Io as The Cavalier: strong when complete, but late to peak

Original video: Is Io strong? Impressions after using him as a main unit through the ending | Japanese creator Gurassu

Once Io becomes The Cavalier, his movement range, physical durability, and answers to different enemies are better than they first appear. But this path peaks only in the latter half of Part 3. Do not expect the finished build’s performance throughout training. If you like Io and want to raise him all the way to a divine class, try it. If you want consistent strength from the middle of the game onward, this build is less comfortable.

This run followed only one protagonist route and used him as a main unit through the clear. I would give The Cavalier stage 88 points, but parts of training felt closer to 70. The finished build works well; earlier stages can feel unremarkable.

His favorite horse stands out more outside Cai's route#

Io has good HP and Dexterity growths and reasonable Strength and Defense, but low Speed is a problem. His distinction is Rocinan, the horse he brings with him. At maximum friendship, character and mount together reach 50% growths in HP, Defense, and Dexterity, with 40% Speed. This develops physical durability without completely abandoning Speed, while Dexterity helps accuracy. His horse also provides Movement +2, useful both while training and in battle.

After playing Cai’s story, other characters can ride animals too, making Io’s built-in mount less distinctive. To make that difference count, I recommend him more for a single-route run that does not pass through Cai’s story. This compares whether other characters have mount support; it does not mean Io is unusable in Cai’s story.

You do not have to feed the horse to build friendship. Repeated combat while mounted also raises it, and Part 1 encounters can finish the job. The example setup for friendship training is Da Mina Shield and a Pilum, letting him fight while building his bond with his horse.

Develop spear cavalry into The Cavalier#

The path I used was Bardinger → Orichaldia → The Cavalier. Bow and armored roles are easy to picture, but The Cavalier’s strengths are less obvious at a glance. This time I deliberately followed the mounted lance path to the end to test its final performance.

Lances are one of Io’s strengths, so training to S for lance skills is straightforward. When initiating combat, the finished setup gains Hit +10, Attack +3, and Protection +4. Cavalry Move is also extremely useful, learned at Riding A and strengthened again at S+. High mobility means little if terrain stops you from moving and reaching distant targets. Movement skills are part of what makes this build’s mobility valuable.

The Cavalier’s mastery skill, Divine Dexterity, adds another 10 Dexterity and is worth obtaining. High Dexterity helps him hit when switching between weapons, even making Short Spear more reliable. You do not have to cling to one lance out of concern for accuracy.

Preserve Attack Speed even with a Giant's Ring#

Prepare weapons for the enemies you need to handle: super-effective options against cavalry and armor, plus weapons that attack from two tiles away, all have uses. Add Cleansing Blade if you can; until then, Da Mina Spear works. Pair them with a shield and Giant's Ring for fights where he must take a counterattack.

You are giving up dodging here, not Speed. His horse brings Speed to a usable baseline, and Giant’s Ring helps him avoid follow-ups from slow, hard-hitting enemies. One hit from these enemies already hurts. Letting them add a second is costly even with high physical durability. Staying above the threshold that prevents enemy follow-ups gives his shield and Defense room to matter.

Removing cavalry weaknesses opens up his movement#

The most noticeable part of The Cavalier is Golden Ride: it removes effective and super-effective damage against cavalry. Ordinary cavalry fear lances. Even with high Defense, approaching lance users is risky. Once that weakness disappears, the same durability works in more positions, giving him much greater freedom.

Io and Rocinan have high combined Defense while retaining a minimum level of Speed, which fits this approach. The finished build has strong movement range and physical durability and can survive one magic hit too. Against enemies his weapons are super-effective against, he can aim for a one-hit kill. Lance Combat Arts can still chip down very tough bosses. The completed build reaches 10 Movement, allowing him to get where he is needed and switch weapons to match the enemy.

Timing is the real limit on this recommendation. The Cavalier only becomes available in the latter half of Part 3, leaving a short window to enjoy that strength. If you like Io enough to raise him this far, my completed run suggests it is worth trying. Judging only the final rating and ignoring the plainer earlier stages creates unrealistic expectations for the whole path.