Shortly after leaving Iselia, EX Skills and Compound EX Skills are introduced.
These gameplay mechanics can have a huge impact on the usefulness of your char-
acters, but that's usually not until much later in the game. In the beginning,
they don't do much good.
Each character can equip up to four EX Gems. These are found in treasure chests
throughout the game, dropped by bosses, or purchased from Gem Katz in Triet,
Palmacosta, Asgard, and Hima. I highly recommend against purchasing them from
the Katz because they cost precious grade, which is better spent elsewhere.
There are four levels of EX Gems, each offering four EX Skills. While higher
level EX Gems often have better or more interesting EX Skills, it is very rarely
a good idea to deck someone out with four level four EX Gems. The reason for
this is Compound EX Skills.
Compound EX Skills are extra effects gained by equipping certain combinations of
EX Skills. These extra effects can be far better than those of the EX Skills
needed to gain them. Even though you must complete a battle for the Compound EX
Skill to show up on the EX Skills menu, it will take effect immediately. To
keep the effect from a Compound EX Skill, you must keep all of its required EX
Skills equipped.
When choosing a set of EX Skills, I suggest that you first look through the
available Compound EX Skills to see if there's something you want. If you find
one that doesn't need four EX Skills, remember that you can have multiple Com-
pound EX Skills active if they have common shared EX Skills. If none of the
Compound EX Skills interest you, then start looking at individual EX Skills.
Something else to consider is that each EX Skill is either T type or S type.
Having a majority of one type will cause your T-S meter to slowly point to
the majority end after each battle the character participates in. The larger
the majority, the bigger the change per battle. This T-S meter is what decides
whether you'll learn T type techs or S type techs. Don't worry too much about
this, though, it is quite easy to change your type when it comes time to learn
a new tech.
None of Lloyd's Compound EX Skills really jump out at me, so I use Personal (2),
Add Combo (3), Ability Plus (4), and Sky Combo (4). This combination gets me
Sky Attack, which I don't find all that useful.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Taunt (T) Press Z during battle to taunt enemies and fill the
Unison Bar by a little
Sharp-eyed (T) Increases Accuracy
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Increases movement speed in towns and dungeons
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Dash (T) Increases movement speed in battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing on its own, but part of many Compound EX
Skills
Guard Plus (S) Decreases damage taken while guarding
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Add Combo (T) Increases the basic combo from three hits to four
Level 4
Immunity (S) Sometimes avoid getting a status ailment from an
enemy attack
Ability Plus (S) Able to link two level 1 techs together
Sky Combo (T) Able to do three basic attacks in midair
Follow-up (T) Increases enemy stagger time
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
EX Attack / Strong (level 1) Increases damage to guarding
\ Tough (level 1) enemies
EX Defend / Dodge (level 2) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Vitality (level 2) when hit
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Counter / Guard Plus (level 3) Quickly attack after guarding
\ Follow-up (level 4)
Phys. Status / Immunity (level 4) No physical ailments
\ Eternal (level 3)
Over Limit / Eternal (level 3) Over limits last longer
\ Personal (level 2)
R. Arts / Sharp-eyed (level 1) Able to attack while in mid-
\ Sky Combo (level 4) air when recovering from
knockdown
T. Guard / Strong (level 1) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Taunt (level 1) while taunting
Life Up / Vitality (level 2) Occasionally increase max HP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
Spirit Up / Spirit (level 3) Occasionally increase max TP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
T. Cancel / Dodge (level 2) Cancel a taunt by guarding
\ Taunt (level 1)
Quick Turn / Dash (level 2) Quickly turn around when
\ Tough (level 1) running in battle
B. Guard / Dash (level 1) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Sharp-eyed (level 1) while backstepping
Unison Force / Eternal (level 3) Unison Attacks do more damage
\ Tough (level 1)
Relax / Dodge (level 2) Slowly recover TP during
\ Spirit (level 3) battle if you stand still
Critical Up / Strong (level 1) Increase chances of landing
\ Personal (level 2) a critical hit
Sky Attack / Sky Combo (level 4) Use certain techs in midair
\ Ability Plus (level 4) like O. Tempest and Rising F.
Run Away! / Dash (level 2) Decrease time needed to run
\ Taunt (level 1) away
Exp Plus / Taunt (level 1) Increase experience earned by
| Eternal (level 3) maybe 5%
\ Personal (level 2)
Jump Combo / Sharp-eyed (level 1) Can continue a basic combo
| Add Combo (level 3) after landing
\ Follow-up (level 4)
Aerial Guard / Guard Plus (level 3) Guard while in the air
| Immunity (level 4)
\ Sky Combo (level 4)
Colette has several good Compound EX Skills. Item Getter is your best friend
when trying to steal items from enemies and Item Finder helps in getting drops.
Resilience is nice if, for whatever reason, you like to use her angel skills.
I, however, prefer to use Life Up, Spirit Up, Life Thief, and Spirit Thief. It
keeps her healthy, keeps her TP up, and using her frequently can be a big boost
to max HP and TP.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with Z to fill the Unison Bar a
little bit
Sharp-eyed (T) Increases Accuracy
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Increases duration of Holy Bottles
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Magical (T) Increases Intelligence
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing on its own, but part of many Compound EX
Skills
Resurrect (S) Might revive automatically when killed
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Lucky (T) Increases Luck
Level 4
Immunity (S) Might avoid getting a status ailment from an attack
Angel Song (S) Reduces casting time
Stat Boost (T) Increases effect of status boosters like Raine's
Barrier and Sharpness
Sky Combo (T) Able to attack once more while in the air
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
Spirit Up / Spirit (level 3) Occasionally increases max TP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
Regenerate / Strong (level 1) Slowly recover HP and TP if
\ Taunt (level 1) standing still in battle
T. Cancel / Dodge (level 2) Cancel a taunt by guarding
\ Taunt (level 1)
Item Finder / Tough (level 1) Increases chances of getting
\ Sharp-eyed (level 1) items after battle
Gald Finder / Dodge (level 2) Might get more gald from a
\ Sharp-eyed (level 1) battle
Critical Up / Strong (level 1) Increases chances of landing
\ Tough (level 1) a critical hit
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Super Guard / Resurrect (level 3) Receive no damage if you use
\ Tough (level 1) Damage Guard and your HP is
less than 16% its maximum
Reflect / Tough (level 1) Enemies sometimes receive the
\ Immunity (level 4) damage they deal to you
Nullify / Vitality (level 2) Sometimes receive no damage
\ Dodge (level 2) from a hit
Life Up / Vitality (level 2) Occasionally increases max HP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
Exp Plus / Taunt (level 1) Increase experience earned by
| Eternal (level 3) 5%
\ Personal (level 2)
Life Thief / Vitality (level 2) Recover HP proportional to
\ Stat Boost (level 4) your combo
Spirit Thief / Spirit (level 3) Recover TP proportional to
\ Stat Boost (level 4) your combo
Pow Hammer / Lucky (level 3) A Pow Hammer sometimes
\ Sharp-eyed (level 1) appears when attacked
Over Limit / Eternal (level 3) Over limits last longer
\ Personal (level 2)
C. Counter / Eternal (level 3) Increased damage to an enemy
\ Strong (level 1) that is in the process of
attacking
Battle Cry / Personal (level 2) Get status boosts at the
| Stat Boost (level 4) start of battle
\ Sky Combo (level 4)
Exp Plus A / Angel Song (level 4) Increases experience earned
| Taunt (level 1) for the party by 9%. This
| Eternal (level 3) negates all other Exp Plus
\ Personal (level 2) Compound EX Skills
Angel's Tear / Resurrect (level 3) Automatically revive the
| Angel Song (level 4) first time you die each
| Stat Boost (level 4) battle
\ Eternal (level 3)
S. Guard / Immunity (level 4) Nullifies all physical
| Eternal (level 3) ailments
| Angel Song (level 4)
\ Lucky (level 3)
Resilience / Angel Song (level 4) Cannot be interrupted when
| Magical (level 2) casting
\ Resurrect (level 3)
Item Getter / Lucky (level 3) 100% steal rate if the enemy
| Sharp-eyed (level 1) has something to steal and
| Stat Boost (level 4) does not block the attack
\ Magical (level 2)
The only Compound EX Skill I use for Genis is Concentrate. Randomizer can help
in the Meltokio Coliseum. The lower Genis' luck stat, the more likely it is to
activate. Simply start casting, cancel, and repeat until your enemies are in a
world of hurt.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Magical (T) Increases Intelligence
Taunt (T) Allows you to increase the Unison Bar a bit by
pressing Z
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Level 2
Personal (S) Raises effectiveness of cooking
Guard Plus (S) Reduces damage while guarding
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Dash (T) Increases movement speed in battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing on its own, but used in many Compound EX
Skills
E. Guard (S) Raises elemental defense
Add Combo (T) Increases basic combo by one
Rhythm (T) Tap A button to speed up casting process
Level 4
Immunity (S) Might prevent physical ailments from enemy attacks
Spell Save (S) Reduces casting time if the same spell was interrupted
by an enemy
Speed Cast (T) Reduces casting time
Spell Charge (T) Allows you to charge a spell that will be released
after a physical combo at no TP cost, but reduced
damage
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
Magic Boost / Magical (level 1) Sometimes make spells more
\ Tough (level 1) powerful
E. Block / E. Guard (level 3) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Guard Plus (level 2) from elemental attacks
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Mag. Status / E. Guard (level 3) Prevents magical ailments
\ Immunity (level 4)
Randomizer / Rhythm (level 3) Sometimes instantly cast a
\ Tough (level 1) spell
Relax / Dodge (level 1) Slowly recover TP if standing
\ Spirit (level 2) still in battle
Reprise / Spell Save (level 4) Reduce casting time if the
\ Dash (level 2) same spell is used twice in
a row
Nimble Mage / Add Combo (level 3) Able to move sooner after
\ Spell Charge (level 4) casting a spell
Roll / Tough (level 1) Reduces damage from falling
\ Dash (level 2) down
Exp Plus / Taunt (level 1) Increases experience earned
| Eternal (level 3) by 5%
\ Personal (level 2)
Spell Defense / Spell Charge (level 4) Might avoid staggering from
| Spell Save (level 4) an elemental spell while you
\ Guard Plus (level 2) have a spell charged
Blood Spirit / Guard Plus (level 2) Recover TP when you take
| E. Guard (level 3) damage
\ Magical (level 1)
Spell Revenge / Speed Cast (level 4) Immediately cast a novice
| Spell Charge (level 4) spell if sent flying
\ E. Guard (level 3)
Self Cure / Immunity (level 4) Automatically recover from
| Magical (level 1) status effects after a while
\ E. Guard (level 3)
Concentrate / Rhythm (level 3) Can't be interrupted when
| Speed Cast (level 4) casting. There are some
| Spell Save (level 4) exceptions, but not many
\ Spell Charge (level 4)
Super Chain (3) is my absolute favorite EX Skill. Fortunately, both of the
best Compound EX Skills for these versatile characters require it. Super Blast
is a good way of making combos last longer if you prefer melee combat, and
Concentrate works great for healing. Aerial Spell can make for some interest-
ing combos if you make use of Spell Charge.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Magical (T) Increases Intelligence
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with the Z button to fill the
Unison Bar a little bit
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Kratos: Recover HP as you move in towns and dungeons
Zelos: Receive items from female NPCs when Zelos is
the onscreen character. Higher luck gets better stuff
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Dash (T) Increases movement speed in battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing on its own, but used in many Compound EX
Skills
Guard Plus (S) Reduce damage while guarding
Slasher (T) Able to use six basic attacks, but can't link techs
after the fourth hit
Super Chain (T) Link techs in any order, i.e. 2-3-1
Level 4
Immunity (S) Sometimes avoid status ailments from enemy attacks
Speed Cast (T) Reduce casting time
Sky Combo (T) Able to do one more basic attack in midair
Spell Charge (T) Can charge a spell to be released after a physical
combo for no TP cost, but less power
Compound EX Skills
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
B. Guard / Dash (level 2) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Spirit (level 2) when backstepping
EX Defend / Dodge (level 1) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Vitality (level 2) from physical attacks
Level 1
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Magical (T) Increases Intelligence
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with Z, increasing the Unison Bar
by a little bit
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Level 2
E. Guard (S) Decreases elemental damage taken
Personal (S) Reduce TP consumption to 1 when standing on a memory
circle. Only works out of battle
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Neutralizer (T) Sometimes don't receive damage from a hit
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing by itself, but needed for many Compound
EX Skills
Guard Plus (S) Reduce damage taken while guarding
Add Combo (T) Adds one to the number of hits in the basic combo
Speed Cast (T) Reduces casting time
Level 4
Immunity (S) Might avoid receiving a status ailment from an enemy
attack
Spell Save (S) Decreases casting time if you were just interrupted
Item Pro (T) Able to move sooner after using an item in battle
Happiness (T) Sometimes get extra gald or experience from battle
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
Magic Boost / Magical (level 1) Might increase spell effects
\ Tough (level 1)
E. Block / E. Guard (level 2) Might not stagger when hit
\ Guard Plus (level 3) by an elemental spell
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Mag. Status / E. Guard (level 2) Prevents magical ailments
\ Immunity (level 4)
Over Limit / Eternal (level 3) Over limits last longer
\ Personal (level 2)
Hard Hit / Speed Cast (level 3) Increases stagger caused by
\ Add Combo (level 3) your basic combo
Lucky Soul / Magical (level 1) Sometimes recover TP when
\ Add Combo (level 3) knocked over
Auto Aid / Item Pro (level 4) Might automatically cast
\ Guard Plus (level 3) First Aid when hit
Spirit Up / Spirit (level 2) Occasionally increases max TP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
T. Cancel / Dodge (level 1) Cancel a taunt by guarding
\ Taunt (level 1)
Anti-Element / Neutralizer (level 2) Sometimes cut elemental
\ E. Guard (level 2) damage by half
Technical / Spirit (level 2) Reduces TP consumption in
\ Item Pro (level 4) battle
Unison Force / Eternal (level 3) Increases damage done by
\ Tough (level 1) Unison Attacks
Relax / Dodge (level 1) Slowly recover TP when
\ Spirit (level 2) standing still in battle
Reducer / Add Combo (level 3) Decreases TP consumption if
\ Spell Save (level 4) the same spell is used twice
in a row
Nimble Mage / Speed Cast (level 3) Able to move sooner after
\ Personal (level 2) casting a spell
Lucky Magic / Neutralizer (level 2) Sometimes spells don't cost
\ Happiness (level 4) any TP
Exp Plus / Taunt (level 1) Increases experience earned
| Eternal (level 3) by 5%
\ Personal (level 2)
Quick Spell / Neutralizer (level 2) Spells sometimes instantly
| Happiness (level 4) cast
\ Spell Save (level 4)
Blood Spirit / Guard Plus (level 3) Recover TP when damage
| E. Guard (level 2)
\ Magical (level 1)
Self Cure / Immunity (level 4) Automatically recover from
| Tough (level 1) status ailments after a
\ E. Guard (level 2) while
Item Master / Item Pro (level 4) Items used on Raine have an
| Neutralizer (level 2) increased effect during
\ Happiness (level 4) battle
Concentrate / Speed Cast (level 3) Can't be interrupted while
| Item Pro (level 4) casting a spell. There are
| Spell Save (level 4) some exceptions
\ Happiness (level 4)
Like Lloyd, none of Sheena's Compound EX Skills really jump out at me and say
"I'm awesome!" I settle for Phys. Status, Life Up, and Spirit Up.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with Z to refill the Unison Bar by
a little bit
Sharp-eyed (T) Increases Accuracy
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Depending on your Luck, might avoid an encounter when
touching monsters in dungeons. A white circle means
the ability took effect
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Dash (T) Increases movement speed during battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing by itself, but needed for many Compound
EX Skills
E. Guard (S) Decreases damage from elemental attacks
Prolong (S) Status effects inflicted by your techs last longer
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Level 4
Guard Plus (S) Reduces damage taken while guarding
Immunity (S) Might avoid getting a status ailment from an enemy
attack
Add Combo (T) Increases the basic combo by one
Speed Cast (T) Decreases casting time
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
Critical Up / Eternal (level 3) Increases the chances of
\ Sharp-eyed (level 1) landing a critical hit
EX Defend / Vitality (level 2) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Dodge (level 2) from a physical attack
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
M. Guardian / Guard Plus (level 4) Increases effectiveness of
\ E. Guard (level 3) your guard tech
EX Attack / Strong (level 1) Increases damage to guarding
\ Tough (level 1) enemies
Over Limit / Eternal (level 3) Over limits last longer
\ Personal (level 2)
Spirit Healer / Guard Plus (level 4) Recover more TP after battle
\ Spirit (level 3)
T. Guard / Strong (level 1) Might not stagger when hit
\ Taunt (level 1) during taunt
Life Up / Vitality (level 2) Occasionally increases max HP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
Spirit Up / Spirit (level 3) Occasionally increases max TP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
T. Cancel / Dodge (level 2) Cancel a taunt by guarding
\ Taunt (level 1)
Jump Combo / Add Combo (level 4) Able to continue basic combo
\ Tough (level 1) after landing
Quick Turn / Speed Cast (level 4) Turn quickly when running in
\ Dash (level 2) battle
Unison Force / Eternal (level 3) Increased damage done by
\ Tough (level 1) Unison Attacks
Hard Hit / Prolong (level 3) Increases stagger caused by
\ Dash (level 2) the basic combo
While I always use Glory, I never control Presea myself. If you plan on
playing as her, Over Charge, P. Defense, and G. Breaker make for one mean
little madam.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with Z to fill the Unison Bar by a
little bit
Sharp-eyed (T) Increases Accuracy
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Randomly find food while walking around in dungeons.
A sound and white circle will alert you to success
Rear Guard (T) Can guard attacks from behind
Dash (T) Increases movement speed in battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing by itself, but used in many Compound EX
Skills
Guard Plus (S) Reduces damage taken while guarding
Endure (T) Stagger for a shorter amount of time
P. Charge (T) Hold A to briefly raise your Attack
Level 4
Immunity (S) Might not get a status effect from an enemy attack
Savior (S) Stats increase when all allies (in battle) are dead
Heavy Hit (T) Better chance of stunning enemies
Revive (T) Automatically recover some HP when it gets low
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
EX Attack / Strong (level 1) Increases damage to guarding
\ Dash (level 2) enemies
Solid Guard / Guard Plus (level 3) Decreases damage taken when
\ Rear Guard (level 2) guarding, even after a while
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Over Charge / Taunt (level 1) Increases the effect of P.
\ P. Charge (level 3) Charge, but might fail
Glory is where it's at. As a bonus, you also get Counter and C. Combo with it.
Standard EX Skills:
Level 1
Strong (S) Increases Strength
Tough (S) Increases Defense
Taunt (T) Allows you to taunt with Z to fill the Unison Bar a
little bit
Sharp-eyed (T) Increases Accuracy
Level 2
Vitality (S) Increases max HP
Personal (S) Buy items at 10% less and sell them at 10% more
Dodge (T) Increases Evade
Dasth (T) Increases movement in battle
Level 3
Eternal (S) Does nothing by itself, but needed for many Compound
EX Skills
Guard Plus (S) Reduces damage taken while guarding
Spirit (T) Increases max TP
Add Combo (T) Increases basic combo by one
Level 4
Immunity (S) Might avoid a status ailment caused by an enemy attack
Guilt (S) Stats increase if Presea is in the battle
Sky Combo (T) Allows one more basic combo in the air
Flash (T) Cannot be staggered right after an attack is cancelled
Compound EX Skills:
NAME REQUIRED EX SKILLS EFFECT
EX Attack / Strong (level 1) Increases damage to guarding
\ Tough (level 1) enemies
Armor / Strong (level 1) Sometimes cannot be staggered
\ Guard Plus (level 3) during the first hit of the
basic combo
T. Cancel / Taunt (level 1) Cancel a taunt by guarding
\ Dash (level 2)
HP Recover / Tough (level 1) Slowly recover half of the
\ Eternal (level 3) last damage received
Relax / Dodge (level 2) Slowly recovers TP if you
\ Spirit (level 3) stand still during battle
L. Unison / Taunt (level 1) Unison Bar might stay full
\ Personal (level 2) after a Unison Attack
Quick Turn / Dash (level 2) Turn around quickly when
\ Tough (level 1) running
Jump Combo / Sharp-eyed (level 1) Combo from a midair basic
\ Sky Combo (level 4) attack to a ground basic
attack
Life Up / Vitality (level 2) Occasionally increases max HP
\ Eternal (level 3) by 0.5% after battle
Healer Taunt / Taunt (level 1) Recover HP when taunting
\ Guilt (level 4)
EX Defend / Vitality (level 2) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Dodge (level 2) from physical attacks
B. Guard / Guard Plus (level 3) Sometimes avoid staggering
\ Dash (level 2) while backstepping
R. Arts / Guard Plus (level 3) Able to attack in midair
\ Sky Combo (level 4) after recovering
Counter / Vitality (level 2) Press A immediately after
\ Flash (level 4) guarding to attack right
away
Over Limit / Eternal (level 3) Over limits last longer
\ Personal (level 2)
Aerial Jump / Add Combo (level 3) Do a double jump in midair
\ Flash (level 4)
Combo Force / Sky Combo (level 4) Combo damage doesn't decrease
\ Flash (level 4) as much
Aerial Guard / Guard Plus (level 3) Guard in midair
| Immunity (level 4)
\ Sky Combo (level 4)
