Guide
How the kit works
Before a fight, use Comradery when you want an opening shield. At the start of the next battle, it shields every ally for 24% of Gepard's DEF plus 150, lasting two turns. This gives the team protection before his Ultimate is available.
During the fight, use Fist of Conviction for a single-target Ice hit when you don't need Freeze. Daunting Smite hits one enemy and has a 65% base chance to Freeze them for one turn. A Frozen enemy cannot act and takes additional Ice DMG at the beginning of each turn.
Use Enduring Bulwark to protect everyone as shields run low. Its shield absorbs 45% of Gepard's DEF plus 600 and lasts three turns. Unyielding Will restores Gepard to 50% of his Max HP instead of letting him fall to a killing blow, once per battle. A passive also restores his Energy to 100% when that Talent triggers.
Build and why
Start with four pieces of Self-Enshrouded Recluse. Its two-piece effect increases provided Shield Effect by 10%; the four-piece effect adds another 12% and gives allies shielded by Gepard 15% CRIT DMG. For the planar set, Belobog of the Architects gives 15% DEF and another 15% DEF if Gepard reaches 50% Effect Hit Rate.
Broken Keel is another planar choice: it gives Effect RES and, at 30% Effect RES, grants the team 10% CRIT DMG. Knight of Purity Palace is an alternative four-piece relic set that raises DEF and the damage Gepard's shields can absorb.
Use DEF Percentage on the body and sphere, SPD on the feet, and Energy Regeneration Rate or DEF Percentage on the rope. For substats, follow DEF Percentage, SPD, Effect Hit Rate, then Effect RES. DEF strengthens the shield; Effect Hit Rate supports the Skill's Freeze and can help meet the Belobog threshold.
Moment of Victory is the first Light Cone pick. It gives DEF and Effect Hit Rate, raises Gepard's chance of being attacked, and grants extra DEF when he is hit. Journey, Forever Peaceful is next: it increases provided Shield Effect and the damage dealt by shielded allies. Day One of My New Life offers DEF and All-Type RES for the team.
Leveling priority
Follow the game's order: level Enduring Bulwark first because it provides the team shield. Next is Daunting Smite, then Fist of Conviction, and finally Unyielding Will. The Talent helps Gepard recover once per battle, while the Ultimate protects every ally.
For maximum ascension, you need 308,000 Credit, 65 Horn of Snow and 15 each of Silvermane Badge, Silvermane Insignia and Silvermane Medal.
To level all skills, you need 3,000,000 Credit, 8 Tracks of Destiny, 18 Endurance of Bronze, 69 Oath of Steel, 139 Safeguard of Amber and 12 Guardian's Lament. You also need 41 Silvermane Badge, 56 Silvermane Insignia and 58 Silvermane Medal for skills.
Eidolons worth it
For a shield-focused build, Never Surrender is a good upgrade to aim for: it adds two levels to the Ultimate and Talent, with a maximum level of 15. The Ultimate increase supports the part of Gepard's kit that protects the whole team.
Due Diligence is useful if you use the Skill for control. It adds 35% to the Freeze base chance, taking the listed 65% to 100% base chance, not a guaranteed Freeze. Faith Moves Mountains is another good option, giving all allies 20% Effect RES while Gepard is in battle.
Lingering Cold slows an enemy after a Skill Freeze ends, but it does not strengthen the team shield. Cold Iron Fist and Unyielding Resolve are less directly tied to shielding too. You can stop short of the later Eidolons if that is all you want from Gepard.
Teams
Gepard fits a team that wants protection across all allies. Pair him with a damage dealer and characters who provide buffs or debuffs. One team to consider is Acheron, Black Swan and Tribbie: Gepard supplies shields, Acheron and Black Swan are debuffers, and Tribbie is a buffer.
Hysilens and Kafka are other options named for Gepard, particularly if you want a team with DoT roles. Serval is a Lightning option with a DoT role too. Match the rest of the team to the enemies you are facing rather than expecting Gepard's Ice attacks to cover every element.
If shields alone are not enough for a fight, you can bring another sustain character such as Lynx or Natasha. Gepard's once-per-battle recovery only restores his own HP.
Common mistakes
Don't ignore shield duration. The Technique shield lasts two turns and the Ultimate shield lasts three, so watch the team's protection instead of assuming the opening shield will cover the whole fight.
Don't build only for Freeze and leave DEF behind. Freeze is useful control, but it affects one target and its chance is a base chance. DEF supports shields for every ally. Likewise, check the Effect Hit Rate or Effect RES requirement before counting on the extra effect from Belobog of the Architects or Broken Keel.
Don't rely on Gepard's self-recovery as a team heal. It can save him once, but it does not restore the other allies. If they are taking too much damage, adjust your shield timing or consider another sustain character.
