Bravely Default 2: Bastion Guide

The proud and honorable Lonsdale was the Bastion Asterisk Holder in Bravely Default 2, until you defeated him in battle and claimed the Asterisk for yourself. By unlocking this sturdy Job, you now have access to a rather under looked class, but with great passives to use and interesting abilities. We will analyze everything a Bastion offers, in this guide here.

Bastion guide and overview

Being a defensive Job at first glance, you’d be surprised with how offensive a Bastion can be. The whole gimmick of this Job is to balance both defense and offense, depending on the situation.

Bastion Abilities

1. Bulwark: Perform a quick physical attack on a target and increase the user’s physical defence by 15% for three turns. Stats cannot be increased beyond 200% of their base value – 12 MP cost
2. Phalanx: Perform a quick physical attack on a target and increase the user’s magical defence by 15% for three turns. Stats cannot be increased beyond 200% of their base value – 12 MP cost
3. Rampart: Erect a barrier that will protect multiple targets from a single physical attack. Cannot be combined with Vallation – 30% HP cost
4. Vallation: Erect a barrier that will protect multiple targets from a single magical attack. Cannot be combined with Rampart – 25% HP cost
5. Light of Justice: Perform a powerful light-imbued physical attack on a target – 47 MP cost
6. Wall: Increases the user’s physical and magical defense by 25% for three turns. Stats cannot be increased beyond 200% of their base value – 28 MP cost
7. Blindsider: Perform a physical attack that’s extremely effective on blinded targets – 44 MP cost
8. Auto Guard: The user’s turn will come around more slowly, but they will Default automatically even when it is not their turn – Passive/ 1 Slot
9. Critical Flow: Performing a critical attack may cause BP to increase by one – Passive/ 1 Slot
10. Double Default: For three turns, Defaulting will increase BP by two instead of one – 35% HP cost
11. Sanctuary: Shut up shop so that allied and enemy HP, MP, and BP cannot be changed until the user’s next turn. (However, usage costs for any abilities used in the meantime will still be deducted.) – 1 BP cost
12. BP Limit Up: Increases BP limit by one, allowing up to four BP to be accumulated – Passive/ 1 Slot
13. Holy Light: Perform an extremely powerful light-imbued physical attack on a target – 90 MP cost
14. Shield Lore: Shield aptitude is increased to S – Passive/ 1 Slot
15. Corporal Punishment: Perform a powerful physical attack on a target that will deal more damage the higher the user’s physical defence – 1 BP cost

Bastion Specialities

• Speciality I: Default Guard – When Defaulting, damage received is further reduced at a cost of 15 MP. The MP cost is incurred even if the damage is nullified by immunity or absorbed.
• Speciality II: Fortitude – When Defaulting, one BP will be earned when attacked at a cost of 15 MP.

Bastion Weapon Affinity

• Swords: A
• Daggers: E
• Axes: B
• Spears: S
• Bows: D
• Staffs: A
• Shields: S

Bastion Overview

Bastions have three things going on for them. One, it’s their undeniably powerful defensive presence in the filed, with abilities like Rampart and Vallation. These two skills alone can prevent a team wipe at all times, therefore it’s a no-brainer to use them if Bastion is a Job you include in your party. Next, we have their physical prowess, which is nothing to laugh at with skills like Corporal Punishment and Holy Light, both hitting enemies very hard. Lastly, Bastions are one of the best Jobs to control BP flow, constantly within the fight. Not only the have numerous skills that help with this, but both of their Specialities focus around BP income as well. Master strategists and leaders indeed.

Next, we have what I believe their most important aspect, their passives. They have four, but two are extremely valuable, especially in end-game. Critical Flow and BP Limit UP are irreplaceable in regards to the utility they provide, with one providing BP each time the character critical hits, with the other increasing the max amount of BP you can amass, to 4. As this is the only way you can increase that cap, and since in post-game you will be able to regain BP with a multitude of ways, in conjunction with Critical Flow, having 4 instead of 3 max BP is vital, and increases your overall DPS in the process.

Having great affinities with a lot of weapon types, Bastion don’t limit you at all with what weapon you can choose to fight. They of course specialize in spears and shields, but if Bravely Default 2 taught us one thing, is that any Job can use any weapon and still be efficient. The same goes for Bastions, but having ready some good affinities, really help this Job to focus on increasing other aspects of their build.

Main and sub-job wise, Bastions are also very versatile with a great number of Jobs pairing well with them. You can even follow a ‘paladin’ like route, mixing a Bastion with a Spiritmaster or White Mage, and the results will still be oddly good. Or, you can go overkill in terms of BP acquisition, and combine them with the Bravebearer who also specializes in gaining mass amounts of BP in a few turns.

Bastions and the rest of the Asterisks the Generals of Holograd own, are great Jobs to mess around with. As you would expect from the end-game Jobs you unlock in the game, with Arcanists taking the spotlight in our next guide.

Bravely default 2 is exclusively available on the Nintendo Switch.