Trails from Zero has a robust combat system, with a variety of options that players can resort to depending on the situation. One major way of acting in combat is using Arts, a mechanic that functions identically to magic in the Trails series. In Trails from Zero, a character's Arts are dependent on the quartz they have equipped.
Arts in Trails from Zero are especially powerful, and one of the main ways players will deal damage. There are a lot of arts available to use, and each one varies in utility and effectiveness. Here are the best Arts in the game, based on their utility.
10 Calamity Claw
Buffs and debuffs are a big part of Trails combat, especially when facing some of the more powerful enemies in the series. Speed is an important stat to control, as it affects how often a character's turn will come up. Going faster than the enemy is vital to victory, so slowing down fast enemies can mean the difference between life and death.
The Time Art Calamity Claw is one of the most powerful debuff arts in the game, cutting the Speed of all enemies in range by 50%, as well as cutting their movement by 3 squares. Calamity Claw has a large range, so it's great for essentially immobilizing enemies from the beginning of battle.
9 Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil is the strongest offensive Earth Art in the game, dealing massive damage to enemies in a set area. It is one of the most powerful Arts in the game overall, though that is accompanied by a large EP cost as well.
While Yggdrasil can deal a massive amount of damage in a large area, that area is set, meaning that enemies can wander out of range of the art before it is finished casting. Nevertheless, it is still a powerful art good for clearing away enemies weak to Earth Arts.
8 Fortuna
Fortuna is a powerful Space Art that boosts Arts Strength and Arts Defense in an area by 25%. Arts Strength boosts the damage of Arts, while Arts Defense reduces the damage of enemy Arts. With how important Arts are in Trails from Zero, Fortuna is a vital support Art to have.
In many boss battles, Arts are going to be the best way to deal damage in most cases. Fortuna can boost the effectiveness of Arts further, allowing the entire party to turn into a team of super-casters with just one Art.
7 Spark Dyne
Spark Dyne is a high-level Wind Art that strikes a small area for a decent amount of damage. It has a 30% chance to inflict Seal on an enemy, keeping them from using their physical attacks or crafts.
While Spark Dyne is not as powerful as some other high-level arts, it makes up for it by being quick to cast and light on EP cost. It may not be as flashy as other spells, but it can be cast quickly and efficiently, making it good for dealing damage fast.
6 Dark Matter
Dark Matter is an offensive Space Art that covers a large area of the field. On cast, it has a vacuum effect that pulls all enemies in range into the center of the spell. It also cuts movement by 2, essentially leaving the targets with their legs bound.
Dark Matter doesn't do the most damage, but it's great for pulling in enemies that are somewhat apart in order to hit them all with an attack with a smaller range. With strong utility and a light EP cost, Dark Matter is one spell that will be in most players' arsenals until the endgame.
5 Genesis Flood
Genesis Flood is the strongest offensive Water Art in the game and one of the few offensive arts to hit the entire field. This makes it a good option when dealing with enemies that are too spread out for other spells to hit at once.
Genesis Flood is incredibly powerful and has a massive range, but it is also incredibly costly, being one of the most expensive Arts in the game. Nevertheless, the cost can be worth it for Genesis Flood's incredible damage and range.
4 Adamantine Guard
Adamantine Guard is an Earth support Art that bestows the unique Craft Guard buff to all allies in an area. The buff allows the user to block one physical attack, allowing a character to ignore any physical damage.
Adamantine Guard is a great art that provides foolproof protection against physical damage for a small EP cost. While Tio's Zero Field S-Craft is far better, it is incredibly costly, so Adamantine Guard is great in a pinch when it's not available, though it cannot block Arts.
3 Shadow Blade
Shadow Blade is the most powerful offensive Time Art in the game, and it deals a large amount of damage to any enemies in range. It has a secondary effect that allows the caster to recover HP equal to 5% of the damage dealt by the Art.
Shadow Blade is great for its damage, but its absorbing effect is also a powerful effect as well. With the Libra Gem quartz, the caster could recover HP and EP with a single Art, making it useful for mid-battle recovery.
2 Galion Tower
Galion Tower is a powerful Mirage Art that targets and deals damage in a large area. It also has the ability to inflict Blind on any target as well, with a 100% success rate. This means that any enemy that is not resistant to Blind will be inflicted with the ailment no matter what.
While Galion Tower is not the strongest Mirage Art, its utility makes it great for weakening enemies during boss battles. Its comparatively low EP cost also makes it relatively painless to cast, so the Art can be used without reserve.
1 Crimson Ray
Crimson Ray is not just the strongest Fire Art in the game, it's also the de facto strongest offensive Art in the game. It has a relatively light EP cost compared to other powerful Arts, and its only drawback is that it can only target one enemy.
Despite this, Crimson Ray is the best Art to invest in for the long run. It's great for boss battles, where there's usually no need to target multiple enemies, and its damage is incomparable to other Arts. Crimson Ray is the go-to spell to use when trying to break bosses as quickly as possible.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is currently available on PC, PS4, and Switch.