Airi may not be the flashiest unit in Blue Archive, but she offers a unique support toolkit that can shine in the right scenario. In this RPG, she’s known for her attack speed debuffs and buffs, making her a rare option when controlling tempo matters more than raw damage. While she doesn’t see much general use, she does have a place in specific late-game raids like ShiroKuro (Insane), where her skills help manipulate boss mechanics.

That said, Airi isn’t a must-build for newer players or general progression. Her EX Skill is expensive and situational, and her overall impact tends to fall short in content where enemies stay in cover or don’t move. However, for experienced players looking to optimize endgame raid runs, Airi is a handy tool when used correctly.

What Makes Airi Special

Airi’s kit is all about speed control. Her Sub Skill passively boosts the AttackSpeed of all allies, while her Basic Skill regularly reduces the AttackSpeed of one enemy. These two skills together help shift fights slightly in your favor, especially in content where interrupting or delaying attacks matters.

Her EX Skill, If I Have To, deals AoE damage and reduces enemy MoveSpeed within the area. When leveled to 3 or higher, it also applies an AttackSpeed debuff. However, it costs 5 skill points and doesn’t always hit its mark, especially in battles where enemies don’t move much. Because of this, her EX Skill is considered the weakest part of her kit and not worth prioritizing.

Skill Priority

For most players, there’s no need to heavily invest in Airi. Her Sub Skill is the most useful part of her kit and should be the first thing you level if you choose to build her.

Here’s the general skill priority

Sub ≥ Basic > Enhanced

At any point, her Sub Skill gives a teamwide buff that supports faster attack cycles, especially in Normal Attack-reliant teams. Her Basic Skill has some niche value in raids for disrupting enemy timing. Her Enhanced Skill boosts her own ATK but doesn’t do much outside of slightly increasing her EX Skill damage, which is rarely used anyway.

Team Building with Airi

Airi is best used in raid scenarios that take advantage of her kit’s quirks. For example, in ShiroKuro (Insane), she can interact with specific mechanics to cancel boss skills or speed up damage windows. She also has some value in Binah raids when her attack speed debuff overlaps with enemy attacks.

Pair her with damage dealers like Cherino and a healer like Koharu for stability. A tank like Tsukuyo can round out the team, while Airi takes the support slot. This setup isn’t your usual go-to team but works in content where Airi’s unique kit can shine.

Keep in mind: if you’re not tackling these niche raids, Airi has limited value. There are better general-use support units for standard content.

Gear and Equipment Guide

Airi benefits from gear that enhances survivability and supports her ability to stay on the field longer. Since she’s a backline unit, she’s not often under pressure, but equipping her well ensures her buffs and debuffs stay consistent.

Recommended gear types for Airi include Bags, Badges, Hairpins, and Necklaces.

Useful items to farm:

• Tier 1: Serval Metal Badge, Waterproof Sports Bag, Tennis Headband
• Tier 2: Manaslu Felt Badge, Leather Wristwatch, Scrunchie
• Tier 3 and beyond: Momo Hairpin, Wavecat Wristwatch, Antique Pocket Watch

You don’t need to prioritize damage stats. Instead, focus on anything that keeps her healthy and consistently active on the field.

Using Airi in Battle

In actual combat, Airi works passively most of the time. Her Sub and Basic Skills activate on their own without player input, so there’s very little micro-management involved. This makes her easy to slot in as a support option when needed.

If you do plan to use her EX Skill, time it when enemies are moving through chokepoints or grouped together. The slow effect can reduce how fast enemies reposition or engage. In ShiroKuro specifically, her skills can be used to manipulate boss attack patterns and maximize team damage output in phase 2.

However, outside of this very specific use case, Airi’s EX Skill isn’t worth spending SP on—especially when it costs 5 and only provides soft crowd control.

Unlike the best characters in the game, Airi isn’t a character most players will use regularly, but she has her moments. For late-game content like ShiroKuro (Insane), her kit offers some rare utility that can make a noticeable difference when properly timed. Otherwise, she’s a niche support unit best left on the bench unless you’re tackling content that’s tailored to her strengths.

If you do plan to use her, focus on her Sub Skill and slot her into teams that benefit from speed-based support. And for the best experience managing her skill activations and raid strategies, play Blue Archive on PC with BlueStacks for smoother controls and better performance.