Final Fantasy 16: Best Build [Eikons, Accessories, And Weapons]

Final Fantasy 16 introduced 38 Eikons with numerous accessories and powerful weapons. Deciding on a build becomes tough, with each ability having unique effects and synergy. This guide looks at my recommended best build, including the Eikons, accessories, and recommended weapons.

Build Overview

No.	Eikonic Abilities/Feats	Ability	Damage Values	AP Cost
1	Abilities	Raising Flames	Attack: 3 Stagger: 2	Base: None Upgrade: 500 Mastery: 1000
2	Abilities	Flames of Birth	Attack: 3 Stagger: 3	Base: 1695 Upgrade: 2390 Mastery: TBA
3	Abilities	Lightning Rod	Attack: 2 Stagger: 3	Base: 120 Upgrade: 525 Mastery: 1000
4	Abilities	Pile Drive	Attack: 3 Stagger: 3	Base: None Upgrade: 660 Mastery: 1000
5	Abilities	Aerial Blast	Attack: 2 Stagger: 5	Base: 1540 Upgrade: 2005 Mastery: TBA
6	Abilities	Rook’s Gambit	Attack: 2 Stagger: 2	Base: 120 Upgrade: 660 Mastery: 1000
7	Feats	Phoenix Shift	Attack: 0 Stagger: 0	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 357
8	Feats	Deadly Embrace	Attack: 0 Stagger: 0	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 450
9	Feats	Blind Justice	Attack: 1 Stagger: 2	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 500

Build Overview Table.

An ideal build comprises on the following three aspects: Eikons, accessories, and weapons.

• Eikons are special abilities in Final Fantasy 16 that you can use by harnessing the power of specific beings.
• Players can choose three out of the six playable Eikons and use two Eikon abilities and one Eikonic Feat from each selected Eikon, totaling nine functional skills.
• Each ability is restricted to the Eikon it belongs to, but mastering an ability allows you to use it with other Eikons.
• Accessories, such as Timely Accessories, provide small buffs and alter time in various ways to gain an advantage.
• Weapon choice in the game is straightforward, with a linear progression of weapon damage, making it easier for players to decide which weapon to use.

Recommended Eikon Abilities

Best All-Rounder Build.

Ability	Effects	Damage Values	AP Cost
Rising Flames	A wing appears that deals fire damage and hurls lighter foes in the air.	Attack: 3 Stagger: 2	Base: None Upgrade: 500 Mastery: 1000
Flames of Rebirth	A fiery pillar appears that deals fire damage to all foes within the radius. This attack also regenerates HP for Clive.	Attack: 3 Stagger: 3	Base: 1695 Upgrade: 2390 Mastery: TBA
Lightning Rod	You make a ball of lightning that chains enemies together.	Attack: 2 Stagger: 3	Base: 120 Upgrade: 525 Mastery: 1000
Pile Drive	You push the staff of Ramuh into the floor. This electrifies all foes in the radius.	Attack: 3 Stagger: 3	Base: None Upgrade: 660 Mastery: 1000
Aerial Blast	Call upon a twister that gradually chases enemies, trapping them and dealing constant damage.	Attack: 2 Stagger: 5	Base: 1540 Upgrade: 2005 Mastery: TBA
Rook's Gambit	You dash backward and then quickly dash in, dealing damage once. If your first dash avoided an attack, then your strike deals more damage. You can also use this when airborne.	Attack: 2 Stagger: 2	Base: 120 Upgrade: 660 Mastery: 1000

I highly recommend building the above skills for Eikon’s abilities. Here’s a rundown of my choices:

Rising Flames

Rising Flames is an excellent Eikon ability in the early game with the Phoenix Eikon. This ability deals damage while also flinging enemies into the air. This should be your go-to for the game’s earlier stages.

It has excellent crowd-controlling abilities and gives you more time to reposition yourself. This ability has a unique technique called Rising Combo. This lets you conduct a combo attack on the enemy after you have flung them into the air. Rising Flames has a faster recovery time, meaning you can easily land combo strikes.

Upgrading this ability makes the fiery wing hit several times in a row. If you choose to master Rising Flames, however, you can use it with other Eikons. This is only recommended if you decide to use the abilities of other Eikons but want to add Rising Flames to the mix.

Flames of Rebirth

The next ability you should build is Flames of Rebirth, another early-game skill that will help you deal enormous damage. Flames of Rebirth creates a giant fire pillar that deals fire damage to all enemies that fall within it.

But that’s not all. This skill also regenerates a bit of Clive’s HP dependent on your current HP regain bar, shown with light green near the life bar. Since the HP regeneration depends on your HP regain, this skill is best for when you have a higher HP regain.

Flames of Rebirth has a technique called Collateral Flames. This increases the area of Flames of Rebirth and hits several foes at the same time. Upgrading it will boost the number of hits, working perfectly with Collateral Flames.

Lightning Rod

Lightning Rod is one of the best crowd-controlling Eikon abilities. It summons a lightning ball that chains opponents and binds them. The ball emits damage whenever it is hit by either your opponents or Clive.

If Clive hits the ball, it immediately triggers the chaining effect. Conversely, if an opponent activates the ball, it deals more damage. Hence, you must decide whether you want better control or more damage.

If the lightning ball is far away, you can bring it closer by hitting the execute button. Additionally, taunting enemies will force them to hit the ball.

Lightning Rod has a technique of the same name that lets you hit an enemy with burst damage caused by another foe’s attack. Upgrading this ability boosts the range of the lightning damage and chaining effect.

Pile Drive

Much like Lightning Rod, Pile Drive is an exceptional skill that damages several enemies in a radius. However, it is better than Lightning Rod because the enemies will take longer to recover.

This skill deals with lighting damage to several enemies in a wide radius. Pile Drive has the “Collateral Drive” technique that lets you strike several enemies with just one Pile Drive.

When you upgrade Pile Drive, it hits more enemies through its wider radius and deals multiple strikes. Mastery of this skill lets you use it with any other Eikon.

Aerial Blast

Aerial Blast is a Garuda ability that you acquire in the mid-game. This ability creates a twister that gradually chases enemies. And once it finds them, it binds them while dealing multiple hits.

This ability is unique in that it actively seeks out opponents. Additionally, you can continue dealing damage with your basic attacks while the tornado does its job. Its technique of the same name hits several opponents simultaneously with one Aerial Blast.

When you upgrade Aerial Blast, the tornado lasts a lot longer. Hence, it deals more damage to enemies on the way and has more time to hunt down foes.

Rook’s Gambit

Rook’s Gambit is a mobility Eikon ability that consists of two parts:

1. Dodge and Counter:

   • When you dodge an attack, the counter damage is boosted.
   • The ability’s cooldown is reduced by one-third.

2. Gambit Counter (Upgrade):

   • Allows you to hit an enemy with the counterstrike.
   • If upgraded, it enables you to hit multiple enemies with the counter strike.

Alternate Abilities

If you want to swap out any of the abilities I mentioned above, here are some other resourceful recommendations:

• Heatwave: Creates a firewall to block incoming projectiles and releases shockwaves that deal damage. The number of shockwaves increases with blocked projectiles.
• Wicked Wheel: An area-of-effect attack that lifts enemies off the ground, useful for crowd control. Upgrade it to increase the number of hits on enemies.
• Gouge: Sends out two Garuda claws to damage foes, and can be used mid-air. Upgrading it allows for faster follow-up strikes.
• Judgment Bolt: Summons a powerful lightning bolt for burst damage on a single target, ideal for bosses and tough enemies. Upgrading it increases the number of levinbolts.
• Thunderstorm: Creates a storm that strikes a single target with multiple lightning bolts, great for bosses and minibosses. Upgrading it adds more lightning bolts for increased damage.

Best Eikonic Feats

Ability	Effects	Damage Values	AP Cost
Phoenix Shift	You close the distance between you and your opponent. You can use magic hits and melee attacks during the dash.	Attack: 0 Stagger: 0	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 357
Deadly Embrace	Garuda's claw grabs enemies and brings them to you. If you use the claw on heavy foes, Clive will instead get flung into the air.	Attack: 0 Stagger: 0	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 450
Blind Justice	You shoot a flurry of ball lightning at the opponents. Before you use the skill, you must lock onto targets, which will be the only ones to get hit by the barrage. If you hit the ball while it's attached to a target, it will deal more damage and discharge.	Attack: 1 Stagger: 2	Base: None Upgrade: N/A Mastery: 500

Eikonic Feats Table.

Here are my recommended Eikonic Feats for this build:

Phoenix Shift

Phoenix Shift is one of the best Eikon Feats, especially considering you can unlock it reasonably early in the game. This Feat, on the surface, seems like any ordinary dash ability.

However, seeing its many techniques, you’ll soon realize it’s possible. Phoenix Shift has seven techniques, including:

• Shift Strike: You hit the enemy with a melee strike after the dash.
• Aerial Shift Strike: You land a Shift Strike, but when airborne.
• Shift Shot: After the dash, you hit the enemy with a magick shot.
• Aerial Shift Shot: The same thing happens but in the air.
• Lifting Shift Shot: You first lift a fallen foe using your Shift Shot.
• Shift Combo: When you hit with a Shift Strike, you finish a Combo on one enemy.
• Aerial Shift Combo: After hitting with a Shift Strike while airborne, you finish a Combo.

While you can’t upgrade Feats like Eikon abilities, mastering Eikon Feats has different effects. Mastering Pheonix Shift increases the distance that you dash.

Blind Justice

Blind Justice is an Eikonic Feat that’s slightly more complicated to understand. During the attack, you will let loose a flurry of ball lightning that hits several enemies and attaches to them. If you hit the enemy, it will discharge and deal more damage.

However, when you discharge a ball of lightning, you will discharge all of them. Hence, you’ll deal instant damage to all targets. Additionally, the initial damage determines the discharge damage. I recommend starting with melee attacks, which deal more damage.

The targets are determined by who you lock onto before you use the Feat via the right stick. You can also lock onto a single target several times.

Blind Justice has three techniques:

• Blind Justice: You hit one target with Blind Justice.
• Collateral Justice: You trigger the discharge of the ball of lightning.
• Justice Chain: Blind Justice hits several enemies.

When you master this Feat, it increases the number of enemies you can lock on to.

Deadly Embrace

Deadly Embrace is an Eikonic Feat that, instead of making you dash to the enemies, pulls them toward you. Deadly Embrace can pull down even flying enemies and pull grounded foes up.

However, if you try to grab heavier enemies, Clive will be the one to get launched into the air. Deadly Embrace has seven techniques:

• Deadly Embrace: Use Deadly Embrace to pull an opponent.
• Deadly Combo: You land a damaging 4-part combo on an enemy after you use Deadly Embrace.
• Deadly Aerial Combo: You launch a 3-part combo on an enemy after using Deadly Embrace.
• Deadly Chain: You attack with Dead Embrace in between other moves.
• Deadly Takedown: This technique can be used when enemies are staggered to keep them immobilized for longer.
• Deadly Leap: You jump on a heavier enemy.
• Deadly Leap Chain: You perform a Dead Leap in between other moves.

Mastery of this Eikonic Feat drastically boosts the range of Garuda’s claw.

Alternate Eikonic Feats

If you cannot acquire the Feats mentioned above, try these as alternatives. Remember that these are not related to the Eikons of the recommended abilities. Hence, you’ll need to master them if you want to use them with the Garuda, Pheonix, or Ramuh Eikons.

• Titanic Block: Blocks incoming attacks and allows for counterstrikes if timed correctly.
• Wings of Light: Casts Megaflare with varying damage based on charge level, also enables Megaflare Dodge.
• Cold Snap: Slide on the ground, freezing enemies upon square button press, and freezing all enemies when dodging.
• Arm of Darkness: Receives Odin’s blade, fills Zantetsuken gauge with ability use, can execute Zantetsuken, Steel Counter, or Flash of Steel based on gauge level.

Recommended Accessories

In Final Fantasy 16, accessories play a crucial role in enhancing Clive’s abilities. Here are three recommended accessories for your best build:

1. Genji Gloves:

   • Provides a 5% damage boost, which becomes more significant as your total damage increases.
   • Acquired by giving Patron’s Whisper 2,365 Renown.
   • Consider this an end-game accessory due to the Renown requirement.

2. Ring of Timely Focus:

   • Slows down time when Clive can evade enemy attacks, providing valuable reaction time.
   • Note that you cannot use this accessory with the Ring of Timely Evasion.

3. Berserker Ring:

   • Grants a power boost after performing a precision dodge, making Clive exceptionally strong for a short duration.
   • Acquired at 85 Renown as part of the “Pillow Talk” reward, making it an early-game option.

You can use the Badge of Might in the early or mid-game as a replacement for Genji Gloves, providing a constant +7 power boost. These accessories will help you optimize Clive’s performance and damage output throughout the game.

Other Accessories

Other accessories that I recommend making in place of the ones already mentioned include:

• Badge of Mettle: +10 Defense, great for early-game bosses and minibosses.
• The Golden Testament: Earn 35% more Gil, useful for farming currency.
• Adamantite Gauntlets: +500 Maximum HP, a strong defensive option for late-game.
• On Fortune and Heavens: Gain 15% more EXP, ideal for farming experience and leveling up quickly.
• High Cleric’s Medallion: High potions heal 25% more, obtained from “A Light from the Heavens” donation.
• The Wages of Warcraft: Receive 25% more ability points from regular enemies, helpful for upgrading abilities.

Best Clive Weapons

In Final Fantasy 16, weapons have two primary stats: Attack and Stagger. Attack determines the damage the weapon deals, while Stagger affects how much damage it inflicts on a target’s Will. Here are some weapon recommendations for different stages of the game:

1. Early Game: Flametongue

   • Crafted from the Flame Shard.
   • Offers significantly better stats than other early-game weapons.
   • The Braveheart (pre-order bonus) is also a viable choice with slightly lower Attack and Stagger.

2. Mid-Game: Grindstone

   • Crafted using the Earth Shard.
   • Provides the highest power among mid-game weapons.
   • Defeat Hugo Kupka to obtain the crafting materials.
   • Alternatively, you can consider the Levinbolt, which has slightly lower damage than the Grindstone.

3. Late-Game: Gotterdammerung

   • Boasts the highest Attack and Stagger damage in the game.
   • Crafting it becomes possible after completing Blacksmith’s Blues IV.
   • Obtaining the Gotterdammerung may be challenging, but it’s the most powerful weapon available.

Choose these weapons according to your progression in the game, as they will greatly impact Clive’s combat abilities and effectiveness against enemies.

Check out our Final Fantasy 16 best weapons and comparison guide to know the best weapons.

My Recommendations & Tips

Overall, my focus of the build was to suit playthrough from early till the endgame. For that, I recommend building Eikon abilities such as Rising Flames, Flames of Rebirth, Lightning Rod, Pile Drive, Aerial Blast, and Rook’s Gambit in this build.

For the Eikonic Feats, I highly recommend Deadly Embrace, Phoenix Shift, and Blind Justice. You should also build the Genji Gloves, Ring of Timely Focus, and Berserker Ring for the accessories.

As for the weapons, I suggest going for a Flametongue in the early game, Grindstone for the mid-game, and Gotterdammerung for the late game.

If you have more queries regarding the build, share them with us in the comments section below and I will try to answer them in my content.

Up Next:

• Final Fantasy 16 Green Currency.
• Final Fantasy 16 Scarletite.
• Final Fantasy 16 Gotterdammerung.