How the Skill System Works (Short Version)
You're managing two separate skill systems that share one currency (Amber/Skill Amber):
- Emma's Skill Tree — Three roots: Tracking Shot, Hair, and Entanglement Overdrive. Each root branches into Blade Arts (active sword techniques) and passive upgrades. Stats affected: Strength, Vitality, Florescence, Fortitude.
- Koo's Bloom Arts — Commands you issue during combat (Triangle/Y/F button opens the command menu, slowing time). Each Bloom Art costs FP (Florescence Points) earned from parrying. Bloom Arts can be customized with Mods.
- Nushi Skills — Bonus abilities unlocked by defeating Nushi bosses. These feed into BOTH systems: some add Blade Arts for Emma, others add Bloom Arts for Koo.
⚠️ Two Resource Bars, Not One
FP (green bar, for Koo's Bloom Arts) and Entanglement (blue/purple bar, for Emma's Blade Arts and Overdrive) are separate. Both refill when you parry, but they don't share a pool. Don't confuse them.
Emma's Skill Tree: Root-by-Root Breakdown
Root 1: Tracking Shot (Recommended First Pick)
This is your bread-and-butter damage tree. It focuses on Emma's ranged capabilities and reliable melee damage output.
| Tier | Skill | Type | Why It's Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Shakuyaku | Blade Art (Physical) | Your primary single-target damage dealer. Fast animation, good stagger buildup, works on everything. Max this first. |
| A | Enhance Bow | Passive | Bow damage + draw speed. Makes exploration much safer since you can plink enemies before they close distance. |
| A | Lucky Shot | Passive | Critical hit chance boost. Stacks well with Shark Cutter weapon and Crit Boost Spirit Stone. |
| B | Iaido | Blade Art | Quick draw slash. Good for closing gaps but situational — you usually want to be in melee range already when using Blade Arts. |
| B | Attack Dog | Passive | Buffs Koo's damage during co-op attacks. Nice synergy but not a priority over Emma's own damage. |
| C | Expand Entanglement Gauge | Passive | Larger pool is nice but you should be spending Entanglement, not hoarding it. Low priority. |
Root 2: Hair (Mobility & Utility)
Emma's hair isn't cosmetic — it's a combat tool. This root controls her movement abilities and stealth options.
| Tier | Skill | Type | Why It's Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Cloaking Grass | Blade Art / Utility | Stealth option. Lets you bypass enemy groups, set up ambushes, or disengage from bad situations. Insanely useful for exploration. |
| A | Sprout Shakuyaku | Blade Art | Ranged hair-based variant of Shakuyaku. Gives you damage at range when you can't safely get close. Pairs perfectly with Enhance Bow. |
| A | Climbing Higanbana | Mobility | Vertical movement upgrade. Access to higher ground = better positioning for both combat and exploration secrets. |
| B | Helm Splitter | Blade Art | Armor-breaking overhead strike. Good against Heavy Golem types but most regular enemies don't have enough armor to justify the slow windup. |
| C | Roll | Mobility | Dodge roll upgrade. Useful if your parry timing isn't consistent yet, but you should be learning to parry instead of dodging long-term. |
Root 3: Entanglement Overdrive (Late-Game Investment)
🛑 Don't Start Here
Entanglement Overdrive does NOT work like a super move. It only slows time for a few seconds — it doesn't deal damage itself. This root becomes valuable in Chapters 8+ when you have the Entanglement economy to sustain it, but it's a trap for new players who think it's an ultimate ability.
| Tier | Skill | Type | Why It's Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Entanglement Gauge Recovery | Passive | Faster regen between encounters. Quality of life improvement that adds up over long sessions. |
| B | Recovery Effect Boost | Passive | Better healing from Stimpacks. Situational — only worth it if you find yourself burning through consumables constantly. |
| B | Extend Blade Effects | Passive | Longer weapon buff durations. Synergizes well with status-inflicting blades like Dokuzeri (poison). |
| C | Entangled Follow Up | Blade Art | Follow-up attack after Overdrive. Damage is mediocre given the setup cost. Skip unless you're building specifically around Overdrive. |
Koo Bloom Arts: Loadout Recommendations
Koo's commands are issued through the command menu (slows time when open). Each Bloom Art costs FP. Here's what to equip based on your playstyle:
Loadout A: "Fire & Lightning" (Balanced DPS)
The all-rounder that works in 90% of situations. Good single-target + AoE coverage.
- Higanbana: Bloom (starting) — Fire damage AoE. Your bread-and-butter. Cheap FP cost, good for groups.
- Sakura: Javelin (unlocked after Rangifer) — Lightning single-target. High damage, applies Shock status. Use on Nushi and Elites.
- Healing Bouquet — Emergency heal. Keep this equipped always. Koo's heals scale with FP, so use during Full Bloom for maximum effect.
Mods: Status Effect Amp + Full Bloom Crit + Magmatic Mantle (for Higanbana)
Loadout B: "Tank & Control" (Survival-Focused)
For players who struggle with survival. Trades raw damage for crowd control and sustain.
- Taunt — Koo draws aggro. Huge for getting enemies off Emma when she's low.
- Lay Landmine / Lay Flame Trap — Zone control. Force enemies into positions where you can parry them consistently.
- Healing Garden — AoE heal over time. Paired with Photosynthesis passive, this creates a sustain loop.
Mods: Battleborn + Last Stand + Healing Energy
Loadout C: "Destructive Burst" (Boss-Killing)
Maximizes burst damage against Nushi and Elite enemies. Requires good FP management.
- Kiku Bloom Arts (post-Ch.2) — Destructive-type. Breaks guards and shatters armor. Essential for Taurus and later Nushi.
- Sakura: Javelin — Lightning for shock-stacking.
- Snatch — Item theft from enemies. Less combat utility but the extra resources add up.
Mods: Full Bloom Crit + Resonance (if available) + Rapid Cooling
Mod Tier List (What to Slot)
| Tier | Mod | Best On | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Status Effect Amp | All Bloom Arts | Universal damage increase. Always slot if you have it. |
| S | Full Bloom Crit | Damage Bloom Arts | +crit during Full Bloom mode. Massive DPS multiplier when timed right. |
| A | Poison Expert | Dokuzeri builds | Poison DoT amp. Niche but devastating on poison-heavy loadouts. |
| A | Battleborn | Survival builds | Damage reduction at low HP. Saves runs more often than you'd expect. |
| A | Last Stand | Survival builds | One-time death prevention. Once-per-encounter safety net. |
| B | Magmatic Mantle | Higanbana | Fire resistance + fire damage boost. Good but element-specific. |
| B | Rapid Cooling | Burst builds | Reduces cooldown between Bloom Arts. Better once you have 3+ arts. |
| C | Healing Energy | Healing Bouquet/Garden | Only worth it if you're running double-heal loadout. |
Recommended Progression Path (Chapters 1–6)
🗺️ Amber Is Finite (Per Chapter)
Skill Amber is found in each zone and doesn't respawn with regular enemies (though campsites do refresh some nearby spawns). Plan your spends. You can respec, but it costs resources.
| Chapter | Prioritize | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ch.1 (Ogouchi) | Shakuyaku → Lucky Shot → Higanbana Bloom | Establish your core damage loop before Rangifer fight |
| Post-Rangifer | Sakura: Javelin → Enhance Bow → Sprout Shakuyaku | Add lightning damage + ranged option for Ch.2 |
| Ch.2-3 | Cloaking Grass → Climbing Higanbana → Healing Bouquet | Mobility + sustain for harder zones |
| Post-Lacerta | Kiku Bloom Arts → Helm Splitter → Taunt | Destructive options for armored enemies |
| Ch.4-5 | Critical Boost → Extend Blade Effects → Detect Hidden Item | Min-max damage + quality of life |
| Ch.6+ | Entanglement Overdrive passives → Nushi Skills | Late-game optimization |
Emma with Bloom Arts active (green chest glow) fighting alongside Koo — showing the dual-character combat system
Build Mistakes That Ruin Runs
- Overinvesting in Entanglement Overdrive early. It looks cool (time slow!) but the FP cost is brutal and the payoff is minimal until you have the supporting passives. Treat it as a Chapter 8+ investment.
- Ignoring Healing Bouquet. "I'll just use Stimpacks" — except Stimpacks are limited and you'll run out in Nushi fights. Koo's heal is free (costs FP, which you generate by parrying). Always keep one heal equipped.
- Spreading points across all three roots evenly. Jack of all trades = master of none. Pick Tracking Shot as your primary, dip into Hair for key utilities, save Overdrive for last.
- Forgetting that Nushi Skills exist. Every Nushi you defeat adds to your toolkit. Some Nushi Skills are strictly better than base tree skills. Don't sleep on these rewards.
- Not respeccing when your playstyle changes. Started as a bow user but now realize you love parry-melee? Respec. Amber respawns aren't infinite but neither is your patience with a build that doesn't match how you actually play.