Guide on How to Defeat Lord Balseph in Tales of Arise
Lord Balseph is a human boss enemy in Tales of Arise. The boss is encountered at Granide Castle during Chapter 1 of the main story.
Trophies
Below are obtainable trophies and achievements relevant to this guide and how to unlock them in the game.
| Trophy | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Emissary of Liberation |
Defeat Lord Balseph. Keep the flag of liberation raised high. The fight has only just begun. |
Lord Balseph Information
Here is a breakdown of the boss’ stats, strengths and weaknesses, and attacks.
Lord Balseph Stats
| HP | 19010 |
|---|---|
| Base Level | 15 |
| Type | Boss |
| Weak Point | |
| Location | Granide Castle Throne Room |
| Recommended Level | Any |
| EXP Rewards | |
| Other Rewards |
Lord Balseph Strength and Weaknesses
| Fire | Water | Wind | Earth | Light | Dark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Lord Balseph Attacks
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Downward Axe Slash > Sweeping Axe Sweep | Raises his axe in the air and slashes downward followed by a sweeping attack. He can do the sweep multiple times during the second phase of the fight. Using counter edge will interrupt his attack. |
| Jumping Axe Slash | Jumps into the air to perform a heavy downward slash. Can be countered with Shionne’s boost attack to momentarily incapacitate him. |
| Jumping Ground Crush | Jumps into the air and comes crashing down on the ground, releasing a small shockwave. Can be evaded |
| Energy Burst | Briefly charges before releasing a burst of energy around him. Run away to avoid getting hit. |
| Pyroclasm | Charges for about 20 seconds before unleashing massive pillars of flame on the ground that deal massive damage. Balseph will do the attack when at very lower health so try to finish him off before he finishes charging it. |
Fire Avatar Attacks
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Fireballs | Generates a massive ball between its palms and which shoot out multiple fire balls on the ground. Run to the side to avoid them. |
| Ground Punch | Punches the ground with one of its massive fists. Run away to avoid it. |
| Debris Rain | Grabs a chunk of earth and crushes it from above you, sending down debris on a wide area. Run away to avoid them. |
Lord Balseph Recommended Artes
These are our recommended artes against the boss. Feel free to add other artes in your kit and decide for your starting party members.
| Member | Recommended Artes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alphen |
Damage: Any offensive arte | Just use as many attacks and artes as you can to build up your combo on Balseph and trigger boost strikes for massive damage. |
| Shionne |
Healing: Any offensive arte, First Aid | Have Shionne use First Aid on you when your health is low by pulling back and waiting for her to cast it. Her boost attack is also very useful for shooting down Balseph when he jumps in the air to do a downward axe slash. |
Lord Balseph Strategies
Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against the boss:
First Phase
Balseph’s attacks are slow but cover a wide area. He will throw out a two-hit strike with his axe which begins with a downward slash and ends with a spinning sweep. These should not be too hard to perfect evade.
When you see Balseph jump into the air, press left on the directional pad to activate Shionne’s boost attack to shoot him back down to the ground. Afterwards, Balseph will temporarily be incapacitated, allowing you to pummel him with more attacks and artes. Take this time to stack as many hits as you can to trigger a boost strike that deals massive damage.
If you stay too close to Balseph, he will start charging energy and release it around him, damaging targets in a relatively small radius. Run away when you see him charge to avoid getting hit.
Second Phase
During the second phase of the fight, you will need to deal with Balseph and the Fire Avatar. Balseph’s attacks remain the same, although he will start chaining multiple axe sweeps at the end of his downward slash attack.
This phase of the fight is slightly harder since the Fire Avatar will constantly bombard you will fireballs. Always have the Fire Avatar within view and run sideways to dodge the projectiles.
When you see the Fire Avatar grab a large chunk of earth from the ground, run away as far as possible as tons of debris will come down onto the area near Balseph. Afterwards, engage Balseph again.
Shionne will eventually tell you to deal with the Fire Avatar. Wait for her to get ready and press Up on the directional pad to initiate a special boost attack, knocking out the Fire Avatar for a brief period. Use this chance to pummel Balseph even more.
Balseph will begin charging Pyroclasm when he is at very low HP. Pull out all the stops and unload on him before he can cast it as Pyroclasm will take out a good amount of your health if you get hit. Trigger a boost strike to finish him off.
Lord Balseph Tips
Use Boost Strikes.
You will want to link together as many hits as you can on Balseph to trigger Boost Strikes that will take out a large chunk of his health or finish him off.
Use Shionne’s Boost Attack.
You can activate Shionne’s Boost Attack when Balseph jumps into the air to have Shionne shoot him down. He will then be temporarily defenseless, allowing you to stack more hits on him using regular attacks and artes to build up your combo.
Use Counter Edge.
Balseph’s axe attacks are very slow and are quite easy to perfect dodge. Time your evasion correctly and unleash Counter Edges to interrupt him, letting you land more attacks.
Pull back when your health is low.
Move a good distance away from Balseph when your HP drops low and wait for Shionne to cast First Aid before engaging Balseph again.
Keep the Fire Avatar within view.
You will need to deal with both of Balseph’s and the Fire Avatar’s attacks during the second phase. Try to keep the Fire Avatar visible in your camera as it will occasionally launch fireballs or rain down debris on you when you are busy with Balseph.
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