Burst Skills

Burst Skills are a gauge-based game mechanic in Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan that act as a successor to Limit Skills from the previous game. The mechanic would also be replicated in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth as Navi Skills.

Overview

Burst Skills are introduced after reaching B2F of the Lush Woodlands, with the Guildmaster granting you access to three starter Burst Skills. You can adjust the Burst Skills you have equipped while out of battle. You start with the ability to equip only two Burst Skills at a time, but completing the quests "Mist Monster", "Rise of the Baboons", and "Investigational support" each expand your Burst Skill capacity, to a maximum of five. Unlike Limit skills, any party member has access to and can execute the Burst skills you have equipped.

Additional Burst Skills can be discovered by finding the right key items and bringing them back to the Guildmaster. Some of these key items are found in chests or from important battles in the dungeons, while others are quest rewards.

Burst Gauge

During battle, actions taken by party members slowly fill the Burst Gauge on the side of the screen, which builds from 0 to 100. Once the Burst Gauge is full, it is stored and the next one begins filling, taking in any excess Burst from the previous action. The party can store up to five full Burst Gauges.

The Burst Gauge fills by a random number determined by the type of action the party member takes:

• Attacking, Using a Level 1-2 skill: 4-15 Burst
• Defending, Using an item, Using a Level 3-4 skill: 5-15 Burst
• Using a Level 5-6 skill: 6-15 Burst
• Using a Level 7-8 skill: 7-15 Burst
• Using a Level 9-10 skill: 8-15 Burst
• If a party member makes multiple normal attacks, like with Nightseeker's Blade Flurry, Dancer's Sword Dance, or both, fill the Burst Gauge only once.
• If a party member dies in battle, gain 5-15 Burst for each living party member.
• Winning a battle grants 15 Burst for each living party member.
• Escape attempts, successful or not, do not give Burst increments.

Any BRS forge icons on equipment increase the minimum Burst gained per action from that party member by 2 per icon, but cannot increase the maximum Burst. The Dancer's Dance Mastery increases both minimum and maximum Burst gained from each party member for each Dance buff on the Dancer.

Burst Skills require you to expend a certain number of filled Burst Gauges to use. Stronger Burst Skills typically require more Gauges. A party member can execute a Burst Skill in addition to their normal action for the turn, and stat-dependent Burst Skills will scale off the relevant stats of the party member using it. Burst Skills bypass the accuracy check and are guaranteed to hit. If enough full Burst Gauges are stored, multiple party members can each use a low-cost Burst Skill in the same turn. All Burst Skills trigger at the start of the turn, even before any Rare Breed enemies can act.

List of Burst Skills

Full Retreat 全力逃走
Burst Skill High chance of escaping from battle to your entrance to this floor. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Book of Flight, obtained upon unlocking Burst Skills

Calm Breath 武息
Burst Skill Recover some of your HP. Requires 1 Gauge HP recovery can be increased with Medic's Class Skills and Heal Mastery. Key item: Pranayama Guide, obtained from quest "Mist monster"
Level	1
HP Recovery (% of MAX HP)	50%

Analyze アナライズ
Burst Skill Get 1 enemy's full information to be recorded in the Monstrous Codex. Requires 1 Gauge Key item: Zoologics, obtained in Miasma Forest

Double Slash ダブルスラッシュ
Burst Skill Perform two powerful ranged cut attacks to 1 enemy. Requires 2 Gauges Key item: Skill: Dual Fangs, obtained upon unlocking Burst Skills Stat(s) used: STR
Level	1
Damage per Hit	135%
Total Damage	270%

Flame Wall フレイムウォール
Burst Skill Powerful ranged fire attack to an entire line of enemies. Requires 2 Gauges Key item: Spell: Flame Wall, obtained from the Vessels' village in the Misty Ravine Stat(s) used: TEC
Level	1
Damage	90%

Holy Gift ホーリーギフト
Burst Skill Increases EXP gained for the battle. Can only be used once per battle. Requires 3 Gauges Can be used multiple times in battle but subsequent uses after the first have no effect. Key item: Rich Hare's Gift, obtained from quest "Small Flowers needed!"
Level	1
EXP Increase	50%

Superspeed 電光石火
Burst Skill Greatly increases all allies' action speed for this turn. Requires 2 Gauges Key item: Spell: Fast Hare's Gift, obtained from quest "Investigational support"

Black Mist 黒霧
Burst Skill Ailments and binds on all enemies last longer. Cannot be amplified. Requires 2 Gauges Causes the game to skip the ailment/bind recovery step for all enemies this turn. It still counts turns spent under the ailment/bind normally. Once an ailment/bind has already been affected by Black Mist, it cannot be affected again until it wears off and is inflicted again. Each ailment/bind among each enemy individually tracks if it has been already affected by an earlier use of Black Mist. Key item: Spell: Black Mist, obtained from Misty Ravine

Charge Order 突撃の号令
Burst Skill Increases the damage dealt by the entire party for this turn. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Spear Tactics, obtained from the Noisy Marsh
Level	1
Damage Increase	40%

Charge Order 守備の号令
Burst Skill Decreases the damage taken by the entire party for this turn. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Shield Tactics, obtained upon unlocking Burst Skills
Level	1
Damage Decrease	40%

Ice Coffin アイスコフィン
Burst Skill Powerful ranged ice attack to 1 enemy. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Spell: Ice Coffin, obtained from quest "Lost: one ring" Stat(s) used: TEC
Level	1
Damage	140%

Aegis Guard イージスの護り
Burst Skill Nullifies all physical damage to the party for this turn. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Protection I, obtained from quest "Rise of the Baboons"

Aegis Ward イージスの護り
Burst Skill Nullifies all elemental damage to the party for this turn. Requires 3 Gauges Key item: Protection II, obtained from the Cramped Nest

Falling Stars 烈星衝
Burst Skill Powerful bash attack to random enemies. Requires 3 Gauges 3-4 ranged stab attacks to random targets. Can hit the same target more than once. Key item: Skill: Star Fall, obtained from reaching the Sentinels' Village in the Golden Lair Stat(s) used: STR
Level	1
Damage per Hit	135%
Damage Range	405%​-​540%
Average Damage	472.5%

Triumph Song 栄光の凱歌
Burst Skill Increases the party's damage as well as their defense for this turn. Requires 4 Gauges Key item: Cloudy Records, obtained from the Forgotten Capital
Level	1
ATK Increase	40%
DEF Increase	40%

Swipe Slash 光刃の一閃
Burst Skill Powerful ranged cut attack to all enemies. May instantly kill. Requires 4 Gauges Key item: Skill: Slash God, obtained from Kibagami in the Golden Lair Stat(s) used: STR, TEC, LUC
Level	1
Damage	200%
Instant Death Rate	35%

Spectral Cage 太古の呪縛
Burst Skill High chance of binding all parts of 1 enemy. Requires 4 Gauges Head, arm, and leg binds are all rolled separately. Key item: Ill Star Chart, obtained from the Golden Deer Keep Stat(s) used: TEC, LUC
Level	1
Bind Infliction Rate	110%

Aegis Shield イージスの盾
Burst Skill Nullifies all damage to the party for this turn. Requires 4 Gauges Also protects from untyped damage. Key item: True Protection, obtained from the Hall of Darkness

Zeus' Wrath 神雷
Burst Skill Powerful ranged volt attacks to random enemies. Requires 4 Gauges 4-5 ranged volt attacks to random targets. Can hit the same target more than once. Key item: Spell: Zeus' Wrath, obtained from the South Sanctuary Stat(s) used: TEC
Level	1
Damage per Hit	50%
Damage Range	200%​-​250%
Average Damage	225%

Geo Impact ジオインパクト
Burst Skill Powerful ranged bash attack to all enemies. Guaranteed stun. Requires 5 Gauges Ignores stun resistance and immunities. Key item: Astrologic Terror, obtained from Logre in the Echoing Library Stat(s) used: STR
Level	1
Damage	400%

Supernova スーパーノヴァ
Burst Skill Powerful ranged untyped attack to all enemies. Requires 5 Gauges Key item: Might of Stars, obtained from quest "Defeat the Fallen One" Stat(s) used: TEC
Level	1
Damage	250%

Hygieia's Bowl ヒギエイアの杯
Burst Skill Fully heals party's HP, binds, ailments, and unconsciousness. Requires 5 Gauges Key item: Snake and Bowl, obtained during quest "Key for the Capital"

References

• Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan GameFAQs Burst Skill list
• Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan atwiki (Japanese) - Burst skills page