Protector

Holy defenders of the weak. A protector's sword and shield are invaluable tools when in the dungeon.

—Protector description, Etrian Odyssey

Holy paladins clad in heavy armor.

The Protector is a class of holy knights specialized in defending others from harm. Donning the strongest armor on top of naturally high HP and VIT, Protectors are the team's pillar and shield against the horrors and treacheries of the Labyrinth. Their versatile defenses can be applied to themselves, a particular line, or the entire party to mitigate the damage they take. Though mainly concerned with physical damage, Protectors can ward off magic attacks and restore their allies' health. They attract the most hostile attention on the front line, but with advanced techniques can be just as effective on the back line. When no one is in need of protection, Protectors can dish out respectable damage in retaliation.

• EO1
• EOU
• EO2
• EO2U
• EON
• EMD

Profile

The Protector is a must when exploring the labyrinth. They have high defense and HP, meaning they will usually be the back row's last pillar of support. F. Guard and B. Guard reduce damage the front or back row takes a limited number of times that turn. They enable the much better Defender skill that reduces damage the whole party takes indefinitely. Protectors can also Provoke the enemies to focus on them and Parry their attacks, and even nullify elemental damage sent toward the party using Antifire, Antivolt, or Anticold. Their Strength stat is tied with Ronin for the highest in the game, supporting their use of a sword and their damage skill Smite. Finally, a few basic healing skills in form of Cure and Cure II round out their arsenal.

• Strengths: Excellent defense, good attack power, and healing abilities.
• Weaknesses: Specific defenses are a gamble, no elemental attacks, slow to move if not guarding.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EO1

Level	HP	TP	STR	TEC	VIT	AGI	LUC
1	27	13	10	8	9	6	9
30	205	71	43	35	39	27	39
50	358	111	65	54	60	42	60
70	516	151	82	68	75	53	75

Skill Tree

Note: Skills are listed in the same order that is used in the game and do not necessarily unlock one after another. See the "Requires" column to see how to unlock a skill. If that column has dashes in it the skill is accessible at level one; no other skill is needed to unlock it. Skills are maxed at level 10.

• Stat Increases and Passive Skills are passive benefits that grant bonuses without being activated.
• Search Skills are out-of-battle skills, mostly for gathering materials or controlling monster behaviour.
• Defense Skills allow the Protector to heighten his and the party's defense.
• Shield Skills cover a lot of defense option against physical and magical damage.
• Extra shows skill detail or any special bonuses that are gained at certain levels.

Skill	Description	Type	Requires	Extra
HP Up	Increase maximum HP.	Stat Increase	-----
TP Up	Increase maximum TP.	Stat Increase	-----
DEF Up	Increase physical defense.	Stat Increase	-----
Shields	Increase elemental defense.	Stat Increase	-----
Aegis	Preparedness for death makes it possible to survive with 1 HP.	Passive Skill	DEF Up Lv5
En Garde	Chance of automatically blocking enemy attacks.	Passive Skill	DEF Up Lv7 Shields Lv7
Provoke	Increase defense and divert the enemy's attention to you.	Special Skill	DEF Up Lv1	Lv1-4 increase aggro. Lv5-10 increase defense
Flee	Sacrifice HP to escape from battle to the previous floor.	Escape Skill	DEF Up Lv3
Parry	Await the enemy's attack to parry it and negate the damage.	Defense Skill
Fortify	Digs in for ironclad defense against physical damage.	Defense Skill	DEF Up Lv3 Shields Lv3
Defender	Organizes the party into a formation of increased defense.	Defense Skill	F. Guard Lv3 B. Guard Lv3
F. Guard	May take damage in the front line's place.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv1
B. Guard	May take damage in the back line's place.
Antifire	Briefly raises the party's fire resistance.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv5 TP Up Lv3	At Lv5, nullifies element. Lv6-10 absorbs element.
Antivolt	Briefly raises the party's volt resistance.
Anticold	Briefly raises the party's ice resistance.
Smite	Deals a powerful bash to the enemy.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv10 Fortify Lv5	At Lv5 gains chance of inflicting Arm Bind.
Cure	Heals a small amount of HP.	Healing Skill	HP Up Lv3
Cure II	Heals a medium amount of HP.	Healing Skill	HP Up Lv5
Stalker	Cautious steps reduce the chances of enemy encounters.	Search Skill	DEF Up Lv5
Mine	Mine for materials at item points.	Search Skill	-----

External Links

• Skill Simulator

Profile

Protectors refocus their role as the party tank with modernizations and new skills in the remake. Stats are rearranged to put VIT at the top, like standard tanks, then AGI lowest and the rest hovering around the median. Front and Rear Guard do away with limited activation nonsense. Defender returns with less damage reduction and a turn limit. The healing skills all scale with TEC and they trade Cure II for Party Cure, although Medics with more TEC heal better. Their elemental defense skills, Fire, Ice, and Volt Wall, now defend against a single instance of the damage type per party member. They gain Prayer, which slightly regenerates the party's HP and TP to increase their overall stamina and allow for longer exploration or grinding trips. Another new skill is Bravery's Gift, which temporarily dramatically raises their HP and allows them to take all hits that the rest of the party would take, potentially sacrificing the Protector to buy everyone else a turn's reprieve. On the offensive end of the spectrum, Shield Smite is joined by Shield Rush that strikes all enemies while applying a physical attack debuff.

• Strengths: Excellent defense, reasonable strength, healing abilities.
• Weaknesses: Specific defenses are a gamble, no elemental attacks, slow to move if not guarding, low TP.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EOU

Level	HP	TP	STR	TEC	VIT	AGI	LUC
1	40	26	7	6	10	5	7
30	155	84	19	18	26	12	18
70	375	184	39	38	53	23	35
99	579	271	55	54	73	31	48

Skills

Skill	Description	Type	Requires	Extra
Shield Mastery	Enables Shield skills and increases defense when a shield is equipped.	Mastery	None	Can be augmented with Grimoire Stones.
Front Guard	Reduces physical damage to the front line this turn.	Shield	Shield Mastery Lv1
Rear Guard	Reduces physical damage to the back line this turn.
Defender	Raises the party's physical defense for 3 turns.	Buff	Front Guard Lv5 Rear Guard Lv5	Lv. 5 and 10 increase duration.
Fire Wall	Protects the party from the first fire attack this turn.	Shield	Shield Mastery Lv3	Lv5 blocks attack. Lv10 absorbs. Overrides other Wall skills.
Ice Wall	Protects the party from the first ice attack this turn.
Volt Wall	Protects the party from the first volt attack this turn.
Shield Smite	Melee bash attack to 1 enemy, may cause arm bind.	Shield	Shield Mastery Lv7	Lv. 5 and 10 increase arm bind rate.
Shield Rush	Melee bash attack to all enemies, reduces their physical attack.	Shield	Shield Smite Lv5	Lv. 5 and 10 increase attack debuff strength.
Bravery's Gift	Raises user's maximum HP and causes them to take all damage for the party this turn.	Guard	Shield Mastery Lv10
DEF Up	Raises physical defense.	Stat Up	None
Provoke	Raises chance of being targeted for 3 turns.	Buff	DEF Up Lv1	Lv. 5 and 10 increase duration.
Parry	May block physical attacks to the user's line this turn.	Guard	Provoke Lv5
Fortify	Raises user's defense for 3 turns.	Buff	DEF Up Lv3	Lv. 5 and 10 increase duration.
Aegis	May survive a mortal blow with 1 HP.	Passive	DEF Up Lv5
En Garde	Occasionally guard to reduce damage sustained.	Passive	Fortify Lv3 Aegis Lv3
HP Up	Raises max HP.	Stat Up	None
Safe Passage	Lowers damage sustained from damage tiles for a certain number of steps.	Field	HP Up Lv1
Flee	Consumes party's HP to escape from battle to floor entrance.	Escape	Safe Passage Lv3	Lv. 5 and 10 reduce HP consumption.
Cure	Restores an ally's HP.	Healing	HP Up Lv3	Lv. 5 and 10 increase turn speed.
Party Cure	Restores party's HP.		HP Up Lv5
Prayer	Party restores HP and TP after a battle.	Passive	Cure Lv5 Party Cure Lv3	Does not stack.
TP Up	Raises max TP.	Stat Up	None
Mine	Allows the user to find more resources when mining.	Gather	None	Can be augmented with Grimoire Stones.

Grimoire Stones

Skills to generate:

• Elemental Walls: Good damage prevention when handling enemies with strong elemental attacks.
• Prayer: Extends party stamina while journeying through the labyrinth. Once acquired on a Grimoire, the Protector can Rest to reallocate the skill points spent there to other more important skills.
• Aegis: Pass to other party members to give them a chance to resist death.
• Parry: Other shield-using party members can gain a defensive skill to use.

Skills best given to Protectors:

• Physical attack skills: Lets the Protector do reasonable damage when not needed to go on the defense. Sword skills are preferred as they normally are seen with swords without Grimoire equip bonuses.
• ATK Up: Protectors do not get this skill. Give them this skill to increase the damage they do when they go on the offense.

External Links

• Skill Simulator

Profile

The protector's role is better-defined when fighting on High Lagaard. New skills allow more versatility when choosing who to defend: the entire party with All Guard, or a single member with 1 Guard. The Protector kept his skills for individual elemental defenses, but also gained Antiall, which boosts the entire party's defense against all elements. They also lost their ability to heal HP, but gained Refresh to heal status ailments. The Beast class is unlocked early in the game, durable brawlers with a different style of tanking.

• Strengths: Excellent defense, reasonable strength.
• Weaknesses: Specific defenses are a gamble, no elemental attacks, slow to move if not guarding.
• Force Skill - Painless: Granting the entire party the ultimate defense, the protector completely blocks all forms of damage for a single turn.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EO2

Level	HP	TP	STR	TEC	VIT	AGI	LUC
1	48	22	5	5	8	4	5
30	226	78	21	16	40	13	24
70	537	158	48	30	75	29	52
99	771	328	65	47	93	48	70

Skills

Skill	Description	Type	Requires	Extra
HP Up	Increase maximum HP.	Stat Increase	-----
TP Up	Increase maximum TP.
STR Up	Increase strength.
TEC Up	Increase technique.
VIT Up	Increase vitality.
AGI Up	Increase agility.
LUC Up	Increase luck.
Esc Up	Increases chances of successfully escaping from battle.	Stat Increase	-----
Shields	Needed to learn shield skills.	Mastery Skill	-----
Aegis	Preparedness for death makes it possible to survive.	Passive Skill	HP Regen Lv5 Riskwall Lv5
En Garde	Chance of automatically blocking enemy attacks.	Passive Skill	Shields Lv5
HP Regen	Restores a small amount of HP after every turn in battle.	Passive Skill	HP Up Lv1
Riskwall	Physical defense increases as the protector loses HP.	Passive Skill	HP Up Lv3
Smite	Powerful shield strike that may bind an enemy's arms.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv10
F. Guard	Shield skill that may take damage in the front line's place.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv1
B. Guard	Shield skill that may take damage in the back line's place.
A. Guard	Shield skill that may take damage in the party's place.	Shield Skill	F. Guard Lv5 B. Guard Lv5
1 Guard	Shield skill that may take heavy damage for one party member.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv7
Antifire	Protects the party from fire attacks for 1 turn.	Shield Skill	Shields Lv3
Anticold	Protects the party from ice attacks for 1 turn.
Antivolt	Protects the party from volt attacks for 1 turn.
Antiall	Protects the party from all elemental attacks for 1 turn.	Shield Skill	TEC Up Lv10 Shields Lv10
Fortify	Digs in for ironclad defense against physical damage,	Support Skill	VIT Up Lv1
Provoke	Increase defense and divert the enemy's attention to you.	Support Skill	-----
Parry	Await the enemy's attack to parry it and negate the damage.	Special Skill	Provoke Lv3
Refresh	Remove status ailments from one party member.	Healing Skill	TEC Up Lv1
Flee	Escape from battle to the previous floor.	Escape Skill	-----
Mine	Mine for minerals at item points.	Search Skill	-----

External Links

• Class Guide

Profile

Protectors in EO2U have undergone several skill changes. Healing returns to their lineup, starting with Heal Guard that rushes to the aid of an injured party member, then Line Cure and Line Heal for more widespread restoration. Parry now is a passive skill, behaving more in line with En Garde from the original game, and also Shield Mastery now occasionally blocks physical attacks sent towards themselves. Aside from Provoke, none of Protector's skills in this game take damage in another character's place, allowing Beast to specialize into that style of tanking. Rather than something like Bravery's Gift from the previous Untold, their strongest skill Sentinel Guard shares the Protector's formidable DEF with the party.

While Protectors can normally only use swords, the Highlander DLC allows them to also wield axes and spears.

• Strengths: Unparalleled durability and damage prevention abilities.
• Weaknesses: Middling offense, low speed; Shield attack skills are costly.
• Force Boost - Shield Protect: For 3 turns, damage sustained by party members protected by Shield skills is halved, after the damage reduction from said skill.
• Force Break - Perfect Defense: Negates all damage (and additional effects of damaging attacks) dealt to the party for the turn.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EO2U

Level	HP	TP	STR	TEC	VIT	AGI	LUC
1	40	31	7	6	10	5	7
30	156	161	19	18	26	12	18
70	375	365	41	39	53	23	37
99	575	492	58	55	74	32	51

Skills

Shield Attack-Type skills calculate their damage primarily off the DEF bonus of the equipped shield, rather than the Protector's raw ATK score.

Skill	Description	Type	Requires	Extra
Shield Mastery	Enables shield skills and may void physical attacks with shield equipped.	Mastery	None
Front Guard	Lowers all physical damage to the front row this turn.	Guard	Shield Mastery Lv1
Rear Guard	Lowers all physical damage to the back row this turn.
Keep Guard	Lowers physical damage to an ally until end of next turn.	Guard	Front Guard Lv3 Rear Guard Lv3	Also disables other Guard skills next turn.
Fire Wall	Protects the party against the first fire attack this turn.	Guard	Shield Mastery Lv3	Lv5 nulls damage. Lv10 absorbs.
Ice Wall	Protects the party against the first ice attack this turn.
Volt Wall	Protects the party against the first volt attack this turn.
Heal Guard	Restores an ally's HP and lowers physical damage to that ally for the turn.	Guard	Shield Mastery Lv5
Shield Smite	Melee bash attack to 1 enemy, may cause arm bind	Shield Attack	Shield Mastery Lv7	Lv5 and 10 increase arm bind rate.
Shield Rush	Melee bash attack to all enemies, reduces their physical ATK for 3 turns.	Shield Attack	Shield Smite Lv5	Lv5 and 10 increase attack debuff strength.
Sentinel Guard	Reduces physical damage to the entire party. Cannot use Guard skills next turn.	Guard	Shield Mastery Lv10	Also temporarily boosts all allies' defensive stats.
Phys DEF Up	Raises physical DEF.	Stat Up	None
Provoke	Raises chances of being targeted for 3 turns.	Support	Phys DEF Up Lv1	Lv5 and 10 increase duration and add physical DEF bonus.
Pre-Provoke	May use Provoke at start of battle.	Passive	Provoke Lv5	Max Lv5
Fortify	Raises user's physical DEF for 3 turns.	Support	Phys DEF Up Lv3	Lv5 and 10 increase duration.
Parry	May void physical attacks towards user's line.	Passive	Phys DEF Up Lv5	Max Lv5. Doesn't need a shield to trigger.
Elem DEF Up	Raises elemental DEF.	Stat Up	None
Line Cure	Restores 1 line's HP.	Healing	Elem DEF Up Lv3
Line Heal	Greatly restores 1 line's HP.	Healing	Line Cure Lv5	Slower but stronger than Line Heal.
Aegis	May survive a mortal blow with 1 HP.	Passive	Elem DEF Up Lv5
Armor of Light	May block binds, ailments, and debuffs to user for 3 turns.	Support	Elem DEF Up Lv10	Lv5 and 10 increase speed. Lv10 increases duration.
HP Up	Raises max HP.	Stat Up	None
Flee	Escapes from battle to floor entrance. Consumes party HP if successful.	Special	HP Up Lv3
TP Up	Raises max TP.	Stat Up	None
Mine	Allows user to find more resources while mining.	Gather	None

Grimoire

Skills to generate:

• Parry: Random blocks across the party can aid survival.
• Aegis: With a bit of luck, other party members also get to survive mortal blows.
• Elemental Walls: Mandated when fighting the Storm Emperor, Blizzard King, and Great Dragon.
• Sentinel Guard: Having 2 characters alternate Sentinel Guard can provide great damage reduction.

Skills best given to Protectors:

• Phys ATK Up: Protectors lack this skill in their skill tree.
• Healing Rhythm (Troubadour): Provoke-using Protectors get passive regeneration while taking hits for the party.
• Hit-Taker (Beast): For emergency use. Shield Mastery and Parry can also help block several physical hits the Protector will be taking.
• Revive (Medic): Utilize the Protector's low speed to revive a fallen ally after the enemies have attacked.

External Links

• Skill Simulator

Profile

The series' first poster class and original tank has answered the call to Maginia. As the only specialized tank class in the game, Protectors have their work cut out for them. They most resemble Protectors from The Fafnir Knight, but they draw inspiration from their counterparts all across the series. Healing skills are largely set aside to make room for Ally Shield and Line Shield.

• Strengths: Unparalleled durability and damage prevention abilities.
• Weaknesses: Middling offense, low speed.
• Force Boost - Shield Protect: For 3 turns, damage sustained by party members protected by Guard skills is halved, after the damage reduction from said skill.
• Force Break - Painless: Negates all damage (and additional effects of damaging attacks) dealt to the party for the turn.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EON

Level	HP	TP	STR	INT	VIT	WIS	AGI	LUC
1	60	52	13	10	20	15	8	13
30	120	99	28	22	44	32	18	28
70	245	199	59	47	94	68	39	61
99	367	296	90	71	142	103	60	92
130	532	427	131	104	208	150	88	134

Skills

Skill	Description	Type	Requires	Extra
Shield Protect	For 3 turns, the damage reduction of Guard skills is boosted.	Force Boost	--
Painless	Voids all damage to the party for this turn.	Force Break
NOVICE
Front Guard	Reduces physical damage to the front line for this turn.	Guard	None
Rear Guard	Reduces physical damage to the back line for this turn.		Front Guard Lv2
Ally Shield	Take damage in place of an ally for this turn.	Guard	None
Fortify	Increases your physical/elemental DEF for 3 turns.	Buff	Ally Shield Lv2	Lv4 and 8 increase duration and action speed.
Shield Smite	Melee bash attack to 1 enemy. May bind hte enemy's arms.	Shield	None	Lv5 and 10 increase arm bind rate.
Taunt	Increases your draw rate and all DEF for 3 turns.	Buff	None	Lv4 and 8 increase duration and action speed.
Preemptive Taunt	May use Taunt at the start of the battle.	Passive	Taunt Lv2	Will not activate if another Preemptive Taunt triggered.
Healing Wall	When the user guards via DEFEND, allies in the same line recover HP.	Heal	None
Chop	Increases material yield from chopping in the labyrinth.	Gather	None
VETERAN
Recovery Guard	For one turn, an ally line takes reduced phys damage and recovers from binds.	Guard	Rear Guard Lv1
Aegis	May survive a mortal blow with 1 HP left.	Passive	Fortify Lv1
Shield Bash	Melee bash attack to all enemies. Lowers their physical attack for 3 turns.	Shield	Shield Smite Lv3	Lv5 and 10 increase attack debuff.
Keep Guard	Lowers physical/elemental damage to an ally until end of next turn.	Guard	None	Prevents use of other Guard skills while active.
Phys DEF Up	Increases physical DEF.	Stat Up	None
Elem DEF Up	Increases elemental DEF.
Fire Wall	Protects against one fire attack for all allies this turn.	Guard	None	Lv4 negates damage. Lv5 and 6 absorb damage.
Ice Wall	Protects against one ice attack for all allies this turn.
Volt Wall	Protects against one volt attack for all allies this turn.
MASTER
HP Up	Increases maximum HP.	Stat Up	None
Heal Guard	Restores one line's HP and lowers physical damage to them for this turn.	Guard	Recover Guard Lv2
Line Shield	Protects one line for this turn and takes any damage they would sustain.	Guard	Aegis Lv3
En Garde	Occasionally guards to reduce damage sustained.	Passive	Line Shield Lv3
Shield Flare	Until end of next turn, taking damage will trigger a ranged fire counterattack.	Shield	Shield Rush Lv3
Full Guard	Reduces damage taken by the party for one turn. Cooldown: 6 turns.	Guard	Fire Wall Lv2 Ice Wall Lv2 Volt Wall Lv2	Lv5 and 10 reduce cooldown.

Skill Breakdown

Do you really need a Protector? For many, this is not even a choice. Why take chances when one can have the best protection available? For others this is a real and pertinent question, for there are more facets to defense than full plate armor and a shield. There are enough other tanky classes to fill out a durable front line, while also contributing in other ways like offense, healing, or debuffs. Medics can have such absurd healing throughput to simply power the party through battles. Enemy attacks can also be entirely avoided, through evasion skills, shutting them down with ailments and binds, or having sufficient offensive power to be first to inflict the ultimate status effect, death. Broadly speaking, one picks a Protector so others needn't be concerned with defending themselves, instead specializing into roles that do the killing, healing, exploring, etc. On Picnic difficulty, battles are hardly more than speedbumps, but when underleveled, underprepared, and in over your head, a Protector can definitely make the difference between making it home for dinner or filling the belly of a creature of the forest.

After Protector's debut in the first two games, the defensive specialist paradigm was transformed by the Hoplite. Among several innovations, the highlights were Bodyguard, the way Line Guard did away with limited activations per use, and an emphasis on being effective on both lines. After that, Fortresses refocused onto the front line and ran a gameplay loop where they redirect a lot more attacks towards themselves, then counterattack or heal up afterward. It is from Fortress that Taunt, Ally Shield, Line Shield, and Healing Wall originate. It was in light of these two games that renovations were made in the Untolds. From Shield Bearer Dragoons come Recovery Guard and Full Guard, and Counter Guard can be seen in Shield Flare.

The first and most basic thing a Protector can do is use the DEFEND action. This will half all incoming damage for the Protector for the turn at no TP cost, and after taking Healing Wall it also heals the Protector and their linemate(s) scaling with the Protector's max HP. As demonstrated by Charis, constantly hiding behind a shield is not exactly a winning strategy, but it is worth the time when a lot of damage is about to hit the Protector. Preemptive Taunt followed with a string of DEFENDs is extremely efficient defense against random encounters, but DEFEND is also wise to consider for multiple members of the team when a monster is telegraphing an attack. Also, enemy AI prefers to target characters with the most remaining HP, which DEFEND helps the Protector keep more of.

Monsters will randomly target other adventurers, even with Taunt's aggro boost, and area-of-effect attacks blow right past the Protector. They have two different approaches to deal with this:

1. Remotely reduce damage other party members take. This includes all "-Guard" skills, the elemental "-Wall" skills, and to a lesser extent Healing Wall. Heal Guard, Protector's only WIS-based healing skill, doesn't heal for much more than Healing Wall due to preference for HP over WIS, but for its hefty TP cost it can be used on the entire other line and heals using the arms. Keep Guard is best used when you expect the Protector to not use a shielding skill next turn. The Walls are highly effective against certain monsters, and Full Guard is very powerful at max level with only 3 turns cooldown. The whole party can double down on defense for a turn by DEFENDing while the Protector uses one of these skills.
2. Forcibly redirect attacks against allies onto the Protector using Ally and Line Shield. These two skills bank on the Protector's innate robustness and are supported by their entire branch. Since no damage will get through while the Protector stands, the team can be extra aggressive, but the most vulnerable allies are priority. They are also very effective at triggering Shield Flare and other counterattack skills. En Garde can half the damage, but is treated like an auto-DEFEND, so is disabled when using the actual DEFEND, and attacks that are normally melee are not affected by the range penalty when redirected this way.

Both approaches can be useful for and from either line, but the former is more often better used on the Protector's own line and the latter better used on the opposite line. The front line can be filled with fragile short range fighters watched over from the rear, or the Protector can maintain the front for a full rear line. Defensive modifiers generally stack multiplicatively, so two Protectors can stack Ally/Line Shield with a Guard skill, and the Force Boost Shield Protect halves whatever damage is taken again, but usually won't reduce hits down to 1 damage. Protector's attack skills, Shield Smite and Shield Bash, also have defensive use.

Subclassing

In Etrian Odyssey Nexus, Protectors can gain the ability to subclass like the rest of the adventurers.

Subclasses for Protector

Though hailing as the only dedicated tank class, several other classes possess defensive skills Protectors can appreciate. Also, since Protector skills require no other piece of equipment than a shield, they have no restrictions from using their subclass's weapon when they don't need to guard the party.

• Ronin is best known for damage output, but a Protector can take full advantage of the defensive Clear Stance and rotate to Upper Stance when defense is less important. Shield Bash and Shield Rush turn into incredibly hard-hitting bash attacks with the damage-boosting passives augmenting them.
• Highlander offers some of the best passives for Protectors that take hits in place of the party. Bloody Veil greatly tones down attacks coming in barrages, perfect for Line Shield, and can be applied at the start of turns with Bloody Offense's HP drain. Any hit can trigger Bloodlust. Spirit Shield and Blood Fortune are great support in some situations, and the staples HP Up and Phys DEF Up are there. Protectors in this game can already equip spears by default, but picking up a few attack skills harks back to Hoplite.
• Gunner lets a Protector operate from the backline with full efficiency, emulating the Dragoon's role. Medic Bullet cures what Recovery Guard doesn't, and Cover Support and Healing Wall work simultaneously. All of the gun skills are good for an offensive edge.
• Sovereign helps Reinforce liberal use of Taunt and Fortify, essentially enjoying bonus HP every turn from Royal Dignity.
• Ninja raises the Protector's evasion substantially, improving Taunt, Ally Shield, and Line Shield, and Reflexes makes every successful dodge extend the Protector's TP. Use Ninpo: Double to cover the entire party.
• Imperial gives the Protector access to Drive Blades and Drive skills to deal bursts of damage. The long cooldown times are almost a non-issue to the Protector as they can just use that time to guard the party, with Heat Shield adding another layer of durability, and the massive turn speed penalty with heavy equipment is irrelevant since Guard skills always have priority.
• Hero gives the Protector attack skills using their Shield that guard the whole party and do damage to enemies, combining defense with offense, though with less effective damage reduction than Guard skills. The Encourage line of passives also helps protect others, through the minor healing but more importantly Heroic Steel and Great Bravery that draw danger away from allies who are on the brink of defeat.

Protector as Subclass

When a party keeps taking just a little too much damage, a Protector subclass can be just the thing needed. It is usually best on support members that use the Guard and Wall skills to counteract specific difficulties, but some other classes like to attract hostile attention, and a few skills help bulk up party members who have proven too vulnerable.

• Medic gains a greater defensive role. Recovery Guard and Heal Guard let them work even while their heads are bound, on top of protecting the line being healed. Shield Smite gives them access to arm bind to lock down enemies alongside Head Bash. HP Up and Phys DEF Up add some bulk for better survival.
• Highlander pairs Bloody Veil and Bloodlust with Taunt and Line Shield, turning defense into sheer offense. Shield Smite and Bash give another physical damage type that isn't stab in case of resistant enemies.
• Sovereign uses the shield to defend the party in times with too much heat going around, while at other times enjoying extra passive defense that helps them devote more time to buffing and enhancing the rest of the team.
• Ninja can replicate the Ninja/Hoplite combo of their home game by doubling up clones to use Guard skills on the whole party. They can also take on whole enemy assaults due to unmatched evasion from Diversion Gambit and other skills, enabling generous use of Line Shield.
• Harbinger already possesses impressive defensive skills from their bias towards Deathguard, including Stifling Miasma, that Protector's Guard skills combine with to dramatically weaken incoming attacks. They provide more options by not expending Miasma, but Recovery Guard is especially useful since it cures what Atonement doesn't. The shield beefs up physical defense, while Miasma Armor offsets its speed penalty. Shield Bash can hit all enemies and inflicts a debuff that stacks with Stifling Miasma.

External Links

• Skill Simulator

Profile

Equipment when registered: Knife, Buckler.

Availability: Complete the tutorial by exploring the Mysterious Labyrinth.

Stat Progression

Main article: Protector/Stats#EMD

Level	HP	TP	STR	TEC	VIT	AGI	LUC	EXP to next level	Total EXP
1	50	35	7	5	9	4	5	220	0
30	308	141	113	92	57	63	73	30,000	245,100
50	358	178	134	113	77	86	94	30,000	845,100
70	378	198	154	133	97	106	114	30,000	1,445,100
99	407	227	183	162	126	135	143	-	2,315,100

Skills

Skill	Description	Type	Prerequisites	Lv Max	Extra
Aegis Shield	Nullify all damage the party would take for 2 turns.	Blast Skill / Shield Skill	Report the quest Offering a protector manual	1	Cost 3 Blast Gauge
NOVICE (LV1)
Proficiency	Recover some TP each time you take damage from the enemy.	Passive	None	1	Recover 3 TP per hit.
HP Up	Increases your maximum HP.	Passive	None	5	Add +20/+5/+5/+5/+10 HP.
Provoke	For 3 turns, increase your physical defense and draw enemy attacks.	Active / Head Skill / Shield Skill	None	5	TP Cost 7 - 11. Last 4 turns at Lv3. Last 5 turns at Lv5.
Shield Smite	Melee bash attack. If successful, may bind the enemy's arms for 5 turns.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	None	5	TP Cost 8 - 12. Bind Arms for 6 turns after Lv4.
Defense Boost	Increases physical defense.	Passive	None	10	Add +3/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+1 Def
Refresh	Recover all ailments for a selected ally.	Active / Head Skill	None	3	TP Cost 10 - 6
Mineralogy	May find extra materials when gathering at a mining point.	Passive	None	10
VETERAN (LV10)
Expertise	Recover some TP each time you take damage from the enemy.	Passive	Proficiency Lv1	1	Recover 1 more TP per hit.
HP Regen	Increase your natural HP recovery rate.	Passive	HP Up Lv3	5
Cover	For 3 turns, take damage in place of allies in a 1-space radius.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	Provoke Lv3	5	TP Cost 10 - 14. Lasts 4 turns at Lv3. Last 6 turns at Lv5.
Shield Bash	Melee bash attack. If successful, the enemy is sent flying.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	Shield Smite Lv3	8	TP Cost 12 - 20.
Fire Wall	Increase fire resistance for all allies within the room for 5 turns.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	Defense Boost Lv3	5	TP Cost 8 - 12. Last 6 turns at Lv3. Last 8 turns at Lv5.
Ice Wall	Increase ice resistance for all allies within the room for 5 turns.
Volt Wall	Increase volt resistance for all allies within the room for 5 turns.
Desperado	The lower your HP, the higher your physical defense is boosted.	Passive	HP Regen Lv3	5
MASTER (LV20)
Enlightenment	Recover some TP each time you take damage from the enemy.	Passive	Expertise Lv1	1	Recover 1 more TP per hit.
Aegis	May survive a mortal blow.	Passive	None	7
Diversion	Draw enemies in the room towards you.	Active / Head Skill	Cover Lv3	5	TP Cost 15 - 7
Full Guard	Increase physical defense of all allies within the room for 5 turns.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	None	5	TP Cost 11 - 15. Last 6 turns at Lv3. Last 8 turns at Lv5.
Divine Wall	Increase resistance to all damage for all allies within the room for 5 turns.	Active / Arms Skill / Shield Skill	Fire Wall Lv3 Ice Wall Lv3 Volt Wall Lv3	5	TP Cost 11 - 15. Last 6 turns at Lv3. Last 8 turns at Lv5.

Gallery

Protector Skill Tree in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Female Protector in-game portrait 1 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Male Protector in-game portrait 1 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Female Protector in-game portrait 2 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Male Protector in-game portrait 2 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Female Protector in-game portrait 3 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Male Protector in-game portrait 3 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Female Protector in-game portrait 4 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Male Protector in-game portrait 4 in Etrian Mystery Dungeon

External Links

• FAQ/Walkthrough by KeyBlade999. Section: (P) Protector

Gallery

Explorer's Log opening page

Featured in Sekaiju no Omocha Bako's cover.

Protector Skill Tree

Wave nano! Figure (Illustration)

Wave nano! Figure (Front)

Wave nano! Figure (Back)

Trivia

• In Japanese comic strips and webcomics, both official and doujins, the blond female protector from the first two games is referred to as Sensei (Master), most of the time by Medi-Ko.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	パラディン	Paladin
English	Protector
French	Protecteur / Protectrice Paladin (DS Europe)
German	Paladín (DS Europe)
Spanish	Soldado (DS Europe)	Soldier
Italian	Paladino (DS Europe)
Chinese (Simplified)	圣骑士
Chinese (Traditional)	聖騎士
Korean	팔라딘