A new Legendary hero from the Pentagon, Orca, has been added to Seven Knights Re:BIRTH. While Orca is an Attack-type hero, they are not merely a damage dealer chosen for raw output; rather, they occupy a position that boosts the overall performance of a attack deck and supports the team.

The core of this hero is the 'Unfair Contract' effect included in the passive 'Cruel Deal.' Whenever allies, including Orca, use a Skill twice, an effect based on their position is applied to all Attack-type allies except Orca. Front-row heroes receive Cooldown increases and healing, while back-row heroes receive increased Physical damage and increased damage immunity.

Before Ascension, the front-row effect of Unfair Contract increases Cooldown by 18 seconds and provides healing equal to 50% of the caster's Physical damage. In the Ascended state, this healing increases to 60%. The back-row effect provides a 25% increase in Physical damage and adds one stack of damage immunity, which can accumulate up to a maximum of 6 stacks.

This effect plays a significant role in attack decks. Previously, heroes like Shane or Landgrid placed in the front row would use their Skills, often preventing the core damage dealers in the back row from acting at the desired time. With Orca, you can increase the Cooldown of front-row Attack-type heroes to reduce their Skill frequency, creating a flow where back-row heroes like Dellons or Lu Bu can use their Skills more often. Boosting the firepower of your core damage dealers is an added bonus.

The 'Malicious Debt' effect found in Orca's basic attack and 1st Skill is also noteworthy. Malicious Debt is a Debuff that grants 20% Defense reduction and 17% Physical vulnerability after the target is hit 4 times. Both effects can stack up to 2 times. With Physical vulnerability, Defense reduction, and turn-based Buff reduction on the 2nd Skill, Orca is highly useful in PVP content. The Ascension skill also includes turn-based Buff reduction.

Orca's greatest utility is in the Arena. While traditional attack decks rely on high firepower to quickly overwhelm opponents, they often lose momentum if the Skill sequence gets tangled or if the core damage dealer doesn't survive long enough. Sometimes, the flow of battle would shift unexpectedly when Landgrid or Shane's Skills triggered instead of the desired Skills from Lu Bu or Dellons. Orca directly addresses this issue.

By providing Physical damage increases and damage immunity to Dellons and Lu Bu in the back row, and increasing the Cooldown of front-row heroes, Orca ensures that back-row damage dealers have more opportunities to use their Skills. For a attack deck, this increases the likelihood that the desired damage dealer will act at the right time, which can make a significant difference in the Arena.

Since their release, Orca has proven their utility across various PVP content. They have not only become a starter for Arena attack decks but also a key card in Total War. They perfectly replace the roles previously held by Teo or Branz & Branzel. Since there are no specific restrictions on Skill usage, they are also highly viable in Guild Wars. However, in PvE content, the need for Orca is slightly reduced compared to PVP, as the Malicious Debt effect does not apply to Bosses and players can manually control Skills.

The release of Orca has brought changes to attack decks. Previously, Lu Bu and the Ascended Dellons handled the team's firepower, while Shane and Landgrid provided support with their excellent passives. The final slot was filled by either Teo or Branz & Branzel depending on preference. Now, Orca replaces Teo and Branz & Branzel.

The key to a attack deck using Orca is clearly distinguishing between back-row and front-row heroes. Because Unfair Contract provides different effects based on position, it is crucial to decide which heroes to place in the back row. Damage dealers responsible for finishing, such as Dellons and Lu Bu, must be placed in the back row to receive the Physical damage and damage immunity buffs. Since Shane and Landgrid have excellent passives but somewhat lackluster Active Skills, placing them in the front row to increase their Cooldowns is beneficial, as it increases the chances of the main damage dealers triggering their important Skills.

Orca is not affected by Unfair Contract, so they can technically be placed anywhere. However, since Orca is not a hero meant to carry the team's firepower, they are usually placed in the front row alongside Shane and Landgrid. Given this flow, the 'Balance' formation is recommended.

The Tracker set appears to be the most reliable choice for Orca's Equipment. Orca is a hero who benefits from many stats, including Effect Accuracy, Effect Resistance, Weak Point Attack, and Speed. The Tracker set allows you to secure Weak Point Attack, Effect Accuracy, and Effect Resistance simultaneously, making it excellent for stably boosting Orca's utility performance.

Many adventurers prefer a combination of Tracker set pieces with Effect Accuracy Weapons and Effect Resistance Armor. Orca has a passive that increases the Effect Accuracy of all allies, and at 2-star Transcendence, their own Effect Resistance increases by 49%. Therefore, it is possible to set up both Effect Accuracy and Effect Resistance to near 100% using the Tracker set.

However, in practice, reaching 100% in both stats is harder than it seems. Since attack decks recently prioritize Speed, you may have to sacrifice something if you focus on Speed for Orca as well. If you must choose between Effect Accuracy and Effect Resistance, you can consider compromising on one, as the passive Effect Resistance is already quite high. Note that the 4-star Transcendence effect provides a 24% increase in Effect Resistance, which helps with the setup. Of course, if you lack the gear to secure Weak Point Attack, you can opt for the Shaman set to comfortably boost Speed.

Personally, one reason I rate Orca highly is that they can perform more than their share even without reaching 6-star Transcendence. Orca's 6-star Transcendence effect adds 40% Defense Ignore to the 1st and 2nd Skills. While reaching 6-star Transcendence allows Orca to go beyond a Supporter role and act as a sub-damage dealer, there is no urgent need to rush this, as attack decks already have reliable damage dealers in Lu Bu and Dellons. Ascension can also be performed without 6-star Transcendence now.

If you are not yet heavily invested in a attack deck, compromising at 2-star Transcendence is fine. If you can utilize a attack deck in Total War or the Arena, you can aim for 4-star Transcendence and complete the 6-star Transcendence later using items like Seven Knights Chess. Of course, if you have the resources, you can gain extra firepower by reaching 6-star Transcendence, so adjust based on your situation.