Tobias

Tobias: training, class routes, and recruitment

Original: Tobias’s training, recommended classes, and joining requirements; Game8

Tobias should prioritize axe combat arts to use his Strength. Start at Noble, then take Gladiator, Brigand, and Warrior into Battlemaster, followed by The Cavalier once Divine classes unlock. For a mobile physical wall, take Soldier, Armored Knight, Cataphract, and Great Knight instead. With further Divine-class investment, you can continue to The Cavalier. Both routes must account for low Dexterity and Speed. High Strength growth does not guarantee attacks will hit.

High Strength and bulk but low Speed#

Tobias has growths of HP 55%, Strength 60%, Magic 15%, Speed 25%, Dexterity 30%, Defense 45%, Resistance 20%, Luck 40%, and Charm 35%, totaling 325. Strength is his clearest advantage, and HP and Defense suit physical engagements. Dexterity and Speed are notably low. Hard hits and good physical durability do not also mean easy follow-ups and reliable accuracy.

Axe, Heavy Armor, and Riding are strengths; Sword is a weakness. The two routes emphasize different things: axes amplify single-hit damage, while Cataphract improves durability and movement. Both follow his strengths without requiring a detour through weak Sword to chase Speed.

His personal skill Power Arts adds 3 Attack to combat art attacks, directly encouraging arts. It improves attacks made with arts, not every normal attack. Low Speed makes repeated follow-ups difficult, so prioritize making heavy hits connect reliably and check whether the enemy can double him. He is rated B, citing inconsistent follow-ups and accuracy. Resistance 20% also limits him as a universal wall. Physical durability does not automatically cover magical enemies.

Battlemaster further strengthens heavy axe hits#

The main axe route is Gladiator, Brigand, Warrior, and Battlemaster, starting from his joining class Noble. Gladiator mastery adds Strength. Brigand supplies an art slot and Axe Hit modifiers. Warrior further improves axe and gauntlet Hit, and Battlemaster raises these class benefits again. Staying with axes keeps training focused on Axe and aligns with his personal combat art bonus.

Battlemaster adds +25 to Strength growth, further amplifying his personal 60% Strength growth. Mastery grants War Master's Strike, increasing damage dealt to 1.5 times. Class growth applies as soon as you reclass, the personal skill activates when using combat arts, and the mastery art requires filling the class EXP bar.

Brigand mastery grants Regroup, affecting Avoid within combat after an attack is evaded. Warrior mastery grants Practiced Art, adding 10 Hit to combat art attacks. The latter suits his low Dexterity and axes' need for accuracy support, but requires completing Warrior mastery first.

Cataphract brings a physical wall to the front#

The armored route takes Soldier, Armored Knight, Cataphract, and Great Knight to improve HP, Strength, and Defense while using cavalry movement and combat art damage. Its goal is to let a strong, physically durable unit keep up, rather than become fast. Great Knight requires preparation including Heavy Armor D, Riding D, and the relevant weapon requirement of Axe A or Spear A.

Great Knight uses swords, spears, and axes and has mounted and armored traits. Tobias still has a Sword weakness. Sword access at the endpoint does not mean training should be split evenly among all three weapons. Train Heavy Armor and Riding along his strengths and keep axes as his main weapon.

The class's Defense +5 when striking second and mastery skill Fierce Shield lean further toward taking attacks. High HP and Defense help against physical attacks, but Speed and Resistance do not automatically improve. Check the forecast separately against magic or enemies that can double him. Cavalry also cannot unconditionally retain infantry-only effects such as Close Quarters and DefStance.

Start at Noble, switch to Soldier, then take Armored Knight and Cataphract before Great Knight once requirements are met. You do not need to wait for a fixed level. Take the exam once Renown and the relevant weapon proficiency are sufficient, with licenses and class unlocks ready. The displayed levels are training milestones.

Train Spear early for infantry armor#

You can also take Noble, Soldier, Armored Knight, and Dreadnought for an infantry physical wall. This route appears in a Hard Classic Theodora playthrough. Train Spear early instead of waiting until Dreadnought to develop your main weapon. It lacks cavalry mobility but does not require further Riding training for Great Knight, so you can stop at Dreadnought.

For accuracy, optionally master Archer for Crescendo and gradually build Hit through kills, or obtain Practiced Art from Warrior before returning to armor. These detours cost extra training and mastery time. Do not forecast combat with full-stack benefits before building stacks.

The Cavalier rewards extra Riding investment#

You can extend the Divine route after developing through the axe classes. Prepare Riding A and an eligible proficiency such as Axe S to switch to The Cavalier. Compared with Battlemaster, this adds Riding training, a Divine-class unlock, and qualification items. If you want to focus only on axes, stop at Battlemaster.

The Cavalier is mounted. Its Golden Ride class skill removes cavalry effectiveness and enhanced cavalry effectiveness against it, while mastery skill Divine Dexterity raises Dexterity. That reward matters for low-Dexterity Tobias, but arrives only after mastery. It cannot hide accuracy problems along the way. On entering cavalry, remove infantry-only slots from the loadout and check mount and Battalion rules.

Divine slots and additional training both cost resources. For low-investment axe arts, Battlemaster can still handle heavy hits. If aiming for The Cavalier, then focus on completing Riding and Axe.

All-Out Attack is a chance, not a fixed multiplier#

At level 20, All-Out Attack has a 30% chance to multiply combat art damage by 1.3. Its level 35 upgrade All-Out Attack+ has the same 30% chance for 1.5 times damage. Unlike personal skill Power Arts, it does not reliably activate on every art. For key targets, first check whether normal damage secures the kill, then treat chance-based damage as extra upside.

He can also learn Axe Mastery, improving Hit, Avoid, and Attack with an axe. The armor branch has Absolute Defense+ for a chance to raise Protection when attacked, while infantry has Close Quarters+, Avoid Fatality, and more. Each has skill rank, unit type, or activation conditions. Filling slots does not make every bonus stack unconditionally.

Knightly Senses adds Avoid against spear enemies, and Read the Winds adds Avoid against bow enemies. Choose useful skills for enemy weapons instead of treating conditional effects as general bonuses. Once you meet the learning requirements, choose abilities for your current class and the enemy's weapons.

Combat arts deal damage and build stats#

Axe art Spike has a high Hit modifier, while Half Spike adds Avoid during combat. Enrage adds 1 Strength after combat, stacking to 5 until the map ends. Battleblade Strike adds 2 Dexterity after combat, stacking to 10 on the same map. These moves extend one action's benefit into later fights, but do not start with full stacks.

Triple Spike attacks three times with a low base Hit modifier, raising later Hit each time an attack is evaded. Multiple attacks do not bypass accuracy checks, especially with Tobias's low Dexterity. As with War Master's Strike, evaluate multihit and multiplier arts through actual combat forecasts instead of treating their maximum written result as reliable output.

Spear options include Tempest Spear and Guardian Thrust, the latter increasing Protection during combat. Gauntlets offer accurate Mighty Fist and Battle Blow, which gains Attack at full HP. He can also learn support arts such as Shove and DefStance, and use a command to grant Power Arts to allies in range. Many moves are learnable, but choose according to class weapon access, available art slots, and the need to attack or support. Listing every skill does not require every route to master every weapon.

He can also learn sword arts Wrath Strike, Tiger Slash, and Blazing Strike, which has a Strength-based chance to raise Attack; spear arts Tempest Spear and Guardian Thrust; and bow art Vital Shot. Do not train every weapon evenly. Focus on your main weapon and secondary exam requirements first. You must meet the relevant learning requirements to obtain these moves; a high character level alone does not grant them.

Usable from Chapter 1 without cross-route recruitment#

In Part 1, Tobias can join only on Theodora's route. He joins through the story at the start of turn 2 of the shrine battle in Chapter 1. He is not recruitable on Cai's, Dietrich's, or Leda's routes. To train him from the beginning, choose Theodora's route rather than preparing bonds and gold for negotiations elsewhere.

Near the end of Part 1, around level 40, focus on Strength, HP, Defense, and Dexterity. With 25% Speed growth, he struggles to deal damage through follow-ups; meeting expected values is enough. Low Dexterity directly affects the reliability of axe attacks, so do not judge him on Strength alone. Magic and Charm are not key measures for his physical role, and slightly low Resistance or Luck does not require a different playstyle. To improve growth results, replay Theodora's route and use Merge Causality to retain higher stats.

He likes alcohol, fighting, singing, and socializing. Favorite gifts include Sun Ghosh, Garum, Strategy Manuscript, History of a Master, and Volcano Ghosh. Alternatives include Horse-Grooming Kit, Herbal Recipe Guide, and Home-Recipe Book. Gifts build bonds; his story recruitment itself does not require gifts beforehand.

Gifts and Pale Raven conversations#

Other liked gifts include Alecto Garum, Dagda Beard Grass, Eastern Black Silk, Herbal Recipe Guide, Home-Recipe Book, Horse-Grooming Kit, Huge Fish Eyeball, Jade Ghosh, Kitten Figurine, Mature Ghosh, Mature Shosh, Pastry Cookbook, Rustic Ghosh, Secret Ghosh, Sharp Fishhook, Smooth Garum, Southern Ghosh, Strong Seasonings, Sturdy Rucksack, Training Bracelet, Village Recipes, Wing Fletching, and Young Ghosh.

In Pale Raven conversations, choose sing beautifully when he wants to sleep comfortably or says singing feels good; nod when he wishes for daily feasts; threaten when he says you do not look tasty; spread your wings when he praises alcohol, meat, and fish together or says his strength rivals the young; tilt your head when he asks about getting sleepy from drinking or having too much wine; and gaze intently when his face has scared someone again.

Support partners#

His support conversation partners are the Promised One, Theodora, Ultand, Fabio, Bonaventure, Lilian, Lysander, Olympia, Anatolia, Sofia, and Loretta. His Japanese voice actor is Kentaro Tone.

Site guides

Fix Hit and use axe Combat Arts

Follow Brigand and Warrior into Battlemaster for heavy Combat Art hits. If accuracy falls short, borrow Archer mastery.

Power Arts reliably gives Combat Art Attack +3; the level 20 and 35 damage multipliers are chance-based. Add Archer for Crescendo if needed, then return to the melee route. Have allies help him secure his first kill to begin stacking Hit.

Class progression by stage#

Part 1: Accuracy is the first assignment#

Starting class and main proficiency. If still a Noble, take Gladiator at level 5, Renown 1, and Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet D. With an existing physical class, continue from there. Focus Axe, taking Brigand at level 20, Renown 4, and Axe or Sword C. This concentrates Strength, but high Strength does not solve misses. Look beyond displayed Attack.

Borrow Archer mastery if Hit is low. Prepare Bow C early, take Archer at level 20 and Renown 4, then master it for Crescendo before returning to Brigand or Warrior. Each kill gives Hit +3, up to +30 on the map. It starts with no stacks, and fighting without a kill adds nothing. This detour costs Bow training, a seal, and class experience.

Build the first stack safely. Have allies weaken a safe target, then let Tobias finish with an accurate weapon or art. The first kill adds only 3 Hit, so calculate the second target using his current accuracy. If the first kill is unreliable, let allies handle it. Do not gamble on random damage against a key enemy; keep a teammate ready to finish.

Part 2: Master Warrior and let cheap weapons cover art costs#

At level 35, Renown 8, and Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet B, take Warrior. Master it and equip Practiced Art: Hit +10 only for Combat Art attacks, unlike Crescendo's kill-based stacks. Once you have both, confirm they are equipped. Passing the level 35 exam still leaves mastery training to do.

Use common Bronze and Iron weapons for combat-art durability costs, choosing an art that completes the kill in the forecast and repairing ahead. At level 20, All-Out Attack has a 30% chance of 1.3 times damage, upgraded to 1.5 times at 35. Calculate ordinary kills without activation, not as an every-turn multiplier.

Allies and battalions: Bonaventure can support his Hit from nearby. Healing battalions let him provide frontline support; use what you already have.

Part 3: Finish with axes or retain physical-wall duties#

Main attacker or chokepoint defender in Part 3

Finish the main route as Battlemaster

After clearing Segment 1, take Battlemaster at level 45 with Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet A. Practiced Art keeps supporting his arts; War Master's Strike requires this class's mastery. With The Eternal unlocked, some builds use it for axe Hit and Strength mastery, but it requires Sword, Axe, or Gauntlet S and the divine-class item from Part 3 Segment 4. Allocate limited slots across the team.

Hold chokepoints as an armored physical wall

Armor is a separate defensive route. Start Soldier → Armored Knight in Part 1, then Dreadnought from level 35 and unlocked Castle Knight from level 45 in Part 3. Requirements are Spear or Axe C + Heavy Armor E+, then B + Heavy Armor D, then A + Heavy Armor C. The aim is Strength, Defense, and holding positions. Some continue from Castle Knight to elephant riding, requiring a mount and Riding training. He lacks Armored Move, so plan how he reaches his position. :::

Account separately for arts with large Hit penalties. One late-game setup pairs a three-hit art with Mars's Blessing, Practiced Art, and an accurate axe to offset the penalty. Confirm that the art is learned and the blessing reaches him, then check the final Hit forecast.

The main route stays on foot without a mount. Mounted armor is a separate mobility option and cannot use battalions. See battalion assignment restrictions.

Calculate unstacked Hit and guaranteed damage first

Position him where allies can support and finish targets. Stack on high-Hit targets, then use arts against high-HP enemies. Check unstacked Hit at the start and calculate kills without damage multipliers. Low Speed, magic durability, and armored travel need separate solutions; high Strength does not replace them.

Recruitment details

He joins through the story in Chapter 1 of Theodora's route. The other three protagonists cannot recruit him in Part 1. See Tobias's recruitment requirements for rejoining in Part 3.

Do not count first-hit stacks or random damage early

• Crescendo stacks reset each map; the first attack does not have Hit +30.
• Practiced Art's Hit +10 applies only to Combat Arts, not ordinary attacks.
• If a kill needs the 30% damage trigger, reserve an ally's finishing action.
• He lacks Armored Move. An armored route must solve travel and avoid mages.
• Prepare weapon durability and repair resources before repeated arts.