Top Animus To Counter Cleave In RTA
Mastering how to beat cleave teams in Etheria Restart is less about raw damage and more about tempo control, target sequencing, and making the opponent’s opening rotation work against them. This guide teaches a repeatable, tournament‑grade approach built around a Doki‑style Lighthouse pivot: use a fast, tanky turn‑meter anchor to reorder the opener, soak or redirect the initial AOE, and let your single‑target damage dealers survive to finish the fight. You’ll get practical tuning advice, team compositions, in‑match decision rules, countermeasures for common enemy responses, and a full FAQ to cover edge cases. Read this as a blueprint you can adapt to your roster and rank.
Core idea and the theory behind it
Cleave teams win by executing a precise sequence: an opener that deals massive AOE or ignore‑defense damage, followed by follow‑ups that finish off any survivors. The cleave’s efficiency depends on order and targeting. If you can reliably change the order so that a tanky, fast unit is forced into the front, the cleave’s damage is misallocated and your damage dealers survive to trade back. The Lighthouse pivot accomplishes two things at once: it manipulates turn order and often provides utility (cleanse, shield, or buff) that converts a chaotic opener into a favorable exchange.
Think of the match as a short chain of events: opener → follow‑ups → cleanup. Your goal is to insert a buffer between the opener and the follow‑ups so the chain breaks. That buffer is the anchor. The anchor’s job is not to win by itself but to survive the first wave and enable your finisher to act on a healthier board state. When executed correctly, the opponent’s cleave becomes a wasted rotation and you win the tempo war.
Team roles and how to tune them
Every team built around this strategy has three essential roles: the anchor, the finisher, and the support. Each role has clear tuning priorities and play responsibilities.
Anchor (turn‑meter manipulator and soak) The anchor is the heart of the Lighthouse pivot. It must be fast enough to be reliably placed into the front by the push and durable enough to survive the opener. Prioritize speed first, then HP, then effect resist. Speed ensures the push lands the anchor in the right slot; HP absorbs ignore‑defense nukes; effect resist prevents CC chains from ruining your tempo. Typical stat targets: Speed 300+, HP 30k+, Effect Resist 40%+ where possible. Gear sets should favor Lighthouse primary, then a sustain set (Bloodbath, Fortress) or a speed set if you need extra turns.
Finisher (single‑target nuker) Your finisher must be able to capitalize on isolated targets. After the anchor soaks the opener, the finisher should act immediately to pick off weakened enemies. Tune the finisher to act right after the anchor: speed tuning is critical. Damage, crit, and penetration matter, but the most important factor is that the finisher survives long enough to act. If your finisher is fragile, pair them with a shield or a buffer.
Support (cleanse/shield or secondary control) Support’s job is to protect the finisher and maintain tempo. A cleanse or shield immediately after the anchor soaks the opener can be the difference between winning and losing. If the meta features heavy CC, consider a second cleanse or a unit with timed immunity. Support also helps with speed tuning by providing buffs or debuffs that change the effective turn order.
Building the anchor: stats, sets, and skill priorities
The anchor must be tuned for consistency. Speed is the non‑negotiable stat because the entire pivot depends on reordering the opener. Aim for a speed threshold that guarantees the anchor will be placed into the front after the push. If your anchor is too slow, the push will misplace and the plan collapses.
After speed, focus on HP rather than defense when facing ignore‑defense nukes (Revelation/Messiah style). These nukes bypass defense or have mechanics that make defense less reliable; HP gives you a predictable buffer. Effect resist is the third priority because freezes, stuns, and other CC can stop your anchor from doing its job.
Set choices: Lighthouse primary is mandatory for the pivot. Pair it with Bloodbath or Fortress for sustain. If you need extra speed, use Swift Rush or Smite as a secondary set. Skill priority is to max the push/cleanse and any passive that reduces incoming AOE or grants shields. If your anchor has a passive that reduces damage taken on first hit, that’s ideal.
Drafting and ban logic
Drafting against cleave teams is about removing the opponent’s ability to punish your pivot and ensuring your own pivot remains intact. If you can ban the enemy’s fastest followup or the unit that punishes anchors (a high‑penetration nuker or an ignore‑defense carry), do it. If the opponent drafts heavy CC, prioritize a cleanse or immunity in your picks.
When drafting, think in terms of tempo control rather than raw damage. Pick units that either help you reorder the opener or survive it. If you expect Revelation or Messiah style nukes, deprioritize defense and pick HP‑heavy units and shields. If you expect CC chains, pick a second cleanser or a unit with timed immunity.
In‑match execution: reading the opener and committing to the pivot
Execution is where the plan becomes reality. The first step is to read the enemy’s likely opener and speed. If you can identify the enemy’s fastest unit and their likely target, you can predict whether the push will place your anchor in front or not. Use that information to decide whether to commit to the pivot or play a fallback plan.
If the push will place your anchor first, use the anchor’s defensive tools immediately: shields, cleanses, or damage reduction. The anchor’s goal is to survive the opener and leave your finisher alive. If the anchor will be second, the push should reorder so your finisher survives; in that case, use the anchor’s utility to protect the finisher rather than to soak damage.
After the initial exchange, avoid giving the opponent a chance to reassemble their cleave. Target isolated units and force single‑target trades. If the opponent still has a followup ready, use your support to cleanse or shield and then trade back. The pivot is not a one‑turn trick; it’s a tempo plan that must be followed through for several turns.
Minimal checklist (kept intentionally short)
Anchor speed tuned to be reliably placed into the front.
Anchor HP and effect resist prioritized over defense vs ignore‑defense nukes.
Finisher tuned to act immediately after the anchor.
Adapting to common enemy counters
Opponents will adapt. Here are the most common counters and how to respond.
Ban or remove your anchor If the enemy bans or targets your anchor, switch to a secondary turn‑meter manipulator and retune speeds. The pivot still works with a substitute anchor, but you must retune speed thresholds and possibly change your support to provide more shields.
Heavy CC chains If the enemy uses freeze/stun chains to stop your anchor, add a second cleanser or a unit with timed immunity. Effect resist on the anchor helps but is not a complete solution; cleanse windows and immunity are more reliable.
Ignore‑defense nukes (Revelation/Messiah) When facing nukes that bypass defense, stack HP and shields. Defense becomes less valuable; HP gives you a predictable buffer. Consider adding a unit that can apply damage reduction or a shield immediately after the anchor soaks the opener.
Speed manipulation counters Some teams include their own turn‑meter manipulators to counter your push. If the opponent can reorder turns as well, the match becomes a speed duel. In that case, prioritize absolute speed thresholds and consider adding a second manipulator to create redundancy.
Practical examples and sample team comps
Below are three sample team archetypes that implement the Lighthouse pivot. These are templates — adapt them to your roster.
Balanced pivot (reliable at mid rank) Anchor: Doki variant with Lighthouse, high speed and HP. Finisher: Single‑target nuker tuned to act after anchor. Support: Cleanser/shield and a small buffer. Playstyle: Use anchor to soak opener, support to cleanse, finisher to pick off survivors.
High‑investment pivot (endgame) Anchor: Optimized Doki with max speed and HP, effect resist. Finisher: High‑damage carry with penetration and crit. Support: Secondary cleanser and a buffer with timed immunity. Playstyle: Precise speed tuning and perfect execution; punishes misplays heavily.
CC‑resistant pivot (against freeze/stun metas) Anchor: Doki with effect resist and HP. Finisher: Durable nuker with self‑sustain. Support: Two cleansers or a cleanser plus immunity window. Playstyle: Survive CC chains and trade single‑target damage.
Tuning examples and speed math
Speed tuning is the most technical part of the plan. You need to know the enemy’s likely opener speed and set your anchor and finisher speeds accordingly. The goal is to ensure that after the push, the anchor is placed into the front and the finisher acts immediately after.
A practical approach: identify the enemy’s fastest unit and estimate their speed. Add a margin of error (10–15 speed) to account for buffs and debuffs. Tune your anchor to be faster than that margin after the push. Then tune your finisher to be slightly faster than the rest of your team so it acts right after the anchor. If you don’t know exact speeds, use relative tuning: make the anchor the fastest on your team and the finisher the second fastest.
Mindset and decision rules during a match
This strategy is about decisions as much as builds. Use these decision rules:
If the push will place your anchor into the front and the anchor can survive the opener, commit to the pivot.
If the anchor cannot survive the opener, do not commit; instead, play a fallback that focuses on single‑target trades.
If the opponent has multiple turn‑meter manipulators, treat the match as a speed duel and prioritize absolute speed.
If the opponent has heavy CC, prioritize cleanse and immunity windows over raw damage.
These rules keep you from committing to the pivot when the conditions are unfavorable and help you pivot to a safer plan.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Players often make the same errors when trying this strategy. The most common are: under‑tuning speed, over‑relying on defense vs ignore‑defense nukes, and failing to adapt when the anchor is banned. Avoid these by prioritizing speed, stacking HP vs ignore‑defense, and having a backup anchor ready.
Another mistake is using too many units that rely on the same timing. Diversity in utility (cleanse, shield, immunity) makes the pivot resilient. Finally, don’t forget to retune after roster changes — a single gear swap can break the speed thresholds.
How to practice and iterate
Start in low‑pressure matches and focus on consistent execution rather than wins. Practice reading openers and predicting whether the push will place your anchor in front. Record or note matches where the pivot failed and identify whether the failure was due to speed, stats, or enemy composition. Iterate by adjusting speed and HP until the pivot becomes reliable.
When to abandon the pivot
Not every match is winnable with the pivot. Abandon the plan when the opponent has multiple counters (e.g., two turn‑meter manipulators plus heavy CC) or when your anchor is banned and you have no viable substitute. In those cases, switch to a single‑target control plan or a stall strategy that denies the opponent a clean opener.
Advanced tips and micro decisions
Use the anchor’s passive or shield timing to absorb predictable follow‑ups. If your anchor has a damage reduction passive on first hit, time it to coincide with the opponent’s opener.
If the opponent has a predictable second rotation, bait it by leaving a low‑value target alive and forcing them to commit.
When speed tuning, account for buffs and debuffs that change effective speed mid‑match. If your support can buff speed, use that to create windows where your finisher acts immediately after the anchor.
If you face a meta with many ignore‑defense nukes, consider adding a unit that can apply damage reduction to the entire team for one turn.
FAQ
Q: What if my anchor gets banned or targeted first? A: Have a backup anchor ready. Substitute with another turn‑meter manipulator and retune speeds. If no backup exists, switch to a single‑target trade plan and avoid committing to the pivot.
Q: Should I stack defense or HP vs Messiah/Revelation style nukes? A: Stack HP. These nukes often bypass or ignore defense mechanics; HP gives a predictable buffer. Use shields and damage reduction where possible.
Q: How important is effect resist on the anchor? A: Very important against CC‑heavy metas. Effect resist prevents freezes and stuns that stop your anchor from doing its job. Aim for 40%+ where possible.
Q: Is this strategy viable at high rank? A: Yes, but it requires precise speed tuning and optimized gear. At high rank opponents adapt faster, so redundancy (secondary manipulator, extra cleanse) becomes more valuable.
Q: How do I tune speed if I don’t know enemy speeds? A: Use relative tuning: make your anchor the fastest on your team and your finisher the second fastest. Add a margin of 10–15 speed to account for buffs. Practice and observation will refine your estimates.
Q: What if the opponent has multiple turn‑meter manipulators? A: Treat the match as a speed duel. Prioritize absolute speed thresholds and consider adding a second manipulator to create redundancy.
Q: Can I use this strategy without Doki? A: Yes. Any unit that reliably pushes turn order and provides utility (cleanse/shield) can serve as the anchor. The concept is transferable; the specifics depend on the substitute’s kit.
Q: How many cleansers do I need? A: One reliable cleanser is usually enough, but if the meta is CC‑heavy, a second cleanser or an immunity window is recommended.
Q: How do I practice speed tuning? A: Start in low‑pressure matches, record outcomes, and adjust speeds incrementally. Keep a log of enemy openers and your anchor’s performance to identify patterns.
Closing and next steps
This Lighthouse pivot is a practical, repeatable way to beat cleave teams in Etheria Restart. It scales with investment: the better your speed tuning and the more optimized your gear, the more consistent the strategy becomes. Start by building a reliable anchor, tune your finisher to act right after it, and add support that provides cleanse or shields. Practice reading openers and adapt your draft and bans to deny the opponent counters.
Short answer: I recommend starting with a detailed rune sheet for a sample Doki anchor so you can immediately test the Lighthouse pivot in practice; after one or two sessions we can follow with a speed‑tuning calculator walkthrough or a printable counter‑draft checklist tailored to your roster.
| Option | Best for | Time to implement |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed Doki rune sheet | Immediate build and testing | 1–2 play sessions |
| Speed‑tuning calculator walkthrough | Precise turn order and consistency | 1–3 sessions plus tuning |
| Printable counter‑draft checklist | Draft/ban decisions and match planning | Single session to adopt |
Below I explain why the rune sheet is the fastest path to measurable improvement, what each deliverable includes, and how to sequence them so you get wins quickly while building toward long‑term consistency. Doki functions as a high‑utility support/turn‑meter manipulator whose kit rewards speed tuning and reliable utility timing; a focused rune sheet converts theory into repeatable results on the ladder. A rune sheet gives you exact set choices, stat targets, and fallback options so you can test the Lighthouse pivot immediately and iterate from real match outcomes.
If you pick the rune sheet first I’ll deliver: a prioritized stat list with concrete numeric targets for speed, HP, and effect resist, recommended set combinations and alternatives, suggested substat rolls and grind priorities, and two full gear templates (budget and optimized). I’ll also include a short play checklist that tells you exactly when to commit the pivot in the draft and how to react if the anchor is banned or stunned. That makes practice sessions efficient and reduces guesswork.
If you prefer the speed‑tuning walkthrough first, I’ll build a simple calculator and step‑by‑step method so you can compute exact SPD thresholds against common openers and tune your team in small increments. That option is best if you already have multiple viable anchors and need precision to make the pivot consistent at higher ranks.
If your priority is drafting and bans, the printable checklist will convert meta reads into actionable bans and picks, with contingency plans for the most common counters and a short decision tree you can use mid‑draft.
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