Mint Build Guide: The Free Beginner A-Rank — Skill Priority, Teams & Build Path All in One

Key answer: Mint is a 1.0 A-rank handed out free in the beginner tutorial, element Anima, Arc type Liquid, JP CV Akari Kito (voice of Nezuko in Demon Slayer), a reserve backbone of the Anomaly Management Bureau Containment Strike Unit 2 + Esper Zero’s early partner. Her core E, Super Claws, has a cooldown of only 6 seconds + the Q Thunderous Whirlwind Slash. Build: Fluff of Fleetness (BiS S-rank) or the free A-rank Clear Skies + the Fireflies & Forest 4-piece set. Eidolon 1 “Task Force Operation” is a game-changer, and 0 Eidolons is playable. A must-build for F2P — almost every recommended team includes her.

A cat-themed girl, reserve backbone of Containment Strike Unit 2, Esper Zero’s early partner, voiced by Akari Kito (Nezuko) — Mint is called across the community an “A-rank F2P essential”, a “free Synthesis Sub-DPS”, “plain and unadorned”, and a “mascot character”. This guide organizes her mechanics, gear, Eidolons, recommended teams, and build path all in one place.

ℹ Naming note: this site’s slug is hakka (a leftover from the early fan transliteration “Haka”); the official name is “Mint”.

1. Character Basics

Field	Details
Chinese name	薄荷
English name	Mint
Pinyin	Báhe
Site slug	hakka (legacy baggage, a leftover from the early fan transliteration “Haka”)
Rarity	A-rank (standard)
Element	Anima
Weapon (Arc)	Liquid
Role	Main DPS / Sub-DPS hybrid — the English community mostly calls her “Main DPS” (long on-field uptime to stack Fireflies), while the Chinese community mostly calls her “Sub-DPS / quick-swap Sub-DPS / transitional Main DPS”
CN CV	Chen Yu
JP CV	Akari Kito (Nezuko in Demon Slayer)
How to obtain	Free for completing the beginner tutorial (a prologue story character)

Character Background

• A reserve backbone of the “Anomaly Management Bureau Containment Strike Unit 2 (CSU-2)”
• In the prologue she introduces the protagonist Esper Zero to the details of containment operations — she is the protagonist’s early partner
• Designed with cat traits (often called a “catgirl”), with a keen sense of smell; in lore she can sniff out the distinct scent of different people (the protagonist Esper Zero smells like cocoa)
• Her dream is to become a full-fledged member of the containment unit, and she loves field missions most
• She is also “Hytol City’s living map of cheap eats” and a “walking dictionary of coworkers and neighbors” — lively and outgoing
• A mascot-tier character — she shows up constantly in non-combat content like “cohabitation” and “manager’s special” features

2. Skill Kit

Basic Attack 【Perfect Containment】

• Up to a 5-hit slash combo, dealing Anima damage
• Variations:
  • Heaven’s Justice: a jumping downward slash
  • Caramel Crunch: a counterattack after dodging (the key trigger for Eidolon 1)
  • Mint Storm: hold to enter a sustained whirlwind AoE (consumes stamina)

E Shift 【Special Move: Super Claws】⭐ Core

• Dashes forward then returns to her original position, dealing 2 hits of AoE Anima damage
• ⭐ Cooldown of only 6 seconds — the core of Mint’s entire damage rotation
• Builds up burst energy
• Mobility trait: she fights while repositioning, giving excellent survivability

Q Finisher 【Special Move: Thunderous Whirlwind Slash】

• Infuses her dual blades with wind for multi-hit wind blades + a large-AoE finishing strike
• Released once the E skill is fully charged
• The QTE is a leaping piercing slash, ideal for mopping up trash mobs

Passive

• In Synthesis (Blossom) reactions, she amplifies the damage range of “Vita Pistils”
• Ties together the core ecosystem of “Anima element + Synthesis reaction”

Combo Pattern (Practical Rotation)

1. On-field Cosmos / rhythm character builds up burst energy → swap to Mint to trigger Synthesis
2. Use E (6s cooldown) → 5-hit basic combo → wait for E → E again
3. Burst energy full → use Q
4. Repeat "E + basic combo" on-field damage, maintaining Fireflies & Forest stacks

3. Eidolons / Awakening

Important mechanic: NTE awakening lets you “freely choose” effects — you don’t have to unlock them in order, and you can switch at any time.

Order	Name	Effect	Rating
⭐ Most crucial	Task Force Operation	Resets the E cooldown on a successful perfect-parry counter hit (once every 3s)	Lets E fire back-to-back, a huge DPS jump
Next priority	Re-examination	E skill (Super Claws) damage +40%	Straight damage boost, practical
Third	Attendance Bonus	Whenever any character triggers Synthesis / Incantation, Mint gains ATK +15% for 15s	Near-permanent buff in a Synthesis team
Fourth	First Instinct	Crit DMG +25% within 6s of casting E	Since E is used often, high uptime
Fifth	Elite Member	+15% damage to enemies below 40% HP	For finishing blows, useful in abyss scenarios
Lowest	Lunch Break	Crit Rate +12% against single targets	Doesn’t proc on AoE, useless early

How Playable at 0 Eidolons

Very playable — no Eidolon is a “must-unlock” gate, and 0 Eidolons can clear the main story and abyss just fine. The only strongly recommended one is Eidolon 1 “Task Force Operation”, because the E reset directly affects the rhythm of the rotation.

4. Best Build

Arc Choice

Tier	Name	Effect	Source
BiS S-rank	Fluff of Fleetness	Crit DMG sub-stat, Mint’s BiS (fits the high-crit profile of the Type-3 module)	Banner
⭐ Best A-rank (free)	Clear Skies	+20% Anima damage on E and Q (35% at max level)	Shop U-00NE exchange / banner pity
Stopgap	Pitch-Black Youthful Delusion (Black Book)	Free from the main story / Anomaly stages, base ATK bonus	Free from main story
Alternative S-rank	Song of the Whale	Plasma-leaning (not Anima, but versatile)	Free from Anomaly commission (Deep Blue Lacrimosa stage)

Conclusion: F2P players can simply run the free “Clear Skies” — it is an A-rank tailor-made for Mint.

Gear: Fireflies & Forest 4-piece set

Pieces	Effect
2-piece	Anima damage +10%
4-piece	When the team deals Anima damage to nearby enemies, gain Crit DMG +8%, stacking up to 7 times, each stack lasting 10 seconds — up to +56% Crit DMG, and it stays active even off-field

Source: the “Latitude Loom” stage in the Rabbit Hole Anomaly zone

Alternative: Fireflies 2 + Shadow Doctrine 2

• Shadow Doctrine 2-piece: ATK +10%
• Good as a stopgap when your 4-piece sub-stats aren’t well-rolled yet

Stat Priority

Slot	Main Stat
Slot 1	ATK% (fixed)
Slot 2	ATK%
Slot 3	Anima damage %
Slot 4	Crit DMG (better than Crit Rate, due to the high crit rate from the Type-3 module)

Sub-stats: Crit Rate > Crit DMG > generic damage bonus > ATK% > rotation intensity

5. Recommended Teams

1. Mainstream Synthesis Team (on-field damage) ⭐

Nanally (Main DPS) + Sakiri (Sub-DPS) + Haniel (Healer / Support) + Mint (Sub-DPS / trigger)

Dual Anima + Cosmos to trigger the Synthesis reaction, with Mint topping up the Fireflies 4-piece stacks

2. Recommended F2P Team ⭐

Esper Zero (Main DPS) + Mint (Sub-DPS) + Haniel (Healer) + Sakiri (Support)

All obtainable from the main story / selector, fully F2P-operable; Zero’s AoE + Mint’s high-frequency single-target finishing

3. Baicang Team (F2P version)

Baicang (Main DPS) + Mint (Sub-DPS) + Haniel (Support) + Edgar (Healer)

4. Synthesis Optimal Team (when you have Nanally)

Nanally + Jiuyuan + Esper Zero + Sakiri — when Nanally fills the Main DPS slot, Mint can step aside

5. Jiuyuan Replacement Scenario

If you didn’t pull Jiuyuan (S-rank), Mint slots in painlessly — also Anima, so she can proc the Synthesis 4-piece set effect

6. Build Priority

1. Level: push to 70 (no need to hit 80 for a Sub-DPS, low value) — 60 is enough for standard main-story content
2. Skill levels (priority order):
   • E: Super Claws ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (main damage)
   • Q: Thunderous Whirlwind Slash ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (burst)
   • Basic Attack: Perfect Containment ⭐⭐⭐
   • Support skill: Invincible Gale Blade ⭐⭐
3. Arc level: Clear Skies to max
4. Gear: Fireflies & Forest 4-piece, secure the 2+2 dual set first, then roll out the sub-stats
5. Awakening: unlock Eidolon 1 “Task Force Operation” first (you can choose any one)

Ascension Materials (up to level 70)

• 60→70: 125,000 Shell Coins + 24 Delusion Pages + 6 Chaos Silhouettes
• 70→80: 150,000 Shell Coins + 36 Delusion Pages + 9 Chaos Silhouettes (skippable, prioritize other characters first)

7. Should You Pull?

Question	Answer
Do I need to pull?	❌ Not at all — handed out free for completing the beginner tutorial
Is she a must-build for F2P?	✅ Yes — almost every recommended team in 1.0 includes her
Build priority	The first Sub-DPS to build after your Main DPS, around the same time as Haniel (Healer)
Should whales build her?	✅ Yes — very useful in the transitional phase, and even when Jiuyuan overtakes her later she remains a backup trigger
When can she step aside	After you get Jiuyuan + a complete Synthesis team assembled

8. Community Memes / Reception

• “A-rank F2P essential” — a unanimous verdict on Bahamut and LDPlayer
• “Almost every recommended team includes Mint” — thanks to the trinity of Anima element + free + simple play
• “Free Synthesis Sub-DPS” — the perfect substitute when you don’t have Jiuyuan
• “Why are Mint + Zero + Nanally the core of the F2P roster?”:
  • All three are obtainable from the main story / standard pool (Nanally is a limited S-rank but available via launch pity / selector)
  • Complementary elements: Zero (Cosmos) + Nanally (Anima) + Mint (Anima) = a perfect Synthesis trigger
  • The lowest skill floor, beginner-friendly
• “Plain, unadorned AoE attacks with no learning cost” — Gamersky’s verdict
• “Mascot”, “the face of catgirls” — cute design, off-the-charts appearance rate
• Official role tagline: “a reserve backbone of the Anomaly Management Bureau Containment Strike Unit 2”
• Voice-actor highlight: Akari Kito (Nezuko in Demon Slayer) — a must-build for anime fans

9. Mint vs Other A-rank Sub-DPS

Comparison	Mint	Haniel	Aurelia
Obtain	Free from tutorial	Pre-registration reward	Day 3 of the 14-day login
Element	Anima	Psyche	Psyche
Role	Sub-DPS / Synthesis trigger	Backline ATK buffer	A-rank Main DPS
Arc type	Liquid	Solid	Plasma
Who she replaces	Jiuyuan (when unpulled)	Sakiri	Limited Main DPS

Related Guides

• Signature Weapon (Signature Arc) Complete Guide — Clear Skies, Fluff of Fleetness
• Gear System Complete Guide — Fireflies & Forest set
• Elemental Reaction System — the Synthesis (Blossom) reaction mechanic
• Nanally Complete Build Guide — the Synthesis team’s main partner
• Jiuyuan Complete Build Guide — Mint’s “upgraded version”
• NTE Voice Actor Lineup — Akari Kito’s notable roles

FAQ

Mint’s data is compiled from public sources including Game8, GameWith, Prydwen, Kaiden.gg, Icy Veins, Mobalytics, NTE Guide, LDPlayer, BlueStacks, HN Gamenews, Bahamut, Gamersky, Moegirlpedia, 17173, and others. Some numbers vary slightly between sources — the in-game values are authoritative.