Xenoblade Chronicles X On The Starting Classes’ First Arts, Party Co-op Bonuses

Monolith Soft previously shared details on Xenoblade Chronicles X’s starting classes along with some information on buffs and debuffs. The official website has now been updated with further information on the early Arts of the starting classes, and more on the party cooperation “Soul” feature.

The above video demonstrates a player using Arts in battle, showing off some of the Shooting and Fighting skills.

After using an Art, you won’t be able to use it again until its “Recast Time” finishes. The Recast Time varies from Art to Art, and continuing another charge will result in a “Double Recast,” which vastly increases its effects. While in Overclock Gear, you can go an extra step with the “Triple Recast”.

Here are some of the first Arts learned by the starting class of Drifter, followed by the next three classes of Assault, Command, and Forcer.

Drifter’s Early Arts:

• Assault Hammer: hits target with the gunstock, causing physical damage and “Topple” status. (Assault Rifle/Rank 1)

• Fire Grenade: shoots a grenade towards the enemy, causing Fire attribute damage, and inflicts a Burn status. Again, does more damage against targets that are Toppled. (Assault Rifle/Rank 1)

• Chrome Armor: reduces the amount of physical damage taken for an ally. (Knife/Rank 2)

Assault’s Early Arts:

• Rising Blade: three consecutive slashes of Weapon attribute damage to the enemy. Does more damage when you’re targeted by the enemy. (Long Sword/Rank 1)

• Protection Mode (Tension Art): uses 1,000 TP for an aura that gives the effects of “Damage Taken Down,” “HP Regeneration,” and “Fighting Attack Power Down”. (Long Sword/Rank 2)

• Powered Dive: activates a “Bullet Charge” effect (next attack does double the damage). Completely evade enemy attacks during this Art. (Assault Rifle/Rank 3)

Command’s Early Arts:

• Back Slash: jumps and slashes for an attack that does Weapon attribute damage. Attacking from behind does more damage. (Dual Swords/Rank 1)

• Early Count (Tension Art): uses 1,000 TP for an aura that further increases any “Critical Damage Increase” effect and adds “Critical Rate Up” and “Evasion Up”. (Dual Guns/Rank 1)

• Stream Edge (Tension Art): a sword dance-like attack of five consecutive hits that does Weapon attribute damage. When used after a Shooting combo, it does more damage. Costs 1,000 TP. (Dual Swords/Rank 2)

Forcer’s Early Arts:

• Beam Blast: shoots a thick laser that does Weapon attribute damage. When you have any aura effect, it does more damage. (Raygun/Rank 1)

• Maintenance: gets rid of debuffs while restoring HP of a party member. (Knife/Rank 1)

• Splash Blast: a laser that does Weapon attribute damage in addition to a Black Sight effect (lowers accuracy, evasion, and Shooting attack damage.)

Another key feature in Xenoblade Chronicles X’s combat is the “Soul” system. It works by having allies communicate amongst each other during battle, where they’re granted with effects like HP Recovery and Damage Up Against Enemies. Here are the two varieties of Soul communications.

Soul Voice: A party member will say something like “It’s off guard! Let’s wreck it with Fighing Arts!” or “I did it! Give me some cover fire!” it will mark your corresponding Arts, and using them will increase your health along with the other party member. Additionally, it increases your bond with the party member.

Soul Challenge: Are bonuses granted for meeting certain conditions. For example, if you get “start the fight with a Fighting weapon” or “when your HP reaches 30% or lower,”  you’ll then see an orange circle appear in the middle of the screen. By timing with the “B button” you can gain effects such as “HP Recovery For All Allies,” and “Soul Stage Level Increase By 1”. Getting a “Perfect” will grant you bonus TP, too.

Soul Challenge effects can be adjusted to your liking. For example, the “start the fight with a Fighting weapon” can have effects such as “Damage up + 100%,” “Break effect,” and “Gain 200TP Per Hit” are just some of the many effects that can be matched with your Soul Challenges.

There’s also a feature called “Soul Stage” which increases the level by 1 whenever you meet the requirements of a Soul Challenge. This grants further effects like “Soul Voice Rates Up,” or “TP Bonus For Great Success”.

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