Actions & traits

Straight from the game's tooltips. Beastmaster has two gauges that fill and empty independently: your TP (fed by weaponskill combos, spent on instinctual axes) and your familiar's Familiar TP (fed by its auto-attacks and Aetheric Burst, spent on Trick). Both cap at 250.

How the kit fits together

draft · FC guide · updated 2026-09-12

How the kit fits together

Battlehorns let you pick three beasts to bring into a fight and swap between them mid-combat. You start with one horn and earn the second and third as you level.

Whichever beast is out, it uses the same four shared action slots:

Parting Blow — a strong hit the beast lands on its way out. This is your bread and butter for swapping beasts: fire it right before you change horns, not as filler.
Trick — performs the beast’s instinctual skill using its own (Familiar) TP gauge. Tricks feed the Instinctual Combo wheel just like your axes do.
Tempered Release — the beast’s unique controlled ability. Using it locks out Borrow for that summon.
Borrow — take on the beast’s kinship yourself, which turns Beast Mode into a utility action that depends on its classification. Using it locks out Tempered Release.

There are 50 beasts in the Master’s Bestiary. Build a team around their attack elements, resistances and skills — see the bestiary for every kit.

Instinctual combos

Gale Axe grants Volant Heart (7s). Follow it with Avalanche Axe to complete Sunstrider.
Avalanche Axe grants Rampant Heart (7s). Follow it with Mistral Axe to complete Moonstalker.
Mistral Axe grants Durant Heart (7s). Follow it with Spinning Axe to complete Sunstrider.
Spinning Axe grants Eldritch Heart (7s). Follow it with Gale Axe to complete Moonstalker.

Instinctual skills don't share a recast with anything else, cost at least 100 TP, and scale from 400 to 1,000 potency as TP nears the 250 cap — they spend all of it.

At 250 TP: Sunstrider and Moonstalker

The level 50 trait swaps each axe for a 1,200-potency version once TP is full. Those carry a Sunstrider or Moonstalker affinity instead of a colour: using one while the other state is up triggers an infinitive combo, the biggest multiplier there is — and the end of the chain.

Brutal Rage (from Avalanche Axe) — Sunstrider
Hawkish Talons (from Mistral Axe) — Moonstalker
Risen Fall (from Spinning Axe) — Sunstrider
Calamity (from Gale Axe) — Moonstalker

Weaponskill combo

The basic 1-2-3. Finishing the chain is what feeds your TP gauge.

Smash AxeLv. 1Weaponskill

Delivers an attack with a potency of 160.

Axeblade BiteLv. 2WeaponskillCombo from Smash Axe

Delivers an attack with a potency of 260.
Combo Action: Smash Axe
Combo Potency: 500
Combo Bonus: Increases TP Gauge by 13

ShieldsplitterLv. 12WeaponskillCombo from Axeblade Bite

Delivers an attack with a potency of 280.
Combo Action: Axeblade Bite
Combo Potency: 600
Combo Bonus: Increases TP Gauge by 15

Instinctual skills

Spend TP (minimum 100, scaling to 1,000 potency at full) and set a Heart for the next affinity in the wheel.

Gale AxeLv. 16WeaponskillRecast 5s

Delivers an attack with a potency of 400.
Potency increases up to 1,000 as TP nears maximum. All TP will be expended upon execution.
Minimum TP Gauge Cost: 100
Instinctual Affinity: Volant
Additional Effect: Grants Volant Heart
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Volant skill while under the effect of Eldritch Heart will complete a Moonstalker intentional combo, dealing greater additional damage.
Instinctual skills do not share a recast timer with any other actions.

Avalanche AxeLv. 4WeaponskillRecast 5s

Delivers an attack with a potency of 400.
Potency increases up to 1,000 as TP nears maximum. All TP will be expended upon execution.
Minimum TP Gauge Cost: 100
Instinctual Affinity: Rampant
Additional Effect: Grants Rampant Heart
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Rampant skill while under the effect of Volant Heart will complete a Sunstrider intentional combo, dealing greater additional damage.
Instinctual skills do not share a recast timer with any other actions.

Mistral AxeLv. 8WeaponskillRecast 5s

Delivers an attack with a potency of 400.
Potency increases up to 1,000 as TP nears maximum. All TP will be expended upon execution.
Minimum TP Gauge Cost: 100
Instinctual Affinity: Durant
Additional Effect: Grants Durant Heart
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Durant skill while under the effect of Rampant Heart will complete a Moonstalker intentional combo, dealing greater additional damage.
Instinctual skills do not share a recast timer with any other actions.

Spinning AxeLv. 14WeaponskillRecast 5s

Delivers an attack with a potency of 400.
Potency increases up to 1,000 as TP nears maximum. All TP will be expended upon execution.
Minimum TP Gauge Cost: 100
Instinctual Affinity: Eldritch
Additional Effect: Grants Eldritch Heart
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing an Eldritch skill while under the effect of Durant Heart will complete a Sunstrider intentional combo, dealing greater additional damage.
Instinctual skills do not share a recast timer with any other actions.

Familiar commands

Summon, direct and borrow from your beast.

First BattlehornLv. 1AbilityRecast 2sCast 1s

Summons your familiar to fight at your side.
During combat, recast timer cooldown will begin once your familiar has retreated. Retreat outside of combat will not affect recast timer.
Additional Effect: Grants One with Nature
Additional Effect: Resets Tempered Release recast timer
Additional Effect: Resets Borrow recast timer

Second BattlehornLv. 10AbilityRecast 2sCast 1s

Summons your familiar to fight at your side.
During combat, recast timer cooldown will begin once your familiar has retreated. Retreat outside of combat will not affect recast timer.
Additional Effect: Grants One with Nature
Additional Effect: Resets Tempered Release recast timer
Additional Effect: Resets Borrow recast timer

Third BattlehornLv. 20AbilityRecast 2sCast 1s

Summons your familiar to fight at your side.
During combat, recast timer cooldown will begin once your familiar has retreated. Retreat outside of combat will not affect recast timer.
Additional Effect: Grants One with Nature
Additional Effect: Resets Tempered Release recast timer
Additional Effect: Resets Borrow recast timer

TrickLv. 8AbilityRecast 3s

Orders your familiar to execute an instinctual skill.
Minimum TP Gauge Cost: 100
Additional Effect: Grants Volant Heart, Rampant Heart, Durant Heart, or Eldritch Heart
Duration: 7s
Effects granted by this action may be paired with beastmaster instinctual skills to create combos.

Parting BlowLv. 6AbilityRecast 10s

Orders your familiar to execute Aetheric Burst.
Aetheric Burst Effect: Deals unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,000
Lingering Vantage Potency: 1,500
Familiar retreats from combat upon execution.
Additional Effect: Increases Familiar TP Gauge by 24
Can only be executed while in combat.

Tempered ReleaseLv. 18AbilityRecast 30s

Orders your familiar to execute a controlled ability.
Additional Effect: Grants Lingering Vantage
Duration: 60s
Can only be executed while in combat and under the effect of One with Nature.

BorrowLv. 22AbilityRecast 30s

Borrows aether from your summoned familiar to gain Kinship according to its classification.
Beastkin Familiar Effect: Grants Beast Kinship
Vilekin Familiar Effect: Grants Vile Kinship
Cloudkin Familiar Effect: Grants Cloud Kinship
Seedkin Familiar Effect: Grants Seed Kinship
Wavekin Familiar Effect: Grants Wave Kinship
Scalekin Familiar Effect: Grants Scale Kinship
Soulkin Familiar Effect: Grants Soul Kinship
Ashkin Familiar Effect: Grants Ash Kinship
Changes Beast Mode into an action according to your familiar's classification.
Duration: 90s
Expiration timer is halted while your familiar is summoned.
Additional Effect: Grants Lingering Vantage
Duration: 60s
Can only be executed while under the effect of One with Nature.

Beast ModeLv. 22Ability

Upon using Borrow, changes to an action dependent on Kinship.
Beast Kinship Effect: Action reduces physical vulnerability
Vile Kinship Effect: Action increases block rate
Cloud Kinship Effect: Action bolsters movement
Seed Kinship Effect: Action inflicts poison and weakening effects
Wave Kinship Effect: Action deals ranged magic damage to a single target
Scale Kinship Effect: Action absorbs magic damage
Soul Kinship Effect: Action delivers an attack that interrupts a single target
Ash Kinship Effect: Action removes a detrimental effect

Gauge & utility

Capturing, checking odds, gap-closing and cashing in Instinct stacks.

CaptureLv. 1Ability

Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
Target cannot be incapacitated by this attack.
Additional Effect: Marks target with Interest Captured
Duration: 120s
Interest Captured Effect: Forges a pact with the targeted beast should you succeed in their subdual
Success is determined upon defeating targets under the effect of Interest Captured.
An entry in the Master's Bestiary will be added upon successful subdual, allowing the beast to be summoned as a familiar.
Success rate is inversely proportional to the target's HP at the time of execution. Furthermore, success rate increases if the target is a lower level than you.
Ineffective against targets whose level is higher than your own.

GaugeLv. 1AbilityRecast 3s

Investigates a targeted beast's probability of Capture.
Can be executed while mounted, but only when grounded.

Shield ChargeLv. 24AbilityRecast 60s

Rushes forward and delivers an attack to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 300
Maximum Charges: 3
Cannot be executed while bound.

RallyLv. 28AbilityRecast 120s

Spends all stacks of Mastered Instinct to increase TP Gauge.
Standard TP Gauge Increase: 40
Each stack of Mastered Instinct increases TP Gauge by 70.
Can only be executed while in combat.

Rallying CheerLv. 40AbilityRecast 120s

Spends all stacks of Natural Instinct to increase Familiar TP Gauge.
Standard Familiar TP Gauge Increase: 30
Each stack of Natural Instinct increases Familiar TP Gauge by 70.
Can only be executed while in combat.

Level 50 upgrades

What the four instinctual axes become at 250 TP (trait: Instinctual Mastery).

Brutal RageLv. 50WeaponskillRecast 5s

Rushes forward and delivers an attack with a potency of 1,200 to target and all enemies nearby it.
All TP will be expended upon execution.
TP Gauge Cost: 250
Instinctual Affinity: Sunstrider
Additional Effect: Grants Sunstrider
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Sunstrider skill while under the effect of Moonstalker will complete the infinitive combo Universality, dealing greater additional damage.
Cannot be executed while bound.

※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
※Avalanche Axe changes to Brutal Rage when requirements for execution are met.

Hawkish TalonsLv. 50WeaponskillRecast 5s

Rushes forward and delivers an attack with a potency of 1,200 to target and all enemies nearby it.
All TP will be expended upon execution.
TP Gauge Cost: 250
Instinctual Affinity: Moonstalker
Additional Effect: Grants Moonstalker
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Moonstalker skill while under the effect of Sunstrider will complete the infinitive combo Universality, dealing greater additional damage.
Cannot be executed while bound.

※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
※Mistral Axe changes to Hawkish Talons when requirements for execution are met.

Risen FallLv. 50WeaponskillRecast 5s

Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 1,200 to target and all enemies nearby it.
All TP will be expended upon execution.
TP Gauge Cost: 250
Instinctual Affinity: Sunstrider
Additional Effect: Grants Sunstrider
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Sunstrider skill while under the effect of Moonstalker will complete the infinitive combo Universality, dealing greater additional damage.

※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
※Spinning Axe changes to Risen Fall when requirements for execution are met.

CalamityLv. 50WeaponskillRecast 5s

Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 1,200 to all enemies in a straight line.
All TP will be expended upon execution.
TP Gauge Cost: 250
Instinctual Affinity: Moonstalker
Additional Effect: Grants Moonstalker
Duration: 7s
Instinctual skills may be executed sequentially to deal additional damage, which is determined by the skill that completes the combo.
Executing a Moonstalker skill while under the effect of Sunstrider will complete the infinitive combo Universality, dealing greater additional damage.

※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar.
※Gale Axe changes to Calamity when requirements for execution are met.

Status effects

Hearts & combo states

Volant Heart	Feeling Volant. Using instinctual skills with a Rampant affinity will trigger an intentional combo.
Rampant Heart	Feeling Rampant. Using instinctual skills with a Durant affinity will trigger an intentional combo.
Durant Heart	Feeling Durant. Using instinctual skills with an Eldritch affinity will trigger an intentional combo.
Eldritch Heart	Feeling Eldritch. Using instinctual skills with a Volant affinity will trigger an intentional combo.
Sunstrider	Striding boldly beneath the sun. Using instinctual skills with a Moonstalker affinity will trigger an infinitive combo.
Moonstalker	Stealthily stalking the moon. Using instinctual skills with a Sunstrider affinity will trigger an infinitive combo.

Familiar

One with Nature	Communing with the wilds. Able to execute Tempered Release or Borrow.
Lingering Vantage	Next Parting Blow will deal increased damage.
Capturing Interest	Attempting to prove worthiness as a beastmaster.
Interest Captured	Weighing worthiness. Alliance will be determined upon incapacitation.

Kinships (Borrow)

Beast Kinship	Borrowing aether from a beastkin familiar. Able to execute Beastskin.
Vile Kinship	Borrowing aether from a vilekin familiar. Able to execute Vileskin.
Cloud Kinship	Borrowing aether from a cloudkin familiar. Able to execute Cloud Skim.
Seed Kinship	Borrowing aether from a seedkin familiar. Able to execute Seedsower.
Wave Kinship	Borrowing aether from a wavekin familiar. Able to execute Quelling Wave.
Scale Kinship	Borrowing aether from a scalekin familiar. Able to execute Scaleskin.
Soul Kinship	Borrowing aether from a soulkin familiar. Able to execute Soul Crush.
Ash Kinship	Borrowing aether from an ashkin familiar. Able to execute Scouring Ash.

Beast Mode effects

Beastskin	Physical damage taken is reduced and critical hit rate is increased.
Vileskin	Immune to most knockback and draw-in effects. Blocking incoming attacks, and TP is increased for each successful block.
Scaleskin	A scaly barrier is reducing magical damage. When the barrier is fully absorbed, TP will increase.
Seeds Sown	Toxins are causing damage over time and damage dealt is reduced.

Traits

Lv.	Trait	Effect
4	Wild Heart	Allows for TP Gauge accumulation upon landing certain weaponskill combos.
8	Wild Heart II	Allows for Familiar TP Gauge accumulation upon the landing of auto-attacks or Aetheric Burst.
18	Battlehorn Mastery	Grants the effect of One with Nature upon summoning a familiar.
28	Wild Heart III	Grants 1 stack of Mastered Instinct upon completing a combo with a beastmaster instinctual skill.
30	Battlehorn Mastery II	Resets the recast timer for Tempered Release upon summoning a familiar.
34	Battlehorn Mastery III	Resets the recast timer for Borrow upon summoning a familiar.
36	Enhanced Shield Charge	Allows the accumulation of charges for consecutive uses of Shield Charge. Maximum Charges: 3
38	Beastmastery	Increases the potency of Smash Axe to 160 and Shield Charge to 300.
40	Wild Heart IV	Grants 1 stack of Natural Instinct upon completing a combo with a familiar instinctual skill.
42	Enhanced Rally	Reduces Rally recast time to 90 seconds.
44	Tempered Release Mastery	Grants Lingering Vantage upon using Tempered Release. Duration: 60s
46	Enhanced Borrow	Grants Lingering Vantage upon using Borrow. Duration: 60s
48	Enhanced Rallying Cheer	Reduces Rallying Cheer recast time to 90 seconds.
50	Instinctual Mastery	Upgrades Avalanche Axe to Brutal Rage, Mistral Axe to Hawkish Talons, Spinning Axe to Risen Fall, and Gale Axe to Calamity upon accumulating 250 TP.

Unlock order

Lv.	Unlock
1	Smash Axe	Action
1	Capture	Action
1	First Battlehorn	Action
1	Gauge	Action
2	Axeblade Bite	Action
4	Avalanche Axe	Action
4	Wild Heart	Trait
6	Parting Blow	Action
8	Mistral Axe	Action
8	Trick	Action
8	Wild Heart II	Trait
10	Second Battlehorn	Action
12	Shieldsplitter	Action
14	Spinning Axe	Action
16	Gale Axe	Action
18	Tempered Release	Action
18	Battlehorn Mastery	Trait
20	Third Battlehorn	Action
22	Beast Mode	Action
22	Borrow	Action
24	Shield Charge	Action
28	Rally	Action
28	Wild Heart III	Trait
30	Battlehorn Mastery II	Trait
34	Battlehorn Mastery III	Trait
36	Enhanced Shield Charge	Trait
38	Beastmastery	Trait
40	Rallying Cheer	Action
40	Wild Heart IV	Trait
42	Enhanced Rally	Trait
44	Tempered Release Mastery	Trait
46	Enhanced Borrow	Trait
48	Enhanced Rallying Cheer	Trait
50	Instinctual Mastery	Trait

Rotation & priorities

draft · FC guide · updated 2026-09-12

Rotation & the affinity system

Rotation basics

Open with Shield Charge to close the gap, then run the 1-2-3 combo (Smash Axe → Axeblade Bite → Shieldsplitter) to build TP. Use Tempered Release or Borrow depending on what your current beast is best for — you only get one of the two per summon.
Whenever both your TP and your familiar’s TP hit 100, combo Trick into an axe skill, moving clockwise around the affinity wheel, to bank a Mastered Instinct diamond. At two diamonds, one more combo grants the third; then Rally and close with the opposite Sunstrider / Moonstalker action (the 250-TP versions of the axes — see the box above the wheel).
Use Parting Blow right before swapping horns, never as generic filler. Use Rallying Cheer when it lines up — especially to double up Trick usage across a beast swap.

Full rotation and openers: Icy Veins — Beastmaster DPS rotation, openers and abilities.

Instinctual combos (the affinity system)

Chaining instinctual skills — your axes and your beast’s Trick — builds a combo. From the second hit onward, each hit deals bonus damage equal to

that hit’s damage × combo multiplier × interaction multiplier

Combo multiplier scales with combo length:

Combo length	Multiplier
2 hits	1.0×
3 hits	1.5×
4 hits	2.0×
5 hits	2.5×
6+ hits	3.0×

Interaction multiplier depends on how the new skill’s affinity relates to the current one:

Interaction	Multiplier	When it triggers
Infinitive	2.0×	a Sunstrider skill during Moonstalker affinity, or vice versa
Intentional	1.5×	a skill whose affinity sits clockwise on the compass from the current one — or a Sunstrider/Moonstalker skill that doesn’t trigger Infinitive
Instinctual	1.2×	any other non-Sunstrider/Moonstalker skill that doesn’t trigger Intentional

Once an Infinitive interaction fires the combo can’t be extended. Intentional and Instinctual hits chain indefinitely as long as you have the resources.

Worked example

Red Trick (A) → Green Axe (B) → Red Trick (C) → Moon Axe (D):

B is Instinctual — green isn’t clockwise of red → 1.0 × 1.2 = 1.20× B’s damage.
C is Intentional — red is clockwise of green, and it produces Sunstrider affinity → 1.5 × 1.5 = 2.25× C’s damage.
D is Infinitive — Moonstalker played into Sunstrider → 2.0 × 2.0 = 4.00× D’s damage, and the combo ends there.

Video breakdown: Beastmaster Infinitive Combo Demonstration — Gwen Nitsah.