For a Defense-focused Cherish build in Persona 5: The Phantom X, use Defense in all three main-stat slots, prioritize SP Recovery and then Defense for substats, equip the Peace card set, and level Skill 3 first. Open with Skill 3; follow with Skill 1 against a single target or Skill 2 in most other fights. If you pair him with Fox, avoid Speed substats so Cherish acts after Fox. These are Prydwen guide recommendations, not independently tested results.
What Cherish does
Masaki Ashiya, codename Cherish, is a five-star Ice Guardian. The official Global announcement describes him as a shield-focused defensive support who can also increase party damage, and says he can fit any party while benefiting especially from Ice-attribute allies. Prydwen identifies his Persona as Amalthea and describes a kit built around shields, Down Points, and conditional resistance to ailments. His Skill 3 grants Knight’s Protection, Knight’s Resolve, and a Down Point; Knight’s Protection also contributes to Heroism stacks that advance his kit.
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The official description says: “Masaki Ashiya is a 5★ Ice Guardian who excels at supporting and improving the party’s defenses in battle, mainly through granting them shields.” (Official Global announcement, April 9, 2026.)
Recommended Cherish build
| Build choice | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Moon main stat | Defense |
| Star main stat | Defense |
| Sky main stat | Defense |
| Substat priority | SP Recovery first, then Defense |
| Card set | Peace: +20% Defense from two pieces and +18% shield strength from four pieces |
| Skill priority | Skill 3 > Skill 2 > Skill 1 > Thief Tactics |
Prydwen’s recommended Peace set reinforces both sides of Cherish’s job: Defense supports his defensive scaling, while shield strength improves his protection. The guide also lists Trust and Prosperity as alternatives. Trust can increase party damage after an ally-targeted skill, while Prosperity offers reduced damage taken; choose between them according to available cards and whether your team needs more offense or mitigation. The guide does not provide a separate full main-stat and substat prescription for those alternatives.
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Skill priority and rotation
Level Skill 3 first
Skill 3 is the core of the build and the highest priority in Prydwen’s skill order. At level 10, the guide reports that it gives all allies a Knight’s Protection shield equal to 12% of Ashiya’s Defense plus a level-dependent flat amount, and a Knight’s Resolve shield equal to 49.2% of his Defense plus 1,400, as well as one Down Point. It also reports a party damage increase based on Ashiya’s Defense. These are translated guide values, not independently verified in-game figures.
Choose the follow-up for the encounter
- Use Skill 3 to establish Cherish’s shields and start building his kit.
- In a single-target fight, follow with Skill 1.
- In most other fights, follow with Skill 2. It increases the target’s chance of being attacked, which can be useful when directing pressure but undesirable if that target should avoid taking hits.
Skill 3 has a one-turn cooldown, so its protection needs to cover more than one turn in harder encounters. The rotation is therefore a choice between the next skill’s target and effect, not a reason to assume that the team will remain fully protected at all times.
Speed tuning with Fox
When Cherish is paired with Fox, Prydwen recommends avoiding Speed substats on Cherish so Fox acts first. This sequencing supports the pairing’s intended flow; do not apply the advice automatically to teams without Fox, where the desired action order may differ.
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Who to pair with Cherish
Fox
Prydwen highlights Fox as a synergy: Cherish’s shields and buffs support him, while Down Points can help Fox avoid losing counterattacks when knocked down.
Skull
Skull is another possible partner. Cherish’s shields can support Skull’s low-HP damage approach without directly healing him.
Suggested team and Ice allies
Prydwen’s suggested lineup is Fox + Cherish + Yuki + Puppet. More broadly, the official announcement says Cherish can work in any party and is especially effective alongside Ice-attribute allies; it does not prescribe a single required team.
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What Cherish’s shields do—and do not—cover
Cherish is useful for preventing one-shot knockouts and knockdowns, but shields are not a complete substitute for healing. Chip damage can accumulate, and Skill 3’s one-turn cooldown means its shields must last across multiple turns in difficult fights. His ailment resistance is conditional and does not address stat debuffs. Add a separate healer or debuff-clearing support when the encounter calls for those functions.
Weapon and availability
The official Global notice dated April 9, 2026 announced Cherish’s return to the Most Wanted Phantom Idol Contracts from 2:30 AM April 9 through 1:59 AM April 23, 2026 UTC. It named Spina Sacramenti as his exclusive five-star Arms Deal weapon and Spina Caritatis as his exclusive four-star weapon. That was a historical schedule, not confirmation of current availability: the notice does not establish whether Cherish or either weapon can be obtained on October 8, 2026. Check the in-game Contracts screen for the current route; the announcement also says event details and duration may change. (Official Global announcement.)
Prydwen’s guide says skill information was translated from Chinese and that listed skill values are level 10 without bonuses from other sources. Confirm exact values in-game if precise numbers matter. (Masaki Ashiya Guide and Build | Persona 5: The Phantom X.)
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