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Spoiler alert

The future doesn't belong to you!

For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised.

In Xenoblade Chronicles, Battle Arts can be levelled up by using AP and art books.

AP Cost

The AP cost of levelling up an art depends on both the art and the level. The cost for each additional level follows a consistent pattern:

Level 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
AP Cost 1x 2x 4x 8x 12x 18x 26x 36x 48x

For example, raising Shulk's Back Slash to level 2 costs 200 AP, while raising his Slit Edge to level 2 costs 220 AP. Raising these arts to level 3 costs 400 AP and 440 AP respectively (2x200 and 2x220), while raising them from level 5 to level 6 costs 2,400 AP and 2,640 AP respectively (12x200 and 12x220).

Art Books

Initially, arts cannot be raised beyond level 4. Intermediate books allow the art to be raised as high as level 7, and can be bought from shops. Advanced books allow the art to be raised to level 10, even if an intermediate book for that art has not yet been learned or obtained, and can be found in gold chests dropped by monsters above level 45. These locations are mutually exclusive; there are no Advanced books available for sale, nor are there any monsters that drop Intermediate books.

After an art book is obtained, it is necessary to select it in the inventory and read it to unlock the additional levels of that art.

Art books can only be read once, and cannot be used if the character has not yet learned the Art itself. Intermediate books cannot be used if an Advanced book has already been learned. Excess Art Books can be sold to shops.

(Note: There are two separate Art Books for the two characters who learn Guard Shift. These books are not interchangeable.)

Benefits

All physical and Ether attacking arts at level 1 have an additional hit rate of 5%. Each level increased will increase the hit rate further by 5%. However, the hit rate will not increase beyond 25% at level 5 or higher.

Furthermore, arts will have their effects enhanced by levelling up. These enhancements may include, but not limited to: increased aggro added to enemies, increased damage, increased healing power, increased buff or debuff duration, and reduced cooldown time.

Drop Rates of Advanced Books

Generally, the drop rates for advanced books are extremely low—some have a drop rate of less than 1%. Higher level monsters tend to have higher drop rates. The save and reload method can be used to open the same gold chest repeatedly until a desired advanced book is obtained. Up to two of four named books can be acquired without duplicates (e.g. a given monster can drop up to two of either Back Slash, Battle Soul, Slit Edge or Light Heal).

Shulk

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Slit Edge Ether Light (Colony 9)
Back Slash Ether Light (Colony 9)
Light Heal Ether Light (Colony 9)
Shaker Edge Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Air Slash Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Shadow Eye Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Battle Soul Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Stream Edge Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)

Reyn

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Hammer Beat Ether Light (Colony 9)
Wild Down Ether Light (Colony 9)
Guard Shift Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
War Swing Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Sword Drive Hope Farm (Colony 6)
Berserker Drainage Control Room (Ether Mine)
Shield Bash Drainage Control Room (Ether Mine)
Engage Hope Farm (Colony 6)
Last Stand Drainage Control Room (Ether Mine)
Rage Ether Light (Colony 9)
Magnum Charge Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Bone Upper Ether Light (Colony 9)
Dive Sobat Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Aura Burst Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Anchor Chain Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)
Lariat Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)

Fiora

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Double Blade Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Healing Energy Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Spear Blade Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Cross Impact Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Speed Shift Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Zero Gravity Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Lock-On Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Ether Drain Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Double Wind Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Mag Storm Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Shutdown Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Air Fang Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Power Drain Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Guard Shift Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Second Gear Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6)
Final Cross Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 5 (Colony 6) - Shop 9

Sharla

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Heal Bullet Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Thunder Bullet Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Shield Bullet Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Cure Bullet Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Drive Boost Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Heal Blast Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Heal Round Drainage Control Room (Ether Mine)
Head Shot Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Metal Blast Drainage Control Room (Ether Mine)
Aura Bullet Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Heat Bullet Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Head Shaker Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Covert Stance Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Heal Counter

Syrath Lighthouse (Eryth Sea) Reconstruction HQ - Commerce Level 2 (Colony 6)

Tranquilliser Refugee Camp (Bionis' Leg)
Cure Round Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)

Dunban

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Gale Slash Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Electric Gutbuster Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Peerless Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Worldly Slash Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Battle Eye Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Steel Strike Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Serene Heart Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Final Flicker Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Jaws of Death Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Tempest Kick Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Heat Haze Kyn Shopping Street (Frontier Village)
Spirit Breath Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)
Soaring Tempest Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)
Thunder Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)
Demon Slayer Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Blinding Blossom Nopon Merchant Camp (Satorl Marsh)

Melia

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Summon Bolt Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Summon Flare Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Summon Ice Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Hypnotise Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Spear Break Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Shadow Stitch Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Summon Copy Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Reflection Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)
Summon Wind Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Summon Earth Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Summon Aqua Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Healing Gift Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)
Starlight Kick Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Power Effect Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Burst End Melfica Road (Alcamoth)
Mind Blast Supply Convoy (Sword Valley)

Riki

Battle Art Intermediate Advanced
Happy Happy Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Bitey Bitey Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Sneaky Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Play Dead Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Lurgy Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Hero Time Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Roly Poly Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Behave Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Riki is Angry Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Bedtime Nopon Camp (Valak Mountain)
You Can Do It Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Peekaboo Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Say Sorry Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Burninate Hidden Machina Village (Fallen Arm)
Freezinate Sacred Altar (Frontier Village)
Tantrum Nopon Camp (Valak Mountain)
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