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Move Learn (TotA)

Learning a new move in Tales of the Abyss.

Arte (術技 Jutsuwaza?, "Skill Arts") is the term used to refer to all named attacks and spells in all Tales games. In the English context, this term originated in Tales of Eternia, referring to the Craymel Artes system for spells obtained through fringing Craymel Cages together. Other terms such as Skill and Technique were used as a translation for this concept in past games, but in Tales of the Abyss, the term "arte" was extended to include all named battle movements, while "skill" was designated to refer to only passive effects. Parallel concepts exist in Tales of Rebirth and Tales of Legendia, which refer to artes as Force and Eres respectively, due to the significance of these concepts in their stories.

In some localizations, the term "arte" on its own also refers only to magic.

Strike Artes[]

A strike arte ( Waza?, "Art/Technique"), also referred to as an arte (アーツ aatsu?) and technique, typically involves direct and physical interaction of a weapon or the user's body with the enemy. Depending on the amount of TP consumed and the damage output, these are often divided into three tiers: base, master, and arcane artes. All artes of each subset can be linked together in this order to create a combo chain. Certain passive skills may be used to alter this order, providing more freedom and creativity for players to create their own combo patterns. Some games remove the master arte category, which can limit the comboing potential, but there may be other additional arte groupings that are exclusive to certain games.

Base Artes[]

Base artes (特技 Tokugi?, "Special Arts"), also localized as Lv.1 Special Attacks in Tales of Symphonia and since Tales of Zestiria as Martial Artes, the new name derived from Tales of Xillia and sequel's its equivalent known as Martial Artes (武身技 Bushinwaza?), are usually learned as a character progresses through leveling up during the game, and sometimes through events and sidequests. Base artes consume a very minimal amount of TP, dealing a slightly increased amount of damage compared to a regular attack. These artes can be performed individually, but it is more efficient to attack enemies first with a regular attack combo, linking the base arte to the end of the chain to prevent lag time. Some examples of these artes include Demon Fang and Tiger Blade.

Base artes can also include self-supporting artes that can be activated instantly and without casting time. They can be used to heal or to provide small but useful stat gains for a short period of time. Certain self-supporting artes can damage nearby enemies, such as the altered version of Fiend Fusion, but these artes are usually unable to link into other artes within a combo. Examples include Coil and Center.

Base artes' icon is often an image of a sword with its tip pointing top-left hand corner.

Master Artes[]

Move Learn (ToV)

Learning a new move in Tales of Vesperia.

Artes of the master artes (秘技 Higi?, "Hidden Arts"), also localized as Lv.2 Special Attacks in Tales of Symphonia, subset are more powerful than the base artes, but they come at a price of higher TP cost. Master artes usually derive from existing base artes, so mastery of the original base is often required to obtain the next arte within the same family. These artes can be linked to the end of any combo chain if it is immediately preceded by a regular attack or base arte. Continuing from the above example, the associated master artes are Double Demon Fang and Tiger Rage, respectively.

In Tales of the Rays, master artes are the name for its altered arte system, in which using an arte capable being turned into a master arte after a certain point in the chain or during Burst Limits allows it to turn into its associated master arte.

Master artes' icon is often an image of a sword with its tip pointing top-left hand corner with a single rounded frame around the border.

Arcane Artes[]

Arcane artes (奥義 Ougi?, "Secret Skill" or "Inner Meaning"), also localized as Lv.3 Special Attacks in Tales of Symphonia and hidden artes in Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria, are the final rank for all strike artes, representing the most powerful artes that are available to a character that relies on physical attacks to damage enemies. TP costs can become significant if these artes are used too often, but the costs are usually worth the ability to prolong a combo and deal even more damage before the enemy has a chance to recover. Like the previous master artes, this tier of attacks usually builds upon the same family of artes, requiring mastery of the previous forms. To conclude the previous example, the final arcane arte forms are Demonic Chaos and Rending Tiger Blade.

Some arcane artes are derived from the combination of two existing artes, which can be both physical or magical in nature. The artes are fused together to form a new arte, using the components of the two bases to create a single combined attack. The arte names usually reflect this fusion by referencing the original bases. These artes usually require both bases to be mastered before the combined variant can be learned. Examples of these combination artes include Demonic Tiger Blade, which is based on Demon Fang and Tiger Blade, and Fang Blade Havoc, which combines Fang Blade and Havoc Strike.

Arcane artes can also include certain attacks that do not have a base in any of the lesser tiers. These artes can be learned by level or event, and they usually have a significantly lesser TP cost than those that follow the usual progression of power or combination. These artes might not be easily added to a combo chain, but they can have their uses. Examples include Guardian Field and Rising Phoenix. Additionally, in Tales of Zestiria and Tales of Berseria, when using hidden artes, the game chooses the user's lower value between P.ATK and A.ATK as an "offensive stat" for the damage calculation but pairs this by attacking the lesser of the target's P.DEF and A.DEF as the "defensive stat" for damage calculation.

Arcane artes' icon is often an image of a sword with its tip pointing top-left hand corner with two rounded frames around the border, with the number of borders reduced to one when master artes are not part of a game.

Martial Combo[]

Martial artists, particularly Farah Oersted in Tales of Eternia and Regal Bryant in Tales of Symphonia, perform a different progression from the above. They have three main types, with a fourth special one depending on the user:

  • Ground Artes (地上技 Chijouwaza?, "Above Ground Arts"), designed for ground use
  • Anti-Air Artes (対空技 Taikuuwaza?, "Anti-Air Arts"), designed for ground-to-air use
  • Midair Artes (空中技 Kuuchuuwaza?, "Midair Arts"), designed for midair use
  • Power Artes (強打技 Kyoudawaza?, "Smiting Arts") or Special Artes (特殊技 Tokushuwaza?, "Unique Arts"), designed as finishers

Ground artes can be comboed into anti-air or power artes. Anti-air artes can then be chained into midair artes, which can be followed by any other type. This chain allows them a unique system from other character.

Elemental Physical Artes[]

Some games do not have the standard arte progression; these instead separate their artes into normal base artes and elemental physical artes with varying names. Elemental physical artes often contrast their base arte counterparts by dealing elemental damage and using a hybrid of the user's physical and magical attack power to determine damage. Games to use this system include Tales of Destiny (PS2) and Tales of Hearts.

Magic Artes[]

Main article: Magic

Magic artes ( Jutsu?, "Magic" / "Technique"), also known as spells, are used by characters who have the knowledge and ability to perform magical feats. Spellcasters are usually tied to some limiting condition that enables them to possess these powers, such as the use of a Swordian or the hereditary blood of the elven race. Unlike strike artes, spells do not directly affect battle immediately following activation. The character usually recites an incantation before casting, limiting the speed by which they can deal damage to the enemy. Spells use TP after they have been cast, not during the incantation. By default, characters that are attacked during the incantation will be interrupted and the spell will not activate. However, with the use of certain passive skills, characters can have some resistance or even immunity to casting interruptions.

Other Arte Concepts[]

Mystic Artes[]

Mystic artes (秘奥義 Hi Ougi?, "Hidden Secret Skill" or "Hidden Inner Meaning") are typically rare and powerful artes that are unique to a given character within each game, usually accompanied with an anime-style facial or full-body cut-in of the character. These artes can be activated during battle while Over Limit mode is active, usually after performing an arcane arte and holding the Attack button, extending and linking into the mystic arte automatically. Other games may have alternative methods for activating mystic artes, sometimes exceedingly difficult to perform successfully to counter the significantly increased damage output.

Altered Artes[]

Altered artes (術技変化 Jutsuwaza Henka?, "Skill Arts Change") are artes which have been modified from another arte through some equipment or circumstance. FOF Changes (FOF変化 FOF Henka?) can be seen as a similar system. The altered artes concept was first used in Tales of Symphonia, where dealing elemental damage can turn some artes into others. For example, Lloyd Irving's Rising Falcon can turn into the classic Rising Phoenix while dealing Fire-elemental damage. Other variations include Asbel Lhant's and Hubert Oswell's Altered Artes (術技変化 Jutsuwaza Henka?), where, during a duration of a burst arte, the Burst Artes button needs to be held down to activate the next arte in the chain, Alvin's Charged Artes (チャージ技 Chaaji Waza?, "Charge Artes"), which alter most of his artes provided he has at least one charge stacked, and Milla Maxwell and the fractured Milla's Spirit Shifted Artes (魔技 Magi?, "Magic Arts"), which allows her to alter her spells into martial artes. In Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2, equipping certain skills will replace some artes with others.

Arte Extensions[]

Arte extensions are artes that require the prior activation of another arte before enabling its use within a single combo chain, linked immediately after the arte that unlocks its use. Activation involves holding down a button during an arte's execution and as a rule cannot be used separately, as opposed to altered artes that can be utilized as separate artes under certain conditions, usually a certain number of uses. Extensions refer only to those artes that rely on the use of a particular arte tied to its activation, sometimes including certain mystic artes that require the activation of a specific arte. The use of extensions enables the player to have access to more artes during battle without having to enter the menu to change arte shortcuts during battle, providing for a greater degree of variety and flexibility in creating combos.

In Tales of Destiny 2, melee-focused characters can activate Tsuika Tokugi (追加特技?, "Base Arte Extensions"), whereas the characters who can use magic can activate Tsuika Shoujutsu (追加晶術?, "Magic Arte Extensions"). Judas has the unique capacity to perform both types of extensions. Both base and magic arte variants have the Attack button assigned as the arte extension trigger, simultaneously serving as the means by which all mystic artes are activated, since they are also considered to be extensions within the context of this game. As an homage to this system, the PlayStation 2 remake of Tales of Destiny features arte extensions exclusively as part of the movelist of Leon Magnus. Tales of the Tempest features an arte chaining system that relies solely on extensions, however the resulting artes are merely continuations of the preceding actions rather than fully independent attacks. In contrast, the assault artes style of Tales of Graces represents a similar tree of extensions but does render each arte as an independent action. In Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X, Tsuikawaza (追加技?, "Extension artes") require the Artes button as the trigger, but only Dio, Mel, and Rondoline E. Effenberg have the capacity to perform these types of artes. In Tales of the Rays, similar to Tales of Destiny, certain artes are also able to be extended by being repeatedly performed, e.g. Lilith Aileron's Thunder Punch alters into 10 Hit Combo when the original arte is performed consecutively three times.

Stance Artes[]

Stance artes (応報 / 構え Ouhou / Kamae?, "Retribution / Stance") are a class of artes that enable the attacked user to retaliate against incoming attacks with a regular attack or arte of their own, like a counter or parry. Stances artes are an uncommon occurrence in the series and are mainly used by blade wielders, although sometimes characters wielding other weapon types have access to them as well.

Combination Artes[]

Linked Arte (ToX)

A Linked Arte being performed in Tales of Xillia.

Combination artes are a general term for artes that require the presence of a pair of characters to perform a certain combined attack that merges two of their own artes. This concept has appeared throughout the series with multiple variations in requirement and execution, first originating in Tales of Eternia with its Team Skills (協力技 Kyouryokuwaza?, "Collaboration Arts"). The concept of merging two characters' artes together has been fleshed out progressively more with each game, leading to the Compound Special Attack (複合特技 Fukugou Tokugi?) system used during a Unison Attack in Tales of Symphonia, the Combination Artes (合技 Gougi?) of Tales of Hearts, and eventually the Linked Arte (共鳴術技リンクアーツ Kyoumei Jutsuwaza?, "Link Artes" / "Resonance Skill Arts") system in Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2.

Commonly recurring combinations include Hell Pyre, as a combination of Tiger Blade and Fire Ball, and Impact Cross, as a combination of two characters performing Sonic Thrust simultaneously.

Game-specific Implementations[]

Tales of Graces[]

Tales of Graces splits artes into two broad categories: Assault Artes (アーツ技 Aatsu Waza?, "Arts Skills") and Burst Artes (バースト技 Baasuto Waza?, "Burst Skills"). Assault artes can only be used in order of increasing CC, resetting back at the end of the chain. These artes are analogous to traditional strike artes, reinforced by the fact that all characters' individual assault arte styles contain the word Waza (?, "Skill") in Japanese. Most Assault artes are named after different enemy attributes, indicating which artes is stronger against a certain attribute. Burst artes contain artes that are analogous to both elemental physical artes and spells; individual burst arte styles contain the word Jutsu (?, "Technique") in Japanese. Both types are originally puns in Japanese, as assault artes were activated by the A button and burst artes, the B button, in the Wii release of the game.

Tales of Zestiria[]

Tales of Zestiria reworks the traditional combo system into a trinity of competing types. There are three main arte classes: Martial Artes (特技 Tokugi?, "Special Arts"), Hidden Artes (奥義 Ougi?, "Secret Skills"), and Seraphic Artes (天響術 Tenkyoujutsu?, "Heavenly Echo Techniques"). Martial artes are capable of interrupting seraphic artes but can in turn be interrupted by hidden artes. Hidden artes cannot be staggered by martial artes but cannot interrupt seraphic artes. Seraphic artes actually cast faster when hit by hidden artes but do not enjoy the same protection from martial artes. Each character has only access to two of these types at a time, requiring careful decisions on party composition depending on the enemy.

Tales of Luminaria[]

In Tales of Luminaria, there are two classes of artes. The first type of artes, known simply as artes (創術 Soujutsu?, "Origin Arts") in localization, are a magic system, where when an arte is used, it always starts with a glyph that is the origin point of the rest of the arte's appearance. They are attached to most weapons, and two can be equipped on a character at a time. In the game's lore aside from battle usage, they also see use in everyday life. Known varieties of artes include: Fire Artes, Healing Artes, Barrier Artes, Enchanting Artes, and Summon Artes. Before version 1.0.9, there was also a concept of Auto Artes that worked like skills seen in previous entries in the series, but it was reworked as part of the standard behavior as Auto Artes also take a arte slot. Additionally, each character has access to mystic artes that have characteristics of physical artes as they are generally performed with a weapon as opposed to artes and their magic glyph system. Many mystic artes originate from base, master, and arcane artes, although some are also spells seen in the previous entries in the series, turned into physical artes. Mystic artes are attached to most costumes, and only one is accessible to a character at a time.

Learning[]

The most common method of acquiring new artes is simply leveling up, although some titles tend to mix it up with arte usage. Another popular method is completing side activities which can not only net new strike or magic artes, but also mystic artes as well. Some games use more sophisticated systems, generally tied with the world-building present in their stories, like Tales of Xillia uses Lilium Orbs. Tales of Graces ties its arte-learning system to title mastery. Some games rely on point system, like Tales of Zestiria where achieving a new level with different title nets different amount of points resulting in a slightly different order of arte learning. Some games rely on the gacha system, like Tales of the Rays or Tales of Luminaria where obtaining several times the same equipment reinforces the arte's attack power and bonus effects tied to it.

Trivia[]

  • For many games, Japanese arte names have a sort of naming consistency. In general, spells are foreign words written in katakana. These are often English words or phrases, though some, such as Eclair de Larmes, derive from other Western languages. As a reverse, many traditional strike artes use kanji and the on'yomi pronunciation utilized for standard word compounds. These pronunciation rules have gradually fallen into disuse as the franchise has progressed; strike artes have incorporated other languages since almost the beginning and even Japanese artes have used nonstandard pronunciations in more recent games, while Tales of Berseria has magic artes written in kanji. Strike artes, on the other hand, almost always have the names of advanced versions somehow relate to the original arte or artes they were derived from.
  • Artes that appears in the animations are depicted differently from the games. Most magic artes are named and strike artes are unnamed but shares similar attack patterns from their games of origin and they are often used as finishers. In early animations such as Tales of Eternia: The Animation or Tales of Symphonia: The Animation, strike artes often have their strength increased to destructive levels.


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