As an avid Xenoblade fan who lives and breathes this incredible franchise, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Chronicle 3’s new cast of characters. And let me tell you – powerful heavy-hitter Ethel did NOT disappoint!
As a formidable commander hailing from one of the mightiest Keves colonies, Ethel brings extraordinary combat capabilities rivaling even series legends like Fiora and Zeke.
In this definitive 2000+ word guide, we’ll cover everything you need to successfully recruit Ethel and master her on the battlefield. That includes:
- Backstory and role in Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Step-by-step quest walkthrough to unlock her
- All of her Arts, Skills, and buff abilities
- Advanced combat strategies and team synergies
- And much more!
Let’s dive in and dominate Aionios with Ethel by your side!
Ethel‘s Backstory: Keves’ Fiercest Warrior
Before unlocking this heavy hitter, let’s overview her background and why I think she’s such an exciting addition to the Xenoblade roster.
Hailing from the technologically advanced Colony 4 region of Keves, Ethel‘s achievements in battle rival even the greatest Heroes of old. Tales of her genius military tactics have spread far and wide across Aionios.
Some key events cementing her reputation:
Defeated 3 Colonial Armies with Just 100 Soldiers
Early in her career, Ethel‘s colony was assaulted by overwhelming enemy forces. Through brilliant strategy and skill, she led just 100 loyal troops to an astounding victory over 3 entire attacking armies.
This unbelievable feat earned Ethel legendary status throughout Keves practically overnight.
Promotion to Colony 4 Commander
On the back of her against-all-odds triumph in battle, Ethel was appointed the supreme commander of all Colony 4 armed forces.
She now leads the expansion of Keves territory and trains new recruits in the way of the blade. Under her leadership, Colony 4‘s military power grows ever mightier.
Quest to Retrieve Medical Supplies
When we encounter Ethel in Chronicles 3, she is on a vital quest to retrieve medical supplies from Dannagh Region to aid her home colony.
After years protecting others on the battlefield, the war hero now finds herself in need of assistance from Noah‘s party – kicking off the events that ultimately lead to unlocking this heavy-hitter for your forces!
Next up, let‘s tackle that questline and get Ethel firmly by your side!
Unlocking Ethel Step-by-Step
Based on my complete playthrough, here is the definitive sequence of objectives needed to add Ethel to your forces during the "No Want of Courage" quest:
Step 1: Reach Galghour’s Menhir
This towering mountain peak is located southeast of Colony Lambda. Make your way through Fornis Region until you arrive at Galghour’s Menhir.
Prepare to climb upwards along the cliffs and rocky terrain. At the very top, a cutscene will trigger where Ethel appears alongside a Keves soldier.
This kicks off the “No Want of Courage” questline that culminates in Ethel joining your forces!
Step 2: Squeeze Through the Wall’s Hole
After meeting Ethel, your next objective is passing through the massive dividing Wall to reach Dannagh Region.
Head west and look for a small opening allowing safe passage through to the other side. Guide your party through this hole – Ethel included.
Step 3: Rescue Angus Soldiers and Collect Supplies
Upon reaching Dannagh, you‘ll come across Angus soldiers under attack by ruthless Hunter Volts. Engage the Volts and defeat them to drive off the threat.
For saving their lives, the Angus troops will reward you with medical supplies bound for Ethel’s home Colony 4. These items are critical to securing her aid, so make sure to collect them before moving on.
Step 4: Escort Ethel Back to Colony 4
With supplies in hand, Ethel will request you escort her back to the Keves military stronghold of Colony 4 where they are desperately needed.
Make your way southeast to arrive at the nearly impenetrable fortress walls. Meet the colony officers directly to officially complete this leg of the quest.
Step 5: Deliver the Medical Supplies!
You’ll have one final face-to-face with the Colony 4 leadership. Turn over the medical supplies you retrieved earlier to them.
As thanks for your selfless assistance securing these invaluable resources, Ethel will permanently join your forces as the formidable Flash Fencer class!
And just like that, this nearly unstoppable warrior is now ready to cleave through your foes in Aionios. Huzzah!
Now, let’s get into optimizing Ethel’s deadly fighting capabilities…
Analyzing Ethel‘s Core Stats and Battle Skills
As an S-tier Attacker, Ethel boasts some of the highest damage potential in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Here are the key stats and skills that make her so formidable on the battlefield:
Weapon and Class
Twin Rapiers: Ethel dual wields these vicious short blades to carve enemies up with graceful, deadly attacks. Their modest range is offset by immense speed and crit potential.
Flash Fencer Class: As expected for the name, this class focuses on ultra-quick flurries of sword attacks to overwhelm foes. Very high damage suited for taking out key threats.
Arts and Skills
Ethel has access to robust combo Arts and party-buffing skills:
| Art / Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| Saber Strike | Main Talent Art – Dash attack inflicting high ST damage. |
| Swallowtail | 120% damage when attacking enemies from behind. |
| Acceleration | Significantly boosts auto-attack and art speed temporarily. Lowers defense. |
| Fighting Instinct | Using Talent Arts grants +35% damage for a short duration. |
| Critical Strike | Grants +40% critical damage to the whole party. |
| Heroic Chain | Starts chain attacks with 150% more talent gauge filled initially. |
As you can see, Ethel brings both robust personal offense and excellent team support abilities to the fray.
Now let‘s see her outstanding traits in action with some killer combat strategies!
Mastering Ethel in Battle: Offensive Tips and Tactics
While Ethel hits hard out the gate, truly mastering her moveset takes some practice. Here are my top tips for maximizing her damage potential against foes of all shapes and sizes:
Unleash Deadly Critical Hits
Thanks to the Critical Strike skill, most of Ethel’s attacks will inflict dramatically higher damage whenever she scores a critical hit.
You’ll want to prioritize Arts and weapons that boost her critical rate as much as possible to exploit this perk. Thehigher the critical rate, the faster enemies will fall!
The Twin Rings accessories are particularly effective here as they directly bolster critical, allowing Ethel to easily shred through most standard foes.
Activate Swallowtail Against Bosses
Against towering bosses and other challenging solo enemies, always prioritize using Ethel’s Swallowtail Art when possible.
Patiently maneuver behind these threats then unleash Swallowtail for a massive 120% damage bonus! This burst potential allows Ethel to take down key targets rapidly.
Time this correctly in between enemy arts to catch them off guard – the extra damage really piles up quickly.
Unleash Chain Attacks
A vital component of Ethel‘s kit is her Saber Strike Talent Art that effortlessly fills your party gauge to trigger devastating Chain Attacks.
Combine this with Ethel‘s Heroic Chain support skill that makes chains exceptionally more powerful right off the bat.
In long battles, always prioritize using Saber Strike on cooldown. Then when the party gauge hits max, chain attack immediately to massively amplify your squad‘s damage against troublesome foes.
Overdrive Acceleration For Hyper Offense
Ethel’s Acceleration Art renders her a near-untouchable bladestormtemporarily, at the cost of reduced defenses. This perfectly complements her naturally high agility and crit stats.
During intense Overdrive phases against bosses, I love activating Acceleration to essentially guarantee critical hits that just melt health bars. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch!
The bonus art speed also lets you bombard enemies with Sabet Strikes to fill the party gauge quicker for chains. Just try not to get hit!
Now let‘s discuss how Ethel fits into the wider team composition metagame…
Evaluating Ethel‘s Role in Party Dynamics
While undoubtedly potent individually, Xenoblade is ultimately a squad-based game. So where exactly does Ethel fit into the teambuilding meta?
Based on my experience balancing parties across hundreds of hours, here is my evaluation:
Pros
Outstanding personal DPS perfect for quickly dispatching priority targets
Party-wide damage buffs complement any team composition
Extremely self-sufficient requiring minimal support from healers
Cons
Lower defenses means she relies heavily on evasion and lifesteal
Overall damage ceiling is limited compared to dedicated attackers like Noah
Provides little utility compared to more well-rounded Heroes
Ideal Party Roles
Main DPS Carry – Ethel has enough tools in her kit to serve as the main damage dealer, though others like Noah have higher potential here. Still more than capable of annihilating enemies.
Secondary Attacker – Where Ethel truly shines is providing additional offense as the 2nd or 3rd DPS in a balanced party. She can still pump out big numbers in this flexible role.
Boss Slayer – Maneuvering Ethel to strike boss weak points with Swallowtail is incredibly effective. Excellent supplemental single target damage.
So in summary – Ethel‘s sheer attacking power couples wonderfully with support Heroes, though she lacks applicability outside pure offense. A top-tier damage dealer, if not the absolute best.
Now let‘s finish off with a quickfire pros and cons rundown!
Ethel Pros and Cons Summarized
Pros
- Incredibly high personal DPS potential
- Devastating critical hits augmented by skills
- Party-wide damage buffs add value to any composition
- Extremely quick attack animations
- Solid evasion makes her survivable
Cons
- Subpar defenses without support
- Lower damage ceiling than dedicated attackers
- Provides very little utility compared to other Heroes
- Heavy TP reliance makes management tricky
So in summary – Ethel is an absolute attacking powerhouse able to dish out ludicrous bursts of damage through critical hits and Arts. authentic xenoblade fashion, mastering her kit is deeply enjoyable and rewarding.
While I hope this guide has given you a complete picture on optimally leveraging Ethel‘s strengths into any party, please share any other tips and tricks in the comments below!
Conclusion
After unlocking her in Chapter 3, Ethel proved herself a mainstay in my squad for the entire adventure. And I hope her lethal Flash Fencer abilities serve you equally well too!
As one of the franchise‘s most decorated military heroes, watching her carve through enemies never got old. Each encounter only deepened my respect for this heavy-hitter.
Now get out there and unleash colossal critical chain attacks across the magnificent landscapes of Aionios! Then once you‘ve tasted victory, journey back here and let me know how your conquest went!
This is Logan signing off for now – may your blades stay sharp!
