Skell

Official artwork of several skells next to a person.

Skells are mechs in Xenoblade Chronicles X. They can be piloted by the party and are used for traversal and combat.

Appearance

Skells are tall, humanoid shaped vehicles that can convert into a moped-like vehicle. They have significant exterior armour plating, visible propulsion devices, and tyres. They have a visor where a human head would be, or where the windshield of a moped would be, and they move in somewhat stiff ways.

Plot

In the world of Xenoblade Chronicles X, Skells are used primarily as tools for transportation, combat, and various heavy duty industrial tasks, like moving freight or installing Data Probes. In New Los Angeles, they are heavily used as stationary sentries, guarding important locations.

The technology used to create Skells is seen as a major breakthrough, and they are praised for how much they have helped survival on Mira. Unfortunately, the resources required to make Skells are highly scarce, so they are only made available to proven strong members of BLADE, and even then, are still quite expensive for those BLADEs to obtain.

Bio (Enemy Index)

Human-made bipedal mobile weapons. Their basic structure consists of a variable inner frame with an outer frame mounted on top, allowing for the crafts to shift rapidly between humanoid combat mode and vehicular cruise mode.

The outer frame is divided into two components; the first, known as the hull, consists of a layer of secondary armor, as well as an integrated weapons array, auxiliary drive unit, power pack, and armament rack. The second, known as the backpack, houses the mobility module, as well as control systems for weaponry and the Skell itself. Switching out the hull allows the pilot to customize his or her Skell for a diverse array of strategies and squad configurations.

Obtaining

Skells are made available for purchase to the player after completing the Skell License quest, which can be taken after finishing chapter 6. They can be bought from the shop terminal in Armory Alley, or crafted from the AM terminal. Extra Schematics that allow the player to craft more Skells are granted upon completing Chapter 12 and after the Affinity Missions Climbing the Ladder, Bozé's Ignorance, and Rapid Misfire.

Each Skell comes equipped with some Skell weapons. The sidearms provide auto-attacks, and other weapons act as appendages which each provide a art for the Skell to do. Other Skell weapons can be obtained through the same means as frames, in addition to also being dropped by enemies.

Skell frames are given a level, which indicates what level a character must be to use the Skell, and the max level weapons it can equip. Frames also determine number of times insurance can be used, and the type of Overdrive the Skell has access to.

Gameplay

Skells are used for transportation and combat, both of which work differently from ground gear.

In the BLADE barracks, they can be assigned to different characters, have their paint changed (cannot change colour values directly despite being shown), name changed, refueled with Miranium at a fixed rate of 5000 miranium for 3000 fuel, or, in the case the Skell is wrecked, repaired (see below).

From the main menu, Skells can be equipped, and warped to if they are parked by selecting "Return to Skell". Warping to parked Skells essentially functions as a player placed skip travel point, and can be used to quickly reload enemies in an area that is far away from a landmark, for example.

While Skells can travel to most parts of the map, they are restricted from entering spaces that are too small for them, including some caves and fortresses. Additionally, Skells are prohibited from certain Squad Missions like Unnatural Disaster.

After a Skell has been wrecked, either by having its HP reduced to 0 in combat or touching the death barrier, it cannot be used again until it is repaired. This can be done automatically via insurance: each Skell comes with a fixed amount of times that it will automatically be repaired by accessing the menu in the BLADE barracks. If a Skell's insurance is exhausted, it can be repaired via a Salvage Ticket or by spending credits.

Combat

Skells are vaguely similar to Gears in Xenogears, E.S.es in Xenosaga and Interlink in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in regards to combat in that they have ballooned stats in comparison to normal combat, are upgraded in different, less natural ways from normal combat, attack slowly and methodical, and have a usage limit. Unlike Gears and Interlinking, Skells' fuel limit is very generous compared to Gear fuel and heat, and Skells are generally better equipped when first gaining access to them.

Skells' defining characteristics are that they have far higher stats, far slower art animations, a limited art selection, and are equipped in completely different ways from ground gear. Instead of Skell Arts being learned, they must be equipped with Skell weapons, which can be bought or dropped by enemies, similar to ground gear armour. In addition, arts are further limited by being restricted to certain body parts, 2 per side of the body, so you can't make a build with 3 shoulder slot arts, similar to how you can't make a ground gear build with melee arts from two different melee weapons. Moreover, certain weapons will take multiple slots, trading a full Arts palette for the ability to use the Art.

Skells use fuel when in combat. Shifting to vehicle form puts weapons away. Occasionally, when using arts, they will get Cockpit Time, which makes the Skell completely invincible, changes the camera view, and fully refreshes all Art cooldowns.

Skells do not have their own skills. Only two ground gear skills affect Skells, which, among other things, gives very limited ways for a Skell to increase its maximum GP. Finally, a Skell's arts can be made entirely unavailable if the appendage the corresponding weapon is equipped to is destroyed, as Skells experience appendage damage like enemies do.

When Skells run out of HP, they explode. A quick time event plays, which determines the repairability of the Skell. After the quick time event, the player is ejected into ground gear, and is in a grounded state for a short period of time. This matters because this is also true when the Skell is wrecked while in the air, meaning that having a Skell explode allows the player to perform grounded actions while airborne, allowing them to fight airborne enemies.

Frames

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Overdrive

Main article: Overdrive#Skell Overdrive

Skells have their own form of Overdrive, the effects of which are determined by the current Skell frame. Certain universal traits are shared between all Skell Overdrives:

• 3000 GP is required to start a Skell Overdrive. This GP is consumed at the end of the Overdrive rather than the beginning.
• Zero Fuel Use: Skells can use any art they want without consuming fuel.
• Skell Overdrives cannot be extended manually like ground Overdrive, but always a minimum of twice and a maximum of five times. Cockpit Times that activate during Overdrive increase the chance of Overdrive extension.
• The chance of Cockpit Time increases to 30% during odd rounds and 20% during even rounds.

Exploration

Skells move faster and jump higher than ground fighters, with a higher turning circle in vehicle form. They do not take most types of environmental damage, although they do take weather damage at a significantly lower rate. Additionally, they are affected by data probes like the Fuel Recovery Probe and the energy mists of Noctilum and Sylvalum, which both increase the rate of fuel recovery.

The Skell's greater jumping ability lets them travel to a lot more places than ground gear are able to, excluding the various infinite height glitches. In order to fly, Skells require the Flight Module, unlocked via the mission A Girl's Wings, which is available after the player completes Chapter 9. Once unlocked, the flight mode permanently replaces the jump and allows the player to naturally reach high places.

When parked, Skells naturally replenish fuel at a rate of about 25 fuel per minute, even if the game is turned off or suspended via the Home Menu. This rate can be increased using the Fuel Recovery Probes as well as the art Overclock (Overclock V adds 1000 fuel per minute to the rate).

Glitches

Pressing change form and dismount simultaneously when in humanoid form lets the player immediately become actionable, as it uses the vehicular form dismount animation (none).

When aligned to specific rocks in Sylvalum and Oblivia, dismounting a Skell can put the player out of bounds.

Enemy units

Human-Made Skell
Category	Mechanoid
Location	Primordia, Noctilum, Oblivia, Sylvalum, Cauldros, Industrial District
Level range	16 - 60

Since there are some BLADEs who decide to instead fight the player characters for various reasons including training exercises, greed, and simple betrayal, human-made Skells can also exist as enemies. Human-made Skells only appear as enemies during Missions, rather than being Tyrants or common enemies throughout Mira.

As Skells are very customizable, each Skell usually comes with a unique set of Arts.

Enemy Skells are considered Mechanoids, and they are typically resistant to physical, ether, and thermal attacks while being weak to beam, electric, and gravity attacks.

Attribute resistances

Attribute	Resistance
Physical	​30%
Beam	​-25%
Ether	​10%
Thermal	​10%
Electric	​-25%
Gravity	​-50%

Normal Enemies

Name	Variant	Location	Min. Level	Max. Level

Tyrants

Name	Variant	Location	Min. Level	Max. Level

Mission-specific enemies

Name	Variant	Location	Mission	Min. Level	Max. Level
Alexa Special	Unknown	Industrial District	Weaponized	16	16
Blood Despair	Unknown	Cauldros	Rise of the Blood Lobster	60	60
Briggs (enemy)	Unknown	Primordia	The Celeste Three	27	27
Dolba the Wrecker	Unknown	Sylvalum	Professorial	43	43
Fosdyke (with Briggs)	Unknown	Primordia	The Celeste Three	23	23
Fosdyke (without Briggs)	Unknown	Primordia	The Celeste Three	24	24
Gold Courage	Unknown	Primordia	A Dubious Operation	32	32
Grenade Pizza F	Unknown	Oblivia	Murder Most Foul	35	35
Interfearence	Unknown	Sylvalum	Serial Thriller	57	57
Leroy's Ire	Unknown	Primordia	Forbidden Love	38	38
Lightning Strike (XCX)	Unknown	Sylvalum	The Line of Fire	40	40
Lineage (Cauldros)	Unknown	Cauldros	Alex's Last Stand	43	43
Lineage (Oblivia)	Unknown	Oblivia	Shotgun Diplomacy	30	30
Lineage (Primordia)	Unknown	Primordia	Alien Nation	33	33
Moorehouse (with Briggs)	Unknown	Primordia	The Celeste Three	25	25
Moorehouse (without Briggs)	Unknown	Primordia	The Celeste Three	26	26
Prog Ares (time attack)	Unknown	Cauldros		50	50
Running Shark	Unknown	Noctilum	My Dream	21	21
Speed Mod Custom Skell	Unknown	Oblivia	Professor B's Return	30	30

Bosses

Name	Variant	Location	Mission	Min. Level	Max. Level
Prog Ares (part 1)	Unknown	Cauldros	Chapter 11	45	45
Prog Ares (part 2)	Unknown	Cauldros	Chapter 11	45	45

Other Enemies

Name	Variant	Location	Mission	Min. Level	Max. Level
Skell (enemy)	Unknown			43	46

In other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
English	Skell	From "exoskeleton"
Japanese	ドール	Doll
French	Skell	—
German	Skell	—
Spanish	Skell	—
Italian	Skell	—
Chinese (simplified)	DOLL
Chinese (traditional)	DOLL
Korean	돌	Doll

Gallery

Artwork

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  Formula

• 

  Urban

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  Verus

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  Inferno

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  Mastema

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  Amdusias

Xenoblade Chronicles X

• 

  Formula Zero

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  Urban Lincoln

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  Verus Cain

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  Inferno Skydon

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  Mastema White Reaper

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  Amdusias Hades

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  Lailah Queen

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  Ares 90

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

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  Formula Zero.

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  Formula Zero mid-flight.

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  Formula Zero's vehicular transformation.

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  Verus Cain.

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  Inferno Skydon.

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  Amdusias Hades.

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  Amdusias Hades' vehicular transformation.

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  Lailah Queen.

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  Lailah Queen's vehicular transformation.

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  Urban ST.

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  Mastema ST.

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  Lailah ST.

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  Hraesvelg.

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  Ares.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

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  Doug explaining how to register a Skell.

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  Cross reaching their first Skell.

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  What the pilot sees when they ride a Skell.

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  A fleet of Skells during Chapter 12.