How Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Mecha Dolls Work In Battle

Earlier today, we got a closer look at Xenoblade Chronicles X’s different types of Dolls and how they fight. We also got a look at some of their advanced features that showcased the different ways of attacking and defending during battle, among other tidbits of information.

It might sound enticing to gear your Dolls up with the most powerful weapons and having the best Arts, but it’s actually recommended not to focus on a single or certain type of Art for your Dolls.

Arts on Dolls can use more fuel depending on what you’re using, so abusing powerful Arts that consume a lot of fuel might leave you empty for a while, and you won’t be able to use any Arts.

Running out of fuel also means no more flying, so you’ll want to make sure to leave some for when you need it. Fuel replenishes on its own when you dismount the Doll, but this is slow. You can fill it up in NLA, but it costs quite a lot of Miranium.

Similar to fighting as your character on the land, where you do combos of Topple and Break enemies, Dolls have their own combo attacks that go from a Topple to a “Catch”.

When under a “Catch” effect, enemies can’t move or attack, and it increases your damage and accuracy. Since enemies can’t attack while under a Catch effect, it’s the best opportunity to damage them up.

While using Arts in battle, it will occasionally activate a Cockpit Mode. While in this mode, it instantly recasts all of your Arts, so you’ll be able to use them right away; however, it has a low chance of happening, so it’s more of a matter of luck.

Dolls can also go into their own Overclock Gear Mode. In addition to the added attack power, depending on the type of Doll, there are various effects such as  recast speed up or critical hit rate up.

While fighting as Dolls, you’ll also need to be careful when getting hit. For example, enemies can break your parts, too, and can even destroy your Doll. Early on, they’ll repair your Doll for free, but after the fourth time, it will be expensive to get your Doll repaired.

This means you’ll need to know when to make a run for it when things get dangerous or at least take your Doll out of battle if it seems like it’s about to get destroyed. Once the battle is over, the Doll and its parts will recover health, including the broken parts.

It might sound a bit like a losing fight if you have to get off your Doll, but having a Doll on the side has its own merits, as they can help increase your defense while attacking from the side. Having it go into “Doll Defense” mode increases your character’s defense. Having one goes up by 20%, and any extras from your party members will add an extra 20% to it, making it possible to take on tough foes.

Additionally, players can equip special “Doll Suits” which have low stats while fighting as a character alone, but provide nice boosts while using Dolls. These are recommended for party members that specialize in fighting on Dolls.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is slated for release in Japan on April 29, 2015 for Wii U. The game will release in the West later this year.