Even if the end-game offering of Final Fantasy 16 is very limited when compared to that of the classic episodes of the saga, there is no shortage of activities that also aim to exploit the new action combat system to put players to the test. In addition to hunting, about which we have created a specific guide, the main activity is represented by the Arete stone, which hosts a series of optional modes, and above all by the Cronoliths.
On this page we have collected everything you need to know complete the chronolith trials and obtain the S rank, which is necessary even just to get the Platinum trophy, since they are challenges necessary to complete the wall of memories. Let's see in detail how the Chronolith trials work and what the best strategies are for completing them.
In case you need suggestions, we recommend you take a look at our complete Final Fantasy 16 guide
The Eikon Mastery Challenges
Each Chronolith corresponds to an Eikon's Mastery Challenge. It is a horde mode, with predefined waves, with a time limit. This means that you will have a single Eikon at your disposal, with skills selected by the game, and you will have to complete three waves plus a final boss without running out of seconds available. It's about finding the right balance between clean execution and completing the challenges, since you don't have to run out of time or, above all, die, since you will not have any kind of treatment available.
The good news is that, by performing certain techniques with the Eikons, you can gain precious seconds, in order to dramatically increase the time you have available. Before each round, in fact, you will have to carefully check what you have to do for gain precious seconds, because ignoring the challenges means losing without the possibility of appeal. The purpose of this guide is precisely to reveal the best methods to increase the timers and arrive well prepared until the end of the various waves. In any case, it is an excellent way to try out the enhanced variants of each Eikon, in order to test builds that you have never tried and discover some of the strongest abilities in the game, often ignored because you are at your own pace. comfortable with the tools you have been using for a long time. If you are looking for the location of the Cronoliths, you can consult our dedicated guide.
How to win all mastery challenges
Often, by checking the challenges dedicated to each Eikon, you will notice that certain skills will allow you to gain many seconds of advantage. For example, using Ramuh's Smash ability on two or more enemies will get you eight seconds, while doing the same thing with Garuda's Cruel Acrobatics will get you the same amount. But there are more immediate and simple skills that will literally allow you to farm precious seconds to exploit in the battle against the final boss. Generally speaking, if you defeat the final boss after the third wave, having more than three minutes remaining on the clock, you will get an overall rating of S Rank. But that's not all: you must also get a minimum grade of A in all the individual scores dedicated to different rounds.
- Trial by Fire: In Trial by Fire there are several methods to accumulate precious seconds, but there is a specific combo that will allow you to power the clock beyond all limits. The "projection" combo guarantees between eight and twelve seconds of bonus, and to accomplish it it is sufficient to use a projection attack and perform a very simple combo of four basic attacks. You can take advantage of all the horde rounds, such as the first and second rounds, to accumulate several minutes of advantage, before dedicating yourself to eliminating the enemies. Basically, every time you get the chance you have to take advantage of this opportunity.
- Wind Test: Exactly as happened in the trial by fire, also in this case there is a very simple and fast method to accumulate seconds during the rounds that put the player in front of the hordes. In fact, it is enough to use Garuda's claw and then score a combo of at least four hits to increase the remaining time; all you have to do is use this technique at least twice for each member of the largest hordes of enemies to add entire minutes to the clock. Another very important thing, without which you will hardly reach S rank, is that you should always use Garuda's knockdown when the biggest enemies reach half the stagger bar, in order to add another twelve seconds to the clock each time .
- Trial of Thunder: In this case the technique is very similar, but more difficult than the previous ones. Using Ramuh's native ability and hooking four enemies will charge them statically: at that point all that remains is to fire a couple of spells on a charged enemy to add between eight and twelve seconds to the clock. By repeating this operation over and over again, you will be able to raise the available timer significantly; Ramuh's test, however, is more complex than the others, so you will have to constantly use Crash in the correct way to involve at least two enemies, or Storm on knocked down opponents. Another excellent method to generate many seconds, especially during the most difficult phases, is to use the Static Sphere and then use the taunt (R2+Touchpad) against enemies to force them to attack the sphere. Always check the list of challenges and look for the best method to increase the time on the clock.
- Earth Test: Since Titan does not offer simple mechanics to accumulate seconds, you must approach the challenge in a completely different way, chasing efficiency and therefore the fastest possible elimination of opponents on the field. First of all it is essential to use all the skills with the perfect charge, i.e. in the red area of the ring that is created, after which it is absolutely mandatory to take advantage of the parries linked to his special technique linked to the circle button. To make your life easier in this sense, the best thing to do is to take advantage of the taunt, or the provocation that you can use by holding down R2 and pressing the DualSense touchpad: by doing so, the enemies will attack you faster and you will have the opportunity to respond with parry. For the rest, it's simply a matter of eliminating your opponents and especially the final boss as quickly as possible.
- Test of Light: As with Titan, Bahamut's challenge is also very technical. The only way to easily gain seconds is to take advantage of Satellite, a skill that greatly enhances your magic, and then bombard your opponents: for every 60 successful Satellite hits you will get eight bonus seconds. For the rest, it is essential to take advantage of all the abilities as soon as they are available, but above all to use Bahamut's basic technique as much as I can: activate the wings, dodge the enemy's shots to charge it much more quickly to its maximum, and throw it when it is at level 4 to accumulate a lot of time, especially against elite opponents. Furthermore, in the phases in which Gigafusion is available, remember to use it whenever the recharge allows it.
- Ice Test: Shiva's is one of the simplest tests ever, because even if many of you will have almost never used it, it is one of the strongest Eikons of all. The method of maximizing time revolves around Shiva's native ability, which allows you to dodge and press Circle again to freeze any opponent in place; for each enemy that is frozen while you eliminate them, you will get several bonus seconds: the best method is to reduce their health, freeze them with the dash, and finally take them down with a well-calibrated execution. For the rest, it is more than sufficient to use all of Shiva's powerful area attacks to further increase the timer, always remembering to freeze your opponents before executing them. Furthermore, Diamond Dust is one of the most powerful area skills in the game, and is essential for instantly getting rid of enemies' stamina bar
- Trial of Darkness: Completely different story regarding Odin, by far the strongest Eikon in the game, but at the same time the one that requires the most practice before being used optimally. Your goal is one and one only: charge Zantetsuken up to level 5 as quickly as possible and then eliminate all the enemies of every single round with a single shot. The skills available, such as Cloud of the Skies and Gungir, are mainly used to charge Zantetsuken, so it is more than sufficient to use them for this purpose before clearing the entire screen with a slash. For the rest, there isn't much to say: there are no techniques to dramatically increase the seconds, the only sensible choice is to load Zantetsuken and proceed according to the same system, making the most of the options you have available in every round. By holding the Zantetsuken with the circle button, you will have access to special versions of the dodge attacks but above all the parries, which can be used against the Minotaur to significantly increase the timer. Be careful of Odin's final ability, the storm of slashes, which enormously loads the Zantetsuken bar but exposes you for about three seconds before launching the attack; try to use it only when you are safe, especially during the final battle with the Chimera.
The last clarification, which is more of a general advice, concerns the Magic Explosion. In fact, all the tests receive benefits from the correct use of this combo, which by alternating attacks and magic allows you to increase the damage but above all the remaining time on the clock.
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