Kafka
Yes for DoT—Kafka detonates team DoTs and still clears. Ultimate “Twilight Trill” hits every enemy on the field in one cast. Best with Black Swan / Hysilens / Jiaoqiu / Huohuo. Needs other DoT appliers; her own DoT is secondary. Skip when you won’t field a second DoT unit.
Kafka is a 5★ Lightning Nihility DoT DPS. Skill “Caressing Moonlight” is the primary in-combat spend. Ultimate “Twilight Trill” is the payoff window for damage or team utility. This Phase 1 page covers kit text, gear targets, and pull notes—team comps stay empty until Phase 2.
Overview
Quick Build
Light Cone
Patience Is All You Need
Signature BiS when owned.
Relic Set
Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters (4pc) + Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise (2pc)
Standard Nihility relic direction for Kafka.
Body
Effect Hit Rate
Main stat
Feet
SPD
Main stat
Sphere / Rope
Lightning DMG% · ATK%
Substats
EHR (to threshold) > SPD > ATK% / CRIT
Strengths
- Ultimate “Twilight Trill” hits the full field and forces DoT application/detonation in one cast—Pure Fiction waves melt once the status is seeded.
- “Caressing Moonlight” Blast-hits the main target plus adjacent enemies, so adjacent elites still take meaningful chip without waiting for Ultimate.
- Talent “Gentle but Cruel” fires Follow-Up ATKs off ally Basics—damage keeps flowing even when Kafka is not the active turn.
- Technique “Mercy Is Not Forgiveness” opens by hitting the pack on pull-in—use it before every MoC wave, not only in the overworld.
Weaknesses
- Several Kafka effects roll “base chance”—without enough Effect Hit Rate, Exposed/Shock/DEF shred simply misses on tanky bosses and the rotation feels empty.
- Follow-Ups from “Gentle but Cruel” need allies who actually Basic ATK on schedule—freeze/CC on the team stalls Kafka’s off-turn damage.
- E0 without “Patience Is All You Need” is still clearable, but the gap versus a signature copy is larger than a single eidolon for most Nihility carries—plan the cone before deep eidolon hunting.
- DoT damage needs other appliers or long-lived statuses on the field—Kafka alone cannot keep every wave fully stacked without a second DoT partner.
Trace Priority
Caressing Moonlight carries most of the kit’s damage or utility—level this first.
Twilight Trill supports the main rotation—raise after the top priority traces.
Gentle but Cruel supports the main rotation—raise after the top priority traces.
Midnight Tumult is last priority outside of filling trace materials.
Stat Priority
Open with Technique if it helps, spend Skill to advance the kit’s resource, and hold Ultimate for the damage or buff window. Exact teammate order lands in Phase 2.
Open supports first, then spend the carry’s Skill/Ult inside the buff window. Exact order varies by the team tab above.
Light Cones
5★ · Path cone
Increases DMG dealt by the wearer by 0.24%. After every attack launched by wearer, their SPD increases by #3[f1]%, stacking up to 3 times. If the wearer hits an enemy target that is not afflicted by Erode, there is a 100% base chance to inflict Erode to the target. Enemies afflicted with Erode are also considered to be Shocked and will receive Lightning DoT at the start of each turn equal to 0.6% of the wearer's ATK, lasting for 1 turn(s).
Why it works —Signature / best-in-slot when owned—passive lines up with Kafka’s kit triggers.
5★ · Path cone
Increases the wearer's Effect Hit Rate by 0.24%. When the wearer deals DMG to an enemy that currently has 3 or more debuffs, increases the wearer's CRIT Rate by 0.12%. After the wearer uses their Basic ATK, Skill, or Ultimate, there is a 1% base chance to implant Aether Code on a random hit target that does not yet have it. Targets with Aether Code receive 0.12% increased DMG for 1 turn.
Why it works —Flexible alternative on the same path—equip if you already own it at higher superimposition.
4★ · Path cone
For every debuff the target enemy has, the DMG dealt by the wearer increases by 0.12%, stacking up to 3 time(s). This effect also applies to DoT.
Why it works —Best accessible option for most accounts—raise superimposition when copies drop.
4★ · Path cone
Increase the wearer's CRIT Rate by 0.08%. The wearer deals 0.24% more CRIT DMG to enemies that are currently Slowed or have reduced DEF.
Why it works —Budget path cone—fine while building the account.
Relics
Team Compositions
Primary DoT detonation team for Kafka. Black Swan, Hysilens, Huohuo are the partners the kit / endgame clears assume first.
Core carry for this shell — owns the damage plan and sets the rotation pace.
Black Swan seeds or detonates DoTs — without a second DoT piece the detonation loop stalls.
Hysilens seeds or detonates DoTs — without a second DoT piece the detonation loop stalls.
Huohuo covers healing (and often Energy / cleanse) so the carry can stay on-curve.
Traces & Eidolons
Traces
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 140% of Kafka's ATK to a one designated enemy.
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 200% of Kafka's ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to 75% of Kafka's ATK to enemies adjacent to it. If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to 83% of their original DMG.
Deals Lightning DMG equal to 96% of Kafka's ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG from their current Shock state, equal to 110% of its original DMG. Shock lasts for 2 turn(s). While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 361% of Kafka's ATK at the beginning of each turn.
After Kafka's teammate uses Basic ATK on an enemy target, Kafka immediately launches Follow-Up ATK and deals Lightning DMG equal to 189% of her ATK to that target, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate to the attacked enemy target, lasting for 2 turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.
Immediately attacks all enemies within a set range. After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka's ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate on every enemy target for 2 turn(s).
Eidolons
When the Talent triggers a Follow-Up ATK, there is a 100% base chance to increase the DoT received by the target by 30% for 2 turn(s).
Is it worth getting?
Comfort opener: Locks Follow-Up ATK triggers toward permanent uptime. Nice QoL/damage, but E0 still runs the full kit—don’t break pity for E1 alone.
While Kafka is on the field, DoT dealt by all allies increases by 25%.
Is it worth getting?
Defining stop for many accounts: Raises DoT damage from the whole team while this unit is on-field. Pull here if you main Kafka; this is the eidolon that changes how the kit is played.
Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
Is it worth getting?
Skill + Basic ATK levels only (+2). Free if you roll into it; never spend currency aiming for E3.
When an enemy target takes DMG from the Shock status inflicted by Kafka, Kafka additionally regenerates 2 Energy.
Is it worth getting?
Side-grade: Refunds Energy when the listed trigger fires. Happy if it drops; not a planned stopping point.
Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Is it worth getting?
Ultimate + Talent levels only (+2). Skip as a goal—grab it if you overshoot toward E6, never hard-pity for it.
The Shock state inflicted on the enemy target by the Ultimate, Technique, or the Talent-triggered Follow-Up ATK has a DMG multiplier increase of 156% and lasts 1 turn(s) longer.
Is it worth getting?
Whale ceiling: The Shock state inflicted on the enemy target by the Ultimate. Only chase if Kafka is your dedicated Nihility main and E0–E2 already feel finished.
Kafka is fully usable at E0. Dedicated mains often stop at E0 before chasing higher. First stop: E0. Endgame target: E0.
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