Fallen Ashnard

Weapon: Gurgurant

Assist: Reposition

Special: Bonfire / Sol

Passive A: Distant Counter / Distant Foil

Passive B: Guard / Mystic Boost / Quick Riposte

Passive C: Def Smoke / Pulse Smoke / Atk Smoke

Seal: Quick Riposte / Distant Def / Close Def / Atk/Def Bond

• With Gurgurant, Ashnard is free to take a Distant Counter A slot (Distant Counter is generally preferred over Distant Foil, due to his higher Resistance allowing him to endure combat with mages) and retaliate against archers that he has flying immunity against. This allows him to freely bait and tank most units in the game.
• He can then run Quick Riposte in his B or S slots - here, we have recommended running Quick Riposte in his Seal so that we can run Guard in his B slot.
• Since he will often be doubled, Guard will prevent his opponents from activating Specials against him on their second attack, making him far tankier at the expense of his B slot. He could also run Quick Riposte in his B slot if you'd prefer to run a skill like Distant Def in his Seal slot. He can also run Mystic Boost in his B slot, which will help him to stay in the HP range of Quick Riposte, but it's generally not favored over Guard in short fights.
• For his C slot, Def Smoke will soften up his subsequent opponents, which can allow him to engage in the next Player Phase, even if he falls below the HP Threshold for his other skills. He can also run Atk Smoke if he's being bombarded by multiple foes at once, or even Pulse Smoke if he's going up against teams utilizing Infantry Pulse.
• Guard and Quick Riposte both have a high HP threshold, and if he falls under that threshold, neither skill will work. Therefore, if you plan on using him against multiple opponents or in longer engagements, then Sol is the recommended Special to keep his HP topped up. If you plan on using him in a more 1v1 fashion, Bonfire is his ideal Special, as he will retaliate with it on his second attack.

Weapon: Gurgurant

Assist: Reposition

Special: Bonfire / Dragon Fang

Passive A: Sturdy Stance / Brazen Atk/Def / Steady Stance

Passive B: Quick Riposte / Vantage

Passive C: Even Atk Wave

Seal: Close Def / Brazen Atk/Def 

• Ashnard can also be built effectively on a budget for Summoners who simply want to use him as an Arena bonus or who are hesitating before taking the plunge into more expensive skills. 
• Sturdy Stance when combined with Quick Riposte and Close Def can give him survivability and defensive power in the Enemy Phase.
• Alternatively, you can stack double Brazen Atk/Def in his A and S slots with Vantage in his B slot to make him a defensive menace when his HP gets low enough - which he can generally do safely, due to his excellent defensive stats. Stacking his Defense up to 49 with double Brazens gives him a 24 damage Bonfire on top of his 60 Attack (and you can't forget the Gurgurant -5 Def debuff on his enemies!) - enough to take down many threats.

Weapon: Gurgurant

Assist: Reposition

Special: Moonbow / Glimmer

Passive A: Sturdy Impact 

Passive B: Chill Def / Vantage / Chill Atk

Passive C: Atk/Def Oath / Even Atk Wave

Seal: Death Blow / Heavy Blade

• Ashnard can also be run on Player Phase, thanks to the use of skills like Sturdy Impact, which prevents him from being doubled by his foe if he initiates combat. This can stretch his bulk out further and allow him to survive multiple engagements.
• His B slot is therefore a bit of a freebie. Vantage enables him to retaliate first if he's attacked while weakened in the Enemy Phase, which can sometimes be enough to defeat his opponent before he takes more damage. Vantage also pairs well with Heavy Blade in his seal slot and a 2 CD Special like Moonbow in his Special slot. This means that Ashnard will attack, do heavy damage, charge his Special, and then hit his next attacker with a charged Special before they can attack him. This is also an excellent way to handle opponents that Ashnard cannot defeat in a single hit.
• However, he may not take enough damage to enter Vantage range, particularly if skills like Atk/Def Oath are utilized. This means that running Heavy Blade could be superfluous (if his opponent attacks him without triggering Vantage in the subsequent Enemy Phase, his Special cooldown will be at 0 by the time he retaliates regardless of Heavy Blade use).
• Therefore, a combination of Chill Def and Death Blow is likely the better option against bulkier foes who do less damage to him, while Vantage and Heavy Blade are better options against dragons who will attack his significantly lower Resistance.
• When coupled with Sturdy Impact, the buffs from Atk/Def Oath offers him a whopping 50 Defense on initiation, and if used with Death Blow in his Seal slot, he initiates with 70 Attack before his Gurgurant and Chill Def debuffs.

Weapon: Gurgurant

Assist: Reposition

Special: Bonfire / Luna

Passive A: Sturdy Stance 3 / Fort. Def/Res / Mirror Stance 3

Passive B: Quick Riposte / Mystic Boost / Guard

Passive C: Def Smoke / Even Atk Wave / Atk Smoke

Seal: Close Def / Quick Riposte

• With Gurgurant and his stat spread, Ashnard also makes a fantastic melee tank, and if he does not equip Distant Counter in his A slot then he has a lot more room for building off of his stats.
• Sturdy Stance 3 is therefore his ideal A slot, as it combines the effects of Defense +6, Attack +6, and Guard to him when he is attacked. If Sturdy Stance 3 is not available, Fort. Def/Res is the next best option, which makes him tankier against all threats. If neither is available, then any skill which boosts his Defense, Attack, or Resistance will suffice (though stay away from Fury, as that will lower his HP very quickly)
• Of course, Quick Riposte is a given, as it allows him to retaliate twice - though if running it in his Seal slot, you may consider running a skill like Mystic Boost in his B slot, which heals him after every combat to help keep him above Quick Riposte threshold. Guard is still an option, if you don't have a Guard effect in your A slot.
• His C Slot is flexible. Def Smoke is good if you anticipate taking out a few waves of opponents, while Even Atk Wave is his native C slot and he can use it to buff himself prior to combat.
• Close Def is recommended in his seal due to his lack of Distant Counter here. He can still attempt to bait an archer for AI control, but since he cannot retaliate against them, he is better off specializing in melee range.