Octopath Traveler - Tressa the Runelord (Character Overview/Build)

Octopath Traveler - Tressa dons the cape of the Runeblade to become a remarkable force! By combining "Transfer Rune" with her built-in Merchant skills, "Side-step" renders your entire party immune to physical damage, while "Rest" heals SP and HP. Tressa is an extremely versatile support, and her access to useful elemental runes and Donate BP make her a serious buffer for attackers.
Certain weapons increase elemental damage, greatly increasing the elemental "Pursuit' skill that comes with the runes. Be sure to search up these weapons to give your attacks a much needed boost!
This Google Doc is insanely helpful for tracking down the best weapons, and how to quickly finish the sidequests to get them!
goo.gl/ZG9rf6
Got any suggestions? Check me out on Twitter and give me a shout! ^^ // / fullmetalyoukai
I stream here on KZbin once a week on Saturdays, 9am EST! Join me as we tackle Orsterra in the world of Octopath Traveler.

[@NnLiMedia]

Happy 08/08, all! That's the score I'd give Tressa ;) Don't forget to check the Google Doc (Spoiler Warning) in the description; it will certainly provide plenty of information of where to find tons of useful gear!^^

[@lapniappe]

just a correction. Tradewinds Spear isn't by doing the diarist sidequest -it's the adventures of ali's one :)

[@JAM-nr2cj]

What party (job combos etc.) would you suggest to build around RL Tress?

[@NnLiMedia]

Whoops, this is correct! I accidentally mixed it up with the "alluring ribbon" sidequest!

[@lapniappe]

my final party was: Primrose/Starseer, Olberic/Warmaster, Alfyn/Cleric, Tressa/Runelord. death, everywhere. :D

[@b0xxkn1gh79]

I know this is a very very late question, but are the rune attacks based off the elemental att stat on Tressa and everyone in the party?

[@renren8296]

Finally a build for best girl

[@cronical246]

Tressa is best girl, confirmed by Primrose herself

[@wulfric4755]

Transfer rune + sidestep is so useful, I was able to kill the final boss in a matter of minutes because of it.

[@Piyamakarro]

Fellas, build your Runelord around Balogar's Blade. This Runelord divine skill unleashes an attack of all 6 elements. So give Tressa equipment that increases her elemental attack and weapons that increase specific element damage such as Tradewinds Spear and etc. Surpassing Power, BP Eater, and Elemental Aid for raw damage increases. Throw on Augmented Elements as well if you're feeling ballsy. Have your dancer use Peacock strut and your Sorcerer use Elemental Break. Once you break the enemy, almost every boss in this game is dead. We're talking 200-300k damage easy with a single move. You can still do what Nn does in the video if you want. You can still apply runes and sidesteps, but now you don't really need to use them because the enemy is just dead. I'm serious, this build makes the boss rush a cakewalk with the fights lasting no longer than 2 minutes.

[@NnLiMedia]

That's going to be next ;)

[@rhyspieces5718]

Augmented elements is the thing I keep out I go saving grace instead. I need everybody but war master to have saving grace otherwise I give her -trade winds spear -I forget this one (a bow that increases wind damage) -Werner’s sword -battle-tested axe -2 elemental augmenters -sorcerers robe -adamantine helm -a protective shield (this doesn’t matter) Yeah and you’ll deal a bunch of damage

[@rhyspieces5718]

Update actually do Harland sword oops

[@PuppyGems]

This vid was very fun to watch 😊 thank you for Tressa the rune lord ❤️

[@bjwalk7642]

oh my I was shocked about Tressa those powers are Amazing

[@isaiah204]

That's cool. I I use a Tressa-Runeblade build that has her as the primary dps, and it's really good. Just shows how adaptable the best girl really is!

[@minarc3682]

Best girl indeed! Tressa for Smash!

[@Boulder7685]

I’d have preferred to see Ophilia on the Sorcerer instead, because she could then use the Skill that hits with a mace and applies the elemental defense debuff before applying the rune attack, significantly boosting the rune’s damage on her attack followed by everyone else’s. Question though, haven’t seen most vids because I’m playing this game mostly blind until I get into post-game proper, and wanted to know if there were any instances where the Atk-ElAtk stat swap passive is actually beneficial for a character, irrelevant of how odd the team could be using that passive.

[@thomasr.6669]

Warning, I haven’t seen the entire video yet, so it might’ve been answered already. But I have a question regarding the polearm Tressa can hold for this setup. The Tradewinds Spear you get from completing Ali’s quest gives you a lot of Phys. Atk and even more Elem. Atk on top of increasing Wind damage attacks. So would that be a good one to equip instead of the Soul Glave?

[@josht617]

lol the merchant is a jack of all "trades"

[@johncgi]

I really enjoy and appreciate your content, well thought out and presented. I just wondered if you intended to cover Dragon Quest XI at all? Even if you aren’t, well done for the awesome job on all your Octopath videos

[@williamevitts2384]

You don't get the trade winds spear from there you get it from Ali in sunshade by doing his side quest

[@mr.h5604]

This is the best set up in the game, this is why she is important as main character

[@henry_717]

I love having Cyrus for the elemental break. Than his follow up pursuit deals 45,000 dmg with his 999 elemental atk.

[@BetaNights]

Tressa's quickly become one of my favorite characters in this game, so when I heard she makes an insanely useful Runelord, it got me hyped! And hey, Nn Li, I was wondering what endgame subclasses you'd recommend for a team of H'aanit, Therion, Tressa, and Primrose? Obviously very similar to the one you're using here, but not having a healer in Ophilia as you do, I feel that would require some trouble... I might swap to something more like what you have here, but I like to stick to my favorites if possible. lol Thanks for the video, dude! These are amazing!

[@titandeath8240]

BetaNights '

[@kylegilland3673]

So Nn Li, let me get this straight: I could use transfer rune on my runelord, then any element runs and winnehild’s battle cry would hit for the normal six plus the 7th elemental?

[@khezuhl]

Is it possible to use runelord on Therion? Any suggestions for items and skills?

[@fenrir7878]

Tressa is Amazing. Her collect ability is my personal favorite however not her strongest traits. She's got two great weapons and ability to hire mercs to cover three more gives her versatility. She can also be a great tank or foil and stand back. Her rest allows self healing without spending SP or using resources. Her sidestep gives her a free turn and wastes enemy attacks. Her donate BP charges up other weapons. Also, she is the only characters whose special is Wind damage. Other than using Soulstones, followers or captured creatures with wind magic, or concoctions with Wind damage, there's no one else that can do that. I didn't think much of Tressa at first, but she's definitely my top 5 character favorites if not top 3.

[@wistrsw]

It’s been 2 years. Because of braverly default II is coming, Ibplay octopath... so About sidestep. Well, it is permanent as long as the enemy doesn’t hit you. The counter is not a “turn” counter, but hit counter... The downside is, sidestep doesn’t have additional counter with the show goes on and presistence

[@ethanfink7962]

I've had this game for three years now. Got back on it last night, around level 45 with Therion as my lead character (he's my favorite). Also got all the secret jobs last night, using some cheese methods: the ultimate abilities for dancer and cleric and then casting the spell that will reflect elemental damage. It made those fights way too easy (for two of the bosses). The game is broken once you get all four of the elite jobs, but I love it. Therion/sorcerer, Ophilia/Starseer, Tressa/runelord, Haanit/Warmaster. I had to replace Cyrus with Tressa which made me sad. He's my second favorite character, but once sorcerer is unlocked, it makes the scholar job redundant and useless.

[@msolec2000]

It seems the four females work especially well with one of the four advanced jobs, a different one each. Is that a good idea?

[@judygambel2801]

That stat chart almost look like texas

[@jeromegrossley8122]

The one thing best girl lacks in is magic cover besides that... Well you said it she's just best girl

[@j0j083]

With my Runelord party I could quite easily kill all 8 bosses in one (maybe 2 for a few) turn (not including the 1-2 turn setup)

[@Piyamakarro]

Balogar's Blade?

[@j0j083]

No, just some rune with Transfer Rune and 2 mages in the team

[@samvalid]

question: does having certain secondary jobs while leveling up manipulate your character’s base stats? For example if I keep cleric on Cyrus for some time while leveling up a bunch to gain permanent sp buffs towards his base stats.

[@Talk2theHand1993]

sam mitchell Each subclass modifies the character in its stat. For example, you have a 20% boost on HP while being an apothecrary. This, however, is lost when switching to a different class. Nn li has a video on all modifiers. So, you cannot keep modified bonuses when switching classes

[@samvalid]

Talk2theHand1993 thanks, I saw that video and recall that you could get buffs on just have a particular secondary job class. Which is nice but my concerns are about stats that will stick with your characters. For example, If everyone’s hannit at level 60 will have the exact same stats or not despite the amount of time spent on different jobs. Like my hannit who spent massive time with warrior secondary job compared to .. let’s say Nn Li’s dancer hannit. If we both unequipped all items and both switched back to just hunter job (without no secondary class) will there be a difference in stats. Not that I’m competing with Nn Li or anyone but customize characters to prepared for jobs I might want them to do later on.

[@Talk2theHand1993]

No, there will not be any difference. Characters have their unique base stats and will only change them when switching to a subclass. The moment you revert to your baseclass, the modified stats will become baseline again. You will (for example) gain 20% HP while being an apothecrary but when becoming a hunter again (in the case of H´aanit) you will lose said 20%

[@samvalid]

Talk2theHand1993 thanks 🙏 appreciate it

[@CrimsonStigmata]

The only thing I don't like about runelord is that it requires two or more turns to setup. Depending if you want to use her as a support character or a damage dealer. Either way it's kind of slow and it's only good for boss battles or battles that are longer. Wouldn't use for trash mons that's for sure. Could run the dancer subjob ability that lets buff last an extra turn and the cleric one if you want transfer rune to last longer.

[@isaiah204]

CrimsonStigmata the runeblade class is definitely more of a boss killer type class, but you can kill all the 8 gateway bosses in the final level in about 3-4 turns with the right setup

[@JD-bn2vw]

I want to use Tressa but right now I'm using Haanit(main member), Cyrus, Primrose, and Ophelia. Is there anyone that i should get rid of or should I just wait until I get farther into the story?

[@blood_red_lipstick]

J P Beat H'aanit's chapter 4 as soon as possible and replace her with Tressa(runelord)

[@shaharsaig9207]

Try yo put runes on cyrus the sorcrer (probably wrote it wrong)

[@michaelvalentine6389]

Great game great video if the creator reads this just know something really amazing is about to come ur way! Lots of love xoxoxo. Godbless fam u got plus 1 subscriber :)

[@michaeloxendine178]

I wish rain of arrows hit more often.

[@notscorchingsands9718]

i hope they make a hard newgame+ mode for this game

[@entermaidtheelegant2513]

I agree add a patch for it!

[@Bullminator]

Ophilia should hit a boss with a staff when you have fire rune and ignore any other skill realy. As its wasted turn when it comes to damage. Rulelord hits much harder when you have more casters in team. If you reduce resistance with a staff attack (or class) its gona hit boss for 40k or more.

[@Windierpack29]

Yep elemental break with surpassing power and everything is irrelevant

[@pedrofernandes6305]

I run patience and second serving on every party member then i let Terssa do some rune magic. You dont need skills just use normal attacks, and destroy everything in your path.

[@huathebard]

I like Tressa a lot, but I kind of felt like this build was way too good. It trivializes so much of the late game content it's kind of ridiculous. I got all the optional classes after chapter 2 (around lvl 30) and I regretted it a lot as it made the rest of the content very easy (haven't done final final boss yet.)

[@TheJbrown60]

But primrose is best grill

[@ohheyitstemmie2574]

DING DONG YOUR OPINION IS WRONG

[@hecktor2892]

Ophillia is best girl

[@falafelbil455]

Shit my tessa's like lv.21 and everyones like 50 or 60

[@Zoze13]

Cmon man - spoiler taga

[@kiloton5764]

I really dislike tressa's runelord outfit. I think all her other outfits look cool and cute(her starseer outfit looks awesome!), just the runelord one looks weird and ugly...sigh..She my main so can't switch her out of my party, and runelord is useless on any other character...Sigh...this makes me sad so much almost don't want to continue the game anymore.

[@StillbornGravity]

@@thomasgrgas7967 you can take her out your party if youre done with her chapter 4.

[@warv6552]

I think her rune lord outfit is awesome. That’s the main reason I use it on her.

[@colinwildeboer1468]

I would have watched your ad, but it was an unskippable 2-minute ad. Sorry mate