Masurao

Learn about the Masurao class in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth, its skills like High Ground and Armor Pierce, and recommended builds.

Recommended Race(s): Therian

Possible equipment: Katana, Heavy Armor, Light Armor

The Masurao class in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth is a primary damage dealer, similar to the Pugilist. Its abilities focus on inflicting damage, providing a physical damage buff to allies in the same row, and applying a physical damage debuff to a single enemy. Key skills include High Ground for row-wide attack buffs, Armor Pierce for single-enemy defense debuffs, and offensive skills like Swallow Soar (a priority attack), Haze Slash (which can inflict Sleep), Air Blade (a ranged attack), and Whirlwind (a quasi-area-of-effect attack), all dealing cut damage. The Masurao also possesses two passive skills: Peerless Demon, which boosts attack power when dealing multiple hits to the same enemy, and Duel, which increases ATK when hitting the same enemy on the last turn. Outside of combat, the New Challenger field skill can trigger consecutive battles, increasing the chance of encountering Rare Breeds by 10%, which is useful for grinding party members without extensive exploration and is compatible with Harbinger’s _Soul Gather_.

The Masurao's physical attack specialty creates synergy with the Pugilist class, as skills like _Overexertion_, High Ground, and Armor Pierce benefit both classes. The Masurao is one of the few classes, alongside the Dragoon, that can equip Heavy Armor, though it is not suited for tanking. Therians, the recommended race, have low VIT and are vulnerable to magic attacks; Heavy Armor offers limited magic resistance. To ensure survival, consider pairing the Masurao with a Dragoon or Necromancer using Fierce Shield for damage redirection, or with party-wide healers like Rover, Shaman, or Botanist.

Recommended Skills:

• High Ground: Grants a 40% physical ATK buff for 6 turns to the user's row.
• Armor Pierce: Deals stab damage and decreases DEF by 40% for 4 turns. Must equip a katana.
• Air Blade: Deals cut damage and can be used without penalty from the back row as it is a ranged attack. Must equip a katana.

Passive Skills:

• Katana Mastery: Increases physical ATK by 15% when equipping a katana.
• Peerless Demon: When dealing multiple damage to the same enemy, the next hit gets a 9% power boost, stacking up to 9 times (81% max) until the end of the turn. This effect persists even with intervening attacks from other party members or certain Union Skills.
• Duel: Increases ATK by 25% if the user hits the same enemy on the last turn. The bonus resets after taking effect and disappears if the user is afflicted with Stun, Petrification, Sleep, or Panic.

Other Skills:

• Swallow Soar: Deals cut damage, followed by a second cut damage hit after the target moves. The second hit fails if the target evades, is incapacitated, or if the first hit defeats the enemy (in which case it targets another enemy). Must equip a katana.
• Haze Slash: Deals cut damage and has a 90% chance to inflict Sleep. Must equip a katana.
• Whirlwind: Deals 3 - 6 hits of cut damage to random enemies. Must equip a katana.
• New Challenger: Triggers 3 to 10 consecutive battles with a 10% increased chance of encountering Rare Breeds. Fails if used in an area without encounters. Can be stopped by activating _Full Retreat_ Union Skill.

Contributed by Enfinete: The Duel skill has a glitch where the bonus is tied to the character slot rather than the specific unit. If Fencer in Slot 1 attacks and Masurao in Slot 2 does not on Turn 1, swapping them on Turn 2 allows Masurao (now in Slot 1) to benefit from Duel if it attacks the same enemy Fencer attacked.

Contributed by Hemless: Recommended starting skills are Armor Pierce (1), High Ground (1), and Air Blade (1). Further skill leveling should prioritize Armor Pierce, High Ground, and Union/Racial/Gathering skills based on TP availability and player preference. A possible endgame build includes Armor Pierce (10), High Ground (9), Duel (1), and Air Blade (4). Players may opt to skip Duel or keep Air Blade at level 1.