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The combat in Final Fantasy 16 is completely different from the other combat systems we’ve seen in previous entries in the series. For starters, gone are the days of managing an entire party’s equipment and stats with the game’s new focus on real-time Devil May Cry-esque combat. While the button inputs are totally different from what Final Fantasy fans have gotten used to, there are still plenty of mechanics that have carried over from previous games.
The Stagger mechanic is a Final Fantasy staple and it’s back in Final Fantasy 16, albeit in a form that’s a bit different from what we’re used to. Understanding how Stagger works and how to use it to your advantage can be the difference between winning and losing against tough enemies so it’s best to make sure you completely get it before taking on the toughest foes that Final Fantasy 16 has to offer.
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Stagger and Will Guage Explained
The Will Guage (also known as the Stagger Guage or Stagger Meter)is located underneath an enemy’s health bar. When completely filled, the enemy will fall to the ground and be Staggered where they’ll remain–unable to attack–for a few seconds as the Will Guage drains.
When Staggered, the damage dealt to an enemy will be multiplied by a number that gets higher based on how many times you hit the enemy while they’re staggered. The damage multiplier caps off at 1.5x which means you’ll be able to deal some serious damage while the enemy is on the ground.
How to Stagger an Enemy
To Stagger an enemy, all you’ll need to do is attack them. With each attack they take, an enemy’s Will Guage will deplete until it reaches zero when they’ll fall to the ground and be Staggered. When the Will Guage drops to 50%, the enemy will be Partially Staggered which essentially amounts to them being stunned for a few seconds. When Partially Staggered, you won’t deal extra damage with a multiplier, but you will have the opportunity to land combos to deal more damage to the enemy’s health and Will Guage while they’re stunned.
How to Stagger an Enemy Quickly
While the concept of Staggering an enemy is simple enough: hit them until they drop; certain attacks and abilities drain an enemy’s Will Guage quicker than others. You’ll deal a fair amount of damage to the gauge with regular sword and magic attacks, however, if you truly want to bring the pain, you’ll need to rely on Magic Burst combos (achieved by casting magic immediately after landing a melee attack), Precision Dodges (achieved by dodging out of the way at the last second before an enemy’s attack lands and attacking them back after dodging), and Eikon Abilities.
Eikon Abilities tend to deal the most damage to an enemy’s health and Will Guage so you’ll want to experiment with them as you progress through the game. You can check how much Will Guage damage an Eikon Ability does by viewing it in the Abilities tab and looking at the number of stars that are listed next to the swirling star icon on the ability card. The more stars there are, the better the ability will be at Staggering an enemy.
To best break your opponent’s Will and Stagger them, it’s best to use multiple strategies and combos as opposed to simply mashing the attack button.
That’s all you need to know about how to Stagger enemies quickly. To learn more about how to get the best weapon in the game, check out our guide on how to get the best sword in Final Fantasy 16 right here.
