Phantom Dust/Axiom

Axiom: Combat Basics
The most critical aspect of battle is understanding the situation at hand. Those who can decisively evaluate both their immediate situation and that of the enemy have the best chance at winning. When skills are involved in battle, it's important to know how to land attacks on one's enemy. On the other hand, knowing how to avoid attacks is also crucial. Many factors require consideration, such as skill properties, the timing of using the skill, and the location of where the skill is used.

Axiom: Lock
The most important aspect of attack is hitting the target. Most skills require you to lock onto a target to land the attack successfully. Choosing not to lock onto an enemy is the same as choosing death. It is difficult to smoothly switch to lock-on when there are multiple enemies. Mastering this is the first hurdle an Esper must clear.

Axiom: Skill Information
The contents of the capsules that spawn in battle can be viewed by touching them. Also, if you want to display information about the capsules you already have, press the D-pad in the direction of the button where the skill has been captured. On the upper-right of the screen, the capsules that have spawned are displayed. Each skill type will be displayed in its own color. Initially, it'll seem like a lot of information. Eventually, however, the skill properties will become second nature to you.

Axiom: Player Information
On the upper-left of the screen, you can see your Health. Also displayed is the information on others in battle with you. The target onto which you are locked appears brighter. This will also allow you to determine who is the enemy and who is your partner. On the lower-left of the screen, you can see how much and what kind of damage you've received, which is useful as a reference for future attacks.

Axiom: Time Limit
The standard allotted time for a battle is 15 minutes. As the time counts down, it will be displayed on the lower-right of the screen. When it reaches 0:00, the maximum time allowed on the surface has been reached and the battle must end. In the case if an actual mission, not completing it before time expires results in a failed mission. During a deadlocked battle, in some cases the amount of time remaining will accelerate.

Axiom: Options
There are many different ways to change you settings in the Options menu. You can set how enemy information is displayed. The best setting is FULL, which is the default. You can set how to lock onto targets or the order to switch targets. Find what works best for you in battle, and get accustomed to it. Once you get used to locking on and switching lock-on, try setting Lock On to Partner to ON. You can also set your camera and its magnification.