Cartethyia Tier List: Best Synergies & Team Setups ~ HaploGamingChef

Getting Started with Cartethyia

Cardia is one of the standout units in Withering Waves, but using her efficiently requires thoughtful team planning. With her dependence on erosion stack mechanics and the need for timing precision, she's a powerhouse when supported correctly—and a struggle when not. This guide breaks down who works best with Cardia, what team comps elevate her kit, and how to avoid setups that hold her back.

Whether you have Chakona, are missing her, or just want to see what’s viable today in Cartethyia, this guide will help you master Cardia in every scenario.

Cardia and Chakona: The Gold Standard

Chakona was designed to partner with Cardia. Her toolkit naturally complements Cardia’s playstyle and mechanics.

Why Chakona Works So Well

Applies consistent erosion stacks through her Liberation and abilities
Boosts Arrow-type damage, enhancing Cardia’s scaling
Simplifies rotation—reduces swapping and micro-managing
Enables use of Cardia's full kit: basic attack 5, aerial attack 2, and Resonant Skill 2

With Chakona, you can maintain erosion stacks without worrying about micromanaging. She smooths out the rotation, increases damage, and helps Cardia shine in multi-wave content where stack uptime is crucial.

Without Chakona? How to Keep Up Erosion Stacks

If you don’t have Chakona, stack management becomes critical. To deal significant damage, Cardia needs at least five erosion stacks before using Liberation. Here’s the basic stack build-up without Chakona:

Rotation Basics

Intro with Cardia → 2 stacks
Heavy Attack + Normal Attack 4 + Resonant Skill → 3 more stacks
Total: 5 stacks → Ready for Liberation

Important Tip

Avoid using parts of Fleurdelys’s kit that consume stacks—like basic attack 5, midair basic 2, and Resonant Skill 2—unless stacks are replenished.

You can dodge-cancel to prevent full animations and maintain your stack level while building her gauge for Liberation.

Sandoa: The Reliable 4-Star Option

What Makes Sandoa Work

Takes only ~4 seconds to complete her rotation
Buffs Cardia’s basic attack damage
Works best after stacks are set up

This is a solid setup for players without Chakona. While damage output isn’t quite as high, it's stable and efficient. Pairing Sandoa with the Moonlit Set boosts damage further. Even though Cardia scales off HP, the set’s 12% damage buff on swap applies universally.

Alto: The Unexpected Buffer

Alto’s Outro boosts Arrow-type damage, which makes him a strong sub-DPS for Cardia’s Liberation-focused gameplay.

Why Alto Works

Quick Outro uptime
Has taunt utility and decent off-field damage
Best equipped with Moonlit Set for added synergy

Though not meta-defining, Alto fits well in team comps focused on Arrow Rover + Cardia setups, especially in content where aggro control helps.

Phoebe + Arrow Rover: High Effort, Moderate Reward

Core Mechanic

Phoebe applies Spectral Frazzle, and Arrow Rover converts that into erosion stacks. The trick lies in rotation precision:

Apply Frazzle with Phoebe in Confession Mode
Use Arrow Rover’s Forte ability
Swap into Cardia for intro stacks
Back to Arrow Rover → activate Resonance Skill twice
Convert all Frazzle into erosion

It’s complex and cooldown-dependent but lets you get erosion consistently. However, it restricts Cardia from using parts of her kit like in the Chakona comp.

Shortkeeper & Chakona: Double Support Setup

Dropping Arrow Rover for Shorekeeper and running with Chakona is surprisingly effective.

Why It Works

Chakona continues stack generation
Shorekeeper provides strong sub-DPS output
Slightly fewer stacks, but consistent damage flow

This setup keeps Cardia mobile and aggressive, with both supports rotating in to handle utility and buffs. Great for sustained DPS challenges.

Shorekeeper Without Chakona: Viable but Lower Output

Inverting the comp (keeping Shorekeeper, dropping Chakona) brings you down to Sandoa-tier effectiveness. It’s good, but without Chakona’s erosion consistency, you lose access to parts of Cardia’s high-damage kit.

Still, if you’re familiar with stack mechanics and rotation priority, this setup can still get the job done in Withering Waves.

Quick Swappers: High Skill, High Risk

These include Chung Lee, Carla, Shenlao, Yangyang, Brandt, Yinland, and Ginshi. These characters are difficult to slot into a Cardia team without significant micro-management.

What Makes Them Hard to Use

Constant stack refreshing required
Easy to accidentally consume erosion stacks
Must track: stack timing, buffs, sword state, gauge

There’s value in experimentation—especially with Carla, whose freeze-based setup doesn’t interfere much with Cardia—but overall, these picks demand more effort than they reward in raw damage output.

Final Verdict: Best Teams for Cardia

Here’s how the top comps stack up in current meta:

Team	Rating	Notes
Cardia + Chakona	★★★★★	Best-in-slot, effortless synergy
Cardia + Chakona + Shorekeeper	★★★★☆	Strong sub-DPS setup, slightly less stacking
Cardia + Sandoa	★★★★☆	Easy to build, good damage, lower max output
Cardia + Phoebe + AR Rover	★★★★☆	Complex rotation, but stack-efficient
Cardia + Alto	★★★☆☆	Utility option, moderate buffing
Cardia + Quick Swappers	★★☆☆☆	Only for expert rotation players

Cardia Stack Mechanics: Tips for Maximizing Output

Master Intro → NA4 → Resonant Skill rotation
Use Double Swap Tech to sneak in extra stacks when needed
Avoid high-stack-consuming skills unless Chakona is active
Dodge-cancel Fleurdelys combos to preserve gauge & stacks

Final Thoughts: Chakona Still Defines the Meta

Cardia can function in multiple team comps, but Chakona remains 20-30% more effective than other supports. That gap is significant in time-sensitive content like tower floors or time trials.

If you lack Chakona, mastering stack flow and swap timing is essential to unlocking Cardia’s full potential.

Conclusion: Mastering Cardia Means Mastering Stack Synergy

Cardia is a top-tier DPS in Withering Waves, but she requires the right support to unlock her potential. Chakona is her strongest partner by far—thanks to unmatched erosion stack generation and synergy with Fleurdelys. Without her, you'll need to rely on tight rotations and strategic swaps using options like Sandoa, Shortkeeper, and Phoebe.

While other setups can clear content reliably, none match the sheer simplicity and damage throughput Chakona offers. Still, with proper stack management and timing, even alternative teams can perform admirably. If you're serious about Cardia, invest time in learning stack rotation, and you'll see results—even without her best-in-slot support.

FAQ

Q1: What is the best team for Cardia in Cartethyia?
A1: The best team is Cardia + Chakona + Arrow Rover or Shorekeeper. Chakona provides unmatched erosion stacks and synergy with her full kit.

Q2: Can Cardia work without Chakona?
A2: Yes, but it requires precise stack management. Options like Sandoa and Phoebe can help maintain erosion stacks with careful rotation.

Q3: What is the main mechanic Cardia relies on?
A3: Cardia’s damage output depends on maintaining 5+ erosion stacks before using her Liberation ability to maximize damage.

Q4: Is Arrow Rover necessary in every Cardia team?
A4: Arrow Rover is the best general healer and stack enabler for Cardia, but can be replaced with Shorekeeper in high DPS comps.

Q5: Which parts of Fleurdelys's kit should I avoid using?
A5: Avoid Basic Attack 5, Midair Attack 2, and Resonant Skill 2 unless erosion stacks are replenished to prevent damage loss.

Q6: Are quick swappers viable with Cardia?
A6: Only for experienced players. Managing erosion stacks and rotations makes them hard to optimize in most content.

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