Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep introduced the command deck, a system of organizing and implementing attacks, magic, items, and abilities that has reappeared in Re:Coded and Dream Drop Distance and is rumored to return for Kingdom Hearts III. By melding commands together, you can create powered-up attacks and spells that could mean all the difference in the midst of battle. Terra is a very physical fighter, so most of his best commands are attack-based, rather than magic-based. Here’s how you can load your deck while playing as him.
Attack Commands
Meteor Crash
Remember Meteor from Final Fantasy? Forget Meteor. Meteor Crash is that attack x10. Leap high into the air and bring your keyblade down with a cluster of meteors that explode around you and into your opponent.
Easiest recipe: Fire Strike + Brutal Blast
You can find Fire Strike in a chest at the Coliseum gate, or meld it using Fira + Poison Edge or Stun Edge + Fire. Brutal Blast can be found in a chest in Deep Space’s Turo Prison Block, or melded with Mine Square + Binding Strike or Stun Edge + Mine Shield, though both of these have a 30% chance of turning into Quake upon melding.
Geo Impact
Arguably Quake’s more forward sibling, Geo Impact brings the keyblade down on a single target, sending an upshot of rock formations in a single direction. If you don’t care about melding, you can find this gem in a chest tucked away in Neverland’s Mermaid Lagoon.
Easiest Recipe: Brutal Blast + Brutal Blast is the only recipe.
To reiterate, Brutal Blast can be found in a chest in Deep Space’s Turo Prison Block, or melded with Mine Square + Binding Strike or Stun Edge + Mine Shield. You’ll need two of these to make Geo Impact. If you find the one in Deep Space, you could bypass more melding by purchasing another Brutal Blast from a Moogle.
Zantetsuken
After a short buildup (during which you’ll be vulnerable), execute a blindingly fast and powerful strike that will wreck anything in your path. Obviously, this is a powerful one, so getting it won’t be super easy. If you’re against melding, you can purchase Zantetsuken from a Moogle after clearing five worlds (for 1700 munny), or get it from the Mirage Arena’s Medal Shop (for 1000 medels).
Easiest recipe: Stopga + Sonic Blade.
Stopga is the culmination of Stop command meldings, while Sonic Blade is handed to you after you best Hercules at breaking urns. The other recipe, however, replaces Sonic Blade with Dark Haze, which is infinitely cooler. You still get to charge your enemies, but now you have a chance to “doom” them, Marluxia style. Dark Haze can most easily be found in Mermaid Lagoon. Both of these recipes for Zantetsuken have a 20% chance of creating Ars Solum.
Ars Solum
This one is just plain vicious. Beat your enemies relentlessly with a powerful string of combos that can be extended by hitting the triangle button when prompted. The simplest way to nab this one is to find it in one of the Neverland’s Skull Rock chests. If you want it by melding, you’re going to have to work for it.
Easiest recipe: Sonic Blade + Dark Haze, Stopga + Dark Haze, and Stopga + Sonic Blade all have just a 20% success rate. See Zantetsuken for more info on getting these ingredients.
The last four recipes sit pretty on 5% success rates: Confusion Strike + Thundara, Thundara + Strike Raid, Thunder + Sliding Dash, and Thunder + Strike Raid. Don’t get your hopes up.
Windcutter
Create a whirlwind that’ll sweep up enemies and send them flying. Windcutter can’t be found in a chest until Keyblade Graveyard’s Twister Trench, near the end of the game. If you want it before that, you’ll need to meld.
Easiest recipe: Aeroga + Confusion Strike and Aeroga + Binding Strike are at about the same level of difficulty.
Confusion Strike can be melded with Confuse + Strike Raid, while Binding Strike can be melded with Bind + Strike Raid. Pretty simple.
Limit Storm
Summon a white light, do a fancy spin attack, and shred the enemies around you with waves of energy. Crafty players can get this command by earning 60 points (70, in Final Mix) in the Sticker Album. Everyone else? Get melding.
Easiest recipe: Binding Strike + Brutal Blast and Confusion Strike + Brutal Blast are at about the same level of difficulty. See Windcutter for more information about melding these two types of strikes.
Interestingly, Limit Storm’s light glows red and executes faster if used right after Sacrifice.
Sacrifice
Who needs health when you can have a single devastating keyblade slam? Sacrifice, as the name implies, gives up HP to perform a powerful attack. Also known as “Soul Release,” which is kind of creepy and sad when you think about Terra’s fate. If you’re one of those players that actually liked the Command Board minigames, you can purchase Sacrifice on the Honeypot Board. Or you can enjoy your life and meld it instead.
Easiest recipe: Warp + Poison Edge.
Warp is a tricky command to obtain. Your best bet is to try Thundara + Zero Gravira, Zero Gravira + Zero Gravira, or Zero Gravira + Zero Gravity. Those all have a 20% success rate. Good luck. Poison Edge is a lot easier. Just use Quick Blitz + Poison. Poison Edge can also be replaced with Dark Haze, found in Mermaid Lagoon.
Magnet Spiral
It’s like Magnega, but more violent. Pull in surrounding enemies for a single powerful spin attack. While there’s a chance you can pick this up by defeating Deep Space’s Blobmob, the chances are pretty slim (like 1%). You’re better off melding.
Easiest recipe: Binding Strike + Collision Magnet.
Binding Strike is easy. Just combine Bind and Strike Raid. Collision Magnet (which can be replaced by Magnega in the original recipe) can be melded with Zero Gravira + Magnet. Those are your safest options. For a 20% success rate, try the aforementioned Collision Magnet recipe, or Stun Edge + Magnera, or Quick Blitz + Magnera.
Chaos Blade
Oh boy. This is the big one. Teleport to your target and wail on it, dealing Dark damage and possibly inflicting Bind or Blind. Press the triangle button when prompted, rinse, and repeat.
Easiest recipe: Sonic Blade + Dark Haze is the only recipe.
To reiterate, Sonic Blade is given to you after the “Break the Urns” minigame with Hercules, while Dark Haze can be obtained in Mermaid Lagoon, or by melding Fire Dash + Blackout, Zero Gravira + Fire Dash, or Zero Gravity + Fire Surge.
Magic Commands
Dark Firaga
It’s like Firaga, but . . . darker. It’ll follow your target around, scorching them, dealing Dark damage, and potentially blinding them.
Easiest recipe: Firaga + Blackout.
The game practically hands you Blackout in a chest found in Radiant Garden’s Aqueduct. If that’s too simple for you, swap it with Dark Haze in the original recipe, again found in Mermaid Lagoon or created by Fire Dash + Blackout, Zero Gravira + Fire Dash, or Zero Gravity + Fire Surge.
Firaga
This is the highest tier of pure Fire magic, and totally easy to obtain. While Terra can pick up Firaga itself on Neverland’s Cliff Path, it’d be more beneficial to you if you melded it.
Easiest recipe: Fira + Fire.
You can also do Fira + Fira or Fira + Fire Dash. Pretty simple. The game will hand you dozens of these. All you have to do is take the time to level them up before you meld them.
Thundaga
Same basic idea as above, I’m only including this because it can be super useful to have Thundaga’s accuracy in a boss battle. Unless you manage to hit the top of Neverland’s totem pole, you’ll need to meld this one.
Easiest recipe: Thundara + Thunder.
You can also do Thundara + Thundara or Thundara + Binding Strike.
Curaga
You will need Curaga if you want to win the game. It’s a nice renewable option compared to all those annoying potions. You can’t pick this one up in any chest, but the game will give you all kinds of Cures and Curas, so obtaining it will be pretty easy.
Easiest recipe: Cura + Cure.
You could also do Cura + Cura. I should note that, if you’re wanting more health, you shouldn’t meld Cure commands with a Soothing Crystal. They’ll generally only give you item boosts.
Mine Square
Like Mine Shield, this magic command summons explosive traps that stun enemies when triggered. Unlike Mine Shield, this one puts the traps surrounding you instead of just in front of you. Terra can find this one in Deep Space’s Machinery Access Bay, or just meld it.
Easiest Recipe: Fira + Stop.
Your only other option is Aerora + Ignite.
Deep Freeze
(Obviously) an ice-based command, Deep Freeze attacks surrounding enemies with Blizzard magic, potentially freezing them in blocks of ice. Unless you want to brave the Toon Board (you don’t), you’re better off melding it.
Easiest Recipe: Binding Strike + Blizzaga.
You can substitute Binding Strike with Freeze Raid, but that’d be kind of silly seeing as how Binding Strike is already an ingredient for melding that command, when combined with Blizard Edge. You can also form Freeze Raid by using Strike Raid + Blizzara.
Quake
If you didn’t already get the idea from the name, Quake lets you shake the ground a bit, kicking up several massive boulders that can send Unversed flying. It can only be obtained through command melding using one of five recipes.
Easiest recipe: Either Brutal Blast + Magnega or Brutal Blast + Zero Graviga. Both have a 10% chance of turning into Meteor.
The last three are generally Geo Impact or Brutal Blast recipes that have a 30% chance of giving you Quake: Brutal Blast + Brutal Blast, Mine Square + Binding Strike, or Stun Edge + Mine Shield.
Mega Flare
Boom. Shoot off an explosive, screen-whitening fireball that deals damage to every enemy onscreen.
Easiest Recipe: Fission Firaga + Crawling Fire
That’s the only recipe. Fission Firaga can be obtained in the Dwarf Woodlands courtyard, or by melding Aeroga + Fira, Aeroga + Firaga, or Firaga + Aerora. Crawling Fire can be melded with Slow + Firaga, Stopga + Firaga, or Stopra + Firaga.
Choosing a Deck
There you have it. All of Terra’s best commands. You’ll have to experiment around to see which ones work best for you. As to be expected, different commands work better than others in different situations.
If you’re just trying to do some crowd control, choose commands that have a wide attack range, dealing damage to multiple targets. For example, Magnega is a good one for bringing targets together, followed up with Meteor Crash to finish them off.
If you’re just after one target, pick focused commands, like Zantetsuken or Chaos Blade. If you’re worried about opening yourself up for attack, choose quicker commands. Also be prepared for bosses to be impervious to most negative status effects.
And remember that just because a command wasn’t “ultimate” enough to make this list, all of the attacks in BBS have their merits. If you want to Quick Blitz your way to victory, more power to you. Every player is different, so just keep trying new styles until you find one perfect for your fight against the Unversed.
