Nancy Miller
The conclusion to the Calvard arc is approaching the West, and it’s an absolute beast of a game. Honestly, I got stuck figuring out the new alignment requirements myself during my run of the Japanese import—missing the Chaos route by a single point was painful. Whether you’re preparing to navigate the complex political landscape of Zemuria or just want to ensure you don’t miss a single hidden chest, this guide breaks down every chapter, boss fight, and missable item to help you reach the true ending without the headache.
Key Takeaways
- Time Commitment – Expect 100+ hours for a full completionist run with all bonding events.
- True Ending – Locked behind specific LGC alignment choices and hidden side quests.
- Missables – Books and recipes have strict windows; check our chapter checklists.
- Combat – Z-Field mechanics drastically change how Arts Drivers function.
Let’s break down the details below.
Preparation & Overview
Estimated Time for 100% Completion
If you are aiming for the Platinum trophy or full achievement list, prepare for a long haul. A standard story playthrough will take approximately 60-70 hours depending on your reading speed and difficulty setting. However, for a Trails beyond the Horizon 100% guide—including all chests, character notes, and the True Ending—you are looking at upwards of 120 hours. The game is dense with text and optional content that requires careful attention.
Major Changes from Trails through Daybreak
The transition from Daybreak brings significant updates to the combat system. The most notable is the refined Grendel mechanics and the introduction of “Z-Field” battles, which add verticality to turn-based encounters. The Xipha orbment system also receives an overhaul, allowing for more flexible Arts Driver combinations. Veterans of Nihon Falcom games will find the core loop familiar, but the pacing of battles is much faster.
Mastering the Z-Field Battle System
Understanding S-Boost and Shard Commands
The “Z-Field” system introduces a new layer of strategy where positioning is more critical than ever. Unlike previous titles where movement was restricted to a flat plane, you can now utilize verticality to gain damage bonuses or avoid ground-based area-of-effect attacks. The S-Boost gauge returns but now integrates with “Shard Commands,” allowing you to issue party-wide buffs that consume boost gauges. Mastering when to trigger these commands—specifically the “Ark Feather” command for Arts users—is essential for clearing high-level mobs efficiently.
Leveraging the Grendel-Zolga Mechanics
Van’s transformation ability, the Grendel, has evolved into the Grendel-Zolga state in specific story beats. This form grants additional actions per turn and access to unique S-Crafts that can wipe entire enemy squads. However, the transformation duration is limited by your CP and Boost gauge. A common strategy is to build Van with CP-regenerating accessories to maintain this form for the duration of boss fights, effectively turning him into an unstoppable tank.
Status Effects and Chain Hits
The “Chain Hit” multiplier has been nerfed slightly from Daybreak 2, meaning you can’t just spam low-delay attacks to reach 100x multipliers easily. Instead, you need to rely on Status Effects like “Fear” and “Corrosion” to break enemy defenses. Corrosion is particularly potent in this entry, as it lowers physical defense and makes enemies susceptible to critical hits. Equip your physical attackers with “Blight” quartz to apply this effect passively.
Complete The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon Walkthrough
Prologue: The Vanishing Star
The game opens with a high-octane infiltration mission. Use this time to familiarize yourself with the new Z-Field controls. The boss here, “Grendel-Zolga Prototype,” is weak to Time arts. Don’t waste your S-Crafts early; wait until he enters his “Overdrive” state to interrupt his ultimate attack. Be sure to scan every enemy for the Battle Note trophy.
Chapter 1: Shadows of Edith
Back in the capital, your first 4spg requests become available. Prioritize the “Missing Cat” quest as it unlocks the “Feline” accessory, which boosts speed. The main dungeon involves navigating the sewers; bring plenty of “Curia Balm” as the enemies here inflict Poison. The chapter concludes with a choice that affects your Law/Chaos alignment—choosing to hand the criminal over to the guild (Law) or the Heiyue (Gray) will change your rewards.
Chapter 2: Neon Lights and Dark Deals
This chapter takes you to the Blacklight District. There is a mandatory stealth section where getting caught results in a Game Over, so save frequently. You’ll need to collect “VIP Tokens” to enter the casino. Inside, the poker minigame is rigged in your favor if you have high “Insight” stats (boosted by accessories). The boss fight against the “Crimson Grendel” requires you to use Van’s “Coin Bullet” craft to draw aggro, as the boss targets the character with the lowest HP.
Chapter 3: The Festival of Lies
The Film Festival is in full swing. This is a heavy “Free Time” chapter with over 10 side quests. Be sure to watch all three available movies to unlock the “Cinephile” achievement. The main conflict erupts during the awards ceremony. You will be split into two teams; ensure both teams have a dedicated healer. Team A faces a physical-heavy boss, while Team B deals with magical constructs.
Chapter 4: The Ored State
Travel to the desert region of Ored. The heat mechanic drains HP slowly in the overworld unless you consume “Cooling Water” items. The dungeon here is a vertical maze requiring the new “Grapple Hook” field action. The boss, “Sand Leviathan,” has massive HP regeneration. You must inflict “Burn” or “Freeze” to halt its regen. This is the best chapter to farm Sepith masses from the “Cactuar” enemies.
Chapter 5: Decisions
The pivotal moment where your LGC alignment locks in. Depending on your levels (Law, Gray, Chaos), different factions will offer to join you for the raid on the enemy stronghold. The Chaos route offers the strongest offensive allies (Ouroboros enforcers), while the Law route provides the best defensive support (Bracer Guild). Choose wisely, as this dictates the difficulty of the final dungeon’s first half.
Finale: Beyond the Horizon
The final dungeon, “Genesis Tower,” is a gauntlet of 12 bosses. You must split your party into three teams. Ensure every character is equipped with updated weaponry. The final boss has four phases; save your “Zel-Cano” items for the third phase, which has a strict DPS check. If you collected all Black Records, a portal will open after the credits, leading to the True Ending path.
LGC Alignment Rewards Breakdown
Your choices matter more than ever. Below is a breakdown of what each alignment level unlocks in Chapter 5.
How to Optimize Characters with Quartz Builds?
Top Trails beyond the Horizon Quartz Builds
For Van, focusing on Evasion and Counter-attack damage remains a top-tier strategy. Equip him with “Wrath” and “Evade 3” quartz early on. For Agnes, build her as a pure Arts nuker using the “Cast 2” and “Mind 3” quartz to maximize her EP efficiency. New characters introduced in this arc benefit greatly from the “Break” line of quartz, as breaking enemy guards quickly is essential for surviving higher difficulty settings in turn-based strategy combat.
Best Endgame Quartz Table
Once you unlock the “Synthesis” option in Chapter 3, you should aim to craft these game-changing Quartz immediately.
Best Arts Drivers for Endgame
The Xipha system’s flexibility comes from Arts Drivers. For the endgame, the “Nebula” driver is indispensable for Arts users due to its high-level Time and Space arts, which have the best delay mechanics. For physical attackers, the “Flare” driver provides essential buffs like “La Forte” without sacrificing slot efficiency. Remember that you can now customize drivers with plug-ins, allowing you to slot in healing arts like “Tearal” on a purely offensive driver for emergency survival.
Critical Missables & Common Mistakes
Comprehensive Trails beyond the Horizon Missables List
Missing a single book or recipe can ruin a completionist run. The most commonly missed items are the “Tyrell News” issues, which are sold at newsstands but disappear after story progression. Below is a checklist of critical items you must grab before leaving each area.
Misinterpreting the Kai no Kiseki English Guide Translations
Since many players reference the Japanese wiki (Kai no Kiseki) before the localized release, terminology confusion is common. “Shard Skills” in the JP version are “Hollow Bonuses” in English. Ensure you are looking up the correct localized terms for items and quests, or you might spend hours searching for an item that doesn’t exist under that name.
Ignoring Side Quests in The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon
Skipping “green” optional quests might seem like a time-saver, but many of them provide unique Quartz or accessories that are best-in-slot for the endgame. More importantly, your LGC alignment points come primarily from these side quests. Ignoring them can leave you with insufficient Chaos or Law points to unlock specific alliances in Chapter 5.
What Romance Options Are Available?
All Trails beyond the Horizon Romance Options Explained
The bonding system returns, allowing Van to deepen his relationships with party members. Key romance options include Agnes, Elaine, and Risette. While the game doesn’t feature a full “dating sim” mechanic, maxing out connection points unlocks special intimate scenes before the final battle. These scenes add significant depth to the characters’ personal arcs.
Maxing Connection Points in The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon
You have limited bonding points each chapter. To see every event in a single playthrough, you will need to save and reload or use a role-playing video game trainer to maximize your points. Without external help, you must prioritize 2-3 characters to ensure you reach their max link level by the Finale.
Fast-Track Your Adventure with XMODHUB
Given the massive length of this JRPG, grinding for Sepith and Mira can take dozens of hours. XMODHUB offers a safe, all-in-one solution to manage your resources and focus on the story.
❤️ Infinite Health
Keep your party alive during grueling boss gauntlets without constantly healing.
❤️ Infinite EP
Cast powerful Arts continuously without needing to recharge or use items.
⚔️ Max CP
Ensure your Craft Points are always full to unleash S-Crafts whenever needed.
💰 Infinite Mira
Purchase the best weapons and armor immediately without farming for cash.
💰 Max Sepith
Unlock all orbment slots and synthesize high-level Quartz instantly.
These featured mods are just the beginning. Whether you’re looking to skip tedious grinding, experiment with different playstyles, or speed up your progression, XMOD’s comprehensive toolkit offers dozens more options tailored to your playstyle. We also support downloadable content expansions as they release.
Using Trainers for Resource Management
Sepith farming is notoriously slow in the Trails series. By using the Max Sepith mod, you can bypass hours of repetitive battles and focus on customizing your Xipha builds. This is especially useful if you want to test multiple Arts Drivers without committing to a single build due to resource scarcity.
Skipping the Grind in The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon
For players interested primarily in the story, the “One Hit Kill” or “Infinite Health” options allow you to breeze through dungeon trash mobs while still enjoying the boss mechanics if you choose to toggle them off. It’s the perfect way to respect your time while experiencing the epic conclusion of the arc.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon Walkthrough FAQ
Ready to enhance your gameplay?
Catherine Hu