Trails of Cold Steel 4 Trial Chests might lack Cold Steel 2‘s puns, but they make up for that in significance. The game notably reduces the effectiveness of each character’s Orders, and completing Trial Chest challenges is the only way to strengthen Orders for New and Old Class VII.
Trial chests are scattered throughout the western half of the empire, but I did all the legwork rounding them up for you in this Trails of Cold Steel 4 Trial Chest locations guide.
Trails of Cold Steel 4 Trial Chests
New Class VII’s Orders can be strengthened twice, while Old Class VII’s only get one boost. Improvements range from extending how long the bonus effects last to increasing damage output and party buffs.
Each Trial Chest requires you have a specific combination of characters in the party to unlock and provides a recommended level they should be for the challenge.
You can crank the difficulty down and cheese the chest early if you want, then turn the difficulty back up.
Either way, fast travel takes you back to any discovered Trial Chest at almost any point in the game, except a few where you’re restricted from certain areas.
Trial Chest 1
- Location: South Sutherland Highway 2
- Characters and level: Juna/Kurt (55)
- Order Affected: Juna’s Sledgehammer — 250% Break damage for 4 turns
Trial Chest 2
- Location: Parm Byroad 1
- Characters and level: Altina/Juna (57)
- Order Affected: Altina’s Ebon Crest: Recover 15% HP + EP, Perfect Guard
Trial Chest 3
- Location: Draco Shrine (first visit)
- Characters and level: Rean/Crow (97)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Gold Dragon: Insight for 2 turns, 40% critical boost for 10
Trial Chest 4
- Location: Avon Hills (first half)
- Characters and level: Kurt/Altina (65)
- Order Affected: Kurt’s Wind Blade: Reduces AT delay by 60% for 6 turns
Trial Chest 5
- Location: Milsante Byroad 2
- Characters and level: Rean/Elliot/Machias/Sara (99)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Iron Will: 40% damage received for 8 turns, recovers 12% HP + EP
Trial Chest 6
- Location: Osgiliath Basin (first half)
- Characters and level: Ash/Altina (73)
- Order Affected: Ash’s Crazy Hunt: Effect lasts 6 turns
Trial Chest 7
- Location: Saint-Gral Labyrinth C
- Characters and level: Musse/Ash (75)
- Order Affected: Musse’s Arts Celebration: -80% EP cost for 12 turns, recover 20% EP, moderate ATS boost for 4 turns
Trial Chest 8
- Stella Shrine (through the beach cave outside Crossbell)
- Characters and level: Rean/Musse/Emma/Duvalie (133)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Divine Song: Moderate ATS boost for 2 turns, no cast time for 3 turns
Trial Chest 9
- Location: Bryonia Island (first half, before accessing Sol Shrine)
- Characters and level: Rean/Juna (93)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Iron Will: Name change, 60% damage reduction for 8 turns, recover 15% HP + EP
Trial Chest 10
- Location: Bryonia Island (first half, before accessing Sol Shrine)
- Characters and level: Fie/Laura (93)
- Order Affected: Fie’s Zephyr Wing: Reduce AT delay by 50% for 10 turns, adds Insight
Trial Chest 11
- Location: Bryonia Island (second half, after accessing Sol Shrine)
- Characters and level: Rean/Kurt (95)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Raging Fire: 20% damage for 6 turns, recovers 10 CP for party members
Trial Chest 12
- Location: Bryonia Island (second half, after accessing Sol Shrine)
- Characters and level: Jusis/Machias (95)
- Order Affected: Jusis’ Noble rise: 30% damage for 12 turns, STR, ATS, SPD get moderate increase for 2 turns
Trial Chest 13
- Location: West Lemare Highway 2
- Characters and level: Rean/Altina (96)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Divine Song: name change, no casting time for 4 turns, ATS gets large boost for 2 turns
Trial Chest 14
- Location: West Lemare Highway 1
- Characters and level: Ash/Kurt/Emma/Sara (96)
- Order Affected: Ash’s Crazy Hunt: Name change, critical rate up 60% for 6 turns, STR+SPD get small boost for 2 turns
Trial Chest 15
- Location: Ordis Underground Waterway 1
- Characters and level: Machias/Crow (97). Equip confusion-resistant items
- Order Affected: Machias’ Sigma Operation: Name change, STR+DEF get a large boost for 8 turns
Trial Chest 16
- Location: Osgiliath Basin (second half, past the earlier boss fight)
- Characters and level: Laura/Emma (101)
- Order Affected: Laura’s Valiant Hearts: Name change, effect lasts for 6 turns
Trial Chest 17
- Location: Osgiliath Basin (second half, past the earlier boss fight)
- Characters and level: Sara/Fie (101)
- Order Affected: Sara’s Lightspeed Flash: Reduce AT delay by 70% for 6 turns, moves party to top of AT bar
Trial Chest 18
- Location: North Sutherland Highway 1
- Characters and level: Kurt/Musse/Fie/Crow (102)
- Order Affected: Kurt’s Wind Blade: Name change, reduce AT delay by 70% for 6 turns
Trial Ches 19
- Location: North Sutherland Highway 2
- Characters and level: Elliot/Gaius (102)
- Order Affected: Elliot’s Blue Orchestra: Reduce damage received by 70% for 12 turns, restores 30% HP
- Note: This is highly useful for the segment’s upcoming boss fight. It’s recommended you complete during the horse sidequest, which opens after gathering information in Saint Arkh, before convening in the Bracer’s Guild.
Trial Chest 20
- Location: West Languedoc Canyon Road
- Characters and level: Musse/Juna/Laura/Sara (106)
- Order Affected: Musse’s Arts Celebration: Name change, -80% EP cost for 12 turns, recover 20% EP, large ATS boost for 4 turns
Trial Chest 21
- Location: Rock Patio
- Characters and level: Crow/Angelica (106)
- Order Affected: Crow’s Chaos Raven: 25% damage for 12 turns, recover 30% HP+EP
Trial Chest 22
- Location: Gala Lake Trail
- Characters and level: Altina/Musse/Tita/Alisa (107)
- Order Affected: Altina’s Ebon Crest: Name change, recover 20% HP+EP, Perfect Guard
Trial Chest 23
- Location: Luna Shrine (you’ll go to this shrine automatically, unlike the earlier ones)
- Characters and level: Emma/Alisa (118)
- Order Affected: Emma’s Zodiac Force: Name change, absorb magic attacks for 8 turns, large ATS boost for 4 turns
Trial Chest 24
- Location: Auros Coastal Road 2
- Characters and level: Rean/Alisa/Fie/Jusis (121)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Raging Fire: Name change, recovers 12 CP for party members, 25% damage boost for 6 turns
Trial Chest 25
- Location: Draco Shrine (second visit)
- Characters and level: Gaius/Jusis (128)
- Order Affected: Gaius’ Sacred Roar: Name change, effect lasts 8 turns
Trial Chest 26
- Location: North Languedoc Canyon Road
- Characters and level: Alisa/Spoiler (131)
- Order Affected: Alisa’s Radical Design: Name change, recover 30% HP + EP, 150% Break damage for 12 turns
Trial Chest 27
- Location: Stella Shrine (second visit)
- Characters and level: Juna/Ash/Elliot/Randy (136)
- Order Affected: Juna’s Sledgehammer: Name change, effect lasts 6 turns
Trial Chest 28
- Location: Stargazer Tower
- Characters and level: Rean/Ash/Laura/Gaius (138)
- Order Affected: Rean’s Gold Dragon: Name change, Insight for 2 turns, 60% critical boost for 10 turns
That’s it for our Trails of Cold Steel 4 Trial Chest locations and effects guide, but be sure to check out our other Cold Steel 4 guides for more tips. If you found this article helpful, please consider giving it a share!
