It has been a while since the release of Tales of Luminaria, a new mainline Tales title for the mobile, and I have to say that the game itself has a ton of potential. The characters offered here have a lot of variety and can provide a variety of techniques that makes the game interesting for players.
Despite the game's many flaws (including the horrid UI and the lack of Japanese voice acting which most Tales games are known for), Luminaria is an enjoyable title that has some good variety in terms of character playstyle.
That being said, I would like to discuss some of the best characters that you can take during Raid events.
Raid events involve a battle against a certain boss, in this case a Primordial Beast, and up to four players can participate at any given time to beat the boss as fast as possible. These fights are reminiscent to Monster Hunter hunts, which focuses on tough PvE battles and team coordination.
In this list, I would be considering some of the characters' innate traits, including overall playstyle and weapon type, while also commenting on their potential and what makes them so good in these kinds of fights.
Disclaimer: As of the time of this writing, Aglaya the Panthera Lord is currently the only boss found in Raid events and I will be considering the write-up with the Primordial Beast in mind.
5. Leo Fourcade (Blaze Frontliner of the Jerle Federation)
The very first character you get to play as in the game, and I have to say that being a Katana user has its advantages. As an Agile Blademaster, Leo focuses on swift and precise attacks which allows you to generate Artes quickly while also dealing decent amounts of damage. What makes him good in Raids? Other than the aforementioned reasons, his 5* costume Mystic Arte allows him to deal nine hits, which grants him extensive invincibilty frames. In fact, Mystic Artes in this game provide tons of invincibility frames for their performer; allowing you to survive deadly attacks. Leo just have an access to one of the more reliable Mystic Artes due to its sheer versatility. His fast attacks can also allow him to break crystals faster, which is essential in preventing Aglaya from using its devastating AoE attack.
4. August Wallenstein (Enigmatic Chancellor of the Gilldlan Empire)
3. Maxime Hasselmans (Self-Proclaimed Blaze Head of the Jerle Federation)
He is an odd-ball addition on this list, but just because he's a Bow user doesn't mean his use already limited. Maxime is what I consider as a Combo Archer, focusing on unleashing a series of melee attacks and using his bow and arrow to strike from above or against long-ranged targets. Maxime's aerial attack is kind of difficult to execute as you need to constantly mash the attack button while the initial target is alive in order for him to leap upwards and gives you the option to tap enemies to attack them while in mid-air. While his damage output is kind of questionable (without his 5* costume), his versatility makes up for it as his aerial attack gives him extensive amount of invincibilty frames, which is essential for surviving long and dangerous fights against the likes of Aglaya. He is one of the characters I would recommend last in using though due to how technical he can be.
2. Falk (The Lone Falcon of the Gilldlan Empire)
He may be one of my most hated characters due to his snarky and insensitive attitude, especially towards Amelie, but his skills with the Dual Blades are undeniable. Hugo's description of Falk being Team Laurence's Shock Trooper is spot-on, as Falk focuses on going in alone, closing in to targets, and unleashing massive pain against them. One of his strategies is to close in towards large targets and leap towards them; granting him invincible frames as he approaches his intended target. His attacks are also fast, allowing him to generate his Mystic Arte a lot faster and granting him massive amounts of firepower, especially when he is equipped with his 5* costume. His reckless playstyle, however, demands you to get as much healing items as you can for him, as he may take some damage every now and then while attempting to hurt the opposition in the process.
1. Yelsy Tw'elteu Huainaz'jin (The Flower Knight of Amr' Qhaghan)
Not only her chapter is my most favorite so far, but I consider her as one of the more useful characters in the game due to her beginner-friendly and safe playstyle. Yelsy's mastery with the Spear allows her to make some stylish fighting techniques, which can be considered an asset against any threat that comes her way. As an Evade Lancer, Yelsy has a constant access to invincibility frames through her normal attack combos alone, making her invulenerable against dangerous attacks like Aglaya's AoE and is capable of dealing against mobs, especially with her 5* costume unlocked. Needless to say, you can just spam the attack button to put her on air, evading attacks with ease. Her only downside, in my opinion, is that you have to commit through it, which can cause your attacks to miss and it can be detrimental to some fast-moving bosses in the future. Her spear throw (which you can perform by holding the attack button while in mid-air) also deals decent damage and gives further invincibility frames to her already-packed repertoire. Sadly, it's one of her only way to generate Mystic Arte gauges faster as her basic attacks, while fast, only generates a meager amount in some way. (at least based on my observations)
And that is my list. Keep in mind that this list is just opinionated in nature and you are free to play the characters you want. I just considered these five to be one of the better ones to be used in such a game mode. Regardless of your character preference, I got to say that Tales of Luminaria has a lot of potential and I am looking forward to see the game provide more Mystic Artes and equipments for our favorite characters.
Feel free to let me know your thoughts about your favorite Luminaria characters, that you want to take in Raids, in the comments.
