Shiva
Shiva is the seventh Eikon you receive, and, at this point in the game, you’ll have a lot of customization options available along with the proper amount of 
Ability Points to master abilities and assign them to whichever Eikons you want. Clive can access Shiva after completing the 
Through the Maelstrom Main Scenario Quest.
Some of Shiva’s abilities are of questionable utility, but she undoubtedly brings some of the unquestionably strongest abilities in the game. Specifically, 
Cold Snap and 
Diamond Dust are two abilities that can completely change the flow of the game in Clive’s favor. Cold Snap can take some practice and getting used to, but the payoff is more than worth it.
Cold Snap
Eikonic Feat
Slide effortlessly across the ground in any direction. Attacking with 
while sliding can temporarily freeze enemies.
Tips and Tricks
- Cold Snap is an ability that you would use instead of executing a dodge with
, very similar to using 
Titanic Block to block an attack, except that if you press at the right time (e.g., in the same window as a 
Precision Dodge), you’ll trigger a “Permafrost.” - Permafrost is where Cold Snap gets its strength. Somewhat surprisingly, you can execute a Permafrost on nearly all attacks, including almost every boss’s attacks. That’s right—you can even freeze bosses in place!
- The power of being able to freeze an enemy in place cannot be overstated. Executing a Permafrost allows you to get a few extra swings in, use attacks that work better with an immobilized enemy (like
Gigaflare), or charge up a Zantetsuken with 
Dancing Steel and 
Lightning Rod. - You can press again after initiating a Cold Snap, and a small ice crystal will be left behind (shown in the attack animation above and in-game). You can use these crystals to interrupt enemy attacks and further slow down an enemy.
- The only drawback is that you’ll have to get used to pressing to dodge attacks instead of . There’s even a short window of invulnerability that occurs during this move, like when you dodge, so even if you don’t trigger a Permafrost, you may find that an enemy’s attack still misses Clive.
- This is the best ability in the game, and many consider it to be overpowered. It’s worth taking the time to practice and get accustomed to this ability, as it will significantly enhance your ability to handle more challenging fights as you progress through the game.
Ability-Related Accessories
Ice Age
Eikonic Ability
Unleash a river of icicles that greatly knocks back any enemies it strikes. Hold button to increase potency.
Tips and Tricks
- Ice Age tends to be underutilized because of comparable Eikon abilities, but it’s pretty powerful in its own right. You can use it to clear out waves of enemies, and it deals a relatively high amount of damage to a single target as well.
- This is another ability where you’ll have to hold down the buttons to maximize the attack’s effectiveness.
- The launch effect will only work on smaller enemies and not on bosses.
Ability-Related Accessories
The Favor of Ice (Ice Age)
The Breath of Ice (Ice Age)
Mesmerize
Eikonic Ability
Launch multiple shards of ice that, upon striking smaller enemies, draw them toward Clive. Can be used in midair.
Tips and Tricks
- This is the first ability you gain access to that allows you to draw enemies closer for additional attacks (besides
Ignition) instead of blasting them further away like so many other abilities (like 
Scarlet Cyclone or 
Pile Drive). As a result, this is a valuable ability to use in conjunction with other follow-up abilities, such as the two mentioned earlier. - This ability’s most significant benefit is its ability to save time when you attach it to your multi-target Eikonic Ability Set. Enemies tend to scatter as Clive and his teammates start throwing attacks at them, but this ability can help you group them back up.
- Not effective on bosses and stronger enemies.
Ability-Related Accessories
Rime
Eikonic Ability
Summon a colossal ice crystal that deals continuous damage to all enemies that become trapped inside it.
Tips and Tricks
- This is just not a great ability. It’s very niche, as it’s used to try and hit as many targets as possible by launching the colossal ice crystal close to large packs of enemies. The fact of the matter, though, is that there are better abilities and better attacks that you can use to accomplish this. In fact, Shiva has other abilities that are better suited for ripping through groups of enemies, such as Mesmerize and Diamond Dust.
Ability-Related Accessories
Diamond Dust
Eikonic Ability
Summon a winter storm that freezes enemies in place within a radius before knocking them back.
Tips and Tricks
- This is Shiva’s other ability (along with Cold Snap) that you should include in almost every Eikonic Ability Set. Not only is it good against large groups of enemies, dealing tons of damage over a wide area of the battlefield, but it has the highest stagger impact at 5 out of 5 stars, meaning it can absolutely rip through an enemy’s “Will Gauge.” Not only should you incorporate this ability into your build, you should get used to using it as often as possible, every time it’s on cooldown.
- A quick discussion on the Will Gauge impact: This ability can help stagger an enemy quickly, but skills with high stagger impact are also invaluable when an enemy is staggered for building up the damage multiplier quickly. Using Diamond Dust at the start of a stagger window can increase the damage multiplier to 1.30x-1.40x from the outset, thereby enhancing the damage of subsequent attacks. Additionally, if you’re using the
Assailment Bit, Diamond Dust can help you push the multiplier up to an insanely high value. - Its cooldown is its biggest drawback, but there are accessories available to help mitigate this issue. The other drawback would be how many Ability Points it takes to unlock.
- The amount of damage that it deals tends to change depending on where the enemy or boss is positioned relative to where Clive casts it. Don’t stand too far away when you cast it.
- One important thing to watch for is enemies that have stop points along their “Will Gauge.” Some enemies’ Will Gauge will continue to drop below 50%, for example, if they’re already at 55%. Others will hit 50% and stop taking Will Gauge damage, wasting the rest of the effectiveness of Diamond Dust. This is typically noted in the walkthrough section of this strategy guide, but it’s something worth watching for.
The Will of Ice (Diamond Dust)