Phoenix
Phoenix is the first Eikon that Clive gains access to, and he’ll have access to it right from the beginning of the game. Both Clive and his brother Joshua are gifted with the power or the essence of Phoenix right from birth. The game will initially lock most of Phoenix’s abilities, leaving you stuck with just 
Phoenix Shift and 
Rising Flames, but once you reach the Nysa Defile and play as ‘older Clive,’ the remaining abilities will unlock.
In fact, you won’t have more than three Eikons to choose from until you reach 
Bolts from the Blue in Chapter 6 of the game, meaning Phoenix will be in your rotation for nearly half the game. Therefore, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of all of Phoenix’s abilities outlined below. Even if you don’t plan to counterattack with 
Heatwave, for example, you can still make use of its more powerful abilities, like 
Flames of Rebirth, as a means of healing Clive during battles.
There is a section of the game where you can control Phoenix, and for those sequences, you will gain access to a whole new set of Phoenix-specific abilities while “embodying Phoenix.” For more information on those abilities, check out the “Embodying Phoenix” section using the link below:
The remaining abilities are found below:
Phoenix Shift
Eikonic Feat
Use the Blessing of the Phoenix to close the gap between a target. Both melee attacks and magicked shots can be dealt while shifting.
Tips and Tricks
- This Eikonic Feat is the first one you gain access to, and it remains powerful from the beginning of the game right through to the end. It’s most often replaced by
Cold Snap when the player gains access to 
Shiva, along with the 
Lunge ability, which is then used to close the distance. Players who prefer aerial combat may rely more heavily on 
Deadly Embrace as an alternative. - Works for both ground and aerial-based combat, as Eikonic Feat can reach airborne targets and will warp Clive into the air when facing some larger targets.
- As noted within the in-game description, don’t forget to press
or 
to include an attack at the same time as you close the distance between Clive and an enemy. - Upgrading this ability is very helpful as it increases the distance Clive can travel and allows him to get from one end of the battlefield to the other much more quickly.
- It can be integrated into combos quite easily because it can help re-close the gap after you use an ability that sends an enemy flying.
Ability-Related Accessories
Reflection of Fire (Phoenix Shift)
Rising Flames
Eikonic Ability
Summon a fiery wing that deals damage and can launch smaller enemies into the air.
Tips and Tricks
- This is your early powerhouse attack that can be used to inflict heavy damage on enemies. While the splash damage of the flames can hit other targets, its primary use is geared towards a single target.
- The most important tip for developing this ability is to use it as often as possible. The cooldown for Rising Flames is relatively short compared to powerhouse abilities that you get later on in the game, so you shouldn’t wait around saving it for when an enemy is staggered.
- Its damage is considered to be 3 out of 5, so more powerful moves will replace it once you have access to other Eikons.
- It can also take some practice to get used to using it, as it’s very easy to miss the target entirely if you’re not particular about aiming it. For example, battles against salamanders, dragons, and other enemies with large, wide bodies can make it more difficult to land this attack.
Ability-Related Accessories
The Will of Fire (Rising Flames)
The Breath of Fire (Rising Flames)
Scarlet Cyclone
Eikonic Ability
Spin quicikly, creating a ring of fire that burns all enemies in range.
Tips and Tricks
- This is your earliest ability that’s geared towards hitting multiple targets simultaneously. The drawback is that the enemies have to be pretty close to Clive to get hit, but if they are when he casts it, it deals quite a bit of damage, especially to smaller targets. The other drawback is that it’s not a very effective attack to use against a single target, such as a boss (with one exception, noted below).
- Heatwave is one of Clive’s strongest abilities. It has the most utility, which means you’ll have to choose between either Rising Flames or Scarlet Cyclone, and this is why it’s very beneficial to set yourself up with at least two
Eikonic Ability Sets, one for single-target fights and a second one for multiple targets. This way, you won’t find yourself trying to use this ability on bosses, which is pretty ineffective. - While this attack isn’t very effective against bosses, it does have a 3 out of 5 ranking when it comes to its impact on an enemy’s stagger meter. This means that, while it isn’t the best by any stretch, it can be helpful for slowly depleting a boss’s “Will Gauge.” You should still use it against bosses even if you forgot to swap over to a single-target Eikonic Ability Set.
- This ability should be replaced when you gain access to newer Eikons towards the second half of the game.
Ability-Related Accessories
Heatwave
Eikonic Ability
Summon a projectile-dispelling wall of liquid flame before launching several deadly shockwaves. Wave force is amplified upon dispelling magic.
Tips and Tricks
- For the purposes of covering all angles, this guide will include some drawbacks of this ability, but make no mistake, Heatwave is one of the most potent abilities in the game, and it has a ton of utility in nearly all fights.
- It does reasonable damage on its own, you can use the waves of magic that it emits to hit multiple targets, and it acts as a defensive utility as well once you become familiar with an enemy’s attack pattern.
- Learning to counterattack enemy projectiles is an essential skill throughout Final Fantasy XVI. In addition to protecting Clive from damage, if you successfully trigger a counterattack wave, you’ll deal an immense amount of “Will Gauge” damage, making it much easier to stagger an enemy.
- It’s important to note that there is a range limitation on the counterattack waves. Some of the larger enemies you face (especially dragons) will cast ranged magic at Clive, but will be too far away to get hit by the counterattack waves if they’re on the other side of the battlefield. You can still use Heatwave to block the attack, but making sure the enemy gets hit by the counterattack waves is an essential skill to master.
- The cooldown for this ability is significantly reduced if you do successfully counterattack with magic. As a result, it’s recommended that you use this ability only when countering an attack. Should you use it on an enemy while that enemy is staggered? You can if you want to, but keep in mind that the damage Heatwave deals when it’s not being used as a counterattack is minimal. In fact, a standard
Melee Attack combo with 
Magic Burst is probably more effective. Additionally, if the boss launched a ranged magic attack as soon as it’s out of its stagger window, Clive won’t be ready to counterattack. - You may find yourself leaning towards other abilities once you gain access to other Eikons during a playthrough, but make no mistake, this ability provides strong utility from the start of the game right through to the end, so there’s nothing wrong with keeping it in your arsenal even if you have to master it and attach it to another Eikon.
Ability-Related Accessories
Flames of Rebirth
Eikonic Ability
Summon a massive pillar of fire that burns all enemies caught within the flames, while also partially restoring Clive’s HP.
Tips and Tricks
- Many players swear by Flames of Rebirth, but to appreciate its particular benefits, it’s essential to be aware of its drawbacks. Let’s start with the benefits, though: it deals quite a bit of damage to enemies, and it’s one of the few methods that Clive has that allows him to heal himself.
- The cooldown on the ability is quite long.
- Upgrading Flames of Rebirth causes it to deal quite a bit more damage. In fact, once upgraded, it can rip through many of the smaller groups of enemies with a single cast. Because of the cooldown, you’ll have to wait around for a while if you want to use it in the next battle. Some players have the patience for this, but it does make for a slower playing experience.
- For players who are attempting to earn any of the Medals of Valor, Flames of Rebirth doesn’t have as much utility because you shouldn’t be taking damage, at least during boss fights.
The Favor of Fire (Flames of Rebirth)