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Arriving around the same time as the BTS x Cookie Run: Kingdom collaboration, Squid Ink Cookie's Magic Candy failed to be noticed by the majority of the community amongst all the buzz. As such, it didn't really have the same effect on the character's pick rate as the Magic Candies for Vampire or Espresso Cookie.
This article explores whether the upgrade to Squid Ink Cookie makes him a viable investment for Cookie Run: Kingdom players, and how well it compares to top-tier DPS characters in the game.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's views.
Reviewing Squid Ink Cookie in Cookie Run: Kingdom (January 2023)
The various relevant substats of the maxed-out Squid Ink Cookie are provided below (Lv. 70 Cookie and Lv. 70 "Ink Tentacle" Skill, full Searing Raspberry build):
- HP: 88,135
- DEF: 34,593
- CRIT%: 21%
- Overall Power Rating: 213,706
The damage number for his "Ink Tentacle Slap" skill is:
- Single Hit DMG: 61.3%
The additions to this skill after adding a Magic Candy to the Cookie are outlined below:
- Ink Tentacle Slaps: +3 Slaps
- Extra Skill DMG (Cookies): 5%
- Extra Skill DMG (Others): 16%
- DEF Reduction: -20% for 10 sec, stacks up once
- Extra DMG to DEF reduced targets: 15%
The first notable change after applying the Magic Candy comes from the added HP, which considerably boosts Squid Ink's survivability, a significant concern amongst players who decided against using the Squid.
Additionally, a major pain point is the lack of any buffs or debuffs in the Cookie's skill, which has also been addressed with a considerable DEF reduction debuff, but no stacking options make the debuff rather weak.
The extra slaps also make Squid Ink a more potent DPS, one more in line with the current standards of Cookie Run: Kingdom's PvP and PvE. Enemies under the DEF reduction debuff receiving additional DMG also go a long way, particularly in PvE.
While most older Cookies get filtered out of the meta because of an astronomical gap between the numbers that they're able to put up against those of newer Cookies, Squid Ink Cookie always just narrowly loses out to others in his category.
This Magic Candy does a lot to address that gap and brings Squid Ink as close to being a part of the Cookie Run: Kingdom meta as it ever has been. Unfortunately, there's still a considerable gap between the numbers and value proposition of the meta Cookies and Squid Ink.
Espresso Cookie, a character that has been successfully rebooted with a Magic Candy, has a significantly higher DMG dealing ability and a unique "Injury" debuff. In most Cookie Run: Kingdom situations, Espresso will take the lead over Squid Ink and should be preferred for large-scale investments.
That being said, Squid Ink can be a decent secondary DPS in a Black Pearl or Sea Fairy anchored burst team if players are short of one and don't have the resources to make more pulls.
Cookie Run: Kingdom fans can track this space to keep an eye on all the latest news as it's released.
