KEY POINTS

  • Alphen is an agile melee skirmisher who can sacrifice HP for big bursts of damage
  • He can control the flow of battle by launching enemies into the air before pummelling them with attacks
  • Some of Alphen's most powerful attacks are locked behind the Blazing Sword

Alphen is the main character in “Tales of Arise” and is the first party member that players will have access to. Despite the apparent simplicity of his kit and playstyle, Alphen gives players plenty of room to be creative with their combos.

As a deft swordsman, Alphen can assault enemies with a barrage of sword strikes and a variety of multi-hit artes that can keep enemies staggered or juggled in the air for extended periods of time. He can be a bit one-dimensional in the early game, but after unlocking certain artes, Alphen can easily become a fan-favorite for those who love to get up close and personal.

Here are some tips on how to play as Alphen in “Tales of Arise.”

Alphen’s Playstyle

Alphen is a melee skirmisher who excels in performing long strings of quick attacks. He is particularly good at performing extended aerial combos thanks to his multi-hit aerial artes.

Tales of Arise features a refined combat system that focuses on combos and countering enemy attacks
Tales of Arise features a refined combat system that focuses on combos and countering enemy attacks Bandai Namco

After reaching the lord’s castle in Calaglia, Alphen will start to wield the Burning Sword, which allows him to sacrifice his HP to perform Flaming Edge attacks that deal high amounts of damage.

Alphen’s playstyle revolves around dodging enemy attacks, stringing together combos and finding opportunities to use the Blazing Sword to deal the most damage.

Alphen Combos For Beginners

At the core of Alphen’s kit are his basic attacks. Always try to weave in artes attacks in between basic attacks to keep the combo going for as long as possible. Once an enemy breaks after a normal ground combo, Alphen can then launch them in the air with certain artes moves and continue the combo above ground.

Here’s a sample combo using artes that are available early in the game:

  • Basic attacks weaved with Swallow Blade and Sonic Thrust
  • Rising Wyvern
  • Three basic attacks
  • Stardust
  • Mirage

The same break-then-launch combo flow can be applied to the majority of enemies in the game, including enemies that are large enough to be hit with aerial attacks.

Another important thing to note is that Boost Attacks will extend combos. Should a combo end prematurely, try to use a Boost Attack from a different party member to keep the enemy staggered and combo counter going. Broken opponents that take enough hits will become vulnerable to powerful Boost Strikes.

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