=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Soul Nomad & the World Eaters - Inspection FAQ By ShadowPommy of GameFAQS.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Table of Contents: 001. Intro [0010] 002. What is an Inspection? [0020] 2.1 What is the point of doing Inspections? [0021] 2.2 What level should I be to start an Inspection? [0022] 2.3 What are the conditions for conquering a floor? [0023] 2.4 What are the different types of stage rules? [0024] 2.5 What are the different types of enemy squads? [0025] 2.6 What is the advantage of chaining stages? [0026] 2.7 What do I do with these "RP" points? [0027] 003. Tips and Tricks [0030] 3.1 General Tips and Tricks [0031] 3.2 What are some good squad set-ups? [0032] 3.3 What decoration items should I use? [0033] 3.4 How many rooms should I tackle in a chain? [0034] 3.5 How can I easily conquer a higher level tyrant? [0035] 004. Legal Things [0040] 005. Contact Me [0050] 006. Version History [0060] 007. Credits [0070] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 001. Intro [0010] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= So, here it is, my humble little FAQ about Inspections. It's not very long because Inspections are not entirely difficult to understand, at least once you get the hang of them. I will cover many subjects here, including what squads might be best for you to use in an inspection, what decoration items are best for conquering the tyrants and sentries that stand in the way, and just about anything else you could ask about Inspections. Well, here we go. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002. What is an Inspection? [0020] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= An Inspection in Soul Nomad is a stage ranging in sized composed of random terrain, units and circumstances. You can access an Inspection when it comes up in the story (it's very early, though it's not advised to start directly when it comes up) by opening the "Arrange" menu, choosing "Inspection" and then scrolling to the room you'd like to Inspect and pressing the X button. You'll be immediately launched into an Inspection room, which as I mentioned before will be completely random. Where do you go from there? Well, that's what this FAQ is here to explain. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.1 What is the point of doing Inspections? [0021] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are many reasons to do an Inspection, but the two main reasons are increasing your room's capabilities and levelling your characters up. At its starting point, your room gives the default bonuses that the decoration items you put into it. If you put in a Total Guard, you will gain +20% to your Defense stat, just as the description for the item says. However, a fully upgraded room will boost that effect all the way up until it gives you +45% to your Defense stat. As you can tell, this can be incredibly rewarding once you've maxed the room out entirely. There are two ways to tell if your room is maxed out. The first is to look at the room under the "Design" option which is in your "Arrange" menu. In the upper left corner of your squad's display window, there is an icon that appears silver when not upgraded and appears to serve no real purpose. When your room is maxed out, it will have changed into a golden crown with a small "5" next to it and five golden stars next to that. Note that the game will also tell you when you defeat your next Room Sentry or Tyrant that while you have conquered the boss, your room is at its maximum and can no longer advance. The bonus affects all decoration items assigned to the room, including its inherent ability. Another benefit is increasing your room's slot limit. For every 20 stages you conquer, you will earn one extra slot to put a unit in that Room until you've hit the maximum of 9. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.2 What level should I be to start an Inspection? [0022] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= While you get the option fairly early in the game, when you should be around level 3 or 4, I would not recommend starting Inspections until you are at least level 6 or 7 and have the appropriate Decoration items to power yourself up so that you can beat a Room Sentry or Tyrant. Be aware that Inspection is not even required to beat the game, it is entirely possible to conquer the final boss and never touch this feature to begin with. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.3 What are the conditions for conquering a floor? [0023] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are only two ways to conquer a floor in an Inspection, and only one of the methods will earn you an upgrade to your room. The first condition is obvious, and that is to kill the Room Sentry or Tyrant. If you feel you're able to defeat the one that has been generated, by all means go for it. If you battle the unit and win, you earn both a room upgrade and advancement to the next level. The other method is for use when you feel as though you CANNOT conquer the Room Sentry or Tyrant, and it is actually tougher in some situations. If you press the Triangle button while idling, you'll see a dialog box in the upper right hand corner that says "Clear Round #/#". The first # is the turn you're on, and the second # is the amount of rounds you have to survive without killing the Room Sentry or Tyrant to be able to advance to the next level. Be warned, however, choosing this method will not earn you a room upgrade so it's suggested to only be done when it's absolutely necessary. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.4 What are the different types of room rules? [0024] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are many types of rules to these rooms; both beneficial and harmful. You can see what rule you're under by pressing the Triangle button and looking to the dialog box in the upper right hand corner. Underneath the round number and the amount of summons you have left, there is a line in blue font. That is the current rule of the room, and it's not changeable. Here is a list of all the different rules. BENEFICIAL: DOUBLE XP - Pretty self explanitory, double experience awarded for kills. DOUBLE GP - Again self explanitory, double Gig Points awarded for kills. INFINITE SKILLS/TACTICS - All tactics and battle skills can be used infinitely, even with you're not at the 80% Stamina requirement for some. This also applies to enemies, however. TREASURE HUNT: # LEFT! - Items are buried under random squares on the map. Step over a correct square and you'll get what's buried beneath. Usually GP or Decoration items. INFINITE GIG EDICTS - You can use your Gig Edicts and they won't deplete. I always keep a Hyper Gigify (+100 levels on map) just for these levels, fun to abuse. HARMFUL: SHRINKING ROOM - Every time a turn passes, the outer rim of the map will "shrink" and become closed off. Note that if a unit (even you) are caught without a square to call home if the room gets too small, it will simply die. ENEMY DECOR HIDDEN - You can't see any enemy's decorations, excluding the Room Tyrant or Sentry. ENEMY BACKUP - Every new turn, a "reinforcement" will arrive to the enemies in the form of a unit that is usually about double the room's level. HIDE 'N' SEEK - All units excluding the Room Sentry or Tyrant start out as if they had used the "Fade Out" tactic. ENEMY LV UP PER TURN - This one is the most annoying, and thankfully the least common. Every time a turn passes, your enemies will all gain levels equal to 25% of their current level. As you can probably guess, in a stage like this you're going to want to rush the Room Sentry or Tyrant before it becomes more than you can handle. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.5 What are the different types of enemy squads? [0025] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= While most units in Inspections are random, there are some that will pop up numerous times and annoy you to death. The format for these is: NAME: The unit's name. UNITS: What type of units are in the squad. (In parentheses: Number, Placement) LEADER: Which of these units is the leader. LEVEL: What level the squad will be in comparison to the stage's level. DIFFICULTY: * to *****, the latter being the hardest. NOTES: Any extra notes. NAME: Room Sentry UNITS: Random (1-9 Units) LEADER: Random LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Kill this to beat the stage. NAME: Room Tyrant UNITS: Random (1-9 Units) LEADER: Random Level: Roughly 5-6 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: **** NOTES: Kill this to beat the stage. NAME: Sky Hero UNITS: Gryphos Rider (Alone) LEADER: Gryphos Rider LEVEL: Roughly 7-8 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: A flying unit, keep that in mind. NAME: Greenhorn UNITS: Soldiers (7-9) LEADER: Soldier (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 1.5x the stage's level DIFFICULTY: * NOTES: Just a group of slightly higher levels, good for XP. NAME: Elite UNITS: Soldiers (7-9) LEADER: Soldier (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Slightly harder than Greenhorn, but still good for XP. NAME: Deserter UNITS: Soldier (Alone) LEADER: Soldier LEVEL: Roughly 7-8 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Easy because he's alone, but level might make him hard to hurt. NAME: Love Deserter UNITS: Knight (Front), Gypsy (Middle) LEADER: Knight LEVEL: Roughly 4-5 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Pretty easy, the only annoying part is they both have high HP totals. NAME: Flower Clerk UNITS: Bard (Back), Deathblossoms (1-6, Front & Middle) LEADER: Bard LEVEL: Roughly 3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: * NOTES: Easy, good for XP. NAME: Island-born UNITS: Gypsies, Deathblossoms (1-3, Random Placement), Nereids (1-3, Random) LEADER: Deathblossom (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Relatively easy, good for XP. NAME: Neo Fighter Z UNITS: Gideon (Alone, Back) LEADER: Gideon LEVEL: Roughly 9-10 times the stage's level(!) DIFFICULTY: ***** NOTES: Flying unit, hits ALL units in your squad, best to avoid. NAME: Sepp Alliance UNITS: Bandits, Swordsmen, Bareknuckles, Bards (Random Placement) LEADER: Swordsman (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Not easy but not too hard either, nice for XP if you're confident. NAME: Adventurer UNITS: Knight, Swordsman, Cleric, Bandit, Pyremage, Archer (Random Placement) LEADER: Knight LEVEL: Roughly 3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: If you have multi-targetting units, it's a cinch. Good for XP. NAME: Wedding UNITS: Swordsman, Bareknuckle (Front), Cleric (Middle), Cherub (1-3, Back) LEADER: Cleric LEVEL: Roughly 4-5 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Again, multi-target will decimate this squad. NAME: Dog Walker UNITS: Swordsman (Middle), Phynx (2-6, Front and Back) LEADER: Swordsman LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Pretty easy, good for XP. NAME: Nereid Chorus UNITS: Nereid (Middle), Bards (2-6, Front and Back) LEADER: Nereid LEVEL: Roughly 5-6 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: High level, but units with lowish defense. NAME: Thin Red Line UNITS: Seraph (Middle), Ghobb (3, Front) LEADER: Seraph LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Not too difficult, the Ghobbs don't hit hard. NAME: Millenigod UNITS: Bareknuckle (Alone, Front or Middle) LEADER: Bareknuckle LEVEL: Roughly 8-9 times the stage's level(!) DIFFICULTY: ***** NOTES: Occasionally has "Death Fist" decoration, assuring every hit kills you. NAME: Secret Order UNITS: Bandits (1-3, Front), Saboteurs (1-3, Middle), Schemestress (Back) LEADER: Schemestress LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: **** NOTES: The Schemestress will halve your front row's HP, watch out. NAME: Mad Angel UNITS: Whirwin (Alone, Front or Middle) LEADER: Whirwin LEVEL: Roughly 9-10 times the stage's level(!) DIFFICULTY: **** NOTES: Flying unit, only four stars because it can only hit one unit at a time. NAME: Hitman UNITS: Bandits (2-4, Front and Middle), Archer (Alone, Back) LEADER: Archer LEVEL: Roughly 4-5 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: It's pretty easy despite the menacing name, good for XP. NAME: Quickfoot UNITS: Bandit (Alone, Front), Saboteurs (3-6, Middle and Back) LEADER: Bandit LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Rather easy, though the Saboteurs can hit all of your units. NAME: Covert Raid UNITS: Saboteurs (2-6, Back & Middle), Archers (2-3, Front) LEADER: Saboteur (Back Row) LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: ** NOTES: Pretty easy, same as above, Saboteurs hit all units. NAME: Cow Parade UNITS: Redflanks (2-6, Front and Middle), Bard (Alone, Back) LEADER: Bard LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: The Bard will raise one of the Redflank's ATK stat, be wary. NAME: Young Maiden UNITS: Swordsmen (3, Front), Nereid (2, Middle), Whirwin (Alone, Middle) Archer (2, Back) LEADER: Whirwin LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Multi-target skills will decimate them. NAME: Wild Kingdom UNITS: Phynx (2-6, Front & Middle), Dracosage (Alone, Back), LEADER: Dracosage Hydrone (Alone, Back) LEVEL: Roughly 4-5 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Not too difficult, best to attack first to avoid major damage. NAME: Way Tough UNITS: Knights (3-6, Front & Middle), Ghobbs (Back, 1-3) LEADER: Knight (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Only 3 stars because of their massive defense. NAME: Dragon Family UNITS: Drache (2-3, Front), Dracosage (2-3, Middle), Schemestress (Back) LEADER: Drache (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 2-3 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Schemestress can halve front row's HP, otherwise mediocre. NAME: Blood Angel UNITS: Seraph (5-9, Randomly Placed) LEADER: Seraph (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 4-5 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: **** NOTES: Hard because they heal like crazy, they can also cast Regen on friends. NAME: Wolf Mother UNITS: Phynx (4-9, Randomly Placed) LEADER: Phynx (Random) LEVEL: Roughly 3-4 times the stage's level DIFFICULTY: *** NOTES: Pretty easy, multi-target attacks help here. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.6 What is the advantage of chaining stages? [0026] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Chaining stages is beating them without taking a break. This is done by selecting "Keep Going" after you've conquered the current stage rather than "Head Back". You get a small bonus to your RP count for each stage you chain, leading to astronomical numbers if you stick with it long eough. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 002.7 What do I do with these "RP" points? [0027] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= RP points are used to upgrade certain stats. Under the "Arrange" menu, hit "Restock" and then "Train" to use these. Select the room with the unit you'd like to upgrade, then select the unit itself and you'll be presented with a list of five stats. Here is what they all do. STAM - Upgrades your stamina count by 2 per tick. ACT - Upgrades your movement range and the speed at which your character comes up in turn order. 2 ACT per tick, but it's not equal to 2 movement spaces extra. RNG - Your character's attack range. ONLY USE THIS ON THE LEADER OF THE SQUAD. The leader's range is the squad's range, so if your hero has a range of 5 squares, all melee characters in the front row with him or her will have the same range. Yes, this applies to melee as well. SKL - Upgrades the amount of time you can use your battle skills. This does NOT apply to Tactics, only to battle skills like Demon Blast. FUP - Upgrades the stat contribution from a character to the leader of the squad. THIS IS USELESS ON THE LEADER OF A SQUAD AND YOUR HERO. Basically, each unit in the squad shares some of their stats with the leader and this will upgrade that percentage to make the leader even more powerful. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003. Tips and Tricks [0030] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Here I will tell you all of the things I've learned while Inspecting rooms, from simple tips to give you an edge to outright abuse of the combat system. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003.1 General Tips and Tricks [0031] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1. Decoration Items are not used in an Inspection! Remember this; you can use all of your amazing decoration items that you don't want to use on a simple story battle and they'll never expire. 2. Summoning squads is COMPLETELY FREE in Inspections! That's right, summoning squads will cost you absolutely no GP in an Inspection. There is, however, a limit to how many extra squads you can summon. It's randomized, and you'll find the number if you press Triangle and look to the dialog box on the top right hand corner of the screen. 3. Use terrain to your advantage! It doesn't matter if terrain is randomly generated, you can still get the inherent bonuses from standing on certain terrain. These are the beneficial and harmful terrains. DESERT: -20% Stats SEA: +10% Stats FOREST: +10% Stats TOWN: +20% Stats, 20% HP healed each turn CASTLE: +20% Stats, 20% HP healed each turn, +40% Defense Remember, you can also work it so that you are on a neutral terrain while your enemies are stuck on a desert or something similar. 4. Know when to run! Don't be a hero, if you're outmatched by a powerful Tyrant just leave it be. If you can't leave it be, hole up in a town or castle and buff up with Iron Will to last the few turns you need to beat the stage. 5. Keep an eye on the stage's level! It can take unexpected jumps at times, so always check to make sure you're going into the situation you think you are before jumping headfirst. Some rooms jump from level 30 or so enemies to 60 in a single stage! 6. You need to know what ZONE OF CONTROL is! This is VERY important in Inspections, because there are a lot of enemies around. Every unit has four squares around it that are called its "Zone of Control". Basically, unless you have the Shadow Spy decoration, you can't get into that square. If there are a lot of enemies around you, you'll find that they form a blockade of sorts just with their Zone of Control (ZOC for short) and movement is a hassle. 7. There is no floor limit to anyone's knowledge! That's right, you can go as far down as you want. There is a catch, however... Once the units you're fighting hit 9999, they will obviously stop levelling. The challenge never ends, however, as their stats keep climbing even though their level does not. Which poses the question... Just how far down do you think you can get? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003.2 What are some good squad set-ups? [0032] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are many, some incredibly cheap and some that offer more of a challenge. The squad I currently use is: ROOM: Gladiatorium - FULLY UPGRADED. DECOR: - Death Charge (Room Decor, +10% to attack for each step taken) - Tough Defense (Takes 45% away from all magic damage) - Steel Body (Takes 45% away from all physical damage) - Demon Rage (Buffs my Gideon's stats by 45% each) UNITS: Front - Danette, Gideon, Hero Middle - Gideon, Gideon, Gideon Back - Gideon, Cleric, Gideon Gideons are basically the instant win class of the game, there's really no comparison between them and any other class. If you're just starting Inspections (but have Gideons) and DO NOT have any Demon Rage Gig Edicts, a simple Power Up will work just fine. This squad is built for levelling, not for clearing Inspections quickly. Also, I'm only using Danette because I like her. Really, another Gideon would do better in her place. Another small note, do yourself a favor and boost all of the Gideons' FUP stat from its measly 2 to a well-rounded 10. It doesn't cost a ton of RP, and it gives your already practically invincible Hero even more stats to play with. So, what if you don't have Gideons? What squad would you use then? Well, something like this: ROOM: Whatever suits you best. The "best" rooms if you don't have Cat's Cradle and a few Cycles done are Hades' Despair and Gladiatorium. DECOR: - [Room Decor] - Graceful Form (Buffs back row by 20% - 45%, depending on room upgrade status) - Life's Energy (Buffs HP by 20% - 45%, depending on room upgrade status) - Spite Promise (Buffs counterattack damage by 20% - 45%, etc etc) UNITS: Front - Redflank, Hero, Redflank Middle - Archer, Archer, Archer Back - Pyremage, Cleric, Pyremage This is a balanced team, and can wipe out rows of enemies at a time. I beat the entire game including many Inspections with this squad, and it did me quite well until I got my hands on some Gideons. All right, now what if you want to get through Inspections lightning fast and don't really care about levels? Or maybe you just want to kill the Tyrant or Sentry so you can get the most levels from that? Either way, there's a setup just for you. I wouldn't recommend trying this unless you have Gideons, honestly, because it makes the Tyrants and Sentries just that much easier. Either way, it's the same squad I listed above, only with different decorations and possibly a different room. ROOM: Cat's Cradle if you have it and a few cycles, otherwise just Gladiatorium. DO NOT USE HADES' DESPAIR. If your STAM hits 0 with Hades' Despair you die, and if you look at the Decorations you can see the serious flaw there. DECOR: - [Room Decor] - Shadow Spy (You ignore Zone of Control, explained earlier) - Living Now (Unlimited Skills and Tactics for 3 turns, them STAM = 0) - Silent Walk (Enemies cannot see you for 3 turns after the battle begins) I think you can see how this room excels. Basically, the idea is that you will ignore every enemy just to get to the Room Sentry or Tyrant before your three turns are up, then let loose with Demon Blast or your battle skill of choice. If the Tyrant or Sentry is far away, it's advisable to use Courage and/or Last Act to boost your damage just in case. One last squad, and that's your back-up. The obvious best back-up squad is going to be 8 gideons and a cleric, but if you don't feel like being cheap there is still a squad for you. Remember that GP cost for summoning is null in Inspections, so it doesn't matter if your amazing perfect squad costs a ton to summon. Now then, if you don't want to use Gideons, I've found a good back-up squad to be: ROOM: Los Banditos DECOR: - Blitzkreig (Room Decor, makes the squad go next after you summon it) - Sniper's Law (Boosts Archer stats by 20% - 45%) - Dark Eye (Boosts critical hit chance by 20% - 45%) - Assassin God (Boosts critical hit damage by 200% - 225%) UNITS: Front - Archer, Archer, Archer Middle - Archer, Archer, Archer Back - Phynx, Cleric, Phynx The purpose of this squad is to annihilate an enemy of your choice right after you summon it. The Archer's ability "High Ground" boosts their crit and attack even more than this formation already puts it at, however it's best to just attack right off the bat. If you've weakened a Room Sentry or Tyrant to near death and need an extra little kick, just summon this squad and watch them rip into it like a knife through butter. The only downside... It won't last long in real combat. Just one day after submitting the FAQ, I've already received an e-mail from Tonfa_Baton with a strategy that I have tried and found that it works fantastically. All it involves is your Hero unit, and you must have beaten the game before-hand (not just a cycle, the real full game, you need the Demon Force tactic). Basically, the idea is turning your Hero into a field tactic machine. ROOM: Anything, but Loki's Fortune is good for the EXP. DECOR: - [Room Decor] - Silent Walk (Enemies cannot see you for 3 turns) - Living Now (Use all the tactics you want for 3 turns, then STAM = 0) - Vengeful Hope (When leader's alone, all stats up 100% - 150%) UNITS: Hero in any position, alone. Now what you do with this set-up is simply tear through anything in your way with your superpowered Hero by using Demon Force which is vastly overpowered in this set-up. The only foreseeable problem noted by Tonfa_Baton himself is Room Tyrants or Sentries with the Antimatter ability. This ability gives them a 90% evasion rate, but one hit will kill them. If you're gutsy you can try for that one lucky hit, though you can just as easily avoid it or summon fodder squads to keep its attention away from you. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003.3 What decoration items should I use? [0033] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= While I explained some decorations in the squad formations I put in the last section, I'd like to go into more detail here. There are some amazing decorations out there just waiting to be harnessed. Here are a few useful ones, and situations in which you could use them. GRUDGE 18 - At first glance, it looks pretty bad. It downgrades all enemies around the squad's stats by 10% (un-upgraded), but also lowers the squad's by triple that. It's a large sacrifice, and you obviously can't use it on your main party... However. If you make a squad just to debuff enemies, you can literally summon it right next to a powerful Tyrant and watch the Tyrant's stats drop immensely. This can give you an amazing edge in a fight if you're finding that you can't quite finish off a strong enemy that you thought you could. ASSASSIN GOD / DARK EYE COMBO - This is one of the best decoration combinations in the game, especially for the Hero's squad if you're trying to put out big numbers. Fully upgraded, you'll receieve +45% to your critical hit chance and your critical hits will do a whopping 225% more than they would usually. If you stack this with the Hero's "Last Act" skill, giving him or her yet another +50% to his or her critical hit chance, you become what I like to call a big number machine. Your critical hits will destroy most squads in one round, and it's fun to see just how much damage you can pull off total. The only downside to this setup, obviously, is that it takes up two decoration slots that could be used to bolster your defense just a bit more. It's sort of a kamikaze approach, but I find it works (and it's a blast to use!). MAN GUT / LADY POWER - These two decoration items are also fantastic, but only if your squad consists of only or at least mostly that gender. In a party of 8 Gideons and 1 Cleric, this will help bolster the Gideons' already insane stats while also increasing the amount the Cleric can heal. This can also help with the aforementioned Archer squad with the Phynxes in the back row, to make them do even more than just with the Sniper's Law buff. LIVING NOW - This may seem like a steep cost for a mediocre boost, but infinite skills and tactics for 3 turns is more useful than you think. Keep in mind that 3 turns does not necessarily mean 3 moves of your Hero, with Last Act and an actual ACT boost from training you can get 10 or more moves within those 3 turns. That's 9 turns to buff yourself accordingly, and then the 10th to beat the hell out of whatever your target might be. Even if you do hit 0 STAM and your enemy isn't dead, you can wait until your next move and use a Vacation or Snooze to be back to full instantly. SILENT WALK / SHADOW SPY COMBO - This is basically the way you sneak around and avoid combat in this game. With just Silent Walk, ZOC still applies to you and you're not going to get far without actually fighting anything. With just Shadow Spy, things can still see you even if you move past them. With both together... You basically become a ghost for 3 whole turns. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, 3 turns does not equal 3 moves. With Last Act and an ACT boost from training, you can get many turns within this amount of time. It's plenty of time to reach the Room Tyrant or Sentry after buffing and then kick its face in. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003.4 How many rooms should I tackle in a chain? [0034] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I would answer this for you, but it's honestly your own personal preference. Are you confident enough to take a lot of rooms, or are you the careful type and would rather save after 2 or 3? Personally, I usually go for 10 and then head back, save, and go back in. This works well, and I get anywhere from 10 - 30 levels every venture depending on how many of the enemies I took the time to kill or if I went straight for the Sentry/Tyrant. It's really a case of risk vs. reward, the longer you hold out the more RP points you'll get. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 003.5 How can I easily conquer a higher level tyrant? [0035] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= There are many methods, some easier to orchestrate than others. The easiest way with the least hassle is to take advantage of your terrain and either put yourself on a stat boosting terrain or fix it so that the Tyrant has to be on a stat lowering terrain to fight you. If you just needed a small advantage, that will do just fine. Also, remember that before you lose all hope that you still have Courage and Iron Will. 50% may not seem like a humongous boost, but it can make quite a difference in battle. Even the critical chance from Last Act can give you an edge. Another method that requires a bit more planning is to make yourself what I call a "debuff squad". Any room will do, but make sure they have these decorations: GRUDGE 18, TYRANT STARE, and GLEAM APPEAL. A tough squad made of Knights or Ghobbs will do fine, just make sure it has survivability. You then summon this squad next to the Tyrant, and its stats are instantly lowered a very considerable amount. It probably won't even be able to hit you anymore, after Gleam Appeal does its thing. I personally have a squad like this, however I've only had to use it once against Neo Fighter Z when he got just a tad bit too close. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 004. Legal Things [0040] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The part no one ever reads, but we put in here anyways! All right, here goes. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal or private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. This guide was made specifically for http://www.GameFAQs.com. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 005. Contact Me [0050] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you wish to contact me for any reason, be it asking to put this guide on your site or a typo or anything you could think of, my email is chaos(dot)twilight(at)gmail(dot)com. If you have a suggestion for a squad that would work better than the ones I had suggested for Inspections or any extra information otherwise, I'd be glad to hear from you and correct my guide accordingly. Please at least put something about the FAQ in the subject line, so I know it's not spam. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 006. Version History [0060] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= v1.00 - 10/15/2007 - Guide is created! Hooray. v1.01 - 10/16/2007 - Added in a reader-suggested tactic, fixed some percentages. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 007. Credits [0070] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Credits go to... Nippon Ichi -> For making this game, of course. The GameFAQS Soul Nomad Forum -> For helping me with various questions, too many people to even list here. Tonfa_Baton -> For a fantastic room set-up strategy. (c) Copyright 2007 Matthew Pezzini (ShadowPommy)