Gear is one of the best long-term optimization systems in Anime Squadron because it combines slots, set bonuses and stat ranges.
Ninja, Pirate, Dragon Gi, Omega, Puppeteer and special gear pieces push different goals such as damage, cooldown, range, DOT or crit.
The next useful tool is a gear roll calculator: select gear type and rarity, enter the rolled stat, then show the percentile between min and max.
