I’ve listed in detail what your crafts in The Legend of Heroes Trails through Daybreak 2 do, as well as how Grimcat and Grendel work, in this guide.

Grimcat Guide

Welcome to my in-depth guide on the new changes and mechanics for Grimcat in Daybreak II. After spending countless hours testing and refining my strategies, I’ve put together everything you need to know—from the powerful buffs to the nitty-gritty details of damage calculations. If you’re looking to get the most out of your gameplay, read on!

Grimcat Overview & Key Buffs

Go! Go! Grimcat! is hands down the most buffed Craft across the games, and this time it’s even more outrageous than before. Here’s what I discovered:

  • Duration: Once activated (just like in Daybreak 1), Grimcat lasts for an entire battle unless it’s KO’d.
  • Delay: Both Grimcat and Revert have a very low delay of only 5, allowing for rapid execution.
  • Grimnight Waltz Boost: While in Grimcat, the power of Grimnight Waltz increases from S to S+.
  • Double Damage & Stun: When Grimcat is active, Judith’s regular attacks and Crafts not only hit normally but also deliver a second packet of magic damage. This extra packet scales with her magic attack and targets the opponent’s magic defense. Remarkably, it also applies the same stun as the initial hit—doubling the stun potential!

Note: The extra magic packet’s stun won’t appear in the attack preview, but rest assured, it still applies. Also, if the initial hit is a critical, the magic packet will critical as well (and can benefit from the Heidrun quartz).

What’s New?

  • Scaling Mechanism: Unlike Daybreak 1 (where the magic packet used 90% of the magic attack), in Daybreak II it scales directly with the attack used—even working on S Crafts. This is a significant buff.
  • Side/Back Bonuses: These do not apply to the magic packet.

Magic Damage Packet Oddities

One intriguing quirk is how the magic damage packet, although magical in nature, counts as a physical attack for buffs. This means:

  • Buffs like Forte (which boost physical damage) will enhance the magic portion.
  • Ideal Force and certain S Boosts that increase magical damage won’t affect it.
  • Optimal Strategy: Prioritize items and buffs that increase physical damage and ATS (Attack Speed) to maximize the extra magic packet’s output.

Grendel Mechanics

Grendel has seen some straightforward yet impactful changes:

  • Craft Points Return: Using Grendel now gives back 100 Craft Points normally, or 150 if you land a critical hit (thanks to critical turns or random criticals).
  • Stat Bonuses: Grendel now provides a bonus of +80% to STR, DEF, ATS, and ADF, a notable upgrade from the previous +40% (which only applied to Attack, Defense, Magic Attack, and Magic Defense).
  • Delay Considerations: When multiple actions are chosen in one turn, only the highest delay among them will determine Van’s overall delay.

Temper Mechanic Changes

Temper, from Van’s Heated Roar craft, has also evolved:

  • Standard (4-turn duration):

    • 4 turns left: +25% damage
    • 3 turns left: +50% damage
    • 2 turns left: +75% damage
    • 1 turn left: +100% damage

  • Upgraded Duration:

    • 5-turn duration:

      • 5 turns left: +20% damage
      • 4 turns left: +39% damage
      • 3 turns left: +60% damage
      • 2 turns left: +80% damage
      • 1 turn left: +100% damage

    • 6-turn duration:

      • 6 turns left: +17% damage
      • 5 turns left: +34% damage
      • 4 turns left: +50% damage
      • 3 turns left: +67% damage
      • 2 turns left: +84% damage
      • 1 turn left: +100% damage

Even if the 39% figure looks odd at first glance, testing with Impact Shard Skills (which ignore these multipliers) confirmed the numbers. It’s all about timing your attacks to maximize damage!

Abusing New Arts & Miscellaneous Mechanics

[Spoiler Alert: Mechanics Details Ahead]

Daybreak II introduces new dual-element arts and several nuanced changes that can give you a competitive edge:

  • Dual-Element Arts: These new arts benefit from verse quartz of both associated elements, stacking up to a maximum of 4 verse quartz.

  • Side/Back Bonus: Meeting the requirements grants a default +30% bonus to your attack or magic attack. Remember, these are multipliers for your attack stats, not flat damage increases.

  • Other Key Details:

    • Risette’s Mystic Vision: 90 Delay.
    • Ark Feather: 125% power (comparable to C to C+ rank).
    • Judgment Feather: 150% power (akin to B rank Arts).

  • Delay for Common Actions:

    • Attack: 100
    • Defend: 50
    • Using Items: 80

Additionally, stun values have been adjusted:

  • For example, Judith now inflicts a staggering 12 stun during Grimcat, and other characters have seen various tweaks (e.g., Van’s normal attack stun increased from 8 to 10).

Also, keep in mind that Impact Shard Skills ignore all damage multipliers, making them particularly potent on higher difficulties.

Understanding Damage Calculations

At its core, the damage formula in Daybreak II (and all Trails games post-Skies) is quite straightforward:

Damage = (Attacking Stat × 2.5) - (Enemy’s Defending Stat × 1.25)

Example Calculation:

  • Van’s Attack: 80
  • Craft Multiplier: 1.2 (from his chosen craft)
  • Enemy’s Defense: 100

Steps:

  1. Effective Attack: 80 × 1.2 = 96
  2. Attacking Damage: 96 × 2.5 = 240
  3. Defense Reduction: 100 × 1.25 = 125
  4. Final Damage: 240 - 125 = 115

After calculating the base damage, any additional multipliers (from hit count, etc.) are applied, and then a variance of ±10% is factored in. This simple yet effective formula underpins the strategic combat of Daybreak II.

Through my testing, I’ve seen firsthand how these changes—especially with Grimcat, Grendel, and Temper—add layers of depth and strategy to Daybreak II. Whether you’re looking to maximize stun potential or fine-tune your damage output, understanding these mechanics can be a game-changer.