Blades are weaponized lifeforms awakened from Core Crystals and bound to Drivers. In gameplay terms, a Blade is a package of weapon type, element, role, Arts/Specials, field skills, and affinity chart progression. Your “class” at any moment is mostly the Blade set you brought into the fight.
This hub explains the shared rules every Blade follows. For gacha-like rare acquisition and standout targets, continue to the Rare Blades page.
This page stays focused on blades with concrete menu and combat vocabulary so you can apply it on your next session without reopening a general overview.
01
Roles and elements
Each Blade is Attack, Tank, or Healer. Attackers raise damage identity, tanks improve survivability and aggro tools, healers provide recovery and support. Mixing roles changes Driver class names and stat leanings. For story progression, balanced coverage beats triple-attacker fantasy compositions.
Elements drive Blade Combo routes and some exploration interactions. Fire, water, wind, ice, electric, earth, light, and dark each enable different Special sequences. Keep at least a couple of distinct elements available across the active party so you can always start a combo line.
If your active set is all Attack Blades, expect brittle fights against multi-target bosses. Swap one slot toward Tank or Healer before raising difficulty or challenging high-level uniques. Element coverage can live on the second and third engaged Blades, not only the starter.
02
Weapons, engagement, and switching
Blade weapon types (for example Aegis Sword, Bitball, Greataxe, Katana, and many more) determine which Driver Arts are available while that Blade is active. Drivers have affinities and mastery growth that make certain weapons feel better over time.
Early on you may only engage one Blade. Progression unlocks two, then three engaged Blades per Driver, with mid-combat switching after cooldowns. Treat the three slots as a micro team: openers, elemental coverage, and emergency heal or tank swap.
Weapon mastery growth rewards sticking with a type long enough for Driver Arts to feel strong. Constantly rotating every new rare onto Rex resets that comfort. Use switches mid-fight for elemental needs, not as a substitute for learning one weapon’s Art timings.
03
Story Blades vs rare Blades
Some Blades join through story or quests and are effectively guaranteed. Pyra, Mythra, Poppi forms, and several character-linked Blades fall into this category. They are balanced to carry a first playthrough if you invest affinity chart progress.
Rare Blades from crystal resonance add legendary utility, damage, or niche field skills. They are optional power and collection goals. A completionist rare Blade run is a post-game hobby; a story clear only needs disciplined use of the Blades you already have.
Story Blades carry chapter content if affinity charts are not ignored. Rares shine for field skill completion, niche bosses, and personal favorites. Treat crystal hunting as a parallel hobby with clear session limits so it does not replace story progress for a week.
FAQ
Questions players ask first
How many Blades can a Driver use at once?+
Progression unlocks up to three engaged Blades per Driver. You may own many more in inventory, but only engaged Blades can be swapped into during battle after cooldowns.
Are common Blades useless?+
Commons remain useful for field skill gaps, missing Driver Combo effects, and strong aux core hosts. Many veterans keep specialist commons even after rare collections grow large.