An Attacker Who Offers High Power at Long Range
Wielding both a gun and a sword, Alvin is able to fight at both close and long range. He particularly excels at long range, where gun artes fueled by his high Physical Attack score are able to deal heavy damage. On the other hand, his movement speed and quick-steps are on the slow side, and many of his attacks are sluggish. To avoid being surrounded, pay careful attention to enemy placements and position yourself accordingly.
Key Attributes
- Deals considerable damage with each attack.
- Artes and regular attacks typically have long ranges and wide areas of effect.
- Skills allow for more frequent critical hits and easier guard breaks.
You don’t need to perform combos to deal heavy damage with Alvin’s powerful attacks.
Charge Your Artes to Boost Their Output
Hold down 
immediately after executing any of Alvin’s artes, and he’ll bring his sword and gun together to begin charging. If he completes the charge, the next arte he executes will be enhanced. Note that even if you release after beginning the charging motion, the process will continue until the first charge is complete.
Charge-Related Skills
| Skill | Effect When Active |
|---|---|
| Charge Plus | Alvin’s charge limit increases by 1. |
| Charge Plus 2 | Alvin’s charge limit increases by 1. |
| Charge Plus 3 | Alvin’s charge limit increases by 1. |
| Charge Breaker | Alvin’s artes can break guards when charged. |
| Charge Breaker 2 | Alvin’s artes are better at breaking Iron Stances when he has four charges. |
| Speed Charge | Hastens Alvin’s charging speed. |
| Mind Charge | Charging restores 1% of Alvin’s max TP. |
| Mind Charge 2 | Triples effect of Mind Charge. |
| Charge Armor | Alvin cannot be staggered during and up to 5 seconds after charging. |
Charging leaves Alvin vulnerable, so it’s best performed after using a long-range arte from afar.
Steps of a Charge
Before you can perform a charge, you must perform one of Alvin’s artes. As soon as the arte is executed, press and hold 
.
Hold Down 
to Charge
Alvin brings gun and sword to together for roughly 0.6 seconds to complete the charge. Your skills affect the time required to charge and the number of charges you can hold.
Alvin’s Next Arte is Enhanced
The next arte you perform will be enhanced by your charge. After the arte is executed, Alvin’s charge will be lost.
Normal Attacks
Some of Alvin’s Attacks Change When Charged
Certain regular attacks of Alvin’s have different variations when he’s charged. For example, the second stage of normal attacks entered while pressing 
, 
, or 
is usually a long-range gunshot. But Alvin can’t use his gun when charged, so he uses sword attacks that can reverse or knock down foes instead. When using normal attacks, it’s important to factor in whether or not Alvin is charged.
When he isn’t charged, Alvin can continuously fire his gun for as long as he has AC to spare.