Etrian Odyssey Nexus: Novice Hero Guide

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The Hero class in Etrian Odyssey Nexus excels at creating Afterimages, which act as additional attackers. For solo or smaller parties, the Hero can quickly fill the team with Afterimages using skills like Mirage Sword. To amplify damage, rely on Brave Heart or Heroic Bonds. Brave Heart, when activated, makes an army of Afterimages particularly effective with counterattack skills like Shogun’s Front Command, as their damage is amplified. The Hero also benefits greatly from Shogun’s Great Warrior buff, which enhances all of the Hero’s attack skills. The Hero's tankiness allows them to be a primary target for enemy aggression. To consistently meet the HP requirement for Heroic Bonds, consider party healers like Medic or War Magus, or party-healing skills such as Sovereign’s Royal Veil, Arcanist’s Circle Boon, or Harbinger’s Atonement.

For an early build, prioritize learning Afterimage and Mirage Sword as soon as possible. Unless you have other skills to speed up Wide Bravery’s all-enemy targeting, it’s not recommended to invest in it early on. Before facing the first boss, learning Clear Mind is beneficial for removing ailments and binds. Afterwards, focus on Heroic Bonds and Mirage Sword to maximize the Hero’s benefits.

Hero skills are generally front-loaded. They are versatile, so it's important to decide the role you want the Hero to play. Investing in Afterimage is always beneficial. Start with at least 1 point in Afterimage and perhaps 1 or 2 in Mirage Sword, especially if the front row is already filled with melee characters, as Mirage Sword is a ranged attack. For random battles, 1 point in Wide Bravery is recommended. Also, invest 1 point in Encourage and Heroic Bonds for light healing and speed/damage boosts. Level up Encourage and Heroic Bonds as you progress. Any spare points can be put into Afterimage. Note that maxing Afterimage and Brave Heart guarantees Afterimage creation. Frigid Slash 2 can be useful as it’s a prerequisite for the next tier and offers good value. If the Hero is playing a more defensive role, Physical Shield should be prioritized over attack skills.

A recommended starting build includes 1 point in Mirage Sword, 1 point in Physical Shield, and 1 point in Encourage. Physical Shield can be ignored if you do not plan to use a shield.

Hero Skills

Force Boost

Brave Heart: Increases Afterimage creation chance by 50% and amplifies their damage by 2.35 for three turns. Bonus damage only applies to self-created Afterimages and does not stack for Afterimages created by other Afterimages.

Force Break

Miracle Edge: Deals cut damage and recovers HP. May over-heal up to 1.75 of maximum HP until the end of the turn.

Passive Skills

Afterimage: Has a 50% chance to create an Afterimage with 100% HP when any attack skill is performed. Requires an empty slot. Afterimages disappear on the next turn after creation, when the user dies, or if they are moved to the back line (though they still deal damage without penalty). Does not activate for follow-ups or counters.
Encourage: Recovers HP if any attack skill is performed. Does not activate for Links, follow-ups, or counters. Triggered by skills performed by Afterimages.
Heroic Bonds: Increases user’s attack by 20% and action speed by 1.35 if the party’s average HP is above 75%. Works well with Wide Bravery due to its low action speed.

Attack Skills

Mirage Sword: Deals cut damage and has a 65% chance to create an Afterimage by 65% after use. Requires equipping a sword.
Wide Bravery: Deals cut damage. Targets all enemies if the target does not act before this skill. Requires equipping a sword.
Frigid Slash: Deals splashed cut and ice damage. Requires equipping a sword.
Physical Shield: Deals bash damage using the shield’s DEF stat multiplied by 3 instead of the user’s ATK. All party members gain 30% physical damage reduction until this skill is used. Requires equipping a shield.

Heal Skills

Clear Mind: Cures all ailments and up to 3 binds if the user is suffering from any. Also recovers some TP. Cannot be used if the user is not suffering from ailments or binds, and TP recovery is negated if the ailment or bind is cured before activation.