Does leveling soul cores improve damage or can I just stick to my enenra soul core without leveling it?

[A]

To my understanding, soul core fusion improves the stats of the soul right but not the damage? So if I'm just in it for the Enenra damage/effect, I can technically just stick with it till i get a soul core I like?

What do people look for in soul core anyway? Stats? damage? Personally, I use them to buy time for ki to regen at times and then add some extra dps/leech so I figured enenra is always nice.

[Angel]

people want good anima bonuses on soul cores, -1 attunement cost, sentience charge, yokai ability damage bonus etc.

farming perfect soul cores is soul draining

[{5LINE}Cows with Guns]

There are 2 levels for a soul core...

Are you talking about the "Level" or "Soul Core Rank"?

Level affects the base stats (attack and defense) which may be a big if the difference is > 10 levels.

If your Enera Soul core is level 10, it will be far worse than a level 100 one.

Soul Core rank is like a familiarity equivalent; the higher rank, the better the traits of the soul core is.

Edit: Follow-up on what stats, see Angel's Response.

Assuming you are new to the game, "-1 attunement cost" is the biggest. Yokai damage may also be big if you're looking to build specifically, but those are more relevant in NG++ which is when you gotta start doing some real damage.

[A]

Originally posted by {5LINE}Cows with Guns:

There are 2 levels for a soul core...

Are you talking about the "Level" or "Soul Core Rank"?

Level affects the base stats (attack and defense) which may be a big if the difference is > 10 levels.

If your Enera Soul core is level 10, it will be far worse than a level 100 one.

Soul Core rank is like a familiarity equivalent; the higher rank, the better the traits of the soul core is.

Edit: Follow-up on what stats, see Angel's Response.

Assuming you are new to the game, "-1 attunement cost" is the biggest. Yokai damage may also be big if you're looking to build specifically, but those are more relevant in NG++ which is when you gotta start doing some real damage.

It's actually not my first time with the game. i just never paid attention to this feature that much except to "find the stat bonus best for me" and "get best bang for buck yokai ability"

But to simplify what I was wondering, Does a level 10 enenra have a weaker ability damage vs a level 100 enenra? In my limited understanding, i cannot use other soul cores to improve enenra correct? It has to be the same soul core or one of those blank soul cores?

Lastly, considering the topic of having -1 attunement cost, this means we cannot increase the slots for our spirits correct? If I want to slot two top tier yokai abilities, I have to find a spirit that can accommodate them?

[SealedSecret]

Originally posted by A:

But to simplify what I was wondering, Does a level 10 enenra have a weaker ability damage vs a level 100 enenra? In my limited understanding, i cannot use other soul cores to improve enenra correct? It has to be the same soul core or one of those blank soul cores?

Lastly, considering the topic of having -1 attunement cost, this means we cannot increase the slots for our spirits correct? If I want to slot two top tier yokai abilities, I have to find a spirit that can accommodate them?

Yeah, other Enenra cores can be used to improve the core. Mortal Soul Cores (the blank ones you mentioned) also work, they can also be used to change the type of the core to any of the different spirits (Enenra is a Phantom Core by default, but can be changed to Feral or Brute by fusing it with a Mortal Core or Enenra Core of that type for instance).

Yes, there's no way to increase the allocation slots outside of the upgrade you get during the story to be able to allocate 3 cores instead of 2 (the slots increase to accommodate the extra core).

For the last part of your original post, I generally look for utility in terms of Ki damage and/or status application.

Outside of Ippon, I like to use Oni-bi for status (Fire, Lightning) and cheap cost as an extender to my attacks. I also really like Suiki, she's pretty good at stacking up Saturation even during co-op. Then Osakabe and/or Bakegani to deal with crowds or clones.

That said, I use every core in the game so I swap around. The ones mentioned before are ones I come back to most.

I mainly use these as compliments to my Guardian Spirit Talisman which is usually a Purity Spirit, alongside my Corrupted weapon and Ninja Feathers to account for enemy weaknesses or to stack statuses when I want to.

[Creep Gnome]

Since people aren't answering your actual question: I BELIEVE the damage dealt by a Yokai Ability is just based off of your own attack. Using a lower level core will deal slightly less damage since higher level cores give more attack and defense, but the baseline strength of the ability doesn't change.

[Angel]

Originally posted by Creep Gnome:

Since people aren't answering your actual question: I BELIEVE the damage dealt by a Yokai Ability is just based off of your own attack. Using a lower level core will deal slightly less damage since higher level cores give more attack and defense, but the baseline strength of the ability doesn't change.

I answered their second question thank you very much

[Doc Holiday]

[quote=Creep
Gnome;3826410479325230241]Since people aren't answering your actual question: I BELIEVE the damage dealt by a Yokai Ability is just based off of your own attack. Using a lower level core will deal slightly less damage since higher level cores give more attack and defense, but the baseline strength of the ability doesn't change. [/quote]
Thank you. Finally someone tried to answer the main question.
I still wonder what that atack and defense rate of the soul core account for, it adds up to the Guardian Spirit attack and defense levels... What that means, that it adds to Yokai Shift attack and defense?

[A]

Originally posted by Creep Gnome:

Since people aren't answering your actual question: I BELIEVE the damage dealt by a Yokai Ability is just based off of your own attack. Using a lower level core will deal slightly less damage since higher level cores give more attack and defense, but the baseline strength of the ability doesn't change.

thanks you for this, and to the other posters as well that gave me a whole load of insight.

[NeonRed]

Originally posted by Doc Holiday:

Thank you. Finally someone tried to answer the main question.
I still wonder what that atack and defense rate of the soul core account for, it adds up to the Guardian Spirit attack and defense levels... What that means, that it adds to Yokai Shift attack and defense?

The atk/def values for the cores equipped to that guardian are added together then multiplied by the value on it (EX: two cores with 25 atk; 50 x 1.10 atk multiplier on the guardian will give you 55 atk).

Those stats go straight to your character; being in yokai shift isn't required.

[Doc Holiday]

Originally posted by NeonRed:

Originally posted by Doc Holiday:

Thank you. Finally someone tried to answer the main question.
I still wonder what that atack and defense rate of the soul core account for, it adds up to the Guardian Spirit attack and defense levels... What that means, that it adds to Yokai Shift attack and defense?

The atk/def values for the cores equipped to that guardian are added together then multiplied by the value on it (EX: two cores with 25 atk; 50 x 1.10 atk multiplier on the guardian will give you 55 atk).

Those stats go straight to your character; being in yokai shift isn't required.

thank you bro

[A]

Originally posted by NeonRed:

Originally posted by Doc Holiday:

Thank you. Finally someone tried to answer the main question.
I still wonder what that atack and defense rate of the soul core account for, it adds up to the Guardian Spirit attack and defense levels... What that means, that it adds to Yokai Shift attack and defense?

The atk/def values for the cores equipped to that guardian are added together then multiplied by the value on it (EX: two cores with 25 atk; 50 x 1.10 atk multiplier on the guardian will give you 55 atk).

Those stats go straight to your character; being in yokai shift isn't required.

I didn't care much for how those values affect me but genuinely, thanks for explaining still.