Forspoken’s combat is easily its most unique feature, and largely what separates it from the wealth of other JRPGs out there. Frey’s magical powers give her access to dozens of different spells, and during combat, you’ll be using a furious flurry of these spells to take down enemies, along with using magic parkour to dodge and get around. The magic-focused combat can be an absolute blast once you get the hang of everything, but it’s initially daunting to see the sheer amount of options you have for spells and combinations.
Here are a few tips on what spells to prioritize with your hard-earned Mana, and as a note remember you can improve these spells even further by completing Spellcraft Challenges that you undertake by interacting with the books in the various Refuges across Forspoken.
Frey’s Magic (Purple)
3. Implant
Implant is your best single-enemy spell with Purple magic, as it lets you implant a seed into an enemy that causes damage over time for roughly 30 seconds. This spell is tremendously useful for bigger enemies and bosses, especially when combined with other spells to cause even more damage.
2. Tendril
Tendril is vitally important to unlock early on when Frey has only a few spells and can’t hold as many healing flasks. This is a great AoE attack that hits any enemy in a circle directly around you, but even better is the fact that it heals you in relation to the amount of damage you cause. It’s also nice that Tendril has an incredibly fast cooldown, meaning you’ll be able to use it multiple times in a battle.
1. Disperse
Disperse is one of the very best spells in the entire game, essentially functioning as an auto-turret that can be a tremendous help in battle. The flower Disperse places does great damage and can neutralize aerial enemies in seconds. You’ll likely use Disperse in almost every single battle across the game, and make sure to complete the Spellcraft Challenge to boost its damage even more.
Sila’s Magic (Red)
3. Blast Slice
Frey’s Red magic is almost entirely melee-focused, and that’s precisely why you should unlock Blast Slice, as it’s one of your only ranged options with the spell set. Blast Slice is one of your primary attacks, and by holding the button down you’ll throw a spear that sticks in the enemy and explodes after a few seconds. It has decent damage, but the real benefit is that you can fall back and still attack if you need to regroup.
2. Firetrap
Firetrap is the best damage-dealing attack of the Red set, as it puts a fiery geyser underneath the enemy that hits twice. While the attack is focused on one enemy there’s a small AoE that can hit nearby enemies as well. This spell works especially well against bosses.
1. Crucible
Crucible is vital to have if you plan on using the Red spell set a lot, as it maximizes the amount of damage you can cause with every single spell. Frey launches a massive fiery circle on the field, and any attacks done within the circle will have increased magic. By combining Crucible with spells like Firetrap and Legion, you can decimate groups of enemies.
Prav’s Magic (Blue)
3. Naedre
Blue magic is heavily reliant on debuffing enemies, and Naedre is great for battles with lots of enemies. The move launches a watery snake that travels between enemies and causes light damage while poisoning them, especially useful for enemies with more HP. If you complete the Spellcraft challenge the poison effect will last even longer.
2. Up and Away
Each magic set has an unlockable move that instantly lets you swap to the set by pressing L1+R1+a face button. While they’re all good ways to swap sets quickly, Up and Away is easily the best because of its evasive capabilities. Using the move will launch Frey high up into the air with a jet of water, making it perfect for dodging blasts and AoE attacks from enemies.
1. Oubliette
Oubliette is fantastic for crowd control and causing damage to groups. The spell launches a massive water orb that traps one or more enemies, and if you strike the orb with an attack it’ll cause a massive AoE explosion. This spell can be useful for trapping a powerful enemy to let you focus on the rest, but it also causes phenomenal damage across the board.
Olas’s Magic (Green)
3. Projection
Projection is the most straightforward spell of the Green set but it also causes the most damage. Frey launches a lightning spear at one enemy causing high damage to them, and spreading out AoE electricity damage in a short range. It may not be as dynamic as others spells, but Projection is definitely something you’ll want in your repertoire.
2. Sublimation
Sublimation will take the place of Tendril once you unlock the Green spell set, as it’s the most effective healing move in the game. By activating the spell, Frey will automatically drain the life from nearby enemies, meaning you’ll get slow healing over time and can focus on executing other spells.
1. Distortion
Distortion caused damage in a wide AoE, but what really makes it useful is the confusion effect it applies to enemies, and it’s the only spell in the game that does so. Enemies hit by Distortion will instantly start attacking each other, taking the focus entirely off of Frey.
