KEY POINTS
- Balseph is a slow but powerful boss that can deal high amounts of damage in a single hit
- Dodge frequently and exploit openings to beat this boss quickly
- The boss fight proceeds normally for the most part during the second phase
Lord Balseph may be the first major boss fight in “Tales of Arise,” but this big brute is no pushover. He can easily one-shot Alphen and Shionne with his hard-hitting swings and the second phase of the fight can be extra troublesome because of the additional threat on the arena.
However, this boss fight serves as a step ladder that teaches players the core essentials of the combat in “Tales of Arise.” Balseph may be tough, but everything and everyone else outside of Calaglia is tougher, which makes mastery over this boss fight all the more crucial.
Lord Balseph’s Moveset
The boss’ attacks are simple and obviously telegraphed. However, his sluggishness is compensated for by his immense damage potential.
Balseph has a standard array of axe swings, and on the second phase, a giant fire avatar will join the fight to make things more hectic. Thankfully, the latter's attacks are fairly easy to dodge.
Nearly all of Balseph’s attacks are slow, so try to perfectly dodge all of them for some quick damage and faster recovery.
An avatar of flame will appear in the second half of Balseph's boss fight Photo: Bandai Namco
Beating Lord Balseph
Party composition isn’t much of a concern here as players only have access to Shionne and Alphen. The two of them are more than enough to beat this boss, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, Balseph is extremely durable. Neither Alphen nor Shionne’s basic attacks will do much against him, making mindless button-mashing pointless.
Second, the boss can and will down characters in one hit. Careless players can find themselves resetting the fight over and over again if they don’t learn how to dodge.
The biggest lessons players must learn here are how to dodge and when to go all-in. Balseph’s attacks leave him wide open when he whiffs, and performing perfect dodges can give players more time to deal damage while the boss is vulnerable.
During the fight, a special Strike prompt will appear over Balseph. Hitting this Strike is important as it will deal massive damage and disable Balseph for a good amount of time. Afterward, players must continue to hit extended combos while dodging attacks to eventually take the boss down.
Patience is key in this fight. Stay alive and slowly chip away at the boss’ health until he is beaten.
