Tales of Graces f Walkthrough: Why Most Players Struggle With the Combat System

Tales of Graces f Walkthrough: Why Most Players Struggle With the Combat System

Look, let's be real. Tales of Graces f is weird. It’s the "black sheep" that everyone actually loves, but it’s also the game that makes you want to throw your controller across the room when a random boar decides to end your whole career. If you're looking for a tales of graces f walkthrough, you probably aren't just looking for where to go next. You're likely trying to figure out why a boss just one-shot your party or why you have 400 "titles" and no idea which one to equip.

Most JRPGs are about the grind. This one? It’s about the rhythm. If you play this like Final Fantasy or even like Tales of Arise, you’re going to get flattened. Honestly, the game doesn't do a great job of explaining its own depth, so let’s break down what actually matters if you want to see the credits without losing your mind.

The Combat Rhythm (And Why You’re Dying)

Everything in this game lives and dies by CC (Chain Capacity). Forget MP. Forget cooldowns. If you have CC, you can attack. If you don't, you're a sitting duck.

Here is the thing most people miss: Side-stepping is your best friend. In most games, dodging is for avoiding damage. In Graces f, dodging is your economy. A "Perfect Dodge" (stepping just as an attack hits) instantly refills a chunk of your CC. If you just stand there and block, you’re losing. You need to be dancing.

A-Artes vs. B-Artes

Asbel is the poster boy for this headache.

  • A-Artes (Physical/Sheathed): These are your "tree" attacks. You press the button, and he stays in his drawing stance. They are fast and great for building combos.
  • B-Artes (Cryas/Unsheathed): These happen when you draw the sword. They are flashy, they hit hard, and they consume way more CC.

The "pro" way to play? Start with A-Artes to "charge" your hidden casting speed, then transition into a B-Arte. If you just spam B-Artes from a neutral stance, you’ll be out of energy in three seconds and get countered into oblivion.

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The Missable Side Quest Trap

If you’re a completionist, I have bad news. This game is vicious with missable content. There are things you can miss in the first two hours (the Childhood Arc) that you can never get back.

Basically, every time the story moves to a new "chapter" or a major event happens, go back to every town. Talk to everyone. Look for the "Star" icons.

Watch out for these specifically:

  1. The Flower Quest: Early in Lhant, you can find "Assorted Flowers" in a garden. If you don't turn these in at the inn before leaving for a certain fortress, they’re gone.
  2. The "Beloved Handkerchief": This one involves Frederic in Lhant and a trip back to Barona. If you progress too far into the adult arc without checking Cheria’s house, you lose a massive chunk of her character development and a unique title.
  3. Inn Requests: These aren't just "fetch quests." They are the primary way you get SP (Skill Points). In most games, you level up to get stronger. In Graces f, you do Inn Requests to get SP, which you dump into Titles.

Why Titles Are More Important Than Levels

Stop looking at your character level. It's almost irrelevant. Your stats come from Titles.

Every time you win a fight, you get SP. That SP goes into whatever Title you have equipped. Once you "Rank Up" a title, you get a permanent stat boost or a new skill. The mistake people make is finding one title they like and keeping it on for 20 hours.

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Don't do that. The moment a title hits Rank 5 (Mastered), swap it. You want to be a jack-of-all-trades. If Asbel has 50 mastered titles and your Hubert only has 10, Asbel is going to have triple the HP and Accuracy, even if they are the same level. It’s a bit of a menu-heavy chore, but it’s the difference between a boss fight taking 2 minutes or 20.

Dealing With the "Wall" Bosses

At some point in your tales of graces f walkthrough, you will hit a wall. For most people, it’s Kurt. Or the Bloodhorn Boar. These bosses don't just have high HP; they have "Iron Stance," which means they don't stagger when you hit them.

The Secret Sauce: Weakness Point (WP) Gauges.
Check the top of the screen. See those icons? Those are the boss's weaknesses (Nova, Dragon, Human, etc.). If you hit every single one of those weaknesses in a single combo, the boss's "break" gauge fills. Once it breaks, they lose their Iron Stance. Now you can juggle them.

If you aren't hitting weaknesses, you're basically chipping away at a mountain with a spoon. Use the "Library" menu to see what your Artes actually do. Some are "Nova" type, some are "Beast" type. Map your buttons so you have a response for every enemy type.

Dualizing: The System Everyone Ignores

Dualizing is basically the game’s crafting system, but it looks like a spreadsheet. Kinda boring, right? Wrong. It's how you get the best gear.

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Don't just buy a "Long Sword" and call it a day. Take that sword, go to a shop, and "Dualize" it with a Shard. It becomes "Long Sword +1." Now, go fight a few battles until the weapon is "Tempered."

Once it's tempered, you can extract the essence into a Gem. This gem can be equipped like an accessory. This is the only way to get specific buffs like "Recover 5% HP on every hit" or "Double CC Recovery." If you ignore this, the late-game dungeons will eat you alive.

The Future Arc (Lineage and Legacies)

One thing that makes the tales of graces f walkthrough unique is the "f" part—the "Future" arc. This isn't just a DLC or a bonus chapter; it's a massive story expansion that takes place after the main game ends.

A few tips for Lineage and Legacies:

  • Accel Mode: This is a new mechanic. You get a gauge that, when filled, lets you go "Super Saiyan." Asbel gets a flaming aura, Sophie gets insane speed, and Cheria basically stops time. Save this for when the boss is about to use their "Mystic Arte."
  • Don't sell your end-game gear: The enemies in the Future Arc are a massive step up in difficulty. If you go in with un-upgraded weapons, you'll be seeing the "Game Over" screen before you even finish the first cutscene.
  • Richard is back: Finally. He’s arguably the most fun character to play because his magic-casting is lightning fast. If you're bored of Asbel, main Richard for a while.

Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough

If you're currently staring at the title screen or stuck on a dungeon, do these three things right now:

  1. Set Titles to "Auto-Swap": Go into your options and set the game to automatically swap your titles once they hit a certain rank. This saves you hours of menu management.
  2. Check the Eleth Mixer: This is that little machine in your menu. Make sure you have food like "Miso Radish" or "Beef Bowl" inside it. These items will "cook" automatically mid-battle to heal you or revive dead allies. It is a literal lifesaver.
  3. Learn to Side-Step: Go find a weak enemy. Don't attack. Just practice the timing of the Square button + Analog stick. Once you can "Perfect Dodge" 5 times in a row, you've mastered the game's core loop.

This game rewards aggression, but only if that aggression is smart. Stop spamming buttons, start watching the CC bar, and for heaven's sake, keep an eye on those missable subplots in Lhant. You've got a long road ahead to Fodra, so you might as well look good doing it.