A bit excited to see Zhengui and Hanyi's impact on the battlefield. Not potency wise, but in light of the Heat markings we saw both on the probably-map and one some of the third realms.
Zhengui's a warm boy, and so are pretty much all of his attacks. He might be almost blinding colour to them. On the downside, they might react to some of his underground attacks coming a bit earlier than humans would, by seeing the heat underground. Also curious about the effects of him letting loose on the corrupted environment, but that would have been more thematically relevant had we attacked the farms.
For Hanyi, her attacks rob the environment of its Heat, and she herself is a cold thing. It's possible she won't be visually clear to the Shishigui as more than a vague region of total cold at the center of her efforts.
Something I'm curious about for both of them is how they might impact the efficiency of the Shishigui's desperation shoggoths, assuming they're willing to deploy them in defensive contexts in the first place. We know that FSA didn't
prevent the resulting corpses from being absorbed when we used them, but it's possible that the spiritual draining and inflicted Endings hinder the process or the results somehow, and Hanyi is more deeply in tune with these aspects than Ling Qi is. Zhengui's Renewal is transformative in nature, and in a direction which appears to be incompatible with the Shishigui; this won't stop the corpse shoggoths, because we know they can absorb surface life at least temporarily, but shifting the mix of energies towards our format could shorten the half-life to collapse. Things to keep an eye out for, even if I think a lot of it isn't something we can get a reliable sense of in a frantic fight.
As for actual tactics, well, Guan Zhi is going to do what it is Guan do. As our strongest, she's the leading point the rest of us follow. Bian Ya seems exhausted, and Su Ling's unquestionably the weakest present, so I'd imagine they stay out of the main fray. Zhengui, though tired, can erect fortifications that should eat up swarms thrown at us pretty effectively. Xuan Shi is a tank who can go where he wants, probably buffing the defense of allies; efforts could stack with Zhengui's well. Ji Rong and Liao Zhu are offensive skirmishers, probably. Ling Qi can either act as a relatively stationary swamp of misery holding a flank, or as a roaming ball of hit and run misery. PLR makes it tempting to do both, teleporting in and out of wherever the battle line or allied fortifications are at a whim. Hanyi'll likely hid under Zhengui like a gremlin again, or come play tag with Ling Qi, depending on what we do.
It's kind of tempting to stack as much armor as we can on Zhengui too.
Alternatively Ling Qi may target an ally within the mist, granting them a stacking buff to Physical and Spiritual Armor as well as Resist. Allies targeted this way cannot be affected by area of effect debuffs unless the effects rank exceeds her domain rank, adjusted for potency.
Hundred Ring Armament: C
Duration: Long
Diffusing heavy wood qi through flesh and muscle the user armors themselves and their allies with the iron bark of primeval forests. Granting the user the resilience of a centennial tree, they may shrug off lesser attacks from bladed or piercing weapons, and endure even powerful ones. This effect may be extended to as many as ten allies, increasing the cost by 5 for each one.
Thousand Rings Unbreaking: B
Duration: Long
The eldest trees of the Emerald Seas are mighty things, ancient and nigh invulnerable, akin to living mountains. By calling upon the image of their power, the user gains some measure of their primeval resilience,ignoring minor wounds entirely, and lessening the effect of greater ones. Under this affect, the user becomes utterly immovable to enemy action, and cannot be grappled, unless the enemy's cultivation exceeds theirs by two levels or one realm. This effect may be extended to up to ten allies. So long as this effect is active, the user cannot be incapacitated, any blow that would reduce their health to that point instead reduces it to the lowest rank possible. On activation of this aspect, Thousand Rings Unbreaking is automatically dispelled. This effect may only activate once per scene.
Industrious Labors of Fall: C
Duration: Short
The third piece, which speaks of the labors made in preparation for the long winter, steadies the musicians audience and fills them with determination for the trials ahead. Bolsters the armor, health and Resist of listeners, up to a full rank at Bond 6.
Tanky boi.
