Diego

Diego’s training, class routes, and recruitment

Original: Diego’s training, recommended classes, and recruitment requirements; Game8

Diego starts as a Hunter, trains through Myrmidon and Shido, then becomes a Swordmaster before advancing to The Calamity, using high Dexterity for accuracy and criticals. The sword route focuses on criticals, while bows can follow Rogue, Forest Knight, and Bow Adept for ranged follow-ups. Cai’s route also offers Forest Knight with an animal mount. All three use his strengths. Orchel’s paralogue is the real limit on training time; he may not be recruitable when you first meet him.

Confirm the paralogue before planning training time#

Every route must complete Orchel’s paralogue to recruit Diego permanently. Cai requires Support 3 and Renown 10; Dietrich Support 3 and Renown 9; Theodora Support 2 and Renown 8; and Leda Support 3 and Renown 8. When you meet him in early Part 1 chapters, the paralogue is not yet available, so he cannot formally join.

Orchel’s paralogue becomes available from October 18. The acceptance windows are Chapter 11, October 18–19 for Cai; Chapter 11, October 18–27 for Dietrich and Leda; and Chapter 12, October 18–27 for Theodora. Plan around the 19th on Cai’s route and the 27th on the others.

The paralogue battle has two catapults. Activating both in the same phase damages the enemy army. The acceptance chapter varies by protagonist, so follow your current route’s quest window. Guest appearances before joining are separate from permanent recruitment. If he formally joins after the Beginner stage, continue from his current class instead of repeating Hunter.

High Dexterity is more reliable than personal support#

His growths are HP 45%, Strength 40%, Magic 20%, Speed 45%, Dexterity 60%, Defense 35%, Resistance 20%, Luck 35%, and Charm 30%, totaling 330. Exceptional Dexterity and a reasonable Speed foundation support accuracy and criticals in physical combat. Strength and Resistance are clear limitations: high Hit may still deal little damage against high Defense, and Resistance matters against magic.

His strengths are Sword, Bow, and Infantry, with Black Magic as a weakness. Both swords and bows follow his strengths: swords use accuracy and criticals, while bows use ranged follow-ups. Neither physical route relies on low-growth Black Magic for routine damage. Physical attacks remain the focus even after he learns spells.

His overall value is mainly limited by late recruitment and little Part 1 availability, resulting in an A rating.

When an adjacent ally fights, Caretaker has only a 5% chance to prevent enemy follow-ups against that ally. Do not risk an ally being doubled to gamble on that 5%. Diego’s own Hit, follow-ups, and Range are more reliable. At level 35, No Mercy+ grants Hit +10 and Critical +10 on follow-ups, connecting directly with Speed and follow-up builds.

Sword criticals and Cleansing Blade carry into Part 3#

The sword recommendation is Hunter, Myrmidon, Shido, and Swordmaster. Main requirements are Sword C for Myrmidon, B for Shido, and A for Swordmaster. Sword classes progressively raise Sword Crit, with Swordmaster’s +7 combining with Dexterity growth to improve finishing power. Before Swordmaster unlocks, use Shido. Proficiency alone does not bypass the class unlock.

Myrmidon mastery DexRavaging Arts increases critical damage. Shido mastery Ever Vigilant restores HP after defeating an enemy with a critical. Swordmaster mastery Astra strikes five times at half damage per hit. These support critical damage, post-kill sustain, and multihit attacks respectively, and each requires the corresponding mastery. Any mastery unfinished before becoming a Swordmaster still needs separate training.

Cleansing Blade bypasses Underworld protection, letting sword classes keep attacking in Part 3. This is a major reason to choose swords. Add other everyday swords, recovery items, and accessories as needed.

Normal sword stages also have different class modifiers: Myrmidon adds one equipped Combat Art slot and Sword Crit +3; Shido adds two slots and Sword Crit +5; Swordmaster adds three slots and Sword Crit +7. Expanded slots still require manually selecting arts already learned. Obtaining a class does not automatically equip every recommended skill.

Prepare Calamity certification after Sword S#

After Swordmaster, advance to The Calamity. It requires Sword or Bow S and Crystal of Darkness after Part 3 unlocks. There is no fixed recommended reclass level. Prepare proficiency and Divine certification first. Sword and Bow are both strengths, so you can continue investing in your current route while preparing.

The class grants Combat Arts +3, Locktouch, and Ultimate Search, while mastering Divine Will gives Luck +10. The earlier sword stages rely on Swordmaster’s Sword Crit +7. That class skill disappears on changing to Divine, while earned mastery rewards remain. The final class permits swords and bows but no longer lances, so check each stage’s loadout.

Bow follow-ups need Forest Knight mastery first#

The follow-up bow route is Hunter, Rogue, Forest Knight, and Bow Adept. Bow Adept improves Speed growth to trigger No Mercy+ through follow-ups. Forest Knight mastery Hunter's Eye adds Attack +3 on bow follow-ups. Both apply only to the follow-up strike and offer nothing when you lack the Speed to double.

Although the middle stage is cavalry, this route ends as an infantry archer. Train Riding for Forest Knight, then recheck cavalry-only skills and the mount slot on returning to Bow Adept. Bow Adept mainly requires Bow A. To improve follow-up damage, first complete Forest Knight mastery for Hunter's Eye.

This route puts high Dexterity and Speed potential into ranged offense. Unlike swords using Cleansing Blade for Part 3, its sword, bow, and cavalry benefits depend on the current class. Check which weapons that class permits at each stage before choosing arts.

Cai can stop at Forest Knight#

Another option is Advanced Forest Knight with a Ferghanan Horse. He can use his favored swords and bows while mounted. At bond level 5, the mount improves Strength and Defense and provides corresponding growth modifiers. This branch can stop at Advanced to keep sword-and-bow flexibility and mount benefits.

Animal capture opens in Chapter 5 on Cai’s route. Other protagonists cannot copy that timing. If you have not found a rare animal, an ordinary animal of the same species provides the same total growth bonus. Choose a rare individual mainly for its bonus distribution and intended role.

The Forest Knight and Bow Adept branches share intermediate stages but have different final roles. The former keeps cavalry Movement and two weapon options; the latter focuses on infantry bows and follow-ups. All three start from the same joining class. You do not need to wait for a fixed level: take exams once Renown and weapon proficiency suffice, with licenses and unlocks ready. Displayed levels are not hard requirements.

Choose sword and bow arts for the target’s state#

For swords, Sunder adds Critical, while Destreza adds Attack +5 and Critical +10 when enemy HP is at most half. Attack Speed arts such as Skysplit should be judged by whether they enable a follow-up. Choose arts for their trigger conditions rather than ranking them only by Might.

Bow arts include Warning Shot, granting combat Avoid +10; Surprise Shot, with a 30% chance to increase Attack against a full-HP target; and Twin-Shot Flow, striking twice at 70% damage per hit. Consecutive strikes and Attack Speed follow-ups have different triggers. No Mercy+ applies only to follow-ups.

Infantry dodge skills improve Avoid against bows and magic, while Authority skills such as Rein lower adjacent enemies’ Avoid. Each requires the corresponding proficiency. Check what he already knows after recruitment, then equip arts permitted by his current class.

Check Strength, Speed, Dexterity, and HP#

Near the end of Part 1, around level 40, watch Strength, Speed, Dexterity, and HP. Dexterity improves accuracy and criticals, but 40% Strength still makes damage growth-dependent. Speed at 45% determines whether follow-ups and Avoid pay off, while HP provides an engagement buffer. Magic and Charm are not central to either physical role. Slightly low Luck does not mean failed training. Resistance at 20% is a clear weakness, best handled by avoiding unfavorable magical fights.

If Strength falls well behind, use Diego trained on another route for Merge Causality, taking the higher stats. Since permanent recruitment depends on the paralogue window, complete the other route’s recruitment prerequisites before retraining.

He likes forest walks, herb gathering, and Orchel. Gift options include Arrowhead Gem and Wing Fletching, as well as Bow Repair Kit, Decorative Arrows, Decorative Bow, Joint-Relief Gloves, Protection Figurine, and History of a Master. Gifts raise Support but do not replace Orchel’s paralogue.

Gifts and Support partners#

His favorites are Wing Fletching and Arrowhead Gem. He likes Herbal Recipe Guide, Rare Spices, Crimson Ghosh, Joint-Relief Gloves, Protection Figurine, Training Pillar, and Training Weights. Simple Pastries, Common Coffee, and Mature Ghosh are neutral.

His Support conversation partners include the Promised One, Theodora, Esmeralda, Lilian, Ninae, Sha Lan, Io, Seteth, Halvin, and Nuzzuo. His birthday is November 4, and his Japanese voice actor is Kengo Takanashi.

Site guides

Fix the actual weaknesses of a late recruit

Take Diego through Shido → Swordmaster, using high Dexterity for Hit and Critical. Add Warrior only if his late-recruit Strength is lacking.

Diego has high Dexterity but joins late. Check whether he can follow up and damage enemies, then choose swords or sword/bow exploration based on remaining training time. His post-level-35 Hit and Critical bonuses apply only to follow-ups, not the first strike.

Training route by stage#

Part 1: continue after the paralogue#

After Orchel's paralogue, continue from his actual recruitment state. Level 7 Hunter is a base template. Check current level, Strength, Sword, and Bow when he joins. Use existing higher-class qualifications instead of retraining lower tiers.

1. If Strength is low, consider Warrior. Improve Strength to catch the team up. It requires level 35, Renown 8, and any B in Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet. Sword is a strength, so continue it rather than adding a new Axe route.
2. If Strength is sufficient, focus Sword or Bow. Swords use high Dexterity for Hit and Critical; sword/bow exploration requires preparing Ranger and Shadow Seeker access. Both still need actual follow-ups. Dexterity growth of 60% alone does not guarantee kills.
3. Below level 35, use existing qualifications. Myrmidon requires level 20, Renown 4, and Sword C as a sword-route bridge; skip it if higher qualifications are already available.

Part 2: focus swords or sword/bow#

Continue the direction chosen when he joined. Stay in Warrior while added Strength remains useful. Once he handles his targets, return to swords or sword-and-bow rather than changing class just for a route table.

Sword damage or sword/bow exploration

Shido for sword damage

Sword B permits the Shido exam, still requiring level 35 and Renown 8. Equip Ravaging Arts only after Myrmidon mastery and Ever Vigilant only after Shido mastery. The former needs criticals; the latter needs a critical kill, not unconditional self-healing.

Ranger for sword/bow exploration

Another option is Warrior into Ranger. Ranger requires level 35, Renown 8, Sword or Bow B, and its route prerequisite. Continue Sword A for Shadow Seeker. You can skip an intermediate class and change directly in Part 3. This is one sword/bow approach; improving Strength does not force everyone into the same endpoint.

Use a main weapon that preserves follow-ups and finish enemies from the second line. Both routes are infantry and need no mount. Equip consecutive-shot moves only if already learned.

Part 3: Swordmaster or Shadow Seeker#

For sword damage, change to Swordmaster at level 45 with Sword A after unlocking it. For sword/bow exploration, use Shadow Seeker at level 45 with Sword or Bow A after Segment 1 of the Promised One's story. Late recruitment means class timing should reflect the training time remaining.

Another option trains Axe S to master The Eternal for Strength, then returns to the target class. It costs extra proficiency, an unlock item, and mastery time; skip it if little of the game remains.

If the current setup already kills targets reliably, deploy it. With limited training time, do not delay participation just to add more Strength.

Finish targets he can follow up against#

Follow the front line and attack targets he can double. After level 35, No Mercy+ gives +10 Hit and +10 Crit only on follow-ups. The first strike does not receive them. Without a follow-up, that advantage disappears. Check for an actual second strike in the forecast before damage and enemy counters.

Caretaker gives adjacent allies only a 5% chance to avoid a follow-up, making it occasional insurance. Standing beside Diego is no reason for Orchel or another ally to take an otherwise lethal double. His own low Resistance also calls for avoiding concentrated mage attacks.

Recruitment#

All four routes require Orchel's paralogue first, with acceptance and completion deadlines varying by protagonist. Theodora's route also needs Renown 8 and Support 2 with the protagonist; other routes differ. Check Diego recruitment rather than treating his first appearance as recruitability.

Dexterity does not replace Strength or buff the first strike#

• Continue from the current level after late recruitment. Automatic growth has already happened; do not return to the level 7 template.
• Check Strength, Attack Speed, and weapon damage despite high Dexterity. Plan kills without criticals first.
• No Mercy boosts only follow-ups. The first strike does not get its 10 Hit and 10 Critical.
• Train enough for the current task first. Add Strength and mastery if time remains.