Are blades actually weaker in the Spirit Crucible Elpys?

[gionna]

When I entered the Spirit Crucible Elpys in Chapter 7, a cutscene played that said blades would be weaker and heating arts less effective due to a lack of Ether in the caves. (Except for the Poppi, who is immune as an artificial blade).

Are my blades actually weaker while fighting inside the Spirit Crucible Elpys? If yes, how much weaker? Is the artificial blade Poppibuster also immune to the decreased ether?

[terrea]

Elpys does indeed cause gameplay effects, which are actually fairly painful.

There are three "AntiBladeArea" zones in Elpys. The lower regions of the dungeon are in "worse" zones, so the effects there are more pronounced. (I'm having trouble finding the exact definitions of these zones, but they're pretty easy to figure out just by playing due to item 1 in the below list.) While in these areas, the following things happen:

• Blade Specials are capped. This means you won't ever be able to attach orbs to enemies or do anything resembling a good chain attack (without accessories that attach orbs at lower special levels). This is the most significant effect.
• In-battle affinity is capped.
• Driver stats are modified, with attack being weaker, but defence being stronger. The exact numbers defend on the driver.

Region	Special cap	Affinity cap	Driver atk A	Driver def A	Driver atk B	Driver def B
Upper	3	1000	90%	110%	95%	105%
Middle	2	900	85%	115%	90%	110%
Lower	1	700	80%	120%	85%	115%

• Rex, Nia, and Zeke are in driver group A. Mòrag is in driver group B. Tora is unaffected, as are all his Blades.
  • Jin is in group A. Vandham in is group B. Malos's stats are unaffected, but his Blades are.
    • None of the above groups are randomly-assigned, they all have lore backing.
• Poppibuster is not affected. Characters that act as Blades but are not from Alrest (i.e. cameos from challenge mode) are also unaffected.
• Despite being called out in the dialogue, there is no obvious reference to healing being weaker.

https://xenoblade.github.io/xb2/bdat/common/BTL_MapRev.html