Notes
Although he’s a Defender, Alexei functions more like a bruiser than he does a defensive unit. He shines when using AoE attacks on his opponents, and is capable of rushing into a mob of foes and surviving to tell the tale. His trait allows him to survive infinite attacks for one turn, and once you get him to 3-star, he gains [Toughness], meaning that being at low health will no longer nerf his stats. At 5-star, the invincibility extends to two turns! Just be aware it can only activate once every seven turns.
There are a couple of ways to build Alexei. Either you can focus on pure offensive skills, or you can focus on his counterattacks. In any event, definitely bring his Goredrinker skill, as it increases both his damage output and provides him with [Life Steal]. Additionally, I recommend bringing Anger of Icefield, as its ability to stun a non-boss enemy while damaging others AND making it harder for them to move (because of the ice it creates) is really powerful.
For his third skill slot, it’s up to you. You can either bring Wild Howl, for a solid debuff to the enemies around him, Counterattack Storm, if you intend to use him more defensively (or as an aggressive counterattacker), or you can bring Whirlwind Axe, which is my recommendation, as it can potentially reduce the time it takes his trait to cooldown if it kills enemies in the AoE.
For gear. it seems that Brutal Axe was designed with him in mind, but Hollow Axe is my preferred weapon on him, as it doesn’t require being at lower health than the enemy for its effect to work. For trinkets, it’s really a matter of taste. If you go heavy on counters, Crystal Burst Armor is for you. I personally like Cooling Powder so he doesn’t get stuck at 1 HP, but Evergreen Pendant is great with how often he heals himself. For tarots, Magician is great for damage, while Tower works well for counterattacks. Again, it comes down to how you like to use Alexei. For engravings, I like wand + sword on him. When rolling for stats, aim for P.ATK.
