Between Linko's new Limited Board, Hotori's return, and Pixel Surge's double rewards, Version 1.3 has given Appraisers plenty to do in Hethereau this week. The Version 1.4 preview has now aired, and it's drawn fresh attention to someone players already know from their city routine: Blackbird, the witch who trades Oracle Stones for rewards and offers daily fortunes at the Witch's House.
Her official reveal introduces NTE's first limited S-Class Psyche character. The confirmed kit pairs off-field bird attacks with a floating transformed combat state, raising a more interesting question than how flashy she looks: will her setup leave enough room for the rest of your team?
Following the September 16 preview program, here is a look at how her dual-form kit operates, which Cartridges might be worth holding onto, and how she fits into existing team rotations.
If your pull funds are looking a little dry after 1.3, you can top up for less with Neverness to Everness top-ups on GamsGo so you are ready when her banner drops.
Updated September 18, 2026. The Version 1.4 preview has confirmed Blackbird's Main DPS role, coordinated attacks and transformed state. Some details below still come from an earlier tutorial leak, while exact multipliers, her full Awakening tree and her signature Arc's effect remain unannounced.
Who Is Blackbird in NTE?
From the Witch's House to Your Team
Blackbird is the witch at the Witch's House in Bridge Crossings, southwest of Wertheimer Tower near Hankaku Street. Players visit her to turn in Oracle Stones for rewards, including Annulith and increases to maximum Stamina.
The house also offers three daily fortune options: Lost Tales reveals a hidden quest, Bless grants a buff for the rest of the day, and Treasure Hunt points to an undiscovered Oracle Stone.
That gives her a place in the exploration routine rather than making her a character you only meet in cutscenes. The main-story walkthrough for Debt Collector also sends the player to meet her during Questioning Fate. Current character databases list her playable version as S-Class and Psyche, bringing that familiar NPC into a combat role.
Story Connections and the Witch's Persona
All Things How's character coverage connects Blackbird to the Yggash Court through Lavinia, reporting that Lavinia represented her in a meeting with Eibon during A Research in Scarlet.
That is a useful story lead, although her exact position within the organization is less securely documented than her role at the Witch's House. It points toward ties beyond fortune-telling without establishing her rank or motives. Version 1.4 also brings a new main episode, The Witch, and the St. Arbor Location Anomaly, giving her story a fresh setting.
Her reveal also leans into destiny and repeated encounters. Read alongside her divination services, that framing suggests someone who knows more about a meeting than the person arriving for it.
It suits her mysterious presentation, but shouldn't be stretched into a confirmed ability to control fate or an explanation for every part of her combat kit.
Appearance and Visual Design
Blackbird's witch hat, gothic dress, feather details and hanging chains give her a distinctive silhouette. The bird imagery is a recurring part of the design rather than a single accessory: it appears in descriptions of her reveal art and carries through to the named mark and coordinated attacker shown in the Version 1.4 preview. That connection makes the combat concept feel rooted in the character's appearance.
The costume's dark fabric and yellow-gold accents reinforce the occult styling without giving her the armored look of a conventional fighter. Her floating combat form, shown in the Version 1.4 preview, further separates the fortune-teller players know from the version they control in battle.
Blackbird Release Date and Banner Outlook
Global Release Window and the Version 1.4 Preview
Blackbird is confirmed for September 30, 2026, in Version 1.4 Phase 1.
The current scheduling anchor is the September 30 end date for Linko's banner and Hotori's rerun, listed in the official September maintenance notice.
The Version 1.4 preview program, For Whom the Verses Mourn, aired on September 16 at 7:30 a.m. EDT, 4:30 a.m. PDT and 12:30 p.m. BST. For the wider patch forecast, our NTE 1.4 banner preview covers what it confirmed for Blackbird and Akane Rin together.
Blackbird Kit Preview: How Her Two Forms Work
The Version 1.4 preview shows a dual-phase combat cycle: Blackbird marks enemies for coordinated attacks before entering a transformed damage window. The earlier tutorial leak attributed to Seele adds resource and timing details that have not all been confirmed. Here is what the two sources suggest about her gameplay loop:
Malice and Coordinated Attacks
- Resource Generation (leak): Basic Attacks, Plunging Attacks, Dodge Counters, and Parries reportedly build a resource called Malice.
- Skill & Quickswap: The preview shows her Skill marking targets with Feather of Paradise Lost. The claim that it immediately caps her Synchro gauge (the meter enabling cycle-ready switching) comes from the earlier leak.
- Off-Field Coordination: Swapping to a teammate and attacking commands the Paradise Lost Bird to unleash coordinated follow-up strikes while Blackbird rests off the field.
The Witch of Deliverance Transformation
The unlock condition suggests a choice between completing an attack string and finding a counter opportunity. Whether that produces a flexible rotation depends on enemy behavior and animation timing, not just the listed effects.
What Her Combat Loop Suggests About Her Role
Our early reading is a setup phase, teammate actions and a personal damage window. A practical test would be whether her setup is short enough to fit before an ally's buffs, and whether those buffs last through her transformed attacks.
The preview labels her a Main DPS; the open question is how much field time her setup and transformed attacks need within a team rotation.
The missing details are specific: whether Malice works as described in the leak, follow-up frequency, mark duration and damage multipliers. Without them, assigning a fixed field-time requirement or a numerical DPS ranking would be guesswork.
Blackbird Build Preview: Arcs, Cartridges and Stats
NTE's equipment systems serve different jobs. Arcs are weapons; Cartridges supply set effects activated through Module arrangements in a character's Console. Modules also contribute stats, so choosing a Cartridge is only part of putting a build together.
What We Know About Her Arc Options
We don't yet have a reliable compatibility list or complete signature Arc details for Blackbird. That rules out a useful named weapon shortlist for now: another Psyche character's preferred Arc isn't automatically something she can equip.
Devil's Blood: Curse or Quiet Manor?
Two existing Cartridges offer sensible starting points for testing. Their effects are known, but their suitability for Blackbird depends on her final damage types and the team supporting her.
Psyche and Mental DMG are not interchangeable. Blackbird's element doesn't establish that Quiet Manor improves her attacks, and triggering Nova doesn't mean every Mental DMG bonus applies to that reaction. Also, Devil's Blood's 36% replaces its 18% conditional bonus; the two figures are not added together.
Why Damage Type Matters for Stat Priorities
If her main damage scales with ATK and can crit, ATK, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG and applicable damage bonuses belong in the comparison. Additional damage and Esper Cycle effects need separate scaling checks. An early stat list that treats every part of the kit identically would hide an important build decision.
- Early Stat Candidates: ATK%, Psyche DMG Bonus, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG on compatible Cartridges, subject to her final damage scaling.
- What to Check on Modules: ATK%, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and Universal DMG substats; NTE Modules have fixed flat ATK and HP main stats rather than separate Sands or Cap slots.
Rotation consistency matters too. A build that produces a bigger transformation hit can still feel worse if it leaves you waiting for the next Ultimate. Rather than chasing a borrowed CRIT target, evaluate damage alongside how reliably the build gets her back into her strongest attacks.
Blackbird Team Options to Watch
Start with the Esper Cycle your team wants to use, then fill the remaining roles around it. The following are four-character candidates for testing, not proven best-in-slot lineups. With four slots available, adding Blackbird also means deciding whose contribution you can afford to lose.
Stain Teams
Stain connects Psyche and Lakshana. Skia supplies the Lakshana side of the first lineup, while Edgar covers healing. Haniel's Hootie remains after she switches out and provides an ATK bonus based on her Base ATK, making her a candidate for buffing Blackbird without occupying the entire damage window.
This is an accessible-teammate framework, not a claim that every account owns those characters or that it will be the strongest budget team. Its appeal is the clear division of jobs: reaction access, offensive support and recovery around Blackbird.
Nova and Discord Teams
Nova combines Psyche and Chaos. Haniel's Nova passive adds an ATK-drain benefit when Nova ends, while Fadia brings damage-sharing utility and her own Nova-related passive. Those existing effects give the Nova lineup a mechanical basis, though Blackbird's personal damage must justify its limited elemental variety.
Discord requires Nova and Scorch together, combining Psyche, Chaos and Incantation to deplete part of the enemy's Break gauge. Lacrimosa has an additional reason to trigger it against already Broken targets: her Discord enhancement deals damage equal to 400% of ATK.
Zankou allows Scorch to stack up to three times, and Sakiri supports the Scorch approach. Those are real team interactions, but sharing field time among several damage dealers remains a serious tradeoff.
Where Akane Could Fit
Akane Rin's confirmed Lakshana element gives the proposed pairing a basis in Stain teams. Elemental compatibility is only the beginning, though: the preview presents both characters as Main DPS, so their field-time needs may compete. Until their rotations can be tested together, this is a pairing to watch rather than a required combination.
Should You Pull Blackbird?
- Pull if: You want NTE's first limited S-Class Psyche character and like the reported mix of coordinated attacks, counters, and transformed combos.
- Skip if: Your account is committed to hypercarry teams that cannot surrender field time for her setup, or if you are saving your guarantee strictly for Akane Rin later in 1.4.
If You Want to Build Around Her
Blackbird is worth saving for if you already like the character and want a team centered on her transformation. Watching her gameplay demo, pay attention to the setup: how much attacking she needs before transforming, how naturally teammates fit between her turns, and whether you enjoy that rhythm.
Those details will affect everyday play more than a single impressive damage clip.
If You Already Have an Established Team
Be more selective if your current damage dealer already occupies most of the rotation. Coordinated attacks sound useful, but they don't automatically make Blackbird an efficient off-field replacement. Look for a meaningful improvement within the field time your team can actually give her.
If Your Budget Covers One Version 1.4 Character
Choose the Main DPS you want to build around before choosing a rumored partnership. Blackbird's transformed combat and Akane Rin's ranged, music-driven attacks offer different playstyles. Wait to compare their full rotations rather than treating two new banners as a package.
How to Prepare for Blackbird
Your Character and Arc Pull Budget
Under the current Limited Board rules, the featured S-Class character is guaranteed within 90 pulls, without a character 50/50. At 160 Annulith per pull, the ceiling is 14,400 Annulith from zero pity. Saved Solid Dice and existing limited-character pity reduce the amount still needed.
These are ceilings under the existing systems, not average costs or announced Blackbird packages. Arc Research uses Tri-Keys and ten-pull batches. Reserve enough for Blackbird first; decide whether her signature deserves the remaining budget once it can be compared with compatible alternatives.
Resources Worth Saving Now
Keep character EXP materials, Beetle Coins and Arc EXP materials available. The preview also identifies Perpetuity of Memory from Anomaly Pilgrimage - Collector as a skill material and Colorful Ticket Fragment from Anomaly Tracking - Monarch Butterfly as a level breakthrough material. Exact quantities still need to be checked against her in-game requirements.
Pixel Surge runs from September 14 at 05:00 to September 21 at 04:59, server time, doubling rewards in Houdinii's Magic Stage, Houdinii's Schemes, Bubble Can Factory and Rabbit Hole. Its daily allowance covers 120 Character Pixels, with unused allowance carrying over up to an event total of 840.
Use the event for resources your roster already needs, leaving room to adjust your farming once her full material quantities are available.
Final Thoughts
Blackbird brings one of Hethereau's familiar faces into the playable roster, and her revealed kit gives her witch persona a combat identity of its own: marks and coordinated bird attacks set the stage for a transformed damage window. The builds and teams above all turn on the same question: how much space does that full rotation need?
Version 1.4's launch, when her kit goes live and testable, should make it easier to judge her final damage types, field time and fit in a four-character team. Those details will matter more to a lasting pull decision than a single showcase hit from the preview.
If her full kit wins you over but your Annulith stash does not quite stretch far enough, you can top up NTE through GamsGo. Save up to 30% with a safe, reliable service
FAQ
I Have 40 Pity and 20 Solid Dice. How Much More Do I Need?
With that pity carried into her Limited Board, you would need at most 50 more character pulls. Your 20 Solid Dice cover part of that, leaving 30 pulls, or 4,800 Annulith. This assumes no intervening S-Class pull resets your pity.
Does Obtaining Blackbird Also Guarantee Her Banner Outfit?
No. Blackbird's Rouge et Noir outfit is listed as a Skin Perks reward for accumulated rolls, while Wandering Stars is sold in the Mall and Unfazed Denim unlocks at Bond Level 10. Obtaining Blackbird alone does not grant the banner outfit.
Who Voices Blackbird in English?
Xanthe Huynh is credited as Blackbird in IMDb and Metacritic's cast records.
Do I Need to Finish the Story Before I Can Pull for Her?
The current Limited Boards unlock after the early quest Prologue - A New Destination - Head to Eibon Antique Shop, not after completing every available chapter. Blackbird's banner-specific entry requirements have not been published, but clearing that existing unlock is the practical starting point for a new account.
Can Blackbird Fly Freely Outside Combat?
The preview shows Blackbird turning into a bird for faster open-world travel. It does not yet establish how far or how long she can fly, so wait for hands-on testing before treating her as an unrestricted exploration upgrade.
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