The future doesn't belong to you!

For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series , this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised.

In Xenoblade Chronicles, Battle Arts can be levelled up by using AP and art books.

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AP Cost

The AP cost of levelling up an art depends on both the art and the level. The cost for each additional level follows a consistent pattern:

Level 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11DE 12DE AP Cost 1x 2x 4x 8x 12x 18x 26x 36x 48x 56x 65x

For example, raising Shulk's Back Slash to level 2 costs 200 AP, while raising his Slit Edge to level 2 costs 220 AP. Raising these arts to level 3 costs 400 AP and 440 AP respectively (2x200 and 2x220), while raising them from level 5 to level 6 costs 2,400 AP and 2,640 AP respectively (12x200 and 12x220).

Benefits

All physical and Ether attacking arts at level 1 have an additional hit rate of 5%. Each level increased will increase the hit rate further by 5%, up to a maximum of 25% at level 5 or higher.

Furthermore, arts will have their effects enhanced by levelling up. These enhancements may include, but are not limited to: increased aggro added to enemies, increased damage, increased healing power, and increased buff or debuff duration, and reduced cooldown time.

Art Books

Initially, arts cannot be raised beyond level 4. Intermediate books allow the art to be raised as high as level 7, and can be bought from shops. Advanced books allow the art to be raised to level 10, even if an intermediate book for that art has not yet been learned or obtained, and can be found in gold chests dropped by monsters above level 45, or in special chests found in certain locations. These sources are mutually exclusive; there are no Advanced books available for sale, nor are there any monsters that drop Intermediate books.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition adds Master books which allow arts to be raised to level 12, even if the intermediate or advanced book for that art has not yet been learned or obtained. After completing the story of Future Connected, Master books for all arts are obtainable in the main game from the Nopon Archsage, each one for the price of 20,000 Noponstone.

In the Wii and 3DS versions, it is necessary to select the art book in the inventory and read it to unlock the additional levels of that art, but in Definitive Edition, they are used simply by opening the Arts menu. Art books can only be read once, and cannot be used if the character has not yet learned the Art itself or is not in the party. They also cannot be used if a higher tier of art book has already been used. Excess Art Books can be sold to shops.

(Note: There are two separate Art Books for the two characters who learn Guard Shift. These books are not interchangeable.)

In Future Connected, all arts start at level 4 and can be raised up to level 7 without the need of intermediate books. Advanced books, rather than being dropped by monsters, are obtained from the Arts Manual Shop. Art books are bought using the currency of Arts Coins, which are obtained the first time each Unique Monster or Fogbeast is killed. Each art book costs one Arts Coin. Master books cannot be obtained within Future Connected.

Art Book Sources

Generally, the drop rates for advanced books are extremely low—some have a drop rate of less than 1%. Higher level monsters tend to have higher drop rates. The save and reload method can be used to open the same gold chest repeatedly until a desired advanced book is obtained. Up to two of four named books can be acquired without duplicates (e.g. a given monster can drop up to two of either Back Slash, Battle Soul, Slit Edge or Light Heal).