Pompey avatar

Pompey Dragon Traveler Build & Guide

Ironclad Commander

T1SSR+Guardian
Role: Arcane and Illusion main tank
Factions: Arcane Wisdom / Illusion Veil
Best For: Holy King Contest, PvP, Temporal Rift, Wyrmbone Ruins, Arcane Wisdom Trial Realm, Illusion Veil Trial Realm

Overview

Pompey is an SSR+ Guardian and the main tank for Arcane Wisdom and Illusion Veil. Every hit stacks Commander's Intimidation, which weakens the enemy's damage against her; at 5 stacks she gains Attack from her Max HP, and kills on stacked targets reset her Overdrive. With her exclusive relic she also taunts. Build her if you play either faction.

Title:
Ironclad Commander
Origin:
Roman history
Roles:
Self-heal, Single-target control, Punishment, Resets Overdrive
Best in:
Holy King Contest
Star target:
Divine 3 once you have the exclusive relic
Build priority:
Must build for Arcane and Illusion
Pompey, Ironclad Commander, official art from Dragon Traveler

Pompey Skills

Dominion Slash - Intimidate

S1 · Overdrive · 20s cooldown

Pulls a single enemy into the line of fire and delivers a brutal slash, dealing physical damage equal to 680-1000% of Attack. Damage is increased by 20% for each stack of Commander's Intimidation on the target. This skill can trigger the Punishment effect. When Punishment is triggered, applies 2 additional stacks of Commander's Intimidation to the target before dealing damage.

Ironclad Surge

S2 · Ultimate Skill · 12s cooldown

Deals physical damage equal to 240-400% of Attack to enemies within a large circular area. Recovers HP equal to 60-140% of Attack + 8% of lost HP for each target hit.

Battleborn of Slaughter

S3 · Secret Skill

In battle, increases HP by 10-18%. Gains Awakening when an ally unleashes an Overdrive. While possessing Awakening, consumes it to cast Ironclad Surge an additional time.

Crimson Onslaught

S4 · Special Skill

Whenever an enemy with 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation dies, immediately gains a shield equal to 22-38% of Max HP for 6s and resets the cooldown of Dominion Slash - Intimidate.

Ranges such as 340-520% show the value at skill level 1 and at max level. Keywords are explained in the glossary.

Talent: Intimidation - Commanding Presence

  1. Lv 1

    After dealing damage, applies 1 stack of Commander's Intimidation, reducing the target’s damage dealt to the caster by 8% for 8s. Stacks up to 5 times.

    When any enemy reaches 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation, enters Momentum Burst, gaining bonus Attack equal to 7-11% of Max HP for 8s.

  2. Lv 2

    Dominion Slash - Intimidate Additionally increases the target's next Overdrive Energy Consumption by 1 before dealing damage.

  3. Lv 3

    Increases HP by 10% and Attack by 5%.

  4. Lv 4

    Dominion Slash - Intimidate When dealing damage to a target with 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation, immediately restores HP equal to 180% of Attack plus 24% of lost HP.

  5. Lv 7

    While under Momentum Burst, when Dominion Slash - Intimidate triggers Punishment, it instead applies 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation to the target.

Divinity

Each Divinity level offers one or two nodes; where there are two you pick one. Our recommendation is in the build notes further down.

LvOption AOption B
1Health EnhancementBoosts HP by 5%.
2Arcane Crit ResistGrants 250 Critical Resistance for 2 seconds when gaining Awakening.Arcane BlockGrants 250 Block for 2 seconds when gaining Awakening.
3Magic Defense EnhancementBoosts Magic Defense by 10%.Health EnhancementBoosts HP by 7%.
4Arcane Magic DefenseGrants 16% Magic Defense for 2s when an ally consumes Awakening.Arcane HasteGrants 12 Haste for 2s when an ally consumes Awakening.
5Health EnhancementBoosts HP by 7%.Block EnhancementGrants 150 Block.
6Battleborn TorrentIronclad Surge When dealing damage, has a 50% chance to apply 1 additional stack of Commander's Intimidation.

Pompey Build: Relic, Gear and Subclass

Relic

Axe of Judgment SSR+ exclusive · first choice

  • Purple 6: When attacked by an enemy unit affected by Commander's Intimidation, reduces damage by 50% of own Attack multiplied by the target's Commander's Intimidation stacks.
  • Red 6: At the start of battle, applies 2 stacks of Commander's Intimidation to all enemy Luminaries. This effect can trigger Punishment, and when Punishment is triggered, applies an additional 3 stacks of Commander's Intimidation. Whenever an enemy with 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation dies, this effect is triggered again.
  • Divinity 3: When any enemy reaches 5 stacks of Commander's Intimidation, applies a 5-second Taunt to them. (Can trigger only once per target every 10 seconds.)

Gear

Build 1

  • Headgear: Flamelord's Helmet (HP)
  • Chestplate: Flamelord's Armor (HP)
  • Bracers: Flamelord's Gauntlets (HP)
  • Boots: Flamelord's Boots (HP)
  • Weapon: Flamelord's Sword (HP)
  • Accessory: Blessing of the Sacred Tree (Evade)
  • HP set 1-piece: Boosts HP by 10%.
  • Evade set 1-piece: Boosts HP by 20% and Dodge by 120.

Build 2 (alternative)

  • Headgear: Flamelord's Helmet (HP)
  • Chestplate: Flamelord's Armor (HP)
  • Bracers: Flamelord's Gauntlets (HP)
  • Boots: Flamelord's Boots (HP)
  • Weapon: Mana's Tide (Energy)
  • Accessory: Mana's Tear (Energy)
  • HP set 1-piece: Boosts HP by 10%.
  • Energy set 2-piece: Increases HP by 20%, initial Overdrive Points +1.

Build 3

  • Headgear: Flamelord's Helmet (HP)
  • Chestplate: Flamelord's Armor (HP)
  • Bracers: Flamelord's Gauntlets (HP)
  • Boots: Flamelord's Boots (HP)
  • Weapon: Curseblade (Demon Slayer)
  • Accessory: Spirit Turtle Talisman (Longevity)
  • HP set 1-piece: Boosts HP by 10%.
  • Demon Slayer set 1-piece: Boosts Magic Defense by 24% and Attack Speed by 8%.
  • Longevity set 1-piece: Boosts HP by 40%, reduces Attack by 16%.

How the sets compare is covered in the gear sets guide.

Subclass

  • Templar (recommended, PDEF +16% MDEF +16%): After accumulating damage equal to 70-52% of max HP, immediately gains 2 Defense Stat Buff.

Teams with Pompey

Formations players run with Pompey. Lists longer than six include the usual substitutes; the Overdrive order is the order to fire ultimates in manual play.

Artemis · Azure Dragon · Himiko · Poseidon · Pompey · Talos · Ifrit · Atanith · Scheherazade

Overdrive order: Artemis → Himiko → Talos → Azure Dragon

Atanith · Vivienne · Caesar · Ifrit · Artemis · Pompey · Talos · Scheherazade · Poseidon · Orion

Overdrive order: Atanith → Ifrit → Artemis → Vivienne

Atanith · Vivienne · Ifrit · Pompey · Poseidon · Scheherazade · Hades · Fenrir · Marylis · Nemesis

Overdrive order: Atanith → Ifrit → Vivienne → Scheherazade

Atanith · Vivienne · Ifrit · Pompey · Poseidon · Azure Dragon

Overdrive order: Atanith → Ifrit → Vivienne → Azure Dragon → Scheherazade

Atanith · Vivienne · Ifrit · Pompey · Talos · Artemis

Overdrive order: Artemis → Atanith → Ifrit → Talos → Vivienne

More full teams with explanations are on the best teams page.

Our Take on Pompey

Pompey is T1 and a must-build for Arcane Wisdom and Illusion Veil, two factions short on Guardians. Her talent stacks Commander's Intimidation on everything she hits, each stack cutting that enemy's damage to her by 8%, up to 5. A 5-stack enemy puts her in Momentum Burst, adding Attack equal to 7-11% of Max HP, and Dominion Slash deals 20% more per stack and can trigger Punishment for 2 extra stacks. When a 5-stack enemy dies she shields up and resets Dominion Slash, so she snowballs through fights. Her exclusive relic, Axe of Judgment, is the big step: it pre-stacks the whole enemy team and, at Divinity 3, taunts any enemy that reaches 5 stacks. Her main flaw is weakness to control.

Strengths

  • +Commander's Intimidation cuts each stacked enemy's damage to her by 8% per stack, up to 5, so the enemies she fights longest hurt her least.
  • +Dominion Slash pulls a single enemy into position, deals 680-1000% of Attack plus 20% per Intimidation stack, and with talent level 2 raises that target's next Overdrive cost by 1.
  • +Crimson Onslaught resets Dominion Slash and shields her for 22-38% of Max HP whenever a 5-stack enemy dies, so kills chain.
  • +Ironclad Surge heals her for 60-140% of Attack plus 8% of lost HP per target hit, and Awakening from allied Overdrives makes her cast it again.

Weaknesses

  • −She is vulnerable to control; her kit has no cleanse or control immunity of its own.
  • −Her taunt comes only from the exclusive relic at Divinity 3, and that relic is much of what puts her near the top of the tier list.
  • −Her strongest stacking tricks sit at talent level 7 and on the relic, so a basic copy plays noticeably weaker.

How to Play Pompey

Pompey leads the front row. Her damage reduction comes from Intimidation stacks, so she gets tougher the longer she fights the same enemies. Ironclad Surge spreads stacks across an area and heals her for each target hit, and Awakening from every allied Overdrive makes her cast it a second time. Use Dominion Slash on the enemy you want removed, ideally a carry or healer already at or near 5 stacks. The pull drags it into her line of fire, the damage grows by 20% per stack, and if Punishment triggers it adds 2 stacks first. At talent level 7, Punishment during Momentum Burst applies all 5 stacks at once. When a 5-stack target dies, Crimson Onslaught resets the cooldown, so look for the next stacked enemy. In Arcane and Illusion rotations she is the anchor rather than the opener; recorded teams usually cast Atanith or Artemis first. Atanith's Silence and Ningrose's burst help her reach kills, and Artemis's Phantom Hunt gains damage from her Punishment triggers. With Axe of Judgment, every enemy starts the battle at 2 Intimidation stacks (5 if Punishment triggers), and at Divinity 3 any enemy reaching 5 stacks is taunted for 5 seconds, which is why she excels in Temporal Rift and the Holy King Contest. Without the relic, cover her control weakness with Vivienne's possession, which grants control immunity at Vivienne's talent level 4.

Good Teammates

  • Atanith (SSR) – Atanith opens most Arcane and Illusion rotations with Silent Judgment, whose Overdrive tax and Silence give Pompey time to stack Intimidation and secure kills.
  • Artemis (SSR EX) – Artemis needs a second frontliner who stays targetable outside Darkmoon, and every Punishment from Pompey's Dominion Slash adds 8% to Phantom Hunt.
  • Ningrose (SSR+) – Ningrose's single-target burst finishes 5-stack enemies, and each such kill resets Pompey's Dominion Slash through Crimson Onslaught.
  • Vivienne (SSR+) – Vivienne can possess Pompey with her Overdrive, adding a shield and, at talent level 4, control immunity, which covers Pompey's main weakness.
  • Ares (SSR EX) – Ares shares both factions, and each Punishment Pompey triggers gives Ares 20% Energy at her talent level 3.

Keywords in brackets are explained in the status effect glossary.

Should You Invest?

Her investment note is to take the exclusive relic to Divinity 3 once you have it; that is where the opening Intimidation stacks and the 5-second taunt come together. Divinity: Arcane Block or Arcane Crit Resist at level 2 (both fire on each Awakening gain), Health Enhancement at 3 and 5, Arcane Haste at 4, and Battleborn Torrent at 6 for extra stacks from Ironclad Surge. Subclass: Templar. Gear: HP set with Evade, Energy, or Demon Slayer and Longevity pieces. Free players in Arcane Wisdom or Illusion Veil should prioritise her over most damage dealers.

Pompey FAQ

Is Pompey worth building?
Yes, if you play Arcane Wisdom or Illusion Veil. She is T1, one of the few Guardians in those factions, and appears in most of their recorded teams.
What is Pompey's best relic?
Axe of Judgment, her SSR+ exclusive. It applies 2 Intimidation stacks to every enemy at the start (5 on Punishment), reduces damage from stacked enemies based on her Attack, and at Divinity 3 taunts any enemy that reaches 5 stacks for 5 seconds.
Is Pompey good in PvP?
Yes. Her Momentum Burst Attack boost and Overdrive reset let her pick off targets, and with Axe of Judgment at Divinity 3 she can take down Loki quickly at equal power in the Holy King Contest. Her weak point is control, so pair her with a source of control immunity.

Guides Featuring Pompey

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