Is Ebon Crest broken?

[Xbob42]

I'm still pretty early on, and I've heard this game can get pretty busted in many ways with the power scaling, but even this early this order seems completely ridiculous. It would be fine if it was 4 enemy turns, but it's 4 party turns, so you actually benefit more from low speed or intentionally delaying yourself by spamming S-Breaks or something. That sounds like a neat tactic in theory, but it just completely negates so much, even on Nightmare.

And since it gives you ABSOLUTE reflect, absolutely nothing gets through it, at least not yet.

Luckily the reflect damage isn't super high so it'd be kind of crazy to try and use it to actually win fights via reflect damage, so it's not as OP as it could be, but still!

[Koby]

I barely used Ebon Crest actually because it wasn't very helpful. Characters are fast enough that most of the turns are taken up to the point that maybe only one or two times does the enemy attack before it's used up... and then you'll run out of BP faster than you can maintain it.

Much better just to use Sledge Hammer and put enemies into break asap.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Ebon Crest is useful when you can get it but you're not going to be able to win every battle relying upon it. It's not like Kevin's Grail Sphere where you can just emergency pop a reflect whenever the party is about to take damage; you have to activate it on your turn. If the enemy gets a long string of turns in a row (especially on higher difficulties when the enemies get more turns overall), then that's a lot of attacks wailing on you and you have no ability to mitigate them.

[Xbob42]

I see what you guys are saying, and it makes sense (don't have Sledge Hammer yet, like I said, read early) but the fact that you can also delay your "turn" being consumed by casting arts seems like it makes it just a liiittle more flexible than it should be.

[Mistfox]

Originally posted by Val the Moofia Boss:

Ebon Crest is useful when you can get it but you're not going to be able to win every battle relying upon it. It's not like Kevin's Grail Sphere where you can just emergency pop a reflect whenever the party is about to take damage; you have to activate it on your turn. If the enemy gets a long string of turns in a row (especially on higher difficulties when the enemies get more turns overall), then that's a lot of attacks wailing on you and you have no ability to mitigate them.

That's not true, Ebon Crest does not count by the turns taken by the enemy, it counts when someone in your party is taking a turn, so a long stretch of an enemy taking turns is actually the best time to throw it up since they'll simply waste their turns hitting something that can't be broken. In fact, it's an order better used for slow parties since the fewer turns they take means that the Crest is up most of the time.

[Gin-chan]

Seriously yeah Ebon Crest is a bit broken especially if you apply it when enemies are definitely gonna take tons of turns since the turn count for it doesnt go down unless its OUR party member's turn. Helped me tons of times on my playthrough (Since yeah i don't really optimise my party for speed anyways) especially when i can see the attacks coming on the action timeline. Its actually a lot better than Kevin's Grail Sphere imo since anyone can trigger it before the enemies turn comes up if you have the resource for it.

[Xx_ThRiLlHelM420_xX]

I played through nightmare. Early game ebon crest is very strong to avoid taking damage, but it's also pretty expensive so sometimes you are better off with iron will if you are low on BP. You need to farm 3 BP for crest every cycle to keep it up which can be a bit much.

Early game for me was basically use sledgehammer to break enemies, then use wind strike to maximize the amount of turns before enemy is unbroken. Use ebon crest or iron will to cover enemy turns if they get any.

Later game you are going to get jusis platnium shields and arts-chrono or divine song instant admantium shields with bell stack though so you don't necessarily need this order to keep immunity on your party at important times.

Once you get chronburst and arts celebration though, IMO there isn't much incentive to use anything other than arts-chrono combo since it nets you infinite turns as long as you have a few cheap crit+ gear and quartz. There aren't many big fights you have to take without it after its online either. Divine song bell stack combo can also be used to clear mobs quickly, since as another user pointed out it is less actions /animations than arts chrono.

[Koby]

Originally posted by Xbob42:

(don't have Sledge Hammer yet, like I said, read early)

I am pretty sure Sledge Hammer is one of the brave orders you start the game with automatically.

[Xx_ThRiLlHelM420_xX]

Originally posted by Koby:

Originally posted by Xbob42:

(don't have Sledge Hammer yet, like I said, read early)

I am pretty sure Sledge Hammer is one of the brave orders you start the game with automatically.

No you have to unlock it, but you get it pretty early. I think its the 2nd keep trial.

[Xbob42]

Originally posted by Koby:

Originally posted by Xbob42:

(don't have Sledge Hammer yet, like I said, read early)

I am pretty sure Sledge Hammer is one of the brave orders you start the game with automatically.

I've got, going off of memory here, the damage one, iron will, the song that makes arts instant cast, and Ebon Crest.

[Koby]

Originally posted by Chief Ten Beers:

Originally posted by Koby:

I am pretty sure Sledge Hammer is one of the brave orders you start the game with automatically.

No you have to unlock it, but you get it pretty early. I think its the 2nd keep trial.

Ah yes, you unlock it on May 14th.