Character Specific Artes & Skills

Character Specific Artes & Skills

Understanding each character's unique Artes and Skills is paramount to mastering Tales of Xillia's combat system. This section delves into optimal strategies for each party member, highlighting key abilities and how to best utilize them.

Jude Mathis

Jude excels as a fast, close-range melee fighter and a capable healer. His unique ability, Snap Pivot, allows him to quickly dodge enemy attacks and counter, making him incredibly agile. Mastering this is crucial for higher difficulties.

• Key Artes:
  • Dragon Swarm: A multi-hit arte excellent for building the Link Gauge and staggering enemies. Upgrade this early via the Lilium Orb.
  • Shatter Spear: Deals significant damage and has a good chance to inflict Pierce, reducing enemy defense.
  • Heal: Jude's primary healing arte. Ensure it's assigned to a shortcut for quick access, especially when paired with a more offensive character.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Snap Pivot Plus: Extends the invincibility frames of Snap Pivot. Unlock this via the Lilium Orb in the early-mid game.
  • Recovery Item Boost: Increases the effectiveness of healing items when Jude uses them. Useful for conserving TP.
  • Auto-Heal: Automatically casts Heal when an ally's HP drops below a certain threshold. Prioritize unlocking this for sustained party survivability.
• Strategy: Keep Jude in the thick of battle, using Snap Pivot to evade and counter. Link him with Milla for powerful linked artes like Cyclone, or with Leia for extended combo potential. Ensure his TP is managed, as his healing can be a lifesaver. Consider equipping accessories like the Spirit Symbol (found in the Rusalle Highroad) to boost his TP regeneration.

Milla Maxwell

Milla is a versatile character, combining powerful elemental magic with swift sword attacks. Her unique ability, Spirit Shift, allows her to enhance her melee attacks with elemental properties, increasing damage and status effect chances.

• Key Artes:
  • Thunder Blade: A quick, mid-range arte that can stun enemies. Great for interrupting enemy spellcasting.
  • Flare Bomb: A potent fire-elemental arte with a wide area of effect, ideal for clearing groups of weaker foes.
  • Cloud Pierce: A powerful aerial arte that launches enemies, setting them up for linked combos.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Spirit Shift Boost: Increases the duration and effectiveness of Spirit Shift. Essential for maximizing her damage output.
  • Magic Guard: Reduces damage from magical attacks. Useful for Milla, who often draws aggro due to her powerful spells.
  • Concentrate: Reduces casting time for all spells. Prioritize this for faster spellcasting in intense battles.
• Strategy: Alternate between melee attacks and elemental spells. Use Spirit Shift to exploit enemy weaknesses. Link her with Jude for devastating linked artes, or with Alvin for increased break potential. Equip the Mystic Symbol (found in the Bermia Gorge) to reduce her spell casting times.

Alvin

Alvin is a heavy hitter, specializing in slow but incredibly powerful attacks with his massive sword and gun. His unique ability, Charge, allows him to power up his next arte, often breaking enemy guards or inflicting significant damage.

• Key Artes:
  • Variable Trigger: A versatile arte that can be charged for increased damage or used quickly for a burst of gunshots.
  • Ground Breaker: A powerful ground-slamming arte that can hit multiple enemies and has a high chance to stagger.
  • Infernal Bloom: A strong fire-elemental arte that can be charged for a larger area of effect.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Charge Boost: Increases the power and effectiveness of Alvin's Charge ability. Crucial for his playstyle.
  • Power Hit: Increases the chance of inflicting critical hits. Synergizes well with his high base damage.
  • Iron Stance: Reduces the chance of being staggered by enemy attacks, allowing him to complete his powerful, slower artes.
• Strategy: Position Alvin to the side or rear of enemies to maximize his damage. Utilize Charge before unleashing his strongest artes. Link him with Elize for healing support while he charges, or with Rowen for elemental synergy. The Warrior's Emblem (obtained from a sub-event in Hamil) is an excellent accessory for boosting his attack power.

Elize Lutus

Elize is the party's primary healer and support mage, but her unique ability, Teepo Boost, allows her to temporarily become a formidable offensive spellcaster. She's essential for sustained battles.

• Key Artes:
  • Nurse: Elize's most important healing arte. Keep it assigned to a shortcut and prioritize its upgrades.
  • Negative Gate: A powerful dark-elemental arte that can inflict various status ailments.
  • Pow Hammer: A surprisingly effective physical arte when Teepo is boosted, capable of stunning enemies.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Teepo Boost Plus: Extends the duration of Teepo Boost, allowing for more offensive output.
  • Resurrection: The ability to revive fallen allies. Absolutely critical for challenging encounters. Unlock this as soon as possible.
  • Heal Plus: Increases the amount of HP recovered by healing artes.
• Strategy: Keep Elize in the back lines, focusing on healing and support. Use Teepo Boost strategically when you need extra damage or to break an enemy's guard. Link her with Rowen for increased magical damage, or with Jude for double healing potential. Equip the Faerie Ring (found in the Arklund Quag) to significantly reduce her TP consumption for healing spells.

Rowen J. Ilbert

Rowen is a master of elemental magic and tactical support. His unique ability, Arte Tuning, allows him to change the properties of his spells, such as increasing their area of effect or casting speed.

• Key Artes:
  • Splash: A basic but reliable water-elemental arte, good for interrupting and exploiting weaknesses.
  • Rock Lance: A strong earth-elemental arte with good stagger potential.
  • Disaster: A powerful non-elemental arte with a wide area of effect, excellent for crowd control.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Arte Tuning Master: Enhances the effects of Arte Tuning, making his spells even more versatile.
  • Spell End: Reduces the recovery time after casting a spell, allowing for quicker follow-ups.
  • Magic Guard Plus: Further reduces magical damage taken, making him more resilient.
• Strategy: Rowen should be positioned at a safe distance, unleashing a barrage of elemental spells. Use Arte Tuning to adapt to the combat situation – speed up casting against fast enemies, or expand area of effect against groups. Link him with Milla for devastating elemental linked artes, or with Leia for increased combo potential. The Mental Symbol (purchased in Fennmont) is ideal for boosting his TP and spell damage.

Leia Rolando

Leia is a fast, agile melee fighter with excellent support capabilities, particularly in item usage. Her unique ability, Elongating Staff, allows her to extend her staff for increased reach and specific arte properties.

• Key Artes:
  • Soul Stroke: A quick, multi-hit arte that builds the Link Gauge rapidly.
  • Cheer: A crucial support arte that increases an ally's attack power.
  • Resurrection: Like Elize, Leia can also learn Resurrection, providing a valuable backup healer.
• Recommended Skills:
  • Item Thrower: Allows Leia to use items on allies from a distance. Incredibly useful for quick healing or status recovery without breaking formation.
  • Elongating Staff Plus: Enhances the effects of her unique ability, increasing reach and arte power.
  • Quick Step: Increases her movement speed, allowing her to quickly close distances or evade.
• Strategy: Leia is best used as a secondary attacker and primary item user. Keep her linked with a heavy hitter like Alvin or Jude to extend their combos and provide quick item support. Utilize her Elongating Staff to keep enemies at bay or to hit flying foes. Ensure she has a good stock of healing and status-curing items. The Hunter's Monocle (found in the Nia Khera Spiritway) can increase her item drop rate, which is a nice bonus for her support role.