Basic Combat Guide and Tips

Knowing the basics of combat is key to ensuring victory against enemies in Final Fantasy 16 (FF16). Read on to learn the combat basics guide, combat commands, item and Torgal commands, and basic battle attacks!

Combat Basics Guide

Aim for Staggers on Strong Opponents

Reducing the enemy's Will Gauge to 0% will result in it being staggered. Staggered enemies will receive damage that increases up to 150%.

How to Stagger Enemies

Use Abilities with High Stagger Ratings

Abilities that have high Stagger ratings, such as such as Garuda's Gouge, increases the damage multiplier on downed enemies faster. Once the multiplier is at 150% (shows as 1.5x), use a high attack rating ability like Titan's Windup to deal lots of damage.

Using combos and various abilities from Eikons that you have unlocked can help stagger enemies faster. Take the chance to make the most of the abilities you have and get creative with combos!
Best Combos for Early to Late Game

Partially Stagger Enemies at 50% Will Gauge

Enemies with their Will Gauge reduced to 50% will become partially staggered, giving you a small window of opportunity to do uninterrupted combos.

Switch Between Equipped Eikons

Switch between Eikons by pressing the L2 button, and this changes the abilities that depends on which equipped Eikon is currently active. Since abilities have cooldowns, switching between different Eikons lets you use their abilities while the used up ability is still on cooldown.

By the time you've activated the third Eikon's abilities, the abilities of the first Eikon should be up and ready to use.

How to Switch Eikons

Combat System and Commands

Button Commands	Action
+	Magic Burst
	Use Eikonic Feats
+ /	Use Eikon Abilities
+ (Ground)	Lunge
+ (Aerial)	Downthrust
+	Limit Break

Magic Burst

Magic Burst allows a continuous attack combo of both melee and magic. Successfully performing the full combo will result in a higher damage attack in the last combo.

Magic Burst Effects

Eikonic Feats

Eikon Feats are abilities that don't have cooldowns and are useful in closing down gaps between you and the enemy, or having a impenetrable defense in front of you.

All Eikonic Feats and How to Use

Eikon Abilities

These are abilities that have cooldowns and deal high damage to the enemies' health or will gauge. Switch between Eikons to use their abilities when an ability is on cooldown.

Best Abilities to Unlock and Master

Lunge

Lunge allows you to close the gap between you and the enemy you're targeting with a follow up attack.

Lunge Effects and How to Unlock

Downthrust

Downthrust can be followed up with the Triangle button to deal additional damage. This finishing combo is the exactly the last attack in a Magic Burst combo.

Downthrust Effects and How to Unlock

Limit Break

Limit Break is an extremely powerful move. You can activate Limit Break only when the orange gauge below your HP is full. The gauge will fill up when you attack and get hit by enemies.

Limit Break increases your attack and defense power, cloaks your weapon in flames, and gradually recovers your HP.

While under the effects of Limit Break, you will become uninterruptible, resulting in continuous combos, and you won't die even on low HP. Activating Limit Break while cornered by enemies can help you survive since your attacks won't be interrupted and you can't die, giving you the perfect opporunity to break free from being cornered by attacking and defeating the enemies.

How to Use Limit Breaks Effectively

Items and Torgal Commands

Use the D-Pad for Item and Torgal Commands

Button Commands	Action
	Cycle Item Shortcuts and Torgal Commands
	Use Item Shortcuts and Torgal Commands

Switch between the item shortcuts and Torgal commands by using the Left D-Pad, and you can use the item shortcuts or give Torgal instructions with the Up, Right, and Down D-Pad.

Commands for Torgal

In combat, Torgal will support Clive in various ways. Though you can command Torgal on what to do, he will still help your character automatically without any manual commands. Well-timed attacks with Torgal can increase the combo damage by x1.25.

How to Command Torgal

Basic Battle Attacks

Button Commands	Action
	Normal Melee Attack
	Magic Shot
	Evade

Normal Melee Attacks

Normal melee attacks are performed by hitting the Square button. You can do a basic melee combo by performing four consecutive melee attacks.

Can be Used to Parry Attacks

Attacking at the right moment before you're about to get hit by an enemy attack will result in a parry. Parry will slow down time, giving you a moment of opporunity to deal increased damage.

How to Parry Attacks

Magic Shot

Magic shots are fired using the Triangle button. You'll be able to unlock a skill that lets you hold the Triangle button to charge up a magic shot, resulting in a higher damage magic attack.

Charged Magic Effects and How to Unlock

Evading

Evade enemy attacks with the R1 button. Well-timed dodges will trigger Precision Dodges. You can follow up either a melee attack, or a magic shot after you perform a precision dodge, and this will result in a precision counter attack with increased damage.

How to Use Precision Dodge

Final Fantasy 16 (FF16) Related Guides

Tips and Tricks: A Beginner's Guide to FF16

All Tips and Tricks