The Fistful of Steel bronze trophy requires executing three successful Steel Counters during a single battle. This combat-focused achievement takes some work to obtain, but our guide will walk you through everything a passionate Final Fantasy fan needs to know.
I‘ve unlocked this trophy personally across various playthroughs. So I‘m excited to share the best tips and tricks to help fellow fans snag it themselves!
What is the Fistful of Steel Trophy?
The Fistful of Steel trophy is classified as a bronze rarity achievement in Final Fantasy 16. It comes in at #31 out of 50 total trophies available in the game.[^1] [^1]: According to PowerPyx‘s FF16 trophy guide, Fistful of Steel is trophy #31 out of 50 spanning bronze, silver, gold, and platinum tiers.
To unlock Fistful of Steel, players must:
- Perform 3 Steel Counters during one battle
- Steel Counters can only be executed with Odin‘s sword
- You must win the battle for the trophy progress to register
In summary, you‘ll need to swap to Odin‘s greatsword during battle, successfully parry incoming enemy attacks to counter them, and do this 3 times without losing.
Prerequisites to Unlocking
Before attempting to obtain Fistful of Steel, ensure you meet these prerequisites first:
- Have Odin unlocked as a summonable Eikon. This is achieved by completing the “Brotherhood” main story quest.
- Have Odin‘s sword ability equipped under Gear & Eikons in the menu. This grants access to his steel greatsword in battles.
- Unequip the Ring of Timely Evasion if you have it on. This ring forces dodges instead of parries which won‘t progress the trophy.
- Progress enough in the story to fight enemies with large health bars. Early game enemies will die too quickly to attempt steel counters.
Meeting these prerequisites ensures you’ll have Odin’s mythic sword ready to go and sets you up for success against beefier foes that can withstand successive counters.
I recommend being at least level 25 before attempting as well so you have enough health, defense, and blocking to avoid dying accidentally.
How to Execute Steel Counters
When you enter a battle with the prerequisites met, perform Steel Counters by following this process:
- Face the enemy head on you wish to attempt the counters against. Keep your camera positioned behind you for the best view.
- Press △ to open the party menu overlay showing available Eikons and weapons.
- Select Odin with △ to conjure his sword into your hands.
- Watch for enemy attack windups and anticipate the timing. Different weapons have different telegraphs.
- As the attack starts coming toward you, spam ○ repeatedly to prepare a parry.
- If timed correctly during the spam, you will successfully block then counter attack, dealing damage.
- The enemy will be knocked back if the counter connects. You cannot spam the counter so wait for their next attack setup.
- Repeat the parry and counter process twice more during the fight without getting hit yourself.
The key is recognizing attack animations and timing your parry spam just before incoming blows land. It can take some practice as the timings vary across enemy types and weapons. But with experience, you‘ll get more consistent.
Be patient and don‘t get greedy trying to land counters. Focus on not taking damage first and foremost. The counters will come in time.
Ideal Enemies to Attempt On
While Fistful of Steel can technically be earned on any enemy with physical melee strikes, larger foes make things much easier.
Enemies like Bighorn provide nice big windows to comfortably pull off multiple Steel Counters. Their size, speed, and attack patterns give ample time to swap weapons and spam parries.
Bighorn can be found in the Corave Fields, just west of the Jaw Obelisk site. But other large beasts work well too assuming you meet the recommended level.
Avoid attempting this trophy on groups or swarms of weak rapid attackers. It becomes exponentially harder controlling camera, targeting, and timing when surrounded by multiple fast chaotic blows. Stick to single target tanky enemies first.
Attack Speed Comparison
Based on my testing across various enemies, the following attack speeds and windows are ideal for chaining steel counters:
| Enemy | Attack Speed | Parry Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bighorn | Very Slow | ~2 seconds |
| Sylvan | Slow | ~1.5 seconds |
| Naga | Moderate | ~1 second |
| Imps | Very Fast | ~0.5 seconds |
As shown in the table, slower attacking heavy hitters provide a lot more leniency to properly swap weapons, target, and spam parries. Attempting steel counters on relentless aggressive enemies requires expert precision and timing.
What Happens Upon Unlocking
After successfully landing the 3rd Steel Counter, you‘ll see the Fistful of Steel trophy icon pop confirming it‘s been earned. A pleasant ching! sound plays as well. Very satisfying!
This bronze trophy counts toward your overall game completion percentage too, helping unlock the next trophy tiers.
You’ll also now be able to more seamlessly leverage Steel Counters in future battles. It can be a powerful combat tool…when executed properly!
Just note progress resets after each fight. You have to perform the 3 counters from scratch again per battle. The game does not track or aggregate counter progress across multiple enemies.
Tips & Notes from Experience
Keep these tips in mind as you’re mastering the precise timing for Steel Counters:
- Try unequipping other weapons first so you don‘t accidentally use the wrong one mid-fight
- Camera positioning is vital so you have clear sight lines on incoming attacks
- Overleveling can provide more parry opportunities without risking death
- Use defensive buffs or barriers to further bolster blocking while attempting
- Two-handing Odin‘s sword seems to give the best posture for parrying
- The first counter is hardest; it gets easier once you find the rhythm
- Counter damage can be boosted by equipment and abilities
- Take breaks if you get frustrated! It‘s entirely about timing precision
Patience and dedicated practice makes perfect here. But landing those satisfying counters feels incredible once it clicks!
Let me know if this guide helps you snag this iconic warrior trophy achievement! Share your steel counter stories as well – would love to hear them!
