Etheria Restart Best Tanks and Frontliners: Protectors for Late‑Game Content​

Late‑game Etheria Restart content leans heavily on durable frontliners who scale with DEF, stack shields, and disrupt enemy turns. The stand‑out tanks and bruiser‑frontliners to prioritize are Tiamat, Holden, Rahu, Helkid, Valerian, and defensive SRs like Cachi the Guard.​

S+/SS frontliners you should invest in

These tanks and bruiser‑frontliners appear at the top of multi‑mode tier lists and dedicated write‑ups.​​

• Tiamat
  • Widely described as a “PvP god” and strong frontline in long fights thanks to AoE taunt, shields, and a damage‑boosting transformation.​
  • Tier lists put her in SS for multi‑mode because she both soaks damage and later converts defensive buffs into high AoE output.​
• Holden
  • LDShop calls Holden a “resilient frontliner with strong counterattack capabilities,” dealing DEF‑scaling damage, applying debuffs, and disrupting cooldowns.​
  • A detailed reddit guide labels him an “INSANE TANK” because he strips buffs with S3 while acting as a DPS/support hybrid, letting him anchor both PvE and PvP teams.​
• Rahu
  • OSLink’s 2025 tier overview notes Rahu’s unique mix of defensive scaling, debuff transfer, and team DEF buffs, calling him gear‑dependent but exceptional in long PvE and PvP battles.​
  • HellHades’ summon guide summarises him as a DEF‑scaling AoE bruiser with reliable DEF break and high survivability, ideal for extended content.​
• Helkid
  • Listed as SS in multi‑mode tier lists, Helkid is described as a DPS/tank hybrid: ATK‑scaling damage, team‑wide shields with debuff immunity, and stuns.​
  • HellHades ranks him among the best direct‑summon choices because his Shroud Barrier gives a rare full‑team debuff immunity shield and he remains durable and relevant from early to late game.​
• Valerian
  • Enjoygm and LDShop both highlight Valerian as a defensive support/tank whose shields, heal‑over‑time, and invincibility make her excellent for protecting carries in both PvE and PvP.​
  • Frequently recommended in “budget ramp” and long‑fight compositions, especially alongside Rahu and other DEF scalers.​

Defensive SRs and budget frontliners

Several SRs function as excellent protectors or defensive disruptors for accounts that lack premium SSR tanks.​

• Cachi the Guard
  • HellHades describes Cachi TG as an SR “defensive disruptor” whose Hammer Dance and Brave Charge combine damage with Crit/Speed debuffs, while his passive grants DEF boosts and Immunity to allies.​
  • Also reduces enemy Strike Prep, delaying ultimates and giving your team tempo, making him ideal for players wanting sustain plus control from a single SR slot.​
• Fangus, Kraken, Heinrich
  • Enjoygm notes Kraken “holds aggro in story modes,” functioning as a simple frontliner with control for early/mid‑game.​
  • Fangus is usually highlighted more as a DoT DPS, but in curse comps he also soaks hits while ramping damage over time.​
  • Heinrich shows up in S‑tier as a durable frontliner who cleanses and tanks elite mobs while enabling speed‑farm comps.​

These SRs give smaller accounts access to real frontline utility without needing multiple meta SSRs.​

How to build tanks and frontliners

Late‑game tank builds are about DEF/HP scaling, Shell‑based mitigation, and control utility rather than raw ATK.​

• Core stats
  • DEF% and HP% are primary on frontliners like Holden, Rahu, Tiamat, Valerian, and Helkid; Crit and Crit DMG are added when their kits scale with DEF but still need damage (e.g., Rahu, Holden).​
  • Speed is valuable to cycle taunts, shields, and debuffs more often, especially in long Threshold and Union Boss fights.​
• Best defensive Shells
  • Law of Silence: HellHades calls this a “game‑changer for support and bruiser units,” granting Void State (cannot be targeted), +60% Effect RES, ‑50% AoE damage taken, and an ATK buff after the effect ends, perfect for protecting tanks and supports from opening bursts.​
  • Artisan: Identified as a “defensive juggernaut” with shields scaling on DEF and strong synergy with DEF‑scaling tanks like Tsukiyo Mi and Rin, making it top‑tier for survivability.​
  • Gigabyte: Provides turn‑meter push per enemy actions, functioning as an anti‑speed‑meta Shell that lets slower tank teams regain tempo.​
• Example build notes
  • Holden: DEF% main stats, some Crit/Crit DMG, SPD; Shells like Artisan or Law of Silence to maximise both tankiness and disruption while he strips buffs and counters.​
  • Rahu: High DEF%, some HP, Crit/DMG as secondary; thrives with DEF‑scaling shields and shells, benefitting from long fights where Wrath stacks ramp.​
  • Tiamat: HP% and DEF%, SPD; Shells that increase durability and protect through early turns while she builds toward transformation.​
  • Helkid: Mix of HP/DEF and ATK with SPD; wants sturdiness plus enough damage, with defensive Shells to keep his barrier online longer.​

Where these tanks shine in late‑game content

Guides and tier lists consistently place these frontliners in specific high‑end roles.​

• Threshold and long bosses
  • Rahu, Valerian, Helkid, and Freya form durable cores for prolonged fights where defensive scaling and shields prevent attrition deaths.​
  • Kokardi/ramp DPS comps often pair with DEF‑centric frontlines like Rahu + Valerian to survive while damage stacks build.​
• Union Boss and marathons
  • OSLink notes Helkid as “Tier 0 in Union Boss” for combining shields, debuff immunity, and stuns with decent damage, making him ideal for multi‑wave and long‑duration content.​
• PvP and RTA
  • Community discussions describe Tiamat as “PvP god,” with teams like Tiamat + Lingluo + Holden + Fuqiu cited as strong PvP cores that abuse taunts, shields, and bruiser damage.​
  • Beyontin, Veronika, and Celince are frequently paired with tanks like Tiamat or Rahu to create value/stall teams with revive, buff‑steal, and heavy mitigation.​

Focusing investment on one or two of these top tanks, plus a strong healer and DPS, gives you durable late‑game teams that can withstand Threshold bosses, Union marathons, and meta PvP cleaves without folding instantly.