The Ultimate Pickles Guide: Best Teams and Psychubes

In the world of Reverse: 1999, Pickles stands out as an S-Tier flex pick for his versatility and AP efficiency.

This guide dives deep into the perfect build and team synergies for this beloved dog.

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The Ultimate Pickles Guide: Mastering Builds, Teams, and Psychubes in Reverse: 1999

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Understanding Pickles' Skills and Passives

Thus Spoke Pickles: Ultimate Ability

• Base Damage: 500% Mental Damage to a single target.
• Buff Bonus: Increases damage dealt by 30% for all allies for two rounds. This duration extends by an additional round if Pickles is in the Clarified Topic status.

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Clarified Topic is the cornerstone of Pickles' utility.

It's a status gained by inaction (not using any cards for a turn), which can then be used to enhance his next incantation or ultimate.

Here’s how it works:

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Clarified Topic: A Unique Status Enhancer

• Incantation Boost: If Pickles uses his first skill, Nihilism Abuse, with Clarified Topic active, it deals up to 625% mental damage (from 500% mental damage at level 3).
• Dispelling Capabilities: His Hedonism Implement skill dispels status buffs and counters from enemies, and when used during Clarified Topic, gives Pickles 25% Penetration Rate.
• i3 Potential: When Pickles gets to Insight 3, he'll gain 2 stacks of Clarified Topic when entering battle, making it easier to maintain this status during the whole fight if played strategically.
• Moxie Gain: Every time Clarified Topic is triggered, Pickles gains a Moxie point, making it easier to get his ultimate buff again.
• Strategic Advantage: You can choose when to trigger Clarified Topic for either an immediate effect or to save for a pivotal moment, such as before using his ultimate for a 3-turn team-wide damage increase.

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Pickles' Best Psychubes in Reverse: 1999

For Psychubes, the recommended choice is Brave New World for its boost to ultimate might. This psychube also aligns with Pickles' role by augmenting his damage output immediately following his ultimate use.

Hopscotch may also be considered, though its benefits are less impactful due to Pickles' single-target focus. While it’s designed for characters who can consistently defeat enemies with their ultimate, Pickles might not frequently be in such a position.

Second Life is a missed opportunity. Initially promising for additional healing, it falls short for Pickles due to its reliance on ultimate mass attacks, which doesn’t align with his single-target focus.

Other Psychubes don't synergize well with Pickles' role as they often require conditions that he doesn't naturally meet, such as getting killing blows or benefiting from debuff status.

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Team Building with Pickles

Pickles fits virtually any team, especially those centered around Mental Damage. However, he may not synergize as well with certain setups, such as those requiring critical hits like with Lilya.

For teams that thrive on buffs and debuffs, Pickles is an excellent addition, providing substantial support through his buffing abilities and debuff dispels.

Here are some strategic considerations:

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Synergy with DPS Characters

• Melania: Benefits from the damage buff from Pickles' ultimate.
• Centurion: Can take advantage of the damage buffs to deliver more impactful hits.
• Kaalaa Baunaa (Black Dwarf): As an AP-hungry character, synergizes well with Pickles who can afford to wait turns, building up Clarified Topic. However, we won't get her until patch 1.3.
• And other DPS like Eternity or A Knight.

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Supportive Roles

• Healers/Shielders: Pickles' ability to wait means healers can take their time to restore the team's health and survivability without losing momentum.
• Buff Dispellers/Debuffers: While Pickles can dispel buffs himself, having another character focused on this allows him to concentrate on damage dealing and buffing.

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Characters Not Ideal for Pairing with Pickles

• Lilya: Requires critical hits to maximize her damage, which doesn’t align with the consistent damage buffing strategy of Pickles.
• Jessica: Better suited for poison-based teams, which is a different strategic path than what Pickles offers. However, we won't get her until patch 1.2.

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Is It Worth Pulling for Pickles?

Absolutely!

His unique mechanic Clarified Topic rewards him for taking a turn off, which can be leveraged to deliver team-wide buffs.

He's not just a decent damage dealer by himself; his ultimate ramps up your entire team's damage output for three rounds—a boost that can be used by alternating between action and inaction, making him extremely AP generous.

Pickles is highly adaptable and will enhance most team compositions, making him a valuable addition in nearly any scenario.

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Conclusion: Harnessing Pickles' Potential

Pickles’ adaptability makes him an amazing unit to pull for.

Improve his strengths using Brave New World and position him in a team where his buffs can shine, avoiding critical-reliant compositions.

With the right strategy, Pickles will not only fulfill his role but elevate your entire team's performance in Reverse: 1999.