Layla

Edit (2/15/25): Added pictures of skills to the Notes section for extra clarity!

Edit (2/14/25): Fixed a small grammatical error.

Hey everyone! I know it’s been forever, so I just want to take a few moments to let you all know that I am alive! Work has been incredibly intense, recently, and as such, I had to take a step back with the guide-making for my sanity’s sake, but things have gotten a bit better, so I’ll tentatively say I’m back, now.

Taking a short break gave me the time I needed to reassess my guide format, and change it to be more in-line with what I would like it to be. Several weeks ago, I came up with a graphic, and I used it on here, but I really wanted to apply it to my character guides, but the theme simply didn’t line up—but now it does. Therefore, it is my pleasure to introduce my “Old Scrolls of Garbelius” Character Guides! Moving forward, this will be the guide format I use, so I really hope you all enjoy it! I will also be going back and updating my old guides to this format.

Now, for Layla… She really does seem like a fun character to use, though she certainly isn’t meta-defining or anything. I might throw a few pulls her way and see if I get lucky, but I don’t recommend chasing her unless you really like the character.

Anyway, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Overview

As a Defender, Layla is rather unique in that she can actually be played as a more damage-based character than most other Defenders. I will be outlining an Alert build in this guide, but will also spare some space to discuss a more traditional Defender build that is centered around her more defensive skills. That being said, Layla’s main niche is going to be taking out mobs as they attempt to attack her, thus keeping herself and her teammates safe. She is the embodiment of “the best defense is a good offense.”

Trait

Layla’s trait, [Iris Vanguard], does a few things. First of all, it boosts her M.DEF, which is important because of one of her passive skills. Next, it gives her the ability to launch preemptive attacks on enemies within 2-3 tiles of her, up to 2-6 times per turn (depending on star level). Additionally, she is given the ability to [Block] (even magical attacks) and, if she ends her turn within threat range of any enemy, she gains the [Iris Vanguard] buff, which increases her DMG output by 40% and allows her to ignore 20% of the enemies’ DEF. At 5-star, she also gains an additional NRG at the start of each turn.

Basic Attack

As potentially nice as Layla’s unique basic attack is, it only becomes the better option if the enemy has 3 or more debuffs. Otherwise, [Dispelling Strike] is the better option, as it does more damage and removes 2 buffs from the enemy target. With the build I am suggesting, she will not be able to generate 3 debuffs on the enemy, meaning she will need consistent help from teammates to make [Sword in the Staff] the better option. Most of her damage doesn’t come from her basic attack, anyway, so my suggestion is to pick [Dispelling Strike] for the added utility and more stable damage. That being said, if you are confident in your ability to reliably inflict multiple debuffs on the enemy, [Sword in the Staff] is the way to go.

Reaction Skill

[Quell the Tides], Layla’s unique reaction skill, is the better choice. It allows her to dodge one ranged attack per turn from an enemy that is slower than she is. Because she has a SPD of 233, she outspeeds most other characters, meaning this reaction will work on most enemies in the game. After she dodges, she damages 1 random enemy within a 3x4 area in the attacker’s direction.

Skill 1

[Cloud Slash] is the first skill you’ll want to bring for this build. Layla attacks every enemy within a 2-tile radius of herself 3 times (for 25% DMG each), inflicts [Vulnerable II] for 2 turns, and gives Layla [Iris Vanguard] and [Slashed Clean] for 1 turn. [Slashed Clean] makes it so the preempt part of her trait becomes an alert skill, meaning it procs from enemy movement, rather than just from attacking Layla. Additionally, the range of the alert increases by 1 (so 3-4 tiles, depending on star level), and the amount of times it can proc increases by 1 (so 3-7 times, depending on star level). This completely changes how her kit works, so you want to be activating this skill as often as possible, to keep her attacking enemies as frequently as possible.

Skill 2

Layla’s leader aura, [Night Crimson], unsurprisingly boosts characters who belong to the Night Crimson faction with +12% DMG, plus the usual 10% ATK and 20% DEF boost that all leader auras provide. The goal with this is to enable Layla’s off-turn damage to be as strong as possible, while saving as much NRG as possible for sustaining as many [Cloud Slash]es as possible.

Skill 3

[Encounter Stance] is another simple, but effective, passive, which adds 40% of Layla’s higher-than-normal M.DEF stat to her P.ATK stat. Using very rough math, that should add about 250-400 P.ATK (depending on your Layla’s actual M.DEF, of course), which is a rather nice boost which, again, costs no NRG in battle. If that wasn’t enough, this passive also increases her HP by 10% at the start of the battle, which, if she’s using Newborn Blade, means even more P.ATK.

Equipment

For this alert-based build, I recommend giving Layla a Newborn Blade, as it is the best available option for increasing her damage. For a trinket, I suggest a Hunter’s Intuition, as it takes the alert strategy to a whole new level by interrupting enemies if they even try to activate any skill within her alert range. For a tarot, Tower is the way to go to boost her off-turn damage. For engravings, I suggest Sword + Wand, as the boost it provides lasts until her next turn, meaning she can enjoy it even when it isn’t her turn. When rolling stats, I recommend aiming for P.ATK, though M.DEF can also be useful, though to a lesser degree.

Additional Notes

Layla, however, has many more useful skills and can be built in a very different way, in which she focuses on acting more as a defensive support/tank, rather than as an off-turn DPS. In order to achieve this, you’ll want to bring a few different skills and build her differently with equipment.

For this build, you’ll want to bring [Shared Tribulation], which is an [Instant] skill that allows Layla to teleport all allies within 4 tiles of herself to her side, while giving herself [Assisting Cover], [Block Enhancement II], and [Comrades] (which allows her off-turn attacks to inflict [⦸ Passive Skills] and [▼ ATK II] on their target(s)) for 2 turns. This skill can be used both offensively and defensively, to either advance your team or keep them covered with Layla. The biggest drawback is the 3-turn CD, but that can be mitigated with things like Cocoa’s [Happiness] buff, Flag of Convallaria, and/or Cup + Wand engraving resonance.

The next skill you’ll want to bring for the defensive build is [Shelter from the Storm], which gives Layla [DMG Reduction IV] and her and all of her allies within 3 tiles [▲ P.DEF II], [▲ M.DEF II], and [Piercing DMG Reduction III] for 2 turns. What this does is, in effect, turn Layla into an extremely sturdy tank, and allows her allies to take hits that might otherwise kill them. The resistance to piercing DMG is very unique and can be useful in certain circumstances. This skill combines beautifully with [Shared Tribulation]; you activate that skill first, then [Shelter from the Storm], putting Layla at the center of your group of characters, with a bunch of defensive buffs, and she can take any single-target attack for her allies, while also mitigating damage from AoEs via her widespread buffs.

The final slot for this build is a bit flexible, as you can opt for [Cloud Slash] (though this can be difficult due to NRG constraints). Additionally, you might consider bringing [Battlefield Traversal], which reduces any damage taken by Layla by 15% and also makes her immune to [Scorch], as well as skill interrupt effects. Lastly, at the end of the turn, she clears special tile effects and enemy traps (such as those in Clash) within 2 tiles of her. This skill works well due to the additional DMG reduction and the fact that she can cleanse negative tile effects around her, adding an extra layer to her support capabilities. If that is unneeded, you can simply opt for her leader aura, [Night Crimson].

If you’re going this route, I suggest giving her Guardian’s Will, Shield of Justice, and a Hermit Tarot. Guardian’s Will and Shield of Justice combine well, enabling Layla to take reduced DMG while she has a shield, which Shield of Justice provides automatically. Hermit is, of course, always solid on a tank. For engravings, I suggest going with Cup + Wand for more frequent use of her support skills, which will be more useful than damage-specific reductions offered by other engraving combos. For this build, I recommend P.DEF rolls on her equipment.