Summary
- Keep moving in Xenoblade Chronicles X battles to maximize offense, defense, and exploit enemy weaknesses.
- Focus on destroying enemy appendages to reduce damage and open up more opportunities for attacks.
- Manage Skill Arts and weapons cooldowns strategically to maximize damage output in combat.
The battles in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition deviate significantly from the traditional turn-based system found in most JRPGs. Instead, fights occur in real time, requiring attention to skills, enemy positioning, and cooldown management. Due to this unique dynamic, confrontations may seem somewhat confusing for players new to the franchise.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition - 10 Beginner Tips And Tricks
Get started with these beginner tips and tricks for Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, from combat upgrades to exploration.
Fortunately, with a few beginner combat tips for Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, it is possible to quickly optimize each character’s potential during battle. Understanding basic aspects such as combos, proper use of Skill Arts, and exploiting enemy weaknesses makes the learning curve smoother and allows players to fully enjoy everything the game offers.
10 Stay In Motion While Facing The Enemy
Movement Is More Important Than It Looks In The Combat Of Xenoblade Chronicles X
One crucial rule in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is to keep the character moving, since many Skill Arts only work if used from specific angles. Staying active helps with offense and defense, because certain enemy attacks miss if players shift position or take advantage of flanking opportunities, which also opens new chances to strike.
Movement also aids defense, because some attacks miss if a character backs away or adjusts angles. It is vital to stay mobile in Xenoblade Chronicles X, since standing still can lead to major damage and wasted opportunities to reposition or dodge incoming hits, especially against tougher foes, where movement can give a clear edge.
9 Always Focus On The Appendages
Reduces The Effectiveness And Damage Of Enemy Attacks
For players struggling with stronger enemies in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, the fight can be eased by targeting the enemy’s appendages. This is because many monsters and other aliens encountered in Mira rely on certain body parts to inflict significant damage, so focusing on destroying them from the start can simplify the battle.
For instance, it is possible to neutralize a Pugilith’s blasts if attacks are concentrated on its cannons, preventing those strikes from continuing throughout the fight. Furthermore, by destroying an appendage, the enemy is staggered for a few seconds, allowing a brief window for additional attacks and resulting in even greater damage.
8 Use The Secondary Cooldowns Of The Skill Arts
Not Always Necessary, But Still Essential For Causing Damage
The Skill Arts in Xenoblade Chronicles X have a cooldown before they can be used again, which limits spamming during combat. Although the Nintendo Switch version has added ways to reduce wait times, managing this element is fundamental to mastering combat against the various enemies in this JRPG.
However, what is rarely mentioned in the game and might go unnoticed is that weapons also have a secondary cooldown. This is indicated by the yellow ring that begins to charge around a weapon when a Skill Art is ready for use; once fully charged, damage and other effects are maximized, which can completely change the flow of combat, especially against stronger bosses, even though it may be less critical against easier foes.
The secondary cooldown only increases if the player is holding the weapon related to that skill art.
7 Choose Abilities That Complement Each Other
Players Can Execute Some Incredible Combos In Xenoblade Chronicles X
Although the combat in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition may not seem complex at first, as players delve deeper into its mechanics, it becomes clear that a wide variety of combos can be created during attacks. Therefore, selecting which Skill Arts are active is fundamental to maximizing damage and attack efficiency.
Xenoblade Chronicles X - Definitive Edition: What Does the Potential Stat Do?
While many of the stats in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition are self-explanatory, that is not the case for Potential.
For example, one of the most effective combos for players in the game’s first class, the Drifters, is to combine Assault Hammer followed by Flame Grenade. The first skill not only causes damage but also inflicts the Topple status, making the second attack more potent if the enemy is affected; studying each Skill Art and combining them is key to maximizing each character’s potential.
6 Use Battle Commands in Xenoblade Chronicles X
Crucial For Directing Allies During Combat
Allies do not always behave as expected in Xenoblade Chronicles X, so players can press + to open Battle Commands that direct the group. These orders make party members favor certain attacks, focus on a target, or perform actions at key times, which grants extra control and synergy, especially during tougher fights.
Players can issue Concentrate Fire to ensure everyone attacks the same enemy, which helps break an appendage fast. Other commands encourage ranged or melee moves, so it is wise to coordinate these tactics for better results in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, especially when dealing with formidable foes who demand a strong approach.
5 Make Intelligent Use Of Overdrive
One Of The Most Powerful Skills In The Game
At the end of Chapter 5 in Xenoblade Chronicles X, following some important story revelations, players gain access to a new skill called Overdrive, one of the best ways to boost each character’s damage output. When active, Skill Arts have a shorter recharge time, and various combos can be executed during this period to increase damage or XP gained.
Furthermore, Overdrive is not a skill that benefits the entire group; each character must activate it individually. To do so, 3,000 TPs must be available and a specific command used; thus, if everyone is to use it simultaneously, the command "let's build tension up" should be employed so that characters avoid expending TPs unnecessarily.
4 Try To Fight Enemies Individually
It Is Better To Tackle One Than Them All At Once
When engaging in a fight against enemies stronger than the party, particularly those with yellow health bars indicating moderate danger, it is important for players to face them one-on-one. Otherwise, the situation can quickly spiral out of control, forcing confrontation with three or four monsters above the characters’ level, which may render the battle difficult or even impossible.
Therefore, if an isolated target cannot be found and the objective is grouped with others in the Sci-Fi world of Mira, the best approach is to launch an attack to initiate the fight and then retreat to an open area. This tactic causes the enemy to pull back, making combat easier since only one target is faced without the risk of being surrounded.
3 Improve The Characters’ Skill Arts Throughout The Game
Fundamental To All Progression In Xenoblade Chronicles X
If the party as a whole appears somewhat weak, even when all are at the same level as the map’s enemies, it may be because individual Skill Arts have not been upgraded. Therefore, it is ideal to make these improvements whenever Battle Points are available, enhancing both the damage each ability can inflict and its additional effects.
Xenoblade Chronicles X - Definitive Edition: How to Increase Survey Rate
Exploring the wilds of Mira is a big part of Xenoblade Chronicles X - Definitive Edition, and the more you do the higher your Survey Rate will be.
To upgrade Skill Arts in Xenoblade Chronicles X, players can navigate to the party menu and then to Arts. There, selecting the desired upgrade and pressing Y will display a menu showing the changes, which may range from reduced cooldown times to increased duration of each ability during combat.
2 Customize The Protagonist’s Soul Voices
Adapt Them To A Preferred Play Style
Allies sometimes request specific attacks, highlighted on the Arts bar, and performing those moves triggers a small heal plus affinity bonus between characters. These prompts are called Soul Voices, and they are crucial in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition to maintain health and teamwork, especially during lengthy battles, keeping the party stable and effective.
The protagonist’s Soul Voices are customizable, though it is better to wait until the combat system feels comfortable before editing them. Once a play style is clear, adjusting these triggers can complement strategies, like raising melee damage early or boosting ranged attacks for a personal approach, ensuring synergy with chosen tactics.
1 Retreating Is Also A Strategy In Combat
Know When To Escape To Survive In Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition
If, during combat, it becomes clear that victory is unattainable, press B to secure weapons and begin retreating immediately, but do not run in a straight line, as it is best to seek routes that prevent the enemy from following, such as leaping between platforms or entering water. This maneuver can save the party from further battles and prevent a respawn far away.
Allies who die during a retreat reappear once the game decides the battle ended. Survival should be the priority, because losing a party member has no real penalty, but a total wipe forces a respawn far from the objective, so running away can save time and frustration.
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
