Guzman Best Build and Skill Tree Guide

Build and skill tree guide for Guzman in Sword of Convallaria (SoC). See the best gear (weapon/trinket/tarot), skin, tier, and review here!

Guzman's Tier & Basic Info

	Rarity	Legendary
	Role	Destroyer
	Faction	Aggression Drifter

Movement Stats

Guzman's Tier

Overall Rating			Reroll Rating
▶ Character Tier List			▶ Reroll Tier List
Single-Target Rating			Multi-Target Rating

User Score

Review & How to Get

Guzman Pros and Strength

Off-Tank Bruiser

Guzman is an unusual Destroyer that has high HP and pretty good damage. A lot of the conditions to trigger bonus damage depend on the state of his HP bar, so be sure to increase his HP stat whenever possible to also increase his DMG.

Cooling Powder is Recommended

Guzman will often manipulate his HP values during fights. Skills like [Furious Pursuit] and [Evil Luxite Intensification] serve to boost Guzman's offensive values by sacrificing some of his HP. To offset the HP costs of his skills, Guzman also has access to self-healing via [Soul Reaping] and [Lives Devouring]. By equipping Cooling Powder, we can guarantee that Guzman will be able to self-heal, making it much less likely that Guzman will die from self-inflicted wounds.

Single Target Nuke Combo

RK 7 [Evil Luxite Intensification] is an [Instant] skill, so you can use it before casting [Furious Pursuit], allowing you to K.O. most units in one hit. Successfully defeating the target will heal Guzman again thanks to [Soul Reaping], so the HP costs for this combo are negligible.

Survival Instinct is Crucial

Guzman functions by lowering his HP to deal more damage. This implies that there are certain risk factors whenever you want to play Guzman effectively. To lessen this risk, always have [Survival Instict] equipped, as it makes Guzman harder to kill the closer he is to death.

Star Level Up Priority & Recommended Stars for Guzman

Aim to Reach 3★ → 5★

Star Level Up Priority	Recommended Star Level
	3★ → 5★

By increasing Guzman's star level, his attack power when [Injured] or [Dying] improves, and the reduction in his defense after becoming a [Corpse] is lessened. However, since this doesn’t significantly change how he plays, his star upgrade priority is relatively low.

Best Builds for Guzman

Attacker Build

Basic Attack												Reaction
Armor-Piercing Strike												Survival Instinct
Skill
Furious Pursuit								Soul Catcher								Evil Luxite Intensification
Weapon								Trinket								Tarot
Brutal Axe								Evergreen Pendent								Temptation of The Devil

This is an easy-to-use build for an attack-oriented Guzman. Utilize the Move/attack buff from [Evil Luxite Intensification] and focus on defeating enemies one by one with [Soul Catcher].

Magic Defense Build

Basic Attack												Reaction
Armor-Piercing Strike												Survival Instinct
Skill
Protective Counterattack								Coercion								Evil Luxite Intensification
Weapon								Trinket								Tarot
Tuning Hammer								Disaster Bottle								Silence of The Hermit

This build protects allies from magic, single-target attacks from bosses while inflicting debuffs with Basic Attacks and [Coercion]. If you can't withstand attacks, swap [Evil Luxite Intensification] for [Lives Devouring], and the Disaster Bottle to a Trinket that increases survivability.

Recommended Gear, Tarots, & Engravings

Recommended Weapons for Guzman

Brutal Axe

Hollow Axe

Tuning Hammer

The [Brutal Axe], which synergizes powerfully with [Evil Luxite Intensification] to maximize offensive output, and the [Hollow Axe], offering a balanced boost to both attack and defense, are highly recommended choices for adaptable and high-impact builds.

Recommended Trinkets for Guzman

Evergreen Pendent

Fancy Hat

Spring Pill

The [Evergreen Pendant] is highly recommended — it can trigger its effect through [Evil Luxite Intensification], granting a range of powerful buffs. Other solid picks include [Fancy Hat], which offers protection against M.ATK, and [Cooling Powder], which prevents HP recovery from being nullified.

Recommended Tarots for Guzman

Temptation of The Devil

Rays of the Sun

Silence of The Hermit

If you're using Guzman as an attacker, equip Tarots like [The Devil] or [The Sun] that boost damage. If your role is to protect allies from magic, go for durability-boosting Tarots like [The Hermit].

Recommended Engravings for Guzman

Resonance	Effect
Pentacle Pentacle	When [Injured], increases DMG by 5% and decreases the DMG taken by 5%. When [Dying], increases DMG by an additional 10% and decreases the DMG taken by an additional 10%.
Sword Cup	When actively attacking, increases the DMG by 5% and grants 15% of [Life Steal].
Sword Cup	When actively attacking, increases the DMG by 5% and grants 15% of [Life Steal].

Guzman Trait revolves around the state of his HP. Since he gains the biggest benefits when he is [Dying], we want to increase his HP as much as we can so that even at 30%, he still has a relatively high amount of HP leftover. Hence, we recommend running [Pentacle + Pentacle], since Pentacles have the highest HP cap per attribute, and the bonuses help keep him alive longer.

Guzman Skill Unlock Priorities

Recommended Skill Set

Recommended Skill SetAttack-Focused Skill Set

* Tap a skill to view its details below.

Lives Devouring	RK11	Darkest Blade
Shield-Break Attack	RK9	Armor-Piercing Strike
Evil Luxite Intensification	RK7	Protective Counterattack
Survival Instinct	RK5	Counterattack
Soul Catcher	RK3	Earthshaker
Soul Reaping	RK1	Coercion

* Tap a skill to view its details below.

Lives Devouring	RK11	Darkest Blade
Shield-Break Attack	RK9	Armor-Piercing Strike
Evil Luxite Intensification	RK7	Protective Counterattack
Survival Instinct	RK5	Counterattack
Soul Catcher	RK3	Earthshaker
Soul Reaping	RK1	Coercion

Skill Details

Soul Reaping	Cost: - CD: -
(Passive) If the character defeats an enemy in this turn, recovers 20% HP and 1 NRG at the end of the turn.

Coercion	Cost: - CD: -
(Passive) At the end of the turn, Inflicts ▽ DMG I and Vulnerable I on all enemies within the character's 2-tile radius, lasting for 2 turns.

Soul Catcher	Cost: 2 CD: 0
(Physical DMG) Guzman selects 1 enemy within a cross-shaped range around himself and drags them to his side, dealing 100% AoE DMG and inflicting ▽ Move II for 2 turns.

Earthshaker	Cost: 3 CD: 3
(Physical DMG) Deals 50% AoE DMG to all enemies within a 3-tile straight line in the target direction, inflicting Stunned for 1 turn.

Survival Instinct	Cost: - CD: -
(Reaction) Gains 8% DMG reduction before being attacked, 15% additional DMG reduction when Injured, and 50% additional DMG reduction when Dying.

Counterattack	Cost: - CD: -
(Reaction) When hit by an active attack from the front or side, performs a basic attack to Strike Back if the attacker is within range, dealing 70% of basic attack's DMG. The effect can be activated up to 1 time per round.

Evil Luxite Intensification	Cost: 0 CD: 4
(Support) Instant, Guzman sacrifices 45% of his current HP to gain △ ATK II, △ Move I, and Regeneration III for 3 turns.

Protective Counterattack	Cost: 2 CD: 3
(Support) Takes 30% less Magical DMG. Takes magical attacks for all other allies within the character's 2-tile radius. When attacked by an enemy within a 3-tile radius of the character, strikes back and deals 70% Physical DMG. Can be activated up to 2 times per round. This effect lasts for 3 turns.

Shield-Break Attack	Cost: - CD: -
(Basic Attack) Deals 100% physical DMG and gains Shield Break I before attacking.

Armor-Piercing Strike	Cost: - CD: -
(Basic Attack) Deals 100% physical DMG and inflicts ▽ P.DEF I and ▽ M.DEF I on the target, lasting for 2 turns.

Lives Devouring	Cost: 2 CD: 5
(Physical DMG) Prepares for 1 turn and takes 60% less DMG during this period. After casting the skill, deals 105% AoE DMG to all enemies within 4 tiles. Before attacking, grants 20% Life Steal for 1 turn.

Darkest Blade	Cost: 3 CD: 3
(Physical DMG) Single-target attack. Deals 130% DMG. Before attacking, the character gains Mana Conversion and Will for 2 turns.

Guzman's Trait & Skills

Guzman's Trait

Max Effect
	[Undead Corpse] When defeated, Guzman transforms into a Corpse with 50% decreased DEF. This lasts until the end of the battle and can be activated up to 1 time per battle.

Stars Unlocked	Effect
	Guzman becomes immune to ✗Resolve. He possesses Toughness and when Injured, his ATK is increased by 10%. When Dying, his ATK is additionally increased by 20%.
	When defeated, Guzman transforms into a Corpse with 80% decreased DEF. This lasts until the end of the battle and can be activated up to 1 time per battle.
	Guzman becomes Immune to ✗Resolve. He possesses Toughness and when Injured, his ATK is increased by 7%. When Dying, his ATK is additionally increased by 15%.
	Guzman becomes immune to ✗Resolve. He possesses Toughness and when Injured, his ATK is increased by 5%. When Dying, his ATK is additionally increased by 10%. When defeated, Guzman transforms into a Corpse with 100% decreased DEF. This lasts until the end of the battle and can be activated up to 1 time per battle.

Guzman's Base Skills

Skill	Range
Slash
[Basic Attack] Cost: - / CD: - (Basic Attack) Deals 100% Physical DMG.
Furious Pursuit
[Skill] Cost: 2 / CD: 0 (Physical DMG) Single-target attack. Deals 120% DMG. If the target isn't defeated, performs Pursuit at the cost of 20% of current HP and deals an additional 60% DMG.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK1

Skill	Range
Soul Reaping	-
[Skill] Cost: - / CD: - (Passive) If the character defeats an enemy in this turn, recovers 20% HP and 1 NRG at the end of the turn.
Coercion	-
[Skill] Cost: - / CD: - (Passive) At the end of the turn, Inflicts ▽ DMG I and Vulnerable I on all enemies within the character's 2-tile radius, lasting for 2 turns.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK3

Skill	Range
Soul Catcher
[Skill] Cost: 2 / CD: 0 (Physical DMG) Guzman selects 1 enemy within a cross-shaped range around himself and drags them to his side, dealing 100% AoE DMG and inflicting ▽ Move II for 2 turns.
Earthshaker
[Skill] Cost: 3 / CD: 3 (Physical DMG) Deals 50% AoE DMG to all enemies within a 3-tile straight line in the target direction, inflicting Stunned for 1 turn.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK5

Skill	Range
Survival Instinct	-
[Reaction] Cost: - / CD: - (Reaction) Gains 8% DMG reduction before being attacked, 15% additional DMG reduction when Injured, and 50% additional DMG reduction when Dying.
Counterattack	-
[Reaction] Cost: - / CD: - (Reaction) When hit by an active attack from the front or side, performs a basic attack to Strike Back if the attacker is within range, dealing 70% of basic attack's DMG. The effect can be activated up to 1 time per round.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK7

Skill	Range
Evil Luxite Intensification
[Skill] Cost: 0 / CD: 4 (Support) Instant, Guzman sacrifices 45% of his current HP to gain △ ATK II, △ Move I, and Regeneration III for 3 turns.
Protective Counterattack
[Skill] Cost: 2 / CD: 3 (Support) Takes 30% less Magical DMG. Takes magical attacks for all other allies within the character's 2-tile radius. When attacked by an enemy within a 3-tile radius of the character, strikes back and deals 70% Physical DMG. Can be activated up to 2 times per round. This effect lasts for 3 turns.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK9

Skill	Range
Shield-Break Attack
[Basic Attack] Cost: - / CD: - (Basic Attack) Deals 100% physical DMG and gains Shield Break I before attacking.
Armor-Piercing Strike
[Basic Attack] Cost: - / CD: - (Basic Attack) Deals 100% physical DMG and inflicts ▽ P.DEF I and ▽ M.DEF I on the target, lasting for 2 turns.

Skills That Can Be Learned at RK11

Skill	Range
Lives Devouring
[Skill] Cost: 2 / CD: 5 (Physical DMG) Prepares for 1 turn and takes 60% less DMG during this period. After casting the skill, deals 105% AoE DMG to all enemies within 4 tiles. Before attacking, grants 20% Life Steal for 1 turn.
Darkest Blade
[Skill] Cost: 3 / CD: 3 (Physical DMG) Single-target attack. Deals 130% DMG. Before attacking, the character gains Mana Conversion and Will for 2 turns.

Weapons That Guzman Can Equip

List of Weapons

Brutal Axe	Hollow Axe	Denial Hammer
Feast Axe	Tuning Hammer	Cornucopia Axe
Gale Sword	'Barbecue' Hammer	Formidable Axe
Antimagic Axe	Balanced Heavy Axe	Battle-Hardened Axe
Heavy Iron Axe	Iron Axe

Guzman's Voice Actor

Guzman Voice Actor

Guzman's Skin

Initial	Ascended

▲ Unlock Ascended Skin when character reaches Star Level 5.

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