SPEED | ORIGINAL S | LIBERATION & GROUPING
Manual PvE: transformation uptime and area damage. AI: grouping can make him useful beyond raw DPS. Arena: form management and range matter. His status as a strong standard hero does not mean identical performance in every mode. [S11, S25]
Talents
TR > BR. The historical sheet allows BR first when the chip set is missing. [S03]
Cards and build
Mustard is supported for liberated damage. Community discussions say liberated attacks do not benefit like ordinary normals from Nomu/Ecto. EX cards and Cold Shot/Game Start are candidates; the Mirio passive cooldown build is disputed because toggling special changes its value. [S05, S08, S11, S45a]
Manual play
Begin with special and grouping E/W, build the shadow gauge and use Q to enter liberation. Use the liberated skill cycle and maintain the state. Pressing Q again can exit it, so do not mash Q as an ordinary cooldown while transformed. The ultimate is a normal-form action in the beginner guide. [S25]
Investment
A detailed 2022 community guide is useful but acknowledges missing details. Rampage, chip effects and special toggling change the ideal loop. No exact universal auto/manual EX-versus-Mustard ranking was measured here.
Practice tips
Practice entering liberation quickly and staying there through one full wave. Compare the portion of the fight spent transformed before changing your cards.