Who Is Lacrimosa in NTE?
Lacrimosa is a Chaos-element S-Rank character and the captain of Bureau of Anomaly Control, ETD-4 in Neverness to Everness. She is the first new limited character introduced in Version 1.1, available on her exclusive banner from June 3 to June 24, 2026. Lacrimosa brings a unique Nightmare stacking mechanic to the game, allowing her to build up damage-over-time (DoT) effects on enemies and unleash devastating bursts through her dual-weapon system.
What distinguishes Lacrimosa from other Main DPS characters is her weapon-switching combat style. She alternates between her Frying Pan (close-range heavy strikes) and Red Jelly (ranged rapid attacks) to accumulate Nightmare stacks, then consumes these stacks for massive Chaos damage bursts. Her playstyle rewards players who enjoy dynamic, fast-paced combat with high mechanical skill expression.
Lacrimosa's damage profile is heavily weighted toward sustained DoT with periodic burst windows. While her peak burst damage may not match pure burst DPS characters like Hotori, her consistent damage output over extended fights makes her exceptional for Anomaly Zones and boss encounters where survival and sustained pressure matter more than one-shot elimination.
Lacrimosa Skills Overview
Lacrimosa — Chaos S-Rank Main DPS (Liquid)
S
LacrimosaSkill Upgrade Priority: Passive 1 & 2 > Basic Attack > Ultimate > Skill > Support Skill
- Basic Attack — Frying Pan Combo / Red Jelly Barrage: Lacrimosa's basic attacks change based on her current weapon stance. The Frying Pan stance delivers heavy close-range Chaos damage with slower attack speed but higher damage per hit. The Red Jelly stance fires rapid ranged projectiles that build Nightmare stacks faster but deal lower base damage. Mastering the timing of stance switches is essential for optimal DPS.
- Skill — Weapon Switch: Nightmare Preparation: Lacrimosa's core mechanic. Using her Skill switches between Frying Pan and Red Jelly stances. Each switch generates Nightmare energy and applies a stack of Nightmare Mark to nearby enemies. The Skill also provides a brief window of damage reduction, allowing players to tank through enemy attacks while maintaining offensive pressure. Skill usage is the primary driver of Lacrimosa's damage rotation.
- Ultimate — Nightmare Feast: Consumes all accumulated Nightmare stacks on enemies to deal massive Chaos damage proportional to the number of stacks consumed. This is Lacrimosa's primary burst damage source. The Ultimate should be timed when enemies have 8–10 Nightmare stacks for maximum efficiency. Using Ultimate below 5 stacks is generally inefficient and should be avoided unless necessary for survival.
- Support Skill — Chaos Thorn Backup: When Lacrimosa is off-field, her Support Skill periodically applies Nightmare stacks to enemies and deals minor Chaos damage. This ensures that Nightmare stacks do not completely decay during team rotations and provides supplemental damage while Lacrimosa prepares to re-enter the field.
Best Arcs for Lacrimosa
Uninvited Guest — Best Overall Arc (Signature)
Lacrimosa's signature Arc and best-in-slot for all content. Uninvited Guest provides high base ATK, CRIT Rate sub-stat, and a powerful effect that synergizes with her Nightmare mechanic: when Lacrimosa consumes Nightmare stacks via her Ultimate, she gains a stacking +15% Chaos DMG buff for 10 seconds, up to 3 stacks (+45% Chaos DMG maximum). This buff persists through weapon switches and directly amplifies her primary damage source. The Arc also grants a passive +12% ATK when HP is above 70%, which is easily maintained with proper team support.
Fluff of Ferocity — Strong S-Rank Alternative
A powerful alternative for players who do not have Uninvited Guest. Fluff of Ferocity provides an ATK% sub-stat and a conditional CRIT DMG boost that activates when landing consecutive critical hits — which Lacrimosa achieves naturally through her rapid Red Jelly attacks. The condition requires building sufficient CRIT Rate through Modules and Cartridge sub-stats, but once maintained, this Arc delivers comparable damage to Uninvited Guest in sustained fights.
Marching Beyond Time — Situational Alternative
Hotori's signature Arc, available through the Bright Moon Special program. While designed for Hotori, its general stat profile (high ATK, CRIT Rate sub-stat, time-based damage bonuses) works adequately for Lacrimosa if obtained during the limited event window. Not recommended to specifically pull for this Arc unless planning to use it on Hotori later.
Dinner's Ready — Best A-Rank Arc (F2P)
The optimal free-to-play choice before obtaining S-Rank Arcs. Dinner's Ready provides a solid ATK base and a conditional damage bonus that activates when attacking enemies afflicted with status effects — which Nightmare stacks technically qualify as. This Arc is the recommended investment for players building Lacrimosa without spending premium currency on Arc pulls.
Best Cartridge for Lacrimosa
Dinner's Ready — Best-in-Slot
Yes, the Cartridge shares a name with the A-Rank Arc — and yes, it is Lacrimosa's optimal Cartridge set. The Dinner's Ready Cartridge provides two powerful bonuses for Chaos DoT characters:
- 2-piece bonus: +10% Chaos DMG unconditionally. All of Lacrimosa's attacks and Nightmare bursts deal Chaos damage, making this a flat 10% increase across her entire kit.
- 4-piece bonus: When attacking enemies with status effects, gain +12% ATK for 8 seconds, stacking up to 3 times (+36% ATK maximum). Since Lacrimosa's Nightmare stacks are technically status effects, she maintains this buff effortlessly throughout combat. The high uptime makes this effectively a permanent +36% ATK bonus during active combat.
Additionally, Dinner's Ready has a Type I Module specialization that grants +5% CRIT Rate per Type I Module equipped. With available Type I Module slots, Lacrimosa can gain up to +30% CRIT Rate from this bonus alone, freeing up Cartridge sub-stat rolls for CRIT DMG or ATK%.
Shadow Creed — Viable Alternative
If Dinner's Ready is unavailable, Shadow Creed provides general ATK bonuses on Skill usage and works adequately for Lacrimosa's frequent Skill-rotation playstyle. The uptime is lower than Dinner's Ready's persistent bonus, but Shadow Creed is easier to farm and effective at lower investment levels.
How to Play Lacrimosa: Nightmare Stacking Rotation
Lacrimosa's optimal rotation revolves around building and consuming Nightmare stacks efficiently:
- Opening — Red Jelly Stance: Begin combat in Red Jelly stance (ranged). Fire rapid attacks to apply initial Nightmare stacks from a safe distance while observing enemy attack patterns.
- First Switch — Frying Pan Counter: When enemies approach or telegraph heavy attacks, use Skill to switch to Frying Pan stance. This applies a Nightmare Mark and provides damage reduction. Land 2–3 heavy Frying Pan hits while the damage reduction window is active.
- Second Switch — Red Jelly Re-engage: Switch back to Red Jelly and continue building stacks. The goal is to reach 8–10 Nightmare stacks on the primary target.
- Burst Window — Nightmare Feast: Once the target has 8+ Nightmare stacks, activate Ultimate to consume all stacks for massive burst damage. This is Lacrimosa's primary damage spike.
- Cycle Reset: After Ultimate, immediately begin rebuilding Nightmare stacks. The rotation loops continuously, with Ultimate usage every 10–12 seconds assuming optimal stack generation.
Key Tip: Do not use Ultimate below 5 Nightmare stacks — the damage efficiency is too low. If stacks are accidentally consumed or expire, rebuild to 8+ before bursting. Patience in stack management is the difference between mediocre and exceptional Lacrimosa play.
Best Team Compositions for Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa · Chiz · Daffodill · Adler — Liquid Nightmare Team (Premium)
SLacrimosaLacrimosa's highest-performing composition leverages the Liquid Esper Cycle reaction. Lacrimosa (Liquid), Chiz (Liquid), and Daffodill (Chaos) form a potent core where continuous Nightmare application triggers Liquid reactions that amplify DoT damage. Adler provides off-field Incantation support and shields. Chiz serves as a secondary DPS who maintains pressure while Lacrimosa rebuilds stacks post-Ultimate. This team excels in sustained boss fights where the continuous Liquid reaction uptime outperforms burst-focused alternatives.
Lacrimosa · Baicang · Daffodill · Adler — Double Chaos DoT Team
SLacrimosaA composition for players who have invested in both limited Chaos characters. Baicang and Lacrimosa share the Chaos element, allowing them to amplify each other's damage through Discord reactions while both building independent DoT stacks. Daffodill maintains the Chaos synergy, and Adler provides defensive coverage. Note that this team runs without a dedicated healer — Adler's shields must be sufficient, or players must rely on consumable healing.
Lacrimosa · Sakiri · Haniel · Adler — F2P Liquid Control Team
SLacrimosaA more accessible composition that replaces premium characters with A-Rank alternatives. Sakiri provides enemy grouping to ensure Lacrimosa's AoE attacks and Nightmare application hit multiple targets. Haniel contributes Liquid reaction support through her passive. Adler maintains his defensive role. This team is recommended for players who do not have Chiz or Daffodill at meaningful investment levels.
Awakening Priority
A1 > A2 > A6 > A4 > A3 > A5
- A1 (Essential): Increases Nightmare stack limit from 10 to 12, allowing higher Ultimate burst ceilings. This is the highest priority awakening and significantly impacts Lacrimosa's damage output.
- A2 (High Value): Reduces Skill cooldown by 1 second, enabling faster stance switching and more frequent Nightmare application.
- A6 (Quality of Life): Ultimate gains +20% CRIT Rate against enemies with 8+ Nightmare stacks, stabilizing burst damage variance.
- A4/A3/A5 (Situational): Provide incremental damage bonuses and utility. Acquire if resources permit after A1/A2/A6.
Should You Pull Lacrimosa?
Lacrimosa is an excellent sustained DPS character with a unique playstyle that rewards mechanical skill and rotation discipline. Her Nightmare mechanic is distinct from all other characters currently available, and her Liquid typing opens up team compositions that differ from the more common Anima/Cosmos-focused meta.
Pull if: You enjoy fast-paced stance-switching combat, want a strong sustained DPS for Anomaly Zone content, or are building toward a Liquid-focused team composition with Chiz or other Liquid characters.
Consider skipping if: You prefer simple, low-mechanics gameplay, already have multiple invested Main DPS characters (Nanally, Hotori, Aurelia), or are saving strictly for the Chaos banner (June 24 – July 8) and cannot afford to split resources.
Lacrimosa Quick Reference
- Element: Chaos
- Type: Liquid
- Rank: S-Rank (Limited)
- Role: Main DPS (DoT-Focused, Sustained)
- Faction: Bureau of Anomaly Control, ETD-4
- Banner: June 3 – June 24, 2026
- Best Arc: Uninvited Guest → Fluff of Ferocity → Dinner's Ready
- Best Cartridge: Dinner's Ready (4-piece)
- Core Mechanic: Nightmare stacking (max 10, 12 at A1)
- Key Rotation: Build 8+ stacks → Ultimate burst → Rebuild
- Best Reactions: Liquid (Liquid + Liquid)
- Best Partners: Chiz, Daffodill, Baicang, Sakiri, Haniel, Adler
- Awakening Priority: A1 > A2 > A6 > A4 > A3 > A5