Ni no Kuni 2 Guide: Understanding Skirmishes

Though Evan will spend much of the game fighting against small groups of foes alongside his friends in Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, there are times when he’ll have to lead an army in large-scale battles and take on legions of enemies (or the occasional ally) in an alternate game mode known as Skirmishes.

What Are Skirmishes

Skirmishes is an alternate game mode unlocked in Chapter 3 which places Evan and up to four units on the world map to engage in large-scale battles against anything ranging from bandits to robots and even dragons. To start, all you have to do is find a flag shaped icon on the world map like seen below:

And while you don’t have to spend a considerable amount of time doing them, you will have to complete a few to complete the story. However, expect to do a lot if you wish to fully complete Ni no Kuni 2, as there are many sidequests (such as getting new citizens) where you’ll need to engage in one.

Briefing:

Before heading off onto the field of battle, there are several things that you can do to tip the scale in Evan’s favor and help bring victory to Evermore.

There are three categories to look at:

Bolster Forces: You can spend Kingsguilders in this menu to improve your units’ combat abilities.

— Might Boost: Gives you more starting Might so you can do more special tactics/maneuvers.
— HP Boost: More health.
— Reinforcement Boost: Reinforcements arrive more quickly when you call for them.
— Slow Might Gauge: Slows Might Gauge depletion.
— Long Shock Tactics: Makes Shock Tactics last longer.
— Hard Mode: Makes enemies stronger in exchange for better rewards and experience.

Inspect Forces: This allows you to take a look at each enemy unit (assuming they aren’t hidden or a reinforcement), helping you to better choose which units to bring.

Muster Forces: Here is where you can choose up to four units to bring along with you. There are five types in total and like in Fire Emblem, each have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages when paired against one another.

— Sword (Red): Beats Axe, loses to Spear.
— Axe (Green): Beats Spear, loses to Sword.
— Spear (Blue): Beats Sword, loses to Axe.
— Ranged (Yellow): Lower stats than the other four, but can attack from afar.
— Shield (Purple): Low Attack, but high defense.

Before moving on, there are a few terms which should be explained since some were already brought up:

— Might: A numerical value displayed at the top-left of the screen, this allows you to use special abilities such as rebuilding destroyed outposts and towers (Circle), and calling in reinforcements (Circle).
— Might Gauge: Located adjacent to Evan’s portrait and beneath his units’, this meter steadily builds up over time and is used to use special manuevers such as Quick March (X) and All-Out Assault (Square).
— Shock Tactics: A special mode activated when your guts meter is full, making all allied attacks effective regardless of unit type, reduces Might Gauge consumption and heals all allies’ HP.
— Guts: A circular meter surrounding Evan’s portrait, allows the use of Shock Tactics when full.

Time To Fight

Once your preparations are over and done with, it’s now time to mobilize your forces and fight.

At the start of each battle, you’ll see Evan and the four units you chose on the world map which is now depicted as a battlefield. The goal is never the same, but the game will always tell you what it is even mid-fight. No battle is overly challenging, but you do at least have to pay attention to what is going on. When encountering an enemy unit on the field and you see a red arrow pointing towards one your own, that means it has the advantage against you and you should rotate your unit (R1 or L1) to keep them out of harms way. Conversely, if you see a blue arrow pointing from one of your units towards an enemy, that means the advantage is yours instead.

From there, all you have to worry about is quickly taking out enemy towers and outposts (you can rebuild them for aid/Might if you’d like), calling in for reinforcements when any of your units run low on health (though their health is never explicitly shown or stated, you can get a rough estimate based on the number of “men” in a particular unit) and using your unit commanders’ unique skills when needed.

If you follow these guidelines and your units are decently leveled, then you’ll have little issue clearing any skirmish except for timed ones.

Further Tips

Aside from what was mentioned, there are a few things to take note of:

— If you want more advantages while doing Skirmishes, be sure to research upgrades at the Barracks and Training Grounds in Evermore.
— Unless you’re against a particularly lopsided enemy who focuses on one type of unit, then bring a balanced team that consists of one sword, axe and spear apiece. This is particularly important for skirmishes where you can’t see the enemy forces ahead of time. The last thing you want to do is be caught in a mission with a bunch of sword units and you’re rocking mostly axes.
— You are required to get four units as part of the story, but there are plenty more if you’re willing to do some side quests to recruit them. They’re worth it.

That’s all for Skirmishes in Ni no Kuni 2. Some might not find it as enjoyable as the Kingdom Building feature, but it’ll grow on you if you give it a chance — especially if you like trying out new unit commanders and doing Hard Mode.

Need help with something else? Head to the Royal Handbook to find more Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom guides.