Chronolith Trials are among the most difficult challenges in Final Fantasy 16. These are timed combat gauntlets, each featuring multiple waves of enemies for players to burn down before the clock runs out. But there's a catch: each one also focuses on one of the eight collectible Eikons in the game, which means Clive won't have access to the full extent of his abilities. (The one exception is Ifrit, since Clive doesn't really use Ifrit's powers so much as he transforms into it.) Successful completion of a Chronolith Trial is rewarded with an accessory that increases the HP or Will damage dealt by one of the relevant Eikon's abilities.

Chronolith Trials can be discovered earlier in FF16 - after all, the steles that activate them are spread all throughout the world - but aren't unlocked fully until later in the game. They may be an even better arena for combat experimentation than FF16's Arete Stone, since each one encourages players to dig into one specific Eikon's powers, learning their ins, outs, strengths and weaknesses. Players also earn bonus points (and extra seconds on the timer) for using a variety of different combos in quick succession. However, the Chronolith Trials are a far cry from tutorials for novice players. Some of them are truly, punishingly difficult.

Related: 5 Coolest Eikon Boss Fights In Final Fantasy 16, Ranked

7 Shiva

Shiva is FF16’s Eikon of Ice, and her Chronolith Trial is the easiest one in the game. Her abilities focus on freezing enemies, and in a timed encounter, that’s very handy. Stopping enemies in their tracks gives the player ample opportunity to strike. Shiva’s Permafrost also doubles as a dodge, and in this Chronolith Trial, it has the added benefit of adding a few extra seconds to the timer. There’s also a bonus for executing a perfectly-timed Ice Age. The final boss is an Icebound Necrophobe, which doesn’t require a unique approach. For defeating it, players will receive The Will of Ice, which increases Diamond Dust’s Will damage by 10%.

6 Phoenix

This is the first Chronolith Trial players will unlock in FF16 and mostly serves as an introduction to the concept. By the time players unlock it, they should already have tons of experience with Phoenix - after all, it's the only Eikon that Clive starts with. That also means that it's probably the single Eikon players have spent the most Ability Points on, meaning Phoenix may be fully upgraded going into this trial. Phoenix is also a well-balanced Eikon in general; Rising Flames is a powerful single-target attack, Heatwave is a handy defensive option, and Flames of Rebirth is a hard-hitting AoE that also heals Clive as it damages enemies.

Players can get extra time for using all of Phoenix's abilities as intended, so it's difficult to run out the clock here. Shift Strikes and Shift Combos are easy to pull off and can be very rewarding, so players should use Phoenix's gap-closing ability whenever possible. The final boss is an Ahriman, an enemy type players have fought before in one of FF16's easiest Hunts. The reward for completing FF16's first Chronolith Trial is The Favor of Fire, which increases Flame of Rebirth's damage by 8%.

5 Garuda

Phoenix is the first Eikon players can use in FF16, and so they have the most experience with it; Garuda is the second Eikon, so players should have almost as much experience with her. That makes her Chronolith Trial ever-so-slightly harder than Phoenix’s. Time bonuses here mainly focus on Garuda’s Deadly Embrace, which draws small enemies in and brings large enemies crashing down. There’s another bonus for aerial combos, facilitated by Garuda’s Wicked Wheel launching ability. When using Gouge, players should also make sure to spam the attack button as much as possible to perform the full flurry of swipes - there’s an additional bonus for that, too.

The final boss of Garuda’s Chronolith Trial in FF16 is a Coeurl, which can cause the player a bit of trouble. Coeurls are like Final Fantasy’s take on cheetahs: They’re known for their speed, and this one seems to be constantly running away from the player. Garuda doesn’t have many gap-closing abilities, so the player may find themselves wasting time chasing after it. Still, it’s not the hardest enemy to hit once the player’s within melee range. The reward for this one is The Will of Wind, which increases Aerial Blast’s Will damage by 12%.

4 Ramuh

Ramuh’s Chronolith Trial in FF16 starts out easily but finishes strong. Most of Ramuh’s lightning-elemental abilities are designed for crowd control, allowing players to act strategically against multiple waves of enemies in the early stages. There are time bonuses, however, for focusing all of Ramuh’s power on a single enemy by using up all Blind Justice charges on them, or tricking them into striking a Lightning Rod three times in a row.

Things get slightly more difficult with the final boss of Ramuh’s Chronolith Trial, a Thunderbound Griffin. This thing can take a hit, and since time is a factor, it’s best to prioritize offense. However, since Ramuh’s best offensive ability in FF16 - Judgment Bolt - has a long cooldown, players will be relegated to regular combos and sporadic Blind Justice barrages. Players should also watch out when the Griffin takes to the sky - it’ll either wind up and swoop in for a nasty little dive, or summon an AOE whirlwind. Both can be evaded, though. The reward: The Favor of Lightning, increasing Judgment Bolt’s damage by 12%.

3 Titan

Titan’s Chronolith Trial can be hit or miss. He’s FF16’s best defensive Eikon; his main selling point is that his stony hands can be used to block and counter incoming damage. However, timing them correctly can be difficult, and that can trip a player up during his Chronolith Trial. If the player has Titan’s timing down, then they’ll get plenty of extra seconds and the Trial will be a breeze. If they struggle with it, it’ll be a gargantuan challenge. The final boss is an Earthbound Giant. He’s slow, but so is Titan - players need to time their attacks in between his, so he doesn’t interrupt their Raging Fist combos.

Titan’s Chronolith Trial in FF16 is a difficult challenge, but it’s handsomely rewarded. Players will receive The Favor of Earth, which increases Earthen Fury’s damage by 7%.

2 Odin

Odin is where things really start getting difficult. He’s not FF16’s most balanced Eikon; his specialty is offense, and offense only. And like Titan, the player’s performance depends on the timing of his attacks. All players can really do here is fight as normal, using Odin’s offensive abilities as their cooldowns expire. There are time bonuses for fully-charged Zantetsuken strikes and for repeated blows with Gungnir, which works similarly to Garuda’s Gouge.

What’s more, Odin is one of the last Eikons players can claim in FF16, so they probably haven’t upgraded him much before taking him into the Chronolith Trial. It’s not easy, but it’s not the hardest Trial in the game, either. The final boss is a Darkbound Chimera; players need to watch its eyes because when they begin to glow, a blast of fiery breath is inbound. The reward for completing Odin’s Chronolith Trial in FF16 is The Will of Darkness, which increases Dancing Steel’s Will damage by 20%.

1 Bahamut

Bahamut’s Chronolith Trial is the hardest one in FF16. Like Odin, Bahamut relies almost entirely on offensive abilities - Megaflare is the main one. They’re effective, and certainly deal a lot of damage. However, these abilities have some of the longest cooldowns of any in the game, which makes Bahamut’s Chronolith Trial a slog. Players will spend most of it running in circles, trying to stay alive while waiting for Megaflare to charge. That wastes time that players don’t have in these fast-paced gauntlets - the clock is liable to run out before the player has a chance to use it.

The final boss of Bahamut’s Chronolith Trial in FF16 is a Lightbound Warlord. Players should hit it with Megaflare to reduce its Will gauge, then save the rest of their abilities to deal lots of damage when it’s staggered. Players are rewarded with The Favor of Light, which increases Gigaflare’s damage by a disappointing 5%.

FF16's combat is its main focus and its strongest suit; there are so many ways to approach every individual battle. Chronolith Trials restrict the player's options to just one Eikon, giving them the opportunity to hone their fighting styles and test their skills. These combat gauntlets are some of the hardest battles in Final Fantasy 16, and as one of the few side activities available, a welcome distraction from the main story.