\[Novice\] Highlander

Explore the Novice Highlander class in Etrian Odyssey Nexus. Learn about its skills like Hero Battle, Gae Bolg, Long Thrust, and Spear Assist, along with stat growth and equipment.

The Highlander is a powerful class in Etrian Odyssey Nexus, known for its high HP growth and potent spear-based attacks. Many of its skills consume HP, making party synergy with healers or damage mitigators crucial for survival. This guide covers the Highlander's skills, stat growth, and recommended strategies for early game progression.

Skills:

1. Hero Battle (Force Boost): Increases spear skill damage by 40% and recovers 15% of damage dealt as HP for three turns.
2. Gae Bolg (Force Break): Deals stab damage to all enemies and recovers 3% of damage dealt as TP.
3. Long Thrust (Attack): Deals stab damage to one enemy. Requires a spear. Max Lv Effect: Deals stab damage. Must equip a spear.
4. Spear Assist (Attack): Deals stab damage at the end of the turn. If an element is used before this skill, it becomes imbued with that element and its elemental damage is amplified. Element-imbued counterattack also applies. Must equip a spear.
5. Turning Tide (Passive Heal): Recovers HP when the user kills an enemy. Does not activate if the user is inflicted with Panic.
6. Draining Thrust (Attack): Consumes 40% of own current HP to deal stab damage to the enemy's front line. Must equip a spear.
7. Legion Thrust (Attack): Consumes 25% of all allies’ current HP to deal stab damage to the enemy's front line. Must equip a spear.
8. Spirit Shield (Buff): Consumes 34% of own current HP to increase elemental DEF by 30% for 4 turns.
9. Bloody Veil (Passive): Mitigates all damage by 34% until the end of the turn, but only after the user loses HP. Works for self HP-consuming skills.
10. Mine (Field): Has a chance to obtain rare material at any mining point.
11. HP Up (Passive): Increases maximum HP by 20%.

Stat Growth:

• HP: A
• TP: C
• STR: A+
• INT: D
• VIT: A+
• WIS: D
• AGI: B
• LUC: C

Possible Equipment: Spear, Light Armor, Clothes, Shield.

Strategy and Skill Progression:

• Highlanders have high HP but rely on HP-consuming skills. Support from healers (Medic, War Magus, Arcanist, Sovereign) or damage absorbers (Protector, Hero, Farmer) is recommended.
• If you have party-healing skills (Sovereign's Royal Veil, Arcanist's Circle Boon, Harbinger's Atonement), Legion Thrust is a good attack choice. Otherwise, Draining Thrust is preferred.
• Early game priority: Invest in Turning Tide and Legion Thrust, or 1 point in Turning Tide and 2 points in Long Thrust.
• Invest at least one point in Bloody Veil and HP Up.
• For early boss fights, learn Long Thrust. Consider Spear Assist if you have elemental attackers; otherwise, focus on upgrading Long Thrust.
• Spear Assist is more effective against bosses and FOEs (Field Enemies) at higher levels (5+), but less practical for random encounters due to TP cost.
• Bloody Veil is a strong defensive passive that activates when the Highlander loses HP.
• Spirit Shield is useful for parties lacking elemental damage mitigation.
• Hero Battle can fully restore party HP when active, making Legion Thrust very potent.