Reid Hershel: build and artes
Reid is the only character who swings every weapon class a sword user can hold, so keep him current and let the casters finish what his artes stagger.
Reid Hershel is the character you will control for most of the game, and the one whose arte list repays attention. He is from Rasheans, he is eighteen, and the story's opening act of childhood mischief is his.
Why he stays in the party
Reid's weapon compatibility is the broadest in the game: swords first, then axes, spears, halberds, daggers, long swords and shields. In practice that means almost every physical weapon drop is a Reid upgrade, and the party's damage curve follows whatever he is holding. If he falls behind, the whole team does.
His artes are fast, multi-hit and built for staggering enemies, which fits the battle system's emphasis on holding a target in place while a spell lands behind you.
How to play him
- Open every fight as Reid. His artes stagger, and a staggered enemy is what makes your caster's spell safe to finish.
- Chain base artes into each other, not just into a finisher. The combo window is generous, and continuing the string keeps the enemy locked down.
- Keep him at the front of the plane. He is the character who should be closing distance; leaving him at range wastes his whole kit.
- Swap weapons by element before a boss. He can carry an elemental option for every Greater Craymel fight, and matching the weakness is worth more than raw attack.
Artes
Reid's list follows the standard structure: base artes bound to short combo commands on the D-pad plus an attack button, and arcane artes that appear automatically once the corresponding base arte has been used enough times. Several of his later artes fire projectiles, which extends his reach in a fight where the enemy prioritises the party's casters.
The important detail is that arcane artes are gated by usage, not by level. If you want a specific upgraded attack, use its base version deliberately rather than letting the auto-battle rotation pick for you.
Equipment priorities
- A current sword. Non-negotiable, and the first purchase in every new region.
- Cheap alternatives of each element. Four modest weapons beat one expensive one.
- A shield when the slot is available. Reid is the only party member who can carry one, and it makes him the character who survives the fight where everything goes wrong.
- A bracelet or ring that boosts a stat he actually uses. Do not spend the accessory slot on raw defence.
Skills that matter outside combat
Reid's early story is one of the reasons the game's opening is remembered: a childhood prank gone wrong, a sealed monster and a friend's father, and eighteen years of not talking about it. His relationship with Farah and Keele sets the tone for the entire Inferian half of the story, and the party's later arguments about how to treat Craymels land harder because of what happened at the knoll.
