What is the trick to raising weapon skill level quicker?

[Seven Fates]

I played through the first volume and half of the second back when I had them on the PS2, but even back then I found I was having problems getting my weapon skill up without just buying the skill books. Now that I'm playing this again and I can see just how fast the player leveling has become, it feels like weapon skill levels even slower. Haseo's level 21 and has only just acquired Sparrow Counter... to say nothing of what'll happen once I get his second form and the heavy blade load-out.

I've heard that fighting in the arena is more effective, but I can't seem to get much gain out of it. Heck, even fighting 'players' several levels above me ends too quickly for my tastes, and I'm lucky if I get an opporutnity for a counterattack, because Silabus just focuses down the leaders like a sniper if snipers were Link wannabes.

Any tips to speed this up? Survival fights, maybe? Go solo?

[NightHatter]

It's the rengekis and hangekis that increase your level faster.
So when people say arena is great for weapon levels it's because it's so easy to spam them due to your opponent co stantly using skills.

[davidb11]

So, the funny thing, there are a few trades with players that give you access to the book of Wisdom, that adds basically half a skill level to your weapon skills, to you, or the whole party, and while it's a rank 4, and really difficult to trade for, it's a lot faster than the arena, which is still glacially slow even if you manage to go out of your way not to kill the opponent, allowing plenty of Rengeki oppertunties.

[Airaneon]

Grind it at the arena.

[Maha.j2]

Originally posted by NightHatter:

It's the rengekis and hangekis that increase your level faster.
So when people say arena is great for weapon levels it's because it's so easy to spam them due to your opponent co stantly using skills.

I think just fighting in the arena levels them faster in general.

[DarkestLight]

In volume 1 you can always trade with Henako and Corporal Yano. Both can have a Beginner's Text and a Beginner's Book on them. Just trade the customization items you don't need/want for them. You'd be surprised what the NPCs will give you for 8 Olm Shells.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1195387553
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1195386987

[davidb11]

Yep! That is the single best way at all to gain skill points.
Much easier than the Arena. Hell, it makes the Arena look glacially slow.
I'm glad it's in the game.

I don't think it was like this in the original, or was it?

[DarkestLight]

Originally posted by davidb11:

I don't think it was like this in the original, or was it?

It was. But its volume 1 only, probably in both versions? I'm not quite ready to move on to volume 2 yet in this version.

[davidb11]

Ah. Okay. I forgot about that.
I think there are other ways later on into the later games.

I know there's a few people that will trade stat increasing items, even in the first Vol, but I think those only show up after you've beaten the main storyline
I know I've traded for them in Vol 2 and Vol 3.

[MaxPlus]

Also, the Triffle Guild shop sometimes sells them.

[Seven Fates]

Thanks. I got my dual swords leveled up to 5 and then I was stopped, so I guess I'll just have to worry about unlocking second form and popping those skill books I acquired. As an aside, the Beginner Texts [or Book, whichever is single-target] are actually let go for as little as one Olm Shell.