Summary
- The new Archetype system in Metaphor: ReFantazio offers deep progression mechanics for players to explore.
- Synthesis Skills like Hadean Icecrag and Megidolaon provide unique abilities for strategic battles.
- Unlock powerful duo synthesis skills like All Reset and Ultimate Guard for effective party compositions in the game.
Atlus' most recent game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, presents players with a different take on a lot of the tropes found in previous Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games. Whilst a lot of move names and effects will be recognizable for long-time players, there are plenty of new systems surrounding them.
The Archetype system and Synthesis Skills are just two examples of these new mechanics, and they're as deep as players would expect a Persona progression system to be. Archetypes are essentially jobs or roles for characters in battle. Matching the right Archetypes in a party composition unlocks new Synthesis Skills to use. So, leveling certain archetypes alongside each other can get players access to better Synthesis Skills faster. Synthesis Skills need either one (duo) or two (trio) matching ally Archetypes. These are the best duo Synthesis Skills to focus on obtaining.
Metaphor: ReFantazio - How to Unlock All Archetypes
Master the power of the Archetypes in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and witness the true power of your party members.
10 Wild Bore
Berserker & Gunner/Faker/Summoner
- Archetype: Berserker (Destroyer)
- Ally Requirement: Gunner/Faker/Summoner
- Effect: Deals extreme pierce damage and reduces an enemy's attack for 3 turns.
- Cost: 20 MP, 2 Turns
For this Synthesis Skill, players will need to level up the Berserker Lineage until the Destroyer Archetype is available. Combining the Destroyer with a Gunner, Faker or Summoner Archetype in a party will give the player access to the Wild Bore skill in battle.
Not only does it deal high pierce damage, but it also reduces the enemy's attack, making it a useful skill for hard-hitting bosses. It's also very good for single-target damage against enemies with a pierce weakness.
9 Hadean Icecrag
Summoner & Seeker/Mage/Healer
- Archetype: Summoner (Devil Summoner)
- Ally Requirement: Seeker/Mage/Healer
- Effect: Deal extreme ice damage to all enemies.
- Cost: 18 MP, 2 Turns
Hadean Icecrag deals huge ice elemental damage to all enemies, making it well worth the relatively low MP cost. Players will need a Summoner leveled up to the Devil Summoner Archetype in a party with a Seeker, Mage, or Healer to use this skill.
There are a lot of Ice-weak enemies in Metaphor: ReFantazio, so Hadean Icecrag will come in handy in a lot of battles. Players have to ensure there are no ice nullifying or repelling enemies on the field though, or else they risk the move working against them.
8 Megidolaon
Commander & Gunner/Faker/Summoner
- Archetype: Commander (Warlord)
- Ally Requirement: Gunner/Faker/Summoner
- Effect: Deal extreme Almighty damage to all enemies.
- Cost: 25 MP, 2 Turns
Almighty damage is one of the most useful damage types in Metaphor: ReFantazio. It essentially ignores the damage type system that other moves use, meaning that Megidolaon will deal reliable damage against almost any enemy type.
To access this skill, players need to level up the Commander Lineage until the Warlord Archetype is available. Then, combine this in a party with a Gunner, Faker, or Summoner. The slightly less effective version, Megidola, is available along the path to accessing this skill, too.
7 Medicall
Healer & Knight/Healer/Commander
- Archetype: Healer (Cleric)
- Ally Requirement: Knight/Healer/Commander
- Skill Requirement: Medica
- Effect: Heavy healing for all allies.
- Cost: 40 MP, 2 Turns
This duo synthesis skill also has a pre-existing skill requirement, meaning players will need a Healer who already has the Medica skill. Level the Healer Lineage until the Cleric Archetype is available, then combine this with a Knight, Healer, or Commander. This will let the player use this powerful healing skill.
It has a fairly high MP cost, but it's a full party heal that will more or less guarantee full healing for all of the players' allies. It's not powerful in terms of damage output, but it will keep players alive in a pinch.
6 Crimson Moon Sword Art
Warrior & Warrior/Brawler/Berserker
- Archetype: Warrior (Samurai)
- Ally Requirement: Warrior/Brawler/Berserker
- Effect: Deals severe Slash damage to all enemies, chance to charm.
- Cost: 22 MP, 2 Turns
Crimson Moon is one of the more useful physical attack skills in the duo synthesis category. This skill not only deals high slash damage to all enemies, it can also charm them, causing them to attack their allies. For obvious reasons, this is one of the most useful status effects in the game.
It does require players to level the Warrior Lineage until the Samurai Archetype, its final Archetype, is unlocked, but the payoff is worth the time investment. Combine the Samurai with a Warrior, Brawler or Berserker in a party to use it.
5 All Reset
Merchant & Thief/Faker/Merchant
- Archetype: Merchant (Tycoon)
- Ally Requirement: Thief/Faker/Merchant
- Effect: Remove all buffs and beneficial effects from enemies.
- Cost: 36 MP, 2 Turns
The Merchant can be a difficult Lineage to level, but the unique abilities offered by the Tycoon Archetype can be worth it. Combining a Tycoon in a party with a Thief, Faker or Merchant will let players use All Reset, one of the most useful duo synthesis skills.
All Reset removes all buffs and almost all special effects from enemies. Players will know that the stronger enemies get in Metaphor: ReFantazio, the more likely they are to use strong and tricky to counter buffs and debuffs. This makes All Reset an invaluable skill for some later boss encounters.
4 Ultimate Guard
Knight & Knight/Healer/Commander
- Archetype: Knight (Royal Knight)
- Ally Requirement: Knight/Healer/Commander
- Effect: Creates a barrier that negates one (non-Almighty) attack on all allies.
- Cost: 100 MP, 2 Turns
Ultimate Guard is a costly but incredibly effective defensive skill, granting all allies a barrier that will negate the next attack against them. Almighty damage is the only damage type that can get through it, so the only real drawback is the high MP cost.
Players will need to level the Knight Lineage to access the Royal Knight Archetype, then combine them with another Knight, a Healer, or a Commander in their party to use the skill. Ultimate Guard can stop some nasty one-shots if used correctly.
3 Trial Of The Seeker
Seeker & Warrior/Thief/Masked Dancer
- Archetype: Seeker (Soul Hacker)
- Ally Requirement: Warrior/Thief/Masked Dancer
- Effect: Deals extreme Almighty damage to all enemies, recovers MP per hit.
- Cost: 20MP, 2 Turns
This ability is one of the best reasons to level the Seeker Lineage. Almighty damage is excellent at getting around enemy damage type resistances, and the MP recovery is a nice bonus effect. This move can help deal with mobs with ease, without whittling down a player's resources.
Metaphor: ReFantazio - 10 Best Skills to Inherit, Ranked
These are the best skills to inherit in Metaphor: ReFantazio - essential for overcoming the game's most challenging obstacles.
Players will need the Soul Hacker Archetype unlocked before they can use this skill. Combining the Soul Hacker with a Warrior, Thief, or Masked Dancer in a party will give players access to Trial of the Seeker in battle.
2 Masquerade Charge
Masked Dancer & Gunner/Masked Dancer/Berserker
- Archetype: Persona Master / Masked Dancer (Royal Masked Dancer)
- Ally Requirement: Gunner/Masked Dancer/Berserker
- Effect: Greatly increases allies' physical attack damage, once per fight
- Cost: 26 MP, 2 Turns
The Persona Master is limited in versatility, and locked to the player character, but this move can help it shine as a party leader. Alternatively, the Masked Dancer is a great Lineage to level if players are looking for a powerful support class to help out with buffs.
Both the Royal Masked Dancer and Persona Master can use this skill, if players add them to a party with a Gunner, Masked Dancer, or Berserker in it. Masquerade Charge is a very strong physical attack buff, despite its limited uses, and well worth using either of these Archetypes for.
1 Deadly Eraser
Berserker & Brawler/Merchant/Summoner
- Archetype: Berserker (Destroyer)
- Ally Requirement: Brawler/Merchant/Summoner
- Effect: Deals severe Almighty damage to one enemy, removes most buffs and repel.
- Cost: 22 MP, 2 Turns
Deadly Eraser is one of the strongest moves in Metaphor: ReFantazio. The Almighty damage isn't the highest damage output in the game, but it's high enough when combined with the fact that Deadly Eraser also removes status, strength, and repel buffs.
The relatively low MP cost means it can be used repeatedly to keep tough enemies from reaching full power. If players levelthe Berserker Lineage until the Destroyer, or Royal Berserker, Archetypes are unlocked, they will be able to use this skill when added to a party with a Brawler, Merchant, or Summoner.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Released
- October 11, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Engine
- GFD
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 65 Hours
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 104 hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 81.15 GB
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
