Guide
How the kit works
Before a fight, Call of the Guardian gives Trailblazer a personal Shield at the start of the next battle. It absorbs damage equal to 30% of their DEF plus 384 and lasts one turn. It does not shield the rest of the team.
Use Ever-Burning Amber when you want Trailblazer to take the attention. It increases their DMG Reduction by 50%, gives one stack of Magma Will and has a 100% base chance to Taunt all enemies for one turn. The passive The Strong Defend the Weak also reduces all allies' damage taken by 15% for one turn after the Skill.
Ice-Breaking Light deals Fire DMG equal to 100% of ATK to one enemy and gives one Magma Will stack. Treasure of the Architects also adds a stack whenever Trailblazer is hit, up to eight. At four or more stacks, the Basic becomes enhanced: it consumes four stacks and deals 135% of ATK to the target and 54% to adjacent enemies. Unwavering Gallantry restores 5% of Trailblazer's Max HP when they use it.
War-Flaming Lance hits all enemies for Fire DMG equal to 100% of ATK plus 150% of DEF. It automatically enhances the next Basic without spending Magma Will. Each Basic, Skill or Ultimate also applies the Talent's team Shield, which absorbs 6% of DEF plus 80 for two turns. With Action Beats Overthinking, starting a turn protected by a Shield gives Trailblazer 15% ATK and 5 Energy until the action ends.
Build and why
For relics, use four pieces of Knight of Purity Palace as your first choice. Its two-piece bonus gives 15% DEF, and its four-piece bonus increases the maximum damage absorbed by the wearer's Shields by 20%. Self-Enshrouded Recluse is another option: its bonuses increase provided Shield Effect by 10% and 12%, and allies holding the wearer's Shield gain 15% CRIT DMG.
For the planar set, Broken Keel gives 10% Effect RES and, at 30% Effect RES, gives all allies 10% CRIT DMG. For more DEF, consider Belobog of the Architects: it gives 15% DEF, with another 15% at 50% Effect Hit Rate. Fleet of the Ageless is an alternative with 12% Max HP and an 8% team ATK bonus when the wearer reaches 120 SPD.
Use DEF Percentage on the body, sphere and rope, and SPD on the feet. Look for DEF Percentage, SPD and Effect RES in substats, in that order. DEF supports the team Shield and Ultimate, while Effect RES helps you reach the Broken Keel requirement.
Moment of Victory is the first weapon choice. It gives DEF and Effect Hit Rate, makes the wearer more likely to be attacked and grants extra DEF when hit. Landau's Choice also draws attacks and reduces damage taken by 16%. Journey, Forever Peaceful is another option for stronger Shields and more damage from shielded allies. Trend of the Universal Market gives DEF and has a 100% base chance to Burn an attacker, with DoT based on the wearer's DEF.
Leveling priority
Level Treasure of the Architects first because it supplies the team's Shields. Next is Ever-Burning Amber, which helps Trailblazer withstand attacks and Taunt enemies.
Then raise Ice-Breaking Light, which you will use to gain and spend Magma Will. Leave War-Flaming Lance until last: it deals damage and enhances the next Basic, but the Talent is the source of the team Shield.
For maximum ascension, you need 246,400 Credit, 28 Enigmatic Ectostella, 12 Thief's Instinct, 13 Usurper's Scheme and 12 Conqueror's Will. To raise all skills to maximum, you need 2,400,000 Credit, 5 Tracks of Destiny, 12 Endurance of Bronze, 54 Oath of Steel, 105 Safeguard of Amber, 12 Destroyer's Final Road, 28 Thief's Instinct, 42 Usurper's Scheme and 42 Conqueror's Will.
Eidolons worth it
For a defensive build, Time-Defying Tenacity is a good upgrade to aim for: the Talent's team Shield absorbs an extra 2% of DEF plus 27. It improves the protection applied by Basic, Skill and Ultimate.
City-Forging Bulwarks is worth considering for a longer-term build. Each enhanced Basic or Ultimate gives Trailblazer 10% DEF, stacking up to three times. Nation-Building Oath is useful at the start of a fight because it gives four Magma Will stacks immediately.
Earth-Shaking Resonance adds DEF-based Basic damage, while Trail-Blazing Blueprint and Spirit-Warming Flame raise skill levels. You can treat those as lower priorities if you mainly want stronger Shields or the opening stacks. Eidolons unlock in sequence, so you cannot skip earlier ones on the way to a later upgrade.
Teams
Trailblazer fits a team that wants a defensive character to draw attacks and provide Shields. Add a damage dealer and a support suited to that damage dealer. A healer or another sustain character is worth considering when the team needs more recovery than Trailblazer provides.
Acheron is one teammate named in the guides. She is a Lightning Nihility character; Trailblazer can protect the team while she fights. With Trend of the Universal Market equipped, Trailblazer also has a chance to inflict Burn when attacked.
A Fire damage dealer is worth considering if you use Penacony, Land of the Dreams. Its planar bonus increases the damage of other allies with the wearer's type by 10% and gives the wearer 5% Energy Regeneration Rate.
Common mistakes
Do not treat the Skill's 100% base chance to Taunt as a guaranteed result. Watch which enemies are actually affected and be ready to protect the team if attacks go elsewhere. The Technique's opening Shield is personal, so the rest of the party still needs protection.
Do not spend all your attention on damage stats. DEF supports the team Shield, while the recommended SPD helps Trailblazer take actions. Also remember that the Ultimate makes the next Basic enhanced without consuming Magma Will, so you do not need to save four stacks for that attack.
