Trailblazer (Preservation)

Q: What Light Cone should I use without Moment of Victory?

Landau's Choice is a great 4-star option. Journey, Forever Peaceful, Day One of My New Life or She Already Shut Her Eyes also work, depending on what you have.

Preservation

Fire5★

Galactic Baseballer

“When you have the chance to choose, do not leave yourself with regrets…”

Should You Pull for Trailblazer (Preservation)?

Shielder

Trailblazer (Preservation) is the sustain you unlock through the story on Jarilo-VI. Every action the Trailblazer takes puts a small Shield on the whole team, and the Skill Taunts enemies so they hit the Trailblazer instead. Damage and Toughness damage are pretty decent for a defensive unit, but the further you get into the endgame, the thinner the Shield looks next to what enemies deal.

A good fit for new players who need a sustain right away, since in the early and mid game the Shield is enough to stop enemy damage. If you already have Trailblazer (Harmony) or a stronger sustain, don't pour many resources into the Preservation version.

Memory of Chaos Decent On the higher floors the Taunt is no longer reliable, and the Shield is far too thin for the damage enemies put out.

Pure Fiction Good The Ultimate hits every enemy and deals steady Toughness damage, but the small Shield makes it hard to hold a team slot in the late game.

Apocalyptic Shadow Decent Team-wide damage reduction helps soften the boss's AoE attacks, but it still isn't enough to be your only sustain.

Pros & Cons

Pros

A solid support with steady shielding
Flexible build directions for players who invest heavily
High Toughness damage for a support character
An AoE Taunt that neutralizes certain enemies

Cons

The Trailblazer (Harmony) already exists and is far better
Their value drops as you pick up other defensive options
Cannot Taunt without spending Skill Points

Best Trailblazer (Preservation) Build Guide

Trailblazer (Preservation) Shield Build

The Talent's Shield scales off DEF, so this build is all about DEF. It puts Taunting and team utility first while still keeping a decent Shield.

Best Light Cones

1 Moment of Victory Best

The best pick. It gives a big chunk of DEF, makes enemies far more likely to target the Trailblazer, and adds even more DEF when the Trailblazer gets hit. With the Taunt on the Skill, getting hit is easy.
2 Landau's Choice Great

A great 4-star option. It also makes enemies more likely to target the Trailblazer and reduces the DMG the Trailblazer takes, exactly what a tank wants. The trade-off is that it gives no DEF bonus like Moment of Victory does.
3 She Already Shut Her Eyes Great

Gives HP and Energy Regeneration Rate. When the Trailblazer gets hit, all allies get a small DMG boost, and it restores HP for the whole team at the start of every wave.
4 Journey, Forever Peaceful Great

Makes the Shields stronger and boosts the whole team's DMG while they are Shielded. The Trailblazer refreshes the Shield after every action, so this bonus is easy to keep up.
5 Texture of Memories Good

A survival focused Light Cone, made for characters whose job is taking hits and reducing damage for the team.
6 Day One of My New Life Good

Gives DEF and reduces the DMG all allies take from the start of the battle. A solid choice until you have something better.
7 Trend of the Universal Market Stopgap

A Light Cone for Acheron teams. It gives DEF, applies an extra Burn to enemies when the Trailblazer gets hit, and that debuff counts toward Acheron's Ultimate charges.

Best Relics

One of the two best sets. It increases the Shield Effect and gives CRIT DMG to allies who have the Trailblazer's Shield. Since the Shield covers the whole team, that buff is very easy to get.

A defensive set that works for any Shield character. If you can't put together 4 good pieces yet, use 2 pieces of this set with 2 pieces of , or .

The backup option. It reduces the DMG the Trailblazer takes, and the 4-piece adds a little extra survivability.

Best Planar Ornaments

The top pick. The Effect RES makes debuffs less likely to land on the Trailblazer, and at 30% Effect RES the whole team gets CRIT DMG. That buff does nothing for DoT teams.

The second pick. The HP makes the Trailblazer tankier, and it gives the team ATK%. The buff is easier to turn on than 's, so it suits teams with an ATK-scaling DPS.

Gives DEF%. The extra DEF% needs 50% Effect Hit Rate, which is hard to reach through substats alone.

Main Stats

BodyDEF%
FeetSPD or DEF%
Planar SphereDEF% or Fire DMG Boost
Link RopeEnergy Regeneration Rate or DEF%

Substats

1Effect RES (30% if using Broken Keel)
2SPD
3DEF%
4HP%
5Effect Hit Rate

There are two ways to build. Go DEF% on every piece for the biggest Shield you can get, or take SPD on the feet and Energy Regeneration Rate on the rope so you can use the Ultimate more often. On the sphere, DEF% or Fire DMG Boost both work.

With Broken Keel, reach 30% Effect RES first, because falling short means the team loses the CRIT DMG buff. After that, go SPD, DEF%, then HP%. Effect Hit Rate makes the Taunt on the Skill more likely to land.

Stat Targets

DEF2500 to 3500
SPD134 or more
Effect RES30% or more
Effect Hit Rate30% or more

Skill Priority

Talent early, the rest is up to you

The Talent makes the team's Shields bigger through DEF scaling, so it is always worth leveling early. For the rest, two orders both work: Talent > Skill > Ultimate > Basic ATK, or Ultimate > Talent > Basic ATK > Skill. The Skill gives a Taunt and DMG reduction for just 1 Skill Point, while the Ultimate hits every enemy and gives you a free Enhanced Basic ATK.

Trace Priority

The Strong Defend the Weak > Action Beats Overthinking > Unwavering Gallantry

The Strong Defend the Weak reduces the DMG all allies take by 15% for 1 turn after the Trailblazer uses the Skill, which helps even when the Taunt misses. Action Beats Overthinking gives 5 Energy and 15% ATK each turn if the Trailblazer starts the turn with a Shield. Unwavering Gallantry restores 5% Max HP every time the Trailblazer uses an Enhanced Basic ATK.

Eidolon Priority

Eidolons come with play, E6 is the one to look forward to

You get every Eidolon over time without pulling. E6 raises DEF by 10% each time the Trailblazer uses an Enhanced Basic ATK or the Ultimate, stacking up to 30%, which makes the Shields noticeably bigger. E2 adds 2% DEF plus 27 to the Talent's Shield. E1 adds Fire DMG based on DEF to the Basic ATK, which matters more if you build the Trailblazer to deal damage. E4 gives 4 stacks of Magma Will at the start of battle, which you don't really need since you usually open with the Skill.

Best Trailblazer (Preservation) Teams

Budget Team (All 4-Stars)

The Trailblazer Taunts so enemies aim their attacks at the Trailblazer, and every action puts a Shield on the whole team. Lynx heals the party and makes the Trailblazer more likely to be targeted, so your other units get hit less. Dan Heng deals the damage and Asta supports.

Yanqing Team

The Trailblazer fits into lots of team types and adds both damage and survivability, as long as a healer comes along. Yanqing needs someone to draw enemy attacks so he can keep his passive active, and the Trailblazer's Taunt does exactly that. The Trailblazer's Shields are fairly thin, so Natasha handles the healing. Fill the last slot with a Sub-DPS or a support.

Best Teammates for Trailblazer (Preservation)

Acheron

One of the last strong partners Trailblazer (Preservation) has left. The Trailblazer brings one of the best Taunts in the game, and with Trend of the Universal Market every hit taken applies an extra Burn, so Acheron gets her Ultimate much more often.

Yanqing

His passive only stays up while someone else draws the enemy's attacks, and the Trailblazer's Taunt does exactly that.

Lynx

She heals the whole team and makes the Trailblazer more likely to be targeted, which keeps everyone else safe.

Natasha

The Trailblazer's Shields are fairly thin, so a healer is needed on top, and Natasha keeps the Trailblazer alive for longer.

How to Play Trailblazer (Preservation)

Every Action Shields the Whole Team

The Talent Treasure of the Architects puts a Shield on all allies whenever the Trailblazer uses a Basic ATK, Skill or Ultimate, worth up to 6% of DEF plus 80 and lasting 2 turns. The Shield isn't big, but it gets refreshed all the time, so it is great against small, frequent hits. In the late game a single enemy attack often deals thousands of damage, while you would need 5-digit DEF for the Shield to go over 1000, so don't expect the Trailblazer to be your only sustain.

Stack Magma Will to Enhance the Basic ATK

The Trailblazer gains 1 stack of Magma Will each time the Trailblazer is hit or uses a Basic ATK or Skill, up to 8 stacks. At 4 stacks the Basic ATK becomes enhanced, also hitting adjacent enemies and dealing more Toughness damage to the main target, and it consumes those 4 stacks. The Unwavering Gallantry Trace also restores 5% Max HP every time you use this Enhanced Basic ATK.

Use the Skill's Taunt to Cover Your Team

The Skill Ever-Burning Amber reduces the DMG the Trailblazer takes (up to 50%) and has a 100% base chance to Taunt all enemies for 1 turn. That lets you pull dangerous lock-on attacks toward your tank. In hard content that chance isn't a sure thing, which is why Effect Hit Rate helps. A missed Taunt isn't the end of the world, since The Strong Defend the Weak still reduces the team's DMG taken by 15%. Keep in mind the Skill costs Skill Points, so if your team relies on the Taunt every turn, you can run short on points quickly.

Ultimate and Technique

The Ultimate War-Flaming Lance deals damage to all enemies based on both ATK and DEF, deals 60 Toughness damage to each of them and makes the next Basic ATK enhanced automatically without using Magma Will. The Ultimate also counts as an action for refreshing the Shield, so you can fire it during the enemy's turn to save the team in a pinch. Before a fight, use the Technique Call of the Guardian to start the battle with a Shield, which pairs with the Action Beats Overthinking Trace for extra ATK and Energy.

Quick Tips

With Broken Keel you need a full 30% Effect RES, since falling even a little short means the team loses the CRIT DMG buff.
If you need to refresh the Shield fast, use the Ultimate during the enemy's turn.
The Skill costs Skill Points, so plan ahead before pairing the Trailblazer with teammates who also eat a lot of them.
Against enemies that a Taunt shuts down, the Trailblazer can stand in for your main sustain.
Don't put too many resources into the Preservation version if you already have Trailblazer (Harmony).

Trailblazer (Preservation) Skills

Basic ATK

Ice-Breaking Light

[Single Target]

Energy Generated20

Toughness Break Single Target: 10

Deals Fire DMG equal to 140% of the Trailblazer’s ATK to one designated enemy and gains 1 stack of “Magma Will.”

Lv. 10

Upgrade Materials

Lv. 1 to Lv. 10

Ever-Burning Amber

[Blast]

Energy Generated30

Toughness Break AoE: 20

Increases the Trailblazer’s DMG Reduction by 55% and gains 1 stack of Magma Will, with a 100% base chance to Taunt all enemies for 1 turn(s).

Lv. 15

Upgrade Materials

Lv. 1 to Lv. 15

War-Flaming Lance

[Enhance]

Energy Generated5

Deals Fire DMG equal to 525% of the Trailblazer’s ATK plus 315% of the Trailblazer’s DEF to all enemies. The next Basic ATK will be automatically enhanced and does not cost Magma Will.

Lv. 15

Upgrade Materials

Lv. 1 to Lv. 15

Treasure of the Architects

[Enhance]

Energy Generated5

Each time the Trailblazer is hit, they gain 1 stack of “Magma Will” for a max of 8 stack(s).
When “Magma Will” has no fewer than 4 stacks, the Trailblazer’s Basic ATK becomes enhanced, dealing DMG to one designated enemy and enemies adjacent to it.
When the Trailblazer uses Basic ATK, Skill, or Ultimate, apply a Shield to all allies that absorbs DMG equal to 7.0% of the Trailblazer’s DEF plus 103. The Shield lasts for 2 turn(s).

Lv. 15

Upgrade Materials

Lv. 1 to Lv. 15

Call of the Guardian

Energy Generated20

After using Technique, at the start of the next battle, gains a Shield that absorbs DMG equal to 30% of the Trailblazer’s DEF plus 384 for 1 turn(s).

Trailblazer (Preservation) Traces

Total Trace Bonuses

DEF % +35%
ATK % +18%
HP % +10%

Trailblazer (Preservation) Eidolons

Earth-Shaking Resonance

Eidolon 1

When the Trailblazer uses their Basic ATK, additionally deals Fire DMG equal to 25% of the Trailblazer’s DEF. When the Trailblazer uses their enhanced Basic ATK, additionally deals Fire DMG equal to 50% of the Trailblazer’s DEF.

Time-Defying Tenacity

Eidolon 2

The Shield applied to all allies from the Trailblazer’s Talent will block extra DMG equal to 2% of the Trailblazer’s DEF plus 27.

Trail-Blazing Blueprint

Eidolon 3

Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.

Nation-Building Oath

Eidolon 4

At the start of the battle, immediately gains 4 stack(s) of Magma Will.

Spirit-Warming Flame

Eidolon 5

Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.

City-Forging Bulwarks

Eidolon 6

After the Trailblazer uses enhanced Basic ATK or Ultimate, their DEF increases by 10%. Stacks up to 3 time(s).

Stats Base

Lv. 80

HP Base—
ATK Base—
DEF Base—
SPD—
Taunt—

Ascension Materials

20304050607080

About Trailblazer (Preservation)

Path story: Trailblaze
World: Astral Express
Debut Banner: Destruction: * Chaos In the Deep Preservation: * The Return Harmony: * Then Wake to Weep * When Charmony Rings Out... Remembrance: * Night Veil, Shroud the Silent Past
Release Date: 2023-04-26
Version: 1.0

Faction

Astral Express
The Nameless
Stellaron Hunters
The Moles
Ghost-Hunting Squad
Chrysos Heirs
Titans
Furbobo Weekly

EN S: Chloe Eves C: Shaun Mendum

CN S: Chen Tingting (陈婷婷) C: Qin Qiege (秦且歌)

JP S: Ishikawa Yui (石川由依) C: Enoki Junya (榎木淳弥)

KR S: Kim Ha-ru (김하루) C: Kim Myung-jun (김명준)

Nameless Hero
Deliverer
Throne of Worlds
The Hero Within
Dux Primarius
Genesis's Author

Trailblazer (Preservation) FAQ

Should I invest heavily in Trailblazer (Preservation)?

No. Trailblazer (Harmony) is far stronger, and the Preservation version gets used less and less as you pick up better sustains. Building just enough to get through the early and mid game is the sensible choice.

Can Trailblazer (Preservation) be my only sustain?

In most cases, no. The Shield is fairly thin next to late-game enemy damage, so you should add a healer like Lynx or Natasha.

What Light Cone should I use without Moment of Victory?

is a great 4-star option. , or also work, depending on what you have.

Does Trailblazer (Preservation) work with Acheron?

Yes, it is one of the Trailblazer's best pairings. Equip Trend of the Universal Market and Taunt to get hit more, and each Burn applied helps Acheron charge her Ultimate faster.

Should I build DEF or SPD?

Both work. Stacking DEF% gives bigger Shields, while SPD and Energy Regeneration Rate let you use the Ultimate more often. Aim for roughly 2500 to 3500 DEF.