Cormag

Weapon: Slaying Lance (+Def) or Vanguard Lance (+Def)

• Cormag’s natural Slaying Lance is a great boon to him in setting off high-damage Ignis procs. Refining it defensively allows Cormag far more physical bulk, which also helps his Special damage.
• The Vanguard Lance is used for similar reasons. If using Slaying Lance then Ignis is appropriate, if using Vanguard Lance then Bonfire will suffice.
• Ultimately, the Vanguard Lance set trades roughly 5 points of damage on Cormag’s Special of choice in exchange for 7 more Defense (a whopping 14 points of damage mitigated vs a physical opponent who doubles him). However, it does nothing for him if facing a magical opponent or dragon and is a straight loss.

Assist: Reposition / Rally Spd/Res+

• Cormag’s Assist is variable - Reposition can be used to take advantage of his flying abilities, whereas a Rally skill can help him to be more supportive; Rally Spd/Res+ will help him to make up for where he lacks, by buffing his ally’s Speed and Resistance.

Special: Ignis / Bonfire

• If utilizing a Slaying Lance then Ignis is your main Special of choice for 20 Special damage.
• Bonfire is to be used with Vanguard Lance, to make up for the lack of cooldown mitigation in exchange for slightly less damage.

Passive A: Steady Stance 4 / Brazen Atk/Def / Distant Counter

• Steady Stance 4 is key in making Cormag into a physical tank: it both increases his Defense substantially while denying his opponents’ attempts to charge their Specials on him.
• This saves him from attacks that would be devastating to this build, such as Black Luna or Ruptured Sky
• Distant Counter should only be used in conjunction with Iote’s Shield in his C slot, giving him increased ability against archers
• Brazen Atk/Def is a more budget option, but will not work with Quick Riposte - better to run double Brazen and Dull Close instead.

Passive B: Mystic Boost / Quick Riposte / Dull Close

• Obviously, Quick Riposte will be used here if you don’t have it in his Seal slot and if you don’t invest heavily into his Speed, as Cormag’s 32 base Speed means that he won’t be doubling often. However, Mystic Boost is handy to heal off what damage he does take from physical opponents, keep him in Quick Riposte range, and subsequently deny enemy Dazzling Staff healers from easily farming down his HP.
• Dull Close, Cormag’s default B Slot Skill, is also very powerful with this build. Steady Stance in his A slot disables his opponent’s Special cooldowns, while Dull Close prevents them from superbuffing a unit, turning Cormag’s combats into one that is pure stats - and with 50 Attack and over 40 Defense, Cormag will generally have the advantage.

Passive C: Even Def Wave / Threaten Def / Buff of choice

• Cormag’s C slot is very flexible. If he lacks adequate buffing from his team, he can run a Def or Atk Wave skill to buff himself.
• Alternatively, he can run Threaten Def if you’re concerned that he may not be able to one round his opponent.

Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Steady Stance / Brazen Atk/Def / Chill Atk / Iote’s Shield

• Quick Riposte is Cormag’s seal of choice for this build, however as it is such a highly coveted seal, he can just as easily run it in his B slot and pick something else to amplify his bulk.
• Steady Stance and Chill Atk are both solid options to further increase his defenses.
• Be careful not to use Brazen Atk/Def with Mystic Boost, as he is likely to heal out of Brazen Range.

Weapon: Lofty Blossoms (+Spd)

• Cormag’s Speed stat can be singlehandedly described as ‘middling’, however Lofty Blossoms can increase it by +7 during Player Phase, which gives him something to work with.
• This is strictly Player Phase build, but can work on defense in a pinch. As Est will run a Brave Lance set better than Cormag due to her higher Attack stat with a boon, it’s better for Cormag to rely on his Speed and Defense for his Player Phase set.
• Cormag doesn’t need to run a Firesweep set, since his bulk allows him to be able to tank a retaliatory hit.

Assist: Reposition / Swap

Special: Galeforce / Bonfire

• This set is meant to be utilized with Galeforce to activate additional movement in a single turn.
• However, Bonfire can still be used if you want more power on a single combat.

Passive A: Swift Sparrow 3 / Heavy Blade / Sturdy Impact

• Swift Sparrow further stacks Cormag’s Speed to a ridiculous amount, allowing him to easily hit 46 Speed on Initiation. With no other Attack buffs, Cormag hits 60 Attack in Player Phase for utilizing Heavy Blade.
• The set involves running Heavy Blade in the seal slot, however if your Heavy Blade seal is hotly contested, you can run Heavy Blade 4 in his A slot instead and run Darting Blow in his seal slot for a net -1/-1 Atk/Spd but with an additional 5 damage in the Enemy Phase if he needs to defend.
• Sturdy Impact protects Cormag from skill-granted followups like Vengeful Fighter, while also bulking up his Defense. However, he must rely on a far lower Speed stat if utilizing this skill, so it is only recommended if he has buffs or significant merges.

Passive B: Dull Close / Chill Spd / Lunge / Desperation

• Dull Close allows Cormag to remove his opponent’s buffs if they are a melee unit, which makes it easier for him to secure the KO.
• Lunge is also an interesting option that can catch opponents off guard in a defense set up, or simply allow him greater maneuverability into an enemy team to assassinate a key member.
• Chill Spd is self explanatory, as it helps Cormag to secure more doubles
• Desperation is a skill to utilize when Cormag is - well, desperate. If an opponent breaks through his bulk, he will still have a high offensive utilization if healing is unavailable.

Passive C: Def Smoke / Even Spd Wave 

• Def Smoke is the C slot of choice for most Galeforce units, as it debuffs the next opponent for Cormag to attack into, which can easily set him up for another kill.
• If you lack buffers on your team, it may be prudent for Cormag to self buff with a Speed Wave. Be careful to avoid excessive Attack buffs, as they can cause you to overkill, which won’t activate Galeforce.

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade / Darting Blow / Sturdy Blow

• Heavy Blade is necessary for a single turn Galeforce activation without outside help. It’s also necessary for Cormag to engage on an opponent who he can attack twice (who will not die in one hit) and who will retaliate on him before the second attack (no Firesweep weapons or exclusively ranged units).
• Darting Blow is a good pair with Heavy Blade in his A slot if your Heavy Blade seal is otherwise used.
• Sturdy Blow increases Cormag’s offensive power, helping him to activate Heavy Blade more often, while also increasing his Defense. This is a decent option if you have other ways of boosting his Speed.

Weapon: Barrier Lance (+Res)

• Cormag’s Res stat of 23 is low but not unusable, and can easily be buffed to over 30 with use of the Barrier Lance.
• This enables him to become an omnitank with a well rounded statline, capable of handling more threats such as dragons and mages.
• This is generally more recommended if you intend on merging him heavily and utilizing him during Enemy Phase.

Assist: Swap / Shove / Reposition

Special: Bonfire / Blue Flame

• As Cormag’s Defense will still generally be higher than his Resistance, Bonfire is still the chosen Special.
• Alternatively, he can utilize Blue Flame for more damage if you plan on positioning him carefully with his allies.

Passive A: Distant Counter / Fort DefRes 3 / Warding Stance 4

• Distant Counter is clearly the optimal choice for this build, particularly when paired with Iote’s Shield, as it gives him the ability to counter both bows - normally lethal to flier teams - and mages. This should probably only be considered when Cormag is on a strictly flier team, as it helps to make up for his team’s inherent weaknesses.
• With Fort DefRes 3, Cormag takes a small hit to his formidable Attack stat to shore up his bulky defenses, leaving him with over 40 Defense and 39 Resistance before any merges or buffs.
• Warding or Steady Stance are interchangeable as alternative options as a way of shutting down his opponent’s Specials while adding to his defense of choice.

Passive B: Quick Riposte / Aerobatics / Renewal / Dull Ranged

• If running Distant Counter in his A slot, Cormag would want Iote’s in his Seal slot, making Quick Riposte his B slot of choice. 
• However, if running him in a mixed team, he can take Aerobatics in his B slot to be more flexible with his positioning while taking hits for his team.
• Renewal is also a decent option which allows him to heal off some of the damage he takes from various fights. Mystic Boost is another solid option to amplify his tanking ability.
• For more niche options, Dull Ranged is an option that protects him from Blade tomes and other buffed mages or archers.

Passive C: Atk Smoke / Guidance / Odd Def Wave

• As with many tanks, Atk Smoke is fantastic for shutting down sequential enemy attacks on the same turn.
• Alternatively, if utilizing him in a mixed team, Guidance is a great way for Cormag to support his allies’ positioning.
• Wave skills never go out of style as well, making a Def, Res, or Atk Wave skill perfectly usable with this build.

Sacred Seal: Iote’s Shield / Quick Riposte / Fierce Stance

• Iote’s Shield seal is almost a necessity for any flier who chooses to run Distant Counter, even one as bulky as Cormag
• Quick Riposte is also an option if choosing the Fort DefRes / Renewal route, or if running Dull Ranged in B Slot
• Fierce Stance is a good way to increase Cormag’s Attack without resorting to a Brazen skill and having him fall below Quick Riposte threshold.