Looking for tips on how to get (and keep) a Skell? Hop on in!
In the Xenoblade Chronicles™ X: Definitive Edition game, you’ll go on a massive sci-fi adventure to rebuild humanity after Earth is destroyed by warring alien races. Explore a mysterious world full of striking landscapes, bizarre plants, and fearsome (sometimes towering) enemies.
As you may have noticed, humans aren’t usually mountain sized. So, how are you supposed to face gigantic monsters as a tiny human? With the aid of powerful, weaponized robots that you can pilot, called Skells!
In this article, we’ll cover the benefits of having your Skell License, tips on how to get a Skell, and how to keep your Skell. Let’s suit up, shall we?
Why Skells?
Skells are heavily armored vehicles primed to assist you in combat and exploration. Once you’ve gotten your Skell, you can swap between two modes: vehicle and walker. Vehicle mode will greatly increase your coverage speed while walker mode transforms your Skell into a bipedal craft, giving you the means to walk, fly, and jump while piloting your machine.
So, how do you get one?
Helpful tips to get ‘em
Tip 1: Always be gathering
First things first: On your road to a Skell, you’re going to need various resources, like Miranium. While you’re out exploring, try to pick up any items and/or missions you come across. Your future self may thank you.
You can get more specific tips on finding resources by checking the “Available now” article on your Nintendo Switch News feed.
Tip 2: Complete story missions
It’s easy to get sidetracked by the amount of side quests you can go on, so you’ll want to remember continuing the story missions.
After the Chapter 6 story mission, you’ll get a prompt from Vandham about getting your Skell License. Once you chat with him, you’ll kick off a Normal Mission to pass exams for each Division. Complete those and you’ll unlock your Skell License.
Tip 3: Let’s fly
Getting a Skell doesn’t mean you’re ready for the skies, recruit. To unlock its flight capabilities, you’ll need to complete Chapter 9. Then, Vandham will instruct you to visit Mission Control and accept the “Flight Module” basic mission. Once completed, you’ll be able to access previously unreachable places, like the skies!
Tip 4: Introducing Liesel and her Skell
Getting a new team member to help you along your journey is great. Getting a newly added character as a team member that comes with a whole new Skell? That’s just exciting!
After you get your own Skell, you’ll want to keep an eye out for an affinity mission called, “New Skell on the Block.” Once completed, your party will be ready for your new additions.
How to keep your Skell
Once you get your Skell, you’re prooobably gonna want to keep it. Well, on an untamed planet with lots of giant, aggressive monsters, that can be harder than it sounds. To help you avoid having to buy an entirely new Skell, here are a few tips for keeping your newly acquired robo-friend.
Tip 5: EJECT!
If your Skell takes too much damage and goes boom, replacing it can be very expensive. While you can use one of your Skell's insurance policies to have it replaced, you only have a limited number of these. You can avoid all this by learning how to eject.
When your Skell takes too much damage in battle, you’ll be given a B button prompt. If pressed at the correct time, you will eject and be able to get a replacement—for free! Luckily, you’ll only have to worry about your own Skell. Any party members you have will always eject perfectly and save their Skells.
To get your Skell back after a successful ejection, go to the BLADE Barracks Customization Center kiosk and select Barracks Hangar. You will see a prompt that you’ve successfully completed a Soul Challenge, and this will mean your Skell has been replaced and is ready for use.
Tip 6: Salvage tickets
If you run out of insurance policies, you can still recover your Skell by using a Salvage ticket. These tickets can be found as rewards when you increase your survey rate or by choosing them from your Division’s daily rewards. Salvage tickets are not guaranteed in daily rewards, but the inventory does change, so keep checking back.
Tip 7: You’re not the only thing in the sky
Lastly, we’d like to leave you with one final tip. Keep an eye out for giant flying monsters lookin’ to humble you. Being in a flying armored vehicle doesn’t make you invincible, but it does give you a wonderful edge in battle. Just remember to keep upgrading your armor and weapons.
Good luck out there, recruits. You got this!