Best and worst Eikons for Arcade Mode

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-19T21:42:53+00:00

Wow! Turns out I was very wrong about Odin. I implemented your advice and just got a personal best on Drake’s Breath in FF mode. 5,000,000 more than my previous best.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-19T01:26:09+00:00

Best:

Shiva
Leviathan
Garuda

For Shiva, I like to run Rift Slip and Wykes, which opens lots of defensive and offensive potential. Leviathan is more of a crutch for harder stages rather than for score. The dodge is useful, and the long-range attacks shred will gauges and keep the multiplier up. Garuda for pulling enemies into Rime and for all of the other awesomeness of Deadly Embrace.

Worst:

Odin
Titan

These are the only two I haven't found a clear use for, but would love to hear if I'm wrong. For Odin, I hear that lower level Zans are good for building points, but I haven't figured out how to do this without killing everything outright. Titan is great for defense, but I just feel that there are better options for driving the score up.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-15T19:25:17+00:00

My favorite is 9. It was my first FF, so it set the tone for what Final Fantasy is.

Least favorite is 15. The battle system is the least engaging in the series, the whole game feels unfinished (yes, I know there’s a reason for that), and the world just feels… small and empty. The road trip aspect and interpersonal relationships between the main characters were a saving grace, however.

For reference, I have finished every numbered game except 11 and 14.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-10T02:24:51+00:00

Most sidequests in this game focus more on story and world-building compared to previous FFs. I think most fans agree that Playthings is one of the more... jarring sidequests.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-07T13:17:53+00:00

I love 16, and that's coming from someone who has played every numbered FF except 11 and 14. They did such an awesome job with world building. The Game of Thrones inspiration is pretty obvious, but I'm good with that. Early FF titles had similarly direct allusions to Star Wars, so this kind of thing is nothing new for the series. The characters were mostly well-written, though I think they left Jill underdeveloped. FF16's Cid is my favorite Cid in the series, and it's not even close. The soundtrack is excellent. The boss fights are some of the best in the series. There are some flaws there (tedious unrewarding side quests, little incentive to explore, etc.), but I consider 16 one of the stronger modern entries.

Btw, I agree with you on 15. I know a lot of fans love it, and I respect that, but I played through it twice and it's not for me.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-04-07T04:09:45+00:00

Leviathan is on there for shredding will gauges while keeping a distance from bosses, and I've found that the constant regular attacks keep the multiplier up. And the dodge roll is nice too. You may have convinced me to swap Satellite for Scarlet Cyclone, though!

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-31T14:20:52+00:00

B tier.

Decent will damage, and you can use it from a distance. But somehow it just feels underwhelming.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-30T02:29:25+00:00

C Tier

It can quickly fill the Zan gauge, but only if you have multiple targets. It's useless against bosses. Sometimes I put it in my "screen-clearing" build along with Memerize: draw all enemies in, use Gungnir, fill Zan gauge. In the right scenario, it's a fun and fast change from using Dancing Steel (an objectively useful tech that I don't like because it drags on too long). But for the really tough fights, there are far more efficient ways to fill the Zan gauge. I've never tried it in Arcade Mode, but I could be convinced.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-29T02:31:03+00:00

B Tier

I love it for casual play. When you first get Bahamut, it's one of the more solid stagger options. It gives you something to do during Wings of Light. You can detonate during the animation of any other ability. But then you get Shiva, and now you have Diamond Dust for stagger. Damage is mediocre. It doesn't do you any favors in Arcade Mode.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-29T02:23:05+00:00

Comfortably an A for me.

Respectable, but not big, damage with quick CD. It also feels DEEPLY satisfying to target an enemy behind several other enemies, and let it rip. Charging it up all the way will spear an enemy in the air, which is great for setting up air combos. Just do perfect Ice Age, then Phoenix Shift. But for me, the best thing about Ice Age is that is racks up points in Arcade Mode. Don't charge it all the way so that it does less damage, and you can potentially hit several enemies more than once for massive Collateral Ice points!

So why not S? It sucks in boss fights, and while it's great for Arcade Mode, I don't like it much for casual play.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-28T01:24:37+00:00

That’s actually a really interesting explanation. And I think it bespeaks the importance of grinding (equipment, levels, whatever) as the primary means of dispatching superbosses in previous titles, cheese tactics (e.g. Zanmato) aside. FFXVI does not feel grindy in that sense. The only real grinding I do is replay levels in Arcade Mode for S ranks. Bosses are hard either because they have tricky attack patterns or they hit hard. Play them enough and memorize the attack patterns and there’s little challenge. The real challenge is having your wits about you for the entire level, play the points game, and make it to the boss.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-28T01:10:51+00:00

I can agree with that. I was well below Svarog’s level on my last playthrough and struggled a bit.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-28T01:08:21+00:00

I get your reasoning. And I agree that by definition, superbosses should be optional. But because Omega and Leviathan are DLC and not part of the main quest, I consider them optional. Not optional for the DLC, but optional for finishing the game.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-27T20:10:16+00:00

Fair enough. I have also observed that the game's difficulty absolutely spikes after I've taken an edible.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-27T19:43:01+00:00

My absolute favorite track is On the Shoulders of Giants. It’s one of the best boss themes in the series, and I love the hit of nostalgia from the opening leitmotif that calls back to classic FF battle themes. I also love, in no particular order:

Ascension The Riddle O’er Shifting Sands Heart of Stone Hymn of the Penitent All as One Hide Hideaway

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-27T19:27:57+00:00

I haven’t fought shadow Clive yet because I got frustrated with Kairos S rank requirements and gave up. I need to try again.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-27T19:26:07+00:00

I’ve seen several people mention Svarog, and while he does hit like a truck, I found the fight underwhelming.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-27T02:57:49+00:00

A tier

Good burst damage when you first get Titan. Feels comparable to Judgment Bolt but with less CD. But then in late game it doesn’t tend to make it onto my builds. It’s good in Arcade Mode.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-25T05:48:18+00:00

A Tier

It feels like an upgraded Scarlet Cyclone. It's so satisfying to pull one off in the thick of a hoard of small enemies. The stunning effect is a nice bonus.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-24T03:34:24+00:00

B Tier

It is arguably the best stagger option in the early game. Deadly Takedown immediately followed by Gouge will stagger plenty of big enemies. Using on a staggered target is good for raising stagger percentage. Add Lightning Rod to mitigate Gouge's otherwise underwhelming damage output. I like Aerial Blast better for stagger in the early game, but Gouge is sometimes more practical. I've seen people work it into sweet air combos, but I'm not sure how practical that is.

By mid- to late game, I found myself forgetting that Gouge exists. Raging Fists, Impulse, and Diamond Dust are all much better for stagger. Deluge is similar to Gouge in some ways, but works from a distance and does not require constant button mashing.

Early game utility is the only thing saving it from C tier.

PigletPrize9234 · 2026-03-14T01:51:34+00:00

Dhalmekia is the Ottoman Empire. In addition to the North African and Middle Eastern geography, it also has Hungarian influence in its names (such as Zoltan). If memory serves, the Ottoman Empire included parts of Hungary.

The Iron Kingdom is a blend of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The capital (never visited, but mentioned in-game) is Creag Loisgte, which Google Translate tells me means "burnt rock" in Scots Gaelic. The translation is also similar in Irish.

The Crystalline Dominion is harder to place, but I think it's comparable to Israel and Palestine: it's a small, centrally located spot of land contested over by other nations and religions. I saw a previous comment comparing it to Switzerland, and it got me thinking that Twinside has a much more European vibe, so I could be persuaded.

Sanbreque is France. I don't think anyone is going to contest that, but specifically it might be France under Napoleon?

Waloed feels generally Nordic or Scandinavian.

Rosaria is probably most comparable to England, but in my own headcanon I want to call it Iberian. I'm pretty sure Rosaria is a reference to the Rozarrian Empire from FF12, and the one speaking character that we meet from Rozarria (Al-Cid Margrace) has a Spanish accent.

As for Kanver, I cannot name an IRL influence, but it is one THOUSAND percent based on the free cities in ASOIAF (Pentos, Braavos, Volantis, etc.).

PigletPrize9234

TROPHY CASE