Overview
Stain teams in Neverness to Everness build around the Stain duo reaction, which pairs Psyche and Lakshana on the Esper Cycle wheel. Stain debuffs the target with 50% additional vulnerability to Psyche and Lakshana damage for 12 seconds. The reaction is the simplest direct damage-amplification tool in the game and one of the most reliable archetypes when the team is focused on a single element.
At launch, Stain teams are constrained by the available roster. Fadia is the only S-Class Psyche, and the Psyche pool overall is thin. The archetype is fully playable but lacks the depth of Charge or Discord, and most tier lists treat Stain as a future-proofing pick that improves as more Psyche and Lakshana characters release.
How Stain Works
The duo trigger is straightforward:
A Psyche-element attack lands on the target.
A Lakshana-element attack hits the same target within the reaction window.
Stain triggers, applying the +50% Psyche and Lakshana vulnerability for 12 seconds.
The team focuses Psyche or Lakshana damage on the target during the 12-second window for amplified output.
Because Stain only buffs the two elements that produced it, the optimal payoff is a Psyche or Lakshana DPS doing as much damage as possible during the window. Mixing in damage from other elements is wasted potential since those elements do not benefit from the vulnerability.
Core Team Composition
Role | Best Fits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Lakshana DPS | Hathor is the most mobile Lakshana DPS and benefits enormously from Stain's vulnerability bonus. | |
Psyche Support | Fadia is essential as the primary Psyche option. Haniel and Aurelia are A-Class fillers. | |
Lakshana Setup | Skia's Fang Thrust reduces enemy Lakshana resistance, stacking with Stain's vulnerability bonus. | |
Flex Slot | Fills whatever role the team lacks. Sakiri is a strong all-purpose buffer; Adler shields the team. |
Recommended Team Template
Stain Burst Core
Featured: Hathor + Fadia + Skia + Haniel. Hathor is the centerpiece on-field DPS, Fadia provides Psyche setup and Stain trigger, Skia stacks Lakshana resistance shred, Haniel adds Psyche backline support and team buffs.
Rotation Tips
Trigger Stain early in the rotation. The 12-second vulnerability window is short; setting it up at the end of a rotation wastes most of the buff.
Stack damage during the window. Hathor's burst rotation, Skia's shadow-form Lakshana damage, and Fadia's Psyche kit should all overlap with Stain.
Use Skia's passive for layered debuffs. Skia's Lakshana resistance reduction stacks multiplicatively with Stain's vulnerability buff for very high effective damage on Lakshana hits.
Refresh Stain regularly. The duo can be re-applied; planning rotations to re-trigger Stain every 12 seconds keeps the vulnerability uptime maximal.
Save ultimates for inside the window. Hathor's motorcycle ultimate during Stain hits especially hard.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Simple setup: only two elements required for the duo | Limited Psyche pool at launch (Fadia, Haniel, Aurelia) |
50% vulnerability is the strongest single-buff in the game | Damage during Stain only counts for Psyche and Lakshana |
Strong with Hathor as a free-rotation main DPS | Less impactful against Discord-resistant bosses |
Future-proof: improves with every new Psyche or Lakshana character | No Stain-amplifying enhancement exists in launch content |