Party Member Recruitment & Management — Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] Guide

Recruit powerful allies and manage your party effectively in Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] to conquer the challenges of the Hollow Night.

Building a formidable team is crucial for tackling the challenges within the Hollow Night. This section details how to recruit new allies and effectively manage your party's capabilities.

Recruiting New Party Members

While some characters join automatically as part of the main story progression, many powerful allies require specific actions or quests to unlock. Always keep an eye out for unique dialogue options, interact with NPCs multiple times, and revisit previously explored areas after significant story events.

Early Game Recruits (Chapters 1-3)

• Linne: Joins automatically after the tutorial sequence in the "Familiar Faces" main quest. Her balanced offensive and defensive capabilities make her an excellent early-game cornerstone.
• Hyde: The protagonist, he's with you from the start. Focus on his EXS skills early to maximize his damage output.
• Orie: Recruited during the "Azure Guardian's Plea" quest in the Central Ward Plaza. After defeating the rogue Void, speak to the distressed merchant near the fountain. She'll direct you to Orie, who then challenges you. Win the fight to have her join your ranks.
• Waldstein: Unlocked after completing the side quest "The Ancient's Roar". This quest becomes available in District 3 - Old Town after clearing Chapter 2. Speak to the grizzled veteran by the abandoned docks. He'll ask you to retrieve the "Crimson Scale" from the Sunken Catacombs. Return it to him, and he'll join, offering powerful close-range attacks.

Mid-Game Recruits (Chapters 4-7)

• Carmine: A more challenging recruit. During Chapter 5, after the events at the Underground Research Facility, Carmine will appear as a mini-boss in the Industrial Sector - Abandoned Factory. Defeat him, and he'll begrudgingly offer his services. Be prepared for a tough fight; bring plenty of "Healing Potions II" and "EXS Boosters".
• Merkava: To recruit Merkava, you must first complete the "Whispers of the Abyss" questline, which begins in Chapter 6 at the Grand Library - Restricted Section. Collect all five "Forbidden Tomes" scattered across various dungeons (one is a drop from the Chapter 6 boss, another is hidden behind a destructible wall in The Labyrinth of Echoes). Once all are collected, return to the Grand Library. Merkava will appear, and after a brief dialogue, will join your party.
• Yuzuriha: Becomes available after completing Chapter 7. Return to the Sakura District - Tea House and speak to the proprietor. She'll mention a mysterious swordswoman. Head to the Bamboo Forest Path and defeat the group of Voids attacking Yuzuriha. She'll then join, impressed by your combat prowess.

Late Game & Optional Recruits (Chapters 8+)

• Seth: A secret character. To recruit Seth, you must achieve an 'S' rank on all main story boss encounters up to Chapter 8. After doing so, visit the Hidden Shrine in the Celestial Peaks (accessible via a secret path in the Cloud Temple). Seth will challenge you to a duel. Winning this incredibly difficult fight adds him to your roster.
• Chaos: Unlocked by completing all character-specific side quests for Linne, Hyde, and Orie. Once these are done, a new quest, "The Beast's Awakening," will appear in the Forgotten Sanctuary. Follow the quest markers, defeat the corrupted beast, and Chaos will join, offering unique support abilities.

Party Management

Effective party management is key to success. Access your party menu by pressing the [Options/Menu Button] and navigating to the "Party" tab. Here, you can:

Forming Your Active Party

Your active party consists of three characters. Strategically choose members based on the upcoming challenges. A balanced team usually includes a strong damage dealer (e.g., Hyde, Carmine), a reliable tank/bruiser (e.g., Waldstein, Linne), and a support/utility character (e.g., Orie, Chaos). To swap members:

1. Select the character slot you wish to change.
2. Choose a new character from your available roster.
3. Confirm your selection.

Remember that characters not in your active party still gain a small percentage of experience, but it's significantly less than active members.

Equipment & Skill Management

Each character has unique equipment slots and skill trees. Regularly check these to ensure your party is optimized:

• Weapons: Affects attack power and sometimes grants special effects. Always equip the strongest weapon available. For example, Hyde's "Insulator" series of swords are his primary damage source.
• Armor: Increases defense and HP. Prioritize armor with elemental resistances for specific boss fights.
• Accessories: Provide various buffs, such as increased critical hit chance (e.g., "Sharpshooter's Charm"), faster EXS gauge regeneration (e.g., "Aura Gem"), or status effect immunity.
• Skills: Spend earned Skill Points (SP) to unlock new abilities or enhance existing ones. Focus on skills that complement a character's role. For instance, investing in Orie's healing and buffing skills will make her an invaluable support, while Hyde benefits greatly from unlocking his powerful "Dark Lotus" and "Void Red" EXS attacks.

Affinity System

The Affinity System tracks the relationships between party members. Higher affinity levels unlock special dialogue, cooperative attacks (Chain Shifts), and even unique character-specific side quests. Increase affinity by:

• Having characters in the same active party during combat.
• Selecting specific dialogue options during story events.
• Using "Friendship Bracelets" (found in chests or purchased from the General Store in District 1 - Commercial Hub) as gifts.

Monitor affinity levels from the "Party" menu under the "Affinity" sub-tab. Aim to maximize affinity between your core party members for significant combat advantages.