Data Disc Basics
A brief summary of all the things I used to just type out every conquest, now in one convenient location!
About data discs:
We never know what type of data discs are available until the day conquest starts. With that understanding, there are a few broad categories:
Amplify Agony + Volatile Accelerator: If these discs are present, you’re going to be focusing on them (and several copies of AA, if you can find them). AA is a very offensive style of disc setup that works to nuke down enemy teams quickly.
Zealous Ambition: If this disc is present, you’ll find that your supports and healers suddenly hit like trucks. You’ll want to take a more defensive disc loadout to keep those characters alive.
Weak Point / Weak Spot: Weak Point, like AA, is an offensive style of disc. Weak Point ramps your offense quickly, allowing even weaker units to nuke after a few turns. I do not expect this style of conquest since we have now had two in a row. Weak Spot is identical to Weak Point, but half as good (still one of the very best discs in the game, however).
When building data disc loadouts, there are three pillars that make for an effective setup:
ramping offense (discs like Deadly Catalyst, Weak Point, Stacking Fervor, and Critical Tactics all give your characters an unlimited ceiling for damage)
survival (discs like fortified, guard and penetrate, vitality, and protection recovery all keep your characters alive)
speed (discs like ruthless swiftness and quickness help you to out-speed the enemy units and run turn meter trains
If your loadout can hit those three pillars, you’ll do well. Note that that the VA+AA combo, due to dealing damage based on enemy health %, always scales to the enemies you’re fighting. As such, you do NOT need uncapped damage potential - just the ability to apply loads of debuffs. One blue VA + 3 AA discs effectively makes every hit drop the enemy to 1 HP (since AA damage can’t kill). Similarly, the ZA disc is so strong that stacking 3 of them will allow most healers and supports to one shot most enemies.
In addition, certain discs are situationally useful or are important to various cheese strategies:
Voluntary Vanguard. I always try to pick this up. Especially in a Deployable Cooling Systems conquest (which this one is), VV is very helpful for cheesing feats.
Evasive Technique. This grants evasion up for the related feat, and also helps you take additional turns and stay alive thanks to dodging. Very helpful!
Leader’s Resolve. This is a very strong disc for both survival and speed (for your leader, anyway) and can allow for easier carries by strong units. Sometimes feats require using just a single unit in a boss fight; LR is by far the most useful disc in those circumstances.