Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Idea Points Guide: How to Farm and Raise Idea Stats
Learn how to farm Xenoblade Chronicles 2 idea points, increase Bravery, Truth, Compassion, and Justice, and boost elemental damage on Switch.
Quick answer
- Idea Stats (Bravery, Truth, Compassion, Justice) increase associated elemental Blade pull rates and boost damage.
- Each level in an Idea Stat provides a 5% damage boost to its two associated elements.
- Farm Idea points by filling out Blade Affinity Charts, sending Blades on Merc Missions, and defeating unique monsters.
- Idea Stats naturally cap at level 10, but using Boosters can temporarily raise them up to level 15 during resonance.
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Understanding Idea Stats and Elements in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
In Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the Nintendo Switch, characters possess four unique attributes known as Idea Stats: Bravery, Truth, Compassion, and Justice. Accumulating Xenoblade Chronicles 2 idea points allows you to level up these stats, which directly influences your efficiency in battle and your success when bonding with Core Crystals.
Each of the four Idea Stats is permanently paired with two specific elements. Understanding these pairings is essential for targeting specific Blades and maximizing your party's combat potential:
| Idea Stat | Associated Elements |
|---|---|
| Bravery | Fire, Water |
| Truth | Wind, Ice |
| Compassion | Earth, Lightning |
| Justice | Light, Darkness |
How Idea Stats Affect Gameplay
Raising your Idea Stats provides two major gameplay advantages:
1. Higher Probability of Pulling Specific Elements
When a Driver resonates with a Core Crystal, the game checks their Idea Stats. A higher Idea Stat increases the probability of obtaining a Blade of the associated elements when using a Core Crystal.
While Idea Stats naturally cap at level 10, you can temporarily boost an Idea Stat up to level 15 during Core Crystal resonance by applying Boosters. This temporary increase is the only way to exceed the natural level 10 limit during the awakening process.
2. Passive Elemental Damage Boosts
Beyond Blade resonance, Idea Stats serve as a powerful offensive tool. Every single level of an Idea Stat grants a permanent 5% damage boost to its associated elements. For example, having a Compassion level of 10 grants a passive 50% damage boost to all Earth and Lightning attacks dealt by that character.
How to Earn and Farm Idea Points
To level up your Idea Stats, you must accumulate Idea points. There are three primary ways to earn these points during your adventure:
- Defeating Enemies: Fighting standard enemies awards small amounts of Idea points. Defeating Unique Monsters provides a larger point yield, while defeating Bosses offers the highest amount of points.
- Completing Blade Affinity Charts: Unlocking nodes on a Blade's Affinity Chart awards Idea points to the Driver they are bonded with.
- Mercenary Missions: Sending your Blades on Mercenary Missions is an excellent passive way to fill out their Affinity Charts and accumulate points.
To farm Idea points as quickly and efficiently as possible, use the following gameplay loop:
By utilizing Mercenary Missions, you can automate the progression of multiple Common Blades at once. Once a Common Blade's Affinity Chart is completely filled out, releasing them not only secures the Idea points earned along the way but also grants bonus rewards.
Raising Idea Stats for Tora
Unlike other Drivers, Tora cannot resonate with Core Crystals or standard Blades. Consequently, he cannot naturally accumulate Idea points through the standard resonance and common Blade farming methods.
However, players who own the game's DLC can still raise Tora's Idea Stats. Special consumable items obtained from The Land of Challenge can be used to increase Tora's Bravery, Truth, Compassion, and Justice, allowing him to benefit from the passive 5% elemental damage boost per level just like any other Driver.