Best Garuda Eikon Abilities in FFXVI

Discover the top Garuda Eikon abilities in Final Fantasy XVI. Learn how to use Deadly Embrace, Gouge, Wicked Wheel, Rook's Gambit, and Aerial Blast effectively.

Alright, let's talk about Garuda's abilities in Final Fantasy XVI. Once you get through that tough fight with Benedikta and unlock Garuda's powers, you'll have a few options right off the bat. Three of them – Deadly Embrace, Gouge, and Wicked Wheel – are ready to go. The other two, Rook's Gambit and Aerial Blast, you'll need to spend some Ability Points (AP) to get. We'll break down what each one does and how you can make them even better by upgrading and mastering them.

Here's a quick look at how much AP and upgrade materials they cost:

Ability	Description	AP Cost	Upgrade Cost	Mastery Cost
Deadly Embrace	Send a grappling claw out to grab an enemy and pull it toward Clive. Grappling heavier enemies will launch Clive into the air.	-	-	450
Gouge	Summon twin claws that relentlessly tear at a target. Can be used in midair.	-	575	1000
Wicked Wheel	Perform a rising attack, striking all enemies within range and lifting them from the ground. Can be used in midair.	-	525	1000
Rook’s Gambit	Jump back, then deliver a punishing counter. If the jump evades an attack, counter potency is increased. Can be used in midair.	120	660	1000
Aerial Blast	Summon a tornado that slowly hunts down nearby enemies and, upon ensnaring them, inflicts multiple hits.	1540	2005	4000

If you just want the quick rundown on what we think are the best Garuda abilities to focus on, check out the list below. Keep in mind, though, that your playstyle might be totally different, so don't be afraid to experiment! We didn't include Deadly Embrace in this ranking because it's the one you get automatically when you switch to Garuda form. Think of it like Phoenix Shift, but instead of a quick teleport, it pulls enemies to you.

Our Top Garuda Ability Picks:

1. Aerial Blast
2. Gouge
3. Rook’s Gambit
4. Wicked Wheel

Now, let's dive a bit deeper into what each ability actually does in combat and how you can use them effectively.

Deadly Embrace

Like we said, Deadly Embrace is pretty much Garuda's version of Phoenix Shift. You'll probably be used to this kind of move by the time you get it, as it's usually mapped to the same button. Instead of zipping to an enemy, Deadly Embrace shoots out a grappling claw to snag them and pull them towards Clive. It works on most smaller enemies, but if you try it on a heavier foe, Clive gets launched into the air instead.

This is super handy for isolating a single enemy so you can focus on them without getting swarmed. You gotta be quick to get the most damage in, but the best part is there's no cooldown, so you can spam it as much as you want while keeping your distance from others. It's perfect if you like playing keep-away and only want to engage one enemy at a time. You can also use it to yank flying enemies down or pull ground enemies into the air if you're already airborne.

Use Deadly Embrace to pull an enemy closer, or to stagger a bigger one once its Will gauge is below 50%.

If you're facing a larger enemy that you can't pull to you, Deadly Embrace turns into Deadly Leap. This attack damages the enemy and launches Clive into the air, which is a great way to start an aerial combo. Remember, some moves like Downthrust do more damage when you're higher up, so chaining abilities effectively from the air can really boost your damage output.

There are also some cool combos you can pull off with Deadly Embrace:

• Deadly Chain: Use Deadly Embrace on an enemy between other attacks.
• Deadly Combo: Land a 4-hit Combo on a grounded enemy after pulling them with Deadly Embrace.
• Deadly Aerial Combo: Land a 3-hit Aerial Combo on an airborne enemy after pulling them with Deadly Embrace.
• Deadly Leap Chain: Execute a Deadly Leap between other attacks.

Plus, there's the Deadly Takedown. If you use Deadly Embrace on a larger enemy when its stagger bar is at 50% or less, it'll put them into a partially staggered state. This gives you a chance to grapple them again with Deadly Embrace, topple them, and get some free hits in. Honestly, Deadly Embrace is one of the most flexible abilities in the game. Even if you're not a huge fan of Garuda's other moves, you'll probably end up using this one a lot, maybe even alongside abilities from other Eikons.

Gouge

Gouge is another one of those abilities you get right when you unlock Garuda. It's a real favorite of ours because it can dish out a ton of damage really quickly, whether you're hitting one target or a whole group. While each individual swipe might not hit as hard as some other attacks, the sheer number of hits adds up fast.