Countering enemy weaknesses in Metaphor: Refantazio hinges on systematic weakness identification and strategic party composition. Mastery of the Affinity Grid and Mag ability exploits is paramount.
Fundamental Weakness Framework
The Affinity Grid (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Light, Dark, Psychic, Nucleic) dictates vulnerability. Exploiting these triggers increased damage and potent debuffs.
- Scan & Analysis: Use the Scan Mag or analyze skills immediately on encountering new foes. Unknown affinities default to neutral damage.
- Synchronicity: Exploiting weaknesses consecutively with different party members builds Synchronicity Gauge faster, enabling powerful follow-up attacks.
- Vulnerability Status: Successfully hitting a weakness inflicts Vulnerability, significantly increasing subsequent damage from any source against that target.
Core Elemental Counterplay
- Fire: Weak to Ice. Frostbite application synergizes exceptionally well. Water-based attacks also effective.
- Ice: Weak to Fire. Burning status application maximizes damage output.
Lightning: Weak to Wind/Nucleic. Prioritize disruption of electrical attacks.
Wind: Weak to Lightning/Ice. Exploit to break evasion patterns.
Light: Weak to Dark. Blindness debuffs are highly effective afterward.
Dark: Weak to Light. Holy damage excels, inflicting debuffs like Silence.
Psychic: Weak to Nucleic/Physical. Focus on breaking concentration/barriers.
Nucleic: Weak to Psychic/Fire. Unstable status dramatically increases damage taken.
Status & Physical Vulnerabilities
- Physical Types: Identify specific weaknesses (Slash, Blunt, Pierce). Guard-breaking (Blunt) often precedes weakness exploitation.
- Status Ailments: Beyond affinity, foes are vulnerable to specific debilitations (Poison, Paralyze, Fear, Charm). Apply after exploiting core weakness to lock down dangerous enemies.
Boss & Elite Counter Tactics
- Phased Weaknesses: Bosses change vulnerabilities between phases. Re-scan constantly. Phase transitions are prime moments for buffing/debuffing.
- Summon/Add Weaknesses: Prioritize minions with known elemental flaws to build Synchronicity before focusing the boss.
- Guard Mitigation: Use characters/Mag with affinities matching the boss's common attacks to reduce Guard Command MP cost.
Key to Mastery: Never rely on fixed strategies. Continuously adapt party composition, equipped Mag, and tactics based on real-time scan data within each stratum. Prioritize Vulnerability application on high-threat targets.
