Guide
FF Resonance Combat System Explained
- Battles are turn-based with up to four party members, and faster characters act first.
- Breaking a Stagger gauge stops that enemy's turn and gives your attacker a Bonus Phase.
- Visions let you borrow heroes from earlier Final Fantasy games, each with its own skills.
- Fina summons Espers for 50 MP, and they fight for 3 turns before a finishing attack.
- Healing items hurt Undead enemies, and a Phoenix Down kills them outright.
Combat System Explained
| System | Short version |
|---|---|
| Turn order | Fastest goes first, shown on a timeline |
| Stagger | Break the gauge to stop the enemy and earn a Bonus Phase |
| Sweeping Stagger | Break every gauge at once for party extra turns and Resonance |
| Visions | Equip heroes for new skills and abilities |
| Status ailments | Harmful effects both sides can inflict |
| Buffs and debuffs | Temporary stat changes |
| Espers | Summons that fight for 3 turns |
Turn Order
A timeline shows when every character and enemy will act. The fastest go first and the slowest go last, and you can bend the order by staggering enemies before their turn.
Stagger and the Bonus Phase
Every enemy has a Stagger gauge. Break it and that enemy loses its move for the turn, while the character who broke it gets a Bonus Phase with an extra action.
Weaknesses and high stagger skills drain the gauge fastest, but enemies above your level resist it. Full details are in the stagger guide.
Visions
Visions are famous heroes like Cloud, Terra and Squall. Each one gives the character a set of skills and abilities, so mix and match them to fit each role.
Browse all 26 on the Visions page.
Status Ailments
Both your party and enemies can inflict ailments that hurt performance in battle. Cure them with items or white magic. See the status effects guide.
Buffs and Debuffs
Some skills raise stats like Speed, attack or defense for a few turns, and debuffs lower them on enemies. The buffs and debuffs list has every effect.
Espers
Fina can summon an Esper for 50 MP. It fights with you for 3 turns, ends with a finishing attack and leaves. Find them all on the Espers page.
Combat Tips
Scan Enemies and Hit Their Weakness
Cast Libra to see what an enemy is weak to and what it resists. Weak hits do more HP and stagger damage.
Multicast When Every Gauge Is Low
Once all enemies are close to breaking, multicast a spell to stagger them together. That triggers a Sweeping Stagger with extra turns and a Resonance skill at the end.
Use Items Freely
Potions and Ethers are there to be used when HP or MP gets low. Elemental scrolls let you hit a weakness even without the right spell or with no MP left.
Turn Healing Items on the Undead
Potions damage Undead enemies, and a Phoenix Down defeats them instantly.
Rank Up Your Visions
Mastery Rank abilities stay learned after you swap Visions, and rank ups also give permanent stat boosts. Rotate Visions to grow both.
Run When You Are Outmatched
If enemies are far above your level or you are close to a wipe, escape and come back stronger.
FAQ
Is FF Resonance turn-based?
Yes. Battles are turn-based with up to four party members, and a timeline shows the turn order.
What is the Bonus Phase?
An extra turn for the character who breaks an enemy's Stagger gauge.
Who can summon Espers?
Fina. Each summon costs her 50 MP, and the Esper stays for 3 turns.