You've finally done it. You reached the point in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where you have to actually care about your Blade setup, and honestly, it’s a mess. Most players think it’s just about pulling the shiny Rare Blades and calling it a day. It isn't. Not even close.
Basically, the game is a massive gacha machine masquerading as an epic JRPG. You have story Blades, random Rare Blades, the "pity" group, and those DLC monsters that break the game in half. If you’re just spamming Core Crystals and hoping for KOS-MOS, you're gonna have a bad time.
The Rare Blade Gacha is Rigged (Sorta)
People always talk about the 0.1% pull rates. It's frustrating. But did you know your save file is actually pre-determined? When you start a new game, you're assigned one of five "pity" tables. This isn't some conspiracy; it’s a coded reality.
Depending on your table, you are guaranteed three specific Rare Blades after a certain number of pulls. If you’re on Table 1, you’ll get Godfrey, Agate, and Boreas early. If you're on Table 5, you're looking at different faces. This is why your friend might have pulled Zenobia in Chapter 2 while you're stuck with nothing but common "Sentinels" with spears.
- Pity Group 1: Godfrey, Agate, Boreas
- Pity Group 2: Perceval, Azami, Adenine
- Pity Group 3: Gorg, Perun, Electra
- Pity Group 4: Kora, Nim, Finch
Wait, why does this matter? Because if you know which table you're on, you can stop stressing about the "missing" ones and start optimizing what you actually have.
Don't Sleep on Common Blades
I know, I know. They look like generic robots or weird lizard men. But honestly, a 4-crown Common Blade is sometimes better than half the Rare roster.
Why? Modifiers.
👉 See also: Assassin's Creed Valhalla Flyting: Why It Matters More Than You Think
A Common Blade can roll a 20% Strength or Ether modifier. That’s huge. If you’re trying to max out Rex’s damage, a generic Wind Knuckle Blade with a massive Strength mod might actually outperform a mid-tier Rare Blade. Plus, they have "Orb Master." This skill is a literal cheat code for Chain Attacks, allowing you to place elemental orbs without needing a full combo.
Seriously. Check your commons before you release them for boosters. You might be sitting on a gold mine.
The "Big Three" DLC and Meta Blades
If we’re talking about power, we have to talk about the DLC. Poppi QTpi is arguably the strongest entity in the game, but she requires you to play Tiger! Tiger! until your eyes bleed—unless you have the DLC to buy Ether Crystals.
Then there's Fiora and Shulk. When Monolith Soft brought them in from the first game, they didn't hold back. Fiora turns Rex into a critical-hit god. Corvin, the edgy light-element Katana, makes Morag essentially invincible because he recharges his arts every time she dodges. And in a game where you can reach 100% evasion, that’s... well, it’s broken.
The Real Tier List (In My Opinion)
- S+ Tier: Poppi QTpi (Tora only), Fiora, Corvin.
- The "I Win" Tier: Mythra (for the Foresight and Crit recharge), KOS-MOS, Elma.
- The Solid Choices: Dagas (after his quest), Zenobia, Patroka.
- The "Why Do You Exist" Tier: Godfrey. Sorry, man. You look cool, but Shield Hammers are painfully slow in the 2026 meta.
The Ursula Nightmare
We have to talk about Ursula. "We are... Ursula's New Groove!"
If you've heard that phrase, you have PTSD. Her Affinity Chart is locked behind a Merc Mission grind that takes literal days of real-world time. You have to send her out on 10-minute missions, over and over, thousands of times. Is she a good healer? Sure. Is she worth the sanity tax? That’s debatable.
📖 Related: Family Video Games: Why Most "Top 10" Lists Are Actually Terrible
If you pull her early, start the grind immediately. If you pull her at the end of the game? Maybe just leave her in the barracks and enjoy your life.
How to Actually Get KOS-MOS
You want the white-haired android. Everyone does. She has the lowest base pull rate in the game. Here is the actual, non-superstitious way to get her:
- Max your Luck: Use accessories and Blades with Luck modifiers.
- Idea Levels: Use Bravery/Truth/Compassion/Justice boosters. For KOS-MOS (Light), you need high Justice.
- Legendary Cores: Farm the Relentless Arduran in Torigoth (the baby cow you hopefully didn't kill). Use a "Smash" combo to make him erupt with loot.
It’s still a gamble. You might get her in ten cores; it might take five hundred. That’s just Alrest for you.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Session
Stop opening cores on Rex. Seriously.
Rex gets a "special ability" later in the story that lets him use any Blade regardless of who they are bonded to. If you waste all your Overdrive Protocols and Core Crystals on him early, you’re gimping your other Drivers like Morag and Zeke.
Next Steps:
- Check your 4-crown Commons: Look for "Orb Master" or high percentage stat modifiers.
- Farm Gold Chips: Head to Temperantia and hunt the Zeoth Serprond near the shore. These chips boost item drop rates by 50%. Equip them on everyone.
- Finish Shulk/Fiora's Challenges: If you have the Expansion Pass, go to the Land of Challenge. They are game-changers for the late-game bosses.
Don't get discouraged by the gacha. Even with "bad" luck, the story Blades like Mythra and Pandoria are more than enough to see you through to the credits. Just remember to feed your Blades their favorite pouch items—usually bread or art books—and they’ll hit way harder than you'd expect.