The battles in Metaphor: ReFantazio can initially be quite overwhelming. Strong foes capable of dealing serious damage start appearing just a few dungeons in. Nevertheless, there are plenty of tactics to gain the upper hand if you have a solid understanding of the game’s mechanics.
As you progress, you’ll discover that the mechanics can greatly evolve by unlocking more Archetypes and advancing your followers’ storylines. However, during those early hours, knowing the basics of combat in Metaphor: ReFantazio can be the key to your success, and this guide aims to help bring you up to speed.
Understand the Importance of Buffs and Debuffs
In some games, magic that buffs allies or debuffs enemies might not seem essential. Yet, in Metaphor: ReFantazio, challenging battles can quickly turn in your favor thanks to these crucial spells.
One spell that stands out is Tarunda, which you can gain access to via the Faker Archetype by speaking with the blue-haired character, Alonzo, in Martira. Tarunda reduces your opponent’s Attack to its minimum level for three turns.
The great part is that if you recast it on the third turn, it will continue for an additional three turns, and so on. The game’s battle interface will even highlight stat changes when a buff or debuff is about to wear off, so you’ll always know when to act.
Minimizing a formidable enemy’s attack means less time spent on defense and more time launching your own offensive. Similarly, this concept of hindering your enemies applies to using buffs when defense is critical.
Strategize Your Protagonist’s Development
Unlike your companions, who automatically improve with each level, the protagonist’s growth is partly automated. Whenever he levels up, you will also have points to allocate as you see fit.
While it may not be incredibly crucial to plan every point allocation, it can be beneficial to consider which Archetypes you want him to excel in. Whether you’re aiming for a durable tank, a magical powerhouse, or something in between, there are various paths to choose from.
For instance, I decided to focus on my protagonist as more of a magic user, balancing offensive and healing spells. This is due to the initial party members having a differing approach to magic.
In the early part of the game, I assigned about half of the points to the Magic stat to enhance his spellcasting abilities.
However, don’t completely overlook your other stats. Investing a few points into Endurance will be beneficial no matter what direction you take.
Always Remember the Retry Option
Sometimes, you may find yourself in a dire situation—it could be low HP, low MP, or a shortage of helpful items. It’s part of the challenge, especially on harder difficulties.
Don’t let pride blind you to the reality of the situation. If the odds are against you, it’s wise to hit that reset button for the battle instead of relying on a checkpoint or saved game.
Of course, if your battle strategy is completely flawed, resetting might not yield better results. More often than not, it’s about gradually applying what you’ve learned from previous encounters until you’ve honed your strategy.
Diversity in Your Attack Types is Crucial
Nothing is worse than heading into combat with only a handful of attack options such as Fire, Ice, Slash, or Strike, only to discover that the enemy has high resistance against all of them.
When entering a dungeon, it’s beneficial to carry as wide an array of attack types as possible.
As you become more familiar with enemy types in a given area, you may refine your approach based on their weaknesses.
Utilize Knight’s Proclamation Wisely
Once Hulkenberg joins your party, you’ll gain access to the powerful Knight Archetype. With this, you’ll have the amazing Knight’s Proclamation at your disposal.
Hulkenberg or whoever has taken on the Knight role should frequently use Knight’s Proclamation. If your enemies lean toward single-target attacks, they will likely redirect their focus to the Knight character. This serves a distinct provoke function.
Knights possess significant Endurance, enabling them to soak up damage better than most Archetypes. Thus, you’ll want to keep enemy attention on a character equipped to handle such hits.
Don’t Hesitate to Pass Your Turn
This might come naturally to you soon, but if you’re still new to the game, you may overlook how the ‘Pass Turn’ action can be beneficial.
Fans of Shin Megami Tensei will recognize the concept of a “Press Turn” system, which tracks how many actions you have used and limits available actions if you miss or fail to take a turn.
When you pass your turn, it only consumes a half of your action. Consequently, you can end up with 1.5 or 2.5 actions remaining, which can be strategically advantageous.
This can often mean the difference between effectively using a synthesis skill or missing out, or simply gaining an extra turn when it’s essential.
If a party member doesn’t have a valuable action available, feel free to pass.
Beware of Equipment Optimization
Whenever you change Archetypes, the game suggests the “best” equipment for that character. While this can be useful, it can also cause issues.
The system generally prioritizes raw attack or defense, which may lead to overlooking the important stat boosts that could be particularly beneficial for that Archetype.
For instance, if you’ve swapped Hulkenberg back to her Knight Archetype, and you have an accessory that grants an incredible +6 Endurance, she might get a lesser item simply based on its higher Defense value.
While it might be an inconvenience, always double-check the gear you’re equipping if you’re not completely familiar with it.
Be Mindful of Your Formation
It goes without saying that more fragile classes should typically stay in the back row. However, it can be easy to forget to position a character properly when swapping Archetypes, so be cautious.
During combat, there will be times when you need to adjust a character’s position. You may face a formidable foe that targets the front row with an imminent attack.
You could defend or, when it makes more sense, slide to the back row. As you progress through the game, you’ll find even more reasons to consider mid-battle adjustments.
Consistently Restock Status Cure Items
While it can be challenging to maintain finances, make it a point to restock at least five of every status ailment cure during your visits to shops.
You may not always be prepared for what you’ll encounter. Yes, our guides can help, but you might find yourself deep in a dungeon when an enemy suddenly hits you with a sleep or poison effect.
Bosses have a knack for being particularly ruthless in this regard. Always keep status cures like Malady and Hex handy. Even if you have spells like Patra available, you may need to use your caster for something else instead.
Preserve MP by Switching Archetypes
The sooner you grasp the importance of keeping your MP during dungeons for critical battles, the better. Keeping elemental attack items handy can help greatly.
However, you can do even better during your explorations: don’t assume that if a character is a Healer or Mage, they can’t temporarily shift to a less MP-consuming class.
For example, if the protagonist is primarily acting as a Healer during your exploration, but MP is starting to dwindle, consider switching to a more physical-focused class that uses less MP until you’re close to facing bosses or sub-bosses.
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