Arknights Endfield Estella Build & Skills Guide
This guide explains how to build Estella in Arknights: Endfield, covering her skills, stats, and recommended equipment so you can get the most out of her. You’ll learn what her abilities do, how to prioritize upgrades, and which team compositions she fits best.
Who Is Estella?
Estella is a 5-star Vanguard operator in Arknights: Endfield, a real-time 3D strategy RPG set in the same universe as the original Arknights. She specializes in frontline combat and crowd control, using a large sword and her Originium Arts to damage and slow enemies. Her role is to hold the line while dealing consistent area damage, making her a solid pick for both story stages and endgame content.
Estella’s Skills Explained
Estella has three active skills and one passive trait. Each skill serves a different purpose, and you’ll want to swap them based on the mission type.
- Trait – Steady Advance: Increases her block count by 1, allowing her to hold two enemies at once. This is core to her tanky playstyle.
- Skill 1 – Cleaving Slash: A charged attack that deals physical damage in a wide arc in front of her. Good for clearing weak mobs.
- Skill 2 – Shatterwave: Unleashes a shockwave that damages all enemies in a straight line and slows them by 30% for 3 seconds. Excellent for kiting or setting up your DPS.
- Skill 3 – Bulwark Stance: For 10 seconds, Estella gains a shield that absorbs damage equal to 20% of her max HP, and her attacks apply a stacking slow effect. This is her survivability tool for boss fights.
Her passive, Vanguard Resilience, restores 2% of her max HP every 5 seconds when she is below 50% HP. This makes her surprisingly durable in prolonged fights.
Best Stats to Prioritize
Estella’s damage scales primarily with ATK, but her survivability depends on HP and DEF. Since she is a frontline vanguard, you should balance these stats rather than going full DPS.
- ATK: Increases all skill damage and basic attacks. Prioritize this if you want her to clear waves faster.
- HP: Directly boosts her shield from Skill 3 and her passive heal. Essential for tanking.
- DEF: Reduces physical damage taken. Less critical than HP but still useful against high-physical-damage stages.
- Crit Rate/Crit DMG: Only invest after ATK and HP are solid. Estella doesn’t have any crit-related skills, so this is a luxury stat.
In terms of sub-stats, look for ATK% and HP% on gear. Flat ATK is fine early, but percentage rolls scale better as you level her.
Recommended Gear and Weapons
Estella uses a Greatsword as her weapon. For gear, focus on sets that boost ATK or survivability.
- Weapon: The 4-star “Originium Greatsword” is a great early choice. Its passive increases ATK by 5% for every enemy within 2 meters, stacking up to 3 times. This synergizes with her frontline role.
- Gear Set – Vanguard’s Resolve: This 2-piece set grants +15% HP, and the 4-piece set increases DEF by 10% when below 50% HP. It’s ideal for her tanky build.
- Alternative Set – Assault Module: If you want more damage, this set gives +12% ATK as a 2-piece bonus. Pair it with the HP set for a hybrid build.
For artifacts (accessories), prioritize ones with ATK% and HP% main stats. A Crit Rate circlet is acceptable if you have good sub-stats, but not mandatory.
Skill Upgrade Priority
You won’t have enough materials to max all skills immediately, so prioritize as follows:
- Skill 3 (Bulwark Stance): This is her most impactful skill for survivability and crowd control. Upgrade it first.
- Skill 2 (Shatterwave): The slow effect duration and damage scale with level. Upgrade second for utility.
- Skill 1 (Cleaving Slash): Only upgrade if you find yourself using it often. It’s her least important skill.
- Trait: Always keep this maxed if possible, as it’s passive and always active.
Remember that skill upgrades require Skill Books and Originium Shards. These are farmed from daily stages and events, so plan ahead.
Team Composition and Synergy
Estella works best as a secondary tank or off-tank. Pair her with:
- A dedicated Defender (e.g., a shield-wielding operator) to hold the main choke point while Estella covers a side lane.
- A ranged DPS like a Sniper or Caster to take advantage of the slows she applies.
- A healer to keep her topped up, since her passive heal is slow.
A common formation is: Defender in front, Estella slightly behind to catch enemies that slip past, and a healer in the back. Her slow effects from Skill 2 and 3 make it easier for your ranged units to hit moving targets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring her HP: Building pure ATK makes her too fragile. She’ll die before her passive heal kicks in.
- Using Skill 1 on cooldown: Cleaving Slash has a long wind-up. Save it for when enemies are grouped, not on a single target.
- Not swapping skills: Don’t lock in Bulwark Stance for every mission. On stages with few enemies, Shatterwave is better for clearing.
- Forgetting to level her weapon: Weapon levels matter more than operator levels for raw stats. Keep her weapon within 10 levels of her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Estella worth building over other Vanguards?
Yes, if you need a tanky frontliner with crowd control. She’s not the highest DPS, but her utility and survivability make her a reliable pick. If you have a 6-star Vanguard like Arclight, you might prefer that, but Estella is a solid budget option.
What’s the best weapon for Estella?
The 4-star Originium Greatsword is the best free option. If you have a 5-star Greatsword with ATK% or HP% sub-stats, that’s better. Avoid weapons that focus on Crit DMG, as she doesn’t build crit efficiently.
How do I get Estella?
Estella is a 5-star operator, so she can be recruited from the standard banner. She may also appear in rate-up banners periodically. Keep an eye on the recruitment pool to increase your chances.
Should I use Estella in boss fights?
Yes, but only with Bulwark Stance. Her shield and slow are excellent for kiting bosses. However, she’s not a main tank for heavy-hitting bosses—pair her with a Defender and a healer.
Does Estella’s slow effect stack?
Slows from different skills do not stack on the same enemy. Only the strongest slow applies. So don’t use Skill 2 and Skill 3 together expecting double the slow—use one at a time.
What is the best gear set for Estella in endgame?
For endgame, use a 2-piece Vanguard’s Resolve (HP) and 2-piece Assault Module (ATK) for a balanced build. If you face heavy physical damage, switch to 4-piece Vanguard’s Resolve. Always prioritize HP% and ATK% sub-stats.
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