Best Hotori Build in NTE (Neverness to Everness): Arc, Cartridge, Modules, and Teams

Hotori is one of the most technically rewarding characters in Neverness to Everness, and pulling her without a proper build plan leaves a massive amount of her potential on the table. She is an S-Rank Cosmos sub-DPS who controls time, records ally skills, and unleashes a synchronized burst that can stack damage faster than almost any other unit in the current roster. Getting the best Hotori build NTE has to offer means picking the right Arc, stacking the correct stats, and slotting her into a team that actually synergizes with her recording mechanic.

This guide covers every layer of her build: best Arc, Cartridge, Module layout and stats, team compositions, Awakening priority, and how to play her effectively in combat.

Hotori Overview in NTE

Hotori runs two attack modes. In her default state, she wields a decorated umbrella with a smooth five-hit basic attack combo. When she activates her Ultimate, the umbrella transforms into a katana, boosting her damage and unlocking her time-stop mechanic. Her defining trait is the Non-Closed Timepiece, a unique energy resource that charges passively while she stays on the field.

Hotori Skill Priority

Before building her gear, understand which skills deserve upgrade resources first.

Skill Priority: Ultimate > Skill > Basic Attack > Support Skill

Her Ultimate, World’s Tide, drives the majority of her damage output. Upgrading it first delivers the biggest return on investment by a wide margin. Her Skill, Present Replay, is the second priority since it directly feeds her Ultimate window by recording ally abilities. Basic Attack ranks third, and Support Skills are the lowest priority.

Best Hotori Build NTE: Quick Summary

Best Arc for Hotori in NTE (Neverness to Everness)

Hotori’s Arc choices broadly split between maximizing her Ultimate burst and providing consistent damage buffs. Here are all viable options ranked.

Marching Beyond Time (Best Overall)

Marching Beyond Time is Hotori’s signature Arc and the strongest option for her best Hotori build NTE players can assemble. It increases her ATK by 16% and raises Ultimate Crit DMG by 48% once the recording condition is met. On top of that, it lets her ignore an extra 12% of enemy DEF. To activate the full bonus, record three Support or Redirect Skills before casting her Ultimate.

This setup dramatically amplifies her burst window and works in perfect synergy with her A6 Awakening bonus, which adds another 30% DEF ignore during Time Stop.

Fluff of Fearlessness (Strong Alternative)

The Fluff of Fearlessness is an S-Rank Arc available through the Battle Pass. It grants an ATK bonus and boosts Crit Rate after Hotori uses her Ultimate, which improves both the initial hit and the follow-up damage within the time-stop window. This is the best option for players who do not pull her signature.

Rain That Shook the World

Another viable S-Rank Arc that adds ATK scaling. It does not match the raw burst ceiling of Marching Beyond Time but works well in early-game setups before better options become available.

The Forgotten (Best A-Rank)

The Forgotten delivers a reliable ATK boost as long as Hotori stays above 50% HP. It lacks the additional effects of higher-tier Arcs, but it keeps her damage consistent and costs no premium currency. This is the go-to pick for free-to-play players.

Day Off (Free S-Rank)

The Day Off Arc is a free S-Rank weapon that players can unlock through in-game progression. It primarily fits Esper Zero, but Hotori can equip it in a pinch if no better Arc is available. Check the all free S-Rank Arcs in NTE guide to find every no-cost weapon option in the game.

Best Cartridge for Hotori in NTE

Lost Radiance (Best in Slot)

Lost Radiance is Hotori’s best Cartridge by a significant margin. The 2-piece effect increases Cosmos DMG by 10%. The 4-piece effect triggers after she casts her Ultimate, causing the wearer to ignore 25% of enemy DEF for 20 seconds. Since Hotori builds her entire rotation around her Ultimate, this DEF shred applies exactly when her damage output peaks.

The synergy with Marching Beyond Time and her A6 Awakening creates a stacking DEF ignore setup that lets her shred through high-defense enemies during the time-stop burst. Cosmos DMG is the ideal main stat on the primary piece, with Crit as a secondary target if the sub-stat pool already covers Cosmos damage.

Speedy Hedgehog (Alternative)

Speedy Hedgehog works as a placeholder if Lost Radiance is not yet available, but the damage drop-off compared to Lost Radiance is large enough that players should prioritize farming the best option as soon as possible.

Module Layout and Best Stats for Hotori

Use the module layout that activates Lost Radiance. The bonus module slot should run a Type III module with a Cosmos DMG bonus to push her elemental damage higher during the burst window.

For sub-stats, Crit DMG is the top priority since Hotori’s Ultimate hits carry the most weight and benefit the most from critical multiplier scaling. Stack Crit Rate second to ensure those crits land consistently. After hitting comfortable crit thresholds, fill remaining slots with flat DMG%, ATK%, or Cycle Intensity, all of which deliver meaningful returns.

Best Teams for Hotori in NTE (Neverness to Everness)

Hotori’s recording mechanic makes teammate selection more important than for most units. She needs allies with strong Support or Redirect Skills that produce maximum value when replayed during World’s Tide.

Best Team: Blossom Composition

This is Hotori’s premier team. Nanally functions as the primary DPS with the most field time. Esper Zero and Jiuyuan both have Anima typing that enables Blossom reactions, while Jiuyuan brings some of the strongest AoE DPS in the current roster. Hotori slots in as the fourth character, recording skills from Esper Zero and Jiuyuan before unleashing them together during World’s Tide. She essentially replaces Sakiri in the standard Nanally premier team while fitting seamlessly into the same core.

Charge Team

For players who do not have Nanally, an Esper Zero-centered team with Hathor as the support slot delivers strong results. Hotori records Jiuyuan and Hathor abilities and replays them during Time Stop alongside Esper Zero’s own damage.

Budget / Low-Rank Team

If the full premium lineup is not available, Hotori can lead a team with Esper Zero, Mint, and Haniel. The damage ceiling is lower, but Hotori’s recording mechanic still functions and delivers meaningful burst output.

Awakening Priority for Hotori in NTE

A6 is the priority target because it stacks directly on top of the DEF ignore from Lost Radiance and Marching Beyond Time, pushing her burst window into genuinely massive damage territory. A2 and A1 follow because both amplify damage inside the Time Stop window where Hotori deals the bulk of her output.

How to Play Hotori in NTE

Hotori plays as a technical burst sub-DPS who rewards preparation over raw field time. The core loop has three phases.

Phase 1: Build Energy

The Non-Closed Timepiece charges passively as Hotori stays on the field. Landing basic attacks and using abilities accelerates the process. Avoid spending energy recklessly before the recording phase is ready.

Phase 2: Record Ally Skills

Once energy exceeds 60, activate Present Replay to enter the recording state. During the next five seconds, switch to allies and trigger their Support or Redirect Skills. Hotori records up to three timings, with each character counted at most once. The goal is to capture the strongest utility and damage skills available on the roster.

Phase 3: Activate World’s Tide

When the Non-Closed Timepiece reaches full charge, unleash World’s Tide. Time stops for several seconds, Hotori replays all recorded skills at once, and she builds combo stacks through katana attacks. Reaching 10 stacks triggers Finisher DMG, which marks the peak of her damage output. During this window, the instance timer pauses in timed content like the Pink Paws Heist, creating extra room to deal damage and heal the team before combat resumes.

Understanding the combat system and how to chain attacks efficiently helps Hotori players get more out of her time-stop window by building combo stacks faster and landing cleaner finisher strikes.

For players still assembling her best build, keep an eye on the currencies in NTE to manage Annulith and pull resources efficiently across banners. Play Now!

Frequently Asked Questions

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