Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Battle System [Ultimate Guide]

Battle System of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is complicated. But once you get a hang of it, it feels like a piece of cake.

The battle system of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is easy to understand. But to get a good grip on it, you need to know the mechanics. Battles have six main mechanics. These mechanics are Art, Combos, Canceling Attacks, Interlinking, Party Management, and Chain Attacks.

These six mechanics aren’t the only thing to Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s battle system. But we can assure you that once you master these, you will be able to face any challenges the game throws you.

Once mastered, whatever character you use, you won’t have a problem defeating enemies. We have prepared complete guides on the main protagonists of Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Basics Of Battle System

Understanding the basics of the battle system is essential for success in combat. Here are the key concepts you should know:

1. Auto-attacks and Movement:

  • Battles are real-time, allowing you to move freely on the battlefield.
  • Auto-attacks occur automatically when your character is in range of a targeted enemy.
  • Your character won’t attack while moving, so you must choose between attacking and mobility.
  • Finding an ideal spot to attack from and holding it can be an effective strategy, especially in boss battles.

2. Aggro:

  • Aggro is represented by arching lines between party members and enemy combatants.
  • It indicates which party member the enemy is focusing on.
  • The Defender class is responsible for drawing Aggro towards themselves to protect other party members.
  • Aggro management is crucial for survival in battles, as it helps keep your party safe.

To manage Aggro effectively, consider moving to the Defender if you don’t have the Defender class in your party. This will redirect Aggro to the Defender, allowing your party to benefit from their defensive abilities.

Arts

Each character in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has special moves that are known as Arts. Arts play a crucial role in the game’s combat system. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of Arts and their mechanics:

1. Standard Arts: These are special attacks that are more powerful than auto-attacks. Each character has designated buttons for their Standard Arts. When used, they go into a cooldown period and can’t be used again until they recharge. The recharge method varies between characters. For some, Arts recharge over time, while for others, they recharge as the character performs auto attacks.

2. Talent Arts: Talent Arts are class-specific moves that can be executed by pressing the A button. They often deal higher damage and may have unique properties. Recharging Talent Arts is tied to a character’s class actions. For example, attackers recharge their Talent Arts by attacking enemies, defenders by defending, and healers by healing teammates. Using Talent Arts strategically can be game-changing.

3. Master Arts: Master Arts become available when a character maxes out their class. They typically unlock after you gain the ability to change classes in the game. These Arts deliver significant damage and are considered advanced moves.

4. Fusion Arts: Fusion Arts combine Regular Arts and Master Arts into a single powerful attack. To use a Fusion Art, hold down the ZR button when both a Master Art and a Regular Art are recharged. If both are available, your character will execute a Fusion Art. These Arts can have unique effects and also increase your Chain Attack gauge and interlink level.

Combos’ Battle System

Combos in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are another important aspect of the battle system. They work as they used to in the previous installments. So if you mastered them, then you don’t have to learn them again. If not, now is your time to master them.

Here’s an overview of how combos work:

  1. Special Statuses: Many Arts in the game have special statuses attached to them. These statuses are Break, Burst, Daze, Launch, Topple, and Smash.
  2. Combo Sequences: Combos are initiated by chaining these special statuses in a specific order to deal massive damage and render enemies helpless. There are two main combo sequences:
    • Combo Sequence 1: Break > Topple > Daze > Burst
    • Combo Sequence 2: Break > Topple > Launch > Smash
  3. Example: Let’s say you start with an Art that inflicts “Break” on an enemy, causing them to stagger. After applying the “Break” status, you can follow up with an Art that has the “Topple” effect. This will topple the enemy to the ground, leaving them vulnerable. Subsequently, you can use Arts with “Daze” and “Burst” effects to maximize damage during the combo.
  4. Teamwork: Since you’ll be controlling multiple characters in battles, you’ll need to rely on your AI teammates to continue the combo chains. Fortunately, the AI in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is designed to be fairly smart, and they will use the appropriate Arts to maintain the combo sequence.

Canceling

Canceling Attacks in the battle system of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is as important as it was in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. To ‘Cancel’ your attacks, as soon as you finish an auto-attack, use an art. If you time it correctly, you’ll get ‘Canceling’. You’ll know that you were successful if you see a purple circle on the screen.

canceling attack in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Successfully canceling attack.

To Cancel an attack successfully, you’ll need to practice it on smaller monsters found roaming around the world. Practice it on them, and when you feel that you are getting better at canceling, then you should go into boss fights and try it.

In Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s battle system, Canceling provides two main benefits. First of all, you’ll transition into the selected Art more smoothly and deal more damage to the enemy. Second, performing a successful cancel attack helps you build up the Chain Attack gauge, more on that in a while.

Party Management Battle System

Party Management is the key in any JRPG. It is as important as choosing the right class for a specific mission. There are three classes in Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s battle system. These classes are Attacker, Defender, and Healer.

To survive in a battle, you’ll need to have a balance of all three classes. For a balanced team, we suggest that you have 2 Attackers, 2 Defenders, and 2 Healers. Here’s how each of these classes works.

Attackers

  • Role: Attackers are the primary damage dealers (DPS) in your party.
  • Objective: Their main goal is to deal heavy damage to enemies, especially from the flanks and rear to apply pressure.
  • Strengths: High offensive power, capable of dealing significant damage.
  • Weaknesses: Often targeted by enemies due to their damage output.

Examples: Noah and Sena are main Attackers in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Attacker class of xenoblade chronicles 3 battle system.
Attacker class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Defenders

  • Role: Defenders act as the frontline “meat shield” for your party.
  • Objective: They draw enemy attention away from vulnerable party members, protecting them from direct harm.
  • Strengths: Can take extra damage without losing much health, serving as a tank.
  • Weaknesses: Lower offensive capabilities compared to Attackers.

Lanz and Mio are of the Defender’s Class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Defenders in Xenoblade.
Defenders class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Healers

  • Role: Healers are responsible for healing and supporting other party members.
  • Objective: They heal wounded allies, revive fallen teammates, and ensure the party’s survival.
  • Strengths: Vital for sustaining the party’s health, capable of reviving fallen members.
  • Weaknesses: Lower offensive capabilities, need protection to stay alive.

In the Healer Class, we have Eunie and Taion.

Healers class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Battle System.
Healer Class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

After playing the game for a while, when the story progresses, you’ll be able to change the classes of your party members. It will let you switch characters mid-battle, meaning it’ll let you change between characters whom you’re controlling. Both of these systems are vital to character progression and to winning battles in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

If you want to learn more about the classes, consider reading our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Classes explained guide.

Interlinking 

You’ll be familiarized with the Interlinking battle system of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 early on in the game. Interlinking allows your party members to fuse together into Ouroboros. Ouroboros is a powerful form of character.

Noah and Mio interlink and form an Ouroboros. Eunie and Taion form their own Ouroboros. And last but not least, Sena and Lanz make their own Ouroboros. You can get different Ouroboros depending on which character of the pair is controlling it.

Ouroboros in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Up to down, Noah controlled, Mio controlled, Lanz controlled, Sena controlled, Taion controlled, and Eunie controlled Ouroboros.

When they are in the Ouroboros form, the characters will deal more damage than they would have combined. You’ll have a limited time with the Ouroboros as they will eventually overheat and end the interlink. So use your time wisely.

Although You can interlink party members at any point in the battle, we advise using Fusion Arts and increasing the interlink level. So that once you fuse characters, the Ouroboros will be able to have more powerful effects from the attacks. 

Chain Attacks Battle System

The chain Attack gauge can be found on the top right-hand corner of the screen. To fill this gauge, you’ll have to use Fusion Arts. Once the Chain Attack gauge gets full, you can press the ‘+’ button and initiate it.

Here’s how they work:

  1. Fill Gauge: Use Fusion Arts to fill the Chain Attack gauge located in the top right corner.
  2. Initiate: Press ‘+’ to start a Chain Attack, pausing real-time combat.
  3. Select Party Members: Choose party members for individual attacks in a coordinated sequence.
  4. Chain Order: Each character has a unique chain order with different effects. Select wisely.
  5. Tactical Points (TP): Attacks generate TP. Over 100% keeps the Chain Attack going. Over 150% or 200% grants bonuses.
  6. Chain Attack Duration: The gauge determines how long the Chain Attack lasts. Depletion ends it, and recovery depends on TP.
  7. Class and Order Effects: Different classes and chain orders impact Chain Attacks, such as TP bonuses for Attackers and unique effects for each character.

Strategically using Chain Attacks can lead to powerful combos and damage output in battles.

Ending Words

That’s all for the battle system of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Reading this guide will help you understand how battles in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 work and how you can fully utilize your characters in them. If you have had problems remembering them, here’s what we have told you so far.

You’ll have to make decisions between moving or attacking, so plan your battles ahead of time. Arts are your main damage source; always keep an eye on their cooldowns. Canceling and Combos help increase the total damage output of your characters.

Party Management is an important aspect of the Battle System in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Make sure to have 2 of each class. They will come in handy when you have to interlink characters to get Ouroboros.

In the end, keep an eye on Chain Attacks. Because if you utilize them properly, boss fights will end in mere seconds.

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Zohaib Abdullah is a Guides Writer on eXputer who’s been obsessed with FPS and RPG titles from a young age. He is constantly looking for new games to play, although you can mostly find him falling back on Skyrim. He has several years of experience writing for video games. Learn a bit more about Zohaib's gaming journey on his Steam profile.

Experience: 3+ Years || Published 100+ Guides || Mainly Covers Guides.

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