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The Chain Attack battle mechanic inXenoblade Chronicles 3is unlocked midway into Chapter 2. During a Chain Attack, each character will have a turn to attack the enemy, allowing players to string together combos without having to worry about counterattacks from their foe. Ultimately, Chain Attacks can be used to defeat stubborn bosses or elite/unique monsters.
Newcomers stepping into theXenoblade Chroniclesfranchise throughXenoblade Chronicles 3may find the mechanic confusing at first. There are many parts in the Chain Attack mechanic, and they can be overwhelming. To deal out the most damage in a Chain Attack, it’s best to understand how they operate and how to keep them going.
Some images contain spoilers forXenoblade Chronicles 3.
Understanding Chain Attacks: Orders, Reactivation, and More
The Chain Attack mechanic won’t be available at the start of players' journey. They’ll have to make it to the midway point ofChapter 2and complete Riku and Manana’s Standard Quest. This will unlockthe Cooking and Gem Crafting featureat Rest Camps and Canteens and Barracks. Since the quest is tied to the Main Story, it’s impossible to miss.
Riku will need a crafting item from a monster called Gyanna Aspar. Walk to the objective marker on the map, and players will be pitted in an uphill battle. Here, they’ll unlock Chain Attacks as well as a brief tutorial on how they work. After this, Chain Attacks are added to the gameplay, a very useful skill when challengingXC3’s later bosses.
Chain Gauge
Chain Attacks can only be used when the Chain Attack Gauge (located to the right of the screen in battle) is full. This can be done by:
Once the Chain Attack Gauge is full, it will spark and glow orange, and players can activate the Chain Attack by tapping (+) on the controller. During Chain Attacks,all standing party members will join inon the assault. Keep in mind that if a Chain Attack is triggeredwhen an ally is incapacitated, then they willnotbe able to assist in the Chain Attack. So, verify everyone’s on their feet first.
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Chain Orders and Tactical Points (TP)
After initiating the Chain Attack, players will then need to choose aChain Order. This is where they chooseone out of three randomizedstrategies. Each character has its own unique Chain Order with different benefits.
For example, Mio’s Chain Order will lower Aggro for Attacks and Healers by a certain percentage. Noah’s Chain Order has a 70% chance of bypassing Defense during a Chain Attack. A character whose Order is selected will finish the Chain Attack turn with aChain Art, which varies depending on the Class players have equipped to them.
Once a Chain Order has been selected, players will then go on the offense. Thenumber over each character’s headindicates theamount of Tactical Points (TP)they will generate. Amassing TP is the key to a successful Chain Attack.Each character starts outwith a set amount of TP (ex: Lanz has the lowest TP while Taion has the highest). This can be increased in the next Chain Attack round by gainingBonus TP, which is granted when the attacking charactershares the same Class with the one who issued the Chain Order.
As an example: Sena’s Chain Order is Attacker (Red Sword icon). This means if a character whose current Class is an Attacker (Swordfighter, Full Metal Jaguar, Flash Fencer) attacksduring that turn, they will getBonus TP.
Each time a character ends their turn, their points will be generated into the Tactical Point Gauge. This will determine theoutput of damageduring the Chain Orderer’s Chain Art. Once the TP Gauge reaches100 TP (or more), the Chain Art will be initiated, and the Chain Attack turn will end.
As long as theChain Attack Gauge at the bottom rightof the screen still has some energy, players will get more turns. It depletes 1/3 each turndepending on the player’s performance. Note that failing to get the TP Gauge to 100% in a turn means the Chain Attack will immediately end.
Hero Chain Orders
If players have a Hero in their party, they may have a chance to use a Hero’s Chain Order. Since their strategy won’t affect the Chain Attack Gauge, it’s never a bad idea to choose a Hero’s Order over another character. An example: Isurd is a good Hero to use at the beginning ofXC3because he ensures a Bravo TP rating if he goes last in a Chain Attack.
Once players recruit Heroes, they’ll be able to swap them out at just about any time. However, some Heroes,like Silvercoat Ethel, may be locked off due to events in the Main Story.
Attack Order and Classes
When selecting a character to attack, it may be tempted to choose the one with the highest TP to initiate the attack. However, each Class Category has its own role to play in Chain Attacks.
This aside, it may be impossible to get each role to go in a turn. In some cases, playersmay not even use a Healerin the Chain Attack. However, for the first two turns of a Chain Attack, it may be best to end the turns with a Defender.
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Reactivation
As mentioned earlier, ending a Chain Attack with a Defender will ensure the character with the highest TP gets a Reactivation. Put simply, Reactivation is when characters have a second turn in the Chain Attack. The number of characters reactivateddepends on the TP Ranking.
If players are usingan Ouroboros Chain Order, thenallparty members will be Reactivated.
Ouroboros Chain Attacks
When players confront Isurd in Chapter 3, they’ll unlock a second Ouroboros form for each duo. This also unlocks Ouroboros Orders for the Chain Attacks. To use an Ouroboros Chain Order, players will need both members of an Ouroboros duo to initiate a Chain Order.
So, if players wanted to use Noah/Mio’s Ouroboros Order, they’ll need to select both Noah and Mio’s Chain Orders during the Chain Attack.
While an Ouroboros Order is obviously strong, it can be tricky to achieve thanks to the randomization of Chain Orders. Another drawback is that using an Ouroboros Order will end the Chain Attack. It may be worth using a Hero’s Order over an Ouroboros Order. Keep an eye on the enemy’s HP before deciding.
