Welcome students, Professor RPG here! Need help understanding the Equipment Fusion system in Tales of Zestiria? Perhaps you would like a more deep dive into the history of Ivalice? What in the world does the Intelligence stat do in that game you like? Stick around and let Professor RPG clear up the mysteries and help you in on your quest.
Skip this if you read the Cold Steel 1 Primer————————————————–
“ People may be surprised but the Legend of Heroes series has been around since the late 80s and early 90s here in the West. Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, was the first entry in the series, released on the TurboGrafX in 1992 in North America. While the series would continue on through the 90s in Japan, the West wouldn’t see another Legend of Heroes title until 2005 with the PSP title, The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion. Two other titles, Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch and Song of the Ocean which make up the Gagharv Trilogy also received localizations in 2006 and 2007 respectively. These titles a bit rough around the edges and received mixed reactions from RPG fans.
It wasn’t until the Trails in the Sky trilogy began coming over to North America back in 2011 that the Legend of Heroes series reputation began to grow.
…
Enhancements such as an increased resolution, higher frame rate, and an added turbo mode are available to players on the newly released PlayStation 4 edition of the title, along with all the previously released DLC. As a welcome addition, you are able to transfer your old saves into this new version and carry on where you left off. “
Prof RPG , Cold Steel 1 Primer
OK you can stop skipping now —————————————————————
From a mechanics standpoint, this game, as well as this guide, shares similar information from the prior primer. That isn’t to say that you won’t find anything new though! For newcomers though, this Primer will help get your adventure off on the right foot, and help spell out some of the new systems introduced within Cold Steel 2.
NOTE: As this game is a direct sequel to the first title, it is HIGHLY advised that you finish the first game prior to reading through this primer, as it does contain a number of story spoilers from the first title.
PLATFORMS:
- Playstation Vita
- PlayStation 3
- PlayStation 4
WHAT’S NEW TO THE RELENTLESS EDITION ON PS4:
- 4K/60 FPS support
- Optimized interface
- Turbo Mode (2x speed on the map, 4x in combat)
- Japanese Dub option
- Additional voiceover
- All previously released DLC
- Ability to transfer saves from PS3/Vita version to PS4 version
LORE:
It’s been a month since the assault on Thors Military Academy and the war with the Nobel Alliance began. A month since Class VII was betrayed and Rean was whisked away in Valimar with Celine while the rest of Class VII stood their ground against Odine, the Azure Knight. The Imperial Army has been standing its ground against the overwhelming might of the Nobel Alliance and their mechanized Soldats mechs, but they are losing ground. Only a few bastions of Imperial resistance remain.
Waking up on a mountain top in the Ymir region, Rean’s hometown, he must reunite with his classmates and find new allies. With the Noble Alliance actively searching for Rean, the newly anointed Awakener of the Ashen Knight and Ouroboros planning something sinister, it will take all the members of Class VII and more to fight against what is to come.
IMPORTANT TERMS:
Reformist Faction:
Led by Chancellor Giliath Osborne before his death, this faction was composed mostly of commoners and nobles who shared a similar belief in working together for common goals. While in power, Osborne took over many poorer areas and was the driving force behind building the countrywide railway. Now, the remaining members of the Imperial Army hold their ground and are working to push back and reclaim territory taken by the Noble Alliance.
Noble Alliance Faction:
Led by Duke Cayenne and composed of the regional provincial armies, jaeger corps, Ouroboros, and the Imperial Liberation Front, with the goal of returning the empire to its former glory where those of noble blood ruled. After the assassination of Osborne, the Alliance quickly made its move capturing cities all over the country, including Trista and Thors Military Acadamy.
Imperial Liberation Front:
A small rebel group, led by former Class VII member, Crow Armbrust (known as “C” in Liberation Front). They have orchestrated and carried out the assassination of the Chancellor in the previous game, and they now are part of the Noble Alliance.
- Members:
- Crow Armbrust – C
- Vulcan – V
- Scarlett – S
- Gideon – G (deceased)
Ouroboros:
Their aliases include “The Society” and “The Snake”. This mysterious group has involved itself with the Noble Alliance Faction and working towards their own goal. What that goal is still a mystery.
Enforcers:
Elite fighters of the Ouroboros, each is assigned a number. The number isn’t indicative of their strength, however.
- Currently known Enforcers:
- Sharon Kreuger : No. 9, “The Severing Chains”
- McBurn: No. 1, “The Almighty Conflagration”
- BleuBlanc: No 10, “Phantom Thief B”
Anguist:
Commanders of Ouroboros under the Grandmaster.
- Currently known Anguists:
- Vita Clotilde
Divine Knights:
These mechanical knights are the stuff of legends. Having appeared at numerous points in history, as bringing both salvation and devastation to Erebonia. Each Knight puts a chosen individual through a number of trials to determine whether or not they are worthy to be its Awakener (the pilot). Incredibly durable and strong, a single one of these can easily turn the tide of a battle or even whole wars.
- Currently known Divine Knights:
- Valimar, The Ashen Knight:
- Awakener: Rean Schwarzer
- Odine, The Azure Knight:
- Awakener: Crow Armbrust
- Valimar, The Ashen Knight:
Soldats:
Designed based around studies conducted of Odine, The Azure Knight, these mass-produced mechanical units are used heavily by the Noble Alliance Faction in their assaults around Erebonia. While not as strong or durable as the Divine Knights themselves, their superior mobility and adaptability have proved to be a great boon against the tanks and soldiers of the Imperial Faction
Cryptids:
Incredibly strong and giant beasts that can warp the nature and elements in a given area.
The Crimson Wings:
Created by Prince Olivert a prince of Erebonia, whose idea it was to create a neutral third faction, using the Courageous airship as its base of operations. It is helmed by Laura’s father, Viscount Victor Arseid.
THE MEMBERS OF CLASS VII:
Rean Schwarzer – The protagonist
A first-year student at Thors Military Academy and Awakener of Valimar. One month after the events in Trista, Rean awakens in the snowy Eisengard Range plagued with worry over the fate of his classmates. Not one to quit even when the odds are against him, however, Rean immediately resolves to reunite with those he parted from–be they friend or a certain newly-unveiled foe–together with the help of two very unexpected sources: a talking cat named Celine and a Divine Knight named Valimar.
Alisa Reinford
The daughter of Irina Reinford, chairman of the massive weapons manufacturer known as the Reinford Company. Due to her upbringing, she’s an intelligent, hardworking young lady who’s well versed in orbal engineering. While she’s as generous as she is fiercely loyal to her friends, she also tends to wear her heart on her sleeve, giving rise to brief bouts of frustration.
Elliot Craig
The son of Lieutenant General Craig the Red of the Imperial Army’s 4th Armored Division and a warm, good-natured soul with an intense love of music that keeps him strong wherever he goes. He remains as upbeat as ever in the face of war, but between his home city being occupied by the Noble Alliance and his father’s position in the army, his family’s well-being is always at the back of his mind.
Laura S. Arseid
The daughter of Viscount Victor Arseid, ruling lord of Legram. Like her father, she is a dignified noble who firmly stands by her convictions while studying under the Arseid school of swordsmanship. She may have trouble picking up on the malicious intent of others at times, but that’s all the more reason why her forthrightness leaves a distinct impression upon all who meet her.
Jusis Albarea
The bastard son of Duke Albarea, head of one of the Four Great Houses, and younger brother of Rufus Albarea, chief of staff of the Noble Alliance. Jusis is filled with the pride of a noble, but his current position leaves him conflicted on what it means to carry himself in a way befitting of his status; should he side with his friends and put a stop to the war as a third faction, or should he continue grasping for approval from his power-hungry father as a member of the Noble Alliance?
Machias Regnitz
The son of Imperial Governor Carl Regnitz and Class VII’s vice president. Machias may be knowledgeable in political matters, but due to both a stubborn streak and a short temper, he’s often caught with his foot in his mouth. His strong rivalry against Jusis Albarea has yet to fade, but his once black-and-white disdain for the nobility has considerably softened since he started attending Thors Military Academy.
Fie Claussell
A former jaeger and daughter figure to the late Jaeger King, though her corps abandoned her for reasons unknown. Fie’s small build belies her abilities as an efficient fighter in battle, and though she felt no particular attachment to Class VII in the beginning, she now considers it her new “family” and would do anything to protect its members from harm.
Emma Millstein
A witch of the Hexen Clan, “something of a sister” to Ouroboros’ Vita Clotilde, and Class VII’s president. Emma is studious, helpful in a pinch, and incredibly kind to all, and nothing the war has to offer could change those parts of her. Still, she often worries that the many secrets she’s kept from her classmates have betrayed their trust, most notably that of knowing Rean’s fate as an Awakener.
Gaius Worzel
The son of Lacan, the finest warrior in the Nord Highlands’ nomadic settlement. No matter how dire his position may be, things rarely get under Gaius’ skin-he tends to stay calm in the face of nearly any problem life presents him, and because of his warm heart, he’s easily able to see plenty of positives where others may be scraping the bottom of the barrel for a single ray of hope. Having grown up along the outskirts of the Empire, Gaius also manages to bring to Class VII a fresh and much-needed perspective on Erebonian culture.
Millium Orion
A spy from the mysterious Intelligence Division and an Ironblood who goes by the nickname “White Rabbit.” Bursting at the seams with energy and often spilling a few more secrets than she should, Millium is a born troublemaker whose sole mission seems to be wearing out those around her. There are more questions surrounding her sudden enrollment in Class VII than answers, but she appears to be genuinely enjoying herself…enough to forget that she was assigned to be a part of them in the first place.
Sara Valestein
A former bracer known as the “Purple Lightning” and Class VII’s combat instructor. Sara is thoroughly careless and flippant when it comes to classwork, but she has received great notoriety for her strength in battle. Being highly protective of her precious students, Sara happily uses her skills from her days as a bracer to take down foes while also acting as a beam of support for Class VII. She’s careful to never order them around, instead preferring to only offer words of wisdom when the situation calls for it.
MECHANICS:
New to COLD STEEL 2
Quartz Slot Upgrades:
With Cold Steel 2 starting a mere month after the end of the first game, the developers decided to take the approach of not starting your characters all the way back at level 1 with all their Quartz slots locked, making you unlock the remaining ones. Instead, they have introduced a “Slot Upgrade” system. By upgrading a slot, this allows for you to have a higher quality of Quartz to be socketed into that spot, and similarly to how unlocking slots was in the previous game. Upgrading slots in Cold Steel 2 will net that character additional Energy Points (EP). Each slot has two levels they can be upgraded, thus allowing each character additional EP.
Overdrive:
Making its debut with Cold Steel 2, the Overdrive system is a mechanic that allows two characters who are paired via their combat link, to take three back-to-back turns in place of a single turn, while also providing a bunch of other benefits:
- removing any status effects or debuffs
- Refills a portion of HP, EP, and CP
- All attacks will be critical hits
- Arts will be cast instantly
All characters will from the get-go, will be able to perform an Overdrive when paired with Rean, and special trials, found in blue chests on various maps. This allows for specific pairs of characters to take advantage of this system.
EX ORBS:
After a certain point, you will gain the ability to create EX Orbs which serves as the equipment for Valimar, Rean’s Divine Knight. Crafting these involves using U-Materials and a corresponding Quartz, up to level 3. These include:
- Speed Orb
- Attack Orb
- Shield Orb
- HP Orb
Returning from COLD STEEL 1
Arts, Quartz and Lines:
For newcomers to the series, parts of the magic system in Cold Steel can be a bit difficult to fully understand. So let’s break things down and make it more digestible.
Master Quartz
- Each character has a single Master Quartz equipped at a time, each providing certain buffs, abilities, and Arts. As you fight, much like the characters themselves, they will gain experience and eventually leveling up. This will enhance the bonuses and unlock new abilities and Arts.
- The levels gained by each Master Quartz are not character specific and will retain its level should you swap it to another character.
- Example: You have leveled up the FORCE Master Quartz to level 2 on Rean and decide that you’d rather have the bonus CP restoration from killing enemies that come from it with Laura. Laura has never had FORCE equipped but when you equip it to her, FORCE is still level 2.
- Each MQ provides a set bonus to each of the main stats (HP, EP, STR, DEF, ATS, ADF and SPD)
- The levels gained by each Master Quartz are not character specific and will retain its level should you swap it to another character.
Quartz
By equipping a Quartz into your ARCUS unit, characters will be able to cast the spells and receive the stat buffs of that specific Quartz. In Cold Steel, these behave very similarly to the materia system in Final Fantasy VII. The name of each quartz will tell you what spell that character will have access to when they equip it in a slot, with additional information found in its description.
Quartz can be either found or made at engineering shops by synthesizing Septith, a crystallized element used for most devices in this world. Septith is most commonly gathered from battles, as enemies you fight will drop a certain combination of Septith types.
Quartz Slots and Lines
Each party member is able to equip the same maximum number of Quartz at 8 a piece, and how each utilizes a particular Quartz though, is different.
Some Slots will have a colored symbol inside of them and off to the right. For these specific Slots, you will be able to place them in with Quartz that shares the same color as the mark.
Lines play an important factor in what Quartz combinations a character can utilize. You can have only a single STATUS (burn, petrify, or freeze) and a single DEBUFF Quartz can be set per Line (1 of each). For each additional Line, a character has access to that many additional statuses or debuff arts.
- In essence, the fewer lines a character has, the more EP they will end up having in the long run.
- The more lines, the less EP a character will have, but a wider range of possible options they will have available to them.
Battle Evaluation Bonuses:
By meeting certain criteria during battle, you can be rewarded with a number of different experience point modifiers through the Battle Evaluation system. Completing things such as winning the battle without being hit or defeating multiple enemies at once, you will gain bonuses to your experience points, awarded at the end of the battle.
** The higher the bonus you get at the end of battle will affect how much of your Overdrive bar gets replenished. The higher the bonus, the more your Overdrive will refill at the end of each encounter. **
AT Bonuses:
On the left side of the combat screen, where the turn order is displayed, you will occasionally see small icons to the right of some portraits. These are bonuses that will take effect once that enemy or ally has taken their turn. These can range from healing a character (this can be especially troublesome should a difficult boss be lucky enough to wind up with a HP Heal 50% bonus) to guaranteeing that a combatant’s next attack will be a critical hit.
Tactical Link System
Tactical Links, or T-Links play an essential role in the combat of Trails of Cold Steel 2. By connecting two characters together as a team, they will be able to have access to a number of benefits that will make life easier in difficulty fights.
If you are familiar with the more recent Persona titles from Atlus, then you can equate Tactical Links to the Social Links as they share some similar mechanics. By taking part in activities with your various Class VII members, you will be able to increase their bonds between on another, increasing their individual Link Levels. As this level increases new bonuses will become available. As this is just a beginning Primer, I will only touch on the lower level bonuses.
The most basic example of the Tactical Link is the Assist Attacks that happen when an enemy is rendered unbalanced. When this occurs, whoever attacked the enemy causing the unbalancing effect, their link buddy (the party member they are currently Tactical Linked to) will be able to come in with a normal attack of their own.
At later levels, your link buddy will be able to cover you from an enemy attack and counter-attack too as just two examples.
Unbalancing Enemies:
On the topic of causing an enemy to become unbalanced, there are two primary ways of doing so.
- Each enemy is susceptible in varying degrees to the four attack types. (Slash, Thrust, Pierce, and Strike) This is displayed by the 4 symbols below the enemy’s life total with the stars to the right of them. The more stars that are next to the symbol, the more likely they are to being left unbalanced by an attack of that type.
- You can find what attack types each member of Class VII is associated with by going into the Status screen and looking in the bottom middle area in the “Attack Rank” box.
- S > A > B > C > D > None
- You can find what attack types each member of Class VII is associated with by going into the Status screen and looking in the bottom middle area in the “Attack Rank” box.
- Enemies will become unbalanced when struck with a critical hit. This includes when being hit with a guaranteed critical from an AT Bonus.
Crafts:
These are the unique special attacks that each character will learn throughout the course of the story as they level up. The effects of these Crafts vary wildly, from dealing damage to groups of enemies, healing and buffing allies, or debuffing and causing status effects to foes. To use these attacks, you use your CP resource, which can be replenished by using your normal attacks and by eating some types of food.
Some Master Quartzes, such as FORCE, will reward additional CP by fulfilling certain conditions, such as landing a killing hit on an enemy.
S-Crafts & S-Breaks :
S-Crafts are incredibly powerful attacks that consume all of a characters CP and are available to them once they have accumulated at least 100 CP. When used, they will deal a large amount of damage over a good sized area of the battlefield, lending themselves best in dire situations when you need to turn the tide or end things as soon as you can.
Each character can store a max of 200 CP, and S-Crafts will become even more powerful should you use them when a character is at their max CP. What makes these attacks even more of a boon in difficult fights is that once a character is able to use their S-Craft, they can do so at any time, even when it isn’t their turn. Doing so is what is called an S-Break.
Characters will start with the S-Crafts that they had at the end of the first game and throughout the course of this game, gain a second!. Be cautious though, as should a character fall in combat, they will lose ALL of their stored CP and have to fill their gauge again. This can be done by attacking normally and eating some food. Some revival items will also restore a small amount when used.
STATS EXPLANATIONS:
Health Points (HP)
- Your life. When it hits zero, your character is knocked out and must be revived. You will lose all the CP that character currently has, and will also break the Tactical Link with the other character, which will have to be reset.
Craft Points (CP)
- Your resource used to cast characters Craft and S-Craft attacks.
Energy Points (EP)
- Your resource used to cast characters magical Art attacks.
STRENGTH (STR)
- Strength affects how much damage your physical attacks, physical Crafts, and S-Crafts do. The higher the value, the more damage done.
DEFENSE (DEF)
- Defense affects how much damage a character takes from enemy physical attacks. The higher the value, the less damage you will take.
ARTS STRENGTH (ATS)
- This affects how much damage a character does with their Arts and magical-based Crafts. The higher the value, the more damage they will do. This also affects how much healing is done with Arts, as a higher value will cause a character to heal for more.
ARTS DEFENSE (ADF)
- This affects how much damage a character takes from enemy magical attacks. The higher the value, the less damage you will take.
SPEED (SPD)
- Speed affects how long between turns a character takes. The higher the value, the shorter the time it takes until they can act again.
DEXTERITY (DEX)
- Dexterity affects how likely a character is to land a hit on an enemy. The higher the value, the more likely their attacks are to land.
ACCURACY (ACC+)
- Accuracy is an added value that improves the chance of landing a hit on an enemy. The higher this percentage, the bigger the bonus to hit is.
AGILITY (AGI)
- Agility affects how likely a character is to dodge an enemy PHYSICAL attack. The higher the value, the more likely an enemy attack will miss.
EVASION (EVA+)
- Evasion is an Added value that improves the chance of dodging an enemy’s PHYSICAL attack. The higher this percentage, the bigger the bonus of dodging an attack is.
MOVEMENT (MOV)
- Movement affects the distance that a character can move around the battlefield during their turn. The higher the value, the more distance they will be able to travel.
RANGE (RNG)
- Range affects the distance of how far a character’s attacks can reach. The higher the value, the further an attack can hit.
AILMENTS AND ATTRIBUTES:
TIPS:
- A trip to Ymir is referenced a good deal in Cold Steel 2, especially in the early game. Do yourself a favor and read the transcript from the Japanese-exclusive audio drama that is available HERE, officially translated by XSEED. It will clear up a lot of confusion.
- Is a character running low on CP? While on the field, if you strike an enemy from the front, where as if you did from behind would start a pre-emptive advantage battle, you will gain a little CP. Keeping hitting the enemy and you will continue to gain little bits of CP for each hit! Be careful though, as you will need to back up occasionally to prevent combat, as you will slowly make up the distance between the enemy and eventually cause combat to happen.
- You can instantly kill enemies much weaker than you by hitting them again once they are stunned. You won’t gain experience but you will get small amounts of Sepith from each kill this way.
- Not too long into the game, you will gain the ability to revisit areas and explore more of the world. Take advantage of this, as there are hidden bosses and dungeons for you to find when you explore.
- Equip Quartz that gives your attacks status effects! The more the better. There are also Master Quartz that will give all your attacks and crafts, and arts the chance of inflicting effects. This can be a huge boon against foes. Especially mobs of enemies when you want to do some grinding.
- Using Overdrive is a great way to either heal up quickly when you’re in a rough spot, or when you want to blast an enemy to smithereens quickly
- You can’t use duplicate Quartz in an Orbment, so don’t waste Sepith on stat-increasing quartzes expecting to be able to set them.
- For stat increasing Quartz though, you can have one of each strength of Quartz
- EX: you can have Attack 1, Attack 2, and Attack 3 all equipped.
- By using Crafts, your character will be slightly delayed when they can attack again. On the left side of the screen in the turn order, you will see “Delay” followed by a number, indicating how much they will be delayed for.
- Don’t assume all side quests and events will appear as a mark on your map! Some quests you will have to discover on your own by talking to people!
- If a character falls in combat, he will not be revived after the battle is over. Be sure to revive any party members after combat!
- When a character dies, the link is also broken with the other character so be sure to reset it once they are alive again!
- Dead characters do NOT gain experience, so be sure to revive them before the end of the fight!
- You can change and reset your party’s Tactical Links during combat by hitting L1 during combat to be taken to the Link screen!
- Use the Turbo mode to speed up walking. Just be aware that in combat, it will speed up your cursor speed too.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel series is quickly rising through the ranks one of the best RPG series I’ve played in quite some time. Cold Steel 2 continued to raise the bar. Many of your strategies from the first game will carry over and can be applied here, and taken even further with the additional new mechanics and Quartz / Master Quartz. These, along with other refinements to the gameplay such as the being able to revisit previously visited areas and more choice in who you take with you in your party, make this a much grander adventure.
Hopefully, this guide will help players returning to the series and Erebonia jump back into all the systems and mechanics found in Cold Steel 2. There is a lot of hidden depth to the systems that, when taken advantage of, can help you easily snatch victory from your foes. So go forth, young lion, and save the day!
