Octopath Traveler 2 Break & Boost Combat System Explained

The Break and Boost system makes an appearance in Octopath Traveler 2, and it is one of many features the game offers to make combat more exciting for players. This mechanic should be familiar to those who have played the first game, but having a refresher may still be useful. This guide will explain in detail how the Break and Boost system works in Octopath Traveler 2.

How the Break System Works in Octopath Traveler 2

The Break system in Octopath Traveler 2 is fairly straightforward. Each enemy you encounter will have a Shield symbol with a number on it, representing the strength of their guard. In order to Break an enemy, you must reduce their Shield Points to zero by exploiting their weaknesses.

Breaking an opponent will stun them for one turn and lower their defenses. Generally, it is best for you to keep your big move, like Latent Powers, for a Broken enemy since they will receive extra damage.

You can see what kind of attack the enemy is vulnerable against by looking at the icons inside the row of squares. Initially, these symbols will only appear as question marks when you first face an opponent, but once you have struck them using the correct weapon or element, the icons will reveal themselves.

Osvald is the best character to have in your party if you want to discover enemies’ weaknesses quickly because he has an innate Talent to reveal one vulnerability at the start of a fight. He can also use Scholar’s Analyze skill to show one weakness of an opponent and their HP for a cost of one SP.

Let me give you an example of how the Break system will work in a battle. Say you encounter a new foe, and thanks to Osvald’s Talent, you know they are vulnerable against spears. The enemy is pretty weak and only has one Shield Point, so you can order Hikari to launch a normal attack.

Congratulations! You successfully Break your opponent’s guard. Since your foe is stunned, you can now freely beat them into submission.

How the Boost System Works in Octopath Traveler 2

While Breaking allows you to weaken your enemies, the Boost system lets you power up your characters’ abilities. At the start of every turn, your characters will gain one Boost Point, and you can save up to five BP. It is recommended to use all of them during every battle since you cannot keep any BP once the fight ends.

The Boost system has different effects on the types of abilities you are using. Boosting normal attacks will allow you to strike your opponent several times, while some skills, like elemental magic, will have greater damage after being boosted.

Although saving up BP to power up your Latent Powers to attack a stunned enemy is recommended, you can also boost your normal attack to quickly reduce an opponent’s Shield Points. It all depends on your situation. Sometimes, using BP to Break an enemy and give you some breathing room is better. Other times, it’s wiser to save up and land a big hit on a boss.

That is the end of our guide on the Break and Boost system in Octopath Traveler 2. Before leaving, maybe consider checking out other Twinfinite articles down below.