Nezha

Nezha’s sword and gauntlet options for initiating combat

The main route for Nezha goes from Gladiator through Myrmidon and Shido, ending in Swordmaster. He deals close-range physical damage through Strength, Dexterity, and bonus damage when initiating combat. Sword, Gauntlet, and Infantry are all strengths, and Battlemaster is another branch if your team wants him to use gauntlets. The sword route lets him use Cleansing Blade, giving him a way to attack enemies with Underworld Boon in the Promised One’s story.

Stay in Shido until the final class unlocks#

Stage	Certification preparation	Combat and mastery benefits
Gladiator	Recommended level 5, Renown 1; Sword D, Axe D, or Gauntlet D	Joins as a Gladiator; train Sword immediately; mastery grants Attack Basics
Myrmidon	Recommended level 20, Renown 4; Sword C	Sword Crit +3, Combat Arts +1; mastery grants DexRavaging Arts
Shido	Recommended level 35, Renown 8; Sword B	Sword Crit +5, Combat Arts +2; mastery grants Ever Vigilant
Swordmaster	Recommended level 45; Sword A; unlock the class first	Sword Crit +7, Combat Arts +3; mastery grants the Combat Art Astra
The Eternal	Sword S, Axe S, or Gauntlet S; obtain Scales of Judgement	Divine alternative; Combat Arts +3, Axe and Gauntlet Hit +10; mastery grants Divine Might

Sword is a strength throughout, so there is no need to force training in his weak Spear subject for intermediate exams. Swordmaster unlocks through Salvation progress. After Shido at level 35, it may remain locked at level 45; finish story and class unlocks before switching.

Gauntlets are another route. Nezha is strong in Gauntlet too and can use them as the main weapon toward Battlemaster. This is a different weapon direction. The sword route’s Cleansing Blade prepares for Salvation’s Underworld Boon; gauntlets do not share that benefit.

The mounted branch improves Defense#

On Cai’s route, you can instead make him a Light Cavalry at the intermediate tier, riding a Ferghanan Horse, then keep him mounted as a Bardinger. At bond level 5, the Ferghanan Horse adds Strength +2, Defense +2, and Defense growth +10%, improving Nezha’s durability alongside his offense.

Animal capture unlocks in Chapter 5 of Cai’s route, and the total growth bonus at bond level 5 is 25%. Until you find a rare specimen, wild specimens of the same species provide the same total growth bonus, so you can start raising one right away. This branch requires Cai’s route and the corresponding mount. If you follow the main sword infantry route, continue using the sword mastery benefits from Myrmidon and Shido.

Prioritize Strength, Speed, and Dexterity over Magic#

Around level 40, focus on Strength, Speed, Dexterity, and HP. Strength determines sword damage and forms the basis for extra Attack when initiating combat; Speed affects follow-up attacks and Avoid; Dexterity makes Hit and critical hits more reliable; HP gives him room to take hits in close combat. If Magic, Resistance, Luck, or Charm fall below expectations, you do not need to divert him from physical offense to fix those stats first.

His personal Resistance growth is only 25%, so you still need to adjust whom he engages when facing magic users. If his Strength grows particularly poorly on one route, train him again on another route. Merge Causality takes the higher value for each stat, covering weaknesses in the old save.

His physical offense and many opportunities to fight in Part 1 make him worth investing in: sword follow-up attacks and bonus damage when initiating let him finish enemies proactively, while his strength in Sword makes certification progression smooth. However, every route requires recruiting him through negotiation, and his protection against magic remains weak. You only get to develop these advantages after recruiting him.

Both damage bonuses have activation conditions#

Quick Draw has a 50% chance to grant Attack +3 when attacking first. At level 35, Never Stop+ has another 50% chance to add Attack +5 on attacks after Quick Draw has activated. Without the first activation, there is no second bonus; after it, another 50% check is still required.

Distraction lowers adjacent enemy Hit by 3. Close Quarters lowers adjacent enemy Movement by 1 while infantry. An infantry Avoid skill available at half HP or below grants Avoid +20, and Dodge gives infantry Avoid +5 against bows or magic. The last three require an infantry class and stop working while mounted.

Combat Art	Uses and costs
Wrath Strike	Costs 2 durability; Might +4, Hit +10, Range 1.
Crosswise Cut	Costs 4 durability; Might +5; Dexterity +2 after combat, up to +10 on this map.
Gale Blow	Costs 5 durability; Might +7; when attacking, has a (Speed / 2)% chance to add a further Attack +5.
Gale Spear	Costs 2 durability; Might +4, Crit +5, Range 1.
Smash	Costs 2 durability; Might +4, Crit +5, Range 1.
Deal Death	Costs 2 durability; Might +4, Crit +5, Range 1.

Ravaging Arts and Ever Vigilant along the sword route, plus Astra in the final class, are the rewards for continued training. The spear, axe, and gauntlet Combat Arts in the table show alternative weapon options; they do not mean a Swordmaster can equip every weapon at once.

Prepare three Sandworm Meat#

Protagonist route	Part 1 appearance	Support	Renown
Cai	Chapter 5	3	6
Dietrich	Chapter 4	3	10
Theodora	Chapter 5	2	6
Leda	Chapter 4	3	9

He joins through negotiation on all four routes, requiring you to hand over three Sandworm Meat. Insect enemies may drop Sandworm Meat. Another way to prepare is to repeatedly explore the Secret Altar in the south of the map for Luxury Meat Crate. Luxury Meat Crates are rare exploration finds with a low appearance rate, but opening them makes Sandworm Meat relatively easy to obtain. Gather three before negotiating.

Renown, Support, and the requested items are separate requirements to prepare. He appears in Chapter 5 on Cai’s and Theodora’s routes and Chapter 4 on the other two routes, but you still need to meet the corresponding Renown and Support requirements.

Food and martial arts gifts both work well#

Nezha likes exercise, justice, fighting, and good food. His favorite gifts are Pickled Bulbs, Strategy Manuscript, and History of a Master; he likes Rare Spices, Blue-Rose Bouquet, Sturdy Rucksack, Training Bracelet, and Wing Fletching.

Gifts that receive a neutral reaction include Simple Pastries, Alecto Garum, Garum, Common Coffee, Kitten Figurine, and Young Ghosh. In Pale Raven conversations, choose “Sing gently” when he is sleepy after putting so much into training; when he says a martial arts demonstration keeps the body and mind sharp and invites you to try, choose “Somersault.”

Support partners and voice actor#

His support partners include the Promised One, Theodora, Ultand, Fabio, Sha Lan, Dadao, Halvin, and Majide.

Nezha’s Japanese voice actor is Shota Hayama. Notable roles include Kuko Harai in Hypnosis Mic -Alternative Rap Battle-, Yu Hakase in Kawagoe Boys Sing, and Soji in REVENGER.

Site guides

Sustain the sword route through critical kills

Train Nezha in swords, take critical-damage mastery first, then master Shido to heal through critical kills. Switch to gauntlets if the team needs that role.

The default route is Myrmidon → Shido → Swordmaster for player-phase physical offense. Start Myrmidon from level 20, take Shido mastery after level 35, and reach the final class in Part 3. Gauntlets are an alternative if the team needs them.

Class progression by stage#

The levels below are exam levels. Reclassing dates depend on training progress; late recruits should continue from their current level and qualifications.

Part 1: Choose swords or gauntlets, then fix Strength#

The sword core starts in Gladiator: level 5, Renown 1, and Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet D. Take Myrmidon at level 20, Renown 4, and Sword C. Ravaging Arts mastery increases damage on critical hits; it does not directly raise critical rate, which still needs weapons, support, and other conditions. Continue Sword B for Shido.

You do not need another swordsman if the role is filled. He can also focus on swords with secondary gauntlets, adding Brigand for Strength: level 20, Renown 4, Sword or Axe C. For gauntlets, Pugilist needs level 20, Renown 4, Gauntlet C. After improving Strength, move from Brigand or Pugilist into Ranger, or stay with gauntlets. Choose the two routes separately.

Choose weapons he can handle and kill with rather than comparing Might alone. Replace a ranged spear with a light weapon if it is too heavy. The exact spear is unconfirmed, so none is mandatory. Use a Battalion to fill Dexterity, Defense, or Charm needs; specific Battalion names and Authority requirements remain unconfirmed.

Part 2: Master Shido for Ever Vigilant#

Level 35, Renown 8, and Sword B qualify for Shido. Once mastered, Ever Vigilant restores HP only when a critical kills an enemy. Without both the critical and kill, you cannot count on healing. Combined with Myrmidon mastery, this is the main reason for the sword route’s sustain. The exact reclassing chapter is unconfirmed; there is no need to rush it at Part 2’s start.

Train a Strength-fixing branch only until damage secures kills, then return to the main route. Continuing to Ranger is another setup requiring level 35, Renown 8, Sword or Bow B, and this route’s unlock. It shifts to sword-and-bow offense; a gauntlet focus can choose another endpoint.

Calculate damage against key targets without the chance-based bonus. Do not rely on it for a one-turn kill.

Part 3: Swordmaster is a sufficient endpoint#

At level 45 with Sword A and the unlock, become Swordmaster. Keep earned Ravaging Arts and Ever Vigilant, then master Astra. Cleansing Blade handles risen dead, while a critical setup emphasizes post-kill sustain. Weapon acquisition timing, fixed Combat Arts, and complete equipment combinations remain unconfirmed. Use equipment already obtained.

With Sword S and the Divine item, consider The Blade mastery. Other swordsmen also need the slot. With tight resources, Swordmaster remains usable.

Roles outside the sword route

Gauntlets for player-phase offense

Gauntlet offense is another option. It suits active attacks and multiple hits, with one-to-two-range gauntlets available when Speed is sufficient. Pugilist → Warrior → Battlemaster is not a mandatory final progression.

Archers fill a separate team need

Archer is an independent role choice. There are practical archer examples but no full staged loadout. Prepare Bow and Hit first. The entire Myrmidon/Shido mastery route is not automatically required for an archer.

Heal through critical kills for sustained fighting#

Position within reach of targets and allied support, prioritizing enemies you can reliably kill this turn. The sword route heals through critical kills, not by standing among enemies and taking hits.

On Theodora’s team, Theodora, Dadao, and others can provide unique Support Bonuses for Critical, even reclassing to Myrmidon to improve them. This costs teammates positioning and class resources. Nezha receives none of these while standing alone. If the team cannot accommodate changes, act from the current Hit, Critical, and damage forecast.

Recruitment details#

All four routes need 3 Sandworm Meat. Cai needs Renown 6 and support 3; Dietrich Renown 10 and support 3; Theodora Renown 6 and support 2; Leda Renown 9 and support 3. Prepare materials early. See the recruitment page for appearance timing and acquisition locations.

Ever Vigilant needs critical kills; support needs team investment#

• Counting chance-based initiating damage on every attack. Activation and multi-hit checks are not unified; calculate key kills conservatively.
• Treating Ever Vigilant as healing on every attack. It needs both a critical and a kill.
• Changing the whole team for support bonuses. Count lost roles and positioning first.
• Pursuing maximum Sword, Gauntlet, and Bow together. These are different resource plans. Fill the team's gap first.