Bagpipe

General overview

Her talent 2 on its own makes her an extremely valuable operator, but on top of it, she has pretty monstrous DPS and can even play guard in many situations. She has better damage than the other charger vanguards, so in maps with a tough first wave of enemies, she can stall for DP for longer without being overwhelmed.

E2? Strongly recommended because of her talent 2. She shouldn't be prioritized over core DPS (and you can always borrow her from supports if you need to), but if you like to play CC, having an E2 Bagpipe of your own frees up your support slot for other operators.

Talents

Talent 1 - Precise Reloading

E1 When attacking, has a 25% (+3%) chance to increase ATK to 110% and strike an additional target

E2 When attacking, has a 25% (+3%) chance to increase ATK to 130% and strike an additional target

The crit has pretty decent odds, and the extra target is nice. Synergizes well with her 2nd and 3rd skills because they hit multiple times, giving her extra chances to proc her talent.

Talent 2 - Martial Condition

E2 When this unit is in the squad, all vanguards gain +6 (+2) initial SP

Just to attach some numbers to this, Courier’s skill 1 would take 17 seconds to first charge, Myrtle’s skill 1 would take 9 seconds (and only 3 seconds at M3), and Saga’s skill 2 would be available immediately. Unless you're a whale or just really lucky, you probably won't get the upgrade from potentials because it doesn't come until pot 5. Fortunately, it's powerful enough for the vast majority of players without the upgrade.

Skills

Skill 1 - Swift Strike γ

Skill effect: ATK +34%/45%, ASPD +35/45

Overview: This skill would be alright if the other 2 didn't exist.

Skill 2 - High Impact Assault

Skill effect: Increases the ATK of the next attack to 160%/200% and strikes an additional time. Can store 2/3 charges.

Overview: A good skill if you only need her on the field for a few seconds to stall for DP. If you only need her to take out relatively weak enemies at a consistent rate, this skill will also do that. If you just leaked an enemy and you need it dead fast, it can do that as well. It's a very versatile skill, but it may fall short if you need her to do a bit more than clean trash.

M3 commentary: The extra charge actually kicks in at M2, so if you only want that, it's fine to stop there. M3 has some pretty decent gains, but you will probably be able to live without them. Skill 3 gets a more noticeable bump in performance at M3 than skill 2 does.

Skill 3 - Locked Breech Burst

Skill effect: Attack interval increases, block +1, ATK/DEF +90%/120%, and attacks hit 3 times in a row

Overview: More blocks means more vulnerability to hits, but she solves this by also getting a massive spike in defense. The attack multiplier is already great on paper, but don't forget her attacks hit 3 times! This skill is a great early wave-clearer, but it also lets her take on some pretty hefty enemies if you leave her on the field.

M3 commentary: She gets an extremely hefty boost in offensive capabilities from M3. Don't ignore the reduced windup time - with her talent, she effectively gets 31 initial SP, so you don't even need to wait 10 seconds before she can start wrecking things. If I only had to M3 one of her skills, this would be it.

Module

Level 1: Obtain 2 DP after this unit defeats an enemy. Refunds 100% of current DP cost upon retreat.

Level 2: Talent Upgrade: When this unit is in the squad, all vanguards gain +6 initial SP; this unit gains +2 extra initial SP upon deployment

Level 2: Talent Upgrade: When this unit is in the squad, all vanguards gain +6 initial SP; this unit gains +4 extra initial SP upon deployment

Overview: Her initial module is nice if you like to use her as a helidrop. Same with the upgrades, although it gets harder and harder to justify the cost, so you'll have to really think about whether you'd get full use out of the benefits. Notably, her modules do nothing to improve her in-squad talent, so if you're just using her to juice your vanguards, they're an easy pass.