What does Mastering Abilities do in Final Fantasy 16?

Each Ability in Final Fantasy XVI has two levels: one to unlock or upgrade it and another to master it. But what does mastering Abilities do for you in this game? You may be surprised to learn that mastering an Ability does not upgrade its stats.

FF16 – Why master abilities?

Mastering can do two specific things, depending on the ability you’re mastering. If it’s one of Clive’s normal skills (such as Precision Dodge and Lunge), mastery will make it easier to execute the skill. For example, below we have a mastered Precision Dodge, which allows Clive to dodge attacks even if they’re not that close to hitting.

If you’re mastering an Eikon skill like Scarlet Cyclone, it allows the skill to be assigned to any Eikon. This will allow you to pull off more customized Eikon combos. If there’s an Eikon skill you love but hate the circle button for, you can also completely ditch it and just slap the mastered Eikon skill to your ability set.

Related: Final Fantasy 16 release date PC – Is FFXVI coming to PC?

Best Abilities to master first in FFXVI

There are a ton of Abilities for you to explore in Final Fantasy XVI but not all of them are worth mastering. Below are the ones you absolutely have to though, no matter what your playstyle is:

• Precision Dodge (Normal) – This is the FIRST thing you should master
• Magic Burst (Normal)
• Charged Magic and Burning Blade (Normal) if you used them often
• Lightning Rod (Ramuh)
• Judgment Bolt (Ramuh)
• Flames of Rebirth (Phoenix)
• Aerial Blast (Garuda)
• Upheaval (Titan)

Remember: you don’t need to master an Eikon skill whose Eikon you have equipped.  But you can invest ability points in them once or twice to upgrade them.

However, I firmly believe that everyone has different playing styles. Those who like to play aggressively might find themselves leaning onto Phoenix skills more often, while those who prefer to shoot their enemies from a safe distance will be using Ramuh Abilities a lot. The best advice I can give is to test all the ones you have until you can find a playstyle you’re comfortable with.

If you’re unsatisfied with your Ability Point allocations, you can reset everything by holding down the touchpad. You can also reset an individual ability by hovering over it and holding the square button.

For more help with Final Fantasy XVI, take a look at Is Clive Rosfield a Dominant in Final Fantasy 16? and Final Fantasy 16 Hard Mode or Final Fantasy Mode, Explained here at Pro Game Guides.