The final Intervallo before Canto 10 has arrived in Limbus Company, and it’s Poise’s turn for a shot in the arm. Alongside the newly added Shadow-vested Bladesinger Meursault EGO, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael is the lineup’s newest addition.
As a Blade Lineage ID that can thrive with or without her compatriots, LCD Ishmael has plenty of staying power in multiple teams. The only question is, which does she thrive in, and what does the best LCD OSIR Team Ishmael in Limbus Company build look like? Let’s find out together!
Is LCD OSIR Team Ishmael Worth Pulling?
If you’ve had a soft spot for the Blade Lineage, or want to run Ishmael in a Poise team that doesn’t involve her sitting on the sideline, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael is worth a few pulls. Otherwise, wait a week and shard her. There’s no crazy new content that demands her immediate involvement, so there’s no harm in giving it a bit of time.
LCD Osir Team Ishmael is kind of a shakeup from a lot of our recent ID drops in the sense that she ISN’T completely insane. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great addition to any Poise lineup that doesn’t care about running Pequad Captain Ishmael, but she isn’t a rulebreaker.
The recent Nursefather drops, alongside BoHoS Ryoshu, have kind of spoiled us when it comes to pure power. LCD OSIR Team Ishmael isn’t going to be soloing content, but she’s a great number two for other super strong Identities.
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s Full Kit
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael is all about Poise, with a decent amount of Bleed tossed in to give her some conditionals and bonus Keyword support. All in all, she wants to stack Poise to gain additional stacks of her unique buff. Her Skill 3-2 cashes them in for big damage, while also amping her overall damage as she stacks it.
Passive – Demonfire Spinecleaver
Whenever LCD OSIR Team Ishmael finishes using a Base Attack Skill with 15 or more Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire, she gets a free use of her Skill 3-2 “Even the Balance – Lucent Rippling Flame” once per turn.
If Ishmael loses a Clash with her Defensive Skill while she has 3 or more Haste, she can’t be staggered until the skill is over, and she immediately activates her Skill 2-2, “To Claim Their Bones” twice her turn.
Passive – To Where I Must Return
When an Encounter begins, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael gains up to three stacks of Bearing of a Salsu, based on deployed Blade Lineage identities other than LCD OSIR Team Ishmael. Bearing of a Salsu grants Ishmael Offensive Level for each stack, and extra Poise whenever she lands a Slash Skill. Ishmael loses one stack whenever a Blade Lineage unit dies.
If three or more Blade Lineage allies are dead, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael gains Swordplay of the Homeland at the start of every Skill. This buff, usually granted by Blade Lineage Mentor Meursault, buffs the Coin Power of Ishmael’s Skills based on her Poise. Her Skills also deal extra damage on Crit.
This dead ally conditional also grants Ishmael extra Poise generation.
Passive – Limbus Company Specialized Custom Prosthetic Prototype mk5-Dokkaebi Arms
Activated with three Pride Resonance, whenever a turn starts, Ishmael gains Dokkaebi Arms and heals SP for every Blade Lineage ally on the field. Dokkaebi Arms gives Ishmael 15% damage negation, Haste whenever she uses a Skill, and extra Poise Count at the end of the turn.
If any ally has less than 50% HP at the start of the turn, Ishmael will gain a stack of Assist Defense, allowing her to dive in and intercept the first unopposed attack that comes at an ally.
On Skill End, Ishmael gains 1 stack of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire for every 3 Poise Potency she has, with a maximum of 5 per Skill. Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire has a maximum stack of 20, amping Ishmael’s damage by up to 10%, while weakening her Defensive Skill by 1 for every 2 stacks.
While this sounds like a downside, remember that losing a Defensive Skill clash will allow Ishmael to use To Claim Their Bones more easily. More TCTB means more damage output!
Support Passive – Cut Down What Must Be Felled
With three Pride Resonance, Ishmael grants the fastest ally 10% increased damage on their Slash Skills, upgraded to 15% damage if the targeted ally has Haste.
Skill 1 – Rending Arts
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s Skill 1 is a 2 coin Wrath Slash Skill with Base Power 3 and Coin Power 4. “Rending Arts” gains Coin Power at 5+ Poise, as well as Clash Power for every 5 Bleed on the enemy and 3+ Haste on Ishmael. On use, Ishmael gains 2 Poise Count.
The first coin grants Ishmael 2 Poise. The second grants her 1 additional Poise, inflicts 1 Bleed on the enemy, and is reused if Ishmael has Dokkaebi Arms and 3+ Haste. For a Skill 1, “Rending Arts” deals very solid damage once Ishmael meets the conditionals. 2 Bleed application for such a spamable Skill is very welcome.
If Ishmael has Haste, she gains a stack of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire when the Skill ends.
Skill 2 – Acupuncture
“Acupuncture” is a 3 coin Gloom Slash Skill with Base Power 3 and Coin Power 4. It has the same Coin and Clash Power conditionals as “Rending Arts”, while granting Ishmael +3 Poise Count on cast.
The first and second coins both grant 2 Poise and inflict 1 Bleed on hit. The third inflicts 1 Bleed Count and gets reused if Ishmael has Dokkaebi Arms and 3+ Haste. If the final coin crits, Ishmael gains 2 Haste next turn.
Once the attack ends, Ishmael gains up to 2 stacks of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire based on her Haste.
Skill 2 – To Claim Their Bones
A Blade Lineage classic, “To Claim Their Bones,” is a 2 coin Pride Slash Skill with Coin Power 4 and Base Power 5. The Skill is triggered whenever Ishmael loses a Clash with her Defensive Skills while having 3 or more Haste.
“To Claim Their Bones” doesn’t activate Defensive Skills when it goes off and deals extra damage based on LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s missing HP. She also deals extra crit damage based on her Haste, which is already sure to be high.
The Skill has two On Use effects, dealing up to 15% extra damage based on Ishmael’s Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire stacks, and extra crit damage based on her Poise.
The Skill hits decently hard, but the real benefit comes from both coins’ on-hit effects. The first coin gives Ishmael Poise and inflicts a 10% Slash Fragility to the target. The second coin inflicts Bleed and Paralyze.
All of the teams LCD OSIR Team Ishmael runs on have heavy-hitting Slash Skills, so the Slash Fragility gets insane value. Make sure to toss in some Defensive Skills to keep this debuff up, making the most of your Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire and keeping the enemy vulnerable.
Skill 3 – Lucent Rippling Flame
“Lucent Rippling Flame” is a powerful Pride Slash Skill with 4 Coin Power and 5 Base Power. The Skill gains up to 30% damage based on Ishmael’s Poise, as well as gaining Final Power for her Haste, Coin Power for her Poise, and the enemy’s Bleed.
If Ishmael has 10 or more Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire, “Lucent Rippling Flame’s” coins become Unbreakable. On use, Ishmael gains 3 Poise and 2 Haste. After the Skill goes off, Ishmael gains 1 Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire for every Haste she has, up to 3.
The first two coins grant Ishmael Poise and Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire, while the third coin deals 1% extra crit damage for every Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire stack Ishmael has. It also inflicts 1 Bleed, 1 Slash Fragility, and grants an extra Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire stack when it crits.
While this Skill can hit seriously hard, it’s not LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s big bomb. That comes from our next entry…
Skill 3-2 Even the Balance – Lucent Rippling Flame
Ishmael’s nuke Skill, “Even the Balance – Lucent Rippling Flame,” is a 4 coin Wrath Slash Skill with 3 Coin Power and 5 Base Power. This Skill only ever goes off once Ishmael ends a Skill with 15 or more stacks of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire, piercing Defensive Skills, and avoiding Clashes.
Dealing extra crit damage for Ishmael’s Poise and Haste, “Even the Balance – Lucent Rippling Flame” is a massive bomb of an attack. Ishmael gains 3 Poise Count when the Skill starts, and finishes it by consuming all her stacks of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire.
The first coin grants Ishmael 3 Poise, while the second and third inflict Bleed. All three coins grant an extra stack of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire on crit as well.
The fourth and final coin deals up to 25% extra crit damage based on LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire stacks, inflicts 1 Bleed, and is reused on crit if Ishmael has 5 or more Haste.
That final coin is the real nuke, with an easy-to-access reuse conditional and massive cash in on Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire.
Defensive Skill – I’ll Light the Path Forward
Ishmael’s base Defensive Skill is a single Unbreakable coin Pride Clashable Guard with Coin Power 8 and Base Power 5. What this means is that, unlike standard Guard Skills, Ishmael will attempt to clash with whatever Skill hits her first.
As soon as a turn where “I’ll Light the Path Forward” is slotted begins, Ishmael gains 1 stack of Assist Defense. Should an ally be targeted by an unopposed attack, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael will dive in the way with her Skill “Observing the Stones on the Board”.
The actual effects of “I’ll Light the Path Forward” grant Ishmael 2 Haste and 2 Poise Count, as well as an additional 3 Poise if she wins the Clash. If Ishmael has Haste, she gains 2 stacks of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire after the Skill ends.
While this Skill isn’t anything to write home about on its own, the real reward comes from intentionally losing Clashes with it while at high stacks of Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire.
Mook Workshop – Ye Type II Bladedraw / Thrust Force: Dokkaebi Fire lowers Ishmael’s Defensive Skill Final Power, allowing her to sacrifice weak turns for free casts of “To Claim Their Bones”. Extra damage, Pride EGO Resources, and Slash Fragility are all too welcome. If you roll a turn with two copies of her Skill 1, consider defending instead!
Assist Defense Skill – Observing the Stones on the Board
Only activating during Assist Defense, “Observing the Stones on the Board” is a single Unbreakable coin Gloom Clashable Guard with Coin Power 9 and Base Power 4. Whenever it is used, Ishmael grants the ally she defended 5 SP and grants herself 3 Poise.
Again, “To Claim Their Bones” has a two per turn maximum, allowing Ishmael to throw out two copies of it should she lose both her standard and Assist Defense Skills. The Blade Lineage love sacrificing their own health for big damage, and LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s version is extremely consistent.
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael Team Comps and Builds
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael may not share their name, but she’s a bonafide powerhouse when paired with her comrades in the Blade Lineage. While she prefers to run with the BL, she can thrive on any Poise-focused lineup. Let me show you two teams I’ve really been enjoying her in.
Blade Lineage Pride
The obvious pick, LCD OSIR Team Ishmael has conditionals and goals that match perfectly with the previously released members of the Blade Lineage. While most of these Identities really show their age, they’ve all been given a massive buff due to the recent release of the Shadow-vested Bladesinger EGO released for Meursault this update.
Not only is the EGO a great steroid for the team’s central support, Blade Lineage Mentor Meursault, but he boosts the rest of the team alongside him, providing extra Poise, Clash Power, and damage.
Plenty Blade Lineage Identities sacrifice damage and Clash potential in exchange for inter team support, which Ishmael greatly appreciates. Blade Lineage Salsu Faust can continously stack Slash Fragility with her Red Plum Blossom debuff, eventually stacking Defense Level Down to make any enemy more vulnerable.
In turn, Blade Lineage Don Quixote is a shockingly relevant 00 Identity who hands out extra Poise like candy. Blade Lineage Salsu Yi Sang can hold his own in Clashes once his Poise has stacked, making him a solid third alongside LCD OSIR Team Ishmael and Blade Lineage Mentor Meursault.
While he’s always struggled with sticking around during prolonged fights, Blade Lineage Salsu Sinclair is a standout. The buffs granted by Shadow-vested Bladesinger make him a damage-dealing monster, able to outdamage even the Mentor himself with solid enough rolls.
The only real stinker of the line is Blade Lineage Outis, who doesn’t roll or hit great. Shadow-vested Bladesinger still buffs her enough to be a solid slot in for the team. Researching for his article has actually revealed to me that Outis’s ONLY Poise IDs are 00. Odysseus is definitely up for a shot in the arm…
The team is very simple to run, simply pop Shadow-vested Bladesinger on turn two thanks to Blade Lineage Mentor lowering its cost heavily, and remember to use the Skills you’re fine with losing for messy Clashes.
Avoid using them for high Attack Weight bombs coming your way, as the majority of the Blade Lineage is very squishy thanks to their many Stagger Thresholds. Such is the sin of running a team with old Identities, but LCD OSIR Team Ishmael is a massive surge of life for the aging lineup.
Generalist Poise
Now, if we just want to run LCD OSIR Team Ishmael in a Poise team, she can absolutely hold her own. Thanks to Shadow-vested Bladesinger, Blade Lineage Mentor Meursault will always be joining her on the starting lineup, but that’s where the team starts to diverge.
Both members of the Full Stop Duo, Hong Lu and Heathcliff, pack a massive punch, while Heathcliff makes space for backup units once his ammo dries up. We’ll be carving through quite a few team slots to empower BoHoS Ryoshu for longer fights.
Don’t worry about using her to pop the House of Spiders members instantly, as Riensang and Index Don can do wonders on their own. Once Ishmael starts stacking Slash Fragility, they’ll be hitting even harder. If bodies start dropping or weaker members tag in, use Ryoshu’s Defensive Skills to cut them down.
The final survivors will be incredibly powerful, carving through anyone who has managed to last this long. Poise lineups are all about getting selfishly stronger, but LCD OSIR Team Ishmael’s debuffs and defense provide a welcome source of support.
