Bruno is your first true row-cleaver: a Gladiator → Berserker whose big swings punish clustered enemies and whose bulk lets him anchor early Cornia squads. He’s simple to pilot (hit the row, heal himself, and punish attackers) and remains a dependable physical bruiser while your roster is still forming.
How to Recruit Bruno
Clear the Cornia mission “As the Tricorns Ride.” Defeating his unit completes the map objective, and Bruno joins your army afterwards.
Class Overview: Gladiator → Berserker (Infantry)
Gladiators pack row attacks and chunky HP, but they’re soft to both physical and magic damage without support.
On promotion to Berserker (30 Honor), Bruno leans harder into AoE offense.
His leader effect is Barrier Breaker, handy for overworld sieges but not combat power.
Growth type: Defensive / Precise, a little more staying power and reliability than a pure glass cannon.
Stats and Growth
- AP / PP: 1 / 1 – straightforward rotations; relies on passives and timing
- HP: S – excellent health pool for early-game anchoring
- Physical ATK: B – solid base damage, scales with gear/promotion
- Physical DEF: F – needs shielding/heals to trade safely
- Magic ATK: F, Magic DEF: E – keep him away from mage-heavy waves
- Accuracy: F – benefits from Accuracy gear or True-Strike support
- Evasion / Crit / Guard: F / E / E – not a dodger or blocker; win via HP and offense
- Initiative: F – tends to act late; plan tactics accordingly
- Leader Effect: Barrier Breaker
- Growth: Defensive / Precise
Skills and Abilities
Wide Smash (1 AP, Active): Cleaves an entire row; +50 potency at full HP. Your default opener when the enemy stacks bodies.
Bulk Up (1 PP, Passive): Recover 40% HP, his sustain button; use when <50% HP to keep Wide Smash at full potency.
Wide Counter (1 PP, Passive, Lv15): Counterattacks a row when hit, great into swarmy physical comps.
Toughness (Valor): Negate stamina loss & knock back the enemy unit for one battle (ineffective vs garrisoned). A tempo tool to keep your push rolling.
Promotion notes: Berserker keeps the row-busting identity and appreciates the same sustain and accuracy support.
Best Equipment and Accessories
Axe: Early Black-Iron Axe (Phys ATK + crit%) is a clean pickup; any higher-tier axe with Phys ATK or Accuracy is ideal.
Accessory #1 – Lapis Pendant (+1 PP): Fuels Bulk Up uptime or Wide Counter when needed.
Accessory #2 – Warrior’s Medallion / flat Phys ATK or Accuracy trinket: Push kill thresholds and reduce whiffs on Wide Smash.
Flex: A magic-resist piece for caster-heavy maps.
Ideal Unit Placement & Team Synergy
Front row or mid row in a sustain core:
Healer (Sharon/Josef) keeps him topped so Wide Smash gets the full-HP bonus consistently.
Shielders/Frontliners (Lex, Josef) soak the scariest hits while Bruno swings on rows.
Ranged peel (Rolf/Yunifi) snipes thieves/fliers who bypass his bulk.
He’s at his best early in Cornia; later, swap him to maps with tight formations where row damage shines.
Tips and Strategy
Tactic template (general use, in priority):
- Wide Smash → Condition: “Row with ≥2 enemies” (or leave blank for simplicity).
- Bulk Up → Condition: “Self HP ≤ 50%” (sustain to keep the full-HP bonus online).
- Wide Counter → leave active (free punish into swarms).
Play notes
Protect from mages. His low Mag DEF means witch/wizard waves will melt him without cover, screen him or rotate squads.
Row hunting. Send him at tightly packed melee groups; if enemies spread out or go caster-heavy, rotate to another unit.
Tempo with Toughness. Use the Valor to avoid stamina loss and keep your offensive line advancing.
Final Thoughts
Bruno is a plug-and-play row breaker who helps you breeze through early clusters and holds value on maps that bunch enemies together.
Pair him with steady healing, a little accuracy help, and he’ll reliably soften (or wipe) lines so your carries can finish the job. As your roster grows, deploy him where his AoE profile and Toughness tempo shine the most.
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Featured image is from this YouTube video by TitaniumLegman and used under Fair Use.