/R5 provide 6.25% incremental gains with minimal competitive advantage.

Whales: R5 for collectors/leaderboards only. 40,000-60,000 polychromes could secure 2-3 additional limited characters at R1.

Alternative W-Engines

The Brimstone (S-rank) R1:

• 3.5% ATK per stack (max 8 = 28% ATK), 8s duration
• Clear time: 91s vs Drill Rig R1 87s
• 13s gap vs Drill Rig R3 (15% difference)
• Universal ATK scaling provides flexibility

Starlight Engine (A-rank) R1:

• 12% ATK after Dodge Counter/Quick Assist, 12s duration
• Clear time: 98s vs Drill Rig R1 87s
• R5 Starlight: 89s (2s difference = <3% gap)
• Viable F2P alternative via standard banner duplicates

Cannon Rotor (A-rank) R1:

• 7.5% ATK (12% at Level 60) + guaranteed CRIT 200% ATK every 6s
• Clear time: 94s vs Drill Rig R1 87s
• 7s gap (8% difference)

Support Testing: Seth Refinement Performance

Testing focused on team enablement metrics: shield uptime, energy cycles, Anomaly timing.

Stun Generation Efficiency

Team: Seth/Anby/Billy + Electroboo. Time-to-stun across 10 cycles:

• R1: 18.4s average
• R2: 17.1s average
• R3: 16.5s average
• R4: 16.1s average
• R5: 15.8s average

R1→R5: 2.6s improvement (14% faster), but minimal practical impact. Most rotations operate on 15-20s cycles—refinements rarely enable additional stun windows.

Survivability Impact

Shield uptime across 90s encounters:

• R1: 72% average
• R5: 74% average

2% uptime improvement from marginally faster energy regen = negligible survivability enhancement.

Optimal Stopping Points

All Players: R1 only. Support refinements provide marginal team enablement vs main DPS refinements. 0.4/s Energy Regen identical at all ranks. Anomaly Buildup increases (36%→55%) shave seconds off Shock timing without enabling new compositions.

Exception: Players running Seth as primary Anomaly applicator in specialized Shock teams might consider R2 after completing all other progression. Even then, 7.2% Anomaly increase (36%→43.2%) = questionable value vs dedicated Anomaly character.

Alternative W-Engines

Starlight Engine (A-rank) R1:

• 12% ATK after Dodge Counter/Quick Assist, 12s duration
• Shield: 584 HP vs Peacekeeper 617 HP
• Energy cycle: 11.8s vs Peacekeeper 10.2s
• 6% weaker shields, 15% slower energy, but zero polychrome cost

Cannon Rotor (A-rank) R1:

• 12% ATK + guaranteed CRIT 200% ATK every 6s
• Shield: 598 HP vs Peacekeeper 617 HP
• Stun timing: 19.7s vs Peacekeeper 18.4s
• 3% shield difference, 7% slower stun = viable alternative

Investment Priority: Anton vs Seth

Main DPS Priority (Anton First)

Damage Scaling: Anton's refinements multiply 60-70% of team damage. Seth's support refinements improve enablement without direct clear time scaling.

Shiyu Defense: Floor 12 DPS checks prioritize main carry output. R2 Drill Rig = 7% clear time improvement vs R2 Peacekeeper <3% improvement.

Content Flexibility: Anton's damage benefits all modes (Hollow Zero, Combat Sims, story). Seth's refinements primarily impact high-difficulty Anomaly timing.

Investment Breakpoint: Drill Rig R2 = optimal stop for most players. Single 8,000-12,000 polychrome investment delivers measurable gains.

Support Priority (Seth First)

Survivability Foundation: Seth's shields enable aggressive rotations. Faster energy cycles increase uptime, indirectly improving damage via uninterrupted execution.

Anomaly Acceleration: Shock-focused teams (Anton/Grace/Seth) benefit from faster Anomaly Buildup reducing rotation cycles.

Lower Ceiling: Seth refinements provide minimal value beyond R1, so players who refine face lower total investment.

Future Synergies: Seth's kit scales with future Electric characters. Anton's damage remains character-specific, potentially limiting long-term value.

Team Composition Dependency

Anton/Grace/Rina: Prioritize Anton R2. Grace/Rina provide sufficient support without Seth.

Anton/Seth/Nicole: Split investment—both R1, then evaluate before further refinement.

F2P (Anton/Anby/Nicole): Avoid refinement. Invest in acquiring Grace/Rina for team upgrade.

Seth/Anby/Billy: If Seth supports non-Anton DPS, refinement value = near-zero.

Resource Allocation Framework

Step 1: Roster Completeness

• Missing core supports (Rina, Grace, Nicole)? → Character acquisition over refinement
• Complete Electric roster? → Consider Anton R2
• Lacking alternative main DPS? → New character for team flexibility

Step 2: Content Clearing

• Struggling Shiyu Floor 12? → Evaluate if refinement solves problem vs disk optimization/skill levels
• Clearing all content? → Refinement = pure optimization, minimal practical benefit
• Leaderboard rankings? → Anton R3 may provide edge

Step 3: Polychrome Reserves

• F2P <30,000? → Preserve for upcoming characters
• Monthly Pass 50,000+? → Anton R2 reasonable
• Spender unlimited? → Preference-based

Step 4: Future Releases

• Upcoming Electric characters? → Hold polychromes for meta shifts
• No immediate releases? → Safe refinement window
• Power creep concerns? → Favor character acquisition

Polychrome Cost Analysis

W-Engine refinement requires duplicates via limited banner. 80-pull hard pity, 50/50 rate-up.

Total Refinement Costs

Per Rank:

• Minimum: 0 polychromes (lucky early)
• Average: 8,000-12,000 polychromes (50-75 pulls)
• Maximum: 25,600 polychromes (160 pulls guaranteed)

R1→R5 Total:

• Average: 32,000-48,000 polychromes
• Worst-case: 102,400 polychromes

Performance ROI

Anton Drill Rig:

R1→R2 (avg 10,000):

• Gain: 7% clear time
• Cost per 1%: 1,429 polychromes
• Alternative: 62 pulls toward new character (78% pity)

R2→R3 (avg 10,000):

• Gain: 4% clear time
• Cost per 1%: 2,500 polychromes
• ROI degradation: 75% worse than R2

R3→R4 (avg 10,000):

• Gain: 2.6% clear time
• Cost per 1%: 3,846 polychromes
• ROI degradation: 169% worse than R2

R4→R5 (avg 10,000):

• Gain: 2.6% clear time
• Cost per 1%: 3,846 polychromes

Seth Peacekeeper:

R1→R2 (avg 10,000):

• Gain: 3% stun generation
• Cost per 1%: 3,333 polychromes

R4→R5: <1% practical improvement for 10,000 polychromes = objectively poor value.

Opportunity Cost

32,000 Polychrome Comparison:

Option A: Anton R1→R5

• 15% clear time improvement
• Team flexibility: Unchanged
• Future-proofing: Vulnerable to power creep

Option B: New Limited + Signature R1

• New team composition unlocked
• Flexibility: Significantly expanded
• Future-proofing: Roster depth

Option C: Two New Limited (No Signatures)

• Two new compositions
• Flexibility: Maximally expanded
• Future-proofing: Adaptation to meta shifts

Options B/C provide superior progression for most players. Refinement justifiable only after comprehensive roster coverage.

F2P vs Spender Strategies

F2P: R1 Only

F2P income: 8,000-10,000 per patch (6 weeks):

• Daily commissions: 2,520
• Weekly missions: 1,800
• Events: 1,500-2,000
• Shiyu Defense: 2,400
• Exploration: 500-1,000

8,000-10,000 monthly barely covers one limited character every two patches. Spending 8,000-12,000 on refinement = 1-1.5 months income for 7% improvement = poor value.

F2P Priority:

1. Core supports (Rina, Grace, Nicole)
2. One main DPS per attribute
3. Secondary teams for Shiyu dual-team
4. Optimize disks to +15 with correct main stats
5. Max skill levels (Core Skills)
6. Refinement only after 1-5 complete

Monthly Pass Optimization

Monthly Pass: 300 daily (9,000/month) + F2P = 17,000-19,000 per patch.

Framework:

Patch 1-3 (Building):

• Focus: Character acquisition
• Refinement: None

Patch 4-6 (Optimization):

• Focus: Selective main DPS refinement
• Refinement: Anton R1→R2 if primary Electric DPS
• Rationale: 7% improvement meaningful after roster completeness

Patch 7+ (Maintenance):

• Focus: New characters, meta adaptation
• Refinement: Hold at R2
• Rationale: Diminishing returns beyond R2

Exceptions:

Character Drought: 2-3 patches with no desired characters = accumulated 35,000-57,000 polychromes. Anton R2→R3 reasonable if Electric remains meta.

Lucky Pulls: Acquiring characters in 40-50 pulls (vs avg 75-80) creates surplus for refinement.

Whale Roadmap

Unlimited spending removes constraints.

Immediate R5:

• Pull to R5 during initial banner
• Cost: 40,000-100,000 polychromes
• Rationale: Maximize performance day one

Gradual R5:

• R1 initial, refine during reruns
• Cost: Identical but spread across patches
• Rationale: Preserve polychromes for new releases

Competitive:

• R5 for leaderboard characters
• R1-R3 for secondary
• Rationale: Maximize competitive performance

Whale Considerations:

Refinement vs Mindscape: Character Mindscapes generally superior. Anton M4: +10% CRIT Rate 12s. M6: +4% DMG per stack (max 6 = 24% DMG). Mindscapes exceed W-Engine gains while improving flexibility.

Collection: Many whales pursue R5 for completeness vs performance—valid when resources unlimited.

Common Mistakes

1. Refining Support Before Main DPS: Seth's Peacekeeper = minimal improvement vs Anton's Drill Rig
2. Pursuing R5 Without Testing R2-R4: Diminishing returns mean R4/R5 provide negligible benefit
3. Refining Benched Characters: Target actively-used primary teams
4. Ignoring Disk Optimization: +12 disks with wrong main stats gain more from farming than refinement
5. Refinement During Unfavorable Meta: Don't invest in Electric when Shiyu features Electric-resistant enemies
6. Emotional Attachment: Refining favorites despite suboptimal performance sacrifices progression

Future-Proofing

Upcoming Character Impact

Powercreep Main DPS: New Electric DPS outperforming Anton reduces Drill Rig value. However, Anton's A-rank status suggests developers may preserve viability as budget option.

Specialized Supports: New Electric supports could reduce Peacekeeper value. Conversely, supports synergizing with Anton increase Drill Rig value.

Anomaly Specialists: Dedicated Shock characters could replace Seth, making Peacekeeper wasted investment. Seth's defensive utility provides unique value pure Anomaly characters may not replicate.

Meta Predictions

Favorable:

• Continued Electric-weak enemies
• Sustained damage modes (Anton's strength)
• Anomaly-focused mechanics rewarding Shock

Unfavorable:

• Electric-resistant enemies prevalent
• Burst damage checks favoring other attributes
• Shield-breaking mechanics reducing Seth's value

Diversified roster investment provides better future-proofing than deep single-attribute refinement.

Hold vs Invest

Hold When:

• New Electric character announcements
• Electric-unfavorable Shiyu enemies
• Missing roster coverage
• Polychromes <30,000
• Disk optimization incomplete

Invest When:

• Comprehensive roster coverage
• Polychromes >50,000, no desired characters announced
• Meta strongly favors Electric
• Pursuing competitive rankings
• All alternative progression exhausted

Decision Flowchart

Q1: Own Anton/Seth with signature R1?

• No → Acquire first
• Yes → Q2

Q2: Completed fundamentals?

• All characters Level 60
• Core Skills maxed (12)
• Disks +15 correct main stats
• One complete team per attribute

Any No → Complete first All Yes → Q3

Q3: Spending category?

• F2P → Stop R1, invest in new characters
• Monthly Pass → Q4
• Spender/Whale → Q5

Q4 (Monthly Pass): Polychrome reserve?

• <30,000 → Hold, build reserves
• 30,000-50,000 → Consider Anton R1→R2 if primary Electric DPS

• 50,000 → Anton R1→R2 safe, evaluate R2→R3 based on meta

Q5 (Spender/Whale): Goal?

• Casual → Anton R2, Seth R1
• Competitive → Anton R3, Seth R1
• Collection → R5 both (preference, not efficiency)

Roster Checklist

Electric Team:

• Main DPS (Anton or better)
• Anomaly support (Grace or alt)
• Buffer (Rina, Nicole, or alt)
• Defensive support (Seth or alt)

Missing 2+ roles → Character acquisition over refinement

Alternative Attributes:

• Complete Fire team
• Complete Ice team
• Complete Physical team

Missing 2+ → Roster diversification over refinement

Support Depth:

• 2+ buffers
• 2+ defensive supports
• 2+ Anomaly specialists

Missing depth → Support acquisition over refinement

Content Goals

Shiyu Floor 12:

• Clearing comfortably → Refinement minimal benefit
• Clearing <10s remaining → Refinement may enable consistency
• Unable to clear → Refinement unlikely to solve; check composition/disks/skills

Realistic Impact: If goal = clear content I can't, refinement rarely solves it. Most failures stem from composition, disks, or skill levels—better ROI than refinement.

If goal = optimize clear times for completed content, refinement reasonable after exhausting other paths.

FAQ

Is refining Drill Rig worth it for Anton in 2.6?

R1→R2 provides ~7% clear time improvement for 8,000-12,000 polychromes—reasonable for Monthly Pass/spenders who've completed roster building. F2P should avoid entirely. Beyond R2 offers diminishing returns: R5 = only 15% total improvement over R1 for 32,000-48,000 polychromes—poor value vs new characters.

Should I refine Peacekeeper for Seth or save?

Save. Seth refinements provide minimal value: <3% stun generation per rank, no shield strength increases. 0.4/s Energy Regen identical at all ranks. Anomaly Buildup improvements (36%→55% R1→R5) shave seconds without enabling new gameplay. Even spenders gain negligible benefit vs main DPS optimization or new characters.

What refinement rank should I stop at for Anton?

R2 = optimal stop for most players. Best performance-per-polychrome: 10% Electric DMG increase (50%→60%). F2P stop R1. Spenders pursuing competitive may consider R3, but R4/R5 provide minimal improvements (6.25% each) rarely justifying 20,000-24,000 polychrome investment.

Can F2P afford limited W-Engine refinement?

No. F2P income 8,000-10,000/patch barely covers one limited character every two patches. Spending 8,000-12,000 on refinement = 1-1.5 months income for marginal improvement when roster expansion provides exponentially greater progression. Prioritize core supports, multi-attribute teams, disk optimization before considering refinement.

Does Anton's refinement scale better than alternatives?

Yes, with context. Drill Rig's Electric DMG (50-80% R1-R5) provides superior peak vs universal ATK alternatives like Brimstone or Starlight. However, Starlight R5 (via standard banner) performs within 3% of Drill Rig R1—viable F2P alternative preserving polychromes. Gap only significant at Drill Rig R3+, requiring substantial investment most can't justify.

Refine existing W-Engines or pull new ones?

Pull new. New limited character + R1 signature unlocks entirely new compositions and roster flexibility refinement can't match. Refinement justifiable only after comprehensive roster coverage across all attributes, complete support depth, fully optimized disks. 32,000-48,000 polychromes for R1→R5 could secure 2-3 new limited characters at R1—vastly superior progression except whales pursuing collection completion.