Battle System and Combat Mechanics in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. See combat system guide, how to initiate battle commands, combat features, Arts feature, combat roles, & class ranks!
Table Of Contents
| Recommended Articles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Tips | Battle System & Combat Mechanics | Useful Systems (Functions) |
Battle System And Combat Mechanics
How To Start An Attack
| Draw Sword | A button |
| Cancel Attack | Press and hold the A button |
| Switch Targets | Press L or R button |
To start an attack on an enemy, you need to draw your sword. As you approach the Enemy, it will automatically target you and you can pull out your sword by pressing the A button.
Quick Move
| Quick Move | Press and Hold Right Stick Button |
|---|
During battle, you can temporarily hide your weapon to move at a high speed. This is called quick move. Use quick move to get to the side or the back of enemies and begin attacking.
Normal Attacks Are Performed Automatically Once The Battle Started
In Xenoblade, once you approach an enemy, you will automatically attack it. You do not need to press any button for normal attacks.
Choose Arts To Use By Pressing Buttons
Special Techniques With Effects
Arts are special techniques that each character can use. Press the X / Y / B buttons to perform the corresponding move when the Arts gauge is full.
Art Gauge Mechanic Varies On Army Type
| Keves Characters (Noah, Lanz, Eunie) | Gauge recovers over time |
|---|---|
| Agnus Characters (Mio, Sena, Taion) | Gauge recovers when auto-attack hits |
Once Arts are used, they cannot be used for a while until the gauge is built up again. Note that the method of recovering the gauge is different for those who belong to the Keves' army and those who belong to the Agnus' army.
Arts Can Be Replaced
There are at least three Arts per character, and you can freely change which Arts to use in battle from the Main Menu → Character → Arts. Choose Arts that best suit your character's role.
Recommended Arts Per Character
Use A Button To Use Talent Arts
| Attacker Role Act | Attack the side or back of the enemy with arts, etc. |
| Defender Role Act | Guarding, evasion, etc. |
| Healer Role Act | Removing Debuffing, helping, etc. |
Apart from the normal arts, there is a more powerful attack called Talent Arts, which is even more powerful than the normal arts. Gauges accumulate when you act in a way that fits your role.
Each Character Also Have A Unique Talent Art
Talent Arts are moslty based on the class of the character. However, as you progress through the story, you will also unlock special talent arts that is specific for a certain character. Some of these talents are better for a certain role so basing the character's class to their unique talent is recommended.
Character Classes And Roles
Three Distinct Combat Roles
| Attacker | - Deal damage to enemies - Fight side by side or behind an ally |
|---|---|
| Defender | - Good at guarding and evading enemy attacks - Tank damage from enemy attacks |
| Healer | - Can recover HP - Provides healing and can revive allies |
Characters can fall into three different roles: attacker, defender, and healer, each with its own characteristics. Understanding the respective roles of offense, defense, and recovery will make the game easier to play.
Form A Party Of 2 : 2 : 2
It is ideal for your team to have a balance number of roles. Having 2 Attackers, 2 Defenders and 2 Healers in your team would give it great stability and balance.
Attackers
Main Damage Dealer
Attackers are the main damage-dealing class and specialize in combat to cut down the enemy's strength. They aim to inflict heavy damage from the flanks and rear to deal pressure on the enemy.
The Enemy's Attacks Are Mostly Directed To It
Because of its tremendous offensive power, it is vulnerable to being targeted by enemies. Ideally, they should be able to attack while evading the opponent's aggro.
Defenders
Managing Aggro And Protecting Allies From Enemy Attacks
The defender is a role that tanks enemy damage to protect attackers and healers from being harmed. Their main role is to attract the aggro of the enemies. They have defensive abilities that can lower the amount of damage they take.
Healer
Support Class That Aids Allies With Healing And Buffs
The healer is in charge of healing and reviving allies knocked off by the enemy. Like attackers, they are easily targeted by enemies as they can be easily knocked down due to their low endurance so they must be protected by defenders.
Help Allies By Resurrecting Fallen Party Members
A healer is the only class that can revive knocked-out party members aside from healing and providing buffs. They have a special ability where you'll only need to long press A to get fallen members back to their feet and continue fighting. So it's important to protect them at all times and ensure that the healer does not fall first.
How To Change The Character Control
The character being controlled can be changed by holding down the ZR button and pressing the L / R button. When you need to connect a combo, or when you really need to recover, you can change the operating character according to the situation to bring the game to its ideal form.
Battle Tips - How To Win In Battle
Battle Tips
Auto Battle Setting Is Recommended
Auto Battle Setting Is Recommended In Xenoblade 3, auto-battle is implemented. Auto-battles make it easier to attack enemies especially when you are farming Monsters and as long as your party member's level is high enough, you'll be able to win safely every time.
Cannot Be Used For Unique Monsters Or Boss Fights
Auto-battles are great in other instances, however, you will be required to battle Unique Monsters and Boss Battles on your own. So don't rely on auto-battle too much and make sure to learn how to fight without using it.
Make Full Use Of Canceled Attacks
When using a normal attack → Arts combo or Arts → Talent Arts combo, when timed correctly, can cancel an animation and produce a smooth Canceling Attack. This kind of attack makes it easier to charge the Chain Attack gauge accumulate faster so be proactive in using canceling attacks.
Let's Be Aware Of The Special Effects Of The Arts
There are arts with variable damage depending on conditions, such as back special effects and side special effects. The amount of damage can be considerably increased by meeting the conditions and should be targeted aggressively.
Aim For Massive Damage With Combos
| Burst Combo | Break → Topple → Daze → Burst |
| Smash Combos | Break → Topple → Launch → Smash |
Consecutively connecting the effects of the above arts will generate a combo. The basic combo is to connect the "Break" to damage the enemy and the "Topple" to make the enemy fall.
Burst Combo
A burst combo that stuns the enemy, leading to a powerful "burst" blow. Burst combinations can silence enraged enemies and knock them out fast to drop items.
Smash Combos
This is a combo that connects " Launch", which launches the enemy midair, to "Smash", which slams the enemy back down to the ground. Use this combo when you want to inflict damage.
Chain Attack Is A Must
The Chain Attack is a special move performed in coordination with party members. If used properly, it can cause considerable damage, so it is definitely something you want to learn.
Use Interlink (Ouroboros)
When two characters are interlinked (fused), they assume the form of a giant called Ouroboros. While interlinked, the powerful Ouroboros Arts can be used without limit, so be proactive in utilizing interlinking.
Ouroboros & Interlink - Levels & How To Use
Ensure An Efficient Way To Manage Enemy's Attention
If the attack is directed toward a weaker attacker or healer, they will be at a disadvantage. Aim for a battle strategy in which the defender absorbs the opponent's aggro and takes control of the attack.
Blue Target Line Shows When Target Has High Defense
When an opponent attacks a party member, a line known as the "target line" is formed. When an attacker or healer is targeted, a red line appears, and when a defender is targeted, a blue line appears.
Deal Focusing Attacks
When there are multiple enemies, it is often better to concentrate on defeating them one at a time. Pressing the ZR+△ button will cause the entire party to attack the targeted Enemy, so use it effectively.
Use Different Tactics
| Focusing Attacks | Concentrate attacks on targeted enemies. |
|---|---|
| Follow Leader | Gather in the same range. |
| Combo | Connect to the combo of your choice. |
| Fusion First | Interlink gauges accumulate more easily. |
If you press and hold the ZL button during a battle, the "Tactics" screen will appear in the lower left corner. By pressing the directional button corresponding to each Tactics, the party members will move according to that Tactics.
Focusing Attacks
The party members will concentrate their attacks on the target enemy that you are targeting. The goal is to defeat the Enemy one by one to make the battle a lot easier, so make good use of it.
Follow Leader
When you want to receive range buffs or recovery effects, you can gather in the same range. However, while you are a Follow Leader, your allies will not attack, so as soon as you gather, press the same button again to disband.
Combo
Choose from Any Combo, Burst Combo, or Smash Combo, and your party members will automatically connect to the combo you choose. We recommend Any Combo, which has no restrictions, or Burst Combo, which quells the Rage Status state during boss fights.
Fusion First
The gauge of Interlink (fusion) will be easier to accumulate. However, the disadvantage is that the Chain Attack is harder to accumulate because the activation of Arts becomes slower.
What To Do If You Can't Win
Switch To Easy Mode
From the menu, you may change the game difficulty from Normal to Easy. Setting the game to easy mode lowers the status of enemies, making them easier to defeat.
Difficulty Settings - Level Differences
Raise The Level Of Your Characters
In Xenoblade, your level has to do a lot in most of the battle situations. Basically, if you are lower level than your opponent, you cannot win in the first place, so try to raise your level to the same level or higher than your opponent.
Leveling Guide - How To Farm Exp Fast
Check Accessories
Simply replacing an accessory with a better effect can make the difference between winning and losing. For example, a defender might wear an accessory that increases his or her physical strength. It is important to give Accessories depending on their role in battle.
Practice How To Fight Through Training
If you find yourself struggling in battles and consistently losing, we recommend practicing in Training Mode to better understand how to use your characters and where to put them in combat. To do so, go to the Main Menu then select System menu, and choose a character to train.
Helpful For Beginners
System Guides
Others
| DLC & Expansion Pass | How Long To Beat & Game Length |
