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This series calls them Artes. Each character only has one standard attack, R1 on the PS5, and face buttons that are mapped to Artes. Artes can be acquired randomly in battle by increasing a character’s proficiency, unlocked via the Skill Panel by using Skill Points (SP), or by purchasing DLC. The first ten hours of the game focus on four of the main characters: Alphen, Shionne, Law, and Rinwell. As the other two characters take a little longer to acquire, let’s focus on the best Tales of Arise Artes for these early starters.
Updated January 25, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Tales of Arise was one of the best RPGs of 2021, arguably marking a new high for Bandai Namco’s franchise. While waiting for a new JRPG to drop in 2022, some people might find themselves booting up this title from the previous year; before long, they will have more Artes than they know what to do with, especially since characters can’t equip too many moves during the story’s opening hours. In order to make this process as simple as possible, this article has been updated to include more information about each of the best early Artes in ToA.
10 Healing Circle
Healing Circle is a support spell for Shionne. As the name implies, it creates a circle on the ground which stays there for a set amount of time. Any party member who enters the circle will be healed, and they can be healed repeatedly if they remain longer in it.
This spell makes it handy for times when players need to heal more than one person, and most of Shionne’s healing magic is crucial early on in Tales of Arise. As CP is limited and Orange Gels are quite expensive, Healing Circle provides better value than First Aid. However, the latter is available right from the get-go, so players (and Shionne) will also be using it a lot. A White Mage/Sniper is an interesting class combo for any RPG, but Tales of Arise makes it work.
9 Orochi’s Galeforce Fury
Orochi’s Galeforce Fury is an attack Artes technique used by Alphen in Tales of Arise, although it does require owning the Digital Ultimate Edition or purchasing the (Warring States) Triple Pack (Male) bundle. The attack begins with Alphen charging forward with a few quick jabs of his sword. This is followed up by a spin attack that can potentially hit multiple targets as he summons a literal tornado.
This is a great move to take care of crowds of enemies as well as enemies weak to wind attacks. The name is interesting since Orochi is a giant many-faced lizard from Japanese mythology. It has nothing to do with the move itself, but it is still a cool name.
8 Arrow Squall
Arrow Squall is a water-based spell and takes a while to charge up as Rinwell needs three AG points to execute it. The wait will be worth it when a torrent of water arrows rains down from the sky. Similar to Orochi’s Galeforce Fury, Arrow Squall is included with the Digital Ultimate Edition or it can be unlocked by purchasing the (Beach Time) Triple Pack (Female) bundle.
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Arrow Squall makes it hard for enemies to get away because of how concentrated the area of attack is. It’s a strong spell that puts enemies in a bind which makes it a good time for the party to unleash some killer combos.
7 Talon Hurricane
An attack Artes technique, Talon Hurricane is used by Law in the game. Even though the name implies this is a wind attack, it isn’t. This Artes technique is non-elemental, and it is one of Law’s strongest at the beginning of Tales of Arise.
It is a furious barrage of kicks followed by a spin jump kick at the end. Law is the most flexible party member in the JRPG and this attack proves it. He hits hard all while avoiding enemy moves.
6 Gravitas Field
Shionne’s Gravitas Field unleashes a giant dark orb that chases enemies down. Once it hits, the attack will start to deplete enemy HP. Not only that but this ball of energy will also try and suck other enemies into it.
It will attack for a few seconds before dissipating. This technique is similar to how Gravity spells work in the Final Fantasy series as they take a percentage of HP off of enemies and disregard stats. Gravitas Field is a useful technique to use prior to executing Boost Attacks or Strikes since it can collect enemies in one spot.
5 Plasma Shock
Plasma Shock belongs to Alphen and is another Arte tied to the DLC, coming in the same bundle as Orochi’s Galeforce Fury. This is a lightning-infused blade attack that has six strikes in it. Every time players might think Alphen is done, he isn’t.
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This makes it easy for enemies to disrupt the attack as Plasma Shock leaves a lot of opportunities open. If players are able to land all six blows, it will damage the enemy for a great amount. The technique is worth the risk.
4 Thunder Field
An attack spell, Rinwell’s Thunder Field is a fast-acting executable that summons a circle of lightning around its caster. It almost acts like a defensive barrier. The size of the field is small at first but the spell will spread out within the few seconds it is allowed to be activated.
This is a great spell to ward off enemies around Rinwell or other characters. Players should try to combine Rinwell’s Thunder Field within Shionne’s Healing Circle as it works wonders to put damage enemies and protect the party.
3 Steel
Steel increases Law’s attack and elemental attack power by 30% for a set amount of time. This is another reason why Law is such a great character in combat. This move allows him to be a powerhouse on the battlefield thanks to the attack boost and natural speed stats.
Monk-like character types in RPGs, like Final Fantasy, are often a little overpowered and can break the game. That’s okay since Tales of Arise can be very challenging. Law helps balance everything out.
2 Resurrection
Resurrection is a supportive spell available to Shionne. There are revive items in Tales of Arise but they can be expensive. Money, or Gald as it is known in the Tales series, is better spent on equipment anyway. That’s why this spell is so crucial in the early stages of the adventure.
There’s not much to it. Resurrection revives fallen team members. The best attacks in the game don’t have to be flashy in order to be important, and this spell proves that idea. Dohalim can also unlock this support skill, but he becomes available after the first 10 hours of the campaign. Still, Dohalim’s Resurrection can be found in the Former Lord Skill Panel and costs 320 SP.
1 Dark Wind
Law’s Dark Wind is an incredibly useful early-game arte, albeit it is once again restricted to DLC. For players who do have this as an option, they can couple this up with Steel and enemies will be in a world of hurt. Like most of Law’s techniques, Dark Wind begins with a flurry of kicks. The finisher is where things get interesting as he summons a giant orb of wind magic.
Like Shionne’s Gravitas Field technique, this giant orb stays in place for a few seconds before dispersing. It is reminiscent of the various Rasengan techniques from the Naruto manga and anime, which are wind-based attacks.
Tales of Arise is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
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