Final Fantasy 16’s combat departs from other role playing games, relying on real-time hack-and-slash mechanics. However, while there are combos, launchers, mid-air dodging, and more, you also have Eikons with their Skills, Core Abilities and Ultimates. It’s also important to deal Stagger damage. Staggered enemies take more damage, so the quicker you can stagger them, the better.
Let’s look at all the Skills and which ones you should be rocking with. Before that, remember that all recommendations are based on a normal playthrough, not New Game Plus. While Attack and Stagger damage are key for the Main Quests and Hunts, racking up high scores in Arcade Mode is different. You’ll want to combo Skills to increase your score, even if an enemy isn’t slain immediately.
Also, remember: Mastering an Eikonic Skill lets you equip it to any Skill slot, regardless of the Eikon equipped. It allows mixing and matching Skills for all kinds of combinations. Since you can refund Ability Points with no penalty, don’t be afraid to experiment with different Skills.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
All of Clive’s Skills
Clive starts with some basic Skills in the early going, which will form the foundation of his regular attacks and combos. They don’t have cooldowns and are just as essential to chain together as your Eikonic Skills. Here’s what they all do.
Melee Attack
Your basic melee attack. Press Square to attack an enemy; continuously pressing it will execute a four-hit combo. Each hit deals 0.5 Attack damage and 0.5 Stagger damage. You’ll be using this Skill a lot.
Jump
A simple jump is performed by pressing X. You’ll use this for Aerial combos and even some exploration in the world.
Taunt
Taunt a specific target to get their attention by pressing R2 and Touchpad. While it’s not essential, drawing the attention of a specific enemy can be good in some situations.
Burning Blade
By holding down Square (used for basic attacks), Clive will charge his blade with fire. Release it to deal with a burning melee strike with a slight AoE. If you release the button while jumping, Clive will swipe upwards and launch weaker enemies for an aerial combo. It has an Attack rating of 0.5 and a Stagger rating of 0.5. If Rising Flames is on cooldown or you want to continue juggling an enemy after Torgal launches them (or after using other Skills), it’s pretty good.
Downthrust
Press X and Square together in mid-air to execute a downward thrust. It’s ideal for ending aerial combos if an Eikonic Skill is on cooldown, and on upgrading, it becomes a fiery downward slash. Its Attack rating is 0.5, while the Stagger rating is 0.5.
Lunge
Execute a Stinger-like attack and quickly close distance on an enemy. If an enemy isn’t too far away, it’s a decent substitute for Phoenix Shift. It has an Attack rating of 0.5 and a Stagger rating of 0.5.
Dodge
A simple dodge – simply press R1. It’s also usable in mid-air, which helps in repositioning.
Precision Dodge
Pressing R1 before an enemy’s attack lands executes a Precision Dodge. Pressing Square or Triangle immediately after will execute a counter. It’s an invaluable tool in pretty much every fight since the counters can help continue to build Stagger damage. You can also use it in mid-air.
Swift Recovery
When knocked back, press R1 to recover. Pretty much essential in any fight against bosses or Elite foes since it lets you quickly get back into the fray.
Stomp
While in the air, press the Jump button (X) to kick off an enemy. It allows for staying airborne longer and provides more height. Upgrading this allows for stomping on an enemy twice, increasing your in-air duration and jump height.
Magic
Fire a magic projectile at an enemy by pressing Triangle. Each attack has a 0.5 Attack and Stagger rating, with the elemental damage type changing based on the Eikon equipped (Fire with Phoenix, Wind with Garuda, etc.). Along with dealing damage from afar, it’s good against flying enemies or when bosses are too far away to hit with melee strikes.
Charged Magic
With Charged Magic, holding Triangle will increase the damage of a ranged magic attack. It has a 0.5 Attack and Stagger rating.
Magic Burst
After hitting an enemy with a melee strike, press Triangle immediately to follow up with a close-range magic attack. It turns your four-hit melee combo into an eight-hit melee/magic combo. Each Burst has a 0.5 Attack and Stagger rating. Upgrading seems to provide a more forgiving window when trying to chain attacks. As you progress into the game, this will become your basic bread-and-butter combo for dealing damage and depleting an enemy’s Will gauge.
Aerial Attack
While in the air, press Square to deliver a melee attack. You can chain up to three hits in a single combo, each dealing 0.5 Attack Damage and 0.5 Stagger Damage. It’s best to use two attacks, follow up with a Downthrust and finish with a Magic Burst.
Aside from Taunt, you should have all these abilities unlocked and, if possible, upgraded throughout your journey. Each has its uses, even if certain kinds, like Burning Blade, are slightly more situational.
All of Phoenix’s Eikonic Skills
The Phoenix is Clive’s first Eikon and relies on fire. It provides access to some all-around good Skills with a healthy mix of Attack and Stagger Damage.
Phoenix Shift
Teleport to a target and follow up with a melee or magic attack. It’s a great skill with several uses, whether shifting to enemies in mid-air for a combo or downed targets for a Mortal Blow. Don’t Phoenix Shift to pass through a projectile, though – it won’t work, and the recovery time is awkward.
Rising Flames
Use a fiery wing to launch smaller enemies. Rising Flames does good single-target damage, though not the highest in the game. It has an Attack rating of 3 and a Stagger rating of 2. Upgrading it will add more hits after the initial strike. If another enemy is close enough, you can potentially nail both with a single cast.
Heatwave
Unleash a flame wall at close range, followed by wave-based projectiles. If used before an enemy’s magic projectile lands, you’ll unleash more waves that deal more damage (especially Stagger damage). It fires more projectiles when upgraded and has an Attack and Stagger rating of 2.
Scarlet Cyclone
Clive spins in an area, attacking enemies within range. Attack Damage is rated 2, while Stagger Damage is rated 3, so it’s more useful when reducing an enemy’s Will gauge. It makes for a decent Skill in the very early going when you’re trying to take down several enemies, but Heatwave will probably be better since it can attack several in a line. You can always use Phoenix Shift to any knocked-down enemies and finish them off Mortal Blows. It’s ultimately down to preference.
Flames of Rebirth
The Phoenix’s Ultimate Skill creates a pillar of fire that burns enemies in an area and slightly restores health. Its Attack and Stagger rating are both 3, and when upgraded, you unleash a second, more powerful surge, dealing even more damage. Though it’s rated evenly for Attack and Stagger, you’re best off using this on a fully staggered opponent for more damage.
All of Garuda’s Eikonic Skills
Garuda specializes in the Wind element, but in terms of Stagger damage, she’s a great Eikon in the early going. Most of her Skills are usable in mid-air, which is great for aerial combos.
Gouge
Use two claws and deal multiple strikes to an enemy. It has an Attack rating of 2 and a whopping 4 Stagger rating and is usable mid-air. Not that effective when used on a fully staggered target (though it’s fine if you’ve used other cooldowns). Instead, use it after an opponent recovers from a partial Stagger to remove the other half of their Will gauge near-immediately.
Rook’s Gambit
Clive hops back and then attacks an enemy. Best used when evading an attack since you’ll execute a counter and launch a foe. Its Attack and Stagger rating are both 2. You can also use this in mid-air, making it decent when dealing with flying enemies, though you’re better off just eliminating them quickly. Not the most ideal against bosses, though it could be viable against Elites.
Wicked Wheel
A spinning attack where Clive rises into the air. Weaker enemies within range are lifted as well. It’s usable in mid-air, so if Torgal launches an enemy, you can Phoenix Shift, hit them twice with melee attacks and unleash Wicked Wheel. Its Attack rating is 2, while its Stagger rating is 3, so even if you’re using this against Elites, it can deal some strong Stagger Damage. Still, it’s a good option when continuing combos against launched enemies.
Deadly Embrace
Grapple and pull lighter enemies towards you, Devil Bringer-style. When used against Elites and bosses, Clive will be launched and execute a spinning attack. The grapple is very good when dealing with flying enemies, but perhaps the best function is when a target is partially staggered. Clive will pull them down, extending their staggered status a bit longer, which means more damage. For that reason alone, it’s worth keeping Garuda as an Eikon, even if you fill the Skill slots with other abilities.
Aerial Blast
Create a massive tornado that will hone in on enemies. Lighter enemies are lifted up and effectively trapped. Attack Damage is only rated 2, but its Stagger rating is 5, so it’s pretty ideal for staggering Elites and Bosses. If crowd control against groups of enemies sounds good, while you finish them off with other Skills, go for it. Otherwise, save the Ultimate slot for something else.
All of Ifrit’s Eikonic Skills
Ifrit doesn’t have as many Skills as Phoenix, but there are some strong options. You also get Limit Break for free and can equip any of its Skills to the Phoenix’s slots without having to Master them.
Will o’ the Wykes
Clive creates several small fireballs that orbit around him. Along with damaging targets up close, it can also absorb some damage, providing a bit of tankiness. Attack Rating is 1, while Stagger Rating is 2. It’s fine alone but pairs well with melee attacks or Skills like…
Ignition
A charging attack that can drag multiple enemies together, hitting several times before finally exploding and knocking them back. It’s also usable in mid-air, so if you’re finishing an aerial combo, use Ignition to attack enemies on the ground without missing a beat. It has an Attack rating of 3 and a Stagger rating of 2. Perhaps one of the best clearing skills in the game thanks to its high mobility and damage, though its Stagger damage and effect on staggered targets isn’t all that great. Use Will o’ the Wykes beforehand for even more damage.
Limit Break
Activated by pressing L3 and R3. Clive will semi-prime, taking on a fiery appearance and dealing more hits with each melee attack. Attacks also gain more damage. It pairs well with Ultimate Skills like Flames of Rebirth. Activate it beforehand, then use the Ultimate for extensive damage on a staggered target (note that its usage isn’t paused during this). When upgrading the Skill, the number of bars on the Limit Break gauge increases, maxing out at four. Overall, a useful damage buff that can work in several situations but is also decent against crowds of weaker enemies.
All of Ramuh’s Eikonic Skills
Ramuh specializes in lightning; mixing ranged Attack and Stagger damage Skills. Effective at crowd control since some abilities can chain lightning between targets, but also very good at single-target damage.
Pile Drive
An area-of-effect attack that deals lightning damage and knocks back enemies in a radius. Though it doesn’t have the best range, Pile Drive is rated 3 for Attack and Stagger, making it effective in both circumstances. It’s also good at creating space against multiple foes, though you may need to follow up to finish some off.
Lightning Rod
Generates a lightning core which chains lightning to enemies. It has an Attack rating of 2 and a Stagger rating of 3. It sounds good in theory, but the Lightning Rod stays stationary. As such, enemies need to get close, and you need to hit it for the chain lightning effect. While this could be decent against Elites and bosses, other single-target skills can achieve much more.
Thunderstorm
Summon a lightning bolt down on a target. It has an Attack rating of 3 and a Stagger rating of 2. If you’re close to an enemy when using it, the wind-up can deal some extra hits. Of course, if you’re not right in the enemy’s face, it can prove annoying since it leaves you exposed. Use it on a staggered enemy for some decent damage or to trigger the projectiles from Blind Justice.
Blind Justice
Kingdom Hearts fans, rejoice: Shotlock is in Final Fantasy 16. When activated, you can manually aim and target foes to release a batch of seeking lightning projectiles. These are affixed to enemies and will discharge after some time. Attacking triggers more damage on discharge, and by upgrading the Skill, you can fire more projectiles.
If there aren’t a lot of targets, you can stick all the projectiles onto a select few – keep hovering over them. It’s not such an ideal clear Skill, but it does provide some additional damage and works in combination with Pile Drive and Thunderstorm. It has an Attack rating of 1 and a Stagger rating of 2. Be careful, as enemies can attack while you’re casting.
Judgment Bolt
Bring down a giant lightning bolt onto a single target for immense damage. The Attack rating is 4, while the Stagger rating is 3. If you’re looking for a massive single-target Ultimate at this stage, this is it. The problem is that it’s outclassed by regular Skills that can deal significant single-target damage without such a long cooldown. Still, if you have the Ability Points to spare, it’s worth trying out.
All of Titan’s Eikonic Skills
Titan is perhaps one of the most significant additions to Clive’s arsenal since its Skills deal massive Attack damage, and its Core Ability provides a new defensive option. However, you’ll need to hold down the input for some Skills and release them to take advantage of their power.
Raging Fists
You’ve watched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. You want to unleash a flurry of hits. Raging Fists is for you, as it unleashes multiple high-speed attacks. It has an Attack and Stagger rating of 3, yet its true potential occurs if you time the ability to block an enemy attack beforehand, which increases the power of your punches.
Windup
Get used to using Windup – it’s one of, if not the strongest non-Ultimate single-target Skill in the game, which doesn’t require too much set-up. Holding the button will wind up the punch, and timing the release deals more damage and additional hits. With an Attack rating of 4 and Stagger rating of 2, it deals an obscene amount of damage to staggered targets. Though it doesn’t have much of an AoE, it will also pierce your target, hitting those immediately behind it. Equip it, Master it and never let it go.
Upheaval
Unleash area-of-effect damage to surrounding enemies by slamming your fist into the ground. If you hold the button and release it at the right moment, the range increases, and enemies are launched, allowing you to follow up with Deadly Wheel or a rising Burning Blade into a Stomp and aerial combo. You can also use Upheaval in the air, making for a good combo ender. Its Attack and Stagger rating are 3.
Titanic Block
As the name indicates, Titanic Block grants the ability to block. If you perfectly time a block, you can unleash up to three counterattack punches. It’s a good alternative to Precision Dodge, even if it’s slightly tougher to execute.
Earthen Fury
Titan’s Ultimate Skill sees Clive shifting the Earth with his bare hands, sending forth rippling shockwaves of rocks and launching enemies up. Despite how impressive it looks, its usage is a bit suspect. Most enemies die quickly at this point in the game. It doesn’t do much single-target damage against Elites, though bosses with larger bodies can be hit multiple times by it (but you’d still need to stagger to take advantage of the Attack damage). Not the worst, but still situational, even with an Attack rating of 4 and a Stagger rating of 2.
All of Bahamut’s Eikonic Skills
Bahamut’s style is interesting, if nothing else, with a decent mix of Attack and Stagger Skills. They’re more gimmicky than anything else, so finding the right places to use them can be difficult.
Wings of Light
Clive sprouts wings and begins building up Megaflare. The projectiles and damage dealt are increased based on the level when the Skill is unleashed. While this sounds cool, there are several issues.
Clive can’t attack while Wings of Light is active, but he can dodge (with Precision Dodges building it up faster). As such, you’re awkwardly floating around the battlefield, waiting for Megaflare to build when you could be, well, damaging the enemy. The damage is worth it if you’re patient or planning to deal massive damage in a short interval since Megaflare will continue firing while you freely attack. Remember that with an Attack rating of 4 and Stagger rating of 2, it’s not ideal on fully staggered enemies.
Flare Breath
Channel a flamethrower of light that continuously damages an enemy. It has an Attack rating of 3 and a Stagger rating of 2. Given the lower movement speed and having to position the flame on to foes, it can be awkward to use, and Elites will straight-up attack through it. Even against weaker enemies, who are stun-locked, Ignition is just straight-up better.
Impulse
Cast spheres of light that hit an enemy continuously and stun it in place. Impulse has an Attack rating of 2 and a Stagger rating of 3, making it somewhat decent against Elites and bosses. However, it complements your combos rather than doing all the work. Cast it, then use Geruda’s Gouge or another Stagger Skill to whittle down an opponent’s Will without any threat of retaliation.
Satellite
Satellite creates familiars that will attack whenever you fire a ranged attack. Though somewhat situational, this pairs well when using Magic Burst in your combos since each Satellite’s shots add even more hits. With an Attack rating of 1 and Stagger rating of 3, it’s ideal for tearing apart an opponent’s Will. It also doesn’t hurt when you want to hang back and deal Stagger damage with magic.
Gigaflare
What else could be better than firing a giant beam at enemies? Gigaflare is Bahamut’s Ultimate Skill; it has an Attack rating of 5 and a Stagger rating of 2 and is ideal against fully staggered enemies. Use Limit Break, then a Strength Tonic and unleash it for maximum damage. The best part is that, unlike Ramuh’s Judgment Bolt, it can hit any enemies in its path rather than a singular target, so it’s not bad against crowds.
All of Shiva’s Eikonic Skills
Shiva’s Skills can be very good at inflicting Freeze, providing some crowd control in hectic situations. Of course, not every Skill is a winner, as we’ll get into.
Rime
Create an ice crystal that will damage enemies within it. Like Odin’s Lightning Rod, except you thankfully don’t have to keep striking it. The Attack and Stagger ratings are 2, so it’s not spectacular in either department. It’s good for keeping smaller foes occupied, but at this point in the game, that’s unnecessary since you can just annihilate them.
Cold Snap
Shiva’s Core Ability allows Clive to slide on the ground in any direction. Pressing Circle again allows for freezing enemies. If you press Circle twice, a small ice crystal is created to freeze the enemy. However, pressing it once when narrowly avoiding an attack unleashes Permafrost, which can freeze surrounding foes. The freeze effect lasts longer and is probably the most underrated part of the kit.
Ice Age
Generate a wave of ice that will knock back enemies. Holding it down and releasing it at the right time (a la Titan’s Skills), it deals more damage and will launch enemies. With an Attack rating of 3 and Stagger rating of 1, it’s not particularly great for single-target or Stagger damage. However, if you want to launch several enemies up for some aerial madness, it’s an average option.
Mesmerize
Another ideal combo starter is Mesmerize, which unleashes ice that draws lighter enemies towards you if it hits them. You can use this in mid-air. It has Attack and Stagger ratings of 2. Make no mistake, though: This is to combo with other abilities, whether you’re unleashing Scarlet Cyclone, Wicked Wheel, Upheaval, Pile Drive and so on — nothing more and nothing less.
Diamond Dust
Shiva’s Ultimate Skill will freeze enemies around you and then deal ice damage before knocking them back. With an Attack rating of 3 and Stagger rating of 5, it’s not unlike Garuda’s Aerial Blast in dealing immense Stagger damage and acting as crowd-control. It’s also not bad for dealing with a group of enemies, even if the damage isn’t as good as Gigaflare.
All of Odin’s Eikonic Skills
Do you want to go full anime on an enemy? Odin’s Skills are the ticket. Several Skills feed into Zantetsuken, built by attacking with Odin’s blade. You can dish out some obscene damage with the right timing and set-up. However, there is one Skill that’s downright incredible for combo fiends, and it has no cooldown. More on that in a bit.
Arm of Darkness
Replace Clive’s weapon with Odin’s sword. While using Skills, you’ll fill the Zantetsuken gauge. Holding Square will activate Sheath and use Zantetsuken. It has an Attack rating of 5 and a Stagger rating of 1. While it can chunk an Elite and deal decent damage to a boss, it’s best against fully staggered enemies. As such, you should focus on building up the Zantetsuken gauge, activate Limit Break when an enemy is fully staggered and then unleash Zantetsuken for massive damage.
Gungnir
Summon Gungnir and strike foes with multiple spinning spear strikes, filling the Zantetsuken gauge. Despite how flashy it looks, it only has an Attack rating of 1 and a Stagger rating of 2. Worst of all, there’s already a far better Skill that can do the same things.
Heaven’s Cloud
Attack an enemy by dashing forward. If you hit lands successfully, you can use the Skill again, chaining this together multiple times. Not only does each successful hit fill the Zantetsuken gauge and have an Attack rating of 1 and Stagger rating of 2, but you also have more mobility on the battlefield, quickly dashing from one enemy to the next. It’s just straight-up better than Gungnir.
Dancing Steel
Odin’s Ultimate Skill will summon a second blade and dish out a quick series of attacks. It seems weak, with an Attack rating of 1 and a Stagger rating of 2. However, each hit will fill the Zantetsuken gauge significantly.
So you can essentially build the gauge with other abilities, and when an opponent is staggered, active Limit Break and then unleash Zantetsuken. Once it ends, immediately use Dancing Steel to build up a second Zantetsuken. If you have enough time, deal a few more strikes with Arm of Darkness to get a full gauge, and then use Zantetsuken again for another burst of damage.
Rift Slip
Here lies perhaps one of the very best Skills in the game. Rift Slip allows for immediately recovering from using any Skill or action. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s essentially a way to cancel animations from attacks. If you unleash a basic melee combo, you could use Rift Slip to cancel into another and keep the combo going.
Expand this further, considering the number of abilities in the game, and you can deal hefty damage to foes. How about cancelling Flames of Rebirth into Gigaflare? Or immediately cancelling Zantetsuken into Dancing Steel and Heaven’s Cloud before unleashing another Zantetsuken? There are all kinds of possibilities.
Final Fantasy 16 is available on PS5. Check out our official review here, why it’s such a great game and how its combat is a step above many other action RPGs and hack-and-slash titles. You can also check out our guides on the best weapons and how to get them, farming Ability Points and increasing item capacity.
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