Hello there. It is time for another SKRB Re:PLAY. Just as we stepped into June, the awakening system finally went live. Following the arrival of the new hero 'Skuld', the first hero from the Pentagon faction, 'Klemis', has also entered the fray. But that is not all—the awakening of veterans 'Sylvesta' and 'Dellons' has well and truly shaken up the meta across various game modes. I have compiled the necessary analysis and hero compositions for June right here.

June Hero Formations by Content

The Impact of the Awakening Update

Starting with Skuld, the final Guardian of Heaven, heroes in SKRB are gradually unlocking their awakened potential. Late May saw the awakening of Skuld and Sylvesta, followed by Klemis and Dellons in early June. Naturally, the Arena—the mode most sensitive to new heroes and progression systems—is seeing a tectonic shift in its meta. While there are no awakening effects yet that drastically tilt PvE, many players are busy crunching the numbers on Klemis’s persistent combat sustain and Dellons’s explosive burst damage.

On that note, while not an awakened hero, a PvP-optimized unit has been making waves in the Advent Expedition. The star of the show is the offensive hero 'Karl Heron', who has been instrumental in providing firepower for Team 1 against 'Karma'. It is a clever setup that showcases just how creative players can get with versatile skill effects. You can find the full breakdown in the June hero formation charts below.

The New Defensive Meta: 'Guan Yu'

Just a few days ago, a spicy new defensive meta set the Arena ablaze. It is an unconventional team that slots Guan Yu into standard defensive lineups. Looking at his kit, Guan Yu was initially geared towards PvE, and he hasn't received any recent balance tweaks. Yet, thanks to one keen-eyed player's discovery, he has become the cornerstone of a new defensive powerhouse.

There is a confluence of reasons for his sudden rise, not least the simultaneous awakening of Dellons and Klemis. With both dominating offense and defense respectively, the two factions have been clashing constantly in PvP. Offense teams were consistently getting the upper hand, leaving defensive players struggling even with Klemis in their ranks. In this climate, someone spotted a chink in the offense armor: the tendency to lock in Lu Bu’s skills at the start of combat. Since those skills lack pierce effects, players started leveraging Guan Yu’s 'Lead the Charge'.

This skill cleanses all debuffs from allies and grants continuous healing based on the number of debuffs removed. Furthermore, the upgraded version provides immunity to all damage for one turn. Usually, a defensive team starting second would be crippled by Lu Bu’s stun, but a Guan Yu equipped with a '4-set Coordinator' gear reliably clears all debuffs. By starting the fight with full damage immunity, they can comfortably shrug off the opponent's second and third skill rotations.

This has left offensive players in quite a pickle. Some have tried to counter by slotting in pierce skills like Teo’s 'Black Wind Slash' or Dellons’s 'Reaper’s Descent'. However, those skills lack the raw firepower needed to break through defensive teams efficiently. Plus, the Arena isn't just full of defensive squads; run into a mirror match or a magic team, and you will find your early-game pressure non-existent. It is a real catch-22 for offensive players, and frankly, predicting where the Arena meta goes from here is anyone's guess.

The Arrival of the Pentagon's 'Orka'

The latest scenario event introduced us to the Pentagon, a new faction in SKRB. The name first popped up during a developer livestream on May 27, which is where Klemis, the first hero of the faction, originated. Interestingly, the livestream also showcased Orka’s model and skill animations. When Klemis was announced instead, players instinctively knew Orka couldn't be far behind.

Given the current rise of the Guan Yu defensive meta, the buzz around Orka is reaching fever pitch. Players are pinning their hopes on him as the new awakened hero who might finally crack the nut that is the current defense-heavy meta. Since he was a powerhouse offensive hero in the original game, the anticipation is palpable.

Looking back at his original kit, he boasted guaranteed critical hits, bleed damage, turn-based buff reduction, defense penetration, and even damage immunity for allies. He was a master of both keeping his team alive and making the enemy's life miserable. Whether he can become the savior of offense teams remains to be seen, so let's keep a close watch on the next update.