Kaiju No. 8 The Game: Reno Ichikawa 5-Star Best Build Guide

Table of Contents

1. Character Overview
2. Reno Ichikawa Stats and Role
3. Freeze and Ice Crystal Mechanics
4. Best Uniparts Setup for Reno
5. Best Weapon Choice
6. Skill Upgrade Priority
7. Awakening Priority
8. Best Team Compositions
9. Spider-Type Synergy Explained
10. FAQ

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Character Overview

Reno Ichikawa — the 5★ ShotIce Attacker — is one of the strongest offensive units in Kaiju No. 8 The Game. Ranked S-tier across multiple tier lists, Reno brings exceptional single-target damage with built-in AoE via his Ice Crystal spread mechanic.

As a member of the Defense Force’s 1st Division and Mina Ashiro’s trusted subordinate, Reno wields ice-based combat abilities that Freeze enemies and spread the status to nearby targets.

Basic Information

Stat	Value
Rarity	5★
Role	ShotIce Attacker
Obtain	Gacha Pull
Tier	S
Weapon Type	AR
Damage Type	Shot + Ice
Status Effect	Freeze
Passive	Ice Additional DMG = 21% of ATK. Ice Crystal spreads to adjacent kaiju.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• S-tier damage output with consistent Freeze uptime
• Ice Additional DMG is essentially free damage on every attack
• Ice Crystal spread turns single-target into pseudo-AoE
• Strong Awakening power spikes, especially A6
• Fits into almost any team composition

Weaknesses:

• Relies on Effect Hit Rate to land Freeze reliably
• Ice Crystal spread requires enemies to be clustered
• Weaker against Freeze-immune enemies
• SP management can be tight without support

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Reno Ichikawa Stats and Role

Reno is a primary damage carry who wants to be built for maximum offensive output. His unique Ice Additional DMG passive means every point of ATK is multiplied not once but twice.

Stat Scaling Priority

Priority	Stat	Why
1	ATK%	Every point of ATK feeds Ice Additional DMG at 21% scaling. Non-negotiable.
2	Effect Hit Rate	Needed to land Freeze reliably. Without Freeze, Ice Crystal spread doesn’t work.
3	CRIT Rate	AR-Boreas helps, but you need more from substats.
4	CRIT DMG	Amplifies both direct damage and Ice Additional DMG.
5	SPD	Helps cycle actions. Lower priority than other stats.

Level 60 Base Stats (Estimated)

Base Stat	Value
HP	7,800
ATK	2,250
DEF	880
SPD	108
CRIT Rate	10%
CRIT DMG	50%

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Freeze and Ice Crystal Mechanics

Reno’s kit revolves around two interlocking mechanics: Freeze (status effect) and Ice Crystal (spread mechanic).

Freeze

Freeze is a debuff that prevents enemies from taking actions for 1 turn. Against bosses, Freeze may be reduced to a slow or action delay instead.

• Base Freeze chance: Determined by Reno’s Effect Hit Rate vs enemy Effect RES.
• Duration: 1 turn against normal enemies. Reduced against bosses.
• Application: Reno’s Combat Skill and Ultimate apply Freeze.

Ice Crystal Spread

When Reno attacks a frozen enemy, the Freeze effect spreads to adjacent kaiju.

Mechanic	Detail
Trigger	Attack a frozen enemy
Range	Adjacent enemies within ~2 tiles
Spread Chance	100% on hit
New Duration	Full duration (1 turn) on spread targets
Can Re-Freeze	Yes — spread can chain if multiple frozen enemies are adjacent

Ice Additional DMG

Reno’s passive deals bonus Ice damage equal to 21% of his ATK when attacking frozen enemies.

Awakening	Bonus Damage
Base (A0)	21% of ATK
A6	33.6% of ATK (60% increase)

This damage is calculated separately and can independently CRIT. At A6, this passive essentially gives Reno a 33.6% ATK multiplier on every attack against frozen targets.

Optimal Rotation

1. Combat Skill → Apply Freeze
2. Basic Attack → Trigger Ice Additional DMG + Ice Crystal spread
3. Basic Attack → Continue damage on frozen targets
4. Ultimate → Massive burst on frozen target (bonus damage vs debuffed enemies with Spider-Type)

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Best Uniparts Setup for Reno

Reno has one optimal build path: Spider-Type (ATK). The synergy between his Freeze debuff and Spider-Type’s conditional damage is unmatched.

Build: Spider-Type (ATK) — Best in Slot

Spider-Type boosts ATK and Effect Hit Rate while dealing bonus damage against debuffed enemies. Since Freeze is a debuff, this bonus applies to every Reno attack against frozen targets.

Slot	Main Stat	Substats Priority	Set Bonus
Head	ATK%	ATK% > Effect Hit Rate > CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG	+ATK%
Chest	CRIT DMG	CRIT DMG > ATK% > Effect Hit Rate > CRIT Rate	+ATK%
Gloves	ATK%	ATK% > Effect Hit Rate > CRIT Rate > SPD	+ATK%
Boots	SPD	SPD > ATK% > Effect Hit Rate > CRIT Rate	+ATK%
Orb	Effect Hit Rate	Effect Hit Rate > ATK% > CRIT DMG > CRIT Rate	+Effect Hit Rate
Charm	ATK%	ATK% > Effect Hit Rate > CRIT DMG > HP%	+Effect Hit Rate

Stat Thresholds

Stat	Minimum Target	Recommended	Notes
Effect Hit Rate	60%	80%+	Needed for consistent Freeze on bosses
CRIT Rate	40%	60%+	AR-Boreas helps significantly
ATK	3,000	3,500+	Scales Ice Additional DMG

Alternative: Plant-Type (Support)

Plant-Type is a defensive alternative for survivability. It trades damage for HP and healing.

Slot	Main Stat	Substats Priority
Head	HP%	HP% > Effect Hit Rate > ATK% > DEF%
Chest	HP%	HP% > Effect RES > DEF% > ATK%
Gloves	DEF%	DEF% > HP% > Effect Hit Rate > ATK%
Boots	SPD	SPD > HP% > Effect RES > ATK%
Orb	HP%	HP% > Effect RES > DEF% > ATK%
Charm	HP%	HP% > Effect RES > ATK% > SPD

When to use Plant-Type: Only if your Reno keeps dying before applying Freeze. Spider-Type is almost always better.

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Best Weapon Choice

Reno equips AR-type weapons. Two 5★ ARs stand out as his best options.

Primary: AR-Boreas (5★ AR) — Best in Slot

Stat	Value
Weapon Type	AR
Base ATK	1,420
CRIT Rate	+18%
Passive	CRIT Rate increase; recommended for Reno+Mina teams.
Recommended For	All content

Why AR-Boreas is best: The 18% CRIT Rate substat helps Reno reach the 60%+ CRIT Rate threshold. The weapon’s design is thematically tied to Reno’s ice kit (Boreas is the Greek god of the north wind). In Reno+Mina teams, the shared AR weapon type means both characters benefit from the same weapon material farming.

Secondary: AR-Cronus (5★ AR)

Stat	Value
Weapon Type	AR
Base ATK	1,400
CRIT Rate	+15%
Passive	CRIT Rate increase; recommended for Reno+Aoi+Iharu teams.
Recommended For	Teams without Mina

AR-Cronus trades 3% CRIT Rate for broader team compatibility. Use this if your team composition is built around Reno + Aoi + Iharu instead of Reno + Mina.

Budget Options

Weapon	Rarity	Why Use It
AR-Anollococ	5★	Viable alternative with solid ATK stat. Less CRIT synergy.
Any 4★ AR	4★	Use as placeholder until you pull Boreas or Cronus.
AR-Hound 64	4★	Decent budget option with ATK% substat.

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Skill Upgrade Priority

Priority Order

Priority	Skill	Why Level First
1	Passive (Ice Crystal)	Increases Ice Additional DMG multiplier. Direct DPS increase on every attack.
2	Combat Skill (Freeze Shot)	Primary Freeze application tool. Higher level = higher Freeze chance.
3	Ultimate (Glacier Burst)	Powerful nuke, but lower uptime than Passive or Combat Skill.
4	Basic Attack	Lowest priority. Upgrade when spare materials exist.

Recommended Skill Levels

Content Type	Passive	Combat Skill	Ultimate	Basic Attack
Early Game (1-40)	4	3	2	1
Mid Game (41-60)	6	5	5	3
End Game (60+)	10	9	8	5

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Awakening Priority

Reno’s Awakenings are well-balanced, with a clear standout at A6.

Awakening Breakdown

Awakening	Effect	Rating	Priority
A1	CRIT DMG +30% before Ultimate	★★★★	2nd
A2	Freeze duration +1 turn	★★★	4th
A3	Effect Hit Rate +20%	★★★★	3rd
A4	Ultimate Gauge +2 per Ice Additional DMG	★★★★	2nd (tie)
A5	ATK +20% vs frozen enemies	★★★	5th
A6	Ice Additional DMG +60%	★★★★★	1st

Priority Order

1. A6 (★★★★★) — Ice Additional DMG +60%. This takes Reno’s passive from 21% ATK to 33.6% ATK. This is the single strongest damage multiplier in his entire kit and is active on every attack against frozen targets. Non-negotiable top priority.
2. A1 (★★★★) — CRIT DMG +30% before Ultimate. A large burst window multiplier. Combine with Spider-Type’s debuff bonus for massive Ultimate damage.
3. A4 (★★★★) — Ultimate Gauge +2 per Ice Additional DMG proc. Since Reno procs Ice Additional DMG on every attack against frozen targets, this means significantly faster Ultimate rotations. Excellent quality-of-life.
4. A3 (★★★★) — Effect Hit Rate +20%. Makes Freeze more consistent, especially against high-RES bosses. The 20% is a significant chunk.
5. A2 (★★★) — Freeze duration +1 turn. Situationally useful. Against bosses (where Freeze is reduced), this helps maintain uptime.
6. A5 (★★★) — ATK +20% vs frozen enemies. Decent damage boost but additive with other ATK% sources, so it has diminishing returns.

Pull Strategy

• F2P target: A1 + A3 for core consistency. Save remaining pulls.
• Dolphin target: A6 for the massive Ice Additional DMG multiplier. This is where Reno becomes S-tier.
• Whale target: A6 + max refinement AR-Boreas.

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Best Team Compositions

Reno’s flexibility makes him a welcome addition to many team compositions. Here are three strong options.

Team 1: Ice Core (Recommended)

Slot	Character	Role	Why
Main DPS	Reno Ichikawa	ShotIce Attacker	Our build subject
Sub DPS	Mina Ashiro	Shot Attacker	AR-Boreas shared weapon synergy
Support	Aoi Kaguya	Healer/Support	Sustain + debuff clear
Flex	Iharu Furuhashi	Slash Attacker	Shock synergy with Freeze

Strategy: Reno applies Freeze, which triggers Spider-Type damage bonus. Iharu applies Shock on top for dual-debuff damage. Mina provides supplementary boss damage. Aoi keeps everyone alive. The AR-Boreas weapon path means both Reno and Mina use the same material type.

Team 2: Status Stacking

Slot	Character	Role	Why
Main DPS	Reno Ichikawa	ShotIce Attacker	Freeze applier
Debuffer	Kikoru Shinomiya	Slash Attacker	DEF debuff + CRIT synergy
Support	Haruichi Izumo	Shot Supporter	ATK buff + SP regen
Tank	Soshiro Hoshina	Slash Attacker	Wave clear + secondary damage

Strategy: Stack every debuff in the game. Reno Freezes, Kikoru reduces DEF, Haruichi buffs ATK. Soshiro cleans up frozen+debuffed enemies. This team has excellent synergy for boss fights where debuff stacking is effective.

Team 3: Budget Hybrid

Slot	Character	Role	Why
Main DPS	Reno Ichikawa	ShotIce Attacker	Solo carry with Plant-Type sustain
Support	Any Healer	Healer	Pick your best healer
Tank	Any DEF character	Tank	Pick your best tank
Flex	Any DPS	DPS	Fill with strongest remaining DPS

Strategy: Reno carries the team with Freeze + Ice Additional DMG while the rest of the team provides sustain and survival. This works in all general content and is great for new players who don’t have a deep roster.

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Spider-Type Synergy Explained

The Spider-Type + Reno combination is the strongest Synergy in the game for a reason. Let’s break down exactly how it works.

The Synergy Loop

1. Reno uses Combat Skill → Applies Freeze (debuff)
2. Spider-Type 2-piece → +ATK% (permanent)
3. Spider-Type 4-piece → +DMG vs debuffed enemies (Freeze counts)
4. Reno attacks frozen enemy → Ice Additional DMG procs (+21% ATK as bonus damage)
5. Ice Crystal Spread → Freeze spreads to adjacent enemies
6. All frozen enemies are debuffed → Spider-Type bonus applies to all

Damage Calculation Example

Assume Reno has 3,500 ATK, 60% CRIT Rate, 150% CRIT DMG.

Damage Source	Calculation	Result
Direct Attack	3,500 × 1.0 (no debuff bonus)	3,500
CRIT Multiplier	3,500 × 1.5	5,250
Ice Additional DMG	3,500 × 0.21	735
Ice Additional DMG (CRIT)	735 × 1.5	1,102
Spider-Type Bonus vs Debuffed	+20% (estimated)	+1,050
Total per attack		~7,402

Without Spider-Type, the same attack does ~5,985 damage. That’s a 23.7% damage increase from the set alone, before factoring in the Effect Hit Rate for consistent Freeze application.

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