Gordin

• Preferred IV: +ATK / -SPD

• Weapon: Brave Bow+

• Assist: Reposition / Draw Back

• Special: Moonbow / Bonfire

• Passive A: Death Blow / Attack +3

• Passive B: Chill Def / Swordbreaker / Cancel Affinity

• Passive C: Def Smoke / Spur Def/Res

• Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse / Attack +3 / Heavy Blade

Gordin’s low Speed means that his best set uses the Brave Bow. An Attack boon is heavily recommended for this set as it gives Gordin a +6 Attack boost. In general, Gordin will want to maximise his raw Attack with this build to be able to punch through as many targets as possible. As Gordin is not fast enough for a Firesweep Bow, the Brave set is really the only one he can run effectively. However, there are many budget options for this build, making it useful for high-end and low-end players.

Death Blow gives Gordin a strong straight-up boost to his Attack. Being a Brave Weapon user, he runs the Quickened Pulse/Moonbow combination to maximise the damage of his first attack Moonbow is chosen as it has a charge time of two, meaning that alongside Quickened Pulse, Gordin can activate his Special on the very first attack. Chill Def also helps Gordin hit harder, but it can be replaced with Swordbreaker as a much cheaper alternative. Taking Swordbreaker will let Gordin quad-attack swords, making him a valuable Falchion slayer. Cancel Affinity is an option if you want Gordin to beat out Raven tome mages. But despite it being expensive, Chill Def outperforms every other B slot skill by a wide margin.

Gordin can also use Heavy Blade instead of Quickened Pulse, but this is less reliable as his Attack is still lower than many tanks. Attack +3 is a great alternative recommended for extended play over multiple maps such as the Chain Challenge or Tempest Trials. Finally, Reposition and Draw Back are both great and the decision comes down to player preference. Def Smoke in his C slot will let Gordin hit harder when combined with a Dancer, but a supportive Dual Spur skill is a great choice for him as a sub.

• Preferred IV: +ATK / -SPD

• Weapon: Slaying Bow+ (+Def) / Silver Bow+ (+Def) / Brave Bow

• Assist: Reposition / Draw Back

• Special: Ignis / Bonfire

• Passive A: Close Counter

• Passive B: Guard / Quick Riposte

• Passive C: Atk Smoke / Spur Def/Res

• Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Close Def

Gordin's high defense enables him to function as a pseudo-physical tank with Close Counter to retaliate against melee fighters. This set is somewhat gimmicky, but can work well and is a unique way to make use of the Altean Archer. The strategy when using this set is to have Gordin tank melee foes and hit them back with an incredibly powerful Bonfire or Ignis.

Close Counter is the only strictly required skill, giving Gordin the ability to hit close-quarter enemies who try to attack him. In order to boost his defense, he takes a Defense refine on a Slaying Bow. A Slaying Bow is required if Gordin is to charge Ignis, but he can use a Brave Bow or Silver Bow with Bonfire instead if he chooses. However, using a Brave Bow is not recommended as it cannot be refined and will make Gordin much less tanky.

Guard stops foes from charging Specials on Gordin, and is highly recommended as it prevents Moonbow/Glimmer being activated on him. Since Gordin is very likely to be double attacked, this prevents foes from charging Specials on him during the fight. Quick Riposte in his Seal slot allows Gordin to double back in kind and activate the powerful Ignis. Gordin can also take Quick Riposte in his B slot and Close Def in his Seal slot, giving him more raw Defense at the risk of foes activating Specials.

Finally, Reposition and Draw Back are both great and the decision comes down to player preference. Atk Smoke in his C slot helps Gordin survive and tank through multiple foes in one turn. However, a supportive Dual Spur skill is a great choice for him as a sub.