Baicang Build Guide NTE 2026: Best Arc, Cartridge & Discord Team for the High-Risk Incantation Main DPS

Who Is Baicang in NTE?

Baicang is an Incantation-element S-Rank character and a captain of Bureau of Anomaly Control, ETD-4 — though he's often described as the "least captain-like captain" in the unit. His combat style is a high-risk, high-reward system built around draining his own HP to generate devastating Power Words, then unleashing them in concentrated bursts during his Ultimate state to eliminate enemies with precision strikes, including execution kills against low-HP targets.

Baicang revolves around two key phases: a build-up phase where he uses Basic Attacks and his Redirect Skill to charge his Ultimate gauge (while carefully managing the HP cost of generating Power Words off-Ultimate), and a release phase where he activates his Ultimate and enters a state of high-frequency damage output without HP penalty. His damage profile is among the highest of any Main DPS at launch, but the self-drain mechanic requires dedicated team support to keep him functional across a full rotation.

Baicang Skills Overview

Baicang — Incantation S-Rank Main DPS

Skill Upgrade Priority: Skill > Ultimate > Basic Attack > Support Skill

• Basic Attack — Power Word: Silence / Objurgate: Baicang's Basic Attacks shift type based on the previous action. Silence is optimized for single targets and deals concentrated Incantation DMG in a tight area. Objurgate sweeps multiple enemies with wide AoE Incantation DMG. Selecting the appropriate Power Word for the encounter significantly impacts his overall efficiency — Silence in boss fights, Objurgate in wave content.
• Redirect Skill: Baicang's core combat mechanic. Using the Redirect Skill after a Basic Attack or after a dodge generates Power Words without spending Ultimate. However, outside of Ultimate state, each Redirect Skill use outside Ultimate drains a portion of Baicang's HP. This HP cost decreases once Baicang drops below 50% HP, but it never disappears entirely until Ultimate is active. Manage this drain carefully — overlook it and Baicang will fall before landing meaningful damage.
• Ultimate — ETD-4 Commander's Judgment: Baicang's strongest state and the core of his rotation. During his Ultimate, all Power Word generation through Basic Attacks and Redirect Skills is free of HP cost. Additionally, enemies that drop below a certain HP threshold during this state can be instantly executed, making it dramatically easier to clear high-HP bosses and elite enemies. Baicang also survives one fatal hit during his Ultimate — however, the prevented damage is applied gradually afterward, making post-Ultimate healing from teammates critical.
• Support Skill — Bless: Triggered through a specific Basic Attack input and recovers a portion of Baicang's HP. Used situationally to counteract the self-drain from Redirect Skill use outside Ultimate state. Not prioritized for upgrade but useful as a safety valve in longer fights.

Awakening Priority: A1 > A6 > A2 > A5 > A3 > A4. The A1 and A6 Awakening Nodes provide the most meaningful damage increases and are the primary investment goals for Baicang's awakening progression.

Best Arcs for Baicang

Camellia Society — Best Overall Arc (Signature)

Baicang's signature Arc and best-in-slot by a significant margin. Camellia Society provides high base Attack, CRIT Rate as the sub-stat, and a powerful effect that boosts CRIT DMG whenever Baicang loses HP without taking damage from an external source — the exact condition triggered by his Redirect Skill self-drain. This is intentional by design: the more actively Baicang generates Power Words outside his Ultimate, the more CRIT DMG Camellia Society stacks, directly rewarding his high-risk playstyle. The synergy between his self-drain mechanic and the Arc's scaling makes it uniquely optimal for him compared to any alternative.

Fluff of Ferocity — Good S-Rank Alternative

An S-Rank Arc with lower base Attack but an added ATK% sub-stat and a strong CRIT DMG boost conditional on landing consecutive CRITs. The condition requires sufficient CRIT Rate to maintain reliability — which can be difficult at lower investment levels without Camellia Society's CRIT Rate sub-stat. Best used if Camellia Society is unavailable and CRIT Rate from Modules and Cartridge is fully built.

A Time Will Come — Best A-Rank Arc (F2P)

Solid base Attack with CRIT Rate sub-stat and additional survivability that helps offset Baicang's HP drain. The most accessible A-Rank option and a reliable bridge while farming for S-Rank Arcs. Recommended as the primary investment for players who do not have Camellia Society or Fluff of Ferocity.

Best Cartridge for Baicang

Crimson Twin Butterflies — Best-in-Slot

Baicang's optimal Cartridge provides both Incantation DMG and Attack bonuses — the two stats that directly scale his damage output. Running a full 4-piece set is highly recommended to maximize both bonuses simultaneously. The 4-piece bonus compounds well with Camellia Society's ATK and CRIT DMG contributions, creating a build that is both offensively consistent and peak-efficient during Ultimate state.

With the full 4-piece Crimson Twin Butterflies set and the Console Type specialization in place, Baicang's remaining Module slots can accommodate up to 32% additional CRIT Rate from Type II Modules — critically important for maintaining consistent CRIT-based effects without dedicating sub-stat rolls to CRIT Rate on the Cartridge itself.

Alternative Cartridge Options

If Crimson Twin Butterflies is not yet available, prioritize any Cartridge set that provides a combination of Incantation DMG%, ATK%, and CRIT Rate to keep Baicang's damage consistent. The Crimson Twin Butterflies bonus on Attack and Incantation DMG is difficult to replicate with a split set.

How to Play Baicang: Mechanics and Rotation

Baicang's rotation has two distinct phases separated by the Ultimate activation:

Phase 1: Build-Up (Pre-Ultimate)

1. Begin with standard Basic Attacks to build Ultimate gauge. Alternate between Silence (single target) and Objurgate (multi-target) based on the fight.
2. Use Redirect Skill judiciously — each use outside Ultimate drains HP. Monitor Baicang's HP bar and use the Bless Support Skill if HP drops dangerously low.
3. If playing with a healer (Lacrimosa, Edgar) or shielder (Adler, Fadia), coordinate support rotations to top Baicang off before committing to aggressive Redirect Skill use.
4. Once Ultimate is nearly charged, queue up support team buffs so they are active when Ultimate launches.

Phase 2: Ultimate Burst

1. Activate Ultimate (ETD-4 Commander's Judgment). All HP costs for Power Word generation are removed during this state.
2. Spam Basic Attacks and Redirect Skills freely. Generate Power Words rapidly — Silence for boss-HP removal, Objurgate for wave clearing.
3. If any enemy drops below the execution threshold during Ultimate, Baicang finishes them automatically. Focus remaining time on the primary target.
4. After Ultimate ends, Baicang has survived one fatal hit but the prevented damage is queued — immediately rotate to support characters for healing or shields before the next damage phase.

Key tip: Do not overextend Redirect Skill use outside Ultimate. The HP drain accelerates faster than expected and Baicang can fall below the critical threshold mid-rotation if supports are not coordinated. Pair him with at least one defensive support (Adler for shields, or Lacrimosa for sustained healing) to safely execute the build-up phase.

Best Team Compositions for Baicang

Baicang · Adler · Daffodill · Sakiri — Discord Team (Recommended)

Baicang's primary high-performance team. Baicang (Incantation) and Daffodill (Chaos) trigger the Discord Esper Cycle reaction, which deals amplified area damage and creates sustained reaction damage throughout the fight. Adler provides DEF-scaled shields that protect Baicang during the dangerous build-up phase and contributes off-field Incantation DoT via his passive. Sakiri groups enemies into range for both Baicang's AoE Power Words and Daffodill's Chaos attacks, maximizing Discord reaction frequency across the team. This is the most consistent Baicang composition for Anomaly Zones and multi-stage boss encounters.

Baicang · Adler · Lacrimosa · Daffodill — Discord + Sustained Healing Team

Replaces Sakiri with Lacrimosa for dedicated healing to solve Baicang's HP drain problem more permanently. Lacrimosa's sustained heal output keeps Baicang healthy during the build-up phase and recovers the post-Ultimate queued damage. Daffodill maintains Discord reactions. Adler contributes shields and off-field Incantation. This team is recommended for harder content (Anomaly Zones at higher difficulty tiers, endgame challenges) where the margin for surviving Baicang's HP drain is tighter.

Baicang · Adler · Haniel · Nanally — Mixed Reaction Team

A team designed for players who have both Baicang and Nanally invested. Nanally plays as a secondary Main DPS in short rotations, with Haniel buffing both characters through Anima support. Adler shields Baicang during HP drain phases. This composition trades single-reaction depth for dual-carry flexibility, allowing the team to handle different content types with both Baicang and Nanally's damage profiles active. Less optimal for pure Incantation Discord content but highly versatile across varied encounter types.

HP Management Tips

Managing Baicang's HP is the most skill-expressive aspect of his gameplay. Key guidelines:

• Never let Baicang drop below 30% HP outside of Ultimate unless intentional — the prevented fatal hit mechanic only protects once per Ultimate, and HP drain outside Ultimate does not stop at low HP (only reduces).
• Adler's shields absorb HP drain damage and allow more aggressive pre-Ultimate Redirect Skill rotations. Prioritize Adler's shield rotation before Baicang's burst phase.
• The Bless Support Skill recovers a fixed amount of HP — use it proactively if HP drops during the build-up phase, not as an emergency when already critically low.
• In longer fights, track the delayed damage from the post-Ultimate fatal-hit prevention. The queued damage applies gradually — swap to a healer immediately after Ultimate ends rather than continuing damage rotations.

Should You Pull Baicang?

Baicang is the strongest Incantation Main DPS available in version 1.0, with top-tier burst damage during Ultimate and a unique execution mechanic that accelerates boss kills. His playstyle rewards players who understand HP management and team coordination, making him one of the more mechanically engaging carries in NTE.

Pull if: You prefer high-ceiling DPS with active risk management, want the best Incantation carry for Discord reaction teams, or already have Adler and Daffodill from standard pulls.

Consider skipping if: You find HP management stressful in fast-paced combat, or if you are saving Annulith for the current Hotori limited banner (May 13 – June 3, 2026) and prefer a rotation-free playstyle.

Baicang Quick Reference

• Element: Incantation
• Rank: S-Rank
• Role: Main DPS (High-Risk, Burst-Focused)
• Faction: Bureau of Anomaly Control, ETD-4
• Best Arc: Camellia Society → Fluff of Ferocity → A Time Will Come
• Best Cartridge: Crimson Twin Butterflies (4-piece)
• Awakening Priority: A1 > A6 > A2 > A5 > A3 > A4
• Best Reactions: Discord (Incantation + Chaos)
• Best Partners: Adler, Daffodill, Sakiri, Lacrimosa
• Unique Mechanic: HP self-drain for Power Words, execution kills during Ultimate