Academy is the knowledge tag built around Grimoire — your special skills, the powerful casts you slot and trigger in combat. Where a normal build uses a weapon swing as its core, the Academy Grimoire build turns those skills into the main event: it shortens their cooldowns, cuts their MP cost, and multiplies their damage so you spend fights chaining one spell into the next.
The centrepiece is Empty Hilt (Legend Academy). It grants up to +30% Grimoire Damage, up to +20% Final MP, and MP Regeneration — a one-item package that makes your Grimoire hit harder while funding the casts that let you keep spamming. Around it, Rylie's Pocket Watch (also Legend) adds up to +80 Grimoire Haste plus Critical Damage and a reduction to Grimoire MP cost, compressing your rotation dramatically.
Because Grimoire skills come in every element — fire (Meteor Shower), lightning, frost — Academy is the classic "glue" build. It does not care which element you commit to; it just makes whichever skills you pick fire relentlessly. Choose your element early, then use Academy to keep it casting.
Cooldown, Cost, and Cast Speed
Three numbers decide how many Grimoire casts you fit into a fight, and Academy touches all of them.
Grimoire Haste is your cooldown reduction. Rylie's Pocket Watch gives up to +80, Glowing Hourglass boosts the Grimoire Haste of whatever skill sits in your right slot by up to +140%, and Mage's Coin adds up to +65 while also raising the chance that Grimoire appear in your rewards at all — a real "how to find more" item.
MP economy is the silent limiter. Empty Hilt's Final MP and regeneration, Orb of Yearning (which reserves MP to boost Grimoire damage by up to +18%), and Pocket Watch's MP cost reduction together make sure you are never cast-starved.
Finally Grimoire Damage multiplies every cast. Empty Hilt, Battle Mage's Gloves, and Pearl Dust stack it high; Meditation Book adds more Grimoire Damage and lets you cast all Grimoire instantly without the action delay.
- Empty Hilt — Legend Academy. Up to +30% Grimoire Damage, +20% Final MP, and MP Regeneration.
- Rylie's Pocket Watch — Legend Academy. Up to +80 Grimoire Haste, Critical Damage, and reduced Grimoire MP cost.
- Mage's Coin — Common Academy. +15–65 Grimoire Haste and +25% chance of Grimoire appearing in rewards.
- Meditation Book — Rare Academy. Instantly casts all Grimoire without action delay, plus Grimoire Damage.
- Glowing Hourglass — Rare Academy. Up to +140% Grimoire Haste for the Grimoire in your right slot.
The Glue: Pick an Element, Any Element
Grimoire skills are element-flavoured, and Academy amplifies whichever you slot. Pair the engine with Meteor Shower and you turn Sephiria's big fire skill into a near-constant rain; pair it with lightning or frost Grimoire and you get the same relentless rhythm in a different colour.
The build's versatility is its strength — you are not locked to one identity. Whatever powerful Grimoire your run hands you, Academy makes it cast more often and hit harder. This is why it slots cleanly under the Staff build and alongside the elemental guides on this site.
One useful bridge: Academy Fountain Pen (a Shadow-tagged item) refunds Grimoire cooldowns on successful Evasion. If you find yourself dodging constantly, it is a strong hybrid that lets an evasive playstyle also feed your Grimoire engine.
How to Play It
Early, focus on finding your element skill and the engine together. Mage's Coin is deceptively valuable early because it makes Grimoire show up more often in your rewards, feeding the build itself.
Mid-run, balance haste against cost. A Grimoire that is off cooldown but unaffordable is useless, so take MP and cost-reduction items as seriously as Haste.
Late, you are a constant caster. Keep your Grimoire cycling, let Meditation Book remove any cast delay, and use Empty Hilt's regeneration to sustain the spam through long boss fights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Academy viable without a Staff? Yes. Grimoire skills are not Staff-exclusive; Staff simply makes mana-heavy casting smoother. Any weapon can run the engine as long as you have the MP economy.
What does Grimoire Haste actually do? It shortens the cooldown of your Grimoire skills, letting you cast more often. More haste means a tighter rotation.
How do I find more Grimoire? Mage's Coin is the direct answer — it raises the chance that Grimoire appear in your reward pool, making it a foundational early pick for this build.
Key Artifacts
These items are referenced from our artifact catalog and form the backbone of this build.
Empty Hilt
Legend Academy. Up to +30% Grimoire Damage, +20% Final MP, and MP Regeneration.
Rylie's Pocket Watch
Legend Academy. Up to +80 Grimoire Haste, Critical Damage, and reduced Grimoire MP cost.
Meditation Book
Rare Academy. Instantly casts all Grimoire without action delay, plus Grimoire Damage.
Battle Mage's Gloves
Rare Academy. Up to +20% Grimoire Damage and move speed.
Mage's Coin
Common Academy. +15–65 Grimoire Haste and +25% chance of Grimoire appearing in rewards.
Recommended Tablets
Pro Tips
- Balance Grimoire Haste with MP economy — a skill off cooldown but unaffordable is useless.
- Mage's Coin early makes Grimoire show up more often in rewards.
- This build empowers any element — pick one and commit.
- Meditation Book removes cast delay, smoothing your rotation.
- Academy Fountain Pen bridges to an evasion playstyle if you dodge a lot.
- Staff makes mana-heavy casting smoother but is not required.
Related Builds
Staff: The Elemental Archmage Build
Mana-powered spells with the highest AoE ceiling. Chain elements for screen-wide devastation.
Ember Burn: Damage Over Time Engine
Stack Burn and watch enemies melt. A relentless Damage-over-Time engine that outlasts every boss.
Storm Cloud: Lightning Overload
A lightning charge system that discharges through your attacks. Scale capacity, recovery and free procs to keep the sky working for you.