# ### / /### / # / / ###/ ### / ## ## # / ### ## ## ## #### ### /### /### ### /### ### ### /### ## ## ### ## ### / ###/ #### / / ### / ###/ #### / ### ###/ #### ## ## /### / ## ###/ ## ###/ / ###/ ## ###/ ## ## ## ## / ###/ ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##/ ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## # ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## # / ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ### / ## /# ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ######/ ######/ ## ### ### ######## ### ### ### / ### ### ##### ## ### ### ### ### ### ### ##/ ### ### #### ### /###### /# / ###/ Department Heaven Episode IX "Gungnir: Inferno of the Demon Lance and the War of Heroes" Gungnir Full Walkthrough and FAQS Version 1.2 Serenitys_Cat, Resident Feline on the Firefly-Class Transport Serenity First Posted 01/27/2014 ************************* * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS * * * ************************* 1.0 Version History 2.0 Introduction 3.0 Getting the Basics Down 4.0 Walkthrough 4.01 Scene 01: Caravan Raid [SC01] 4.02 Scene 01-02 Interlude [INTER-01-02] 4.03 Scene 02: Esperanza Training [SC02] 4.04 Scene 02-03 Interlude [INTER-02-03] 4.05 Scene 03: In Defense of Espada [SC03] Scene 03-1-A [SC03-1-A] Scene 03-1-B [SC03-1-B] Scene 03-2 [SC03-2] Scene 03-3 [SC03-3] Scene 03-4 [SC03-4] 4.06 Scene 03-04 Interlude [INTER-03-04] 4.07 Scene 04: Ambushing the Gate of Lament [SC04] 4.08 Scene 04-05 Interlude [INTER-04-05] 4.09 Scene 05: Battle at Maleca Village [SC05] 4.10 Scene 05-06 Interlude [INTER-05-06] 4.11 Scene 06: Encounter in the Forest of Tranquility [SC06] Scene 06-1 [SC06-1] Scene 06-2 [SC06-2] 4.12 Scene 06-07 Interlude [INTER-06-07] 4.13 Scene 07: Liberation of Carozza Prison [SC07] 4.14 Scene 07-08 Interlude [INTER-07-08] 4.15 Scene 08: Assault on Victrion Stronghold [SC08] 4.16 Scene 08-09 Interlude [INTER-08-09] 4.17 Scene 09: Battle at the Vast Fissure [SC09] 4.18 Scene 09-10 Interlude [INTER-09-10] 4.19 Scene 10: Siege on Golgotha Fort [SC10] Scene 10-1 [SC10-1] Scene 10-2 [SC10-2] 4.20 Scene 10-11 Interlude [INTER-10-11] 4.21 Scene 11: Escape from Victrion [SC11] Scene 11-1 [SC11-1] Scene 11-2 [SC11-2] 4.22 Scene 11-12 Interlude [INTER-11-12] 4.23 Scene 12: Battle with Corpses [SC12] 4.24 Scene 12-13 Interlude [INTER-12-13] 4.25 Scene 13 [SC13] 4.26 Scene 13-14 Interlude [INTER-13-14] 4.27 Scene 14: Encounter in the Desert of Ruin [SC14] 4.28 Scene 14-15 Interlude [INTER-14-15] 4.29 Scene 15 [SC15] 4.30 Scene 15-16 Interlude [INTER-15-16] 4.31 Scene 16: Battle at the Northern Permafrost [SC16] Scene 16-1 [SC16-1] Scene 16-2 [SC16-2] 4.32 Scene 16-17 Interlude [INTER-16-17] 4.33 Scene 17: Fending off the Mountain Bandits [SC17] 4.34 Scene 17-18 Interlude [INTER-17-18] 4.35 Scene 18: Battle at Port Azzurri [SC18] 4.36 Scene 18-19 Interlude [INTER-18-19] 4.37 Scene 19: Recapturing Victrion [SC19] 4.38 Scene 19-20 Interlude [INTER-19-20] 4.39 Scene 20: Another Battle with Corpses [SC20] 4.40 Scene 20-21 Interlude [INTER-20-21] 4.41 Scene 21: A Stand at the Vast Fissure [SC21] 4.42 Scene 21-22 Interlude [INTER-21-22] 4.43 Scene 22: Showdown on Golgotha Fort [SC22] 4.44 Scene 22-23 Interlude [INTER-22-23] 4.45 Scene 23: Battle at Cannavaro [SC23] 4.46 Scene 23-24 Interlude [INTER-23-24] 4.47 Scene 24: Breaking Through Van der Dalt [SC24] 4.48 Scene 24-25 Interlude [INTER-24-25] 4.49 Scene 25: The Capture of Daltanica [SC25] Scene 25-1 [SC25-1] Scene 25-2 [SC25-2] 4.50 Scene 25-26 Interlude [INTER-25-26] 4.51 Scene 26: Showdown at Heidelgard Castle [SC26] 4.52 Final Interlude: About the Endings [ENDINGS] 4.53 Chaos Ending: Epilogue-B [EPILOGUE-B] 4.54 Law Ending: Epilogue-A [EPILOGUE-A] 4.55 Post-Game Interlude [POST-GAME] 5.0 Characters 5.1 Story Characters 5.01.01 Giulio 5.01.02 Teresa 5.01.03 Noah 5.01.04 Claude 5.01.05 Elise 5.01.06 Ragnus 5.01.07 Paulo 5.01.08 Valerie 5.01.09 Alissa 5.01.10 Natalia 5.2 Generic Characters 5.02.01 Knight 5.02.02 Brute 5.02.03 Paladin 5.02.04 Assassin 5.02.05 Tamer 5.02.06 Trickster 5.02.07 Archer 5.02.08 Gunner 5.02.09 Thrower 5.02.10 Priestess 5.02.11 Sorceress 5.02.12 Witch 5.3 Non-Playable Characters 5.03.01 Bandit 5.03.02 General 5.03.03 Necromancer 5.03.04 Teller 5.03.05 Mystic 5.03.06 Chariot 5.4 Monster Classes 5.04.01 Harpy 5.04.02 Pixie 5.04.03 Wampyr 5.04.04 Skeleton 5.04.05 Golem 5.04.06 Drake 5.04.07 Undine 5.04.08 Rail Cannon 6.0 Item List 6.00.01 Preface: Alchemy Notes [ALC-NOTES] 6.00.02 Alchemy Tables [ALC-TAB] 6.01 Weapon List 6.01.01 1H Sword 6.01.02 Greatsword 6.01.03 Rapier 6.01.04 Axe 6.01.05 Hammer 6.01.06 Dagger 6.01.07 Claw 6.01.08 Tool 6.01.09 Whip 6.01.10 Katana 6.01.11 Bow 6.01.12 Bowgun 6.01.13 Javelin 6.01.14 Rod 6.01.15 Grimoire 6.01.16 Broom 6.01.17 Mace 6.01.18 Wand 6.01.19 Trident 6.01.20 Lance 6.01.21 Scroll 6.01.22 Magic Spear 6.01.23 Physique 6.02 Shield List 6.02.01 Small Shields 6.02.02 Large Shields 6.03 Armor List 6.03.01 Body Armor List 6.03.02 Head Armor List 6.03.03 Hand Armor List 6.03.04 Foot Armor List 6.04 Accessory List 6.05 Consumable List 7.0 Status Effects 7.01 Regular Ailments 7.02 Elemental Ailments 7.03 Special Ailments 7.04 Added Effects 7.05 Enemy-Only Ailments 8.0 FAQS 8.01 System Questions 8.02 General Questions 8.03 Ending Questions 8.04 Mechanics Questions 8.05 Beat Questions 8.06 Character Questions 8.07 Weapon Questions 8.08 Armor/ Accessory Questions 8.09 Effect Questions 8.10 Battle Questions 9.0 Extra Stuff 9.01 Some Possible Challenges 9.02 A Treatise on Alissa 9.03 "Knights in the Nightmare" and Gungnir's Generics 10.0 Credits and Disclaimers ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 1.0 VERSION HISTORY ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Version History: - Version 1.0 (01/27/14) Initial release. WOOT! - Version 1.1 (06/10/14) Fixed a few typos and a few erroneous statements throughout. Reassessed equipment ratings, some due to conversation with Molivious. - Version 1.2 (10/30/14) Fixed some more typos, revamped a few sections, and added in Section 9.03 ("Knights in the Nightmare" and Gungnir's Generics). ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 2.0 INTRODUCTION ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Greetings and salutations to you all. I am Serenitys_Cat, follower of fantasy and fiction, and this is my third FAQ, and first full-length walkthrough, on GameFAQs. Yay! I'm going to be honest: Gungnir is probably one of my favorite games to have come out in the last several years. Okay, the story's nothing new. Okay, the characters are underdeveloped. Okay, the game is short and seems like only half the game was delivered to us (sequel upcoming?? I hope so!) But none of that removes or even detracts from the fact that Gungnir has one of the most engaging, well-thought-out, intricate, entertaining battle systems I've ever seen. By Scene Three of this game, I was hooked, and I've played it more now than I can say. While there are two strong guides for this game already on this site at this time of writing, and while the Gungnir forums are awash with all kinds of valuable information, there is no comprehensive compilation of all the information required to master this incredible, in-depth, detail-oriented game. That is what I have striven to create with this guide, combining my own opinions with those I've found on the forums, backed up with all the information I could find from the Internet and, of course, every detail I could glean from the game itself. I offer to you now the fruits of my labor. I sincerely hope it will prove of use to you during your journey to liberate Gargania. And may the stars protect us all. -Serenitys_Cat ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 3.0 GETTING THE BASICS DOWN ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Hello, everyone! In case you skipped the Introduction - don't worry, I'm not judging, I do that all the time - let me welcome you to the guide. I won't waste your time with grandiose speeches - that's what the Introduction was for, after all - so let's just get cracking on giving you the tools you're going to need to win this game. No, not just win this game. We are going to crack this game open, arrange all of its organs in alphabetical order, and serve them to ourselves on crystal dishes with a side salad and a nice Chianti. Sorry, that metaphor got a bit weird. (It's not the last time that's going to happen, either. Sorry for all the rest of them in advance.) So, what is this section for, exactly? Especially with a FAQ section at the end of the guide? Well, simply put, when I first started this game, I had a LOAD of questions about it. I'm not talking about the basic way to play the game, either; the basic controls are pretty intuitive to anybody who's played SRPGs before, and the game itself does a great job of giving you comprehensive tutorials on all of Gungnir's controls and systems. No; I'm talking about the basic judgment calls you have to make on the game, such as: "What difficulty should I pick?" "Should I recruit from the Camp or the Guild?" "Should I be using story characters or generic characters?" The answers to all of these questions can be found in the FAQ at the end of this guide as well, but that FAQ is large and unwieldy, and someone just starting out needs answers to these questions stat. So, without further ado, here's a crash course in some of the questions you might want answered before you even pop this game into your game console. .Which difficulty should I pick? Unless you have experience with Gungnir already or a LOT of confidence in your ability to play strategy RPGs, I STRONGLY advise that you start this game on Normal difficulty. I am an avid SRPG buff, and there is no way in hell that I would have been prepared for this game on Advanced difficulty the first time I picked it up. .How much CAP % should I be using up? I personally like to aim for around 70-80% CAP on all of my characters. I have found that 70-80% gives me the right compromise between armor protection and freedom of movement. (That's just me, though.) .Should I equip one weapon or two? This is kind of the wrong question to ask. The question you should be asking is not "Do I want to use one weapon or two?" but instead "Can I get everything I need for this character on one weapon?" If the answer is yes, you should pretty much always go for one weapon over two. It frees up more CAP for vital armor pieces and consumables, after all. However, more often than not, you will need two weapons in order to have your character performing all the jobs you need them to do on the field. Take a Priestess, for example. If you want her to have both a strong single-target heal and a strong multi-target heal, you are virtually forced to dual-wield Grimoires until you get ahold of either the Book of Nanai or the Book of Kirie. Similarly, Brutes will often want multiple axes on hand in order to destroy multiple pieces of enemy equipment without the need for a Base Panel. I personally prefer using two weapons whenever I can. I love the added versatility offered by a second weapon, both in terms of actions and in terms of elemental coverage. However, I do also believe that if you can manage to find a weapon that has everything you need on it - such as the Cryocross for a Witch - then equipping a second weapon is just taking up CAP you could be using in more optimal ways. .How important are consumable items? In pretty much any situation, it is a good idea to spare the CAP needed to put a Medicinal Herb or a Potion on a character. Due to Gungnir's peculiar battle system, your Priestess or Paulo will probably not be able to heal every turn, and even when they can, sometimes it's just not possible to dole out healing to everybody who needs it at the same time. In these occasions, a Medicinal Herb - which activates immediately and has a very quick recovery time - can literally be the difference between life and death. You don't NEED them in order to finish the game, but it's a good idea to stock and use at least a few. .Why are the War Gods only targeting my party? The War Gods target random characters every time you select Ragnarok. However, it's important to note that the War Gods like the underdogs! If you're losing a battle, they're more likely to target the way you want them to (enemies for the first three, allies for the last two). If you're winning, on the other hand, the War Gods are more likely to help your enemies than they are to help you! So be careful about using them. Always check which units a War God is targeting before confirming the action, and if the targeting isn't in your favor, exit out and Overclock exactly one tick. Every tick of the Overclock will cause the War Gods to rearrange their targets, so you can "shuffle" for a better setup by doing this. .Should I recruit from the Camp or from the Guild? As a general rule, I advise against recruiting characters from the Camp. There are some Camp generics that are quite respectably powerful, and this guide will tell you who they are, but for the most part, Camp characters are overall weaker than those you can get from the Guild, and the random nature of getting the one you want to appear further detracts from their usefulness. .In the Guild, should I recruit early in the game, in the middle, or late? This is a tricky question for many reasons. Personally, I prefer to do most of my recruiting early in the game. Character level is less important than Mastery and Specialty levels, so I prefer to have my characters around for as much of the game as possible in order to maximize these growths, even if they will probably end the game at a lower level than the high-end Guild members will be at. On the other hand, typically (though not always) the higher-level Guild members that can be recruited in the middle- or end-game will have higher stats and elemental affinities that are more suited for their class, which - especially if you Retry a mission or two to build up their Mastery and Specialty levels - can make them quite powerful. Arguments could be made for recruiting your generics at any point in the game, really; however, my personal preference is to do it early, and I will stand by it. .Should I use generics or story characters for my main team? Unlike some games, where story characters are clearly overpowered compared to the generics, Gungnir's cast, both plot-relevant and not, are mostly well-balanced with one another. There's no dramatic benefit to using story characters over generics, nor the reverse. While you will want to pick at least two story characters to keep equipped, since only story characters can be Aces, there's no reason you can't field a full party of generics to go along with them throughout the game. In a nutshell: there is no answer to this question! Use whoever you like best. .How many characters should I plan on using in my army? The highest number of characters you will ever be allowed to field on a map is six. However, while you can never field fewer characters than the game allows you to select, you can always leave some of them at the back of the stage, doing nothing, and focus on a smaller group than you are given. I have also tried cycling between several units between different stages, and there is definitely a point at which your units start struggling for Mastery and experience points, making the game more difficult. Choosing six "core" units is a great choice and my personal recommendation, but you can probably make do with as few as four or as many as eight, as long as you choose your units carefully. Of course, if you want to use more or fewer as a particular challenge to yourself.... .Should I bother with getting three-star ratings? Here is the interesting and counterintuitive thing about getting three-star ratings on the fights in this game: doing so actually makes your game more difficult. Not only is getting the items from treasure chests a challenge on its own, but your game will actually become slightly more difficult every time you three-star a stage. This is cool, because it allows the game to tailor its difficulty to your skill level, but it also means that if you're trying to three-star everything and then collect all the resulting items, you'll likely find yourself struggling as the game goes on. The items you obtain from chests can be very high-quality, so collecting them from chests is very rewarding if you can manage it, but honestly? I'd recommend waiting until a New Game + before you really focus on trying to three-star every stage and collect every chest. Since it's impossible to get every single item on one playthrough anyway (the endgame stages will have up to five chests containing unique items you can get nowhere else, yet only three can appear at a time,) use your first run to get a feel for the battle system and amass some powerful weapons to carry over into a perfect, three-star, item-collecting SECOND playthrough instead. That should hopefully be enough information that you can start your game up without feeling completely in the dark. If I'm doing my job correctly, any other questions you may have shall be answered either throughout the guide, where appropriate, or in the FAQ section at the end of the guide [8.0 FAQS]. Are you ready? Let's play Gungnir!!!!! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 4.0 WALKTHROUGH ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* "All that I now possess seems far away And vanished worlds are real to me today." - "Faust Part One," by Goethe ******************************************************************************* [SC01] ************** *** SCENE 01 *** ************** NOBLE ASSAULT Don't try to live nobly; you'll not succeed. Battle: Caravan Raid ******************************************************************************* SCENE 01 Victory Condition: -Defeat all enemies. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: AUDBLA 11, 983 PM 14:30 Time limit: AUDBLA 15, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 10 hrs *** >= 10 hrs, < 18 hrs ** >= 18 hrs, < 26 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio Character Limit: 1 Guests: Assassin (Teresa) Cutlass +3 Leather Clothes Potion x3 Archer (Noah) Handmade Bow +3 Leather Clothes Potion x3 Thrower (Claude) Bamboo Pick +3 Leather Clothes Potion x3 Enemies: Brute x1 (Wolfram) ********** Francisca Axe N/A Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Assassin x3 (Amalia, Evita, Melvira) ****** Cutlass Dagger N/A Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Gunner x1 (Theo) ****** Slinger Bowgun N/A Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Chests: None Objects: None Welcome, one and all, to the first map of Gungnir! Don't worry if you have no idea what you're doing; Gungnir eases you into battles a bit at a time with quick, succinct, illustrated tutorial screenshots at regular intervals. While these might be a bit annoying for veterans of the game, newcomers should pay attention to every one, even if they think they already know what the tutorial is saying! Some of Gungnir's systems are just a bit different from what you may be used to, and it's best to understand how rather than just plunging right in. Anyway, on with the actual fight. For now, you can only control Giulio; Teresa, Noah, and Claude will move and act on their own. Move to the east to capture the nearest Base Panel on your level of ground, then move back to the west and down the dirt ramp. This dirt incline on the west side of the stage is the only way to get to ground level without falling down the cliff, and while the damage you take for falling is small, why suffer it needlessly? Just use the ramp. It's easy to tell where you will take falling damage for moving, as you will see the translucent icon of the character you are currently moving animate as though it is falling and being hurt if the path you are considering goes over a height the character will fall down. For the record, a character takes this "falling damage" whenever they try to move between two heights with a greater difference than the character's JUMP rating. In this case, Giulio has a JUMP rating of 2; as a result, if he tries to move from a space with a height of 5.5 down to a space with a height of 3, he will take falling damage. A space of 4, however, would be safe. Start getting used to looking out for that "falling icon" animation now; I can't tell you how many times it's helped me. Giulio starts out with 5 Mastery in his Iron Sword +3, which means his only available attack at present is the single-target Norman Strike, which is enough to put the hurtin' in on anybody he hits. Once you've used Norman Strike three times, raising your Mastery of the Iron Sword to 8, Giulio will learn the Root Blade skill. This skill attacks a row of three panels in any direction adjacent to Giulio; very convenient when enemies are silly enough to bunch up! Teresa will follow you down the ramp and jump into the fray to assist you with her sharp Cutlass dagger. Between her and Giulio, you should be able to drop any of the Assassins or the lone Gunner with just two or three attacks. Noah and Claude are both ranged classes; Noah is an Archer, equipped with a bow as you might expect, and Claude is a Thrower, equipped with a Bamboo Pick javelin. Owing to their ranged nature, both Noah and Claude - rather than joining the fray like Teresa - tend to linger at the top of the stage and take badly-aimed potshots. No wonder Teresa is the fan favorite. The stage "boss," Wolfram, is stronger than his Assassin and Gunner cronies, but not by much. By the time you've finished his lackeys and grabbed all of their items, your guests may have whittled him down by more than half his HP already. Finish him off in style and bask in the glow of your first victory. A note: unless you have the opportunity to strike multiple foes by using Root Blade, try always to have Giulio use Norman Strike instead. As Giulio is a Specialty I character and Norman Strike is a Specialty I attack, using Norman Strike repeatedly will grant Giulio many small bonuses over time. Might as well start collecting them now! ************* * AFTERWORD * ************* After the battle is over, you receive your first Decision of the game. There are several points throughout the game where you will be called upon to make a choice of what to say or do, and while these decisions may seem unimportant at the time, every single one contributes toward a tally that decides which ending you will receive. The "Law" decisions will push you toward the "Good," "Lawful," or "A" Ending, as it is known, while the "Chaos" decisions will push you toward the "Bad," "Chaotic," or "B" Ending. There is also a secret ending, the "A+" or "Alissa" Ending, but all you need to know about that ending right now is that in order to get it, you must obtain the Lawful Ending and also fulfill a secret condition that we will discuss later. For now, you have a Decision to make! DECISION: Let him live (+1 Law) Strike him down (+1 Chaos) ******************************************************************************* [INTER-01-02] SCENE 01-02 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* You now access the "resting" screen, where you can access the Store, change equipment, and prepare for the next battle. So let's get to preparing, eh? ********************** SLUM DEALER'S STORE ********************** WEAPONS ******* Blunt Sword (1H Sword) Handmade Bow (Bow) Bamboo Pick (Javelin) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Leather Clothes HEAD **** N/A HAND **** N/A FOOT **** N/A ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************** WHAT TO BUY: You can pick up a Blunt Sword, but as the name suggests, it's not that great of a weapon, so only buy it if you're trying for a 100% item collection. You don't need more Leather Clothes, but you can pick up a Medicinal Herb or two if you're feeling cautious. Keep in mind that money is limited in this game, since you can't replay stages at any point, so you want to try and conserve it if possible. Don't skimp on items that you want or need, but don't buy items just for the sake of having them, either (unless, again, you want to create a 100% item collection over multiple playthroughs... not that I'm one of those people or anything....) PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Giulio's equipment is the best you can have already, so no preparation is needed. Onward! ******************************************************************************* [SC02] ************** *** SCENE 02 *** ************** ESPADA SLUMS Nobody is born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Battle: Esperanza Training ******************************************************************************* SCENE 02 Victory Condition: -Defeat Noah. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: WODAN 7, 983 AM 9:00 Time limit: WODAN 11, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 5 hrs *** >= 5 hrs, < 13 hrs ** >= 13 hrs, < 21 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Teresa Character Limit: 2 including your Ace Guests: Brute (Gaspard) Francisca Leather Clothes Gunner (Couplan) Slinger Leather Clothes Enemies: Archer x1 (Noah) BOSS Handmade Bow Bow N/A Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Thrower x1 (Claude) **************** Bamboo Pick Javelin N/A Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Oat Bread Consumable Restores 25% max HP Assassin x3 (Anabela, Denise, Sorens) ******** Cutlass Dagger Knockback Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Chests: Iron Sword +5 - On top of the stone wall running along the west edge of the screen, waaay to your Ace's right. Medicinal Herb x2 - Right next to your Ace. Leather Clothes - Three squares to the right of Gaspard the Brute. Medicinal Herb x2 - Right next to Noah. Potion x3 - To the left of Sorens the Assassin. Potion x3 - To the right of Denise the Assassin. Potion x3 - Four squares to the left of Denise the Assassin. Objects: Rope - Large vase tucked between the earthen steps and the building Gaspard the Brute is standing on top of. Teresa joins your army at the start of the map! You can decide to field either Giulio or Teresa as the Ace for this fight; choose Teresa so that Giulio starts the fight closer to the action than her. As an Assassin, Teresa is fragile, and the center of the fray is not where she wants to be. The goal of this fight is to defeat Noah. As we already know, Noah is an Archer, and Archers are even more delicate than Assassins, so chances are good that your guests - if left to their own devices - will knock Noah out by themselves. You have two guests, a Brute and a Gunner, and they're surprisingly powerful for random generics. Enjoy them while you've got them. Your main goal for this fight is to get to the nearby vase, sequestered between the steps just south of Giulio's starting position and the nearby house, and break it using physical attacks. Destroying the vase drops the item bag inside of it, which holds a Rope. If you at all intend to use a Tamer, or are even considering the possibility that you may someday use a Tamer, get that Rope!!! While you can buy the Rope quite easily before you can recruit Tamers, you must must MUST have a Rope if you expect a Tamer to be any good, and you have limited opportunities to obtain one! Get one at all costs!!! (To elucidate: the Rope is one of only three whips in the game to have a Specialty IV skill on it, that being the Capture series of skills. These skills more or less define the Tamer as what she is. However, the other two whips with Capture skills are not accessible until the last third of the game. Without a Rope, you will lack this vital tool in the Tamer's repertoire until the game is almost over! Don't let this happen!!!) Anyway... back to the business at hand. When fighting with Teresa, make sure you use her Cutlass to attack rather than her Icepick dagger. While the Icepick is cool (literally,) it only has one attack on it: Freezing Scythe, which it already has unlocked. The Cutlass, on the other hand, will unlock the Abyssal Edge skill at 8 Mastery, which causes Knockback. Knockback is absolutely priceless in Gungnir; you can use it to set up Beats, interrupt spells, drown enemies, and so much more. Use Teresa's turns to build up Cutlass Mastery and unlock this attack for her as soon as you can! Assuming you got three stars on the previous stage, which you probably did, three treasure chests, randomly picked from the list recorded above, will spawn on this stage. I honestly recommend ignoring all of them. The Iron Sword +5 may look appealing, but it's not worth the time and effort to try and get, and you might be able to get a much better sword on the very next scene. Focus on getting the Rope instead; leave the chests alone. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-02-03] SCENE 02-03 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* Now Noah and Claude are part of your army! You can peek at their equipment on the Character menu, but as they are still considered Guest characters for now, you won't be able to change any of it. You can browse through the store if you wish, but the items are the same as the last Interlude, so there's not really much to do with the store or your equipment yet. ********************** SLUM DEALER'S STORE ********************** WEAPONS ******* Blunt Sword (1H Sword) Handmade Bow (Bow) Bamboo Pick (Javelin) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Leather Clothes HEAD **** N/A HAND **** N/A FOOT **** N/A ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************** WHAT TO BUY: Same items as last time; same analysis, too. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Make absolutely certain to save before you Advance the story. You may wish to retry the next stage if you don't get the treasures you want from it, and for that you'll need a save before it starts. ******************************************************************************* [SC03] ************** *** SCENE 03 *** ************** THE INSCRIBED MARK A hero is no braver than an ordinary man. Battle: In Defense of Espada ******************************************************************************* In the story scene before this map, you will be faced with a choice. DECISION: Stop Alissa (A+ Ending, go to Scene 03-1-A) Let her go (+1 Chaos, go to Scene 03-1-B) If you decided to "Stop Alissa," skip to Scene 03-1-A. [SC03-1-A] If you decided to "Let her go," skip to Scene 03-1-B. [SC03-1-B] ******************** [SC03-1-A] SCENE 03-1-A Victory Condition: -Defeat all enemies. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: ASGAR 10, 983 PM 20:00 Time limit: ASGAR 13, 983 PM 18:00 Ace Options: Giulio, Noah Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Brute x1 (Taille) ********** Slasher Axe Break Shield Francisca Axe N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Sorceress x1 (Perrine) ****** Ruby Staff Rod Pyrism Corset Body Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5 Tamer x2 (Cynthia, Olga) ****** Thorn Whip Whip Poison Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Thrower x1 (Weisell) ****** Pilum Javelin Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Chests: Buckler - One square in front of and two squares to the left of your Ace, on the lowest step leading up to the high wood bridge. Power Gaunts - On top of the stone wall running along the west edge of the screen, waaay to your Ace's left. Potion x3 - Two squares in front of and one square to Weisell the Thrower's right. Potion x3 - Along the right side of the screen, on the ground level. Medicinal Herb x2 - Three squares behind and one square to Weisell the Thrower's right, about where your Ace for the last scene deployed. Medicinal Herb x2 - Right behind Olga the Tamer. Rope - Two squares in front of and one square to Cynthia the Tamer's left, on the small sand bank in the river, next to the Base Panel. Objects: Potion x3 - Barrel in the same place as the vase with the Rope from the last scene. Potion x3 - Barrel right next to Fiona's tavern, two squares in front of and one square to your Ace's right. This is your first battle where you can control all of the units on your side of the field. This is also the first battle that has multiple parts. Defeating all the enemies initially present is only one-fourth of the fight, if you can believe it! So we'd better get cracking on doing it. The enemies in this fight follow very recognizable, consistent patterns. Taille, the Brute, comes straight across the bridge at you. The two Tamers off to the east mindlessly rush straight at you, losing several turns and taking some damage by jumping down the houses and rock faces into the water. Their first two or three turns are likely to be wasted in this way. The Thrower and the Sorceress stay back on the houses to the north, poking with their ranged attacks and spells when they can, but their damage isn't great. You can mostly ignore them until you're done with the melee enemies. Taille almost always reaches you first, so take him out quickly before the other enemies can reach you. Use Noah to grab the nearby Bases and put Teresa and Claude into positions around the base of the bridge structure. Draw his attention with Giulio. When Taille reaches the bottom of the bridge and starts attacking, move your three fighters into a quick Beating formation around him and let Giulio trigger Beats until the Brute is dead. He may drop his axe, the Slasher, which is a very reliable axe that can be useful throughout the game, but it's not a crippling problem if he doesn't, since the Slasher is easily purchaseable after Scene 04. The Tamers are your next concern. Surround them and Beat them down one at a time, not forgetting to loot their items/bodies afterward. With them out of the way, you can make your way up to the northern section and attack the Thrower and the Sorceress at your leisure. Finally, make sure you pick up any treasure chests you plan to get before you finish off the enemies here. All of the treasure chests in this area will disappear once part two of the fight begins, so if you want any of them, you have to get them now! While the Potions and Medicinal Herbs aren't really worth taking the time to get, the Buckler and the Power Gaunts can be useful and of course we have already discussed the Rope. Note that if you got the Rope from the previous stage, you really don't need a second one; it CAN be useful if you really want more than one Tamer, but otherwise, it'll just take up space in your inventory. Mind you, if you didn't get the Rope from the previous stage, grabbing it here is still HIGHLY advised. Either way, once all enemies on the field have been taken care of, Pierre puts in an appearance. Skip down to Scene 03-2 now: [SC03-2] ******************** [SC03-1-B] SCENE 03-1-B Victory Condition: -Defeat all enemies. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! -Escort Fails -> Alissa must not die... Date and Time: ASGAR 10, 983 PM 20:00 Time limit: ASGAR 13, 983 PM 18:00 Ace Options: Giulio, Noah Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: Unknown (Alissa) No equipment Enemies: Brute x1 (Taille) ********** Slasher Axe Break Shield Francisca Axe N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Sorceress x1 (Perrine) ****** Ruby Staff Rod Pyrism Corset Body Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5 Tamer x2 (Cynthia, Olga) ****** Thorn Whip Whip Poison Leather Clothes Body Armor DEF +5 Thrower x1 (Wiesel) ****** Pilum Javelin Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Chests: Buckler - One square in front of and two squares to the left of your Ace, on the lowest step leading up to the high wood bridge. Power Gaunts - On top of the stone wall running along the west edge of the screen, waaay to your Ace's left. Potion x3 - Two squares in front of and one square to Wiesel the Thrower's right. Potion x3 - Along the right side of the screen, on the ground level. Medicinal Herb x2 - Three squares behind and one square to Wiesel the Thrower's right, about where your Ace for the last scene deployed. Medicinal Herb x2 - Right behind Olga the Tamer. Rope - Two squares in front of and one square to Cynthia the Tamer's left, on the small sand bank in the river, next to the Base Panel. Objects: Potion x3 - Barrel in the same place as the vase with the Rope from the last scene. Potion x3 - Barrel right next to Fiona's tavern, two squares in front of and one square to your Ace's right. This is your first battle where you can control all of the units on your side of the field. This is also the first battle that has multiple parts. Defeating all the enemies initially present is only one-fourth of the fight, if you can believe it! So we'd better get cracking on doing it. This fight is technically an escort mission. Alissa is caught out on the field, and if she dies, it's game over. Fortunately - as you'll come to be aware of multiple times throughout the game, as she becomes the focus of other escort missions as well - Alissa is no dummy, and she will always move to keep herself behind your units and away from the enemies wherever she can. Unfortunately, she's not fast enough to outrun javelins, spells, and Tamers' ranged whip attacks, and since she has no weapons or armor with which to defend herself, if you let her get caught, she'll fall very quickly. Still, Alissa's tougher than she looks. She can take a few hits without going down, so you have some margin for error even if she does get cornered. The enemies in this fight follow very recognizable, consistent patterns, and they all have one thing uppermost in their minds: getting to Alissa. The Brute, the Thrower, and the Sorceress will all come down to and across the high wooden bridge, while the two Tamers will move to the edge of the screen closest to them and move down toward her from behind Fiona's tavern. This bum-rush may seem a bit overwhelming at first glance, but don't worry: you can take 'em. My preference for this fight is to use Giulio to block the one-square path between the edge of the screen and Fiona's tavern. The Tamers will either engage with him, keeping them away from Alissa, or be forced to go around both him and the tavern, greatly slowing their advance. Meanwhile, Teresa and Noah can deal with the bridge. If Teresa has unlocked Abyssal Edge on her Cutlass, move her to the second-highest step on the bridge and wait for the Brute to move right next to her. She'll take some damage when he attacks, but then she can use Abyssal Edge and knock him off the bridge to the ground, dealing extra damage and possibly Stunning him. You can then move Noah onto a straight line's trajectory from him and have Teresa jump down next to the Brute to start triggering Beats, quickly annihilating him. The Sorceress and the Thrower will likely stay up on the bridge, hurling spells and projectiles at anything that moves beneath them. Fortunately, both are fairly slow, and you can easily move out of the way of the Sorceress' magic and retaliate with Noah's bow and Claude's javelins. Given the choice, prioritize attacking Wiesel the Thrower over Perrine the Sorceress. Since you can avoid her spells by moving before she finishes casting, she is the lesser threat of the two. Meanwhile, either Giulio is dealing with the two Tamers or they have gone around him, at which point he should pursue. The Tamers are pretty delicate and not terribly dangerous, but they are quick, so you need to make sure you knock them down before they can get at Alissa. If they make it around the edge of the tavern, try to interpose Noah and Claude in a straight line to block their path again, then have Giulio and Teresa slam into them from behind and start some more Beats. Once you pin them down and punch them a few times, the Tamers should be easy to defeat, but you want to make sure this happens before they get their claws on Alissa. Finally, make sure you pick up any treasure chests you plan to get before you finish off the enemies here. All of the treasure chests in this area will disappear once part two of the fight begins, so if you want any of them, you have to get them now! While the Potions and Medicinal Herbs aren't really worth taking the time to get, the Buckler and the Power Gaunts can be useful and of course we have already discussed the Rope. Note that if you got the Rope from the previous stage, you really don't need a second one; it CAN be useful if you really want more than one Tamer, but otherwise, it'll just take up space in your inventory. Mind you, if you didn't get the Rope from the previous stage, grabbing it here is still HIGHLY advised. Either way, once all enemies on the field have been taken care of, Pierre puts in an appearance. Time for Scene 03-2 now! ******************** [SC03-2] 03-2 Victory Condition: -Defeat Pierre. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 03-1 Time limit: None! Your time here does not affect your Perfect Clear. Ace Options: Giulio, Noah* Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A *Don't make Noah your Ace for this section of the battle! For some reason, this prevents you from getting his equipment when he leaves your party at the end of the scene. Enemies: Knight (Pierre) BOSS Flamberge +9 1H Sword Pyrism Eventrion Accessory AUTO-REVIVE, can't be stolen Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Knight x2 (Irving, Loic) ***** Iron Sword 1H Sword N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Knight x2 (Eliott, Jorgen) ***** Bronze Sword 1H Sword Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Gunner x3 (Gwyneth, Keogh, Kevin) **** Crossbow Bowgun Weak Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Vantage Hand Armor DEF +5, HIT +15, Prevent Poor Aim Sorceress x2 (Daniella, Georgianne) **** Ruby Staff Rod Pyrism Corset Body Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5 Vamp Nail Hand Armor MDEF +10, CAST +15 BOOST: Absorb 1/3 damage Chests: None! All chests from 03-1-A or 03-1-B disappear when Scene 03-2 starts! Objects: Potion x3 - Wooden box right behind Jorgen the Knight. Right off the bat, understand that you are NOT SUPPOSED TO WIN THIS FIGHT. Pierre might look killable, but if you pay attention to his equipment, you'll notice he has a little trinket called the Eventrion. This item will revive him IMMEDIATELY should his HP fall below 0. The slimy Knight is literally immortal in this fight, so don't even bother trying to get at him. Secondly, NEVER pick Noah to be the Ace for this stage of the battle! Noah will leave your party at the end of this scene, and for some reason, he won't give you his bow when he leaves if he is the Ace in this fight. He can be the Ace for the first part, but not the second. Since you'll want his bow even when he's not in the party anymore, don't make him the Ace here! With that out of the way, let's get down to the actual fight. There are two ways to do this fight: the fast way and the productive way. The fast way is easy as pie: just waste your turns Waiting and let the Knights slaughter you. The moment your Ace falls, you'll move on to part three of the fight. However, you'll notice that you can waste as much time as you want on this stage of the battle without harming your chance of a three-star rating on the fight as a whole. That makes this a great chance to farm up on a bit of experience and equipment, which you can't do if you just die straightaway. If you want to make the most of this stage, the first thing you have to do is RUN AWAY. Your army starts out surrounded by Knights on a tiny ledge with no room to maneuver, starving you of TP and allowing the Knights easy Beats with minimal effort. Staying where you are is a deathtrap. Immediately move every character backward across the bridge and down to the safety of the far shore and the waters of the river. Heck, jump off the ledge into the water if you have to. You'll take 10-50 damage for jumping, but it's better than 200-300 suffered from a triple-Knight-Beat-pincer-attack. As was wisely stated in Piers Anthony's "Geis of the Gargoyle": "It is called an escape-later," Hanna said. "Escalator for short. Because it takes more time to get in and out of the ship with it, but is more convenient." "More convenient than what?" Gary asked. "Than jumping." By bridge or by jumping, once you've escaped the gladiatorium of your starting location, get into position on the shore opposite Pierre. Your main goal is to taunt the Knights into jumping off the ledge into the water, losing their turns and taking some damage, so that you can gang up on them one by one and destroy them. Your secondary goal is to keep the Gunners forced up on that high ledge, shooting at you from farther away than their bowguns are supposed to be aimed. In this way you will evade a good portion of their attacks by forcing them to attack at an inopportune distance. If they can, they will move out onto the bridge and attack from there instead. In such an event, just keep moving away to lower their accuracy and draw them out further - or just ignore them until all the Knights are dead. You'll notice that every time you get rid of an enemy in this fight, either by making them retreat or by killing them, a new unit appears next to Pierre's starting position. Unfortunately, these "reinforcement" enemies will not drop anything upon being defeated. However, beating on them will still provide experience and weapon Mastery, which is plenty useful on its own. Once the Knights amidst you are gone, try to lure the Gunners to your side of the shore so they can be set upon and torn to pieces. The Gunners are quite productive kills, dropping Crossbows - great if you want to use a Gunner yourself - and Vantages - all-around good accessories, albeit soon for sale. They're also fragile and easy to kill. The Sorceresses are the best targets in the fight, as all three of their pieces of equipment have value. However, luring them to your side of the map is nigh- impossible due to the range on their Rune Orb magic. If you really want to kill them, you're going to have to take the fight to them, which is difficult, to say the least. Your best option is probably healing Teresa up with a Medicinal Herb and sending her off to the far east side to climb the steps there and hit the Sorceresses from the side. Noah can support her with Beats from the water while Giulio and Claude, as the tankier characters, hold the attention of any Knights or Gunners that are getting aggressive. Teresa can Beat the Sorceresses to death or use the Abyssal Edge skill (8 Mastery on her Cutlass) to knock them down into the water for the boys to finish off. You have to be careful, though, as Teresa will be made short work of if the enemies turn their attention from the boys to her. Whichever way you decide to handle this fight, eventually you'll have to let Giulio get killed. Once this happens, you'll be offered a choice. DECISION: To defeat the Gargan Empire (+1 Chaos) To protect those he holds dear (+1 Law) ******************** [SC03-3] 03-3 Victory Condition: -Reach the spear before Pierre. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! -Spear is stolen -> Pierre must not obtain Gungnir... Date and Time: ASGAR 14, 983 PM 18:00 Time limit: ASGAR 15, 983 PM 18:00 Ace Options: Giulio Character Limit: 1 Guests: Valkyrie (Elise) Estoc Corset Enemies: Knight (Pierre) BOSS Flamberge +9 1H Sword Pyrism Eventrion Accessory AUTO-REVIVE, can't be stolen Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Knight x1 (Jairus) ********** Iron Sword 1H Sword N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Knight x1 (Abel) ********** Bronze Sword 1H Sword Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Sorceress x2 (Lilith, Rancine) ********** Ruby Staff Rod Pyrism Corset Body Armor +5 DEF, +5 MDEF Vamp Nail Hand Armor MDEF +10, CAST +15 BOOST: Absorb 1/3 damage Chests: None Objects: Potion x3 - Wooden box in front of the northwestern house. This portion of the battle can be taken care of in exactly four moves. Ignore the enemies; they are inconsequential. Ignore Elise; she can take care of herself. Ignore Pierre; he's a jerkwad anyway. Move as follows: 1 - Move to the nearby Base Panel to the east. 2 - Move up the far east stones to the second Base Panel next to the house. 3 - Move all the way toward Gungnir, putting you right next to the highlighted green square. 4 - Move onto the green square to complete this part of the stage. For the record, your time limit is three of Pierre's turns. However, being a slow-moving Knight, Pierre will only get one turn in between the four of yours. While you can take Pierre's slowness as an excuse to try and get a hit or two in on some Knights, you won't be able to kill them and the benefit you'll get from doing so is minimal. Seize your destiny and advance the scene. ******************** [SC03-4] 03-4 Victory Condition: -Defeat Pierre. Losing Condition: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 03-3 Time limit: ASGAR 15, 983 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 30 hrs *** >= 30 hrs, < 38 hrs ** >= 38 hrs, < 46 hrs * Enemies: All that remain from Scene 03-3; Pierre no longer has the Eventrion Chests: None Objects: Potion x3 - Wooden box in front of the northwestern house; only present if it wasn't collected in the previous part of the scene. All remaining enemies on the field have just suffered extreme damage, and Giulio is now equipped with the powerful, albeit weighty, Gungnir. All you have to do is whack Pierre once with the mighty magic spear, and this four-part behemoth of a battle is finally at its end. You may first, however, want to wipe out those two Sorceresses conveniently sandwiched between you and Elise. Whether they drop their Ruby Staffs, Corsets, or Vamp Nails, the reward you get for defeating them will be well worth the extra turn or two it takes to knock them down. The Knights on the other side of the field are not similarly worth your time to get over to and defeat, however; I recommend ignoring them. Take out the Sorceresses, then take down Pierre. It's worth noting that Pierre can drop a powerful and valuable weapon here: a Flamberge +9, +9 being the highest weapon rank you can go. This sword can be of much use to you in the battles to come, and as Pierre is only equipped with it and Hard Leather, it has a 50% chance to drop when you defeat him. When you look over Scene 03 as a whole, it's actually a surprisingly quick and easy battle, despite its multiple parts, especially if you just let yourself get slaughtered during Part Two. For this reason, if you finish the scene and don't get the Flamberge +9 as your Final Spoils, you may want to consider resetting the game and playing through the battle again in hopes of receiving it. Mind you, if you get a really awesome combination of drops from other foes but miss out on the Flamberge, I'd keep the other drops rather than restart for the sword. A Flamberge +9 is nice and all, but its luster wears off pretty quickly as the game goes on. It's not game-breaking and it's not late-game weapon material; it's just a nice boost early-game if you can get it. Once you're satisfied with the combination of items you received, it's time to get on with the story! NEW WAR GOD .The God of Defiance, Einherjar, is unlocked! Einherjar is the first War God you receive out of five, and he is also one of the most helpful. When summoned to the field, Einherjar will strike all affected targets for a percentage of their current HP, generally halving the HP of everything he hits. No defense can mitigate his blade; no hidey- hole can evade his coming. Einherjar is vastly useful for weakening high- HP targets, softening up all foes at the start of a battle, or triggering bosses to walk into your clutches instead of waiting for you to come to them. Einherjar is NOT good to summon when the enemy team has a Priestess or a lot of healing items, as the opponents will just heal off his damage and return to their battle plan. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-03-04] SCENE 03-04 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* .Teresa, Noah, and Claude leave your army. .Elise, Ragnus, and Paulo join your army! .Camp, Guild, and Alchemy are now available in your Pre-Battle Setup. .New Guild Classes: Brute, Assassin, Tamer, Archer, Gunner, Thrower, Priestess ****************************** POSSIBLE CAMP MODE RECRUITS ****************************** BRUTES Calvin Barnaby LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 1048 HP: 1043 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 102 CAP: 96 Spec: I Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: 3 Water: -1 Wind: 0 Wind: -1 Earth: -1 Earth: 1 ASSASSINS Elaine LV: 10 HP: 809 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 102 Spec: III Fire: -1 Water: 0 Wind: 3 Earth: -2 TAMERS Jamie Mavis Esther LV: 10 LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 861 HP: 885 HP: 859 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 102 CAP: 102 CAP: 108 Spec: I Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 3 Wind: 0 Wind: 1 Wind: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: 0 Earth: 2 GUNNERS Linus Greg Derick LV: 10 LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 816 HP: 890 HP: 905 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 102 CAP: 96 CAP: 84 Spec: II Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: 0 Water: -1 Water: 3 Water: 1 Wind: -2 Wind: -2 Wind: 2 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 ********************* SLUM WOMAN'S STORE ********************* WEAPONS ******* Iron Sword (1H Sword) Iron Sword (1H Sword) Francisca (Axe) Francisca (Axe) Cutlass (Dagger) Cutlass (Dagger) Thorn Whip (Whip) Rope (Whip) Slinger (Bowgun) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Leather Clothes Leather Clothes HEAD **** N/A HAND **** Vantage Vantage FOOT **** N/A ACCESSORIES *********** Stunner Belt Stunner Belt CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: What you want to buy during this Interlude is highly dependent on what classes you plan to use during the next battle or two and, ultimately, the whole game. Chances are you've already got some classes in mind that you're just dying to get cracking with, but in case you're not too sure of what to go for, here's a quick rundown of what you've got available to you right now: Brute: Physical fighter. Breaks enemy equipment. Good for item-collecting. Easy to use. Assassin: One-hit-K.O.s using knockback. Disables enemies with status. Good for item-collecting. Can be complicated to use. Tamer: Physical fighter who focuses on AOE damage and incapacitating foes. Average difficulty to use. Archer: Long-range poke. Easy to use, but Elise is functionally an Archer already, so you may just want to stick with her. Gunner: Ranged physical AOE. Average difficulty to use. Thrower: Versatile ranged unit. Easy to use. Priestess: Primary healer. Also does decent damage. Easy to use. In order to recruit any of these characters, all you have to do is go into the Guild and offer some money to the Guildmaster. The more money you offer up, the higher-quality units you may attract. The classes of the units you attract by offering just money is randomly determined, however. If you want to get a specific class of unit on your side, the way to assure yourself of it is to also offer the Guildmaster a weapon usable by whatever class you want to hire. Brute: Axe or Hammer (Francisca, Slasher, Battleaxe) Assassin: Dagger or Claw (Cutlass, Icepick) Tamer: Whip or Katana (Thorn Whip, Rope) Archer: Bow (Handmade Bow) Gunner: Bowgun (Slinger, Crossbow) Thrower: Javelin (Bamboo Pick) Priestess: Grimoire or Mace (Sooty Testament) If you still have absolutely no idea what classes you should be using, get yourself a Brute, a Tamer, and a Thrower. All three of these are solid classes that are easy to obtain from the Guild right now, and they will serve you well while still leaving plenty of room to customize your army further as you advance the story. Anyway, back to the subject at hand: what items to buy! Take which classes you want to get ahold of and make sure you have at least two weapons that each of these classes can utilize: one to give to the Guild so you can recruit the desired class with ease, and one to equip the character with once you've recruited them. For example, if you want to recruit a Brute, make sure you have one Francisca to give to the Guild and then one other axe to equip the Brute with after you've got him in your army. The exception to this is the Tamer. If you get a Tamer, make sure you have a Thorn Whip to give her (for damage- dealing,) a Rope (for Capturing,) and a second Rope or Thorn Whip to give the Guild in order to get her. Remember, as I explained earlier, to make sure you keep at least one Rope!!! Note that if you want to recruit a Priestess at this time, you have only one book with which to do so: the Sooty Testament that Paulo comes equipped with. If you use this book to find a Priestess, you will then have nothing to equip her with and you won't be able to use her in the next fight. As a result, if you want a Priestess now, you'll have to fish for her with just money: save your game, enter the Guild and offer 1000-3000 Gold to the Guildmaster, and see if Frances, Simone, or Meryl appear. If they do not, reset your game to avoid paying the cancellation fee and try again. If they do, recruit them! Guild and Camp recruits do not come with any equipment whatsoever, so you'll need to outfit them with Leather Clothes or Hard Leather in addition to their weaponry. You can buy Vantages, too - they're great accessories for any projectile unit, as they increase the accuracy of ranged attacks - but they are a bit on the pricey side, so don't buy more than you plan on using. The one accessory available to you at present is the Stunner Belt, a small, light, mostly inconsequential accessory that offers +5 DEF and a bit of Earth affinity. This is actually not a bad purchase, as it can add some much-needed DEF to Giulio or a Tamer for very little CAP, but you may wish to save your money for better things coming down the way. It's very much a tossup. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: All right. You've gotten your army set up and you've welcomed your new units into your bosom with open arms. Now, how to set them up so they can turn the next battle stage into a bloodbath? Ragnarok can make the next scene a lot easier, so if you're going to use it, keep Giulio equipped with Gungnir. Otherwise, you can give him the Flamberge +9 (if you got it) or keep him with his traditional Iron Sword. Equip Elise with the Handmade Bow +3; she's better used as an archer rather than a melee rapier-woman, as her stats are not ideal for direct combat. If you're using Ragnus, leave his equipment as is. If you're using a Brute, give him Ragnus' Battleaxe +4 and a suit of Hard Leather. If you're using both, give Ragnus an Iron Sword or the Slasher (his Fire affinity is low, so the Flamberge +9 is wasted on him; plus, it cannot initiate Beats) and give the Brute the Battleaxe +4. Assassins need nothing besides the Cutlass to do their job. The Icepick you should have may look tempting, but as I explained back in Scene 02, it's a trap weapon; it has no additional skills to learn by being used and it doesn't get knockback, which is an Assassin's bread and butter technique. Tamers, on the other hand, need both a Thorn Whip and a Rope to perform optimally; give them these weapons and a Corset and they should be set. Paulo is a great choice for this battle and all others, combining the unique weapons of the Sorceress and the Priestess for a combination of offensive and defensive spellcasting; if you're using him here, just leave him alone, as his equipment is fine. If you got a Priestess, give her his Sooty Testament +5 and leave Paulo with the Ruby Staff +3. Divvy up your accessories with Vantages on ranged units (I'd give Gunners priority, then Elise/ Archers, then Throwers) and a Vamp Nail (if you got one) on an Assassin. Power Gaunts can go on anybody, but Giulio is not an ideal option since Gungnir is so heavy. Give them to Ragnus or Brutes instead. If you have a Stunner Belt, a Tamer is the ideal wearer; if you have no Tamers, Giulio can look stunning in it instead. Phew! You knew this section was going to get more interesting eventually. Once everything is tweaked to your satisfaction, save, select Advance, and get ready for action! ******************************************************************************* [SC04] ************** *** SCENE 04 *** ************** AS LONG AS MY BLOOD STILL RUNS Blood is thicker than water. Battle: Ambushing at the Gate of Lament ******************************************************************************* DECISION: Promise victory (+1 Chaos) Promise to return home safely (+1 Law) SCENE 04 Victory Condition: -Defeat Pierre. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: VANAN 20, 983 PM 23:30 Time limit: VANAN 24, 983 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Ragnus Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Knight (Pierre) BOSS Flamberge +9 1H Sword Pyrism Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Basilisk Shield Large Shield GUARD 63%, Prevent Poison Iron Mask Head Armor DEF +10, Prevent Charm Knight x2 (Nicolas, Radilu) ****** Iron Sword 1H Sword N/A Bronze Sword 1H Sword Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Knight x1 (Meredith) ****** Iron Sword 1H Sword N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Basilisk Shield Large Shield GUARD 63%, Prevent Poison Assassin x2 (Disa, Varia) ****** Wild Cat Claw Sleep Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Savage Hunter Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Enemy Guard -20% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Trickster x1 (Sean) ********** Icepick Dagger Aquism Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Green Beret Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, Prevent Panic Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Trickster x1 (Nalina) ********** Icepick Dagger Aquism Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Chests: Rainy Saber - Appears down in the small gully in which you start the fight, in front of the dead, stunted tree. Cutlass +5 - Next to the Magic Crystal. Bronze Sword - One square behind and two squares to Disa the Assassin's left. Potion x3 - Three squares in front of Disa the Assassin, in the little nook at the end of the gully you start in. Potion x3 - Three squares in front of and one square to Varia the Assassin's right. Medicinal Herb x2 - Directly behind Sean the Trickster. Medicinal Herb x2 - One square behind and three squares to Pierre's left. Objects: Onyx - Destroy the Catapult on the ramparts; can be destroyed by Archers, Throwers, and magic, but can only be picked up by on a second playthrough by having a Witch or someone with the Marchen Wing equipped fly up to grab it. Siege Weapons: Catapult x1 If you don't care about getting a three-star rating, this scene is a nice, easy fight. The three Knights and Pierre are at the top of the stage, and they will not move until they are attacked or their foreguard of two Assassins and a Trickster are gone. However, if you want to get the three stars, you'll quickly find that the time limit for the battle is surprisingly short. And when you're on the clock, the last thing you want is a bunch of enemies that are refusing to move toward you. To make it successfully to the three-star rating, you have to get Pierre and his Knights moving, which involves damaging all of them as quickly as possible. There are a couple of ways you can go about doing this. 1) The easiest way to do this is simply to bring Paulo into the battle and have him cast Rune Orb up onto all four of the Knights at the same time. This is quick, efficient, and effective. 2) You can also have Giulio use Ragnarok and summon Einherjar, which, with proper patience with the RNG, can hit all enemies on the field. This will deal a lot more damage than Rune Orb and affect all enemies rather than just the Knights, but also takes a lot longer to set up, as you have to amass 18 TP first and then wait for Giulio to finish casting. Be sure to keep the Assassins away from him while he's summoning, as their Wild Cat claws cause Sleep, which will interrupt him and destroy your hard work. 3) By equipping Elise with a bow and/or bringing along Archers and Throwers, you can hit the Knights with physical attacks right from the start of the battle. (Gunners do not work for this, as their range is too short and they can't shoot over the cliff face between you and the Knights.) This is faster than Einherjar and allows you to keep attacking the Knights while they're coming around the path toward you, but slower than the Rune Orb strategy. 4) Bring Giulio, Elise, AND Paulo and do all of the above simultaneously! As far as the actual fighting goes, this stage is pretty easy whether you're gunning for a three-star rating or not. The Assassins and the Trickster will approach you quickly, but as none of them have Knockback attacks, they're not particularly dangerous. The Assassins are equipped with Wild Cat claws, which can cause Sleep, but Sleep is mostly just a timesink rather than a threat. The Knights are slow and don't hit particularly hard, and Pierre's Flamberge +9, while intimidating to look at, doesn't do much damage. The Trickster up on the battlements is manning a Catapult, which does Earth damage to anything in her shooting range when her turn comes around, but since she can only fire directly in front of her and you can make all of the enemies come to you, you can easily go through the battle without seeing her fire once. (Even if she does get a shot off, the damage is quite survivable.) For your part, dealing damage shouldn't be too difficult either. The enemies tend to bunch up to perform Beats, so a Tamer's AOE whip attacks can be useful here. Alternately, Tamers can Capture the Assassins to prevent them from putting people to sleep. Brutes are great for plain, direct damage-dealing, and an Assassin with a Cutlass can easily knock people off the edge of the map using Abyssal Edge. A surprisingly effective damage-dealer in this fight is the humble Priestess. Books ignore Guard, being magical weapons, so a Priestess equipped with the Sooty Testament can trigger Beats on those irritating Knights with a 100% hit rate. One final note. If you at all plan on using a Knight in this game, replay this stage until you can get Pierre or Meredith the Knight to drop their Basilisk Shield. This is an outrageously good shield at this point in the game, one that will not be sold in the store for hours of gameplay; in addition to its sky- high Guard Rating, it also blocks the dangerous Poison ailment. Because this stage is short and not too terribly difficult, replaying it a few times to get this drop is very much a worthy endeavor! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-04-05] SCENE 04-05 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* .New Guild Classes: Knight, Trickster, Sorceress Knight: Primary tanking class. Only unit that can equip large shields. Easy to use. Trickster: Unusual class with knockback, ranged attacks, and tricky, status- causing traps. Can be complicated to use. Sorceress: Primary mage class, focusing on wide-AOE spells. Easy to use. ******************* MERCHANT'S STORE ******************* WEAPONS ******* Bronze Sword (1H Sword) Estoc (Rapier) Slasher (Axe) Wild Cat (Claw) Rope (Whip) Gust Bow (Bow) Crossbow (Bowgun) Pilum (Javelin) Ruby Staff (Rod) Small Bible (Book) SHIELDS ******* Buckler (Small) Buckler (Small) ARMOR ***** Leather Clothes Leather Clothes Hard Leather Hard Leather Corset Corset HEAD **** Iron Mask Iron Mask HAND **** Vantage Power Gaunts Power Gaunts Kaiser Knuckle Kaiser Knuckle FOOT **** Tough Boots Tough Boots Wheel Greaves ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************** WHAT TO BUY: From here on out, what you want to buy from the store is highly dependent upon what characters and classes you're using and what you want to do with them. As a result, I'll be going through and highlighting which items are useful based on a wide range of situations, rather than trying to give you a firm order on which items to buy or not. You should already have a Bronze Sword, but if you don't, it's a quick and easy way to cause Knockback for anybody who can equip 1H Swords. It's a great weapon for a Knight, who doesn't need to cause direct damage and can use a shield to make up for its low Guard Chance, but it can't initiate Beats, which is a disadvantage. The Estoc is a rapier, which can only be used by Elise and one other story character we don't have yet. Rapiers ignore Guard Chance from weapons (they can still be guarded by shields, though) and are very useful because of it, but since only Elise can use one right now and she was equipped with one when she joined, you don't need to buy this one. The Slasher is a great axe to get if you didn't get one from Scene 03-1. At 25 Mastery, it unlocks the Shield Crush skill, making it the lowest-CAP axe that can break enemy shields. This skill is invaluable when fighting Knights, which may be the most common enemy class in this game. You'll want to keep the Slasher around even into New Game +, where it allows you to break an enemy's shield and then swap quickly for a better axe at a Base Panel. Gotta love low- CAP utility weapons. The Wild Cat is mostly useful because it can put enemies to sleep and get them out of your hair for a few turns. It can also initiate Beats, which is more important than it may first appear. While it will be outclassed in the endgame by weapons that can cause Freeze, Silent, or Stone, there's a lot of use for it early on. I'd recommend getting one if the Assassins last map didn't drop one of theirs for you and equipping it alongside your Assassin's Cutlass. Obviously, you'll want a Rope if you don't have one already. The Gust Bow is probably the best bow to have until the Flint Bow becomes available in the Scene 15-16 shop, and even then it still has uses until you can get ahold of the Bow of Iria (one of the best bows in the game!) The Gust Bow's claim to fame is its possession of a Specialty II attack, which has a range of eight and 100% accuracy when aimed at the sixth square away from you. Specialty II is the longest-ranged projectile attack in the game, and it's not a common Specialty to get ahold of. Buy the Gust Bow. Treasure the Gust Bow. The Crossbow is the Gunner's equivalent of the Gust Bow. While it may not reign supreme for quite as long as the Gust Bow does, the Crossbow is still great, mostly because it can cause the Weak status, which reduces the damage dealt by the victim's physical attacks. This makes it invaluable against any physical class, from Knights to Brutes to Tamers to Archers. The Pilum is a decent enough javelin that will serve you well until you can get better options later on. Throwers will definitely prefer it to the Bamboo Pick. The same goes for the Ruby Staff, which is a respectable enough rod until you can get the Icicle Rod in a few scenes. Go ahead and purchase as needed. The Small Bible is not a powerful book, having lower Base Power than the Sooty Testament, but it starts with a Specialty I healing spell, which is your first targeted, instant-cast heal. As the Sooty Testament has no healing magic until it hits 13 Mastery, the Small Bible can be a useful equip to provide healing on the next map. It's also a good sacrifice to the Guild if you'd like to get a Priestess now and don't care to fish in the Guild with just money. This is your first chance to buy a shield: a Small Shield called the Buckler. As opposed to Large Shields, such as the Basilisk Shield, which can only be equipped by Knights, Small Shields can be equipped by Giulio, Elise, Ragnus, Paladins, and a later story character as well as Knights, making them the ones you'll want more copies of, assuming you're using any of those characters. One of the big drawbacks to shields is that they often slow you down, reducing your MOVE, JUMP, and/or increasing your DEL (especially the large ones). In this regard, the Buckler is advantageous because its only drawback is DEL +1, making it the lightest shield to carry. Its 42% Guard Chance is nothing to sneeze at, either. I recommend purchasing as many as you can use; they'll be valuable throughout the game. There's nothing new in the body armor department, and I wouldn't recommend buying more Vantages; Power Gaunts, Kaiser Knuckles, Tough Boots, and Wheel Greaves are all much better places to spend your money. Power Gaunts and Kaiser Knuckles are hand equips that offer a chunk of DEF and a powerful Boost that increases the damage of melee attacks. Tough Boots, on the other hand, protect against Sticky, an ailment that might plague you later in the game, and Wheel Greaves are boots that increase the wearer's MOVE by 1. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why this is good. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The next fight sees you split by a pincer attack, with enemies coming from two directions and your allies starting off split into two groups. While you can unify the two teams without much difficulty, devising a party makeup that can handle the pincer movement allows for greater mobility, which is important, as the stage can be constrictive. There are three spots on the first team - one of them being your Ace - and two on the other. The first team will be facing Brutes, including a Brute that can break Foot equipment, so make sure you don't equip your Ace or either of the characters accompanying your Ace with the brand-new Wheel Greaves or Tough Boots you may now own. The second team will be handling Tamers, so you'll want the two members of Team Two to be able to fight while standing far away from one another in order to avoid the Tamers' whips. Pairing a tank (i.e. Giulio, Ragnus, a Brute) with a ranged character (i.e. Paulo, Elise, a Sorceress) makes for the best second team. As far as equipment goes, give Paulo the Small Bible if you bought and kept it, for the reasons explained above in the section about buying it. Give Ragnus the Rainy Saber if you got it from the chest on the last map; otherwise, give him the Slasher axe or an Iron Sword. I'd advise against a Bronze Sword, as this stage is not terribly conducive to knockback, but if you think you can put it to good use, go ahead. The same goes for Assassins and their Cutlasses; I like to switch to Wild Cats for this stage and utilize Tiring Beat and its Sleep effect, but you can stick to Cutlasses if you prefer. Finally, you're going to want to buy a stack of Antidotes for the Team Two tank, as this unit is likely to be poisoned by one of the Tamers' Thorn Whips. Poison is deadly in this game, so you'll want the means to cure it on the unit most likely to suffer from it. Once your weapons, shoes, and Antidotes are all being held by the correct individuals, Advance! ******************************************************************************* [SC05] ************** *** SCENE 05 *** ************** THE FAINT SMELL OF STEEL There is no smoke without fire. Battle: Battle at Maleca Village ******************************************************************************* SCENE 05 Victory Condition: -Defeat Rodrigues. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: MIRDZ 10, 983 PM 16:15 Time limit: MIRDZ 15, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * Ace Options: Elise, Paulo, Ragnus Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Bandit (Rodrigues) BOSS Battleaxe +7 Axe Break Armor Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Oat Bread x2 Consumable Mild HP Recovery Tamer (Griselda) ********** Thorn Whip +6 Whip Poison Zentetsu Katana GUARD 33%, Counter IV Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Brute x1 (Ville) **** Francisca Axe N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Brute x1 (Beltre) **** Francisca Axe N/A Bloody Rose Hammer Break Foot, Shieldless, Knockback, Crisis Power UP Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Vantage Hand Armor DEF +5, HIT +15, Prevent Poor Aim Oat Bread x2 Consumable Mild HP Recovery Tamer x2 (Bernice, Gayle) **** Thorn Whip Whip Poison Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Tough Boots Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter II, Prevent Sticky Harpy (Evan) ****** Harpy Physique Physique Poison Chests: Sooty Testament +5 - Appears next to the Retreat Point to your Ace's right. Potion x3 - Appears on top of the Elder's house. Potion x3 - Appears next to the Magic Crystal on top of the Elder's house. Zentetsu - One square in front of and one square to your Ace's right. Potion x3 - The far eastern corner of the map. Book of Laura - Four squares to Ville the Brute's left. Kill Blade - Directly behind Ville the Brute. Objects: Medicinal Herb x2 - Flower box in front of the Magic Crystal, on the ground level. Medicinal Herb x2 - Flower box next to the abovementioned flower box. This is an interesting battle in that it is the first one that is set up with your army split into two groups. While you can certainly bring your characters together at the start of the battle and fight as one unit from there on, the close quarters of the stage and the excellent choke points offered by the two bridges make this a less than enticing option. As such, we'll be operating under the assumption that you're ready and willing to split up your army. Your Ace will begin on the west side of the map, right by the western bridge, and as such we'll call this group - the Ace plus two other members - Team One. The remaining two characters begin on the east side of the field and will be called Team Two. When deciding on who to place where, you'll want to fill the following roles in each team: Team One: .A tank or an off-tank, i.e. Giulio, Ragnus, a Knight, a Brute, or a Tamer. This character's job is to move onto the western bridge and hold it against the two Brutes that will come to contest your claim. This unit should NOT be wearing any foot equipment, as one of the two Brutes is equipped with the Bloody Rose, which comes with the Foot Crush skill. .A projectile unit, i.e. Elise, an Archer, or a Thrower. This character should stay well behind the Team One tank, possibly up on the roof of the house, and constantly attack the Brutes as they come at the tank. As they will be able to initiate Beats with the tank if placed properly, this character should be able to output a lot of damage. .Utility unit. This can either be a healer - Paulo, a Priestess, or any unit with a lot of Potions - or an additional attacker - probably an Archer or a Sorceress who can run to either side of the field and help without getting in anybody's way. I strongly recommend filling this spot with a healing unit. Team Two: .Main tank, i.e. Giulio, Ragnus, a Knight, or a Brute. This person must be equipped with some decent body armor and at least one stash of Antidotes. This person is responsible for holding the east bridge, which will be stormed by Griselda and her Tamers within a few turns. As the Tamers may inflict Poison using Beats and their Thorn Whips, you really want to be sure this tank can remove Poison from himself when necessary. .Ranged caster, i.e. Paulo or a Sorceress. Standing two squares behind the main tank so as to avoid attacks from the Tamers, a Rod-user can single-handedly eliminate all of Griselda's forces. The Tamers generally seem to be more concerned with assaulting the bridge than with protecting their own skins, so even with the long cast times of spells, you shouldn't have trouble defeating them. I fielded Elise, a Gunner, and a Priestess for Team One and a Brute and a Sorceress for Team Two. It's a good setup, and I recommend it, but any setup can work here as long as you make sure you can hold the bridges with strong enough tanks. The two wild cards in the battle are the Harpy and Rodrigues. While you do not have to kill the Harpy to win the battle, she almost always flies straight across the water and reaches you in two turns, proceeding to cheerfully tear into your vulnerable ranged characters. She may also fly in between the two members of Team Two and wreck havoc with their formation just by getting in the way. She's an extreme annoyance, but she's also as fragile as a sheet of paper. Use your projectile and utility units from Team One to take her down, then return to holding the bridges. Rodrigues doesn't move or act until he takes damage or Griselda retreats from the fight. At this point, he usually runs east to attack Team Two, but he will sometimes run toward Team One or even just out into the water with no clear goal in sight. Once Griselda is out of the way, frankly, the fight is all over but the shouting. Rush Rodrigues wherever he goes; he'll soon decide to take the battle to you and you can easily overwhelm him with Beats. The stage ends when you defeat Rodrigues, so if you really want to end things quickly, you can have your whole army jump into the river and slosh right across to engage Rodrigues and his units in a battle royale. This is more of a strategy for a New Game +, however, as Rodrigues' units can be overwhelming when they get to engage you as a solid unit in a wide open space. Keep them split up; it's easier that way. Fighting Rodrigues isn't particularly hard, but watch out: his Battleaxe can use Armor Crush, which will shatter the armor of any unit it hits. At the present, you aren't equipped with any particularly rare armor that it will really hurt to lose, but if losing armor to Rodrigues really irks you, be sure to unequip all body armor (Corset, Leather Clothes, etc; all other armor, such as the Vantage or the Stunner Belt, is safe) at a Base Panel before engaging in close combat with him. Speaking of Rodrigues and armor, Rodrigues' own armor is actually quite good. Iron Armor is a very hardy piece of body armor and is the best thing a tank can equip until quite a bit later in the game. In addition, it won't be sold for several stages, and although it is equipped on other bosses that could drop it, this is the first opportunity you have to get it and also the easiest. If you don't mind a little resetting, you could replay this relatively short and easy scene multiple times until Rodrigues drops his Iron Armor. This is by no means required, but it's definitely something to mention. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-05-06] SCENE 05-06 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ****************************** POSSIBLE CAMP MODE RECRUITS ****************************** BRUTES Armant LV: 15 HP: 1161 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 104 Spec: II Fire: 3 Water: -1 Wind: -3 Earth: 1 ASSASSINS Eleanor Clara LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 879 HP: 885 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 101 CAP: 110 Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 3 Fire: -1 Water: -1 Water: 2 Wind: 1 Wind: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: -3 ARCHERS Niccolo Antionne Gasparo LV: 15 LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 781 HP: 896 HP: 925 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 110 CAP: 104 CAP: 113 Spec: I Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: -3 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: 0 Water: -3 Water: 1 Wind: 3 Wind: 2 Wind: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: 0 Earth: 1 GUNNERS Diego Cesar LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 1019 HP: 881 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 95 CAP: 110 Spec: I Spec: III Fire: 2 Fire: 2 Water: -1 Water: 3 Wind: -3 Wind: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: -3 PRIESTESSES Frederica Marianne LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 824 HP: 919 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 116 CAP: 101 Spec: II Spec: III Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Water: -2 Water: -2 Wind: -2 Wind: -1 Earth: 1 Earth: 2 ******************* VILLAGER'S STORE ******************* WEAPONS ******* Bronze Sword (1H Sword) Bronze Sword (1H Sword) Battleaxe (Axe) Battleaxe (Axe) Spiky Hammer (Hammer) Bloody Rose (Hammer) Icepick (Dagger) Icepick (Dagger) Wild Cat (Claw) Wild Cat (Claw) Thorn Whip (Whip) Thorn Whip (Whip) Gust Bow (Bow) Gust Bow (Bow) Crossbow (Bowgun) Crossbow (Bowgun) Pilum (Javelin) Pilum (Javelin) Jewel Rod (Rod) Jewel Rod (Rod) Sooty Testament (Book) Sooty Testament (Book) SHIELDS ******* Buckler (Small) Buckler (Small) ARMOR ***** Hard Leather Hard Leather Battle Clothes Battle Clothes HEAD **** Water Veil Water Veil Iron Mask Iron Mask HAND **** Power Gaunts Power Gaunts Kaiser Knuckle Kaiser Knuckle Wrecker Gloves Wrecker Gloves FOOT **** Tough Boots Tough Boots Wheel Greaves Wheel Greaves Amazon Boots Amazon Boots ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************** WHAT TO BUY: The shop for this interlude is mostly a catch-up kind of place. It's got a wide variety of items you should be used to seeing by now, almost all coming in pairs, allowing you to buy commonplace equipment you want more of or tried to get in an earlier Scene and just missed. There are only two new arrivals... however, both of them have fascinating qualities attached to them and are worth exploring in some depth. The Spiky Hammer looks completely uninteresting at first glance, and indeed, for quite some time I glossed over it completely in my own playthroughs. Its base power is unimpressive and its only skill is Wandering Blow, which has the "VS Objects" property. What this means is that the Spiky Hammer can only deal full damage to objects, such as statues and vases and treasure chests. When attacking a living target, the Spiky Hammer will do 1-9 damage and no more. Not very impressive, right? However, what I didn't realize for a long time was that Wandering Blow has an attack power of 352 and a Tactics attack power of a whopping 448. In other words, it is far and away the strongest thing you can hit a chest with for... most of the game, actually. If you're hoping to open some treasure chests on your playthrough, get the Spiky Hammer and equip it to your Brute at once! The second addition is the Jewel Rod, which is another interesting little contraption. An Earth-elemental staff with only one spell, it has the unique effect of creating Gems when used. While less important on a first playthrough, this can be a great way to buff out your Gem finding on a New Game +, and it's a particularly good weapon for Alighieri the Sorceress, who has a +3 Earth affinity and can be recruited right now! If you've recruited Alighieri into your army, I would strongly suggest purchasing her a Jewel Rod to wield. Otherwise, you can skip it until your second playthrough. Aside from pure damage, the Jewel Rod also works surprisingly well as a distraction technique. Enemies will often prioritize picking up Gems over attacking your characters, so a few casts of Earth Orb may actually prove as effective as a paralyzing status effect for saving your army from damage. As for the pieces you've seen before, the Battleaxe is extremely important, being the only easily obtainable axe with Armor Crush, and the Bloody Rose is a great hammer that boasts Foot Crush, knockback, and increased power when its wielder is at low HP. (Three great new weapons at one shop? Brutes sure are doing well for themselves right now.) We've discussed all the other weapons already, so I won't bother going over them again; suffice it to say that if you want more of anything (except the Icepick,) get it while it's hot. While the field of Body Armor is still uninteresting, nifty new items have appeared in all other Armor fields. Available in the Head department is the Water Veil, a nice, light piece of equipment for Elise and Priestesses that protects from Pyrism, and the Iron Mask, a versatile piece that offers +10 DEF and immunity to Charm. Charm is a rare status effect, but it's twenty breeds of female dogs when it happens, so the Iron Mask is well worth spending your money on. In the Hand department you now have access to Wrecker Gloves, which have the Boost effect of increasing damage done to objects. You WILL want at least one of these gloves, and I'd recommend getting both, just to be safe; Wrecker Gloves are terrific for destroying chests, siege weapons, and treasure- holding boxes and barrels. Pair them with the Spiky Hammer for best results, of course! Finally, the Foot department is now sporting Amazon Boots, which increase MOV and JUMP by one. These little beauties are equippable by Tamers and a certain story character who is about to join you after the next battle, and I'd definitely recommend getting them if you have the money to do so. Buy more Wheel Greaves as well, if you have other units that can equip them; +MOVE is always worth an equipment slot. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: There are no real specific preparations you need to make for the next fight, as it's a pretty simple knock-down drag-out brawl with a lot of enemies and few external factors. Equip all your best weapons and armor and whatever spoils you've been collecting from defeated enemies up until this point, remember to Save, and then proceed to the next fight. ******************************************************************************* [SC06] ************** *** SCENE 06 *** ************** BREAKING THE FOREST'S SILENCE Empathy is a luxury of the rich. Battle: Encounter in the Forest of Tranquility ******************************************************************************* DECISION: Confront her (+1 Chaos) Pray with her (A+ Ending) [SC06-1] SCENE 06-1 Victory Condition: -Annihilate all enemies -Rescue Valerie (Move your Ace next to her) Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! -Target Dies -> The lone woman must not die... Date and Time: MIRDZ 27, 983 PM 19:30 Time limit: MIRDZ 30, 983 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Ragnus Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: Rebel (Valerie) Iron Bowgun Carnage Claw Vantage Medicinal Herb x2 Enemies: Paladin x1 (Rudvein) ****** Iron Sword 1H Sword N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Paladin x2 (Jonaris, Lubricht) ****** Air Blade Greatsword Aerism, MDEF 1/2 Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Magic Gauntlet Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, CAST +15 BOOST: Magic Damage +50% Assassin x1 (Mnossa) ****** Cutlass Dagger Knockback Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Savage Hunter Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Enemy Guard -20% Assassin x1 (Ortha) ****** Carnage Claw Claw Phys Aura, Knockback Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Savage Hunter Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Enemy Guard -20% Gunner x1 (Freddie) ***** Crossbow Bowgun Weak Vantage Hand Armor DEF +5, HIT +15, Prevent Poor Aim Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Sorceress x1 (Anne Lee) ***** Icicle Rod Rod Freeze, Silent Magic Gauntlet Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, CAST +15 BOOST: Magic Damage +50% Pixie (Chante) Neutral (does not need to be killed) Small Physique Physique Panic (Full HP Only) Coral Branch Wand Sleep Pixie (Thele) Neutral (does not need to be killed) Small Physique Physique Panic (Full HP Only) Coral Branch Wand Sleep Chests: Apple Tree - Two squares behind and two squares to your Ace's right, up against the edge of the map. Potion x3 - Two squares in front of and two squares to Rudvein the Paladin's right, perpendicular to the tree. Moonlight Rod - Inside the ruined building in the center of the map. Medicinal Herb x2 - Two squares in front of and two squares to Thele the Pixie's right. Loriel x3 - One square to Chante the Pixie's right. Luciel x3 - Two squares to Chante the Pixie's right. Lumiel x3 - Three squares behind and two squares to Lubricht the Paladin's left. Objects: Moon Lily x7 - Poison Grass farthest from your Ace's initial position. Medicinal Herb x2 - Poison Grass closest to your Ace's initial position. This battlefield is a bit smaller than the ones you've encountered up until now, even the last one, and it is further constricted by the presence of several trees and a large, ruined sort of structure right smack in the middle of everything. Within this structure is a redheaded, crossbow-wielding woman who is being pursued by Imperial soldiers, and she needs your help. First off, those of you who have played Final Fantasy Tactics and undergo hyperventilation at the words "escort battle" can set aside your paper bags and relax. Your guest for this stage is a tough old bird with a large HP pool and a capable AI. She does not throw herself in the middle of four foes as far away from your healers as possible, nor does she run and hide in a corner and do nothing. You can rely on her to participate in the battle as an ally, not a hindrance. Let's address a few other details on this map. For example, you may notice a few large stands of conspicuous grass dotted about the copse. This grass is poisonous and will inflict Poison on anybody who stands in it. However, it's also cuttable, as you'll notice it has a (very low) HP total and can be targeted for attacks. Destroy the grass and you can stand in the space without concern for your health, although it's rarely essential that you get in one of these spaces anyway. Just be careful with it. Next, you'll probably notice the two small Pixies floating in the far northeast corner of the map. These Pixies will neither move nor attack unless you attack them first, and their stats are so low that they won't pose a threat even if you do attack them. However, if you DO attack them, you will NOT receive the Four-Leaf Clovers at the end of the battle, which would be a crying shame. So don't attack the Pixies! The final detail to explain at this point in time is how exactly to proceed from Scene 06-1 to Scene 06-2. It's actually a simple task: simply move your Ace next to the redheaded woman and the battle will progress into stage two, where you do not have to keep the woman alive anymore and will not lose should her HP be reduced to 0. I would suggest doing this as soon as possible. Nothing else about the fight, from the enemies to the treasure chests, changes once you enter 06-2, and if the woman happens to move to the edge of the map, one of the Assassins will be happy to knock her out-of-bounds with Abyssal Edge. It would suck to restart this fight on a technicality, so advance it to Part Two ASAP. ******************** [SC06-2] 06-2 Victory Condition: -Annihilate all enemies Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 06-1 Time limit: MIRDZ 31, 983 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * All enemies, chests, and objects remain the same as they were at the end of Scene 06-1. The change between Scene 06-1 and 06-2 is small, but important: once you have moved your Ace next to Valerie and advanced to 06-2, it is no longer Game Over if Valerie retreats or is knocked off the battlefield. This allows you to focus on defeating the enemies rather than on keeping the knockback-happy Assassins away from Valerie, so hey - get to it! Your opposition is mostly fragile, but they can be very nasty offensively if you give them the chance. This is one of the few times you'll face Paladins, and if you stay in place for too long, their low-CT melee spells will make you regret it. Unfortunately for you, they're aided in this battle by a Sorceress equipped with an Icicle Rod with all three spells unlocked. Both Cool Orb and Cold Ruin can cause Freeze, which prevents the victims from moving, allowing the Paladins to charge up their spells for the finishing blow. This is also the first battle where Assassins actually pose a threat. One of the Assassins is equipped with the Carnage Claw, which allows her to attack three people in a row in front of her. The other has a Cutlass with Abyssal Edge unlocked on it, allowing her to inflict Knockback. The AI is quite smart enough to use this attack to knock you off the map if you're not careful, so do your best to stay away from the edges of the stage until the Cutlass-wielding Assassin is done for. The first targets to aim for are the Assassins. Delicate but aggressive, they will come to you quickly and can easily be ganged-up upon and quickly defeated. By this time, though, the Paladins and Gunner will have closed with you. The Gunner is a nonentity in this fight, although his Loss attack can cause Weak, which is annoying. Try to keep the Paladins occupied with someone who can take the punishment, like Ragnus or a Knight, and focus a ranged character like Elise on getting rid of that Sorceress in the back. Without the Sorceress, the Paladins can be safely Beat upon until death. Take out the Gunner whenever it's most convenient. This battle can go several different ways depending on how Valerie and the enemies decide to move. You can affect this to a large extent based on how you move your own characters, so pick a strategy that best fits your army's capabilities and composition: 1) Moving up along the west side of the building will cause Valerie to move out of the building to join you. Intent on Valerie, the enemies will crowd around to the west side of the building as well. This allows both sides to use Assassins or Tricksters with knockback and Sorceresses or Paulo with magic to their fullest potential, which can be both a good and a bad thing. If you're a big fan of magic or knockback, this is probably the strategy you want to use. 2) Moving your characters to the ruin and Valerie forces the enemies to storm you by moving through one of the two small entrances. This can be a good thing if you've got a particularly versatile party, since it allows you to take the enemies on in a bottleneck with backup from ranged units in the corners of the building, but it renders you highly vulnerable to the spells of the Sorceress and the Paladins. On the other hand, you don't have to worry about knockback from the Assassins. Tamers will be particularly fond of this bottleneck idea and can also Capture enemies in the entryway to further interfere with enemy movement and positioning. 3) Splitting into two groups, one to support Valerie in the building and one to take the enemy's attention to the west side of the screen, is probably the best strategy for a distinctly melee-heavy group. Assassins and Tricksters can sneak around to the west to use the edge of the map to their advantage, and they can easily dispose of the Sorceress in this manner. Meanwhile, heavy, physically- oriented units - Tamers, Brutes, Ragnus, Giulio - can demand the enemy's attention with the same bottleneck concept described in strategy 2, helped out by Valerie and her bowgun. You must have some decent armor and healing in order to succeed with this strategy, however, as the enemies will be grouped together within your pincer attack and will find it easy to initiate Beats. What all this really boils down to is, you can achieve victory in this fight in pretty much any way as long as you plan a strategy and execute it successfully. This is a pretty simple and relaxed battle that exists as a milestone: have you grasped the basics of the battle system? Can you twist them to your own ends? Have you put together a balanced crew? Is your equipment working out for you? The next battle can be a very difficult one, so if you're not feeling like your party is working the way you want it to at this point, don't be afraid to restart from the save file before this fight (you do have one, right?) and use this scene as a sounding board for new tactics and ideas. Is that Tamer really working out for you, or do you want to replace her with a Thrower? Maybe you want to hire a Brute and see how he wields that Bloody Rose you picked up on Stage 05. Was that Wild Cat you bought just before this fight really a good purchase, or do you think your Assassin would be better off with just a Cutlass to keep her Wait Time low? Again, the next battle is a doozy: make sure you're prepared for it by testing your strength against this easier scenario. If you finish the battle without attacking the two pixies to the east, you will see an extra scene in which the pixies give you Four-Leaf Clover x4. These items can be used to give a unit the Lucky status or refined as a x4-stack into 10 gems of each color. On a second playthrough, you can do what you like with these little beauties, but on a first playthrough, I strongly recommend refining them immediately! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-06-07] SCENE 06-07 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* .Valerie joins your army! .New Guild Classes: Paladin Paladin: Jack-of-all-trades unit that can take or deal physical or magical damage with equal ease. Average difficulty to use. ************************* FAIRY MERCHANT'S STORE ************************* WEAPONS ******* Magical Sword (Greatsword) Air Blade (Greatsword) Icepick (Dagger) Wolf Fang (Tool) Beast Fang (Tool) Rope (Whip) Jewel Rod (Rod) Icicle Rod (Rod) Book of Laura (Grimoire) Morning Star (Mace) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Raven Cloth HEAD **** N/A HAND **** Mystic Bangle FOOT **** Fire Boots Fire Boots ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Kokori Seed x2 Kokori Seed x2 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Moon Lily x7 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: The Fairy Merchant doesn't have much for sale, but what she does have is pretty outstanding. She sells the first Greatswords in the game, the first Tools in the game, and several pieces of equipment so potent that you might still have them equipped when you come up against the final boss: the Icicle Rod, the Book of Laura, the much-touted Rope, the Mystic Bangle, and the Fire Boots. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Starting from the top we have the two Greatswords, the Magical Sword and the Air Blade. The Magical Sword is invaluable. It is the first weapon you can obtain that causes Burn, a status effect that deals damage every few turns based on the victim's maximum HP. By endgame, Burn and Poison will be some of the best tools in your arsenal for handling bosses. The Air Blade is not quite as good, only offering Aerism and MDEF 1/2, and the latter only at high Mastery. No: the Magical Sword is where it's at (but only if you're using Paladins, as no other class can equip a Greatsword). If you've got a Trickster in your army, you're probably very interested in those two Tools, the Wolf Fang and the Beast Fang. Unfortunately, both are somewhat limited, as the only Specialty they have is the Specialty IV attack, which is the night-only trap-setting skill. Now, admittedly, that's also the most INTERESTING Specialty for the Tool weapons, but you can't rely on it alone, so don't buy either Tool expecting to have it replace the Cutlass. That being said, how do they stand up when equipped in conjunction with the Cutlass? The answer for the Wolf Fang is, pretty well. The Wolf Fang causes Pain, which prevents the target from taking any action other than moving and participating in Beats. It's a valuable status, worth the money and CAP space. The Beast Fang only offers Poor Aim, which - while useful; it doubles the chance that the victim will be Guarded against when they use a melee attack - is inferior to Pain, which stops attacks altogether. If you're trying to pick one, the Wolf Fang is the clear winner here. The Icicle Rod might be the best rod ever available, despite its low power. Its spells inflict Freeze, which is an unspeakably valuable offensive and defensive tool, and Silent, which renders spellcasters entirely useless... up to and including the final boss. There is no stressing the importance of this rod enough. If you're using Paulo or a Sorceress, don't leave this store without it. The Book of Laura has the first AOE healing spell you can get - the Specialty III Criss-Cross spell - and one of the strongest single-target heals of any Grimoire. Though it may end up outclassed by even stronger books to come, the Book of Laura (or the Book of the Roller Witch, as one Japanese site humorously Google-Translated it to) is a staple for a Priestess at this early stage in the game. Would that I could say the same about the Morning Star. We'll discuss maces in more depth later, when the stronger ones become available, but for now, let's just say they're worthless and leave it at that. On the more defensive side of things we have the Raven Cloth, which is just not worth purchasing, especially since almost everybody who can equip it can also equip Battle Clothes, which give equal +DEF (though no +MDEF). On the other hand, we have the Mystic Bangle and the Fire Boots, each of which is more valuable than the other. The Mystic Bangle offers a chunk of MDEF and CAST and the potent "Magic Tactics Damage +50%" Boost effect. Compared to this power, the Fire Boots may seem inferior at first, but believe me when I say you want both pairs. Burn is one of the most dangerous status effects around and you will have to fight on several stages where the enemies can inflict Burn over a wide AOE. Burn immunity is an incredible asset and the Fire Boots offer it! Pick these babies up! This is also one of the rare occasions where interesting consumables appear in the store, above and beyond your typical curative items. The Kokori Seed isn't much use in battle, but it refines into one Gem of every color for Alchemy, which makes purchasing both easily worthwhile. And at the very bottom of the list we have the Moon Lily. This item is more interesting than useful; it is automatically used at night and instantly reduces its equipee's WT time to 0, allowing them to move and act immediately the next time your turn comes up. They're rather pricey and you can work without them quite easily, but their effect is not easily duplicated and they're very rare to come across. So if you think you can make good use of their effect, be my guest. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Up until now, Gungnir has been treating you nicely. The battles have been fairly simple and kind, there have been several tutorials and opportunities to try new things, and the stages have not been out to get you. With the next battle, the kid gloves come off. While Gungnir isn't going to really start playing rough until Scene 10, Scene 07 has a noticeable difficulty spike over what's come before it. Only your best units should go into this fight, because only your best units will come out of it, and they'd better be armed for bear and ready to rumble. The first and most important thing to note is that there are several Brutes on this scene, and all but one of them hold weapons that can break different pieces of your equipment. The boss, Bacchus, can break helmets; the Brute Stefan can break shoes; and the Brute Dieter can break both body armor and shields. The only pieces that are safe throughout the entire fight are hand equips, such as the Vantage and the Mystic Bangle, and accessories, such as the Stunner Belt. You have two options here: you can either remove all armor except for hand equips and accessories and fill the extra space with healing items, or you can rely on taking the Brutes out so quickly with magic and ranged attacks that they won't be able to break your stuff. You can also strike various "middle ground" options, such as unequipping your tanks but leaving your ranged units fully-equipped and just keeping them behind the tanks' frontline, or using Base Panels to swap your equipment in and out based on which Brute you're currently engaging. Pick whichever option works best for you and then plot your equipment options accordingly. Because your equipment choices for this scene will fluctuate wildly based on how much you care about the possibility of various pieces getting broken, I'm going to take a moment here to talk about something other than recommendations for what you should be equipping. This is the perfect time to crack into the last of the major systems of Gungnir: Alchemy. Alchemy is a simple process by which you pay Gems to level up your weapons. Gems can be obtained by refining armor, accessories, or consumables; by attacking Magic Crystals and picking up the Gems that fall as you do so; or using the Jewel Rod's Earth Orb spell or the not-yet-obtained Alchemitton's Boost effect, which creates Gems as though you had attacked a Crystal. Every time you level up a weapon, its power increases, up to 150% of the base power, but each level a weapon gains also causes that weapon's leveling process to become more expensive and more likely to fail. That's right; the leveling process doesn't always work, sometimes consuming your Gems to no effect whatsoever. A weapon's level maxes out at +9. The thing about Gungnir is that, since weapons come with such a wide variety of skills on them, you might be stuck using an early weapon until late into the game. Take bows, for example, where the Gust Bow is the only bow with a Specialty II attack until very late indeed, or where the Flint Bow is the only bow at all that can cause Burn. In order for these weapons to remain powerful as well as useful in terms of utility, Alchemy can level the weapons up and increase their power. This is what allows useful early-game weapons, such as the Rope and the Cutlass, to remain viable no matter how late in the game you are. Since we just got the Four-Leaf Clover x4 and we can refine that into x10 of every element of gem - Null, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth - now is a great time to get started on some upgrading! WEAPONS WORTH UPGRADING AT THIS POINT IN TIME Swords: Rainy Saber Greatswords: Magical Sword Rapiers: Estoc Axes: Battleaxe, Slasher, Kill Blade Hammers: Bloody Rose Daggers: Cutlass Claws: Wild Cat Tools: Wolf Fang Whips: Thorn Whip, Rope Bows: Gust Bow Bowguns: Crossbow Rods: Icicle Rod Grimoires: Book of Laura If you're feeling particularly fond of any of the weapons on the above list, go ahead and use some Gems to boost their Power. Before this coming scene especially, it's not a bad idea. Here's a little trick to cheat the system if you want to conserve your Gems: after upgrading any weapon by a level, exit the Alchemy screen and save. Then return and upgrade by another level. If the upgrade is successful, exit and save again. If the upgrade fails, load your last save and try it again until it works. Gems are more difficult to come by than I'd like, so using this trick can greatly extend the life of your collection. Got that Alchemy done? Got that armor safely doled out or squirreled away, depending on your strategy? Then it's time! Save and make your cautious way into the fray! ******************************************************************************* [SC07] ************** *** SCENE 07 *** ************** IN THE NAME OF HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. Battle: Liberation of Carozza Prison ******************************************************************************* SCENE 07 Victory Condition: -Defeat Bacchus. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: SVART 3, 983 AM 10:45 Time limit: SVART 7, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 48 hrs *** >= 48 hrs, < 56 hrs ** >= 56 hrs, < 64 hrs * Ace Options: Valerie Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Brute (Bacchus) BOSS Kill Blade +7 Axe Break Head Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Brute x1 (Stefan) ***** Bloody Rose Hammer Break Foot, Shieldless, Knockback, Crisis Power UP Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Low HP and VIT recovery Brute x1 (Dieter) ***** Battleaxe Axe Break Armor Slasher Axe Break Shield Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Low HP and VIT recovery Brute x1 (Gunther) ***** Francisca Axe N/A Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Low HP and VIT recovery Tamer x1 (Relia) ***** Thorn Whip Whip Poison Zentetsu Katana GUARD 33%, Counter IV Tamer x1 (Oola) ***** Thorn Whip Whip Poison Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Savage Hunter Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Enemy Guard -20% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Archer x3 (Corneas, Evon, Knoress) **** Gust Bow Bow N/A MG Gadget Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20 BOOST: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Witch x1 (Josette) *** Kikimora Broom Burn, Mana Aura Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Chests: Potion x3 - Appears amidst your party members' starting positions. Auto Potion - Two squares in front of and one square to your Ace's left. Elixir - Two squares in front of Stefan the Brute. Gargoyle Rod - Two squares in front of Relia the Tamer. Kikimora - Appears right in front of the Magic Crystal. Naga Fangs - Two squares behind and one square to Oola the Tamer's left. Potion x3 - One square behind and one square to Bacchus' left. Objects: Bronze Mace - Tripod wooden torch one square in front of and one square to Gunther the Brute's left. Hoo boy. You've got your work cut out for you here. The time offered for the three-star clear is quite generous, but if the enemies don't move the way you want them to, you will need every second of it to clear the time limit. Your army begins squashed at the top of the eastern staircase, vulnerable to attack by the Archer next to Bacchus. At the bottom of the stair is a huge square platform upon which a Tamer, a group of Brutes, an Archer, and a Witch wait with murder in their eyes. The platform leads to the western staircase, which is even longer and smaller than the one you begin on - only one square wide. At the top of this staircase is Bacchus, cackling gleefully beside his blood-soaked guillotine. God, I hate Bacchus. Let's start with a quick overview of what you can expect this stage to throw at you. The Archer next to Bacchus will start shooting at once at anybody who stays on the platform you start out on, so it's wise to get off of there with all speed. You MIGHT be able to return fire on him with a Gust Bow of your own, but it's not generally worth it. As you move down the two-panel-wide staircase, the swarm of prison guards at the base of the stairs flood toward you, intent on violence. One of the two Brutes wields the Battleaxe, with which he can break body armor, and the Slasher, with which he can break shields. The other Brute swings the Bloody Rose, breaking shoes and causing knockback. If he gets a unit between him and either side of the staircase, he will knock that unit off the side of the scene - forcing them to Retreat - or off into the bottomless pit - killing them instantly and permanently. Accompanying the Brutes are a Tamer, an Archer, and your first enemy Witch. Witches can be pretty irritating, mostly because they can fly. You can't block a Witch from getting to an item bag, a good spellcasting location, or a weakened target (short of using status effects,) because she'll just zoom over the heads of anybody you put in her way and get there anyway. Worse still, this particular Witch is equipped with the Kikimora broom, which can cast a spell called Pyro Wave. Pyro Wave targets a cross of units, like Cool Orb or Earth Orb, but instead of causing Freeze or summoning Gems, it causes Burn, like the Magical Sword does. Just to remind you, Burn deals damage over time based on your MAXIMUM health, and it can very easily wipe out your entire army if left untreated. It's one of the nastier ailments to encounter, and in the tight quarters of this scene, it's damn hard to avoid. Of course, you could equip those new Fire Boots and protect yourself from Burn that way... at least until the Brute with the Bloody Rose comes along and smashes them. Not good. Like Pierre back on Scene 04, Bacchus refuses to move toward you until either he is damaged or his foreguard - in this case, all of the units that start out on the large square platform - are defeated. Unlike Pierre, though, Bacchus is dancing just out of your reach. He stands nine squares away from the platform you start out on, which is too far for any bow or magic you have to reach him. The only hope you have for getting him moving toward you quickly enough to defeat him within the three-star time limit is Gungnir. Einherjar can strike any opponent anywhere on the map; summoning him will allow you to get Bacchus moving. Our goals for this scene, then, are simple. Survive the initial bloodbath long enough to capture enough Base Panels for Ragnarok, then kill Bacchus when he gets down the stairs. Easier said than done, of course! You can tackle this scene from one of two locations. You can either stay on the staircase that you start upon, taking out your highest-priority foes - namely, the Brute with the Bloody Rose and the Witch - with ranged spells and arrows, or you can push your way down onto the square southern platform with brute force, summon Einherjar as quickly as possible, and Beat up the remnants while you wait for Bacchus. The first method has the advantage of being a lot safer, as you don't leave yourself open to four-way enemy Beats. The second method has the advantage of getting a more reliable summoning out of Einherjar, since Einherjar is more likely to target enemies when there are more enemies left alive. Let's look at the ranged-control-of-the-staircase method first. To pull this off, you'll want to put anybody who can take a hit - Giulio, Knights, Brutes - or deal line-of-sight damage - Giulio, Gunners, Tamers - or provide healing capabilities - Priestesses, maybe even Paulo - at the front, meeting the charge of the enemy forces head-on. Obviously you will then want to arrange your Sorceresses, Archers, and Throwers, as well as Elise and Paulo, behind this defensive frontline. AOE damage is the key here. Since the enemies will be bottlenecking like crazy in their attempt to reach you, you want to take full advantage of this with all the AOE damage you can muster. The Iron Bowgun that Valerie came equipped with is excellent here, able to shoot through three targets in a row; Paladins can deal a lot of damage and inflict Burn using the Magical Sword, rapidly eliminating targets. Tamers that have learned Doom Wind on the Thorn Whip can cause Poison, which is functionally identical to Burn and just as nasty, or they can Capture the closest enemies, disabling them and impeding the other opponents' ability to move. Sorceresses should be spamming the Icicle Rod's Cool Orb spell, which causes Freeze, thereby holding enemies still for your other soldiers to set up their attacks, and Giulio can keep himself healthy using Gungnir's multi-target Distant Shadow attack. The biggest thing to worry about while you're on the stairs is that Brute with the Bloody Rose, who can knock you off of them if he gets to the right position to do so. However, two can play at that game; if you have an Assassin or a Trickster with the Cutlass, you also have the ability to knock him - or his friends - off the stairs in return! This will one-shot any enemy you can pull it off on, greatly shortening the battle. Once the first wave of enemies has died, you have the freedom to go down and take over the square platform. Occupy all of the Base Panels there, warning off the enemies with potshots when you have to, and trigger Ragnarok. As long as the Brute with the Bloody Rose is gone, none of the enemies will be able to interrupt your casting, so as soon as Einherjar is cooperating, you can let 'im rip. If you're taking the brute-force-push-to-the-bottom approach instead, make sure everybody has Potions and/ or Medicinal Herbs equipped. Your goal is to call Einherjar ASAP, and the enemies will be Beating on you mercilessly until this happens. Priestesses are very valuable here, as is Gungnir's Distant Shadow, which will heal Giulio for part of the damage he causes. Come packing some knockback, either in the form of Bronze Swords or Cutlasses, in order to knock enemies off Base Panels if they get in the way. Tamers are also worth their weight in gold for this method, as they can completely remove targets from the battle by Capturing them. Freezing enemies in positions where they can't reach you using the Icicle Rod, or inflicting Pain on them using the Wolf Fang's Gastro Trap to stop them from attacking outright, are also viable ways to get the enemies out of your hair long enough to get Ragnarok rolling. It's important to note that once again, the biggest thing you'll need to worry about is the Brute with the Bloody Rose. If he inflicts knockback on Giulio while Giulio is summoning Einherjar, Ragnarok will be cancelled and you'll need to restart the battle. Be sure to kill or otherwise disable this Brute before Giulio starts casting, or you may regret it. Either way, once Einherjar hits the field, all hell will break loose as Bacchus and all of his guardians - taking their maiming at the scythe of Einherjar as a personal insult - start moving down the stairs toward you at once. Meanwhile, all of the enemies actually stuck on the platform with you will panic, running away to try and use healing items on themselves before you can finish the job Einherjar started. All of this actually works in your favor. The tight quarters of Bacchus' long staircase and the spaced-out positioning of the enemies on it means that they will reach your waiting army one at a time. If you can eliminate each enemy before the next one can show up, you will engage in several quick one-on-five skirmishes that you should easily win. In the interim, the opponents on the platform with you should be within one or two shots of death before they use a healing item - meaning you can probably off several of them before they can patch themselves up - and still killable using a four-person Beat even after they've healed. Hunt them down one by one and take them all out, one after the other. Bacchus will be the last unit to reach you, and he will likely use his Elixir on the way to recover from the damage Einherjar dealt to him. This is fine, as it means he won't have that Elixir around once you start Beating on him. Him healing off the damage from Einherjar is irritating, but it's far better than him healing off the damage you've spent your last four turns causing to him. The psychotic Brute has quite a bit of HP and can break any head armor you have equipped, but other than that, he's not too different from Rodrigues back in Maleca Village, or any of his lesser Brutes on this very stage. As long as all or most of his backup is dead by the time he reaches you, he won't last much longer than they did. Blast him with arrows, Beats, and magic, and try to cause Burn or Poison to him if you can to hasten his defeat. Once Bacchus falls, the battle ends, and you are the victors! Aww, Jeremias and Colette are so cute :) ******************************************************************************* [INTER-07-08] SCENE 07-08 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* .New Guild Classes: Witch Witch: Unusual caster unit with a variety of attacks, including magical traps (called Grams). Can be complicated to use. ****************************** POSSIBLE CAMP MODE RECRUITS ****************************** PALADINS Augusto Jeremias Gabriel LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 969 HP: 810 HP: 1093 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 106 CAP: 115 CAP: 109 Spec: I Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: 2 Fire: 3 Fire: -1 Water: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Wind: 3 Wind: 1 Wind: 2 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: 1 ARCHERS Bruno LV: 23 HP: 882 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 109 Spec: IV Fire: -3 Water: 0 Wind: 2 Earth: 1 GUNNERS Claus LV: 23 HP: 1041 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 121 Spec: IV Fire: -1 Water: 1 Wind: -1 Earth: 1 THROWERS Gregory Heinz Gunther LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 1037 HP: 1041 HP: 898 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 112 CAP: 118 CAP: 115 Spec: III Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 2 Fire: -3 Fire: 1 Water: -2 Water: 3 Water: 2 Wind: -2 Wind: 0 Wind: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 PRIESTESSES Frenda LV: 23 HP: 895 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 CAP: 115 Spec: IV Fire: 1 Water: 2 Wind: -1 Earth: -2 SORCERESSES Gracia Caldina Consuela LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 885 HP: 850 HP: 855 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 109 CAP: 103 CAP: 115 Spec: II Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: -2 Water: -3 Water: -2 Wind: 3 Wind: 2 Wind: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 WITCHES Lemmens Colette Audrey LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 821 HP: 903 HP: 982 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 112 CAP: 121 Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: -2 Fire: -3 Water: 3 Water: 3 Water: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: -1 Wind: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 ******************** ORKUBECKI'S STORE ******************** WEAPONS ******* Magical Sword (Greatsword) Air Blade (Greatsword) Battleaxe (Axe) Ogre Blade (Axe) Kill Blade (Axe) Spiky Hammer (Hammer) Bloody Rose (Hammer) Carnage Claw (Claw) Zentetsu (Katana) Zentetsu (Katana) Longbow (Bow) Iron Bowgun (Bowgun) Flamme (Javelin) Flamme (Javelin) Icicle Rod (Rod) Sorcery Book (Grimoire) Book of Eleanor (Grimoire) Straw Broom (Broom) Lucky Broom (Broom) Kikimora (Broom) SHIELDS ******* Mirror Shield (Large) Buckler (Small) ARMOR ***** Battle Clothes Battle Clothes Classic Robe Classic Robe Lovely One-Piece Lovely One-Piece HEAD **** Water Veil Water Veil Bat Hairpin HAND **** Kaiser Knuckle Kaiser Knuckle Magic Gauntlet Wrecker Gloves Wrecker Gloves FOOT **** Fire Boots Amazon Boots Amazon Boots ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: There are two new axes for sale here, and one of them is very good and one of them is... not. The Kill Blade is the good one, and if you didn't pick one up back in Maleca Village or just now from Bacchus, you may want to buy one here. The Kill Blade is strong, versatile, and can break head armor, making it the lightest axe capable of doing so. The other axe, however, is the Ogre Blade. It may sound cool, and its sole attack - Concussive Ruin - probably sounds even cooler. The problem with it is that Concussive Ruin, although it is just as powerful as it sounds, has a major drawback: it can only be used when its wielder has full HP. Take one scratch from an Assassin, one shot from an Archer, and you can't use the Ogre Blade anymore until your Priestess tops off your HP again. This is a crippling weakness for the Ogre Blade. Sorry, Ogre Blade, but even if you are quite strong, I can't recommend buying you. Valerie came equipped with a Carnage Claw, but here we have another one for sale. Is it worth buying? Well... only for one very particular, very unusual reason. The Carnage Claw's added status effect is called Phys Aura, and what it does is increase the target's DEF to 75 (meaning the target only takes 25% damage from physical attacks) and decrease the target's MDEF to 0, no matter how much +MDEF armor they have equipped. Basically, it greatly reduces the damage the target takes from physical attacks while maximizing the damage they will take from magic. This effect has some quirky uses, but the best use for it is inflicting it on your own allies to greatly increase their resistance to physical attacks. (You have to watch out for enemy mages when you do this, though.) The Carnage Claw isn't very strong, so you can easily use it to put Phys Aura across your team for the low price of 70-100 HP or so. However, when it comes to actual combat, the Carnage Claw is terrible. It's weak to start with, and it frequently makes itself weaker by inflicting Phys Aura on its target, further reducing its damage. The one advantage is has over the Wild Cat is that, with 18 Mastery, it gets the Dark Claw skill, which can cause knockback. However, we have Cutlasses for that! As a result, the Carnage Claw is only worth buying - or indeed, even hanging onto - if you feel like playing around with Phys Aura. It's a pretty cool effect, and you can do some creative things with it (and its equal and opposite, Mana Aura) if you're so inclined, but you can easily win the game without them, too. Your choice. We haven't actually discussed the Zentetsu yet, so let's go ahead and take a moment for it. Let's start by saying that Katanas are great, but probably not for the reason you expect. They aren't actually weapons that you physically attack with. Katanas are basically counterattacking equivalents of shields; they have high Guard Rating and will override your current weapon to give you that Guard Rating (which is always a good thing, let me assure you). The thing is, unlike shields, katanas don't just guard. They can also counter any attack they guard against, making them great free sources of extra damage and defensibility. The Zentetsu we have here is the weakest katana, but it can ignore enemy DEF, meaning it hits hard against any target, and it's also the only Katana you'll have access to for quite some time. I recommend it for any Tamer (since Tamers are the only class that can equip them). The Longbow and the Flamme are pretty much crap. The Longbow's claim to fame is having a Specialty III attack on it; we'll talk more about that Specialty on a bow later, but suffice it to say, it's not very good. The Flamme, despite its name, does not cause Burn, and it doesn't have ranged knockback on it either, which makes it inferior to the Pilum and vastly inferior to a javelin you can get within three scenes. Ignore both. The Iron Bowgun is something of a personal call. It doesn't cause any status effects, but it is the only bowgun for some time to have the Specialty II "pierce through three enemies" attack, which is a valuable quality on a Gunner. I tend to like the Crossbow and its Weak ailment better than the Iron Bowgun, and you do already have one since Valerie comes equipped with it, but that Specialty II attack really can come in handy. If you feel like you need a second one, I'm not going to be the one to gainsay you. The Sorcery Book is a very good book. It has a Specialty II attack right off the bat, allowing for instant ranged single-target healing, and it gains both a Specialty I and Specialty IV attack when Mastered, allowing for versatile healing and damage. Unfortunately for the Sorcery Book, the Book of Eleanor is vastly superior. Once you learn Aerial Cure from this Book, you will have the second-strongest AOE healing spell in the game at your beck and call. This, combined with the Book of Laura's outrageously strong single-target heal, will be all you need on any Priestess for the next half of the game or so. In comparison to this winning combo of Eleanor and Laura, the Sorcery Book has no place and isn't really worth buying (much to my sorrow... Gravity is a fun ailment). Witches are available to you now, and with them come several of their cool new weapons: brooms! Sadly, the Straw Broom is only good for recruiting a Witch from the Guild. The Kikimora is definitely the best broom around and will be for a long time, especially as it causes Burn in an AOE. If you're recruiting a Witch, the Straw Broom is the broom to give up for her and the Kikimora is the broom to give her. There's a third broom, though, one that is a lot more difficult to rate: the Lucky Broom. Here's the deal. The Lucky Broom doesn't look like much at first (noticing a trend with that statement and this game?) It only has one attack, and it's Specialty IV, which means it's a trap skill. So what purpose does it serve? You will notice something about it... its added effect is Charm. Charm does exactly what you'd expect in terms of forcing the target to attack its allies, and, as in many other games, it can be easily removed by attacking the unit to snap it out of the effect. The thing is, in most games you can just give the offending character a whack from a weak mage class to wake them up. But in Gungnir, that's pretty difficult considering that your skills are all dependent on your weapon and equipping a weak weapon gimps you for most of the battle. In the best case scenario, you immediately attack the Charmed unit and they take a (probably nasty) chunk of damage. In the worst case scenario, they get a turn first, wallop somebody at full strength, and then get whacked themselves in return, resulting in unpleasant damage and wasted turns all around just because of one single status effect. It's nasty. The Lucky Broom is one of the few ways for you to cause this effect to your enemies, and is useful because of it, regardless of the difficulty inherent in getting the effect to occur. You must either bring the wielding Witch into a Beat or somehow force an enemy into your laid trap. (Hint: use Knockback.) On a first playthrough, I'd ignore the Lucky Broom; there are simpler ways to do more damage than with Charm trickery. However, on a second playthrough, give it a try! You might like it more than you think. So what else? Well, we have our first large shield for sale: the Mirror Shield, which offers... only 6% more Guard than the Buckler at the price of -1 MOVE, -1 JUMP, and 9 more CAP. Yeah... it's not worth it. There's some new armor for sale, too: the Classic Robe and the Lovely One-Piece. Both are excellent. The Classic Robe has a sky-high +25 MDEF, making it pretty much ideal armor for turning any spellcaster into an unstoppable magic tank. The Lovely One-Piece, in comparison, has the DEF of Battle Clothes, but raises a Witch's Fire and Water affinities. Most of the Witch's best brooms are these elements, making this an ideal armor for them. It works great with the Kikimora! The Bat Hairpin is very cute, but the ailment it protects against - Batrify - is so rare that you can go through the whole game without seeing it. The Magic Gauntlet is a bit of a toss-up. On the one hand, it has a lot of DEF for a mage equip, and its Boost effect is godly. On the other hand, it has very little CAST - only +15 - and is pretty heavy. I wouldn't give one to my Sorceress, but it can be used to great effect on a Paladin. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The next scene is easier than Scene 07, though still a cut above the difficulty of earlier scenes. For one thing, the only axe-user around is Rodrigues, and while he can break both Head and Body equipment, once you defeat him, you can safely deck yourself out in full suits of armor at last without worrying about anything getting broken. In fact, since the scene strongly encourages you to split your forces in half, any unit that isn't going to be directly tangling with Rodrigues can fully equip themselves right from the start. Isn't that convenient? You get to field six characters on this scene, divided into two groups of three. I'll go into more detail about good ways to divvy up your characters in the actual scene discussion, but for now, as you fiddle with equipment on the status screen, start considering which characters you might want fighting together for maximum efficacy. Melee units are probably the only units that will need to worry about having equipment broken by Rodrigues on this scene. To compensate, equip them with hand equipment such as the Power Gaunts or Savage Hunter (+10 DEF,) shoes such as the Wheel Greaves or the Fire Boots (also +10 DEF,) and Medicinal Herbs for HP recovery. The Fire Boots are particularly appealing because the Tamers here use the Specialty II attack Quad Wind, which the Fire Boots can allow you to counter if you Guard against it. However, Quad Wind also causes the No Counter status effect, which - predictably - prevents countering. How frustrating! Still, it doesn't hurt to equip the Fire Boots anyway just in case, right? Ranged units are really going to want to have +HIT equipped for every fight from here on out. Gunners need +HIT to distance themselves from direct combat, and Archers and Throwers gain quite a lot of positioning options when they can hit at a variety of ranges rather than at just one square. Archers will not be letting the Gust Bow go for the foreseeable future, and Throwers have no better weapon choice than the Pilum. Gunners actually have some versatility, as they can choose between the team support of the Crossbow or the AOE damage of the Iron Bowgun. Mages are as severely in need of +CAST as ranged units are in need of +HIT. However, their options are currently limited to the Magic Gauntlet (+15,) the Mystic Bangle (+25,) and possibly the Vamp Nail (+15 again). +15 CAST isn't good for a whole heck of a lot, although it is better than nothing. Don't despair, however! The next store will do a lot to alleviate this shameful state of casting times, so just hang in there for a little longer. At least you've got some great rods hanging about for Sorceresses to use, especially if you found the Moonlight Rod on Scene 06 and/or the Gargoyle Rod on Scene 07. Be careful with both of these, however, and be sure not to equip them on their own. The Moonlight Rod can only be used at night and the Gargoyle Rod's first spell hits random targets in a small area; neither is exactly reliable, though both are powerful. We'll discuss both of them in more detail later; for now, just make sure you equip the Icicle Rod regardless of any other rods you may choose to add on. ******************************************************************************* [SC08] ************** *** SCENE 08 *** ************** THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE CONCLUSION There are two tragedies in life. Battle: Assault on Victrion Stronghold ******************************************************************************* SCENE 08 Victory Condition: -Defeat Pierre Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: SVART 17, 983 AM 10:00 Time limit: SVART 24, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 60 hrs *** >= 60 hrs, < 68 hrs ** >= 68 hrs, < 74 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Ragnus, Paulo Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Knight (Pierre) BOSS Dark Saber +9 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Flamberge +9 1H Sword Pyrism Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Basilisk Shield Large Shield GUARD 63%, Prevent Poison Onyx Collectible N/A Knight x4 (Dottle, Faivia, Guineffe, Leaflet) *** Rainy Saber 1H Sword Knockback Hard Leather Body Armor DEF +10 Iron Mask Head Armor DEF +10, Prevent Charm Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Bandit (Rodrigues) ******** Kill Blade +7 Axe Break Head Battleaxe +7 Axe Break Armor Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Tamer (Griselda) ****** Thunder Chain +7 Whip No Counter Zentetsu +3 Katana GUARD 33%, Counter IV Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Tamer x3 (Marielle, Marlto, Verito) **** Thunder Chain Whip No Counter Zentetsu Katana GUARD 33%, Counter IV Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Wampyr x2 (Deianeira, Ghislaine) * Sexy Physique Physique Batrify, Charm (Enchanted Only) Main-gauche Dagger Knockback Enchanting Rouge x9 Consumable Causes Enchanted (Night Only) Chests: Book of Laura +3 - Six panels to the right of your Ace, against the edge of the map, parallel to the Magic Crystal by Rodrigues. Griffin Talon - One square to the right of the Base Panel in front of your Ace, on the stone bridge leading to the fort's front gate. Alchemitton - Directly in front of Deianeira the Wampyr. Potion x3 - Five squares behind Verito the Tamer. Potion x3 - Next to the Magic Crystal behind Ghislaine the Wampyr. Lumiel x3 - Three squares behind Guineffe the Knight. Lumiel x3 - One square behind and one square to Faivia the Knight's right. Objects: Onyx - Destroy the Ballista. Onyx - Destroy the Cannon. Book of Laura - In the far wooden box on the western staircase. Silver Moon - In the closer wooden box on the western staircase. Siege Weapons: Ballista x1 Cannon x1 This battle looks intimidating at the start, mostly because you are storming a fortress with a Ballista and a Cannon prepped at the top of it. However, worry not about these siege weapons; the enemy team has no Tricksters to operate them with! In other words, these weapons are no threat to you at all. Although your characters seem to intimate at the start of the fight that you or your enemies might be able to put the siege weapons to use, the enemies can't use them and the only way you're getting a Trickster up there to use them is to fly her there using the Marchen Wings in a New Game +. So, as far as we're concerned, the Cannon and the Ballista might as well not be there. Your team starts this battle split into two groups of three. The Ace and two others begin in front of the central drawbridge to Victrion. Storming the front gate is, surprise surprise, pointless; it's closed, and the only way you're getting inside is to take out its guardian, Pierre. To the southeast, familiar faces Rodrigues and Griselda lead a Tamer and a new monster unit, a Wampyr, to attack you. To the northwest are your remaining three party members, facing a second Wampyr and a duet of Tamers. Pierre and his entourage of Knights, safe and snug atop the ramparts, won't move until all of these enemies are dealt with (or until they start taking damage, as per usual). It's tempting to start the fight by moving your two groups together to unite your forces. Don't do this; it makes the fight longer and more difficult by letting the enemies pincer-attack you and making it difficult for you to organize your Beats. It's also tempting to field Giulio as Ace with the expectation of having him summon Einherjar. This is nearly impossible for the first half of the fight, as there are not enough Base Panels easily accessible to take and hold to amass the 18 TP necessary to cast Ragnarok. If you use Giulio, you'll be doing it for his fighting prowess, not his summoning skills. How you split your party members requires careful consideration. Both teams need a tanky character to take the brunt of the damage, but the Ace's team has more damage to be concerned with, so if you only have one tanky unit available, put them by your Ace. On the other hand, the Wampyr that the Ace faces will move toward you of her own volition. The Wampyr up by Team Two is happy to sit and wait until you attack her first. Time's a-wastin' for that three-star rating, so you're going to have to smack her in the face to get her to speed things up. As she is perched on top of the castle wall, it will take bows, javelins, or rods to reach her. Naturally, this means you'll want to deploy a ranged character in Team Two to deal with the Wampyr. Time is against you in more than one way with the Wampyr, actually. During the day, they are about as threatening as a Pomeranian with a daisy in its mouth, but once night falls and they apply their Enchanting Rouge... hooo boy. Once those two conditions are met, they begin using their Charming Eyes spell, which does a truly ridiculous amount of damage and inflicts Charm. Charm is basically the god of nasty status ailments in this game, as I explained just previously when discussing the Lucky Broom. Avoid it at all costs, preferably by killing the hell out of the Wampyrs before the first nightfall. Enough about the Wampyrs. Back to your team composition. So far we have a tank in the Ace Team and an off-tank and a ranged character in Team Two. Your main healer should go with the Ace; if your team has a secondary healer, obviously they should go with Team Two. Otherwise, stick Medicinal Herbs on Team Two so they can recover in case something bad happens to them (like their Wampyr using Charm). The last member of Team Ace should be somebody with AOE damage capability (Tamer, Gunner) or, failing that, somebody who can initiate Beats (easy enough to come by). If you lack a secondary healer, Team Two should take another ranged character instead; they'll come in handy later in the fight. To sum up: Team Ace: .Tank (Giulio, Ragnus, Knight; possibly Brute, Paladin) .Healer (Priestess, Paulo) .AOE damage-dealer (Tamer, Gunner) OR somebody with Beat initiation (anybody, really) Team Two: .Tank (Giulio, Ragnus, Knight) OR off-tank (Valerie, Brute, Paladin; possibly Gunner, Priestess) .Ranged unit (Elise, Paulo, Archer, Thrower, Sorceress, Witch) .Secondary healer (Paulo, Priestess) OR another ranged unit Keep in mind that these team formations are NOT set in stone and that if you have a different composition of units, you should use them instead and with a right good will. This is just my suggestion for a reliable way to get through this stage fairly unscathed. Tweak it as is your wont. Okay. Almost done, I promise, but there is one last important thing to note here. If you get rid of Rodrigues before offing Griselda, Griselda will retreat alongside him automatically (though she won't drop an item). On the other hand, if you defeat Griselda first, Rodrigues will NOT retreat along with her. So if you want Griselda's items, you must defeat her first - and if you want to make this battle quicker, you'll want to defeat Rodrigues first instead. All right. Let's get down to brass tacks and butt-kicking, shall we? Once your units are set and deployed, it's time for some quick movement and action. Team Ace needs to grab the Base Panel directly in front of them on the drawbridge (again, don't worry about the Ballista; it won't fire at you,) then turn their attention immediately to their right. Rush to the edge of the path Rodrigues and Griselda will be using and set yourself up as a blockade to stop the mercenaries' full-on charge. Remember that the Wampyr is your top priority. Team Two will be quickly rushed by the two Tamers. Have the ranged unit target the Wampyr ASAP; once she takes damage, she will come down from the ramparts to retaliate in kind. Attack her at once. The Wampyr's Sexy Physique has no Weapon Guard whatsoever, making her easy to hit, and she doesn't have much HP, making her easy to kill. (When you do manage to kill her, try to loot her body and retrieve her Enchanting Rouge. Though you can't use it yourself, it sells for a TON of money!) Knockback is, as per usual, incredibly valuable on either side of the field for eliminating unfortunately-positioned targets quickly. If the Wampyrs, the Tamers, Griselda, or even Rodrigues get close enough to the edge of the scene or the edge of the moat, you can knock them over the side, removing them from the fight in record time. Be careful with your own positioning, however! While the Tamers and Rodrigues can't cause Knockback, the Wampyrs have Main-gauche daggers, meaning that they CAN. Just another reason to kill those Wampyrs as quickly as humanly possible, though, right? By the time the first night falls, both Wampyrs should be dead. If you've accomplished that, you're doing well. Any other deaths and damage you've caused is icing on the cake. Team Two likely won't have trouble disposing of their two Tamers at this point, but Team Ace may be struggling with Rodrigues and Griselda. If this is the case, you might want to take the time to move Team Two's ranged unit down to add some support fire from a safe position on the central drawbridge. A Sorceress parallel to them can really wreck some havoc on those bandits. Don't forget to target Griselda first if you really want her Thunder Chain +7 or Rodrigues first if you just want Griselda to go away, stat. Okay. Once you've Beaten Rodrigues and Griselda into retreating, it's time to move all available forces to the northwestern side of the map. That staircase up the west side of the map is the only way to reach Pierre, so we're going to storm it with everything we've got. That bastard's going down. The moment you get within a certain movement range or finish the last non- Knight on the map, the Knights around Pierre begin running at you. If Giulio is present, now is probably the time to try and summon Einherjar, although as most of the enemies are dead, it might be difficult to persuade the War God to to target the enemies instead of you. The Knights will likely meet you at the two wooden boxes on the side of the castle; the farther box contains a Book of Laura, while the closer one has a Silver Moon axe. Be careful about destroying these boxes to get at those items, however, as without them to act as stepping stones to the upper level of the castle, you'll have to go all the way around to the back of the fortress and go up the stairs there. Pierre tries to hang back until it becomes obvious that you're going to make it through the last of his Knights and come for him. This is convenient for your surviving the fight, as you won't have to deal with him until the end, but bad for your star rating if you're low on time. If the Knight brigade is really giving you trouble, just ignore them! They don't do much damage, they're hard to kill, and the stage is over when Pierre dies whether they do or not. Consider them speedbumps and move on if necessary. If you're really having trouble getting at Pierre, use the tried-and-true method of bombarding him with arrows or magic from the stone bridge in front of him. Once he takes damage, he'll get moving quickly enough. Pierre himself is little threat, though he does more damage than his Knights. The Book of Laura's AOE healing magic will come in useful for outpacing his damaging capabilities, and ranged attacks at proper range (for 100% accuracy) will help you initiate Beats through his high Guard Rating. The space on top of the castle is erratic and smaller than it looks, though. You'll have to position carefully to get maximum effect out of your Beats, and Pierre's turns will be quite frequent with all the other enemies out of the way. Hem him in and attack from all sides, and you should be able to take him down in the end. ************* * AFTERWORD * ************* DECISION: Avenge fallen comrades (+1 Chaos) (DO IT DO IT YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO) Quietly lower the spear (+1 Law) NEW WAR GOD .The God of Intensity, Midgardsormr, is unlocked! Midgardsormr, the second War God you receive, may seem inferior to the rampaging death brought about by Einherjar. His effect is to Break all of the non-weapon equipment, from body armor to consumables, on his targets, and at this stage in the game, that's not particularly necessary. However, the God of Intensity is a late bloomer. Once you hit the endgame, Knights will have over 70% Guard Rating, Sorceresses will have over 50 MDEF, Archers will have +80 HIT, and all of them will be adding Boost effects to one another's attacks. Midgardsormr destroys all of these benefits and reduces your enemies to a vulnerable, easily killable 0 DEF/MDEF with no Boosts, resistances, or healing items to save them from your onslaught. Midgardsormr's only downside is that any items he breaks, such as the rare Magic Eater or the one-of-a-kind Blade Armor, can't be received as drops (obviously,) although you can always engineer his targets to specifically avoid the carrier of the valuable drop you don't want broken.... ******************************************************************************* [INTER-08-09] SCENE 08-09 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* **************************** IMPERIAL MERCHANT'S STORE **************************** WEAPONS ******* Rainy Saber (1H Sword) Rainy Saber (1H Sword) Flamberge (1H Sword) Flamberge (1H Sword) Magical Sword (Greatsword) Magical Sword (Greatsword) Air Blade (Greatsword) Air Blade (Greatsword) Black Brand (Greatsword) Black Brand (Greatsword) Ogre Blade (Axe) Kill Blade (Axe) Kill Blade (Axe) Main-gauche (Dagger) Main-gauche (Dagger) Carnage Claw (Claw) Carnage Claw (Claw) Rope (Whip) Rope (Whip) Flame Whip (Whip) Zentetsu (Katana) Zentetsu (Katana) Longbow (Bow) Longbow (Bow) Iron Bowgun (Bowgun) Iron Bowgun (Bowgun) Flamme (Javelin) Flamme (Javelin) Icicle Rod (Rod) Icicle Rod (Rod) Fire Wyrm Rod (Rod) Fire Wyrm Rod (Rod) Sorcery Book (Grimoire) Sorcery Book (Grimoire) Book of Eleanor (Grimoire) Book of Eleanor (Grimoire) Straw Broom (Broom) Straw Broom (Broom) Lucky Broom (Broom) Lucky Broom (Broom) Kikimora (Broom) Kikimora (Broom) Morning Star (Mace) Morning Star (Mace) SHIELDS ******* Mirror Shield (Large) Mirror Shield (Large) Buckler (Small) Buckler (Small) ARMOR ***** Protector Protector Chain Mail Chain Mail Iron Skinnies Iron Skinnies Evening Gown Evening Gown HEAD **** Noel Noel Iron Heaume Iron Heaume Crystal Circlet Crystal Circlet Brave Bandana Brave Bandana Green Beret Green Beret Bat Hairpin HAND **** Hunter Gauntlet Hunter Gauntlet Magic Gauntlet Arm Guard Arm Guard Savage Hunter Savage Hunter Alchemitton Angelist FOOT **** Fire Boots Fire Boots Shura Kogake Shura Kogake Gargan Boots Gargan Boots Glass Shoes Glass Shoes Safety Boots Safety Boots ACCESSORIES *********** Tiger Band Power Stone Talisman Sorcery Glass Crimson Rose Ice Rose Feather Rose Sand Rose CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Ether Ether Move Ampule Move Ampule Jump Ampule Jump Ampule Art of War Art of War Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Holy GOD that's a lot of items. Good thing we've seen some of them before, huh? Let's try and break this dizzying new variety down for you. The Rainy Saber probably dropped from one of the Knights in the previous scene, but in case it didn't, it's worth picking up here. It's a respectably powerful 1H Sword that combines Beat initiation and knockback into one light, functional package. It might actually be one of my favorite 1H Swords, despite its low Base Power. I certainly prefer it to the Flamberge, which - though it was good if you got it from Pierre back on Scene 03 - is definitely showing its age now. Elemental weapons that cause their elemental -ism effect (in the Flamberge's case, Pyrism) are not particularly good for sustained damage, as their status effect reduces their own damage output. This is similar to the Carnage Claw causing Phys Aura, though less dramatic. A weapon that does such a thing needs some other advantage to make it worth using, and the Flamberge lacks such an advantage. Buy Rainy Sabers instead. The Black Brand is a new Greatsword for Paladins that can cause Blind, which cripples projectile units by reducing their accuracy by 50%. It also gives a Paladin knockback capabilities, though it lacks Beat initiation. It's pretty good - definitely a cut above the Air Blade - but is it good enough to buy? I would rather give my Paladin a Rainy Saber for knockback and the Magical Sword for Burn, and that doesn't leave room for the Black Brand. However, it's still a good sword. If Blind is really appealing to you, go ahead and get it. The Main-gauche is a miniscule power upgrade over the Cutlass that sacrifices Beat initiation for AOE damage with its Specialty II Hollow Axel attack. If you REALLY need the multitarget damage over the Beat initiation, you can buy a Main-gauche, but I'd advise sticking with the Cutlass. This is your LAST CHANCE to buy the Rope, so be CERTAIN you have one! The Flame Whip is your first upgrade for the Thorn Whip, unless you got the Thunder Chain in the last fight. It's a pretty weird one, and one that most people probably never use, considering that its first attack has the "VS Beast" property. Like the Spiky Hammer, this means that the Flame Whip's Beastly Remedy attack will only do real damage to monster-type units, like the Harpy from Scene 05. However, with only 8 Mastery, the Flame Whip unlocks the Grave Wind attack, which strikes a row of enemies and causes Pain, like the Wolf Fang. The tricky thing is that the Thorn Whip's Poison will do the most damage out of any whip, but only when Poison hits and sticks. The Thunder Chain is the most directly powerful whip, but it has the least useful status effect (No Counter). The Flame Whip has a very good status effect, but it will do the least damage of the three. So, should you bother with the Flame Whip at all? Well, in my opinion, yes! Pain is great, the Thunder Chain can't start Beats while the Flame Whip can, and Final Fantasy 4's summoner Rydia wielded a whip of the same name, which is epic. The other new fiery weapon in this shop, the Fire Wyrm Rod, is nowhere near as epic. Like the Gargoyle Rod, its Ashen Call spell hits random targets in its area of effect. Unlike the Gargoyle Rod, it doesn't have an amazing Stone-causing secondary spell to make up for this, making it overall about as useful as the Morning Star. Also about as useful as the Morning Star is the Protector armor. Everyone who can equip the Protector can equip Chain Mail instead, which is also for sale in this store and offers equal DEF and +5 MDEF to the Protector's +0. Chain Mail is also light, with no MOVE or JUMP penalties and only 18 CAP. It's great equipment for anybody who can wear it, as are the Iron Skinnies, which are even slightly better than Chain Mail but can only be equipped by Valerie and Tamers. The short version is, buy Iron Skinnies for anyone who can wear them, then Chain Mail for everybody else. Never buy the Protector. The Evening Gown is the reversed version of the Chain Mail. For mature and elegant women only (sorry, Witches,) it offers DEF +5 and MDEF +15, making it inferior to the Classic Robe in terms of magical tankability. Priestesses can equip the Evening Gown but not the Classic Robe, but if you want your Priestess to counter mages, there are better options for her to do so. With a heavy heart, I ask that you skip the Gown. In the Head department we have the Noel, a hat which prevents Sleep and may come in useful on a later stage. It's pretty cheap and might save you a lot of headache when you fight Pamela, so I'd grab both of them just in case. The Iron Heaume is great for a Knight, as long as they have the CAP to wear it. The Crystal Circlet is pretty decent; it prevents Phys Aura, which is good, and offers as much MDEF as the Evening Gown for less CAP. I'm a fan. The Brave Bandana and the Green Beret are equally unnecessary; the effects they guard against - Sacrifice and Panic - are so fantastically rare that you're unlikely to need equipment just to counter them. (Of course, the one place you're going to see Sacrifice is on this coming scene, so....) The Hand section has been vastly expanded. Hunter Gauntlets are ranged units' answer to the Power Gaunts and the Magic Gauntlet, and they're also valuable sources of +HIT. It's worth buying one or two if you're big on projectiles. The Arm Guard offers a lot of DEF, even if its Boost isn't too impressive. The Savage Hunter is flat-out amazing; reducing enemies' Guard Rating is always, ALWAYS useful no matter the scene or the difficulty. The Alchemitton can best be described as "unusual"; it produces Gems when you use it to Boost, much like the Jewel Rod, and lowers Cast Time, making it an effective equipment option for a mage. Even if you don't want to equip it, it's still worth buying: it refines into four Gems of every color! Finally, there's the Angelist. If you use Paladins, this is great for them. It offers 15 MDEF, 25 CT reduction, and a Boost effect that strengthens the healing magic of other allies. It's heavy and very expensive, however, which may counterbalance its usefulness in your eyes. You can stick to Magic Gauntlets for them instead if you prefer. There are more Fire Boots for sale. At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of which classes you plan to be using for the rest of the game. You will want one pair of Fire Boots for every class that can equip them, no questions asked, and I tend to buy one extra just to be safe. The Shura Kogake are also pretty good boots; they have 15 DEF, Counter Spec I (which is commonly used by enemies,) and they prevent No Counter. The Gargan Boots aren't bad, but there are better shoes around (*cough*Fire Boots*hack*Shura Kogake*cough*) Safety Boots can be very useful for stages where Tricksters are placing traps - like the next stage, for example - but they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I'd skip them this time around. In contrast, Glass Shoes are cheap and effective, and you should definitely pick up at least one pair. It may come in handy on Scene 16. You are probably used to ignoring the Accessory tab in the store right now, considering there hasn't been anything for sale there since Scene 03-04. This scene, that has changed! Here we have the Tiger Band, which prevents Pain; the Power Stone, which prevents Weak; the Talisman, which prevents Curse; and the Sorcery Glass, which prevents Phys Aura. The Tiger Band will be quite useful on one particular scene and offers a bit of DEF and RES the rest of the time. The Power Stone is pretty much always useless (apologies, Edward Falcon and Ayame). The Talisman is great, especially once endgame hits and Curse becomes common. And the Sorcery Glass is decent, though only Paulo and Sorceresses can equip it. Finally, we have the four elemental Roses: Crimson, Ice, Feather, and Sand. These serve little purpose when equipped, although they can boost the power of elemental skills. The important thing is that each rose refines into 10 Gems of its respective element! These are pretty much the best, cheapest, most reliable way to get Gems in the game, and they'll be for sale multiple times, so take advantage of them whenever you can. NOTE, however, that the developers made a mistake with the Feather Rose and the Sand Rose. Despite the obvious element of each, the Feather Rose refines into EARTH Gems and the Sand Rose refines into AIR Gems. Both roses Boost the correct element, but they refine oppositely by accident. Be careful about this. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: This fight. Is. A. PAIN. Or at least, it has the potential to be. It's not a difficult fight, but it's highly dependent on RNG and it has bottomless pits EVERYWHERE. For the record, if you're knocked into a bottomless pit, you die immediately - which only makes sense. You're about to be facing a horde of well-armored enemies carrying weapons that boast around 20% Weapon Guard. The combination of these two qualities makes the entire enemy force pretty damn resistant to melee physical damage, and the three-star time limit isn't nearly as generous as it was last scene. This fight has a definite goal in mind: it wants to see how you deal with a fight where brute, face-crushing force isn't going to get you what you want. This isn't to say that you have to use magic to succeed, although magic is definitely a viable solution here, especially once the enemies start bunching up on the central platform and you can wreak havoc amongst them with Magical Swords, Icicle Rods, and the Kikimora. No; the melee-heavy team actually has a plethora of tools it can use to control this fight. And what is the most prominent, class? The answer is: knockback. The Vast Fissure is an area slashed through with a giant bottomless pit. The fighting quarters are cramped and there are barely any walls to stop characters from falling to their doom. Take full advantage of this by equipping Bronze Swords and, of course, Cutlasses. Knights, Assassins, and Tricksters can be juggernauts on this map, cruelly kicking any unit that gets in their way down a pit straight to Hell. However, that's not all melee units are capable of here. The major equipment pieces making your enemies on this scene so tough to kill are Chain Mail (body armor) and Gargan Boots (shoes). Why not soften them up by having a Brute equip the Battleaxe and the Bloody Rose, destroying their defensive equipment and leaving them vulnerable? Naturally, Beats are a fine way to do excessive amounts of damage, so why not use the Savage Guard's Boost effect to lower enemy Guard Rating and make that first hit certain to land? The stage's tight quarters play well to the Wolf Fang's Gastro Trap or the Lucky Broom's Temptation Gram. Capture your enemies right before their turn comes up in order to cancel it, dramatically delaying their actions. Burn them with Paladins or Poison them with Tamers. All of these options provide a melee team with potent ways to gain an advantage over this scene. You'll notice the one type of class I haven't mentioned yet is ranged units, and that is because a primarily-ranged army will have the easiest time of all conquering this scene. Place one or two tanky units on the central platform, holding the enemies' attention and contributing solely to Beats with constant repositioning, and have an army of Archers, Gunners, and Throwers firing non- stop from your side of the chasm. With +HIT, Gust Bows, the "Ranged Damage" Boost from the Hunter Gauntlet, and ranged knockback from Throwers using the Pilum, ranged units can devastate this scene with their eyes closed. The enemies in this fight have the ability to cause the Blind, Sacrifice, and Sticky status effects to your characters. Blind is particularly rampant, so you may want to bring some Eyedrops to cure it. Sacrifice can be blocked by the Brave Bandana and Sticky by the Tough Boots, but neither effect is problematic enough to go out of your way to prevent. Still, they could conceivably be a problem in a worst-case scenario, so if you'd rather be safe than sorry, bust out the boots and the bandanas wherever you can. ******************************************************************************* [SC09] ************** *** SCENE 09 *** ************** LIKE A FAIRYTALE Not everything which is bad comes to hurt us. Battle: Battle at the Vast Fissure ******************************************************************************* SCENE 09 Victory Condition: -Defeat Albert Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: NIZVER 25, 983 PM 15:15 Time limit: NIZVER 30, 983 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 36 hrs *** >= 36 hrs, < 44 hrs ** >= 44 hrs, < 52 hrs * Ace Options: Ragnus, Paulo, Valerie Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Paladin (Albert) BOSS Dark Saber +7 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Paladin x1 (Ixl) ***** Rainy Saber 1H Sword Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Paladin x1 (Rex) ***** Black Brand Greatsword Blind, Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Paladin x1 (Bradley) **** Black Brand Greatsword Blind, Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Trickster x1 (Madeleen) **** Spider Spike Tool Sticky Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Vamp Nail Hand Armor MDEF +10, CAST +15 BOOST: Absorb 1/3 damage Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Trickster x1 (Jasmine) **** Spider Spike Tool Sticky Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Thrower x1 (Nathaniel) *** Knight Killer Javelin Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 MG Gadget Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20 BOOST: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Witch x2 (Elodie, Felicie) *** Apple Tree Broom Sacrifice Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Witch x1 (Ute) *** Noir Broom Blind Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Chests: Sun Cloak - On your side of the divide. Appears right next to the rightmost post of your suspension bridge. Potion x3 - Appears against the edge of the screen all the way to your Ace's right. Ogre Shield - Appears on the lower level of the cliff, next to the Crystal. Ruby Arm Guard - Only chest that appears on the central rock island, where the two suspension bridges lead to and from. Mithril Armor - Appears two squares behind and one square to Jasmine the Trickster's right. Medicinal Herb x2 - Appears one square in front of and one square to Jasmine the Trickster's left. (She's popular with the treasure chests, that Jasmine.) Potion x3 - Appears one square behind and one square to the left of Albert. Objects: Onyx - Destroy the Catapult on the enemy's side of the chasm. Rune Knife - Tripod wooden torch two squares in front of and one square to Albert's left. Crimson Rose - Tripod wooden torch two squares behind Rex the Paladin. Wrecker Gloves - Large rock two squares in front of Felicie the Witch, on the lower level of the stage. Round Shield - Large rock six squares in front of your Ace, on the lower level of the stage. Siege Weapons: Catapult x1 This fight, man. This fight. While an easy fight to win, it's a difficult fight to three-star, as the time limit is demanding and the layout of the map does not favor you. If the three-star rating doesn't matter to you, you can easily turtle at the bridge nearest to you, Beating the Paladins one by one while your ranged units do battle with theirs. However, this strategy takes way too much time if you plan to reach the three-star mark. Aggressive, coordinated, careful action is the key to winning this map. While the on-paper difficulty of this scene is not high, it's the first map - even after the difficulty spike of Scene 07 - that really forces you to use Gungnir- thinking. If you don't formulate a plan, keep careful track of the battlefield and its goings-on, and manipulate your party members as a cohesive unit, you'll have a lot of trouble here. Both the Paladins and the Witches cast spells, and you'll need to keep track of where they're aiming them and when they will go off in order to avoid taking 200-300 damage per cast. Two of the Paladins and the Thrower can cause Knockback, so you will have to pay attention to where these units are, when their turn is coming up, and who they might go after, because if they can, they will shove your units down a bottomless pit, killing them instantly. On top of that, if you plan to use Ragnarok in this fight, you're going to need to jump onto the central island of the map, take a Base Panel there, and defend it well, because there are only three Base Panels on your side of the chasm, which will leave you 2 TP short of summoning a War God. If you're aiming for those three stars, I suggest armoring a tanky character well and equipping them with Wheel Greaves to boost their MV to 5 (don't equip armor or shields that reduce their MV!) Place them adjacent to the Ace (or make them your Ace, if Ragnus is your tank) and use your first turns to send them directly across the bridge at the nearest Base Panel. Once they capture it, move them one square off it in the direction of the Paladins. This is very important! One of the two Paladins on the middle island has a Black Brand, and if he decides to use the Rock Wedge attack on you while you are standing on the Base Panel, you will be knocked to your doom. Don't let this happen! Move away from the base to safer terrain, but keep yourself in between the Base and the Paladins. They will almost always prioritize attacking you over retaking the Base, and you must keep this Base for use of Ragnarok! Meanwhile, now is the time to mobilize the rest of your forces while your tank keeps the Paladins busy. Ranged units should amass on your side of the divide; Archers can stay on the top level, as Gust Bows can shoot to the middle island with perfect accuracy from that range, but Throwers and Sorceresses will probably need to head down to the lower ledge that wraps around your cliffside in order to get in range of the enemies. Paulo can do double-duty from here by healing and attacking as necessary; a Priestess, on the other hand, can probably help off-tank in the center island and is a whiz at Beat initiation using any book with a Specialty IV attack unlocked. The characters this map really favors, however, are those with knockback. Send in your Assassins and your Tricksters with their Cutlasses, and let them go wild in the center here. While knocking enemies into bottomless pits prevents you from getting treasure from them, it also saves you much time and TP, which might be more advantageous in the long run. After you have collected four Base Panels and Einherjar has hit the field, the flow of battle should tip in your favor. With all the enemies reduced to <50% health, a good three- or four-way Beat should one-shot any target on the field except for possibly the boss, Albert. It's important that you wipe your targets out in as few attacks as possible, because many of them are equipped with healing items and they're not shy about using them on themselves or their allies. Einherjar generally won't provoke healing reactions on its own, but if you attack them again and don't finish them off, you can bet you'll see Potions start flying around. This is where playing aggressively yet carefully comes in. Before you confirm an attack, check the amount of damage you're going to be doing. If you're not going to do enough damage to finish the enemy off, hold off. Back out of the attack menu and look at the field again. Can you pull another character into the Beat to do more damage? Is there somebody around with a Boost effect you can use? Perhaps there's a weaker enemy nearby you can defeat instead if you take a few turns to rearrange your allies and their Beat? If you attack without a Beat, just taking the target down by 100 HP or so and not sending them to a danger level, can you then Beat them to death on your next turn? Will the enemy even get a turn before you can go again and finish them off? If you just fling your characters forward, attacking one at a time without regard for these kinds of factors, things will almost always end badly for you. So pull back, take your time, and CRUSH YOUR OPPOSITION. Planning of this nature is particularly important once boss Albert reaches the center island and crosses swords with your army. Albert has a lot of HP, and if you knock him too low without killing him, he'll use his Elixir, restoring himself to full health again - negating all that damage you did with Einherjar! This is not a gamebreaker if it occurs, but it certainly is irritating. If you've been making good time through the battle so far, you should still be able to bring Albert down to 0 even if he does use his Elixir, and it does after all increase the chances of him dropping his Dark Saber +7 for the Final Spoils, so him healing himself isn't necessarily all bad. It might cost you the three-star rating if you're already in crunch-time, though, so be careful! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-09-10] SCENE 09-10 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ****************************** MERCHANT APPRENTICE'S STORE ****************************** WEAPONS ******* Bronze Sword (1H Sword) Rainy Saber (1H Sword) Flamberge (1H Sword) Black Brand (Greatsword) Kill Blade (Axe) Main-gauche (Dagger) Spider Spike (Tool) Flame Whip (Whip) Longbow (Bow) Flamme (Javelin) Fire Wyrm Rod (Rod) Sooty Testament (Grimoire) Sorcery Book (Grimoire) Book of Eleanor (Grimoire) Straw Broom (Broom) Lucky Broom (Broom) Kikimora (Broom) Noir (Broom) Apple Tree (Broom) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Chain Mail Iron Skinnies Battle Clothes Evening Gown HEAD **** Noel Iron Heaume Crystal Circlet Brave Bandana Green Beret Bat Hairpin HAND **** Hunter Gauntlet Magic Gauntlet Arm Guard Savage Hunter Wrecker Gloves FOOT **** Amazon Boots ACCESSORIES *********** Cat's Eye Mighty Ring Magic Ring CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: The Spider Spike, Noir, and Apple Tree are new to the store, but not to your game as a whole, as they all may have dropped from units in the previous battle. The Spider Spike is... let's be polite and say "less useful than I'd like." It has the pretty cool Sticky status ailment attached to it, which reduces the victim's MOVE and JUMP both to 1. Not by 1: TO 1. It does a great job of messing with enemies' abilities to set up on and attack you. The problem is that, aside from its status effect, it's pretty bad, and you can often get better results by using the Pain effect from the Wolf Fang. If you didn't buy a Wolf Fang, the Spider Spike might have some extremely limited use, but even then, it's probably not worth it. The Noir and the Apple Tree are both brooms, and they're... interesting. The Noir is an Earth-elemental broom intended to be used in direct melee combat. I know what you're thinking: a Witch, in melee combat?! It's actually not as ridiculous as it sounds. A Witch's ability to fly allows her to easily zoom into the fray, whack her victim over the head to trigger a Beat, and then fly away to safety, much like an Assassin but even more mobile. She can even fly right over her target's head to engage them from behind, ignoring their Guard Chance. So yes, Witches can actually serve as surprisingly serviceable fighters if you give them a melee broom such as the Noir and play them like an Assassin, never letting them get caught. The Noir also causes Blind, which is cool and gives a Witch some extra survivability when tackling melee fighters such as Brutes and Knights. The Apple Tree is a somewhat-stronger version of the Kikimora that sacrifices Burn for - fittingly - the Sacrifice ailment. This is a weird, quirky little effect that causes anyone hitting the afflicted target to recover a small amount of HP. It's not a bad thing to be using where you can, especially if you can then pull off a massive four-way Beat on the victim and recover HP across most of your team for having done so. Both of these brooms are pretty good in their own right, but they both suffer the major disadvantage of being compared against the Kikimora, which will do more damage with Burn than either of these brooms could even dream of. As a result, the Kikimora is pretty clearly better than either of them. Still, much like the Black Brand, don't let that turn you off either broom. If you have a Paladin with a Magical Sword, maybe you feel that's all the Burning your team needs and the Apple Tree's Sacrifice is just a better thing to have around. If you're using multiple Witches, maybe you want one to be a melee combatant, in which case you'll really want the Noir. Gungnir has so many interesting weapons that it would be a shame only to stick to one, even if that one is very good! Nothing in the rest of the store is new to you, but most of it is equipment you might want to buy doubles or triples of, especially considering the scene that you've got ahead of you. Chain Mail, Iron Skinnies, Battle Clothes, the Noel, the Iron Heaume, the Hunter Gauntlet, the Savage Hunter, the Amazon Boots... it's a lot of good stuff. Don't skimp on things you feel you might need. You need every possible edge once that Advance option is selected. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The next scene is the battle that makes people stick their heads into ovens and airdrop their PSPs into the Marianas Trench. This is the Wiegraf of Final Fantasy Tactics, the Wendigo of Devil Survivor, the, well, everything of Fire Emblem. This is probably the most difficult battle in the game all the way up until Scene 17 or even later. Take a moment and steel yourself. The worst thing is - and I'm sorry, you collectors out there, for telling you this - the time limit for this stage's three-star rating is quite stringent, and you are going to want to get the three-star rating. The scene following this one - Scene 11 - has extremely useful and expensive items in its chests, including one particular item that cannot be found anywhere else in the game! Having unique items in chests is going to become more and more common as the game continues toward its conclusion, but this is the first place in the game where not getting a three-star rating will prevent you from receiving a certain item in this playthrough. Of course, that unique item is the weakest Wand in the game. So it's probable that most of you don't care. But the OTHER items you can get from that scene are very impressive, even if they're not one-of-a-kind. So trust me, the three- star rating for this scene is something you will really want! And the first step to getting it is preparing with the right equipment. Remember all those Fire Boots you bought up until now? This is the time you're going to want to equip them. But other than Fire Boots, what else are you going to want to have? Well, because this is such a difficult battle, here are my recommended setups for every character you could possibly field at this point. GIULIO (Gungnir) GIULIO (without Gungnir) Gungnir Rainy Saber (or any sword, really) Fire Boots Buckler Chain Mail Fire Boots Wrecker Gloves OR Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 90 CAP: 104 (Wrecker Gloves) 85 (Herbs) There aren't enough easily conquerable Base Panels for Ragnarok to be useful here, but Gungnir's high power will come in useful for Beats. If you'd prefer a more defensive Giulio - perhaps because you're fielding him as the Ace - equip him with a sword, a shield, and some good armor instead. ELISE Gust Bow Battle Clothes Vantage Potion x3 (Optional) Medicinal Herb x2 (Optional) CAP: 52 Pretty typical Elise setup for most of the game, really. I like to use her as a sub-healer by giving her the Potions and the Medicinal Herbs. You can substitute a Hunter Gauntlet over the Vantage for the Boost effect, but that will weigh Elise down a lot more and slow down her turns. RAGNUS (Ace) RAGNUS (Not Ace) Kill Blade Battleaxe Chain Mail Slasher Iron Mask Chain Mail Fire Boots Fire Boots Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 95 CAP: 96 The Ace setup focuses on defenses so that Ragnus can take a place on the frontline without being concerned about death. The Not-Ace setup has a much more offensive arrangement. The Slasher is particularly notable, as you may have unlocked Shield Crush on it and there are lots of Knights with Large Shields getting in your way on this scene. PAULO Gargoyle Rod OR Icicle Rod Book of Eleanor OR Book of Laura Mystic Bangle OR Wrecker Gloves CAP: 90 (Gargoyle Rod) 85 (Icicle Rod); add 2 if using Book of Laura Paulo's setup is pretty fluid and self-explanatory. Only equip the Gargoyle Rod if you've unlocked Cluster Pillar and only equip the Book of Eleanor if you've unlocked Aerial Cure; otherwise, use the alternatives. You may also want to start the battle off with the Wrecker Gloves, which can help destroy the Rail Cannon, and then switch to the Mystic Bangle at a Base Panel. VALERIE (Claws) VALERIE (Bowgun) Griffin Talon OR Wild Cat Crossbow OR Iron Bowgun Iron Skinnies Iron Skinnies Fire Boots Vantage Medicinal Herb x2 Fire Boots Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 63 (Griffin) 59 (Cat) CAP: 70 (Crossbow) 71 (Iron) I greatly prefer Valerie with Claws at this time, but either setup can be useful. The Griffin Talon can Poison and is amazing because of it, but the Wild Cat's Sleep status can be useful as well. As before, the Crossbow gives her the power to initiate Beats, while the Iron Bowgun offers AOE damage; pick whichever one you feel you need more. Switch to Amazon Boots instead of Fire Boots at a Base Panel once the Rail Cannon is destroyed. KNIGHT Rainy Saber OR Bronze Sword Basilisk Shield OR Buckler Iron Armor Iron Heaume Wheel Greaves OR Shura Kogake CAP: 104 (Rainy Saber) 101 (Bronze Sword) Clearly, the Knight's job is to tank, and this setup reinforces that. With this setup, your Knight has 50 DEF, halving any physical hits that make it through his shield. The Rainy Saber has knockback on it, but unlocking it takes a lot of Mastery that you may not have amassed yet. Even without the knockback, I'd still take the Rainy Saber, but if you prefer knockback to Beats, you can take the Bronze Sword instead. BRUTE (Tank) BRUTE (DPS) Battleaxe OR Slasher Battleaxe Chain Mail Slasher Savage Hunter OR Power Gaunts Savage Hunter OR Power Gaunts Shura Kogake Shura Kogake OR Wheel Greaves Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 87 (Battleaxe) 89 (Slasher) CAP: 92 Brutes basically work the same as Ragnus, just without the Fire Boots. You have a lot of choices when it comes to Brutes, so tailor them to suit your specific needs. The Battleaxe breaks armor, which works great with ranged units, and the Slasher breaks shields, which is ideal for melee units. The Savage Hunter makes it easier for your team to land hits, while the Power Gaunts make those hits hurt more. The Shura Kogake has more DEF, while the Wheel Greaves give an extra MV. PALADIN (Beat version) PALADIN (Mage version) Rainy Saber Magical Sword Chain Mail Chain Mail Magic Gauntlet Angelist OR Magic Gauntlet Fire Boots Fire Boots Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 94 CAP: 97 (Angelist) 93 (Gauntlet) Paladins can either wade in and Beat on things with the Rainy Saber, or set them on fire using the Magical Sword. I'm a big proponent of the pyromaniac route myself, but Paladins' versatility allows them to perform adequately in either role. ASSASSIN Cutlass OR Griffin Talon Battle Clothes Savage Hunter CAP: 55 (Cutlass) 59 (Griffin Talon) Keep Assassins light on their feet so they can ghost around to best do their job. You can add an Iron Mask on them if you're really worried about their DEF, but they're better off dashing in, cutting somebody, and then dashing out again before they can get hurt. The Savage Hunter lets them contribute to the team with Boosts even when they're not engaged in direct combat. TAMER Flame Whip OR Thorn Whip Rope Battle Clothes Fire Boots CAP: 90 (Flame Whip) 85 (Thorn Whip) The Flame Whip is a more defensive choice, causing Pain in order to stop attacks. The Thorn Whip is a more offensive choice, causing Poison for a quick and painful death. No more needs to be said about the Rope. If your Tamer has a lot of CAP, switch the Fire Boots for the Amazon Boots once the Rail Cannon is destroyed. TRICKSTER Cutlass Wrecker Gloves Fire Boots CAP: 66 Use Wrecker Gloves' Boost to help destroy the Rail Cannon, then swap them for either the Wolf Fang (28 CAP) or Battle Clothes (14 CAP). Tricksters haven't gotten many good Tools at this point in time, so they're probably still feeling exactly like an Assassin in your hands. Don't worry; this is soon to change. ARCHER Gust Bow Chain Mail Vantage Potion x3 (Optional) Medicinal Herb x2 (Optional) CAP: 56 Same as Elise, just with different armor. Again, the Vantage can be subbed for the Hunter Gauntlet, but I prefer the lighter setup. GUNNER Crossbow OR Iron Bowgun Chain Mail Vantage Medicinal Herb x2 CAP: 64 (Crossbow) 65 (Iron Bowgun) Gunners work on exactly the same principle as bowgun-Valerie, just without Fire Boots. Again, weigh the Beat initiation against the AOE damage to make your decision as to which bowgun to wield here. THROWER Knight Killer OR Pilum Chain Mail Wrecker Gloves CAP: 81 (Knight Killer) 74 (Pilum) The Knight Killer is the BEST javelin in the game for... well, most of the game. If you got it from the Thrower in the last fight, equip it on your own Thrower and never let it go. Otherwise, the Pilum will have to do. The Wrecker Gloves should be switched for a Vantage after the demise of the Rail Cannon. PRIESTESS Book of Laura Book of Eleanor Mystic Bangle CAP: 89 Pretty cut-and-dried. Not much to say here. If you have Aerial Cure on the Book of Eleanor, you can probably drop the Book of Laura in favor of some armor - i.e. the Water Veil or the Corset - or, if you're really feeling daring, the Bronze Mace, for the purpose of Burning things. (I'd stick with dual-wielding books, though.) SORCERESS Gargoyle Rod (if you have it) Icicle Rod Noel Mystic Bangle CAP: 97 (with Gargoyle Rod) 62 (without Gargoyle Rod) The Gargoyle Rod and its mass petrification is a must for any Sorceress if you picked it up from the chest back in Stage 07. Supplement it with the Icicle Rod, a Noel for added Water affinity, and the Mystic Bangle. If you do not have the Gargoyle Rod, you can add another equipment piece of your choice (probably a different Rod or some armor) or leave the space blank in order to keep her WT low. WITCH Kikimora Lovely One-Piece Mystic Bangle Fire Boots CAP: 91 A Witch is brilliant on this stage, as she can both cause mass Burn and resist the Burn from the Rail Cannon. Once the Cannon is gone, though, you may want to remove her Fire Boots at a Base Panel, as they weigh her down quite a bit. Feeling prepared? No? Me neither. Let's go anyway!!! To one of the toughest battles of Gungnir! ******************************************************************************* [SC10] ************** *** SCENE 10 *** ************** GARGANIA'S SHIELD Do not fear death - only the unlived life. Battle: Bloody Battle at Golgotha ******************************************************************************* [SC10-1] SCENE 10-1 Victory Condition: -Defeat Wallace Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: JOTUN 3, 983 AM 11:30 Time limit: JOTUN 8, 983 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 40 hrs *** >= 40 hrs, < 48 hrs ** >= 48 hrs, < 56 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Ragnus, Paulo Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Knight (Wallace) BOSS Rainy Saber +7 1H Sword Knockback Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Knight x2 (Harold, Nigel) ****** Dark Saber 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Mirror Shield Large Shield GUARD 48% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Knight x2 (Gouache, Hubert) ****** Dark Saber 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Chain Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Trickster x1 (Pelagie) *** Main-gauche Dagger Knockback Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Frog Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, Counter I Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Archer x2 (Gerrard, Lutz) ***** Gust Bow Bow N/A Lorica Body Armor DEF +20 Hunter Gauntlet Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +15 BOOST: Ranged Damage 50% Priestess x1 (Keeley) *** Book of Laura Grimoire Pyrism Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Sun Cloak Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +15, Prevent Aqua Damage Rail Cannon x1 (Rail Cannon I) Neutral (does not need to be killed) Iron Chassis Physique HP 1/4 Damage, Undodgeable, Burn Chests: Potion x3 - One square in front of and two squares to your Ace's right. Charge Bugle - Straight ahead from your starting position, on the far side of the map, between a pillar and a pile of rubble, against the map edge. Gladius +3 - One square in front of and three squares to Harold the Knight's left. Mighty Ring - One square in front of and two squares to Harold the Knight's left, on the high spar of the rampart rather than on the ground level. Magic Ring - Two squares to the left of Pelagie the Trickster. Potion x3 - Four squares to the left of Keeley the Priestess. Mithril Armor - Right next to Keeley the Priestess, on her right. Objects: Onyx - Destroy the first Ballista. Onyx - Destroy the second Ballista. Loriel x3 - Inside the Fortress Candles two squares to the right of Keeley the Priestess. Power Stone - Inside an unassuming rock one square to the right and seven squares in front of your Ace. Grease x3 - Destroy any section of Rail Cannon Tracks and this will appear. Black Ash x3 - Destroy any crossroads section of Rail Cannon Tracks and this will appear. Siege Weapons: Ballista x2 While this battle becomes a lot easier if you know what you're getting into beforehand, it's still a tricky, aggravating brawl exacerbated by the low time limit for the three-star rating. Wallace, the stage target, is heavily armored, equipped with an Elixir, and guarded by a Priestess equipped with the Book of Laura. You can have Wallace on his last 10 HP, only to see him go back to full again before your next turn. Oh yeah, there's also his full garrison of Knights, Archers, a knockbacking Trickster with access to ballistae, and your first Rail Cannon to deal with. The Rail Cannon is an infernal invention designed to make first-time players hate their lives. It rolls about on tracks high above the rest of the field, shooting down explosives that deal enormous Fire damage in a diamond-shaped pattern and cause Burn. The Rail Cannon cuts off exactly 1/4 of your health per shot, and Burn can lop off several hundred more before it finally wears off. Worst of all, the cannon's high positioning means that the only way to target it is with bows, javelins, or magic. Without one of these methods of attack, you will never make it to Wallace. You must make destroying the Rail Cannon, preferably before it gets more than one shot off, your top priority. Spells can target the diabolical instrument, but spells are also slow and don't output enough damage quickly enough to suit your needs unless you Boost your mage using an ally with Wrecker Gloves, which increase damage to objects by 50%. The easier way to do it is to place your other allies beneath the cannon in a Beat formation and have Elise shoot it (preferably Boosted by Wrecker Gloves as well). A good four-person, Wrecker- Gloves-Boosted Beat should destroy the cannon in one shot, and even if you only take out 50-75% of the cannon's health, Elise should easily be able to move and shoot again before the cannon's next turn comes around. OBJECTIVE ONE: Destroy the Rail Cannon: CHECK By this point, the enemies' first turns have probably passed, and you'll notice that most of them aren't moving aside from the closest Knights. Don't forget: these guys are trying to buy themselves time so Robertus can arrive and save them from your attack. They're not going to engage you any more than they have to. This is much to your advantage if you don't care about the three-star rating, as it allows you to handle the enemies in groups of two or three rather than as one whole mob. For you three-star-getters, though, we'll have to get creative. Now, up until now, your failsafe for getting large groups of enemies to engage you has been summoning Einherjar (remember Bacchus?) Unfortunately, on this stage, Base Panels are in short supply. I mean, REALLY short supply. If you actually manage to take enough Bases to summon Einherjar, it won't be until after you defeat most of the enemies on the map. At such a point, Einherjar is more likely to work against you than for you. It CAN be used, but I really don't recommend relying on it. OBJECTIVE TWO: Get the idiots moving: FAILED Okay. So this time, "creative" ACTUALLY means "creative." Let's see what we can do. Use the Retreat Point behind your initial position and the Base Panel you have available to you to rearrange your battle team after the rail cannon has gone down. People who can equip Fire Boots are no longer what you need on the field (although Fire Boots are still good, for the +10 DEF they offer, so you don't need to unequip them unless you want to). Pull out all of your favorite characters, take off Fire Boots and Wrecker Gloves where desired and replace them with extra weapons or stronger armor, and make sure you bring out Paulo, a Sorceress, or a Witch with a ranged AOE attack spell. OBJECTIVE ONE-AND-A-HALF: Prepare for the slaughter: CHECK Your mage is the firestarter here. She (he if it's Paulo) starts everything off by casting a spell on Wallace over the wall. Since spells are not blocked by obstacles such as walls, and since Wallace will not move - in the manner of previous bosses - until he's taken damage, this spell should easily hit Wallace in the face. Once Wallace takes damage, he gets upset and immediately makes a beeline for you, completely forgetting his wise plan of buying time for his backup to arrive. The rest of his garrison, assuming that Wallace has some reason for charging headfirst into the army he was trying to stall against, follows him like lemmings, and the entire army comes charging right into your hands. All because of one little spell. OBJECTIVE TWO, REDUX: Get the idiots moving: CHECK Okay. The enemies are moving, and they are going to come roaring around that corner at you at Mach Two, yelling for blood. You have a bare moment to get your mage back to the Retreat Point and swapped out for another unit, in case you don't plan on using him or her for the actual battle, but don't waste a single second in doing so. The moment of truth approaches. It is here that you will discover, as your team braces itself for the shock of impact, what you and your army are really made of. Every class has a role they need to perform in this fight, and every role has to fit with other classes' in order to perform to the best of its ability. Gungnir wants you to earn your three-star rating for this scene; your entire army is going to have to work like a well-oiled machine to make the fight be a success. OBJECTIVE THREE: Kill them all... Knights are here to tank. There are no spellcasters on the enemy team other than the Priestess, Keeley, who is more interested in healing than in hitting you with her Book of Laura. Knights, therefore, need to stand in the middle of the damage and soak up as much of it as possible. Between their shields and the optimal 50 DEF they should have, they will be very good at this job. The ideal place for a Knight is right in the enemies' faces, occupying the attention of as many foes as he can. This works brilliantly with Archers, who can safely shoot from behind the Knight and thereby pull him into Beats. Brutes serve up a combo platter of tanking, damage, and enemy tenderizing. They can take several hits and dish out pain with several of their own, but their most important role here is to smash through the enemies' armor using the Battleaxe and the Slasher. Brutes have to be right in the middle of the enemies, breaking equipment and breaking femurs right and left; this is a very dangerous position to be in, as the enemies can easily form Beats on the Brute, so make sure you have a Priestess to heal him. Paladins can be one of your most vicious sources of damage at this point in time by igniting the field with the Magical Sword. Flame Burst is unavoidable, being magic, and Burn will shave through the Knights' HP like a cheese grater. The unfortunate side note is that Paladins need to be in melee range to cast Flame Burst, and they can't become quite as tanky as a Knight. As a result, you may want immobilize enemies with Tamer's Rope or Pain status before you let your Paladin weave his spells. Assassins have plenty of empty space off in all directions to work with for the purposes of knocking enemies out of the battle. The Knights also tend to be very slow, allowing an Assassin to get multiple turns in on their one, which can let her pull off knockouts she wouldn't normally be able to manage. The main problem an Assassin has here is getting her daggers in past the Knights' shields. The obvious answer? A Brute with a Slasher, leaving these Knights shieldless and vulnerable. Tamers are quite good at causing damage and starting Beats on this stage, but their greatest use lies in cancelling the Knights' and the Priestess' turns by using Rope. The Knights are very slow, so having your Tamer cancel their turn by Capturing them gives you a lot of time to set up before that turn comes around again, and Capturing the Priestess in the middle of her Criss-Cross spell will cancel it, preventing her from healing. However, while the Tamer is Capturing, she's not causing damage, meaning you'll need to make up for the lack in some other manner. A Paladin's nasty Burn does the trick nicely. Tricksters will rejoice as Wallace brings his entire army into the bend of the fortress pathway, all of them bunching up and running helter-skelter over the traps she can place for them. The Wolf Fang's Pain and the Spider Spike's Sticky can provide a nasty surprise for the hapless Knight who triggers them, causing damage and disorder in the enemy ranks. The Trickster also has the same freedom of knockback as the Assassin does; the two classes work very well together, in fact, with the Assassin knocking enemies into the Trickster's traps and both ladies knocking enemies into position for the other to knock them out of bounds. Archers are the kings of Beat initiation, using the Gust Bow to trigger Beats from six squares away, keeping a safe distance from the melee and ignoring the enemy shields. Due to the distance he can shoot from, your Archer is also good for recharging TP by running around a few squares before taking aim. His Beat-starting skills are valued highly by the Witch: his Beats can help her cause Sacrifice, Blind, Mana Aura, and Charm without needing to rely on traps, easily destabilizing the enemy team. Gunners need to be rather closer to the enemy line than Archers, but their ability to cause Weak with the Crossbow helps blunt any hits that might head their way, and their ability to ignore enemy Guard and shoot through multiple targets makes them valuable despite the danger. A Gunner must position himself carefully so as to be NEAR the frontline, with a clear line of fire, but not attracting all of the enemies to come Beat on him at once. The intercession of a Brute, occupying the enemy fire right from their midst while he lets the Gunner trigger Beats, pairs well with the Gunner's needs. Throwers use the Pilum or the Knight Killer's range to fill the Archer's purpose of ranged Beat initiation ignoring shields. However, they can also use the Light Drop skill to deal damage from afar while causing knockback, a skill that endears them greatly to Tricksters, as it allows them to push enemies into Trickster traps from all kinds of impossible angles. Priestesses bear the responsibility of keeping your army alive long enough to reach Wallace, but even aside from that, they also have a ranged magical attack on every book that allows them to start Beats through shields - and the only person with more than 10 MDEF on the enemy team is the rival Priestess. This can, surprisingly, make the Priestess one of your best fighters on this scene. She tag-teams well with a Gunner: both need to be close to the action to do damage, but aren't quite tanky enough to stand up to a concentrated assault. She heals him when he takes a blow, and he starts Beats for her when she's recovering from casting a healing spell. Sorceresses who have Cluster Pillar can strike multiple enemies with the gaze of Medusa and turn them into Stone, completely removing them from the fight until the ailment wears off. This is possibly the fastest way to clear this scene: Cluster Pillar everything, then Beat Wallace to death. Even if you haven't mastered the Gargoyle Rod, however, a Sorceress can blast Freezing magic from the Icicle Rod - holding enemies captive in ice - or distract foes by summoning glittering Gems from the ground with the Jewel Rod. She can also use the Icicle Rod's Red Pillar spell to Silence the Priestess, preventing her from casting Criss-Cross to heal her allies. But who is going to guard this mistress of magic while she works her will upon the battlefield? None better than the humble Knight can protect this sultry enchantress' incantations. Witches, like Paladins, wield the insurpassable Burn ailment, striking fear - and spontaneous combustion - in the hearts of Knights the field over. However, like Sorceresses, they also wield a host of secondary abilities that can be of great use to you here, such as Sacrifice from the Apple Tree, Blind from the Noir, or Charm from the Lucky Broom. All of these ailments can only be dispensed via Beat or trap, and wouldn't you know it? The Thrower can help a Witch out along both of these avenues, offering his Specialty II attack for Beats and his Specialty III attack for knockback for her traps. OBJECTIVE THREE: Kill them all...? Honestly, at this point the battle - which was supposed to be some sort of elegant time-wasting tactic - devolves into the approximation of a barroom brawl. Keep eyes on everybody's health, Scramble when needed, and Beat those enemies with everything you've got. I've given you a rough idea of some of the uses for the various characters that might be making up your army, but the combinations you can form with these options are infinite, so run with it and bring the pain with everything you've got. There are only two further things to note here. The first one is the Trickster, Pelagie, who has a Main-gauche with knockback on it. Until she is dead, do not - I repeat, DO NOT - put anybody next to the edge of the map! Pelagie freaking LOVES knocking people off the side of the map, and it only takes one shot from her to eliminate your three-star rating and force a restart. Curse you, Pelagie! Secondly, if you plan on getting any of the treasure chests that spawn on the enemy's half of the map, you'd better also plan on using a Witch to fly over the wall and get them. Walking there is not something that can realistically happen in the span of a normal battle. OBJECTIVE THREE: Kill them all: CHECK IT IS DONE. Congratulations!! You have officially made it through one of the most difficult battles in the game! Victory is yours, and you have truly earned every sliver of it. Now, are you ready for part two?! ******************** [SC10-2] SCENE 10-2 Victory Condition: -Defeat Robertus. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 10-1 Time limit: None! Your time here does not affect your Perfect Clear. Ace Options: Ragnus Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: General (Robertus) BOSS Darkish +9 Lance No Counter, Knockback, Void DEF Mephilum Body Armor DEF +30, MDEF +10 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Eventrion Accessory AUTO-REVIVE, can't be stolen Knight x2 (Arsene, Otmar) ***** Dark Saber +5 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Paladin x3 (Rashion, Raymond, Sevrand) ***** 7-Star Sword +5 Greatsword Phys Aura, TP Damage 3, Knockback Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Angelist Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Healing power +15% Priestess x1 (Kuti) *** Book of Laura Grimoire Pyrism Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Sun Cloak Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +15, Prevent Aqua Damage Knight (Wallace) ********* Rainy Saber +7 1H Sword Knockback Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Knight x1 (Davide) *** Dark Saber +5 1H Sword Blind, Knockback Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Rail Cannon x1 (Rail Cannon I) Neutral (does not need to be killed) Iron Chassis Physique HP 1/4 Damage, Undodgeable, Burn Objects: Same as end of Scene 10-1 Siege Weapons: Ballista x2 YOU CANNOT WIN THIS BATTLE. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO LOSE. Robertus is extremely powerful and equipped with the same blasted Eventrion as Pierre had way back in Scene 03-02. There is absolutely, physically no way to win this fight. Defeating enemies causes reinforcements to appear, and defeating Robertus causes him to auto-revive. Victory is impossible. However, that doesn't mean you can't still get some use out of this part of the scene before Ragnus has to go down in a blaze of glory. Remember the last impossible-to-win scene with Pierre? That scene happened to be a surprisingly good opportunity to pick up some extra experience and items, and this one is the same. And of course, this time you're using characters and classes you've hand-picked, rather than Noah, Claude, and Teresa, making the experience gain much more, shall we say, lasting. On top of that, please take a look at the equipment those Paladins are carrying! It's a veritable goldmine. The Angelist is great for personal use, but also worth a lot of money in the shop or Gems in Alchemy, making it a valuable commodity. Iron Armor is some of the best light armor in the game for sheer DEF rating. And the 7-Star Sword is WHAT??? THE 7-STAR SWORD??? You cannot buy 7-Star Swords for another TEN STAGES. TEN STAGES. YOU WANT ONE OF THOSE SWORDS. ACTUALLY ALL OF THEM. ALL OF THE SWORDS, JOHN. ALL OF THEM. Sorry, my Homestuck is showing. And since the 7-Star Sword is a Greatsword and only Paladins can equip Greatswords, you don't actually necessarily want a 7- Star Sword: you only want it if you're using Paladins. But for perspective, the best Greatsword currently available is the Black Brand. The next available Greatsword is the Holy Sabre; it's sold in the Scene 14-15 Shop. Then comes the Deathbringer, first sold in the Scene 15-16 Shop. Then the 7-Star Sword pops up in the Scene 19-20 Shop. TEN STAGES. Come on. You know you want one. Or maybe you don't. If you don't care about the items or the experience, for whatever reason, you can easily advance the plot by sending Ragnus - who is your only choice for Ace - forward alone into Robertus' forces. He'll probably die in two massive Beats and the story will move on. However, if you DO want to squeeze some grinding out of this stage, then this is clearly the last thing you're going to want to do. Instead, make an immediate retreat through the archway to your left, back to the area you started 10-1 out in. The enemies are pretty slow, especially Robertus, so retreating quickly buys you a couple turns to deal with none other but our old friend, the RAIL CANNON. Yep, the Rail Cannon has respawned and is going to commence firing on you again at the earliest opportunity. My guess is that Pelagie the Trickster started fixing it up again the moment she retreated from the first part of the battle. Curse you, Pelagie!! You're going to need to reequip Fire Boots and Wrecker Gloves during the setup for this second part of the fight if you unequipped any of them after the Rail Cannon's destruction during the first part. Again, only bows, javelins, or ranged magical spells (Grimoires and Maces won't cut it, I'm afraid) can target the Rail Cannon from its height, so field somebody who can do that and take it out with extreme prejudice. As long as the cannon goes down before the Paladins reach you, you have a good chance of pulling this off. Forming a line of characters in the middle of the archway to block the Paladins from coming in and tearing your archers and mages apart is a tempting move to try and make. Don't do it. The 7-Star Sword bequeathes unto these Paladins the Divine Gale spell, which targets a three-square row directly in front of the user. Divine Gale causes an exorbitant amount of damage and, worse still, will damage your TP as well, leaving you incapable of performing Beats or Scrambling for extra turns. If you stand in a straight line for the Paladins to take advantage of, you can be assured that they will do so. Instead, if you can, try forming a zig-zag line across said archway, using Ragnus and two other units that can take a hit to form a malleable line across the archway. Keep them constantly moving out of the way of Divine Gale and let them open up space between themselves just long enough for one of the Paladins to foolhardily rush in to attack your back line. Then, close ranks again. The separated Paladin, caught out from his fellows, is easily Beaten to death, and their item bag is safe in your midst for you to collect at your own leisure. Any item the Paladins can drop is well worth your time, and the experience, Mastery, and Specialty you collect from striking enemies quite a few levels higher than you are is just as valuable. The main spanner in the works here is Robertus, and there is basically nothing you can do about him except hold on grimly through his devastating attacks. His Reverse Lance attack is a two-square piercing line attack - like a Tamer's Nagtail skill - that also causes knockback, so avoid the edges of the map. (The Paladins can cause knockback too, but theirs doesn't hurt quite as badly as Robertus'.) The Reverse End skill targets a row of three squares, like Divine Gale, and causes No Counter, making it even more important not to just stand around in a straight line for Robertus to tear into. The nastiest attack, however, is Vald Cannon, which deals brutal earth-elemental damage and ignores DEF. It will deal about 400 damage to Knights as easily as it will to Witches. You can't kill him thanks to his Eventrion accessory, and the Eventrion also prevents all status effects, meaning you can't even cause Pain or Weak to Robertus to try and blunt his massive damage output. You just have to take it. If you can attack just one of the enemies in this battle, you have spent your time well. However, if you can really get into a good rhythm with healing, Beating, and collecting items, you can rack up a tremendous score of levels and spoils from this fight. The endeavors won't break the game, but they sure will make things rosy for the next few stages! And to think Robertus thought he was hurting our cause with this fight! Eventually, however, Ragnus must die so the plot can advance. Let it be so. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-10-11] SCENE 10-11 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ***************************** TRAVELING MERCHANT'S STORE ***************************** WEAPONS ******* Silver Moon (Axe) Main-gauche (Dagger) Spider Spike (Tool) Flame Whip (Whip) Knight Killer (Javelin) Jewel Rod (Rod) Fire Wyrm Rod (Rod) Moonlight Rod (Rod) Book of Laura (Grimoire) Noir (Broom) Apple Tree (Broom) Sapphire Mace (Mace) Lilybell Wand (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Ogre Shield (Large) Kite Shield (Large) Kite Shield (Large) ARMOR ***** Protector Chain Mail Iron Skinnies HEAD **** Feather Ornament Intelli Ribbon HAND **** Hunter Gauntlet Arm Guard Savage Hunter FOOT **** Shura Kogake Glass Shoes Safety Boots Twilight Leggings ACCESSORIES *********** Tiger Band Power Stone Talisman Sorcery Glass CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: A couple items you've had access to through chests and enemy drops are finally available for sale in this shop, namely the Silver Moon, the Knight Killer, and the Moonlight Rod. The Silver Moon is a pretty potent axe, the Knight Killer is an amazing javelin, and the Moonlight Rod is a strong but situational rod, so if you're using classes that can use these pieces, I'd grab them. The Silver Moon is not as vital as the Battleaxe and the Slasher, but it's still a useful axe. Its signature Break ability is Hand Crush, which, while inferior to Armor and Shield Crush (in my opinion,) is still great for stopping enemy Boost effects and reducing enemy +CAST and +HIT (both of which are mostly found on hand equipment). The second attack, Shining Moon, attacks everything around the Brute, but splits the damage caused between all damaged targets and can only be used at night. This turns some people off, but I personally don't mind it much. Night is still half of every battle, and Shining Moon will do about twice the damage of Hand Crush to a single target and slightly less damage than Hand Crush to two targets, which is still pretty good. It's not my favorite axe, but it's still a respectable one. The Knight Killer deserves an entire section to itself, as it is - believe it or not - one of the two best possible javelins in the game. When it comes to Throwers, their Specialty II and Specialty III attacks are their trademarks; you never want to be without them. (The Specialty I and Specialty IV attacks are just icing on the cake.) There are only three javelins in the game that have both of these Specialties on them: one is the Pilum, which we already possess. Another is the Hraesvelger, which you won't get until Scene 23. The third is the Knight Killer. Comparing the Pilum and the Knight Killer is not even fair. The Knight Killer is half again as powerful and has an extra attack. However, when you compare the Knight Killer and the Hraesvelger - which I remind you is a four-star weapon you won't see for several hours of gametime - the contest comes out as a draw. The Hraesvelger is stronger, but it is also water-elemental - which occasionally works against it - and it doesn't have the piercing Specialty I attack. Both javelins are also super-effective against Wampyrs; the Hraesvelger further boasts super-effectiveness against Harpies, but those things have the sturdiness of a jellyfish anyway. So, in summation, we have here a two-star javelin that is fully the equal of one of its four-star big brothers. I think you might want to buy it. I promised I'd discuss the Moonlight Rod later, and it is now officially Later, so here we go. Its initial spell is Full Moon Pillar, an AOE spell that can cause Sleep... but is only usable at night. It's a strong spell, and the only Air-elemental spell a Sorceress can use, but the night-only limitation impairs its usefulness somewhat. The second spell on the rod is Lunatic Glow, which recovers Vitality for allies in an AOE - again, only at night. This is one of only two "healing" spells a Sorceress gets, and Vitality restoration is not a common property in Gungnir. Lunatic Glow also purifies corpses, making it a useful anti-undead equip. So is the Moonlight Rod really worth buying? A lot of people seem to think it isn't, but I'd like to refute them here and say yes, I think it is. Since a Sorceress can always have a second rod equipped, she's never left without options during the day when the Moonlight Rod is inactive. Vitality healing is a good thing to have around, particularly in the endgame when you must often move before your characters are ready in order to avoid enemy spells or Beats, and the other rod that can heal Vitality - the Yggdrasil Staff - is, in my opinion, far inferior to the Moonlight Rod. On top of all this, mass Sleep is always useful, as is undead purification, and the Moonlight Rod is the ONLY Air-elemental rod around, which further adds to its unique appeal. It's not a weapon for everyone, but that doesn't make it bad. I wish I could say the same thing about the Sapphire Mace. Maces are something I want to endorse buying but... can't. Maces have their uses, don't get me wrong. They allow Priestesses and Sorceresses to apply Freeze and Burn while initiating Beats - and I have already said enough about the usefulness of Freeze and Burn. Maces are, in fact, the only way for a Sorceress to initiate Beats at all. They're also surprisingly strong. In fact, the Sapphire Mace has a base power of 115 - about as strong as the Moonlight Rod - and its Icicle attack has a base power of 124, which is stronger than every targeted Rod spell in the game (and the non-targeted Specialty II spells have the substantial downside of randomness). The problem is, the two classes that use Maces - Sorceresses and Priestesses - are never, ever in a situation where they would want to. Sorceresses NEVER want to be in melee range for any reason, and if they are caught out as such, they're better off throwing out a quick Cool Orb to freeze their assailants and then running away. Priestesses are fine with being in melee range when they have to be, but Priestesses get a ranged, unblockable attack on every single book they could ever lay hands on, and it will come alongside a batch of healing spells to boot. There is simply never a situation where you are better served to have a Mace equipped rather than a Rod or a Grimoire. The Sapphire Mace available here is the Freeze-causing mace; if you think you can find a use for it, then go ahead and get it (and then email me and tell me what possible situation you found use for a Mace in). Otherwise, let it pass. You're not missing much. The last weapon here is the Lilybell Wand. Wands are unusual. They're weapons that can only be equipped by one particular story character you don't have yet, and they tend to have low Base Power and somewhat weak attacks. Why, then, would you ever use one, especially when said story character can also equip Lances? Well, what Wands lack in power, they make up for in utility. This Lilybell Wand is one of the better wands, able to cause Freeze in an AOE or the rare Slippery ailment in one-on-ones. Slippery is a bizarre and kind of hilarious ailment that gives enemies a chance to "slip" while they're moving, landing on random squares and cancelling their turns. It's also only caused by two weapons in the entire game. Now, granted, the Lilybell Wand is outclassed by two other uber-wands and all of the available Lances, so you kind of have to go out of your way to find a place for it. However, if you're a player who doesn't mind sacrificing a bit of power for increased battlefield control, then the Lilybell Wand might just be for you. The rest of the store has a lot of old, familiar items, but there are a few new things that need your attention. For one thing, there are two new shields: the Ogre Shield and the Kite Shield. Both are large shields, for Knights only, and both come with the customary hits to your MOVE and JUMP. The Kite Shield is inferior to the Basilisk Shield and the Crusade Shield, both of which you may have by now, but the Ogre Shield is something different and interesting: a shield you can use to attack with! Its Shield Bash attack is fairly strong and causes Knockback, allowing your Knight to dispense with a sword and devote his CAP to extra armor. It doesn't have as much Guard Chance as the Basilisk, Kite, or Crusade Shields, but its ability to attack tends to compensate for that. The Feather Ornament is oddly heavy head armor that protects against Aerism. While this protection is not exactly impressive, the Ornament's real selling point is its +15 MDEF and its unusual spread of equipees. It finally gives Giulio, Valerie, Gunners, and Throwers the ability to equip some strong MDEF for when enemy mages are afoot. It's not crucial, but it can come in handy. The Twilight Leggings are MV-boosting Foot equipment for Valerie and Assassins. While these aren't so useful for Valerie, who already has the Amazon Boots, that extra MV could be really useful for an Assassin. However, in not too long you'll be able to pick up Army Tights instead, which give extra MV AND JM for Assassins. By all means, an Assassin can put the Twilight Leggings to good use in the interim, and the Leggings have lower CAP than the Army Tights, so they might be useful even once you do have the Tights depending on the rest of your Assassin's kit. But in my opinion, the Army Tights are preferable. So, what about that last OH MY GOD IT'S THE INTELLI RIBBON. If you've gotten this far in Gungnir, you'd probably agree that TAC is a vital stat for a battle. And the Intelli Ribbon is the first item you can get your sweaty palms upon that will increase your rate of TP generation. By a whopping 2 points, no less! That might not look like much, but believe you me, the difference it makes is ENORMOUS. Stick it on somebody with low DEL and low TAC and suddenly you can make 4 TP per turn and have a new turn again in seconds. Buy this item. Equip this item. Love this item. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: This coming mission places a great amount of importance on speed and mobility. You'll barely be doing any fighting and the enemies you will have to tangle with are quite weak, so ditch your armor in favor of MV-increasing equipment such as the Wheel Greaves, the Amazon Boots, or the Twilight Leggings. Move and Jump Ampules might also come in useful, although they are damn expensive, so you probably don't have any. If you got the three-star rating on the last stage, you'll want to equip your best weapons for this one. The items in these chests are INCREDIBLY useful, and one of them cannot be found anywhere else in the game! But since the time limit for this fight is most strict, you'll have to destroy the chests you want in record time in order to make the three-star limit for THIS scene. I'd recommend equipping Wrecker Gloves on Giulio if you're going treasure hunting; their Object Damage +50% Boost effect is essential for this cause. ******************************************************************************* [SC11] ************** *** SCENE 11 *** ************** SURVIVAL IS ALL THAT MATTERS Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. Battle: Escape From Victrion ******************************************************************************* .At this point, Ragnus and Valerie have both left the party. Sad faces all around. [SC11-1] SCENE 11-1 Victory Condition: -Escort Alissa reach target point or -Defeat Nelson Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! -Escort Fails -> Alissa must not die... Date and Time: JOTUN 31, 983 PM 18:00 Time limit: NIVL 3, 984 PM 18:00 Ace Options: Giulio, Paulo, Elise Character Limit: 3 including your Ace Guests: Royal (Alissa) N/A Enemies: Knight (Nelson) BOSS Rainy Saber +7 1H Sword Knockback Mirror Shield Large Shield GUARD 48% Shura Kogake Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter I, Prevent No Counter Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Paladin x3 (Arthur, Bennett, Heribert) *** Black Brand Greatsword Blind, Knockback Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Angelist Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Healing power +15% Assassin x1 (Ellenille) **** Carnage Claw Claw Phys Aura, Knockback Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Answerer Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +20 BOOST: Crisis power UP Sand Rose Accessory MDEF +10 BOOST: Earth index +5 Assassin x2 (Lohr, Sheryl) **** Griffin Talon Claw Aerism, Poison Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Answerer Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +20 BOOST: Crisis power UP Assassin x1 (Judith) **** Carnage Claw Claw Phys Aura, Knockback Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Answerer Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +20 BOOST: Crisis power UP Gunner x2 (Gunnel, Horza) *** Grief Bowgun Bowgun Curse Hunter Gauntlet Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +15 BOOST: Ranged Damage 50% Sand Rose Accessory MDEF +10 BOOST: Earth index +5 Sorceress x1 (Eva) *** Icicle Rod Rod Freeze, Silent Force Bracelet Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Melee Weapon Damage +50% Noel Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, Prevent Sleep Witch x1 (Lugans) ****** Apple Tree Broom Sacrifice Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Pointy Hat Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +15, Prevent Silent, Prevent Slow Cast Chests: Aqua Robe - One square in front of and five squares to your Ace's left. Rune Mail - Six squares in front of and one square to Ellenille the Assassin's right. *UNIQUE* Honey Stick - Three squares in front of and one square to Ellenille the Assassin's right. *RARE* Ranger Boots - Six squares in front of Lohr the Assassin, on the cupola of the rampart that Deianeira the Wampyr stood on the last time you fought at Victrion. Intelli Ribbon - Five squares in front of and one square to Lohr the Assassin's left. Mystic Bangle - Four squares in front of Bennett the Paladin. Assault Shield - Four squares in front of Judith the Assassin. Objects: *UNIQUE* Upola Statue - Torch diagonal to Bennett the Paladin. Aroma x3 - Torch in front of Eva the Sorceress. This is a pretty fast and painless escort battle. Alissa rushes to flee from Victrion. You cover her retreat. The enemies, intently watching the fortress for activity, do not notice your presence until it's too late to stop you. In more technical terms, Alissa is a guest for this fight and spends her turns moving steadily toward the escape panel on the farthest northern corner of the map. This panel glows green and is easy to spot. A token force of two Assassins are on the battlements of Victrion and will try to stop you from escaping, but they are easily taken out. None of the enemies down on the ground will move until Alissa or one of your units hits the ground level, essentially entering their line of sight. At this point, they all rush you; however, you should still have enough time to escape before they can kill you, though they might get a few hits in. This stage doesn't take strategy so much as it requires understanding of a few things you can and can't do: 1) If you leave Alissa alone - that is, you leave all of your characters up atop the fortress while she runs on alone - the enemies will reach her and kill her before she can escape on her own. So don't do this. You MUST send at least one escort along to protect her. 2) You can have your regular party members use the escape panel to get out of the fight even before Alissa has escaped, but your Ace CANNOT escape before Alissa. 3) The Assassins' damage on Normal mode is negligible. You can pretty much ignore them completely and focus on Alissa or treasure chests without worrying. On Advanced or Nightmare difficulty, however, I wouldn't advise ignoring them, particularly as one of the two has a Griffin Talon and can cause Poison with it. 4) The time limit here is very tight. You have enough time to get a three-star without problem if you're not trying to get treasure chests, but if you want chests as well as a three-star rating, you will probably have to ignore the Assassins and equip somebody with Wrecker Gloves. Remember that you cannot form Beats on objects and be careful not to break the chests right before an Assassin can move, or she may steal the item from you. 5) Some of the chests here have very rare and/or expensive items in them. Of particular note are the Aqua Robe and the Rune Mail - both very expensive - the Ranger Boots - very rare and not sold in stores - the Intelli Ribbon - because it's a freaking Intelli Ribbon! - and the Honey Stick. While the Honey Stick is... useless in just about any circumstance, this is still the one and only place to get it! 6) Since the Assassins are little trouble, you can't Beat chests, and Nelson's forces don't need to be engaged, abuse Scramble! You don't need TP for anything else, after all. 7) Some people have had trouble with Alissa taking weird paths to get to the escape panel or just not moving fast enough to get a three-star rating. I've never had this happen to me, but if it's something that you're struggling with, try using a Move or Jump Ampule on Alissa to get her to the escape panel more quickly. Once Alissa reaches the escape panel, you move to Scene 11-2. ******************** [SC11-2] SCENE 11-2 Victory Condition: -Bring everyone to the target point or -Defeat Nelson Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 11-1 Time limit: NIVL 3, 984 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 14 hrs *** >= 14 hrs, < 22 hrs ** >= 22 hrs, < 30 hrs * All enemies, chests, and objects remain the same as they were at the end of Scene 11-1. The situation doesn't change much between Scene 11-1 and Scene 11-2. The only differences are that Alissa is gone and no longer needs to be protected, and that your Ace can now use the escape panel and get out of the fight. Nelson's forces have probably gotten in range to start attacking you by the time Alissa flees the fight. If you don't care about the three-star rating here and you want some more experience, you can gather around the escape panel and take some time smacking Nelson's units around. I wouldn't particularly recommend this, as Nelson's army is pretty strong and the tight quarters put you at something of a disadvantage, but if you really want that little extra grinding, it's possible to do it here. Once your units are all out of the fight, it ends. Obviously. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-11-12] SCENE 11-12 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* *********************** OLD MERCHANT'S STORE *********************** WEAPONS ******* Rainy Saber (1H Sword) Flamberge (1H Sword) Black Brand (Greatsword) Silver Moon (Axe) Mana Dagger (Dagger) Spider Spike (Tool) Thunder Chain (Whip) Elfin Bow (Bow) Grief Bowgun (Bowgun) Knight Killer (Javelin) Moonlight Rod (Rod) Book of Laura (Grimoire) Noir (Broom) Apple Tree (Broom) Sapphire Mace (Mace) Lilybell Wand (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Ogre Shield (Large) Kite Shield (Large) ARMOR ***** Protector HEAD **** Feather Ornament HAND **** Alchemitton Angelist FOOT **** Shura Kogake Glass Shoes Safety Boots Twilight Leggings ACCESSORIES *********** Cat's Eye Mighty Ring Magic Ring Cheering Flag Charge Bugle Crimson Rose Ice Rose Feather Rose Sand Rose CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: A new dagger is available here: the Mana Dagger, which can cause Mana Aura with its Oratorio Scythe skill. Mana Aura is the equal and opposite of Phys Aura; it functionally increases the target's Magic Defense to 75 (meaning the target only takes 25% damage from spells,) but decreases their Defense to 0, no matter how much armor they have equipped. Basically, it greatly reduces the damage the target takes from magic while greatly increasing the damage they take from physical attacks. Mana Aura is a bit less intrusive than Phys Aura, especially on a physical weapon like the Mana Dagger; well-applied, it can allow you to tear through Knights as though they were wet tissue. However, the Mana Dagger doesn't have knockback, which is quite the drawback; this condemns it to the position of secondary Dagger, only worth equipping alongside the Cutlass and only if you're interested in exploiting the quirks of Mana Aura. Otherwise, you can safely pass. The Thunder Chain is for sale now, though you may have picked one up several stages back. It's a pretty strong whip, but it's not worth spending money on in my personal opinion. It's great if you got one for free off Griselda or her Tamers, but the Chain can't start Beats (the Flame Whip can) and No Counter is inferior to the Flame Whip's Pain or the Thorn Whip's Poison. On paper, the Elfin Bow appears to be a Gust Bow Deluxe. It has a Specialty I and Specialty II attack, just like the Gust Bow, but it has a higher attack power and throws in a bonus Specialty III attack! That makes it better, right? Well... not exactly. A Specialty III attack randomly targets three squares in a five-square cross to attack, whether they have a valid target in them or not! If you've been using the Gargoyle Rod and its Purgatory Call spell, you know exactly what kind of attack this is and how irritating its random nature can be. Having an attack like this is not in and of itself a problem, but the Elfin Bow starts out with this Specialty III attack as its only skill, and it'll be a long time before it gets enough Mastery to unlock one of its more reliable attacks. Even this is not necessarily a make-or-break deal - after all, the Gargoyle Rod is well worth mastering to acquire Cluster Pillar - but with the Elfin Bow, you are essentially leveling it to give it the same capabilities as the Gust Bow. Why put the time and effort into it when you could just be using a Gust Bow to begin with? In short: pass on it. The Grief Bowgun is an earth-elemental Bowgun that starts with a Specialty III attack, which, on a Bowgun, is a strong V-shaped AOE attack (instead of Bows' Specialty III's random-AOE-bullcrap). While it can't go too far and can't initiate Beats, the AOE nature and unique targeting make it useful regardless. The Grief Bowgun also causes Curse with Beats and its Specialty IV skill, and said Specialty IV skill has Beat capability and good range for a Gunner. It's a pretty good bowgun if you can Master it quickly enough, so if you like Gunners, you might as well get started! The Cat's Eye protects against Blind, which would have been very useful a few scenes ago, when every other enemy had the Dark Saber or the Black Brand equipped. However, at this point, all of your Blinding enemies are behind you, so you won't need the Cat's Eye. The Mighty Ring protects against DEF 1/2, and the Magic Ring protects against MDEF 1/2; neither of these are very common, but they will be popping up and the Rings also offer +10 MDEF. They're not a bad investment. This marks the first in-store appearance of the Cheering Flag and the Charge Bugle, however, which is where your REAL investment lies. These two accessories have semi-useful Boost effects - the Flag decreases the attacker's DEL by 2, meaning the party's next turn will come up more quickly after the attack is completed, and the Bugle decreases the attacker's WT by 50%, meaning the attacker will be able to act without losing VIT more quickly after the attack is completed - but both also offer no other stat boosts or special benefits. This is because what you're really meant to do with them is not equip them, but Refine them! Both of these items Refine into ten Gems of every elemental color, providing a massive boost to your Alchemy reserves. What's more, the elemental Roses are back, offering up even more Gems for your usage. Before the next scene begins, take a moment, Refine these beauties, and pour those Gems into maxing out some of your favorite weapons, like the Cutlass, the Icicle Rod, and the Gust Bow! The extra power will not disappoint you. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The upcoming fight has a fairly even split between physical and magical enemies to contend with. The two status effects you'll be facing are Freeze and Undead, neither of which you can prevent at this point in time. All but one of the physical opponents will be using Rapiers, which ignore Guard percentage from weapons, but not from shields. So if you have good shields, you might want to specifically field the people who can use them. This will also be your first time fighting Golems. Golems are extremely nasty because they have the power to break your equipment, but they only have 1 MV and 1 JM and their equipment-breaking skill is melee. This makes them easy to kill from a distance, which prevents them from shattering your stuff. For this reason, you will definitely want to bring somebody with ranged capability to this map explicitly to kite and kill the Golem. Finally, you will also be facing Skeletons here. Skeletons can be killed, but unless you use an attack with the Purge Corpse or Undead Killer property on their corpse after killing them, they will simply rise up again when their next turn comes around. You cannot loot their bodies and you cannot get rid of them permanently in any way other than this. As you don't have any weapons with Undead Killer yet (more's the pity,) your only ways to permanently dispose of the Undead are Priestesses and Paulo (all healing spells carry the Purge Corpse property) or a Sorceress with the Moonlight Rod and the Lunatic Glow spell unlocked. Be sure to bring one of these options along to make your job easier. ******************************************************************************* [SC12] ************** *** SCENE 12 *** ************** SHE WHO DEVOURS CORPSES No one knows what tomorrow might bring. Battle: Battle with Corpses ******************************************************************************* So, Ragnus is gone, we've lost Victrion to the Empire, and a tiny but adorable necromancer is trying to pull our bones out through our nostrils the old- fashioned way, but none of that is half as important as the fact that Alissa just got hit in the face with a bird. God I love this game. SCENE 12 Victory Condition: -Defeat Isabeli Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed.. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: MUSPEL 2, 984 PM 13:30 Time limit: MUSPEL 6, 984 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 15 hrs *** >= 15 hrs, < 23 hrs ** >= 23 hrs, < 31 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Elise, Paulo Character Limit: 3 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Necromancer (Isabeli) BOSS Necroscript +5 Scroll Undead Healing, Absorbs Undead HP, cause Undead (night-only) Gargoyle Rod +5 Rod MDEF 1/2, Stone Chrono Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +50 BOOST: Cast Time -30% Classic Robe Body Armor DEF +5, MDEF +25 Skeleton x2 (Skedora, Skelause) ******** Bloody Rapier Rapier Crisis Power UP Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Golem x1 (Govras) ******** Rock Physique Physique Break RANDOM Pixie x2 (Marga, Shell) *** Small Physique Physique Panic (Full HP Only) Lilybell Wand Wand Slippery, Freeze Orichalcum Consumable N/A Chests: Loriel x3 - One square behind and three squares to your Ace's right. Elixir - Two squares behind and one square to your Ace's left. Book of Gelt - Five squares to your Ace's left. Black Fan - One square in front of and one square to Skedora the Skeleton's left. Medicinal Herb x2 - Right behind Govras the Golem. Hermet Hood - Right in front of Shell the Pixie. Beastbone Helm - Two squares behind and one square to Marga the Pixie's left. Objects: Moon Lily x7 - Poison Grass one square in front of and five squares to your Ace's left. *RARE* Stone Head - Poison Grass one square in front of and one square to Marga the Pixie's right. This is a battle that can either be really easy or pretty difficult, depending on how prepared you are - you, the player - for what's coming at you. This is a small battlefield with few units on either side, so in essence it's just a all-out smackdown brawl. The important thing is being prepared to counter the nastier things that might come your way in the course of said brawl. Let's start with the most noticeable new addition to the fight: the Skeletons. As stated in the "Preparing for the Next Fight" section for this battle, Skeletons are Undead and will revive soon after you kill them unless you can exorcise them using a Grimoire or the Moonlight Rod. This poses an additional problem in that, because they are permanently afflicted with the Undead status effect, you cannot put any other status effects on them, like Burn or Freeze. They are also equipped with Bloody Rapiers, which ignore Weapon Guard and become much stronger when the Skeleton is low on health (that's what "Crisis Power UP" means). Ergo, bring a Priestess or Paulo; equip Shields if you can; and make sure that any Skeleton who drops low enough on health to go into its "wounded" animation gets wiped out before its next turn comes along. Follow these precepts and you should be able to manage the Skeletons just fine. The Golem is another new face - er, if that expression really applies in this case. It can shatter your equipment at melee range, but with 1 MV and 1 JM, it's pretty difficult for it to get close enough to do that. Furthermore, despite appearances, Golems are not particularly tanky and are pretty easy to kill, making them even less threatening. Just stay out of melee range and pepper the blighter with spells and arrows from afar. To be really mean, hop up onto the walls of the ruined fortress in the middle of the stage and attack from there. With 1 JM, the Golem will be completely unable to reach you. The Pixies here are outright hostile, rather than the neutral ones we ran into the last time we were in the Forest of Tranquility. Their Scatter Pollen skill causes Panic, which is twenty shades of annoying, but they can only use it when they are at full health. Poke them once with an Archer or a Thrower and they are reduced to using their Lilybell Wands instead. As we've discussed, Lilybell Wands don't do a lot of damage, but they do cause Freeze and Slippery. Try and avoid these by Scrambling out of the way of the Sorcerous Sleet spell (you can't really avoid their Handicap attack, but fortunately, they rarely choose to use it). However, the Pixies are also well back from the main body of the melee. You may well finish the fight before they can even get close enough to get involved. This is not necessarily a good thing, as both Pixies are carrying the rare and wondrous material Orichalcum. This item has only one use: Refinement, which transforms it into THIRTY Gems of every elemental type. And both Pixies have a chunk in their inventory that can be yours if you can kill them fast enough! Going after the Orichalcum will probably kill your chances of getting a three- star rating, considering how tight the time limit is, but it might be worth it for all those beautiful, beautiful Gems! And last, but certainly not least, we have the diminutive Isabeli. Her class is Necromancer, which equips Rods and unique Scrolls that no other class can wield. Scrolls are essentially weapons focused on the Undead; using her Scroll, Isabeli can turn your characters into Skeletons; heal the Undead despite their usual immunity to restorative magic; or drain the health of an Undead to recover her own. She's a pretty nasty customer, especially with that first Scroll skill; Hades Invitation not only causes Undead but also deals quite a lot of damage and has a 4-tick cast time, reduced to 2 CT by Isabeli's Chrono bangle. Very nasty. Thankfully, she can only use it at night. To go into specifics, when inflicted by Undead, a character turns into a Skeleton when night falls. Unless the character is equipped with a Rapier, they cannot attack. If they are killed while a Skeleton, they will revive after a short period of time, just like a real Skeleton (however, if the Ace is killed while a Skeleton, it is still considered Game Over, as the Ace still "dies" even if they would revive eventually). While a Skeleton, healing spells will not work on the affected character, either, making the situation even more annoying. (They WILL work on an Undead-afflicted character during the day, when they are not Skeletonized. They don't work on natural Skeletons during the day, though.) Despite all her power, however, Isabeli is still a mage, and as a mage, she is also very squishy. Being as she is the stage target and starts off very close to your starting position, it's very easy to rush her down at the start of the fight and annihilate her with a few big, nasty Beats. This is by far the quickest and easiest way to finish the fight; if you decide to do it, you may want to reset a few times and get Isabeli to drop her Chrono, which is a piece of arm equipment with +50 CAST on it that is never sold in stores! It's a great accessory to have, possessing the highest +CAST available on any single item. If you do bum-rush Isabeli, though, you might put yourself at risk for item- crushing from the Golem and you're almost definitely giving up the two pieces of Orichalcum from the Pixies in the back. But if you go for the Orichalcum, you're probably not getting a three-star rating on the stage and you'll have a lot more work to do if you plan on restarting the battle over and over until you get the Chrono from Isabeli. Oh Gungnir. Always these difficult decisions to make. Rest assured, however, that there is both more Orichalcum in the game and two more chances to get Chrono pieces. So no matter what you choose, you will have a chance to get the other. In the end, just do what feels right to you - as long as it ends with Isabeli getting her petite derriere handed to her on a silver platter! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-12-13] SCENE 12-13 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ************************* FAIRY MERCHANT'S STORE ************************* WEAPONS ******* Griffin Talon (Claw) Naga Fangs (Tool) Gargoyle Rod (Rod) Coral Branch (Wand) Coral Branch (Wand) Coral Branch (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Valkyrie Shield (Small) ARMOR ***** Aqua Robe Sun Cloak Mermaid Pareo Silphy Garb Fuuma Muffler Yggdrasil Dragon Coat Raven Cloth Mirage Garb Classic Robe Lovely One-Piece HEAD **** Pointy Hat HAND **** N/A FOOT **** Wonder Sandals Frog Shoes ACCESSORIES *********** One-Eyed Dragon Voodoo Doll Black Cat Earring Iron Choker Dog Tag Butterfly Broach Master Key Purging Talisman Black Fan CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Kokori Seed x2 Kokori Seed x2 Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Auto-Potion Auto-Ether Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Moon Lily x7 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Oh boy. There are... a LOT of new things this shopping go-round, most of them are very expensive, and very few of them are actually weapons. I think this is actually the first time in the game we've been more interested in the armor than the weapons. Let's take a look, shall we? There are only a few weapons available in the store, and while all of them (except the Coral Branch wands, which are pretty useless) are useful, all of them (again except for the Coral Branch, which was only available on Scene 06 as the weapon of the Pixies you weren't supposed to kill) have been available several times before now. The Griffin Talon causes Poison; the Naga Fangs cause Curse and are the first Tool to have the ranged Specialty III attack, which turns Tricksters into semi-ranged characters like Priestesses and gives them a lot more safety in a fight; and the Gargoyle Rod can cause AOE petrification. All three of these are excellent weapons, and if you haven't gotten them from chests up until now, you'll want them for the classes that can use them. If you DO have them, however, you can instead join me in drooling over all this armor. First thing: the Valkyrie Shield. It's a great shield, having 45% guard chance and no MV reduction, and it is a light shield, meaning it can be equipped by several classes. It's rendered useless, however, by the Round Shield, which will appear in the Scene 14-15 Shop and offer 3% more guard for only 1 more CAP and much less gold. There is no reason to spend your valuable cash on the Valkyrie Shield here. Ignore it. Well, that was a disappointing start to our armor power trip. I hope the next rack of stuff is better... AND OH GOD, IS IT EVER. The Aqua Robe, the Sun Cloak, and the Silphy Garb are armor pieces that completely nullify damage from Fire, Water, or Wind attacks, respectively. Physical or magical, it doesn't matter; any attack of the specified element will be completely cancelled out and any knockback or status effects it may cause will be stopped along with the damage. The Mermaid Pareo, Fuuma Muffler, and Yggdrasil are even better, being armor pieces that absorb Water, Wind, or Earth attacks, respectively - and all of these are offering some solid +DEF and +MDEF bonuses, to boot. The Dragon Coat is an intriguing piece that gives you TP when you get hit by magic damage, and the Mirage Garb is simply good albeit uninteresting armor for Elise, Assassins, or Tricksters. And if you didn't get the Lovely One-Piece the last time it was on sale, or if you need another one, there's one here again! This store has everything!!! With all these dizzying choices and a limited amount of money to spend on them, you're going to have to make some tough decisions about which items you really want. Fortunately, not all of these pieces of equipment are created equal, so a pecking order can be established. You definitely want the Aqua Robe and the Mermaid Pareo. The Aqua Robe grants Burn immunity and invalidates all Fire damage, and as Fire damage is very common all throughout the game, these are fantastic qualities to possess. The Mermaid Pareo actually absorbs Water damage, and as you're going to face several Undine over the course of the next few battles, this is also very valuable to have. If you have any units that can equip these pieces, they are your number one priorities. (Also, please note that you're about to get a story character that can equip the Mermaid Pareo, and equipping it on this character will make getting the A+ Ending a lot easier. GEE I WONDER WHO THAT CHARACTER COULD BE.) The Fuuma Muffler and the Yggdrasil are the Wind and Earth equivalents of the Mermaid Pareo, respectively. While they're also quite useful, Wind and Earth are slightly less common offensive elements than Water, and the Fuuma Muffler can only be equipped by Assassins, further limiting its use. Given the choice between the two, the Yggdrasil is probably better, as the final boss uses very powerful Earth magic, which the Yggdrasil can shrug off. However, don't get me wrong: both are still VERY good, just not quite as desirous as the Aqua Robe and the Mermaid Pareo. The Sun Cloak is a caster-only piece that makes the equipped character immune to Water damage; it's not quite as good as the Mermaid Pareo, but it has better defenses and is equipped by different units anyway. It's a solid buy. The Silphy Garb is a bit iffier; it provides immunity to Wind damage, which, as said previously, isn't as common of a problem, and it can be equipped by Giulio, Archers, Throwers, and Gunners. It's great armor, but at this point your wallet is probably looking really tight, and you simply have other, more important purchases to make. The Dragon Coat sounds cooler than it actually is. Getting TP when you get hit by magic is not a bad effect, but why take damage for TP when you could just equip an Intelli Ribbon or two instead? The Mirage Garb sounds much less cool, but is in contrast actually pretty useful. It offers a respectable chunk of DEF, MDEF, and RES to Elise, Paulo, an Assassin, or a Trickster, and it's not particularly heavy. In conclusion, here is the usefulness of all the armor you can buy from this store, from most useful to least: #1 Best Buys: Aqua Robe, Mermaid Pareo #2 Great: Sun Cloak, Fuuma Muffler #3 Good: Mirage Garb, Classic Robe, Lovely One-Piece #4 Average: Silphy Garb, Yggdrasil #5 Unimpressive: Raven Cloth, Dragon Coat Do take note that all of these elemental-absorbing and -nullifying armors WILL be in stores again later! If you want to get more than you have the money for right now, fear not; you will have the chance to do so. In the head section we have the Pointy Hat, which is a pretty good helm for casters that also prevents Silent and Slow Cast. It's honestly more useful for its defensive properties than its status immunities, as Silent and Slow Cast rarely come up, but one of those rare occasions is coming up soon, so if you have the spare gold sitting around, the Pointy Hat is a worthy investment. There are Wonder Sandals and Frog Shoes in the Feet department - neither of which is really worth purchasing - and several new status-preventing accessories in the Accessory department. While most of these accessories are unnecessary, they are also cheap and provide an easy way to manipulate the elemental affinity of your characters. For example, if you're trying to boost your Sorceress' Water affinity so she does more damage with her Icicle Rod, you can purchase a Voodoo Doll and equip her with it to increase her Water affinity by 1 for only 8 CAP. It's worth browsing the accessories just to find nice little affinity-affecting trinkets like that, especially considering how inexpensive they are. There are also Kokori Seeds and Moon Lilies in the consumables section of the store, if you're interested. Finally, I'd like to point out that the Black Fan has the interesting Boost property of reducing your enemies' TP when used and that it refines into several Gems of all four elements. It's more expensive than these properties really deserve, but if you're on a second playthrough and really hurting for Gems, it's worth considering. It's also highly nostalgic for those of us who have played Riviera.... PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Believe it or not, there is no next fight for the moment! The next scene has no combat in it whatsoever. ******************************************************************************* [SC13] ************** *** SCENE 13 *** ************** A KING'S LAND, A BLOOD PACT One will have to reap what one has sown. ******************************************************************************* No combat occurs this scene. It is all story sequences. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-13-14] SCENE 13-14 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* **************************** QUIET LITTLE GIRL'S STORE **************************** WEAPONS ******* N/A SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** N/A HEAD **** N/A HAND **** N/A FOOT **** N/A ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Buy the damn Medicinal Herb. Do it. You owe it to that little girl to at least buy her 600-gold Medicinal Herb. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Okay. Now it's time to prepare for your next fight. The next battle is exceedingly easy. It's a "gimme" fight given to you so that you can train up Alissa, who has not joined your army just yet, but will at the start of the fight. On top of that, though, it's great breathing space for the rest of your army as well. Got a unit that's falling behind in levels? Here's a great stage to catch them up. Have you learned that you really don't like using one of the classes you've been using? Now's the time to replace them with a new unit and see if the change works better for you. You can field four characters in the next battle, and as long as two of them are decently strong and one of the four can heal, you should be good to go. When it comes to preparing these units, just equip your best stuff. There's a Witch with fire magic, an Undine with water attacks, and Tricksters with wind knives, so Aqua Robes, Sun Cloaks, and Silphy Garbs can all be useful. (I recommend NOT equipping anybody with the Mermaid Pareo, however. I like to put that piece of armor on Alissa for this fight, and if you give it to somebody else, she won't be able to equip it at the start of the battle.) Undine and Drakes are both new monster types you'll be fighting here, and while neither are particularly threatening, Drakes can cause Knockback, so watch out for that. The damage you're up against is mostly physical, so prioritize Defense over Magic Defense. Beyond that, there's not much that needs to be done. Suit up and head out! ******************************************************************************* [SC14] ************** *** SCENE 14 *** ************** BECOMING THE HUNTED The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Battle: Encounter in the Desert of Ruin ******************************************************************************* SCENE 14 Victory Condition: -Defeat all bandit units. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed.. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: AUDBLA 16, 984 PM 16:30 Time limit: AUDBLA 20, 984 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * Ace Options: Elise, Alissa, Paulo Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Brute x1 (Geese) ******* Kill Blade Axe Break Head Viking Helm Head Armor DEF +15, Prevent Fleeing Defender Hand Armor DEF +15, Prevent Half Guard Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Trickster x2 (Chantalier, Cookie) ****** Scorpion Tail Tool Poison, Half Guard Rune Knife Dagger Silent, TP Damage 3 Fish Scale Gaunt Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Power UP in water Glass Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, Counter II Witch x1 (Bonnie) **** Kikimora Broom Burn, Mana Aura Mystic Bangle Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Pointy Hat Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +15, Prevent Silent, Prevent Slow Cast Harpy x1 (Roxanne) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Harpy Physique Physique Poison Drake x2 (Godwin, Harbor) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Dragon Physique Physique Knockback, Burn Undine x1 (Vittoria) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Coral Spear Trident Slippery, Freeze, HP 1/4 Damage Ice Javelin Javelin Freeze, Void DEF Orichalcum Consumable N/A Chests: Arbalest - Two squares behind and one square to your Ace's left. Overdrive - One square in front of and three squares to your Ace's right. Force Bracelet - Two squares to the right of Vittoria the Undine. Dog Tag - Directly behind the Magic Crystal. *RARE* Anti Trap - Two squares behind Geese the Brute. Sunrise - Three squares behind and three squares to Geese the Brute's right. Brigandine - Two squares to the right of Bonnie the Witch. Objects: Onyx - Destroy the first Catapult. Onyx - Destroy the second Catapult. *UNIQUE* Rosary - Large rock one square in front of and two squares to Geese the Brute's left. Obsidian Glove - Wooden box directly to Bonnie the Witch's left. Shiranui - Wooden box one square behind and three squares to Geese the Brute's right. Siege Weapons: Catapult x2 If you're planning on getting the A+ Ending, now is the time to get serious about it. Alissa joins your army at the very beginning of this map, allowing you to field her as a character or as the Ace if so desired. If you want to get the A+ Ending, you must not only field her - it doesn't matter whether she's the Ace or not, only that she is on the field - but also not allow her to die. If Alissa flees from a battle due to her HP falling to 0, your chance at the A+ Ending is lost and you must Restart (NOT Retry! Retry does not work!) the battle to recover it. This probably doesn't sound like too bad of an arrangement until you look at Alissa and see that she starts at level 1. Now keep in mind that if you don't plan on actually USING Alissa, you can pull her off the field using a Retreat Point and still get the A+ ending. Alissa needs to be chosen in the initial party and needs to not get killed, but she does NOT need to stay in the battle after she's been initially fielded. However, Alissa is a great character, and if you plan to use her and still get the A+ ending, you cannot ever let her be defeated, even now, when she is several levels behind. The main thing this means is that you have to prevent Alissa from getting ganged up on and Beaten. Alissa has a lot of CAP and can equip some pretty good armor; plus, her unique weapon, the Chilled Lance, has great power and high Weapon Guard (30%, to be precise!) Even at level 1, Alissa blocks a third of the attacks that come at her and can dish out a lot of damage in repayment by using this weapon. If you really want to make things easy, equip Alissa with the Chilled Lance, the Mermaid Pareo, and a Medicinal Herb just to be safe. You will notice upon starting the battle that there is a lone Undine in a pool of water right in front of you, separated from the rest of the battle by a small cliff. This Undine has nothing but water-elemental attacks, so by equipping the Mermaid Pareo, you have effectively rendered Alissa invulnerable to all of the Undine's damage. Unlike Alissa, the Undine does NOT absorb water damage, which means Alissa can smite the fish-woman with the Chilled Lance and gain a boatload of levels for doing so. It's very easy to get Alissa to level 10 or higher in this fight - and on top of that, the Undine has a valuable piece of Orichalcum to pick up once you've defeated her! For the item collectors among you, note also that this is your only opportunity to get the Undine's Trident: the Coral Spear. Tridents are functionally useless to you, as no character class you can recruit can use them, but they are nifty little trophies if you're into that kind of thing. (Which I am.) While Alissa busies herself with Undine smitation, the rest of your team can concentrate on cleaning up the rest of the map. Although you only have to kill the humans to conclude the battle, the Drakes and the Harpy will throw themselves in your face with great vigor, meaning you'll probably have to take them out just to get them out of your way. Watch out for the Drakes, actually, as they can cause Knockback and rack up a tidy bit of damage on an isolated character by using their Dragon Tail Sweep attack. If you have Silphy Garb or the Fuuma Muffler, this is one of the better stages to equip them on. The Tricksters' Rune Knives are Wind-elemental, as is the Harpy's ranged Feather Cutter. The lone Witch uses the Kikimora and thus can Burn you, but her HP is very low, so she's easy to kill. If she does manage to inflict Burn on somebody, have the afflicted character jump into the Undine's pool. The cool water will cure the Burn, believe it or not! In case you're not using Alissa, or just don't care to have her grind levels on the Undine, it's worth noting that if you can shove the Undine out of the water and onto the burning sands of the desert, she will Dry Out and die immediately. This is a lot faster than Beating her to death if you can lure her to the edge of the water, and it makes it very easy to get her Orichalcum, too. Other than that, there actually isn't much to say about this fight. The enemies all come right at you, reducing strategy to a free-for-all. Using Einherjar is pretty easy to do if you want to; there are several Base Panels, most of them close to you. The obtainable items on the stage are a bit spread out, several of them perched high up on cliffs, but there's nothing a Wrecker Gloves-Boosted Archer can't break and an intrepid Witch can't collect. The Tricksters can cause Poison with their Scorpion Tails, so equipping a few Antidotes would not go amiss, but it's not really necessary due to the random nature of the Noxious March attack and the low overall damage of the enemy team as a whole. A decent Priestess with Purity Raiser on the Book of Laura or Aerial Cure on the Book of Eleanor can easily keep your whole team topped off here, even through Poison. On with the story, brave adventurers! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-14-15] SCENE 14-15 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ******************** ORKUBECKI'S STORE ******************** WEAPONS ******* Dark Saber (1H Sword) Holy Sabre (Greatsword) Rune Knife (Dagger) Snatcher (Claw) Leyte Claw (Claw) Scorpion Tail (Tool) Dragon Eater (Whip) Ice Javelin (Javelin) Gladius (Javelin) Cryocross (Broom) SHIELDS ******* Ogre Shield (Large) Round Shield (Small) Round Shield (Small) Valkyrie Shield (Small) ARMOR ***** Misty Minimum Mithril Armor Rune Mail Iron Armor Iron Armor Lorica Lamellar Full Metal Coat Pure Grace Black Maria Servant HEAD **** Holy Brim Beastbone Helm Feather Ornament Hero's Crown Magic Tiara Rapid Rabbit HAND **** Vamp Nail MG Gadget Mystic Bangle Overdrive Ruby Arm Guard Javelick Blue Obsidian Glove FOOT **** Gram Canceller Twilight Leggings Cat Feet Shinobi Shoes Shadow Sandals Tricky Boots Ping Pong Pumps Sabbath ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Auto-Potion Auto-Ether Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Like the previous shopping opportunity, there's a lot of new and interesting stuff here. Unfortunately, there's also one big problem. The next Scene has no combat in it. That means no money. The amount of money you have right now has to last you across TWO stores, both filled with many new and interesting items. Because of this, you must buy with extreme caution and justification. You might have quite a lot of money right now, especially if you have been lucky with enemy drops and treasure chests, but it is the easiest thing in the world to spend it all right here and not have enough for the awesome stuff coming up! That said, there is plenty of awesome stuff right here, so let's take a look at it all and what might be useful for you! You ought to already have enough Dark Sabers, but if you're using Paladins at all, you want the Holy Sabre too. The Holy Sabre has the Luminous Wraith spell on it - a skill with that coveted Undead Killer property that can one-shot Skeletons! Much like Tamers and the Rope or Archers and the Gust Bow, the Holy Sabre is basically the defining weapon for Paladins, which means you want it! Even when the Undead are not present, the Holy Sabre still pulls its weight; it can cause Freeze and Weak, two extraordinary status effects you should be well used to using by now. The Rune Knife is a very good dagger that you should probably pick up if you use Assassins or Tricksters and haven't gotten one already. Its main selling point is its Calm Scythe skill, a melee strike that causes Silent. Silent is highly effective at disabling even the nastiest of spellcasters, and frankly, you're going to encounter a lot of nasty spellcasters the closer you get to the endgame. It also lowers the TP of the target's team, making it harder for your enemies to use Beats and Boosts and lowering the power of their attacks. Pretty useful! The Rune Knife can't cause Knockback, unfortunately, but pair it with a Cutlass and you won't even notice. The two Claws available are less satisfactory than the Rune Knife. The Snatcher is the first Claw with a Stealing skill - and one that does a hefty amount of damage, too! - but it can only be used at night, which reduces its usefulness. And before you ask, no, you cannot steal weapons or armor. Steal skills can only obtain enemy consumables and accessories, and only those that do NOT have the "Cannot be stolen" property. (So no Eventrions or Orichalcum that way.) The Leyte Claw is a little more tempting, being a pretty strong claw with the ability to cause AOE Sleep, but the Griffin Talon's Poison is still more useful. Skip both. This is a good shop for Tricksters: they just got a great Dagger in the Rune Knife, and now they get a great tool in the Scorpion Tail. The Scorpion Tail is not the most reliable Tool, as its Noxious March skill has random targeting in the area surrounding the Trickster, but it will ALWAYS target a unit, never an empty square (unlike Archers' Specialty III or Throwers' Specialty IV or Sorceresses' Specialty II). This makes all the difference in the world as to how useful Noxious March is. Spoilers: the answer is VERY! If you didn't get a Scorpion Tail off the Tricksters in the previous fight, grab one here pronto (preferably by the non-stinging end). It's one of the best Tools you can have. I'll keep this one quick: the Dragon Eater is abysmal. Drakes are NEVER a big enough problem to warrant buying an entire weapon just to deal extra damage to them. The Ice Javelin is a great buy if you're using Throwers, but the Gladius is inferior in every way to the Knight Killer. The Ice Javelin is the only javelin that causes a status effect, and that effect is the valued Freeze, so its relevance should be obvious. Between it and the Knight Killer, Throwers have every Javelin you'll ever need or want (except maybe the Hraesvelger, and even that is debatable). And finally.... Wait, what's that? The Cryocross just became available? ...Does anybody else hear those heavenly choirs singing, or is it just me? If you took the Icicle Rod, the Knight Killer, and Holy Sabre, fused them into one weapon, and then dipped it in the River of Godly OP-ness, you might still not quite approach the marvel that is the Cryocross. I could rhapsodize about this weapon for days on end, but suffice it to stay that from the status effects it causes to its quality of being the first available Broom with a Specialty III spell, it is exquisite. If you use a Witch, you want this weapon. You want this weapon like you want food, air, and sex all combined. Enjoy. Round Shields are now available for purchase. As mentioned before, they're basically Valkyrie Shields + 0.1, but at a fraction of the cost. They're the best light shields available for quite some time, so grab as many as you can equip. You've got a lot of new armor available here, but most of it isn't really worth the money. The best choices are Rune Mail - great for Paladins and Giulio, unequippable by anybody else - and Iron Armor if you need more for the tanks on your team. The Misty Minimum has the same shortcoming as the Dragon Coat - that is, its benefit is outweighed by the damage you could be Scrambling to avoid instead - and all of the other pieces are... of limited usefulness. Mithril Armor looks good at first glance, but it's basically Iron Armor with 5 points taken out of DEF and replaced as MDEF. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you already have Iron Armor, why would you pay several thousand gold just to get a slight variant on it that might shave, at most, about 20 damage off an incoming offensive spell? The Lorica has the same overlap problem with Chain Mail; they're just too similar to warrant spending more money on. The Lamellar has this problem even worse; the only advantage it has over Chain Mail is +5 RES. None of these armors are worth the cost. The Full Metal Coat actually has some potential. It is only equippable by Throwers, and it offers them the most +MDEF of any piece of armor they can equip. Its stats are very similar to the Silphy Garb, but since you might not have had the cash to buy the Silphy Garb and anyway might want to have it equipped on somebody other than your Thrower, the Full Metal Coat can become your go-to body armor for Throwers, especially on scenes with Sorceresses. It's a lot cheaper than the Silphy Garb, too. Pure Grace and the Black Maria are what I call "RES-focused armor," which is to say they offer a bit of DEF, a bit of MDEF, and a heavy chunk of RES to defend against status ailments. RES-focused armor is difficult to rate. On the one hand, sacrificing sturdiness for merely the CHANCE of avoiding ailments is generally not thought to be a fair trade. On the other hand, status ailments are very potent weapons and you can often make up for the armor loss with head and arm pieces, such as the Angel Halo and the Magic Gauntlet. Where do I fall on this debate? Honestly, I'm still not sure. For quite a while, I dismissed both pieces as useless, but the Pure Grace only gives up +5 Defense to give +15 more RES than the Joker armor, and it has Air affinity instead of Water, which will serve Alissa well once she gets the Shangri-La lance. Pretty sure the Black Maria is still just bad, though. The Servant, surprisingly, has the second-highest DEF of any armor equippable by the Witch or the Sorceress. It sacrifices MDEF to give you this and is eventually outclassed in every way by the peerless Walkyrie armor, but physical attacks are in general more dangerous to go up against than magical ones; you fight more fighters than mages throughout the game, Beats are primarily physical, and you can't Scramble out of the way of physical attacks the way you can out of magic. All this combines to make the Servant a surprisingly attractive option for the magical ladies of your army. (Actually, considering it's a maid uniform, maybe its attractiveness is not so surprising....) It's mostly for Sorceresses and Priestesses, though, since Witches can get an equal DEF stat from the Lovely One-Piece. So all told, we have the worthwhile Rune Mail and Iron Armor; the situationally useful Full Metal Coat and Servant; the potential of the Pure Grace; and no other good buys whatsoever. Body armor isn't at a premium here, clearly. The headpieces are a bit better. The Holy Brim is a nice, light helm that prevents Curse and Stone; you'll have to deal with Stone soon and Curse down the line, so it's a beneficial buy. The Beastbone Helm just prevents Aerism, but it offers a lot of Defense for not much CAP, which is nice. The Feather Ornament is old hat (haha,) but still good. The Hero's Crown and the Magic Tiara are solid equips, but they are a little bit heavy and neither DEF 1/2 nor MDEF 1/2 are common ailments in this game. You can also buy them later, when money's not so tight. The Rapid Rabbit is one of only two helmets in the game with CT reduction on it, which makes it incredibly valuable to the very few units who can equip it. Though it is extremely heavy - what are they making those bunny ears out of, that this thing weighs 36 CAP?! - it is essential in order for Witches and Alissa to hit their maximum CT numbers. Used properly, it can be extremely potent. Most of the Hand equips we've already seen before, but only as enemy drops or chest contents, and most of them are quite alluring. The Vamp Nail offers CAST reduction and a lifestealing Boost effect. The MG Gadget's "Ranged Tactics Damage +50%" is a great contribution to any projectile-heavy team composition. The Overdrive is very useful, offering 35 CT and a great Boost, but it's totally outclassed by the Chrono, so if you're only using one magic-user and you got the Chrono from Isabelli on Stage 12, you won't need the Overdrive. Chrono aside, however, it's a great equip for Paulo, Sorceresses, Paladins, and more. (Holy Sabre, Rune Mail, and the Overdrive... Paladins are really making out at this shop, aren't they? Oh hush up, you yaoi fangirls snickering in the corner there.) The Ruby Arm Guard, the Javelick Blue, and the Obsidian Gauntlet are HIT- and elemental affinity-boosting accessories that also sport above-average defenses, making them useful if you happen to be using any of the equipping units. None of them are must-buys, but all are respectable additions to the appropriate team composition. Buy at your own convenience. And finally we come to the shoes. The Gram Canceller is simply not worth the ridiculous price and the Twilight Leggings have already been discussed, but the other shoes.... The Cat Feet are awesome for Alissa. They have a Specialty II counter, which works perfectly with her Chilled Lance, and reduce her DEL by 1. Their high CAP is inconvenient at Alissa's current level, but that will soon be fixed as she continues to hit people and gain levels at a breakneck pace. They are well worth grabbing while you have the chance - as long as you're using Alissa, of course - and this is, in fact, your only chance to do so. The Shinobi Shoes and the Shadow Sandals are both EXCELLENT Assassin equips. The Shinobi Shoes reduce your DEL by a whopping 2 points, while the Shadow Sandals increase your MV, again by a whopping 2 points. Which to equip is a matter of your personal preference, as well as which Assassin (s) you're using in your team; both are incredible shoes you should definitely take advantage of if you can. The same goes for the Tricky Boots, Trickster-only equips that increase MV and JM by 1. With these, the Scorpion Tail, and the Rune Knife, Tricksters finally come into their own in this game! Thank the gods! Let's wrap up. The Ping Pong Pumps are simple shoes that boost your JM by 1. These can be nice, but I think there are usually better shoe options. The Sabbath shoes, on the other hand, are Water-affinity shoes that reduce CT by 15! They're a bit on the heavy side - 27 CAP - but that's still much lighter than the Rapid Rabbit and they can be equipped by Sorceresses as well. I'm a big fan of the Sabbath shoes; I'd recommend them. Phew. And we're about to head into another store to do it all over again. Oh dear.... PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: No preparation, as there is no fight! ******************************************************************************* [SC15] ************** *** SCENE 15 *** ************** EVENTS OF THE NOW Adversity is the first path to truth. No combat ******************************************************************************* Oh Elise. You are so weird. DECISION: Reject her idea (+1 Chaos) Choose to fight together (A+ Ending) ************* * AFTERWORD * ************* .Natalia joins your army! NEW WAR GOD .The God of Nobility, Vanagandr, is unlocked! Vanagandr is a bit of an oddity in that he is the only War God that can actually kill somebody. Einherjar only does percentage-based damage and none of the other War Gods do damage at all, but Vanagandr? When summoned, Vanagandr strikes his targets for a large amount of damage - possibly based off Gungnir's current power, although I'm not certain about that - and inflicts a random status ailment on everything he touches. This combination of damage and interfering ailments makes Vanagandr an excellent War God to summon when your team is being heavily pushed to the ropes. The ailments he causes give you a chance to pull your army together and get back in the fight, while the damage he causes can take out weakened foes and give you a head start on those that remain. As an opening gambit, he tends to be less effective than Einherjar or Midgardsormr; his damage isn't as great as an early Einherjar that cuts the map's HP in half, and his utility isn't as strong as Midgardsormr's equipment destruction. Still, Vanagandr is a potent ace to hold in reserve up your sleeve for when things go horribly wrong, and you can never have too many of those! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-15-16] SCENE 15-16 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ****************************** POSSIBLE CAMP MODE RECRUITS ****************************** KNIGHTS Gordon David Hugo Clark LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1055 HP: 1202 HP: 1215 HP: 1156 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 123 CAP: 126 CAP: 132 CAP: 120 Spec: I Spec: II Spec: II Spec: III Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: 0 Wind: -3 Wind: 1 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: 1 PALADINS Ariel Clifford Braddor LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1040 HP: 1144 HP: 1026 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 132 CAP: 108 CAP: 111 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: III Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: -1 Wind: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 TRICKSTERS Ulithi Evi LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1080 HP: 1052 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 132 CAP: 129 Spec: IV Spec: III Fire: 2 Fire: -3 Water: -3 Water: 3 Wind: 1 Wind: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 ARCHERS Kashmir Charles LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1134 HP: 875 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 105 CAP: 132 Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 0 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Water: 0 Wind: -3 Wind: 0 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 PRIESTESSES Cecilia Azema LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 805 HP: 965 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 129 CAP: 126 Spec: I Spec: II Fire: 3 Fire: 2 Water: 1 Water: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: -1 SORCERESSES Velanche Barthez LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 993 HP: 953 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 108 CAP: 120 Spec: IV Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Water: 1 Water: -1 Wind: 0 Wind: 3 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 WITCHES Lulu LV: 31 HP: 848 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 120 Spec: II Fire: 0 Water: 0 Wind: -3 Earth: 3 **************************** SKILLED BLACKSMITH'S SHOP **************************** WEAPONS ******* Dark Saber (1H Sword) Dark Saber (1H Sword) Holy Sabre (Greatsword) Holy Sabre (Greatsword) Deathbringer (Greatsword) Blue Stinger (Rapier) Silver Moon (Axe) Mana Dagger (Dagger) Rune Knife (Dagger) Griffin Talon (Claw) Snatcher (Claw) Leyte Claw (Claw) Spider Spike (Tool) Naga Fangs (Tool) Scorpion Tail (Tool) Thunder Chain (Whip) Dragon Eater (Whip) Elfin Bow (Bow) Flint Bow (Bow) Grief Bowgun (Bowgun) Arbalest (Bowgun) Ice Javelin (Javelin) Gladius (Javelin) Gladius (Javelin) Knight Killer (Javelin) Moonlight Rod (Rod) Gargoyle Rod (Rod) Book of Laura (Grimoire) Noir (Broom) Apple Tree (Broom) Cryocross (Broom) Sapphire Mace (Mace) Lilybell Wand (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Round Shield (Small) Round Shield (Small) ARMOR ***** Misty Minimum Pauldron Lamellar Full Metal Coat Raven Cloth Mirage Garb Joker Pure Grace Valiant Robe Black Maria HEAD **** Beastbone Helm Hermet Hood HAND **** Overdrive Javelick Blue FOOT **** Leg Warmer Spikes Jewel Anklet Frog Shoes ACCESSORIES *********** Cheering Flag Charge Bugle CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Art of War Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Thankfully, most of the items in this shop are things you've already seen before (some of them very recently, in just the last shop). Also thankfully, several of the items that are new to you are not actually particularly useful. However, there are definitely a few that are worth your time, much to the anxiety of your increasingly anemic wallet. Let's start, not with the weapons, but with going straight to the Accessory tab, where you will find a Cheering Flag and a Charge Bugle for sale! Buy these first, before anything else. They may be a whopping 10,000 gold each, but you always need more Gems to buff up those shiny new weapons you're getting ahold of. This is one of the three most valuable purchases you can make in this shop, so go ahead and snag them first thing. The Deathbringer is NOT one of the other most important purchases you can make in this store, rather to my disappointment (because it looks awesome). The 7- Star Sword is more powerful and the Holy Sabre is just plain-out superior. The Deathbringer's claim to fame is the intriguing Branded status, which causes the victim to take damage whenever they successfully attack somebody. This is a kind of cool status ailment to be throwing around, but Burn and Poison do much more damage (and you don't have to eat hits for them to work, either). The Blue Stinger WOULD be one of the most important purchases you can make in this store, being a rapier that causes Knockback and, by virtue of being a rapier, ignores Weapon Guard. It even attacks two squares in a straight line, allowing the wielder to damage multiple units in a row and ignore Weapon Guard on both of them. However, Natalia joined your party equipped with a Blue Stinger, and while it's a very good weapon, you don't need to buy another one. A new rapier will be coming up soon that is essentially the fire equivalent of the Blue Stinger, so if you're insistent on using both Elise and Natalia and giving them both rapiers, my advice is to hold off until you can buy a Crimson Red instead of buying a second Blue Stinger here. The Flint Bow is the second of the most important purchases in this store. It's first bow that actually jostles the Gust Bow's position atop its pedestal, due not to range or versatility, but to sheer power. This bow can cause Burn from a distance and immediately, without the cast time inherent to the Magical Sword or the Kikimora. Every Archer wants one of these babies, even if just so he can yell "FLAME ON!" and chuckle maliciously while his enemies combust. Gunners are not nearly as happy with their new weapon for this scene as Archers are with theirs. The Arbalest is substandard; it's just a slightly stronger version of the Iron Bowgun that you'd have to build up Mastery with all over again. Ignore it. Surprisingly, that's all the new weapons, so let's move along to the new armor. The Pauldron is a piece of heavy armor, which is to say it has high DEF (+25) but lowers your MOVE and JUMP and raises your DEL. I am not a fan of heavy armor on anything that isn't a Knight, and as the Pauldron cannot be equipped by Knights, I would label the Pauldron as "completely useless." The Joker is similar to the Mirage Garb but slightly more Defensive rather than Magic-Defensive. It also happens to be one of the better pieces of armor for Alissa to equip, having low CAP and a nice round robin of DEF, MDEF, and RES. It's good, but it'll be in the stores again soon, so you can skip it if you can't afford it just now. The Valiant Robe, on the other hand, is just the Classic Robe with +5 more DEF. It's only worthwhile if you don't already have enough Classic Robes for your Sorceresses. What's this? Can it be...?! IT IS! The Hermet Hood, the Trickster and Thrower equivalent of the Intelli Ribbon! If you're using either of these classes, the Hermet Hood is obviously the third of the important purchases you can make in this store, and it's not very hard to see why. I've already given you the spiel when the Intelli Ribbon was on sale, but here's the Cliffsnotes version in case you've forgotten why +TP equipment is so good: 1. Equip +TP armor 2. Run around like a maniac 3. ??? 4. Profit ...where "???" stands for your favorite method of murdering people en masse. Good times. We've seen the Overdrive and the Javelick Blue before, so let's move on to the shoes. Here we've got two newbies: the Leg Warmer and the Jewel Anklet. The Leg Warmer is actually pretty good; it protects against Freeze, something you'll be seeing in the next few battles, and it can be equipped by a variety of female units. It's not a high priority, but it's not a bad buy either, even though I'm sure it looks horribly tacky when worn. In contrast we have the Jewel Anklet, which is rather pretty, but not particularly useful. It prevents your elemental affinities from changing in battle due to the influence of the -ism status effects or Boosts from the Roses (Crimson Rose, Ice Rose, etc.) Meh. Pass on that one. That leaves only the Spikes, which are rather lackluster equipment to end on. They're shoes that offer a respectable +10 DEF and an immunity to Slippery, which is a status we come up against exactly twice in the game - and one of those two times is already behind us. Pity, that means I won't be able to make any MLP jokes about them down the line. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Thank goodness, a fight to help recover our poor, starving wallets! Much like Scene 14, this fight is a nice and easy one that can help you give Alissa a level boost before she has to start getting into real combat. If you're going to use her here, equip her with the Chilled Lance, a Medicinal Herb package, and either Glass Shoes or the Cat Feet. The Chilled Lance has a Specialty II attack. The Glass Shoes and the Cat Feet offer a Specialty II counterattack. The pair of Drakes off on the edge of the next map have a Specialty II attack. I'm sure you can see the purpose of this setup for our favorite Royal. For the rest of your team, Giulio is required to be your Ace, so you'll want to touch up his equipment if you haven't been using him. Getting enough Base Panels on this stage to use Ragnarok is possible, but not the easiest thing in the world, and anyway that will cut the amount of leveling Alissa can do. I'd drop Gungnir for a good sword - preferably one with knockback unlocked on it - a Round Shield, and no, I repeat, NO helmet! The Brutes on this next scene wield Kill Blades and can break helmets, so don't equip them. Your remaining two members can be just about anybody, but I advise you bring at least one character with knockback, especially if the sword you give Giulio doesn't have it. Even better, give Elise the Blue Stinger or a Trickster a Cutlass and equip them with the Mermaid Pareo. All of the elemental damage you'll be taking on this coming scene is Water-elemental, and the stage layout is very tight and close. Think back to the Great Divide of Scene 09 and you'll have a good idea of what's coming, just with water instead of bottomless hell- pits. A character with knockback is the quickest and easiest way to eliminate the enemies ahead, and if you also can equip a piece of armor that invalidates half the attacks heading your way - well! You're just made for this map, then, aren't you? Finally, equip all the Freeze protection you have. Freeze is the overwhelming primary status on the coming map, so you're going to want as many people as you can have equipped with Sun Cloaks, Mermaid Pareos, or Leg Warmers. The other status you might see is Silent. If you've got some Pointy Hats, it would be wise - though not essential - to equip them on any casters you're bringing into the fight. Lastly, if you, for some reason, have got any Frog Shoes, now's the time to equip them; this is one of only two maps in the entire game to have currents, so if you've got the shoes to counter that, might as well make use of them. ******************************************************************************* [SC16] ************** *** SCENE 16 *** ************** ASTRAL PROPHECY There is no justice in the world. Battle: Battle in the Northern Permafrost ******************************************************************************* [SC16-1] SCENE 16-1 Victory Condition: -Rescue Heramia. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! -Escort Fails -> Heramia must not die... Date and Time: ASGARD 3, 984 AM 9:00 Time limit: ASGARD 6, 984 AM 6:00 Ace Options: Giulio Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: Teller (Heramia) Jewel Anklet Elixir Enemies: Brute x2 (Drasban, Gaspard) ********* Kill Blade Axe Break Head Viking Helm Head Armor DEF +15, Prevent Fleeing Defender Hand Armor DEF +15, Prevent Half Guard Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Sorceress x2 (Lura, Tilura) ********* Icicle Rod Rod Freeze, Silent Force Bracelet Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Melee Weapon Damage +50% Crystal Circlet Head Armor MDEF +15, Prevent Phys Aura Aqua Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +20, Immune: Fire Drake x2 (Babbe, Drubo) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Dragon Physique Physique Knockback, Burn Undine x2 (Felicite, Lala) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Northern Spear Trident Gravity Ice Javelin Javelin Freeze, Void DEF Chests: Lumiel x3 - Seven squares in front of Drubo the Drake, against the edge of the map. Potion x3 - Four squares in front of your Ace. *UNIQUE* Shell Shoes - One square in front of and one square to Drubo the Drake's right. Viking Helm - One square behind and one square to Lala the Undine's right. Mermaid Fin +1 - Two squares behind and one square to Felicite the Undine's left. Cuirass - Two squares behind and one square to Felicite the Undine's right. Healing Gloves - Three squares in front of Tilura the Sorceress. Objects: N/A The opposition on this map takes place on three distinct levels. Most prominently, to the west, on a long snowbank against the water, you have a group of bandits - two Brutes and two Sorceresses - cornering the guest for the map, Heramia. Heramia's unique class is Teller, which is functionally useless in battle, but you can't say she doesn't know her own weaknesses. Equipped only with a Jewel Anklet and an Elixir, Heramia immediately makes a break for your own troops and will do her best to stay behind you and away from enemies once she reaches you. The second level of engagement comes from the east. Almost hidden by the rocky cliffs, a pair of Drakes lie in wait at the edge of the water. If you send all four of your characters to confront the bandits threatening Heramia, the Drakes will come up behind you and gobble her up instead. They're not particularly strong, so as long as you're aware that they're lying in wait, you should be able to handle them. They can come as a nasty surprise if you're not paying attention, though. The third and final facet of the battle is far out to sea. Lurking in the depths of the open ocean waters are two Undine equipped with Northern Spears and Ice Javelins. These Undine typically stay far away, safe beneath several metric tons of salt water, and hurl their javelins at you from the distance. This means that they usually miss when they throw, as they're too far away to aim properly. However, if they do hit you, they stand a good chance of causing Freeze, which can really mess around with your battle plans. Sun Cloaks, Mermaid Pareos, and Leg Warmers will help with that. You must split your forces in such a way as to defeat the bandits while still holding off the Drakes. How you're going to want to do this will fluctuate greatly based on your party composition, but here's a few tips: First, Alissa is a great choice for dealing with the Drakes. As stated in the Battle Preparation section, Alissa has a Specialty II attack. The Drakes do as well. Equip her with Glass Shoes or Cat Feet for the Specialty II counter and she'll probably block and counter a good percentage of both Drakes' attacks, easily occupying their attention and gaining a few more levels in the process. If you don't want to use Alissa, or if you don't feel she's strong enough to handle it on her own, a Priestess or a Knight can also hold the east side of the map pretty easily. An Assassin equipped with Shinobi Shoes or Shadow Sandals might also be able to dive in and push them both off the edge of the map before they can even attack her. Be careful, though! The Drakes' Dragon Charge causes Knockback, so be sure never to stand with your back to the edge of the map while in the squat dragons' vicinity. Second, if you only have one character with Knockback, be sure to send that character to deal with the bandits. The Brutes and Sorceresses are pretty easy to lure out onto the snowbank Heramia starts off on. This snowbank is two squares wide, with water on one side and the edge of the map on the other. If you can stand next to any enemy on this area, you can knock them off to their doom - and none of the human enemies here can cause Knockback themselves, meaning you can position yourself without fear as long as the Drakes aren't around. Third, be very, very, VERY careful about navigating through the shallow waters connecting your ice floe to the bandits' ice floe. These treacherous oceans are filled with deceptive, slow-moving currents that can pull you to your death if you're not careful. Basically, every once in a while, in between turns, a random unit - it can be allied or enemy, the currents make no distinction - standing in the water will get pulled to an adjacent square with deeper water than the square they're currently standing on. So a character standing in water of 0.5 depth would get pulled to a square with 1.0 depth. There is no pause or message in the battle system to note that this is happening unless the character gets pulled into a depth of 2.0 or greater, at which point they drown, dying instantly. Obviously you want to avoid this. You can equip Frog Shoes to prevent the currents from having an effect on you, but Frog Shoes are kind of useless other than that, so you may not have any. If you don't, just make sure you never, EVER leave your characters standing in 1.5 depths. 0.5 and 1.0 are perfectly safe even if currents strike, as you won't get pulled into drowning territory, and you can stand in 1.5 depth as long as you make sure you move very quickly thereafter. Be careful, though! You don't want to have to restart the whole battle just because the ocean ate your Ace. Finally, it's best if the people on the bandits' side of the map have water- resistant equipment. The two Sorceresses are both equipped with Icicle Rods and aren't shy about using them. If somebody water-resistant is in the way, they'll generally default to using the non-elemental Red Pillar instead of Cool Orb or Cold Ruin. While Red Pillar hurts and can cause Silent, it's better than Freeze, which both Cool Orb and Cold Ruin cause. And don't get complacent just because you've made your characters immune to Freeze; those Sorceresses will go after Heramia, too, and if they stop her cold in the middle of the two Brutes, then nasty things will probably happen to her. And not in the fun way. Once Heramia and Giulio touch bases (oh behave!) the situation changes. ******************** [SC16-2] SCENE 16-2 Victory Condition: -Defeat the outlaws! Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 16-1 Time limit: ASGARD 7, 984 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 18 hrs *** >= 18 hrs, < 26 hrs ** >= 26 hrs, < 34 hrs * All enemies, chests, and objects remain the same as they were at the end of Scene 16-1. Advancing to part two of this Scene does nothing except make the battle easier, as it removes the "Protect Heramia" part of the battle condition. If she gets killed from here on out, it's no skin off your sinus cavity. By the point where Heramia and Giulio can stand next to each other to initiate the progress to part two of the fight, your two battle parties - the one or two characters engaging the Drakes and the two or three characters engaging the bandits - are probably mostly in position. Most of the actual thought in this fight comes from preparing for all the status effects and tactical advantages you can seize beforehand. Once you actually come to blows, the tiny spaces and low number of available party members prevents much more strategy than "hack and slash and knockout" from coming into play. Just inflict bodily harm in the way that works best for you and this battle should be over before you know it. There is one last thing, however, specifically for those of you trying to collect every item in the game: those Undine and their unique Northern Spears. This is the only place in the game to get Northern Spears, much like Scene 14 was the only place in the game to get a Coral Spear. Also like the Coral Spear, Northern Spears are completely useless to you; however, if you're really out to get yourself one just to fill out your collection, it's not too difficult. It might take some time, though. Since Undine can't leave the water, you have to lure one or both of them over to the shallows in the southern part of the screen. Since the Undine can only attack in straight lines and are more eager to hurt you than they are to stay safe in the deep water, you can fairly easily arrange for this with just a bit of finagling. It might even happen unintentionally once the Drake-killing party members finish their Drake-killing duties and head over to help with the bandit extermination if the Undine decide to give chase. Once the Undine come up for air in the shallows, jump them, beat them to a bloody pulp, and take their spears. Remember to watch out for the depth of the water around them, though! Don't get the spear only to lose a party member to the currents. There! Another fairly laid-back stage completed, and Alissa should now be at a decent level to be holding her own in combat. That's good, too, because this next stage coming up is going to be a pain in the butt. Particularly for you item collectors out there... oh god. ******************************************************************************* [INTER-16-17] SCENE 16-17 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* **************************** SKILLED BLACKSMITH'S SHOP **************************** WEAPONS ******* Earth Divide (1H Sword) Deathbringer (Greatsword) Blue Stinger (Rapier) Thor's Hammer (Hammer) Mana Dagger (Dagger) Griffin Talon (Claw) Naga Fangs (Tool) Thunder Chain (Whip) Elfin Bow (Bow) Flint Bow (Bow) Grief Bowgun (Bowgun) Arbalest (Bowgun) Book of Gelt (Grimoire) Book of Nanai (Grimoire) Bronze Mace (Mace) Arrow Heart (Wand) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Aqua Robe Sun Cloak Mermaid Pareo Silphy Garb Fuuma Muffler Yggdrasil Pauldron Joker Valiant Robe HEAD **** Holy Brim Firebird Helmet Hero's Crown Silver Wolf Hermet Hood Intelli Ribbon Rapid Rabbit HAND **** Fish Scale Gaunt FOOT **** Leg Warmer Spikes Jewel Anklet Frog Shoes Thief Shoes Insect Shoes ACCESSORIES *********** One-Eyed Dragon Voodoo Doll Black Cat Earring Iron Choker Dog Tag Butterfly Broach Master Key Purging Talisman Black Fan CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Most of the stuff in this store is either old or useless to you, but there are a couple things that are worth looking at. In the weapons tab, the only new weapons worth considering are Thor's Hammer and the Arrow Heart. The Earth Divide is entirely useless to you in every conceivable circumstance, and the Books of Gelt and Nanai - which are perfectly functional and effective books on their own; the Book of Gelt has great single-target healing and the Book of Nanai is ideal for healing at range - have the great misfortune to appear two stages before the best book in the game. Thus, buying them is not worth your time or money (and this makes me sad; I like the Book of Nanai). And we've already talked quite a bit about Maces, and I'm afraid to report that the Bronze Mace is no different from its predecessors in terms of usefulness (or lack thereof). Thor's Hammer, on the other hand, is a solid hammer for any Brute, offering Half Guard with one attack and extra damage against Golems with the other. Its Guard Rating isn't great and you might be able to obtain it as an enemy drop just one battlefield from now, so you might not actually want to spend your money on it, but it's really pretty good and it'll be in stores again after Scene 18, 19, and 20, so you have plenty of time to pick one up if you decide you'd like it. The Arrow Heart is the second-best wand in the game, falling behind its superior - the awesome Twinkle Stick - by a small margin and surpassing its competition - all the other wands in the game - by a large degree. The Arrow Heart has a heal, a quick-to-cast magic spell that causes Burn, and a melee skill and a Beat Action that both cause Charm. Essentially, it has two of the best status effects in the game and an AOE heal to go with it. It might even be better than the Twinkle Stick if your team composition otherwise lacks Burn, and I would recommend buying it and equipping it to Alissa at once if you're using her. The Arrow Heart does slightly less damage than the Chilled Lance, but it cannot be blocked or evaded and you're about to go up against several scenes full of enemies with high defense and low magic defense. Plus - just in case you forgot - it causes Burn. Burn, you guys, Burn!! You in the back there - I didn't mean you PERSONALLY. Somebody douse him, please. The Armor tab on this shop is again filled with all of the element-absorbing and -nullifying armors from the Scene 12-13 Shop, as well as extras of the Pauldron, Joker, and Valiant Robe. None of these pieces are new to you, so I think you can trust your own judgment on which ones to purchase. There are two new helmets in the store: the Firebird Helmet and the Silver Wolf. The Firebird Helmet is the fire-elemental, Aquism-protecting version of the Beastbone Helm, offering an identical (and still worthwhile) +15 DEF and +45 RES. Its main disadvantage is that it can only be equipped by Giulio - who already has the Beastbone Helm - and Knights - who already have the Iron Heaume. This makes it somewhat less appealing. The Silver Wolf, on the other hand, is a decent helmet statistically and offers protection from Scapegoat. Scapegoat is pretty rare as far as status ailments go, but when it happens, it can be seriously unpleasant (it's lost me battles before,) so the Silver Wolf isn't a bad thing to devote an equipment slot to on occasion. There is another Hermet Hood, Intelli Ribbon, and Rapid Rabbit here. These headpieces are just as good as they were earlier, but you probably have at least one Intelli Ribbon, a Hermet Hood if you use Throwers, and a Rapid Rabbit if you wanted it already, making their presence here less exciting than they were earlier. Get more if you want them! Otherwise, moving on. We're just going to skip right past the Fish Scale Gaunt, because at this point there are only two stages remaining in the game where we could possibly use it and chances are good that even then, we will not. Feet-wise we have another Leg Warmer that can protect against Freeze. I'm going to be honest, though; most of the Freeze-users in the game are behind us at this point. There will be a few on Scene 18, though, so if you want to get this last Leg Warmer just to be safe, go for it. Spikes, Jewel Anklet, and Frog Shoes are all familiar to you by now, but Thief Shoes are new and actually kind of cool. They reduce DEL by one and can be equipped by several characters, among them Giulio and Paulo. They're pretty heavy - 32 CAP - but they're still good despite that, much like the Cat Feet for Alissa. The Insect Shoes are JUMP boosters, which has its uses as well, but they are not quite as useful - in my opinion - as the Thief Shoes. (Although the next stage is definitely a stage Insect Shoes can be useful on! So if you were going to buy them, now is a good time.) Nothing new in the Accessories, so that wraps up today's "What to Buy" section! PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Before you enter this fight, there is a crucial question you must ask yourself: are you or are you not going to try to get Pamela's Broom? This is a unique, one-of-a-kind, four-star Broom that can only be gotten right here, and only by defeating Pamela and taking it from her by force. Once you have the answer to that question, you must ask yourself Crucial Scene 17 Question Number Two: are you or are you not going to try to get any of the chest or object items from the second half of the map? These items include the Tri Shot +5; the Dried Dozeu; the Dragonia Armor; and the Misteltein. The Tri Shot +5 would of course take several Gems to make on your own, the Dragonia Armor is both indispensable and expensive, and the Misteltein is one-of-a-kind and cannot be obtained elsewhere. Are you going to try to get them? This is important because this scene you are about to enter is divided in half by a gigantic mountain plunked smack-dab in the middle of it. You and 4/5ths of the enemies start on one side of the mountain. One Assassin begins on the opposite side of the mountain. And Pamela sits right on top of it. If you answered "No" to both of the Crucial Scene 17 Questions, then you don't need to worry about this mountain, nor much about Pamela. Equip Noels on as many people as possible to prevent Sleep and then set up for a big barroom brawl in whatever way you usually do. Nothing to it. If you answered "Yes" to EITHER of the Crucial Scene 17 Questions, then you are going to have to get over that enormous mountain one way or another in order to get the items you seek. The easiest way - oh, by far the easiest way! - is to field a Witch on this map. Her Flying movement will not only allow her to traverse the rocky mountain and the impassable pits around it with ease, but it will allow her to keep pace with Pamela, who is a Witch herself (well, a Mystic to be precise, but it's the same thing, really). If you don't have a Witch, your only recourse is to walk over the mountain, which has a slender, one-panel-wide panel winding up its icy heights and down to the other side. You will have to send one or two characters to the other side of the mountain to get the items and corner Pamela, who typically flees into the air the moment somebody looks at her, let alone walks toward her. In this situation, you will want to equip all of the MV, JM, and DEL-improving equipment you can on the chosen item-collecting units. Assassins are the best choices for this, with either the Shinobi Shoes or the Shadow Sandals. Tamers work quite well for this as well, using Amazon Shoes. Tricksters can equip the Tricky Boots. Ping Pong Pumps work, as do Insect Shoes and Wheel Greaves. Load up your chosen item collector with the best of these shoe options and some Move and Jump Ampules, if you've got any. Free range of movement is vital for this character. You also want them to be strong enough to kill Pamela if you're going for her broom, so don't skimp on their weapon! You cannot inflict status effects on Pamela; she is permanently afflicted by the Pam. Virus ailment, and just like Isabeli's Skeletons back on Scene 12, this overrides any different ailment you might try to stick on her. Therefore, ignore ailments when picking out a weapon. Just go with something strong that hurts a damn lot. Pamela's magic is unfortunately non-elemental, so you won't be able to do much to resist it besides equipping Magic Defense. The other enemies are mostly non- elemental damage-dealers as well, aside from the Assassins, who all have Wind- elemental weapons. Break out the Silphy Garbs and Fuuma Mufflers if you bought them! Otherwise, just equip your best armor and don't worry about it too much. The Assassins don't do much damage anyway. There are a LOT of status effects flying around in this fight, among them Stone, Sleep, Sticky, Poison, Silent, and Shieldless. You may want to go out of your way to equip some countermeasures to these effects: Stone: Holy Brim Sleep: Noel Sticky: Tough Boots, Ranger Boots Poison: Basilisk Shield Silent: Pointy Hat Shieldless: Gauntlet (not available yet) Finally, don't forget to save. If you're a hardcore item collector, you might have to replay this stage several times to get all of the items you want out of it. The last thing you want to do is reach the Scene 17-18 Interlude and then realize you can't reset to before this battle if it turned out badly! ******************************************************************************* [SC17] ************** *** SCENE 17 *** ************** WHAT IS TRULY NEEDED While the thunder lasted, two bad men were friends. Battle: Fending off the Mountain Bandits ******************************************************************************* SCENE 17 Victory Condition: -Defeat Rodrigues. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: VANAN 4, 984 PM 16:00 Time limit: VANAN 9, 984 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 36 hrs *** >= 36 hrs, < 44 hrs ** >= 44 hrs, < 52 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Paulo Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Bandit (Rodrigues) BOSS Berserker +9 Axe Break Hand Iron Armor Body Armor DEF +25 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Beastbone Helm Head Armor DEF +15, Prevent Aerism Tamer (Griselda) ********* Vitra Whip +7 Whip Stone, Capture Suigetsu Katana GUARD 39%, Counter III Amazon Boots Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter I Oat Bread x2 Consumable Mild HP Recovery Mystic (Pamela) N/A Pamela's Broom Broom Knockback, Pam. Virus Lovely One-Piece Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Tamer x1 (Allyson) **** Kraken Whip Sticky Stone Head Head Armor DEF +15, Prevent all elemental -isms Tough Boots Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter II, Prevent Sticky Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Tamer x1 (Luminilia) **** Kraken Whip Sticky Silver Wolf Head Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, Prevent Scapegoat Tough Boots Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter II, Prevent Sticky Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Assassin x1 (Melin) ***** Rune Knife Dagger Silent, TP Damage 3 Thief Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter IV Mighty Ring Accessory MDEF +10, Prevent DEF 1/2 Assassin x1 (Ethel) ***** Rune Knife Dagger Silent, TP Damage 3 Thief Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter IV Magic Ring Accessory MDEF +10, Prevent MDEF 1/2 Assassin x1 (Rillette) ***** Jackhand Claw Shieldless, +Human, Steal Thief Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter IV Mighty Ring Accessory MDEF +10, Prevent DEF 1/2 Harpy x2 (Boel, Lynn) **** Neutral (does not need to be killed) Harpy Physique Physique Poison, TP Damage 3 Chests: *RARE* Golden Hammer - One square behind and four squares to your Ace's right. *UNIQUE* Shell Breastplate - One square in front of and one square to your Ace's left. 7-Star Sword - Two squares in front and one square to Melin the Assassin's left. Dragonia Armor - Six squares behind Ethel the Assassin. *UNIQUE* Mistelteinn - Seven squares behind Pamela. Angel Halo - Five squares in front of and one square to Rillette the Assassin's left. Arrow Heart - Directly behind Lynn the Harpy. Objects: Berserk +5 - Pile of wood directly to Ethel the Assassin's left. Tri Shot +5 - Pile of wood three squares behind and one square to Boel the Harpy's left. Dozeu - Large vase three squares behind and two squares to Boel the Harpy's left, next to the wood with the Tri Shot +5 in it. Dozeu - Wooden barrel in front of Melin the Assassin. Dried Dozeu - Partially destroyed barrel in front of Rillette the Assassin. As discussed in the battle preparation section, the setting for this stage is a giant mountain smack in the middle of the arctic tundra. The mountain divides this stage in two, containing you on one long strip of snowbank with Griselda and her Tamers. Two Assassins lurk around the curve of the mountain, and a third makes her way toward you from the other side of the mountain. Rodrigues, the target for the stage, stands halfway up the one trail up the mountain, blocking the way to the ditzy Mystic Pamela, who bumbles around on top of the mountain being narcoleptic and generally random (which is par for the course where Pamela is concerned, in any of the Department Heaven games). Rodrigues, in the manner of most boss units, doesn't move until he takes damage, and the two Assassins near him won't move until he or they take damage either. Griselda, her Tamers, and the Harpies on the stage come right at you, though, so you'll want to deal with them before you antagonize Rodrigues and his fatal fangirls. The Tamers can actually be quite annoying. Both wield Kraken whips, which cause Sticky, a status ailment that drops the afflicted character's MV and JM to 1. This ailment can seriously impede your ability to organize your characters and make any kind of progress with the stage. Tough Boots guard against this effect, but you may not have any, in which case you'll just want to focus on taking the Tamers out as quickly as possible. This isn't too difficult, as their defensive capabilities aren't great. Pile into them with Beats and perhaps some Burn or Poison and they should die rapidly. Griselda is mostly the same as her Tamer minions, but instead of the Kraken, she is equipped with the dangerous Vitra Whip. This whip has the ability to turn you to stone during Beats, which the Harpies might initiate with their Scratch Fever attack. Fortunately, she might instead waste her turns by using Interdependence to Capture one of your party members. This is easily countered simply by attacking her, which you'll be doing anyway. Queue up for a few big Beats on the lady bandit and she should quickly fall. While you're handling the Tamers and Harpies, however, Pamela is probably going to be poking at you with a stick. And by "a stick," I mean her infinite-range knockback spell, Pamela's Spellcraft. Unless you're packing serious MDEF, it's a pretty painful spell to get hit by, and if you happen to be standing at the edge of the map when she hits you with it, it's goodbye, you. Fortunately, even with a Serpent equipped, Pamela's Spellcraft takes a while to cast, giving you plenty of time to get out of its straight line of effect. Sometimes Pamela will hang back on top of the mountain or on its far side and spam Pamela's Spellcraft. This makes her easy to handle; just keep an eye on where she's casting Pamela's Spellcraft and you can ignore her otherwise. Sometimes she flies into the middle of the action and starts depositing Magic Square Gram traps everywhere instead. If she does this, the fastest way to get rid of her is to whack her a few times with something sharp and painful. Once Pamela loses some health, she inevitably high-tails it to safety on the other side of the map and returns to Pamela's Spellcraft. This is good, because Magic Squares hurt a lot and cause the Pam. Virus status effect. Pam. Virus is a permanent status effect that, randomly throughout the fight, will transform into the Pam. Dream status, which is essentially Sleep. Pam. Dream will last for another random period of time, then turn back into Pam. Virus, at which point the character will be able to move again... until the Pam. Dream strikes again and seizes them with narcolepsy, that is. It's a pretty annoying status effect, but the good thing about it is that Pamela herself starts the battle afflicted by it. If you're particularly lucky, she might spend the entire battle sleeping, far away from the action. You can also just equip Noels on as many people as possible to make them immune to the sleep effects of Pam. Dream. Assuming that the enemies don't destroy you completely with their barrage of status effects - which, with proper foresight and a bit of careful positioning, they shouldn't be able to - you'll get your chance to make a counterattack. To be honest, while the enemies here are annoying and status-happy, they aren't all that difficult to defeat. The close quarters make them easy to Knockback off the map, and none of them are equipped with particularly strong armor or blessed with very high HP. The Harpies cannot be handled with knockback, as Hovering units are immune to it, but Harpies are also completely defenseless to physical or magical attacks and therefore shouldn't be too hard to kill in any other way you desire. Rodrigues - who is also immune to Knockback, being the boss of the scene - is the toughest opponent here, and while he's no cakewalk, he's no Robertus, either. Using his Berserker axe, he can strike multiple targets or break one target's Hand equipment, but he can't cause any status effects or pull out any nasty tricks like Robertus' Void DEF or Isabeli's Undead lifedraining. While his DEF is high, he has no MDEF whatsoever... and Alissa happens to have a brazzle-dazzle new wand with a magic spell on it that causes Burn. Blow fire out of the Arrow Heart or a Paladin's Magical Sword for a few turns and the vengeful Bandit is bound to be inflicted with Burn, which is basically the ultimate boss-killer of Gungnir. With Burn and Beats chipping at Rodrigues from all sides, he's easy enough to bring down. The problem child of this fight is Pamela, or, to be more specific, her one-of- a-kind hot pink broom. Pamela's Broom isn't actually that great of a weapon, but it is the first four-star weapon you can obtain and is also bright pink, both of which are equally good reasons to own it. If you have a Witch of your own, have her fly up and engage Pamela in one-on-one magical combat. Not only is the idea of Pamela and a rival Witch soaring through the sky, shooting eldritch blasts and runic traps at one another while the rest of your party battles fiercely with Rodrigues and Griselda far beneath them on the ground, totally awesome, but it's the easiest way to keep up with her constant running away. Failing a Witch, or any of the alternate high-movement setups discussed in the battle preparations, you can try picking away at Pamela from a distance using Sorceresses, Archers, and Throwers. It might be tempting to knock her off the map, as she likes to lurk around the edges of it, but remember that doing so will not get you an item drop, preventing you from getting her broom! You'll have to slog it out the old-fashioned way, whether it be with direct damage or status effects, if you want that rosy trophy for your own. If Pamela is being completely intractable and refusing to drop her broom even when tracked down and soundly trounced, don't forget that you can stack the odds for the broom-drop in your favor by destroying her armor using a Brute's Break skills, stealing her Elixir using an Assassin's thievery skills, or removing all of her non-Broom equipment by summoning Midgardsormr. These measures will greatly increase the chances of getting her broom, which in turn greatly reduces the chances of you chucking your PSP down the garbage disposal out of frustration. Good hunting, young item collector. I wish you luck. DECISION: Refute him (+1 Law) Say nothing (+1 Chaos) ******************************************************************************* [INTER-17-18] SCENE 17-18 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ************************** FOREIGN MERCHANT'S SHOP ************************** WEAPONS ******* Dark Saber (1H Sword) Holy Sabre (Greatsword) Deathbringer (Greatsword) Blue Stinger (Rapier) Sunrise (Axe) Rune Knife (Dagger) Snatcher (Claw) Leyte Claw (Claw) Jackhand (Claw) Bloody Claw (Claw) Scorpion Tail (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Dragon Eater (Whip) Kraken (Whip) Suigetsu (Katana) Flint Bow (Bow) Arbalest (Bowgun) Ice Javelin (Javelin) Gladius (Javelin) Gargoyle Rod (Rod) Cryocross (Broom) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Dragon Coat Mithril Armor Rune Mail Iron Armor Pauldron Lorica Joker Classic Robe Valiant Robe Lovely One-Piece Servant HEAD **** Pointy Hat Hermet Hood HAND **** Vamp Nail MG Gadget Mystic Bangle Ruby Arm Guard Obsidian Glove FOOT **** Leg Warmer Wonder Sandals Spikes Jewel Anklet Tricky Boots ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Ether Ether Move Ampule Move Ampule Jump Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Moon Lily x7 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Let's see what we've got in the store todaaaooohohoHO. Why hel~LO there, Mr. Handsome Shopkeep. And what were you planning on doing tonight after you closed up shop? If you don't have anything in mind, let me make a few sugges- *cough* That is, erm. Moving on. Let's see what this oh-so-fine gentleman has under his - dammit - I mean inside his - double dammit - available for my, that is, YOUR consump - you know what, any transition I try to make here is just going to turn into innuendo. Surprise Sunrise analysis ahoy! The Sunrise is a pretty good axe. Its initial ability is Shield Crush, which makes your life when dealing with Knights approximately a zillion times easier, and it's got high Base Power and Guard Percentage. Its Specialty IV attack is less useful, as it splits its damage between its targets and is only usable during the day, but it IS pretty strong when you can use it properly. It's one of my favorite axes, personally; if you like Brutes and don't have a Sunrise yet, I recommend picking this one up. While you may have looted a Jackhand from the one Assassin equipped with it on the previous stage, it's pretty unlikely, so chances are good this is your first contact with one. It's a good little death machine, having a row-hitting Wind skill that causes Shieldless (great against Knights). Be warned that it has the "VS Human" property, however, meaning it will barely tickle monsters or chests! Also for sale here is the forum-favorite Bloody Claw. While the Bloody Claw only has one attack, it's the second-strongest claw attack in the game and it ALSO has lifesteal on it, like the Gungnir's Distant Shadow attack. This claw makes Assassins (and Valerie) much more survivable than they have been up until now and greatly increases their damage output. And seeing as Valerie WILL be rejoining your party and you WILL be forced to use her as an Ace in one more fight before the game is over, you may want a Bloody Claw just to maximize her survivability in that scene. If you only buy one of the two claws, the Bloody Claw is the one to go for, but the Jackhand has its uses and I have a bit of a soft spot for it. The Arabian Might is stultifyingly useless. Don't even bother. You had a lovely display of the power of the Kraken in the last scene, so if you liked the look of it and its Sticky status effect, you can get one yourself right here. I'd support such a plan ; the Kraken has the same Specialties as the Flame Whip, just with a lot more power and Sticky instead of Pain, which is not a bad trade-off. It's an impressive weapon for Tamers. In addition, Katanas finally get an upgrade! The Suigetsu is an interesting katana that, instead of countering with direct damage, counters by cutting the enemy's health by one fourth and causing Freeze. It also has the best Guard Rating out of all of the katanas in the game. It may be biased to say, but the Suigetsu is my favorite Katana, even above the top-level four-star ones. I recommend it too. Other than these items - five out of six of which are pretty awesome! - there's nothing you haven't seen before in the store, although most of the returning equipment is worth looking at again: Rune Mail, Iron Armor, Joker, Lovely One- Piece, Pointy Hat, Ruby Arm Guard, etc. Take stock of what you want or need, buy up anything you didn't have money for earlier, and consider getting seconds of anything that's been serving you particularly well. Don't spend quite all of your money here, though! The next merchant is going to have even more stuff you'll want to buy - including all of the element-blocking armors we saw back in the Scene 12-13 store - and you don't want to run out of money before you're done with that shopping spree! Now, move along. I need to say thank you to this merchant. To show how much I appreciate his goods. Heh heh heh. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: What are you still doing here?! I thought I told you to leave us alo- oh, the battle preparations. Right. Le sigh. This coming fight isn't too hard, and there aren't any fantastically rare items to go after like Pamela's Broom. Well - technically there is. There are two Undine on the coming stage that are both equipped with different, completely unique Tridents. However, not only are Tridents still useless to you, getting either of them basically requires you to sacrifice a character and the three- star rating for the stage. I do NOT recommend doing so on a first playthrough. If you really want those Tridents, come back in a New Game + and get them then. So, other than the Tridents, you have no real vital item-collecting to concern yourself with. This allows you to focus entirely on the task of defeating your opponents as handily as possible. The easiest way to do this is with magical attacks. Only three of the foes present have any real armor, and all three of those - the Brutes - are equipped with heavy-duty DEF armor that offers little in the way of MDEF. Any characters who have access to magical weapons, such as Alissa and Paladins, should consider switching over to them if they're going to be involved in this fight. If you're not big on magic-users, Knockback is another great way to dispose of the foes to come. None of the enemies have shields, making it pretty easy to land Dagger and Rapier knockback skills on them, and the middle of the map has a convenient line of water with 3.0 depth to drown them in. If you're a firm believer in plain-vanilla fistfighting, you can still Beat these enemies to death one at a time; it'll just take longer. On the defensive side of things, you'll be eating a lot of mixed physical and magical damage throughout the fight. Armor that offers a healthy mix of both defenses, such as Mirage Garb and the Joker, is the best kind to equip right now. There will also be a lot of ice magic flying around, what with the Undine and the Witches, making the Mermaid Pareo another excellent choice. Anti-freeze Leg Warmers are good, as are anti-Charm Iron Masks and anti-Batrify Bat Hairpins (all status effects you might see coming your way,) but you can easily get by without them, too, so don't fret too much if you're not fielding the right units to equip such things. Once you're feeling properly protected, it's time to dive into Scene 18! ******************************************************************************* [SC18] ************** *** SCENE 18 *** ************** WHEN DAWN BREAKS What loneliness is more lonely than distrust? Battle: Battle at Port Azzurri ******************************************************************************* SCENE 18 Victory Condition: -Annihilate all bandit units. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: VANAN 29, 984 PM 18:30 Time limit: MIRDZ 2, 984 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 27 hrs *** >= 27 hrs, < 35 hrs ** >= 35 hrs, < 43 hrs * Ace Options: Elise, Alissa, Natalia Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Brute x1 (Digda) ******* Thor's Hammer +5 Hammer Knockback, Half Guard Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Shura Kogake Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter I, Prevent No Counter Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Brute x1 (Grugan) ******* Thor's Hammer +5 Hammer Knockback, Half Guard Brave Armor Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +10 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Brute x1 (Dobert) ******* Kill Blade +5 Axe Break Head Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Shura Kogake Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter I, Prevent No Counter Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Witch x1 (Luzula) ******** Spirit Broom Broom Geoism Aggressor Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Damage to Ace Increased Black Cat Earring Accessory MDEF +5, Prevent Sacrifice Witch x1 (Cassand) ******** Cryocross Broom Scapegoat, Freeze, Knockback Aggressor Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +15, CAST +25 BOOST: Damage to Ace Increased Sabbath Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +15, Counter I Wampyr x1 (Willow) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Sexy Physique Physique Batrify, Charm (Enchanted Only) Enchanting Rouge x9 Consumable Causes Enchanted (Night Only) Undine x1 (Looper) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Poelus Ice Pike Trident Freeze, HP 1/4 Damage Undine x1 (Alicia) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Longinus Trident Scapegoat, Break RANDOM, Void DEF Chests: Medicinal Herb x2 - One square behind and four squares to your Ace's right. Kamaitachi - Seven squares in front of your Ace. Suigetsu - One square in front of and three squares to Luzula the Witch's left. 7-Star Sword - Three squares behind and one square to Willow the Wampyr's right. Beni Shigure - Two squares behind Willow the Wampyr. One-Eyed Dragon - One square in front of and one square to Grugan the Brute's left. Medicinal Herb x2 - Eleven squares to your Ace's right. Objects Purging Talisman - Barrel one square in front of and one square to Luzula the Witch's left. Purging Talisman - Barrel two squares behind and one square to Cassand the Witch's left. This is less of a battle and more of a test on how well you can multitask. Along the street right at you march three Brutes and one Witch. Meanwhile, lurking in the deep water to your right, two Undine raise their Tridents and cast wide-AOE spells in your direction. And up on the rooftops of the church, a Wampyr bedecks herself with rouge in order to smooch you to your doom. There's a second Witch, too, but we don't talk about her. She seems to spend all of her time flying around taking Base Panels and is, in my experience, never a concern. The Brutes have physical attacks that cause Knockback and are equipped with a lot of very high-DEF armor. The Witch that engages you has a melee magic attack called Buster Broom and basically no defenses whatsoever. The Wampyr causes high magic damage and generally does not come down from her churchtop to do it. One of the Undine has a Water-elemental spell, but the other's spell is non-elemental and ignores defenses. Your task, thus, is: use magical attacks on the Brutes and avoid getting close to the edge of the map, where they can ring you out. Either ignore or shoot down the Wampyr using magic and projectiles. Keep tabs on where the Undine's spells are casting so that you can move all of your characters out of the way before they hit. And take out the two Witches - or at least the more aggressive one - as soon as possible, because their Aggressor gauntlet allows them to Boost the Brutes to do more damage against your Ace. To be honest, none of these tasks are, individually, that difficult. The only challenge in this fight comes from juggling all of them. You can make things a bit easier on yourself by equipping Mermaid Pareos, which render one of the Undines powerless, or anti-status-effect armor to make the Wampyr easier to ignore. However, for the most part, it's just a matter of wading into the middle of the street, kicking butts, and taking names. Something that can really help you out in this fight is strategic application of status effects. Two of the best status effects you can inflict are, of course, Burn and Freeze; we've been over this before. The Magical Sword, the Arrow Heart, the Sapphire Mace, the Icicle Rod - obviously these are all good things to use. But what are some other good status options you can fling around in fights? If you're a physically-minded individual, equip the Blue Stinger on Natalia and have her stab the Brutes a few times. The Blue Stinger causes DEF 1/2, which can turn a four-person Beat from "kind of annoying" to "near-fatal." Similarly, you can use axes to break the Brutes' armor, or use the Mana Dagger to inflict Mana Aura. As you may recall, Mana Aura reduces the afflicted target's Defense to 0 while increasing their Magic Defense to 75%. If you're using all physical characters, inflicting Mana Aura lets you really go to town on these Brutes! The cramped confines of the city streets can make dropping Traps and Grams very useful, causing a huge amount of damage and inflicting crippling status effects such as Pain, Poor Aim, Sacrifice, Slippery, or Charm. The humble Crossbow's Weak effect cripples any Brute's ability to do damage. And the Knight Killer's Sparkle Spear attack does extra damage to Wampyrs, which can help get rid of the unusually church-happy fiend if she's getting on your nerves. All of these are, in fact, tactics that you can use for the rest of the game. If nothing else, consider this fight a sort of testing ground and see what kind of strategies you can pull together with the units you've got. Knock an enemy into a Trickster trap using Natalia's rapier. Freeze several enemies in place with a Paladin to line them up for a perfect Sorceress spell. Have an Assassin cause Phys Aura to your own party members, raising their Defense to 75% to make them more resistant to the Brutes' attacks. Have fun! Play around a little. See what you can do. Oh, and on the subject of things you can and can't do... Yes, you CAN get those Tridents from the two Undine in the water!! All credit goes to Broonga for revealing the trick. Here's the deal. You can't get at the Undine because they are sitting in water with a depth of 3.0. There's no shore down to the water and the Undine can't leave it even if they wanted to. Here's what the area looks like: [-] [U] [ ] [ ] [ ] [1] [2] [3] [-] [U] [ ] [B] [ ] [ ] [A] [ ] EDGE [-] [-] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] OF THE [-] [X] [H] [H] [H] [ ] [ ] [ ] MAP [-] [X] [H] [H] [H] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] = Ordinary ground [H] = House [-] = Water [A] = Your Ace's position [1] [2] [3] = Your other characters' positions [B] = Base Panel [U] = Undine [X] = Place you must lure the Undine to In Broonga's own words: "First, you'll need to trick one of those Undine to move to one of two X positions, then kill her, this will create an Undine's corpse with the height of 0.5. "Second, you have to trick the other Undine to move on to that corpse and attack you while casting a spell, kill her so she will leave her corpse. As there are two corpses stand on each other here, this will create a height of 1.0, thus reducing the water depth to - 2.0. "Third, you need to knock one unit down to those corpse, the unit HP must be low enough to guarrantee a death, so we will have a third corpse, thus decreasing the water depth to -1.5. "Now knock one of your unit (with > 1500HP) down there to get items from these corpse, including Longinus and Poelus Ice Pike, make sure you have enough TP to do that." (Alternately - my own finding - you can fly a Witch down there to get the items instead, regardless of her HP. Be warned, however, that whatever unit you use to do this will drown and die once they loot the corpses, which will also kill your three-star rating.) And there you have it, folks! The one and only way to get your very own (sadly unusable) Poelus Ice Pike and Longinus tridents. Have fun, brag lots, and don't forget to kill that one last Witch when you're done! ******************************************************************************* [INTER-18-19] SCENE 18-19 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ****************************** POSSIBLE CAMP MODE RECRUITS ****************************** KNIGHTS Christoph Frederic Benedict LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1358 HP: 1176 HP: 1107 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 CAP: 133 Spec: II Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: -1 Fire: -3 Fire: 3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 1 Wind: 3 Wind: 3 Wind: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 PALADINS Rochet LV: 35 HP: 1096 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 109 Spec: II Fire: -2 Water: 3 Wind: -3 Earth: 2 BRUTES Gastend Clive Caesar Bold LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1607 HP: 1691 HP: 1454 HP: 1644 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 109 CAP: 118 CAP: 127 CAP: 121 Spec: II Spec: I Spec: I Spec: III Fire: 0 Fire: 1 Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: 2 Water: -1 Water: 1 Water: 2 Wind: 1 Wind: -2 Wind: 2 Wind: -1 Earth: -3 Earth: 2 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 ASSASSINS Edit Hannah LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1006 HP: 967 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 Spec: III Spec: II Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Water: 1 Water: -3 Wind: -1 Wind: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: 0 TAMERS Edith Camilla Colin Brigitte LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1117 HP: 1070 HP: 1161 HP: 1200 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 133 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Water: -2 Water: -3 Water: -2 Wind: -3 Wind: 0 Wind: 2 Wind: 0 Earth: 3 Earth: 2 Earth: 3 Earth: 0 TRICKSTERS Freier Ludmilla Lolo LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1072 HP: 978 HP: 1180 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 118 CAP: 124 CAP: 109 Spec: I Spec: IV Spec: II Fire: -2 Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Water: 2 Water: 0 Wind: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 0 Earth: -3 THROWERS Dante Dean Ferando LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1187 HP: 1179 HP: 1268 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 121 CAP: 127 Spec: III Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: 2 Fire: -2 Fire: -3 Water: 0 Water: 1 Water: 1 Wind: -1 Wind: -1 Wind: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: -1 WITCHES Sharon LV: 35 HP: 893 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 118 Spec: IV Fire: -1 Water: 3 Wind: -1 Earth: -1 ************************** FOREIGN MERCHANT'S SHOP ************************** WEAPONS ******* Earth Divide (1H Sword) Earth Divide (1H Sword) Deathbringer (Greatsword) Deathbringer (Greatsword) Blue Stinger (Rapier) Crimson Red (Rapier) Crimson Red (Rapier) Sunrise (Axe) Thor's Hammer (Hammer) Rune Knife (Dagger) Snatcher (Claw) Leyte Claw (Claw) Jackhand (Claw) Bloody Claw (Claw) Scorpion Tail (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Dragon Eater (Whip) Kraken (Whip) Suigetsu (Katana) Flint Bow (Bow) Flint Bow (Bow) Lightning Bow (Bow) Lightning Bow (Bow) Raincloud Bow (Bow) Arbalest (Bowgun) Arbalest (Bowgun) Flare Shooter (Bowgun) Ice Javelin (Javelin) Ice Javelin (Javelin) Berkut (Javelin) Lava Rod (Rod) Lava Rod (Rod) Book of Gelt (Grimoire) Book of Nanai (Grimoire) Book of Kirie (Grimoire) Spirit Broom (Broom) Cryocross (Broom) Cryocross (Broom) Bronze Mace (Mace) Arrow Heart (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Basilisk Shield (Large) Basilisk Shield (Large) Round Shield (Small) Round Shield (Small) Valkyrie Shield (Small) ARMOR ***** Aqua Robe Aqua Robe Dragonia Armor Sun Cloak Mermaid Pareo Silphy Garb Fuuma Muffler Yggdrasil Misty Minimum Dragon Coat Mithril Armor Brigandine Rune Mail Rune Mail Iron Armor Brave Armor Pauldron Pauldron Lorica Lorica Lamellar Full Metal Coat Cuirass Cuirass Raven Cloth Raven Cloth Mirage Garb Joker Leopardess Leopardess Beni Shigure Pure Grace Pure Grace Classic Robe Valiant Robe Valiant Robe Lovely One-Piece White Robe White Robe Black Maria Servant Servant HEAD **** Pointy Hat Pointy Hat Holy Brim Holy Brim Firebird Helmet Beastbone Helm Beastbone Helm Hero's Crown Magic Tiara Silver Wolf Pumpkin Hat Pumpkin Hat Viking Helm Viking Helm Angel Halo Hermet Hood Medic Cap Rapid Rabbit HAND **** Defender Defender Healing Gloves Healing Gloves Vamp Nail Force Bracelet Force Bracelet MG Gadget MG Gadget Hard Stringer Hard Stringer Mystic Bangle Mystic Bangle Overdrive Ruby Arm Guard Javelick Blue Obsidian Glove Serpent Answerer Fish Scale Gaunt Fish Scale Gaunt FOOT **** Leg Warmer Leg Warmer Spikes Spikes Jewel Anklet Wheel Greaves Wheel Greaves Apollon Shoes Apollon Shoes Army Tights Army Tights Ping Pong Pumps Ping Pong Pumps Insect Shoes Spring Shoes Spring Shoes Sabbath ACCESSORIES *********** Gorgon Cameo Gorgon Cameo Tiger Band Cat's Eye Cat's Eye Power Stone Talisman One-Eyed Dragon Sorcery Glass Sorcery Glass Mighty Ring Magic Ring Voodoo Doll Black Cat Earring Iron Choker Dog Tag Butterfly Broach Master Key Purging Talisman Crimson Rose Crimson Rose Ice Rose Ice Rose Feather Rose Sand Rose Sand Rose Black Fan CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Auto Potion Auto Potion Auto Ether Auto Ether Loriel x3 Loriel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Ughhhh, this merchant's not nearly as cute as the last one. Conversely, however, his stock of weapons and armor is even better. So I guess I will consent to tolerate his presence. To be honest, this guy has a lot of great stuff. Let's start with the Crimson Red. It's basically the equal and opposite to the Blue Stinger: fire instead of water, MDEF 1/2 instead of DEF 1/2, virtually identical stats, and fire-element Rose Cascade instead of water-element Lapis Cascade. Truthfully, a Blue Stinger is enough to see you through to the end of the game; however, I really like to have the alternate fire-elemental, Magic Defense-lowering rapier choice around, particularly for Scene 23, which is not that far away. I strongly recommend the Crimson Red, especially if you like Natalia. However, I wouldn't get it from this shop; there are many other things you'll want to buy here, and those other things, unlike the Crimson Red, will not be in the next scene's store. So use your money on these other things, and purchase the Crimson Red from the Scene 19-20 Shop instead. Next we have, not one, but two new Bows: the Lightning Bow and the Raincloud Bow. The Lightning Bow is pretty good. It's outshone by the Gust Bow for range and the Flint Bow because, well, the Flint Bow causes Burn. However, it's strong and it causes DEF 1/2, which is especially nice if you tend to use a lot of physical fighters. There's a better bow coming up soon, though, so unless you specifically want it for the DEF 1/2 ailment, I'd pass. The Raincloud Bow is a much weirder kettle of fish. It only has one attack: the Specialty III skill Freezing Night. It causes decent damage and has a huge chance of causing Freeze to targets, but not only is it a Specialty III attack (ugh,) it can only be used on maps where it is raining! For the record, there is exactly ONE map left in the entire game where it is raining - Scene 21 - which means there is exactly ONE map left in the entire game where you can use the Raincloud Bow for anything other than Beats. That being said... the Raincloud Bow is very cheap and can actually be quite useful on Scene 21. So if you don't mind spending 5,900 gold to give yourself a minor advantage in one stage of the game, the Raincloud Bow is actually a decent purchase. It's probably best to just skip it, though. You will probably look at the Flare Shooter and think, "Sweet, a bowgun that causes Burns!" If you think this, you are being perfectly logical. You are also being perfectly WRONG. The Flare Shooter in fact only causes Pyrism, which is not at all the thing a Burn-heavy team wants to be doing. Then we have the Berkut, which is a Javelin whose only notable property is doing extra damage to Harpies. That might have been useful three stages ago, but certainly isn't now. Don't waste your money on either. Use it instead to purchase the LAVA ROD. The Lava Rod is not quite better than the Icicle Rod, but it comes very damn close. It's much more powerful, starts with the uber-wide-range Specialty IV spell Inferno Ruin - which causes Burn - and does extra damage to Golems using its Specialty I spell, Redder Blitz. If you're using Paulo or Sorceresses at all, you want this Rod! Remember how I mentioned two stages back that the Books of Gelt and Nanai were only disadvantaged by appearing two stages before the best book in the game? Well, it's two stages later, and here it is: the Book of Kirie, the one-stop shop for all your healing needs. It is the only book to obtain one of every Grimoire Specialty, affording it the full range of all possible healing spells, and it has high percentages for all of them: 70% on Specialty I, 60% on II, and 40% on III. Buy this Book and put it on your Priestess (or Paulo) immediately: you WON'T be disappointed! Finally for the weapons here, we have the Spirit Broom. O, sad, sad Spirit Broom. The Spirit Broom is not "bad" so much as it is... "unfortunate enough to come after the Cryocross." At this stage in the game, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever not to have your Witch wielding the Cryocross, and the Spirit Broom is both heavy and not nearly interesting enough to warrant being equipped alongside the Cryocross, let alone instead of it. However, remember the Noir, a broom I said was oddly useful for a melee Witch build? The Spirit Broom is the Noir's successor, offering the highest Guard Rating of any broom in the game: a shocking 36%. Hard-hitting and high-guarding, the Spirit Broom holds the unusual title of the ideal evade-tanking Witch's broom! Woot! If you're not doing the whole melee-Witch thing, though, you can forget it even exists. We've discussed all the remaining weapons before, so let's move on to the shields. This is the first time you've seen the Basilisk Shield in stores, though you might have obtained one from Pierre way back in Scenes 04 or 08. A large, high-Guard shield that prevents Poison, the Basilisk Shield is something you'll want to have for every Knight you plan on taking into the final battle, so start stocking up now. (People who don't use Knights don't need to bother, as only Knights can equip them.) The place you'll want to go crazy in is the armor section. All of the element- absorbing and -nullifying armor is back in stock, including a new addition: the Dragonia Armor, the fire-element-absorbing piece. Scene 21 is going to once again have those annoying Rail Cannons to deal with, so you're going to want as many Aqua Robes and Dragonia Armors as you can equip! And if you planned on getting the Yggdrasil, you are coming closer to the final battle where it will have its day in the sun, so now might be the time to shell out the cash for it. The Misty Minimum and the Dragon Coat are still virtually useless, and Mithril Armor is outshone by many other pieces, though it's not bad in and of itself. Brigandines are 5-DEF upgrades over Iron Armor; good if you don't have enough Iron Armor to go around, but probably not worth the money otherwise. Rune Mail is still fantastic for Giulio and Paladins, though. Iron Armor remains just as strong as ever, but if you need some more of it, you should probably buy Brigandines instead for a bit more Defense. Brave Armor is not worth its MV and JM penalties. The Cuirass, on the other hand, is pretty nice projectile-user armor, offering Defense and a sweet HIT bonus. Its CAP is high, which is a bit of a downside, but it's worth it for the added accuracy. It's a great purchase for any ranged archer-y types in your army. The Leopardess and the Beni Shigure are both female-exclusive, high-MDEF armor pieces. The Leopardess offers extra RES and Sticky immunity (for some reason,) while the Beni Shigure has a bit more DEF. The game is about to start throwing its really nasty magic-users at you, so it's not a bad time to start thinking about what +MDEF armor you can start spreading around your army; Sticky can be caused by any Sorceress with a Lava Rod, and the Beni Shigure has pretty decent defenses that go quite nicely on Alissa, Elise, or an Assassin, none of whom can equip the Classic or Valiant Robes. Not bad options. This is your first sighting of White Robes, the caster's equivalent of the Cuirass. The defenses it offers aren't great and the CAP is a bit high, but the CAST reduction is basically invaluable. As the only body armor in the game with +CAST, the White Robe is instrumental for obtaining minimum CT for Alissa or a Priestess. It will appear in a few more stores after this one, though, so you may want to purchase elemental armors here and get the White Robe later when you've got more spare cash and CAP to get it with. Phew, the new items are still coming?! Most of the helms are old hat to you now, but there are a couple newbies. The Pumpkin Hat is good; it has high MDEF and protects against Curse, which is about to become common. The Angel Halo, on the other hand, is GREAT. It has more MDEF than the Pumpkin Hat, still protects against Curse, and most importantly, prevents UNDEAD. It's basically tailor- made to counter Isabeli, and as you're going to fight her twice more before the game is over, buying an Angel Halo for everybody that can use it is well worth your money. Next, there's the Medic Cap. The Medic Cap, like the Rapid Rabbit, is a headpiece with +CAST reduction. Unfortunately, also like the Rabbit, its CAP is VERY high. I feel that Alissa and Priestesses have better ways to lower their CT - for example the White Robe, which also has +15 CAST and is actually LIGHTER than the Medic Cap, what's up with that? - but if you are absolutely hellbent on having a Priestess with maximum +CAST, the Medic Cap is what you need. (Alissa, on the other hand, gets more +CAST from the Rapid Rabbit. You don't need the Cap for her.) Finally, we have the Viking Helm. If you have a Beastbone Helm or a Firebird Helm, you will not need a Viking Helm; it has the same +DEF and CAP as those two helmets, but it offers protection from Fleeing instead of from Pyrism or Aerism. Fleeing is a vanishingly rare effect you're unlikely to have trouble with. Save your money. Hand equips. The Defender is a light and effective way to add 15 DEF to most of the characters who could be your main tanks, and it also prevents Half Guard, which is decent albeit not spectacular. Healing Gloves, on the other hand, ARE spectacular. +35 CAST for 14 CAP?! Yes please! It's just a pity that only Alissa, Priestesses, and Elise (?) can equip them. The Hard Stringer is a pretty awesome hand equip for projectile users (except for Throwers) that offers 30 HIT and the useful Boost effect "Ranged weapon damage +50%." It's a touch heavier than I'd like, but it's well worth it. Since its use is compounded the more ranged units you have, if you're a big fan of projectile classes, I'd recommend buying the two available here. The Serpent! Oh, this is a great little bangle. Boasting both HIT and CT, its real power lies in its Boost effect: "Ailment infliction +20%." The Serpent makes it much easier to land those crucial Pain, Burn, Freeze, etc. statuses that you're really hoping will work in a pinch, and the variety of units it can be equipped on makes it quite easy to spread the effect around. I highly recommend it, particularly if you use Sorceresses! It completely outshines the Answerer, a too-heavy gauntlet that Boosts the damage of critical-health units. While the Answerer does have a place in combination with the Revenger dagger, I'm leery of critical-HP setups in a game with permadeath. Use it at your own risk. In the shoe department, we are introduced to Apollon Shoes - great +MOVE shoes for Giulio and Gunners - the Army Tights - defenseless but highly mobile +MOVE and +JUMP shoes for Assassins and Valerie - and the Spring Shoes - incredible +2 JUMP shoes for Assassins, Tricksters, and, hilariously, Paulo. All three of these shoes are excellent for their respective units and should be considered if you use said units in your army. Take particular note that if you plan to get certain high-end equipment from chests in the final levels of the game and you don't use Witches, you will NEED the Spring Shoes in order to reach them. Purchase accordingly. The Accessory section finally brings to us the Gorgon Cameo, which has a lot of MDEF and RES and prevents Stone in the bargain. There will be a few more scenes in the game where you might be concerned with getting Stoned (yeah, go ahead and laugh, I know you want to,) and Gorgon Cameos can be equipped by anybody for very low CAP. They're pretty convenient that way. The Mighty and Magic Rings are anti-DEF 1/2 and -MDEF 1/2 equips; the statuses are rare, but the stats are good, so you can go either way on them. The most interesting thing here is the reappearance of the various Roses, ready for all your refinement needs. Phew. If you manage to come out of this store with four digits of gold still to your name, you did better than I did. Spend up to your last penny and then get ready for a siege. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The status effects appearing in the next stage are Curse (rare,) Burn (common,) DEF 1/2 (average,) Weak (uncommon,) and Knockback. Burn is the most frequent, so anti-Burn or just anti-Fire equipment is highly recommended. If you bought the Mighty Ring from the store for some reason, or just have one lying around, you can equip that to prevent the DEF 1/2, but it's not really necessary. Fire is the most common element and the only one worth guarding against; while there's some Water and Earth magic going around as well, they're not worth defending against. Most of the damage on this fight, despite appearances, is going to be coming from the three Sorceresses and their magic. Characters not protected from Fire should put a premium on MDEF. Don't neglect DEF either, as the Tricksters and Knights will make you regret it if you do, but don't worry so much, as the Knights only do high damage if they catch you in Beats and the Tricksters are easy to kill. As this battle is taking place on Victrion Castle, a field you're well used to, you should be aware of the lay of the terrain and the usefulness of Knockback upon it. Some people find it easy to use the moat and the open edges of the map for Knockback; others find it more difficult. If you're one of the former, break out the Brooms and the Daggers and go crazy. If you're one of the latter, you can ignore Knockback in favor of magical or ranged units that can penetrate the Knights' shields. Rapiers are less useful here due to the large number of well-shielded Knights; Brutes, however, can equip the Slasher or the Sunrise to destroy those shields, clearing the way for Natalia and Elise to stab with impunity. That's about it. Ready to take back Victrion? ******************************************************************************* [SC19] ************** *** SCENE 19 *** ************** THERE IS STILL HOPE Let us, then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate. Battle: Recapturing Victrion ******************************************************************************* SCENE 19 Victory Condition: -Defeat Nelson Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: SVART 12, 984 PM 15:15 Time limit: SVART 19, 984 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 48 hrs *** >= 48 hrs, < 56 hrs ** >= 56 hrs, < 64 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Alissa, Natalia Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Knight (Nelson) BOSS End of Ages +6 1H Sword Curse Maximilian Body Armor DEF +35, MDEF +5 Gauntlet Hand Armor DEF +20, Prevent Shieldless Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Knight x2 (Rueg, Tovan) *** Gran Sabre 1H Sword Knockback Kite Shield Large Shield GUARD 60% Mithril Armor Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Knight x2 (Embrect, Howard) *** Gran Sabre 1H Sword Knockback Assault Shield Large Shield GUARD 39%, Knockback Mithril Armor Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Trickster x2 (Fanny, Ladia) *** Shiranui +3 Tool Scapegoat, Burn Spring Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, JUMP +2 Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Trickster x1 (Margo) *** Mermaid Fin +3 Tool Slippery, Weak Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Pumpkin Hat Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +15, Prevent Curse Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Archer x2 (Force, Nikolov) *** Lightning Bow +3 Bow DEF 1/2 Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Hero's Crown Head Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, Prevent DEF 1/2 Sorceress x2 (Muse, Violet) *** Lava Rod +5 Rod Burn, Sticky Overdrive Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Magic Weapon Damage +50% Crimson Rose Accessory MDEF +10 BOOST: Fire Index +5 Sorceress x1 (April) *** Sandworm Staff +5 Rod Geoism Bronze Mace Mace Burn Force Bracelet Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Melee Weapon Damage +50% Chests: Art of War - Three squares in front of and one square to your Ace's right. Medicinal Herb x2 - Six squares in front of Tovan the Knight. Tyrant Armor - Seven squares to Fanny the Trickster's left. *RARE* Mars Shield - Two squares behind and one square to April the Sorceress' left. Snipe Finger - One square in front of and one square to April the Sorceress' left. Wyvern - Directly to the right of Force the Archer. *RARE* Magic Eater - One square behind and six squares to Fanny the Trickster's left. Objects: Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Vitra Whip - Large wooden box one square behind and two squares to April the Sorceress' left. Siege Weapons: Ballista x2 Ankh Cannon x3 Surprisingly, this battle actually isn't too different from the last time you took Victrion Fortress. Again, you have a cordon of Knights blocking your way up to the boss - in this case Nelson rather than Pierre - and a small cadre of nasty ranged units making sure you'll want to get up to the fortress rooftops sooner rather than later. In this case, however, rather than Wampyrs, the ranged units are Tricksters at the helm of some siege weapons and Sorceresses equipped with powerful Rods. (There are Archers, too, but they tend to spam their random-AOE Specialty III attack and miss a lot of the time. They're not nearly as scary as the Lava Rod-wielding Sorceresses.) The main siege weapon here is the Ankh Cannon, cousin to the Rail Cannon from Golgotha Fortress. While the Ankh Cannon has the same damage formula as the Rail Cannons (1/4 max HP dealt as fire damage plus Burn) and is probably giving Yggdra Union players post-traumatic stress seizures from its name alone, it's actually a lot less scary than the Rail Cannons (and DEFINITELY less scary than the Ankhs from Yggdra Union). For one thing, the Ankh Cannons can't move, and they can't fire by themselves; Tricksters have to fire them manually, using TP and their turns to do so. Also, at this stage in the game, you have quite a lot of fire-resistant equipment. Anybody with Dragonia Armor or an Aqua Robe can shrug off the damage from an Ankh Cannon, no problem, and Fire Boots cancel the Burn effect as effectively as they did back at Golgotha. As long as you watch out for any characters you brought that are NOT equipped with such protections, the Ankh Cannons are little concern. Anti-fire equipment also protects you from the rapid-fire spells of the Lava Rod-wielding Sorceresses and the flaming Shiranui tool wielded by two of the three Tricksters, making it even more valuable. Thank god you just had a chance to buy a bunch of it, huh? The trickiest part of this entire fight is the opening gambit. You have to somehow break past the phalanx of Knights in order to reach the Archers and Sorceresses and stop them from barraging you with ranged attacks. Knockback is a delightful way to do this, but as the Knights have shields, it can be hard to land knockback on them to get them out of the way. This means that the most effective knockback to use is that of a Witch (thank you yet again, Cryocross!) or a Thrower standing exactly four squares away from his target. They didn't call it the Knight Killer for no reason! Failing Knockback, the next best option is magic. You just got ahold of a certain lovely rod called the Lava Rod. That same lovely rod those Sorceresses are using to try and char you to a broiling crisp. Use it right back at them, or rather, at their retinue of Knights. Burn does percentage damage based on max HP, remember, making it quite effective against Knights - and don't forget that shields can't block magic. Use the Lava Rod and the Serpent's Boost effect to inflict Burn on as many Knights as possible, then sit back and watch while the problem takes care of itself. (Fielding multiple Sorceresses with Lava Rods on this stage makes the job even faster, and ever so pyromaniacal. Add some Kikimora-wielding Witches, a Paladin with a Magical Sword, and Alissa's Arrow Heart and you'll have a fiery festival even Cierra would be proud of.) There are some other strategies that can work fairly well here, too, such as a ranged assault from several Archers (the tight quarters the Knights are stuck in makes Specialty III attacks actually useful for once) or strategic placement of Traps and Grams (ditto about the tight quarters and the usefulness thereof). I really, REALLY advise against attempting a straight frontal assault on the Knights with no other tricks up your sleeve. This causes the battle to drag on forever, between the Knights' high DEF and Guard Chance and the time you'll have to spend healing from the Sorceresses. This isn't to say you can't perform a full-frontal assault at all, of course; just be smart about it! If you're going to go in with Knights, Brutes, and Tamers a-swingin', try to use Shield and Armor Crush with your Brutes as quickly as possible and bring Elise along to make it easier to initiate Beats. Alternately, you can start the fight off by having Giulio summon Midgardsormr; if aimed with appropriate patience, you can eliminate all non-weapon equipment - including shields - of all or at least most of the enemy soldiers, making a physical assault much more plausible. Less typical effects such as Mana Aura, Shieldless, or Half Guard can be useful here as well. Once the Knights are history, the squishy Sorceresses, Tricksters, and Archers will go down easily to pretty much any offense you can throw their way. Nelson himself, as a lone Knight, is pretty ineffectual. His End of Ages sword can cause Curse, but that's not particularly scary unless your team has gotten really low on HP and can't reach a Retreat Point quickly enough. Hem him in from all sides, initiate your Beats with an unblockable arrow or book toss, and finish him off. Kind of a pity, really. Nelson is a nice guy. You have a LOT of time to finish this battle and still get a three-star rating, and you're permitted to bring a full roster of six characters into the fight for the first time since Scene 09 at the Vast Fissure. By this time, your characters should be starting to settle into their ultimate equipment setups and formation configurations that they'll finish the game in. In a lot of ways, this fight against Victrion is the beginning of the end; there are only six Scenes remaining once this one is completed, and they're going to come at you hard and fast. There will be no more breathers like Scenes 14 or 18 from here on out. Is your army ready to start the final stretch? ******************************************************************************* [INTER-19-20] SCENE 19-20 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ******************* ORKUBECKI'S SHOP ******************* WEAPONS ******* Earth Divide (1H Sword) Earth Divide (1H Sword) Gran Sabre (1H Sword) Gran Sabre (1H Sword) 7-Star Sword (Greatsword) 7-Star Sword (Greatsword) Crimson Red (Rapier) Crimson Red (Rapier) Sunrise (Axe) Sunrise (Axe) Thor's Hammer (Hammer) Thor's Hammer (Hammer) Jackhand (Claw) Jackhand (Claw) Bloody Claw (Claw) Bloody Claw (Claw) Shiranui (Tool) Shiranui (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Mermaid Fin (Tool) Mermaid Fin (Tool) Kraken (Whip) Kraken (Whip) Suigetsu (Katana) Suigetsu (Katana) Lightning Bow (Bow) Lightning Bow (Bow) Raincloud Bow (Bow) Raincloud Bow (Bow) Flare Shooter (Bowgun) Flare Shooter (Bowgun) Tri Shot (Bowgun) Tri Shot (Bowgun) Berkut (Javelin) Berkut (Javelin) Lava Rod (Rod) Lava Rod (Rod) Book of Kirie (Grimoire) Book of Kirie (Grimoire) Spirit Broom (Broom) Spirit Broom (Broom) Bronze Mace (Mace) Bronze Mace (Mace) Arrow Heart (Wand) Arrow Heart (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Basilisk Shield (Large) Basilisk Shield (Large) ARMOR ***** Dragonia Armor Dragonia Armor Brigandine Brigandine Brave Armor Brave Armor Cuirass Cuirass Leopardess Leopardess Beni Shigure Beni Shigure White Robe White Robe HEAD **** Pumpkin Hat Pumpkin Hat Viking Helm Viking Helm Angel Halo Angel Halo Medic Cap Medic Cap HAND **** Defender Defender Healing Gloves Healing Gloves Force Bracelet Force Bracelet Hard Stringer Hard Stringer Serpent Serpent Answerer Answerer FOOT **** Gargan Boots Gargan Boots Wheel Greaves Wheel Greaves Apollon Shoes Apollon Shoes Army Tights Army Tights Spring Shoes Spring Shoes ACCESSORIES *********** Gorgon Cameo Gorgon Cameo CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Oat Bread x2 Potion x3 Potion x3 Ether Ether Move Ampule Move Ampule Jump Ampule Jump Ampule Art of War Art of War Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Loriel x3 Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Almost every item in this chapter's store has appeared in a previous chapter's store, and even the few that haven't have all appeared on maps before (usually in the possession of enemies). Thus, I am relieved to inform you that this item recap will be a short one. Gran Sabres appeared for the first time in the scene you just finished, and they're pretty good. Boring, but good. They start with knockback, which is always nice, but I'd rather have a Rainy or Dark Saber +9 with all its Specialties unlocked than start afresh with a Gran Sabre, especially with one of the two best swords in the game coming up in just a few more scenes. So yeah. Only buy the Gran Sabre if you have no Bronze Swords, Rainy Sabers, or Dark Sabers and have suddenly decided you need knockback on a sword-user. (Not a common situation.) The 7-Star Sword is finally for sale, in case you've missed the Paladins or the chests carrying them earlier. Alas, at this late stage of the game, the sword has kind of lost its luster. The TP damage and Knockback are still nice, but you WILL want the Holy Sabre on all of your Paladins for the next scene and you can get the best Greatsword in the game on Scene 22. The only real reason to get the 7-Star Sword now is if you are using a mage-heavy team. Since the 7- Star Sword can cause Phys Aura, eliminating enemy MDEF, it can be quite useful to a team of heavy magic-users. Otherwise, though, you can pass on it. I will say that there are two great Tools for sale here: the Shiranui and the Mermaid Fin. The Shiranui is a fire-elemental tool that causes Burn and Scapegoat, while the Mermaid Fin is a quirky little tool that causes DEF 1/2 and Slippery. Of the two, the Shiranui is the more useful, but the Mermaid Fin is still fun and slightly stronger in terms of direct damage. The Scorpion Tail is probably a bit better than either of these, especially if you've leveled it to +9 using alchemy, but both the Shiranui and the Mermaid Fin have their charms and I'd recommend them to anybody who likes having Tricksters in their army. The Tri Shot is kind of a judgment call. It's strong, versatile, and non- elemental, which are all points in its favor. However, its status effect is Phys Aura, which is counterproductive for a heavy physical damage dealer like a Gunner. You can use it to buff up your mages' damage like with the 7-Star Sword or you can just avoid Beats and hope for the best, but most of the time, I'd take the Grief Bowgun or the time-honored Crossbow over the Tri Shot. There's more Dragonia Armor, White Robes, Defenders, Hard Stringers, Apollon Shoes, blah blah blah for you to buy here, so take full advantage of it while you can. Take particular advantage of those Angel Halos. I won't say why, but you'll want them. Now. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Okay, I'll totally say why. ISABELI IS BACK! And she's even nastier than she was before. She's ditched Rods entirely in favor of her unique Necroscript, meaning that her main method of attack has now become Hades Invitation, the nigh-instant nuke that also causes Undead. Because of this, you will want Angel Halos equipped on EVERYBODY who can equip them. Undead will be very nasty if it lands and you want to avoid that at all costs, particularly on your Ace. (For this reason, I advise Acing Alissa or Elise - who can equip Angel Halos - over Giulio - who can not.) As before, Isabeli will be accompanied by Skeletons and Golems, two enemy types that are easily and dramatically counterable. The Skeletons have Rapiers equipped, so give shields to those who can use them to invalidate Rapiers' "Ignore Weapon Guard" property. And of course, it's time to bust out those anti-Undead weapons: the Holy Sabre, the Cryocross, and all the Books you can equip. Knockback works great as well, as the Skeletons can't revive from being Out of Zoned; Assassins and Tricksters will be in their element on that score. Golems will Break your equipment if you let them get close to you, so instead, take them out from afar. As it happens, you just recently got a weapon tailor- made to do such a thing: the Lava Rod, whose Redder Blitz spell does 250% damage to Golems. (Mind, at this stage in the game, you probably haven't unlocked Redder Blitz yet, as it takes 25 Mastery to use. Even if you haven't, though, the enormous AOE on Inferno Ruin still makes the Lava Rod worth using.) Failing the Lava Rod, you can also equip a Brute with Thor's Hammer, which can also do 250% damage to Golems. However, to use it, a Brute has to get in melee range of the Golem, putting him in danger of equipment breakage. The solution? Simply de-equip all non-weapons from your Brute. If he's not wearing any equipment, then the Golems can't break it, now can they? Just be sure to get your Brute to a Base Panel and reoutfit him in gear once the Golems are gone, as the Skeletons and Isabeli can hit very hard and you won't want him to go up against them with no defenses. A final note: the Golems use an Earth-elemental skill called Earthquake that can be absorbed by the Yggdrasil armor. If you happen to have this armor and a unit that can equip it, it's not a bad idea to do so. However, Earthquake doesn't do very much damage, so don't beat yourself up if you can't block it. Armed with anti-Skeleton and -Golem measures, you may safely Advance. ******************************************************************************* [SC20] ************** *** SCENE 20 *** ************** EVEN IF IT IS IN THE DISTANT FUTURE The course of true love never did run smooth. Battle: Another Battle with Corpses ******************************************************************************* Valerie has rejoined your forces! DECISION: Reassure her (A+ Ending) Hesitate to reply (+1 Chaos) SCENE 20 Victory Condition: -Defeat Isabeli. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: SVART 21, 984 PM 21:30 Time limit: SVART 25, 984 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 36 hrs *** >= 36 hrs, < 44 hrs ** >= 44 hrs, < 52 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Alissa, Elise Character Limit: 4 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Necromancer (Isabeli) BOSS Necroscript +9 Scroll Undead Healing, Absorbs Undead HP, cause Undead (night-only) Chrono Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +50 BOOST: Cast Time -30% Mirage Garb Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +15 Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Skeleton x5 (Skebador, Skeliad, Sken, Skennedy, Skeric) **** Bloody Rapier Rapier Crisis Power UP Gran Sabre 1H Sword Knockback Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Golem x5 (Godden, Gogantus, Golainne, Golgork, Gozyne) **** Rock Physique Physique Break RANDOM Chests: *UNIQUE* Shady Shackles - Three squares in front of Gozyne the Golem. *UNIQUE* Twinkle Stick - One square behind and one square to your Ace's left. *RARE* Golem Suit - One square behind and three squares to your Ace's right. Answerer - Directly to the right of Golainne the Golem. Moon Lily x7 - Seven squares to the left of Godden the Golem. *RARE* Knowledge Tablet - One square in front and nine squares to Isabeli's right, on the stone bridge. Alchemia - Two squares to Isabeli's right. Objects: Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. *RARE* Ambrosia - Large wooden box seven squares in front of Golgork the Golem. Siege Weapons: Ballista x2 Ankh Cannon x3 My first time playing this game, this fight was a total nightmare for me. I had no idea Golems could break equipment until it happened, the only person I had who could get rid of fallen Skeletons was my lone Priestess, and I didn't have any Angel Halos equipped at all. Without the proper preparation, this fight chews you up and spits you out, then tap-dances on your sorry remains until your one feeble hope for victory is that in your mostly-dead state you can cause it to trip and break its neck. Aren't you glad you have me around to help you learn tap-dancing instead? That metaphor got a bit weird. Let us not speak of it anymore. You begin the stage on top of the roof of Victrion, with two Golems hulking on the roof across from you. Two Skeletons and another Golem block the back end of the map, while three Skeletons and two more Golems advance up the large staircase toward you. Isabeli, meanwhile, starts on the ground by the moat. While she almost always uses her first turns to capture the nearby Base Panel, once she has done so, she makes an immediate beeline for your forces. The key thing here is that, if you're careful, you only need to worry about two of the Golems: the ones on the roof with you. Golems only have 1 JM. That means that the two on the ground and the one behind you are confronted with the insurmontable obstacle of "stairs," which they cannot walk up. Unless you move to them, they will not be able to move to you. To counter this, the Golems use Earthquake, an infinite-straight-line skill (like a Witch's Specialty III spell) that causes Earth damage and cannot be blocked. (It does NOT cause Knockback, the way a Witch's magic does.) The damage is usually low - 100-200 at best - but it can add up over time if you're not careful. Of course, since this attack can only be used in a straight line, it's not hard to avoid it just by staying out of the line of sight of these Golems, either. The Skeletons are more of a problem than the Golems. Much quicker and less confounded by stairs, they will swarm you in waves, with the two at the back reaching you first and the three lower down homing in not long after. Be careful, as the Skeletons can cause Knockback using their Gran Sabres and the edge of the map is frighteningly close, especially on the staircase. The advantage to the Skeletons' forward charge is that they tend to bunch up in straight lines on the stairs. This makes them perfect targets for the line- aimed Undead-Killing spells Luminous Wraith (Holy Sabre) and Direct Starlight (Cryocross,) allowing you to one-shot half of the Skeleton army in one spell fwoop. (Get it? Instead of "one fell swoop"? Hahaha! I amuse myself.) Follow this up with a purifying Benediction spell from your Priestess' Book of Kirie and you have just eliminated the majority of Isabeli's minions, making your life a safer and saner place. Isabeli herself will likely reach you a few turns behind her second wave of Skeletons, giving you some time to take care of them before having to deal with her. This is a great blessing, as Isabeli is an incredibly nasty customer. Her M.O. is to hit you with Hades Invitation, dealing excruciating damage and turning you into a Skeleton, then sucking all of your health away with Gravedigger, a life-draining spell that only affects the Undead. She's not above using this spell on her own Undead, either! Dirty tactics are Isabeli's middle name. What this really means for you is that Isabeli is at the peak of her power the more Skeletons she has around her. Not only does she keep them healthy with Necro Heal and herself healthy at their expense with Gravedigger, but they get in your way when you're trying to attack her and give her time to nuke you with Hades Invitation, which in turn makes her stronger still. If you can take out most of the Skeletons before Isabeli reaches you, she becomes much easier to handle. If you've equipped your entire team with Angel Halos, preventing her from Undeadifying you, you've blocked a good chunk of her strategy and again made her much easier to handle. If you can accomplish both of these goals, she's a positive cakewalk. Without Undead to heal herself with, Isabeli is just a squishy mage who can only attack one of your party members at a time. You can kill her in two Beats without even breaking a sweat. Let's recap how to make this battle easy, one last time: 1) Kill the Golems on the roof with you using the Lava Rod's Redder Blitz or Thor's Hammer's Stone Breaker from a Brute with no equipment. 2) Kill the Skeletons behind you using the Holy Sabre's Luminous Wraith or the Cryocross' Direct Starlight. Alternately, Out of Zone them any way you like. 3) Kill the Skeletons coming up the stairs at you, again, using the Holy Sabre's Luminous Wraith, the Cryocross' Direct Starlight, or knockback. 4) Laugh while Isabeli fails to skeletonize you thanks to your Angel Halos. 5) Kill Isabeli with extreme prejudice. And that's all there is to it! NEW WAR GOD .The Goddess of Protection, Lifbrasir, is unlocked! Lifbrasir is probably my least-summoned God of War. It's not because she's bad; far from it. Lifbrasir will fully restore the HP of every character she targets, providing a full turnaround from any injury bar death. It's just very rare that a full HP restore is more immediately useful than smashing the equipment of all enemies on the field, or cutting their HP in half. If your Priestess is dead, your healing items have run out, and your army is split across the map, then Lifbrasir can buy you just enough time to take out the scene boss before you lose the fight. If one character has gotten separated from the main force and you have no way of getting healing to them in time, Lifbrasir can reach down from the heavens and restore enough health to give them a fighting chance. The main drawback with Lifbrasir is that you often don't need to call upon her until things get dire, and when such a situation occurs, Ragnarok's long casting time can often cause her to come too late. If you're planning on utilizing Lifbrasir, make sure you keep Giulio permanently equipped with Rune Mail and a Force Bracelet for maximum +CAST, allowing the fastest possible Ragnarok. (Incidentally, Lifbrasir's design is oddly similar to Marietta of Yggdra Union. Wonder if there's a connection there?) ******************************************************************************* [INTER-20-21] SCENE 20-21 INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* ******************* ORKUBECKI'S SHOP ******************* WEAPONS ******* Earth Divide (1H Sword) Gran Sabre (1H Sword) 7-Star Sword (Greatsword) Crimson Red (Rapier) Sunrise (Axe) Thor's Hammer (Hammer) Jackhand (Claw) Bloody Claw (Claw) Shiranui (Tool) Arabian Might (Tool) Mermaid Fin (Tool) Kraken (Whip) Suigetsu (Katana) Lightning Bow (Bow) Raincloud Bow (Bow) Tri Shot (Bowgun) Berkut (Javelin) Lava Rod (Rod) Book of Kirie (Grimoire) Spirit Broom (Broom) Bronze Mace (Mace) SHIELDS ******* Basilisk Shield (Large) ARMOR ***** Dragonia Armor Brigandine Brave Armor Cuirass Leopardess Beni Shigure White Robe HEAD **** Firebird Helmet Pumpkin Hat Viking Helm Angel Halo Medic Cap HAND **** Defender Healing Gloves Force Bracelet Hard Stringer Serpent Answerer FOOT **** Gargan Boots Apollon Shoes Army Tights Tricky Boots Ping Pong Pumps Spring Shoes Sabbath ACCESSORIES *********** Gorgon Cameo CONSUMABLES *********** Potion x3 Potion x3 Art of War Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: While you will probably look at the merchandise at this store and think, "Oh my god, again?! More of the same old stuff?!" this store is the last time you will see these weapons for sale on this playthrough. And that's rather a pity, because a lot of them are very good. If there's any of them that you haven't yet bought or that you feel you want doubles of, now is your last chance to make it so. It's all more of the same stuff when it comes to the various types of armors as well. Again, take this as a breather in which to fill in any gaps in your armor needs. While the repetition of this store may be unexciting, it's also a relief after the too-quick rapidfire bonanzas in the middle of the game. Again, use this time to start considering your favorite setups with all the characters and equipment you've managed to get up until now. You're one scene closer to the end of the game than you were one scene ago; it's coming up with frightening speed! PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The last time we were here on the Vast Fissure, a large degree of your success was determined by how much the computer tried to knock you into the bottomless pits and how much they allowed your attacks through their Weapon Guard. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and at this point in time you have a lot more magic, a lot more Boosts, and a lot more knockback to bring to bear against the Fissure's defenders. The major difference between the battle to come and your last encounter at the Vast Fissure is that, instead of a bunch of tanky Paladins, you're now facing a truly enormous group of projectile units. On the positive side, this means that one of the big frustrations of the previous Vast Fissure fight - the Paladins' guard chance - is virtually nonexistent this time. On the negative side, there's no guarding yourself against the flurry of projectiles you'll have to weather to emerge victorious. While guarding may be out of the question, that's not to say there's no way to defend yourself. For a start, there are no enemy magic-users on this map at all. Not a single one. So throw out all your MDEF armor and replace it with the stuff that gives you the best DEF per piece. Dragonia Armor is one of the best armors to equip here: not only does it offer 30 DEF, but it absorbs the fire- elemental damage the Throwers cause, which greatly reduces their damage output and outright prevents them from using their Knockback skill on you (as a skill must actually do damage in order to apply status effects or Knockback)! For this same reason, Aqua Robes are great for your mages. Brigandine and Iron Armor are passable subsitutes for Dragonia Armor, if you don't have enough for your team. The Joker works great for Alissa and Tricksters; the Lorica is the strongest armor for Valerie, Archers, and Gunners, but the Cuirass' extra HIT is probably more important to have equipped. Don't forget about shoes and hand equips! The Defender, the Gauntlet, the Gargan Boots, and the Safety Boots all offer at least 15 DEF, which can make a huge dent in the damage potential of the enemy team. Mages will also want Pointy Hats in order to protect them from the Slow Cast caused by the Archers' bows; also, if the Tricksters get pulled into Beats, their Crystal Edges may cause Stone, so you can equip Holy Brims or Gorgon Cameos if you're paranoid. (The Tricksters getting pulled into a Beat is pretty rare, though. I wouldn't worry about it too much.) On the offensive side of things, you'll want to avoid using Air-element damage if possible; the enemy Archers come equipped with Silphy Garb, making them immune to it. Conrad, the boss of the stage, is equipped with the Dragon Coat, which will cause him to gain TP when he takes damage from magic... but don't let that stop you from hitting him with magic anyway, as it barely makes a difference in the fight if the Dragon Coat's effect procs. If you're really worried about it, cancel this advantage by using the TP-reduction effects of the 7-Star Sword or the Black Fan. Knockback is, yet again, one of the easiest ways to quickly remove opponents from the fight, but getting into a position to use it can be slightly tricky when the enemies prefer to stay at a distance and fill you with arrows before you can get close. If you're using an Assassin or a Trickster, I recommend equipping her with +JM shoes so she can use the lower layer of the stage as a way to sneak past the bridges and avoid the majority of projectile fire. A sturdier unit, like a Paladin or a Knight, can equip a knockback-causing sword and wade into the middle of things without fear, and of course a Witch can use her knockback from the opposite side of the map. There's nothing wrong with using the brute force approach, either; being archery units, all of the enemies have pretty low defensive stats and can be easily crushed by some strong Brutes or Tamers. One last little note. If you bought the Raincloud Bow, now is your only chance to use it, so equip it now! ******************************************************************************* [SC21] ************** *** SCENE 21 *** ************** SHALLOW RESOLVE IS NOT ENOUGH Where there's a will, there's a way. Battle: A Stand at the Vast Fissure ******************************************************************************* SCENE 21 Victory Condition: -Defeat Conrad Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: JOTUN 11, 984 AM 8:30 Time limit: JOTUN 16, 984 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 36 hrs *** >= 36 hrs, < 44 hrs ** >= 44 hrs, < 52 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Natalia, Valerie Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Gunner (Conrad) BOSS Tri Shot +7 Bowgun Phys Aura Dragon Coat Body Armor DEF +10, TP +3 when taking Magic damage Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Elixir Consumable FULL HP Recovery Trickster x2 (Annenicki, Carlyle) ** Crystal Edge Dagger Stone, Knockback Arabian Might Tool Panic Battle Clothes Body Armor DEF +15 Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Archer x3 (Aubrey, Defrotte, Emanuel) **** Spiral Arch Bow Slow Cast Silphy Garb Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +10, Prevent Aero damage Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Gunner x4 (Gudrun, Juriel, Radome, Torv) *** Gatling Bow Bowgun N/A Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Protector Body Armor DEF +15 Thrower x3 (Hugh, Jorg, Just) **** Salamandora Javelin Knockback Javelick Blue Hand Armor MDEF +15, HIT +25 BOOST: Water Affinity +5 Full Metal Coat Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +15 Medicinal Herb x2 Consumable Small HP and VIT recovery Chests: Loriel x3 - One square behind and four squares to your Ace's right. Tri Shot - One square in front of and seven squares to your Ace's right. Charge Bugle - Three squares in front of your Ace. Potion x3 - Eight squares in front of Hugh the Thrower. Aggressor - Five squares in front of and two squares to Hugh the Thrower's right. Medicinal Herb x2 - Seven squares to Hugh the Thrower's right. Night Raven - Four squares to Gudrun the Gunner's right. Objects: Onyx - Destroy Catapult. Onyx - Destroy Catapult. Onyx - Destroy Catapult. Demon Mask - Large rock two squares in front of and two squares to Hugh the Thrower's right. (It's all about Hugh, isn't it?) Tin Soldier Hat - Broken wooden box five squares to Aubrey the Archer's right. Inferno - Torch two squares to the right of Torv the Gunner. Grease x3 - Torch six squares in front of Just the Thrower, on the center platform. Mermaid Fin +1 - Large rock six squares in front of your Ace, on the lower level of the stage. Siege Weapons: Catapult x3 I honestly feel bad for Conrad. He knows he has no chance of standing against you and that he'll be lucky if he even manages to slow you down, but he's got no choice but to try and do it anyway. Video games are made around plights like Conrad's, but no: a minor character is he, doomed to disappear into the mists of ignominy, just another experience count in some generic's level bar. Poor guy. Doesn't mean I won't still smear him across the Fissure walls, but at least I'll feel bad about doing it. Anyway, Conrad's unit is comprised entirely of ranged units. In addition to the expected Archers, Gunners, and Throwers, two Tricksters are present in order to man the Catapults on his side of the Fissure. Their shots are capable of covering a large portion of the platform in the middle of the stage, making it a somewhat dangerous place to hang around in. Meanwhile, the Archers et al attempt to make it rain on your poor tender heads, working under the quite logical assumption that if they fire enough arrows, one is bound to kill you eventually. Appropriate equipment really completely destroys the challenge of this fight. Fire-immunizing gear, i.e. Dragonia Armor and Aqua Robes, makes it impossible for the Throwers to damage you, and Pointy Hats will protect your mages from the pesky Slow Cast the Archers try to stick you with. Equipping high-DEF armor will blunt the many projectiles fired your way to the point of inconsequence, and if you recall that projectiles cannot be blocked and don't bother trying to rely on Guard Chance to protect yourself, you should have little trouble weathering the barrage. Particularly since you already know the layout of this area, having fought here before, there isn't a whole lot I can tell you about winning in it. Melee tanks should hunker down on the bridges and draw fire away from your fighters while perhaps using Sword skills to knockback the enemies for some breathing room. Assassins and Tricksters can sneak into enemy lines using the lower cliff paths and have a field day sending people to Hell with their knockback capabilities. Your own Archers and Throwers may find themselves taking a lot of collateral damage in this fight, as getting in range to use their weapons puts them in range of the enemy's weapons in return, but since you should have tanks and healers to protect your ranged units while the enemy does not and you may have some extra HIT on them to hit from farther away than they can comfortably aim, your units should be able to squeak ahead to victory. And your mages? Man, do I even have to tell you? Between the Icicle Rod, the Lava Rod, and the full- screen knockback of the Cryocross, nothing will survive the wrath of your mages. As a side note about your own Archers and Throwers: this is one of the few battles where you're guaranteed to get some good use out of the randomized Specialty III Bow attacks and Specialty IV Javelin attacks. The enemies almost always stay bunched into tight groups for the entire battle, virtually guaranteeing that all of the random shots will find a target as long as you aim the AOE carefully. There's not much else to say. Enjoy this nice, fairly relaxing map: it's the last such laid-back map in the entire game. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-21-22] SCENE 21-22 INTERLUDE ****************************************************************************** ***************************** MERCHANT APPRENTICE'S SHOP ***************************** WEAPONS ******* Berserker (Axe) Scarlet Blade (Dagger) Vitra Whip (Whip) Spiral Arch (Bow) Salamandora (Javelin) Yggdrasil Staff (Rod) Inferno (Broom) Aerial (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Basilisk Shield (Large) Basilisk Shield (Large) ARMOR ***** Aqua Robe Dragonia Armor Dragonia Armor Brigandine Brigandine Brave Armor Brave Armor Cuirass Cuirass Leopardess Beni Shigure White Robe HEAD **** Pumpkin Hat Viking Helm Angel Halo Medic Cap HAND **** Defender Healing Gloves Force Bracelet Hard Stringer Serpent Answerer FOOT **** Fire Boots Fire Boots Gargan Boots Wheel Greaves Apollon Shoes Army Tights Spring Shoes ACCESSORIES *********** Gorgon Cameo CONSUMABLES *********** Art of War Art of War Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Loriel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: While we've seen some of these weapons before in enemies' hands, now is the first time we can pick them up in a store. It's going to be a tough battle ahead, as it will be for all of the battles to follow, and there isn't going to be much time to build Mastery on anything you can buy from here until the end of the game. So I'm not just going to consider equipment in a vacuum in these final store reviews: I'm also going to consider how much use you'll likely get out of them before the end of the game. The Berserker starts with the Spec I Brave Swing, which is weaker than the Kill Blade's Power Smash, and learns Hand Crush, which is not only less useful than Shield or Armor Crush, but has also been available for a while on the Silver Moon. Skip it. The Scarlet Blade causes no status effects at all and is less powerful than the soon-to-be-available Crystal Edge. Skip it as well. The Vitra Whip is the second whip in the game to have a Spec IV Capturing skill. It also causes Stone with Beats. It's an awesome whip, but a bit heavy on the CAP for a whip that will take 25 Mastery to unlock an actual attack. It's better if you got it to drop from Griselda back on Stage 17, but if you didn't and you really like your Tamer, it's worth picking up now, too. The Spiral Arch is a great anti-caster bow right from the get-go, and there will be a great opportunity to use it right after this stage. If one didn't drop in the last fight, be sure to buy one for Elise or an Archer now. The Salamandora will not have its Spec III attack unlocked until 18 Mastery; stick with the Knight Killer and the Ice Javelin instead. The Yggdrasil Staff is inferior to the Icicle Rod for damage and, while it heals more VIT than the Moonlight Rod does, it's not worth leveling it up for the ability. The Inferno is similarly skippable; its Spec I Hell's Crater ability packs a punch, but it takes 32 Mastery to unlock. If you're doing that melee-Witch thing, do it with the Spirit Broom, not the Inferno. Finally, the Aerial. I wish I could love it, because it has a butterfly on top, but it is in every way inferior to the Arrow Heart and the Twinkle Stick. If you're dead-set on having a dual-wand-wielding Alissa and you missed the Twinkle Stick on Scene 20... you still shouldn't buy it, because the Freezing power of the Lilybell Wand is superior to the Aerial's Half Guard. I'm sorry, Aerial.... You can buy more Basilisk Shields if you need to, but unless you have an all- Knight team, you should have enough by now. For armor, make sure you have as many Aqua Robes and Dragonia Armors as your team is capable of equipping!!! You will be facing Rail Cannons again on the next stage, and you will NEED fire protection! The other body armors have all been seen before; stock up if you need to. The Head armors have also been seen before, but an important one makes a reappearance: the Angel Halo. If you don't have enough for everybody who can wear one in your team to have one, then buy this one. Isabeli is waiting in the wings for one last fight... you'll want all the Angel Halos you can equip to counter her when that last encounter comes. In the Hand and Foot departments we have oldies but goodies: every piece available in both sections is good for at least one character class, and if any of the recent Brutes have managed to destroy your equipment with their Axes, you may need some replacements for them. The only accessory is the Gorgon Cameo, which we've discussed. Restock on used consumables and prepare yourself. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: This is it. The big rematch. You're back at Golgotha and it's none other than Robertus standing against you. The endgame is nearly upon us and it's not going to pull any punches, so from this point on, nobody goes into the fight who isn't loaded for bear and ready to kill. Unlike the last time we were here, I'm not going to give in-depth equipment setups for each character type. For one thing, your characters should be reaching a sort of groove with you, where you can tell what you need from them and what equipment you want them to have. For another thing, your items are likely to vary greatly from playthrough to playthrough. And finally, if I may be honest? This rematch with Robertus should be a BIT easier than your first fight here against Wallace. The sheer amount of tools at your disposal should make overcoming Robertus much easier than you might think it would be. The most crucial component to your victory is fire-immune armor. If you can put your entire team into Dragonia Armor and Aqua Robes, you can completely ignore the Rail Cannons, as they won't be able to harm you. Failing that, equip Fire Boots on everybody who can't equip the two flame-retardant armors and keep anybody else off the battlefield until the cannons are destroyed. The stage is flooded with Knights, including Wallace and Robertus, so a Brute's Shield Crush can be very useful here. Both the Archers and the lone Trickster possess fire-elemental weapons - the Burning Sun and the Scarlet Blade, respectively - so being immune to fire will help negate their damage, although the Archers will still be able to attack with the non-elemental Acute Arrow. Robertus' lance is non-elemental, but Wallace's Zephyr sword is Water-elemental; those without Dragonia Armors or Aqua Robes can consider the Sun Cloak or the Mermaid Pareo to counter Wallace instead. Alternately, such characters can just maximize their DEF. There are no spellcasters present here today, so MDEF is useless to you; break out those shields and Heavy Greaves instead. The Knights are equipped with the End of Ages sword, which can cause Curse. You may want to equip Angel Halos, Holy Brims, Pumpkin Hats, or Talismans to prevent this effect, which has the potential to mess you up if it gets applied to too many characters at once. Wallace can cause Mana Aura and Robertus can cause Pain, but they don't tend to do this too often and anyway those two are difficult status effects to block. If you're really concerned, try bulking up your RES stat instead of trying to outright block either effect: equipment like the Pure Grace armor, the Angel Halo or Beastbone Helm, or the Purging Talisman can give your RES enough of a boost that you'll probably avoid all the status ailments in the coming battle anyway. Oh yes, one more thing: the Trickster absorbs Earth damage through her Yggdrasil armor, and one of the two Archers absorbs Wind damage with his Silphy Garb. There are no other elemental immunities to consider, and they're two minor opponents in this fight anyway, but it's worth keeping in mind. Stocked? Set up? Saved? Good. SALLY FORTH! ******************************************************************************* [SC22] ************** *** SCENE 22 *** ************** THE THIRD SPEAR PIERCES THE SHIELD History tends to repeat itself. Battle: Showdown at Golgotha ****************************************************************************** SCENE 22 Victory Condition: -Defeat Robertus Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: JOTUN 20, 984 AM 9:00 Time limit: JOTUN 27, 984 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 48 hrs *** >= 48 hrs, < 56 hrs ** >= 56 hrs, < 64 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Alissa, Natalia Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: General (Robertus) BOSS Oni Lance +9 Lance Pain, Void DEF, HP 1/2 Damage Chronodict Grimoire Slow Cast Blade Armor Body Armor DEF +35, Reflect 50% Physical damage Lion Heart Small Shield GUARD 54% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Knight (Wallace) ********** Zephyr +7 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Mars Shield Large Shield GUARD 75% Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Mithril Armor Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +5 Knight x3 (Aeron, Markt, Yussi) **** End of Ages 1H Sword Curse Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Mithril Armor Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +5 Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Trickster x1 (Lorne) * Scarlet Blade Dagger N/A Glass Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, Counter II Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Yggdrasil Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +10, Absorb Geo Damage Archer x1 (Abel) ***** Burning Sun Bow N/A Cheering Flag Accessory BOOST: DEL -2 after taking action Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Lorica Body Armor DEF +20 Archer x1 (Gowol) ***** Burning Sun Bow N/A Hard Stringer Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, HIT +30 BOOST: Ranged weapon damage +50% Silphy Garb Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +10, Prevent Aero damage Potion x3 Consumable Light HP Recovery Rail Cannon x2 (Rail Cannon I, Rail Cannon II) Neutral (does not need to be killed) Iron Chassis Physique HP 1/4 Damage, Undodgeable, Burn Chests: Aggressor - Three squares behind and one square to your Ace's left. Assault Shield - Seven squares to Markt the Knight's right. Zephyr - Three squares in front of Aeron the Knight, next to the Crystal. *RARE* Mars Shield - Four squares in front of Abel the Archer. Loriel x3 - One square behind and one square to Gowol the Archer's left. Tyrant Armor - Four squares to Lorne the Trickster's left. Mephilum - Seven squares to Rail Cannon II's left. Objects: Onyx - Destroy a Ballista. Onyx - Destroy a Ballista. *UNIQUE* Volcano - Fortress Candles two squares to Lorne the Trickster's right. *RARE* Royal Shield - Wooden box one square behind and two squares to Gowol the Archer's left. *UNIQUE* Zolfy - Wooden box three squares to Aeron the Knight's left. Grease x3 - Destroy any section of Rail Cannon Tracks and this will appear. Black Ash x3 - Destroy any crossroads section of Rail Cannon Tracks and this will appear. Siege Weapons: Ballista x2 Rail Cannon x2 "That impudent gaffer." Oh Isabeli. You're such an adorable little mistress of darkness. I just want to pinch your sweet little cheeks when you giggle all homicidally like that! What? There's a battle going on? Oh, right. Let's get back to that, then. So, remember how the first time you were here, the rail cannon was lopping off huge chunks of your HP and the three-star time limit was really tight and there was a Priestess undoing all your hard work and the Knights were SO HARD to kill and the Archers were shooting from seven panels away and everything was just chaos and horror and trauma? Well, guess what? It will not be this way again. Not if we have anything to say about it. First off, field as many people equipped with Dragonia Armor, Aqua Robes, and Fire Boots as you can. Just like your first encounter here, Golgotha starts the fight by attempting to weaken you with its Rail Cannon. Oh, did I say "Cannon"? I meant "Cannons," plural: there are two of them this time, raining twice the burning rain of death upon your heads. But that's okay! Because any characters equipped with Dragonia Armor or Aqua Robes will INVALIDATE all damage dealt from the Rail Cannons, as Rail Cannons' attacks are fire-element! If your entire party can be clad in Dragonia Armor and Aqua Robes, you don't even need to destroy the Rail Cannons. A team of Giulio, Paulo, a Knight, a Brute, a Priestess, and/ or a Sorceress will be completely immune to the Rail Cannons (and also to the Trickster's Scarlet Blade and the Archers' Specialty III Sunlight Squall attack). Throw a Lava Rod on Paulo and the Sorceress so you can cast fire magic on the enemies without harming any of your fire- immune allies and this battle will be a piece of cake. (A piece of cake that has been BURNED TO A CRISP.) However, chances are that this is not the exact party that you have been using up until this point, and that's okay. You can still get through this battle with any other combination of characters; the only thing is, you'll want to get rid of those two Rail Cannons first. This can be done exactly the same way as you managed the first time you came here: simply initiate a multi-person Beat on the cannons one at a time while being Boosted by Wrecker Gloves and they'll go down in a twinkling. The cannons are still rolling around on rails high above the battlefield, though, so you're going to have to use a ranged unit (Elise, Archer, Trickster) or a Witch with a Specialty I Broom (the Noir, the Spirit Broom, or the Inferno) to trigger the Beats needed to destroy the suckers. It won't just be the Rail Cannons shooting at you during this time, either. The two Archers up by Robertus will almost always move in closer to start raining their Sunlight Squall attack down upon you. Now, Sunlight Squall is fire-elemental, but it doesn't cause Burn. On the one hand, that's good, as it makes it much less dangerous than the Rail Cannons' shots. On the other hand, that means that Fire Boots won't do much to protect you from it. The Dragonia Armor or the Aqua Robe will nullify its damage, however, so the more of those you have equipped, the less you'll have to worry about the Archers; they'll be forced to use their Acute Arrow attack to damage you instead, and while its damage is comparable to Sunlight Squall, it only hits one target at a time. Once you've destroyed the two Rail Cannons, take a moment to gather your thoughts and your forces. Remember how the last time you were here, you sped up the battle by attacking Wallace with magic and getting him to come at you more quickly? Well, you can do the same thing again here to Robertus to get him moving just like you did to Wallace, and thanks to his cripplingly heavy Blade Armor, Robertus moves at the speed of a sea urchin: 1 MOVE and 0 JUMP. Even after you antagonize Robertus in this manner, it will take him several turns to reach you, giving you ample time to deal with his Knights at the foot of the stairs. Dealing with these Knights - including the aforementioned Wallace himself - is mountains easier with a Brute on your side. Equip the Battleaxe (Armor Crush) and either the Slasher or the Sunrise (Shield Crush) and destroy the Knights' and Wallace's equipment, one by one. (I'd start with the shields, which are by far the more annoying pieces.) All those Knights aren't so tough without their 60+ Guard Chance standing between your sword and their skull. A good Witch or Sorceress can also make these Knights evaporate by inflicting Burn on them with the Kikimora or the Lava Rod. The percentage-based HP damage will cut them all down like wheat. Failing that, you can always knock the Knights out of the battle with Rapiers or Daggers; incapacitate them with Tamers; simply gang up on them and Beat them into unconsciousness one at a time... you've fought enough Knights by now, you know what works and what doesn't. The Knights cannot cause Knockback, but Wallace can, so stay away from the edges of the map until Wallace has been taken care of. (Past experience might leave you wary of the Trickster as well, but don't worry. The Trickster has a Scarlet Blade, which cannot cause knockback; Wallace is the only one.) It will take Robertus several turns to reach you, and by the time he does, you will (ideally) have taken care of both Cannons and all the Knights, including Wallace. Wallace is equipped with a nasty sword called the Zephyr; in addition to being water-elemental and causing Knockback, the Zephyr can also cause Mana Aura through Beats and the Flood Slash attack. Mana Aura is an irritating status effect on this stage because there are no magic-users, so the increased MDEF goes to waste, and the "DEF = 0" part... well, I'm sure I don't need to explain why that's bad on this stage. If anybody gets inflicted with Mana Aura, try to either keep them back from the action until the effect wears off or use an Orb on them to cure it immediately. Fortunately, Wallace rarely uses Flood Slash and doesn't usually get Mana Aura to stick even when he does, so you should be able to skate through without worrying about it too much. However, it's best to be prepared for such things. When Robertus finally hits the ground level and comes after you, make sure you do not underestimate him. Even alone and moving at the speed of Galcian from Skies of Arcadia (read: very slowly,) Robertus can kick ten kinds of butt. The Oni Lance is a devastating weapon that can cause Pain, ignore your DEF stat, or even reduce your HP by a flat 50%. Nasty stuff, and it doesn't end there. Robertus is equipped with the Blade Armor, which - while it may squash his MOVE and JUMP stats into nothingness - boasts 35 DEF and the ability to reflect 50% of all physical damage done to Robertus back to the attacker! (This does not apply to damage from Beats, thankfully: this makes Grimoires, as magical weapons that ignore Guard and initiate Beats, your best friends in this fight.) And that's not all: Robertus also comes with the Chronodict Grimoire, allowing him to heal himself and other units over an AOE for 30% of their maximum HP! Coupled with his Lion Heart shield, an extra 15 DEF (and a Specialty III counter!) from his Gargan Boots, and the HP of a small moon, taking down Robertus is not easy, even when he's the last unit on the battlefield. So let's look at some of the ways your units can contribute to Robertus' defeat. Giulio brings an extremely powerful advantage to the table with Ragnarok - not through Einherjar, as he usually does, but through Midgardsormr. If you can get Midgardsormr to target Robertus and remove all of his non-weapon equipment, Robertus' DEF, physical damage reflection, and counterattacking abilities will all disappear, making him much easier to defeat. A Brute can achieve this as well using Crush skills, although you'll want to destroy the Blade Armor first or your Brute will take reflected damage for doing so. Now, keep in mind that removing the Blade Armor will allow Robertus to move around the field at full speed again, so this strategy is not without its dangers. However, he'll fall much faster without his defenses in place, there's no arguing with that. Elise and Archers can initiate Beats through Robertus' shield and 39% weapon Guard, or just try to inflict him with valuable status effects. The Flint Bow causes Burn, which is by far the best way to damage Robertus considering his high HP, and the Spiral Arch can cause Slow Cast, which will dramatically reduce his ability to heal himself. You could also inflict DEF 1/2 on him with the Lightning Bow, reducing his DEF without increasing his MOVE. Paulo and Sorceresses will want to equip the Lava Rod and spam the hell out of Redder Blitz and Inferno Ruin. Robertus' high maximum HP leaves him very vulnerable to Burn, and don't forget that you can also use the Lava Rod's fiery magic to heal those of your allies that are equipped with Dragonia Armor. Valerie and Assassins can inflict Poison using the Griffin Talon, which works just as well as Burn for exactly the same reasons. They can also use the Jackhand to inflict Shieldless or the Wind Tearer (which hasn't been for sale but might have dropped earlier in the game) to cause Slow Cast. Assassins and Tricksters can try out Mana Aura with the Mana Dagger, Silent with the Rune Knife, or Stone with the Crystal Edge as well. Valerie - and, by extension, Gunners - is more limited with her bowgun selection than Assassins are with their daggers, but the Crossbow can cause Weak and the Grief Bowgun can cause Curse, and those can be used to decent effect here instead if you don't have the Griffin Talon for Valerie (or if you're a Gunner). I consider Burn the most valuable status effect you can cause to Robertus on this stage, and for that reason, I like to give Alissa the Arrow Heart. If you've really been building up Mastery on this wand, Alissa might have access to Restoration, which will allow her to heal your team on rounds where she isn't reapplying Burn with Hearty Sphere, further increasing her usefulness. Natalia will have trouble contributing much to this fight unless you can get rid of Robertus' shield with Midgardsormr or a Brute. Without a shield in her way, however, Natalia can slip the Blue Stinger into Robertus' ribs unblocked and cause DEF 1/2. She can also try causing Curse with the End of Ages sword or Mana Aura if Wallace drops his Zephyr sword and she goes onto a Base panel to equip it. In my experience, this fight always comes down to a one-on-five battle between Robertus and your five deployed party members. The Knights and Archers will often die just from collateral damage, even if you don't make an effort to go after them in particular, because Robertus just has so much HP. And once Robertus is alone on the field, it's almost impossible for him to actually kill anybody. Really, the big challenge of this fight is all in the opening gambit: destroying the Rail Cannons without taking too much damage. If you can manage to do that and get back into fighting shape again before confronting Wallace and his Knights, you should find the rest of the battle to be long, but not really all that difficult. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-22-23] SCENE 22-23 INTERLUDE ****************************************************************************** *************************** GOLGOTHA MERCHANT'S SHOP *************************** WEAPONS ******* Gran Sabre (1H Sword) 7-Star Sword (Greatsword) Berserker (Axe) Scarlet Blade (Dagger) Shiranui (Tool) Mermaid Fin (Tool) Vitra Whip (Whip) Spiral Arch (Bow) Tri Shot (Bowgun) Salamandora (Javelin) Wyvern (Javelin) Yggdrasil Staff (Rod) Alchemia (Grimoire) Inferno (Broom) Aerial (Wand) SHIELDS ******* N/A ARMOR ***** Diamond Plate Maximilian Dark Robe HEAD **** Magic Tiara Demon Mask HAND **** Gauntlet Aggressor FOOT **** Gargan Boots Heavy Greaves ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Loriel x3 Luciel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Golgotha Fortress is ours!!! Bask in that victory for a moment or two, then get cracking on putting your army into shape for the next fight. Robertus is on the loose, after all, and we can't let him get away! At this late in the game, you're unlikely to need another Gran Sabre or 7-Star Sword, and we just discussed the Berserker and the Scarlet Blade last scene. The Shiranui and the Mermaid Fin are just as awesome now as they were back in previous shops, particularly since their most useful attacks - Carmine Shark for the Shiranui and Weak March for the Mermaid Fin - are the initial attacks on the weapons. If you couldn't get these two Tools for your Trickster last time they were for sale, get them now. You can find good uses for both heading into the endgame. The Spiral Arch is still great. The Vitra Whip and the Tri Shot are not really worth your time or money anymore, and the Salamandora never was. The Wyvern, another javelin, is for sale for the first time here. It's not a bad javelin, actually - certainly better than the Salamandora - but, like so many other javelins, it is not better than the Knight Killer. It does at least do more flat damage than the Knight Killer does, but it has much lower Guard, is Air- elemental instead of neutral, and lacks the Knight Killer's flexibility in terms of Specialties. It's good, but not good enough to buy. The Alchemia Grimoire, while useful in theory, is inferior to a Mastered Book of Nanai or Book of Kirie, which you should have by this time. It is, however, more useful than the Yggdrasil Staff, the Inferno, and the Aerial, all of which we have discussed previously, even if only because it can cause the Shieldless ailment, which is great for neutering Knights. If you're using multiple Priestesses, you may be able to find a use for it. Otherwise, let it pass by. As you might expect, Diamond Plate has some of the highest DEF obtainable on armor. Something you may not expect, however, is that it also has no MDEF whatsoever. Since there will be spellcasters on every map from here until the end of the game - the next fight is, in fact, almost all spellcasters - you really need your Knight to have some MDEF in addition to his DEF, or else he won't survive long enough to tank the way he needs to. For this reason, I kind of prefer the Maximilian; it only has +5 MDEF, but that makes a difference when combined with some high-MDEF accessories, like the Talisman or the Gorgon Cameo. We also have the Dark Robe, which is a dark-magical-girl-robe for Alissa and Witches only. With +10 DEF and +30 MDEF, it's an awesome piece of armor for both girls; it also raises Fire affinity, which makes the Kikimora and the Arrow Heart happy. A Magic Tiara is inexplicably for sale next to a Demon Mask, an item you may have picked up in a chest on the Vast Fissure. The Demon Mask boasts a rather phenomenal amount of RES and a +1 bonus to TAC for the rather reasonable price of 27 CAP, making it an alluring choice for the units that can equip it. It even increases Fire affinity, making it well suited for Paulo or a Sorceress. The Gauntlet and the Aggressor are less interesting than the Demon Mask, but not necessarily without use. While you might have them already, the Gauntlet is a glove for a Knight that increases DEF by 20. It's not a bad idea to get it for your Knight if you don't already have one, as 20 DEF is nothing to sneeze at in the difficult stages to come. The Aggressor, meanwhile, offers a hodgepodge of useful stats and the situationally useful "Damage to Ace increased" Boost effect. Considering the strength of some of the Aces you're going to have to defeat in the remaining stages, purchasing the Aggressor is not a bad idea. I won't necessarily say it's a GOOD idea - I mean, you could be using the Boost from a Serpent or an Overdrive or a Hard Stringer instead - but it's definitely not a bad one if you have space for it in your team's equipment slots. In the foot department, we have the Gargan Boots and the Heavy Greaves, both heavy, high-DEF shoes for Knights and a handful of other units. You probably have more Gargan Boots than you can even equip now, considering how many enemies have been equipped with them, but the Heavy Greaves might prove useful. And with no accessories and no interesting consumables in the store, that's the end of this section for today. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Three-star-getters beware: in my personal opinion, the coming stage is the most difficult-to-three-star stage in the game. You have an extremely stringent time limit of only 24 hours, and you have one of the most annoying enemy groups to try and speed through waiting for you. The next stage is swarming with magic-users; in fact, it quite possibly has the most magic-users of any stage in the game. However, because Regina (spoilers, we're fighting Regina on the next map) isn't stupid like Robertus is, she also brings along two Tamers and two Wampyrs to provide some physical punch to back up her magic-users. So you can't just optimize for MDEF or the Tamers will cut you to pieces. Furthermore, Regina also made sure her units diversified their elemental coverage. While she and her Witches and Wampyrs are packing Fire magic, her Sorceresses bring Water magic, the Tamers come swinging Wind whips, and her attendant Priestess has the Earth-elemental Book of Kirie. Your saving grace in this fight is the relative physical frailty of your opponents. Regina runs the Magic Division on a glass cannon policy, with no unit under her command having more than 25 DEF or 35 MDEF, including her. Don't for a moment think this is going to make things easy for you, though. The best way to capitalize on Regina's team's frailty is with Beats, and trying to set up Beats in the twisted center of Cannavaro tends to cram your army together, where Regina and her mages can deal maximum damage to your units. With that time limit staring over your shoulder like the eyes of doom, your setup will have to be crafted with care. If you got the Magic Eater from a chest back on Scene 19, equip it on somebody immediately. The Magic Eater is the best defensive measure you can have on this map, seeing as it completely absorbs all magical damage, making one character immune to everything other than the Tamers' whips and the Wampyrs' daggers. The rest of your characters have to decide between immunizing themselves to one of the elements with an element-absorbing armor or maximizing both of their defenses to try and weather the entire spectrum instead. If you're going to pick one element to nullify, Fire is probably the one, as it's the most common element on the map and Regina - who packs the most punch - uses it. The best compromise is the Aqua Robe, which has 10 DEF, 20 MDEF, and fire immunity. Other good options are the Beni Shigure or the Valiant Robe, both with 10 DEF and 25 MDEF. And don't forget about helmets! The Angel Halo, the Crystal Circlet, the Feather Ornament, the Magic Tiara, the Pointy Hat, and the Pumpkin Hat all have 15 MDEF, which can make the difference between life and death in this coming fight. The most troublesome ailments coming your way will be Slow Cast, Burn, and Charm. (Batrify is devastating if it puts in an appearance, but it's too rare to concern yourself with.) Burn is by far the most common and also the most dangerous barring Charm, so break out those Fire Boots again for everyone that can't equip Dragonia Armor, Aqua Robes, or the Magic Eater. Slow Cast is rare enough that you shouldn't need to worry about it, but if you're being cautious, get out the Pointy Hats for your mages. Charm will absolutely ruin your life, as usual, but if all goes well, we'll be killing or nullifying the two Wampyrs before night falls, removing it as a threat. Wrecker Gloves are worth their weight in gold here. This scene abounds with rare and incredibly potent items, and in order to get the statues, chests, and mailbox (yes, mailbox) containing your desired items open in any reasonable amount of time, you will NEED somebody equipped with Wrecker Gloves to provide Boosts. Giulio is usually my first choice for Wrecker Gloves, but if you're going to be using Ragnarok in this fight - which I highly advise - then Giulio will need a Force Bracelet instead to minimize his casting time. For this reason, I recommend putting the Wrecker Gloves on Paulo, a Trickster, or a Thrower instead of on Giulio. Another surprisingly valuable equip for this fight is any shoe that increases JUMP. Ragnarok is critical for achieving the three-star for this fight, and the only way you're summoning Ragnarok is by taking and holding the bridge in the middle of the map before Regina's Tamers can do the same. In order to get to the Base Panels on the bridge before the Tamers do, you will want +JUMP shoes, which will let you hop the stairs leading there with ease. The best choices are the Tricky Boots and the Army Tights, with their +1 MOVE and JUMP, but the Spring Shoes, Insect Shoes, or Ping Pong Pumps will work as well. Valerie and Assassins are the best choices for this role, as they can also equip the Fuuma Muffler and become immune to the Tamers' whips, but they aren't necessary, just helpful. Finally, if you're using a Witch, at all costs equip her with the Cryocross and as many pieces of +CAST equipment as you can. If you can equip the Rapid Rabbit, the Chrono, and the Sabbath shoes, you'll hit the +CAST cap of 80, allowing your Witch to cast Direct Starlight in 6 ticks (!!!) If you can get your Witch to move and pull off Direct Starlight before the Priestess on the enemy team can do so... well, let's just say you'll find this scene a hell of a lot easier to three-star! When you're ready, pursue Robertus and Wallace into Regina's waiting trap. ****************************************************************************** [SC23] ************** *** SCENE 23 *** ************** THE PRIME MINISTER'S TRUE INTENTIONS, AN HONORABLE DEATH Two dogs strive for a bone, a third runs away with it. Battle: Battle at Cannavaro ******************************************************************************* SCENE 23 Victory Condition: -Defeat Regina Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: NIVL 12, 985 AM 9:30 Time limit: NIVL 16, 985 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 24 hrs *** >= 24 hrs, < 32 hrs ** >= 32 hrs, < 40 hrs * Ace Options: Elise, Natalia, Paulo Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Sorceress (Regina) BOSS Southern Cross +5 Rod Slow Cast, Burn Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Oat Bread x2 Consumable Mild HP Recovery Tamer x2 (Aina, Carola) ***** Kamaitachi Whip N/A Shin Zentetsu Katana GUARD 36%, Counter IV Walkyrie Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +10 Amazon Boots Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter I Priestess x1 (Suzanne) **** Book of Kirie Grimoire Geoism Evening Gown Body Armor DEF +5, MDEF +15 Healing Gloves Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment Time Down Sorceress x2 (Hrotsvitha, Theres) ****** Yggdrasil Staff Rod Aquism, VIT Heal Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Witch x1 (Cythka) ****** Inferno Broom Pyrism, Burn Overdrive Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Magic Weapon Damage +50% Ice Rose Accessory MDEF +10 BOOST: Water Index +5 Lovely One-Piece Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Witch x1 (Degideria) ****** Inferno Broom Pyrism, Burn Overdrive Hand Armor MDEF +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Magic Weapon Damage +50% Feather Rose Accessory MDEF +10 BOOST: Air Index +5 Lovely One-Piece Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +5 Wampyr x2 (Eylose, Ingyas) * Neutral (does not need to be killed) Sexy Physique Physique Batrify, Charm (Enchanted Only) Scarlet Blade Dagger N/A Enchanting Rouge x9 Consumable Causes Enchanted (Night Only) Chests: *UNIQUE* Hraesvelger - One square in front of and two squares to your Ace's left. Heretic Dress - Two squares behind and six squares to your Ace's left, nestled right in the corner of the map. *RARE* Ambrosia - Three squares in front of Aina the Tamer, but underneath the bridge, not on it. Wind of Eden - One square behind and one square to Cythka the Witch's left. *RARE* Alicorn - Two squares to Theres the Sorceress' right, nestled in the corner of the map. Lion Heart - Two squares behind and four squares to your Ace's right, on top of the house on your side of the river. Elixir - One square behind and two squares to Ingyas the Wampyr's right. Requires a Flying unit to reach. Objects: *RARE* Rosier - Large knight statue on the enemy side of the river, two squares in front of Degideria the Witch. *UNIQUE* Shangri-La - Large knight statue on your side of the river, seven squares in front of Degideria the Witch. *UNIQUE* Apocalypse - Mailbox five squares to your Ace's right. At long last, the slimy Regina crosses polearms with you, bringing the awesome might of her Southern Cross rod to bear against the unearthly powers of the magic spear Gungnir. Will she succeed where so many of her pawns have failed, or will she join the corpses moldering beneath Isabeli's feet? You have your work cut out for you on this stage. In terms of the flat battle conditions, things don't seem too difficult - and they're not, really. Regina and her multiple Sorceress and Witch neophytes sling spells at you while two Tamers and two Wampyrs swoop in to attack with physical weaponry. Meanwhile, a Priestess uses the Book of Kirie to keep her boss and her associates in good health. All of the enemies are varying degrees of fragile, from the not-very- fragile Tamers to the extraordinarily-fragile Witches. There's a lot of AOE damage flying around, but it's nothing you can't handle, especially with a good tank, which is something Regina's team definitively lacks. No; if you take your time, approach each enemy in methodical turn, and take them apart one by one, with the proper equipment and a careful eye to your health, Regina will pretty easily and painlessly fall. So herein lies the problem. You absolutely cannot take your time on this map. The three-star time limit is an inconceivably stringent twenty-four hours: one day to bring about Regina's death. And in that day, you must not only break through two katana-wielding Tamers, two Charming Wampyrs, and a Priestess with the best book in the game while Regina pounds you with the fires of the sun, but retrieve up to three - count them, THREE - invaluable weapons from points scattered all across the map. And that's not even taking into consideration the treasure chests, the river you can drown in, the host of status ailments you'll face, or the chokehold bridge you'll have to cross over while magic falls upon you from the skies. Those of you who don't care about picking up these items can have a lovely and relaxing time in this battle. Take out the Wampyrs before night falls and then focus down the enemies one by one at your leisure. The rest of us are going to cry tears of blood for a little while. To be quite honest, it's nearly impossible to get everything you want out of this stage and still get the three-star rating on a first playthrough. Heck, even on a second playthrough it can be nearly impossible. The amount of luck that goes into whether the Tamers block and waste your attacks or when you have to heal and how much time you lose time by doing so or where the War Gods choose to strike can frustrate even the most inveterate gambler. It really is good to try and make some priorities about what items you MUST have from this fight and which ones you'll accept the loss of in case a run of this scene goes ALMOST perfectly and you're wrestling with the decision of whether to try for a better run or call it a day. But that's not what you want to hear from me, is it? C'mon, let's see how little time we can crunch this battle into. Let's look at a couple of strategic moves you can make that could conceivably shorten the amount of time you have to take in this battle. 1) Ragnarok, of course. You can use Midgardsormr to eliminate Regina's Oat Bread, preventing her from healing herself; the Wampyrs' Enchanting Rouge, preventing them from becoming Enchanted and using Charm; and the Tamers' Walkyries and Amazon Boots, greatly slowing their advance. The advantages should be obvious. Make sure Giulio has some CT, though; you don't want him standing around casting any longer than he has to be. 2) Silent or Slow Cast! A Sorceress with an Icicle Rod should be following Regina like a hawk and spamming Red Pillar on her and anybody close to her in order to keep them quiet. The less Regina and her mages attack, the less you have to heal and the more time you can devote to your treasure- hunting. 3) An Assassin equipped with a stealing Claw. In case you get Midgardsormr off on all of Regina's lackeys but not on the witch queen herself (or vice versa,) an Assassin with the Jackhand or the Wind Tearer can steal Regina's Oat Bread, then go on to deal tons of damage with the Jackhand (all those vulnerable human targets) or spread around Slow Cast with the Wind Tearer (all those vulnerable mage-y targets). 4) Knockback! There is a lovely and deceptively deep river flowing right through the middle of this stage; take advantage of it! The Witches are particularly stupid about flying right onto the banks of your side of the river, ripe for the quick nudge of a talented Assassin. Why defeat your foes with three attacks when you can defeat them with one push instead? 5) A Witch with at least 40 CT and the Cryocross. (The 80-CT setup described in the Battle Preparations section is preferable, of course, but as long as your Witch can cast Direct Starlight in fewer than 20 ticks, you're good for this little trick.) Okay. Why 40 CT, you ask? Because that irritating Priestess and her Book of Kirie start RIGHT AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE MAP. And if you have 40 CT, you can cast Direct Starlight in 17 ticks, which SHOULD be just fast enough to pull off before that Priestess gets a chance to move. And if you can hit her with Direct Starlight before she gets a chance to move, you can KNOCK HER OFF THE MAP FIRST THING IN THE FIGHT. This single act will save you more time than anything else you can do, and I mean ANYTHING. All right. Here are all the components for making this fight the easiest it can possibly be. Now let's try to fit these pieces all together. When the battle starts, the Tamers will immediately leap up onto the bridge and rush across it straight for you. The Witches will almost always follow their example, flying across the river to strike you with their Inferno brooms. The Wampyrs will glide down into the river and come at you with their knives until night falls, at which point they return to their perch, apply their lip rouge, and return to Charm you. Regina, her Sorceresses, and her Priestess will stay lurking around the base of the bridge on their side of its banks, keeping up a steady rain of spells. If your Witch wiped out the Priestess on your first turn of the fight, congratulations: your life just got a lot easier. Now none of the enemies except Regina can heal themselves, and Regina's healing just became reduced and finite. If you don't have a Witch, that's okay. We have a different plan for that situation; its name is Midgardsormr. In order to summon Midgardsormr, we of course need Base Panels. However, you will quickly notice that there are not enough Base Panels on your side of the river to pull off the summon. To successfully cause Ragnarok, you need more than just the Base Panels you can easily reach: you need to take and hold the bridge. This is where the +JUMP equipment I told you to equip comes in handy. The Tamers have Walkyrie armor, which gives +1 MOVE and JUMP, allowing them to race up onto the bridge very quickly. If your units can get there first and sit on the Base Panels, keeping them safe, the Tamers will not only lose their team the extra TP, but they will be cut off from the rest of your units. Laugh extra maliciously if you block their path with units equipped with Fuuma Mufflers or Silphy Garbs, which will nullify their damage altogether, and sit tight while your remaining units seize the Base Panels on the ground level. Be careful about leaving Base Panels you've already taken while the Witches are about. They love swooping in and taking Bases from behind your back, and it can be really damn annoying. If you get the chance, slap effects such as Sleep, Freeze, Stone, and Capture onto the Witches while you gather up your Base Panels and the TP you need to initiate Ragnarok. (Use the Boost effect of the Serpent bangle to increase the chance of applying these effects, minimizing wasted time from unsuccessful attempts.) Then pull Giulio away from the action and summon Midgardsormr with well-deserved glee. Okay. At this point, all or most of your enemies are armor- and item-less, and they either have an armorless Priestess or no Priestess at all. The Wampyrs have lost the ability to Charm or Batrify you with the destruction of their Enchanting Rouge, the Tamers have been slowed considerably in the absence of their Walkyrie armor, and all of them are taking some 25% more damage from any of your attacks. I think you might have the upper hand somehow. It's time to start killing everything in your path, while simultaneously breaking open as many chests, statues, and mailboxes as you can/ need to. During this time, it is excruciatingly important that you keep an eagle eye on the turn counter and the location of all targets. Those Witches will zoom in and snatch up any and every item they can get their mobile little hands on, so if you are about to break open a chest and you notice that a Witch is about to move after you do so, DON'T DO IT. Wait for her turn to pass. Scramble to make sure you are the one that picks up your item. Best of all, KILL HER BEFORE SHE GANKS YOUR STUFF. There are a million and one great ways to accomplish this last goal. Knockback is of course a particular favorite, especially with that river in the middle of the stage to make the job ever so sweet and easy. Physical force is another; the Witches are as delicate as their kind usually is, especially without armor. Fill them full of arrows or cleave them in half with a Brute's raw strength. Keep in mind that equipping the Intelli Ribbon, Hermet Hood, or Demon Mask will increase your TP gain and allow you to use more Beats in less time. This can make all the difference in whether you can get a four-person Beat that kills your target or are stuck with a three-person Beat that doesn't. If you don't want to waste the time killing the Witches, Tamers, et al and just want them out of your hair long enough to go treasure-hunting, you can always resort to the tried-and-true method of paralyzing them with status ailments. You know the ones: Stone, Sleep, Freeze, Sticky... pass them out like the most unhealthy candy imaginable and Wrecker Gloves those chests wide open while your enemies look on helplessly (or snore, or suffer inside of a block of solid stone, or whatever). You may be feeling similarly concerned about the Wampyrs and their flying movement, but you don't need to. The Wampyrs are skittish; they tend to come in for a slash at whoever's closest to them, then dart away and take a turn to calm their nerves. Without their Enchanting Rouge, the Wampyrs are honestly completely ignorable; their damage is pretty poor and they can't inflict knockback or any kind of status effect. Don't let them waste your time. There's too much to do here. Honestly, here my strategies for you can go no further. You must gauge how much time you have to treasure-hunt with utmost accuracy so you can get a strike team across the bridge to Regina in time to Beat her to death before the sun comes up and 9:30 AM hits, which is when your three-star rating becomes a lost cause. Run like the dickens. Especially if she still has Oat Bread and/ or her Priestess around, you need to eliminate her like you've never striven to eliminate anything before (or you can try inflicting her with Curse; Gungnir, the End of Ages, the Naga Fangs, and the Grief Bowgun can all accomplish this through Beats, killing two birds with one stone. This prevents her from healing HP through any method, but you never know when it's going to wear off right before her Priestess gets a turn and restores half her health, so I hesitate to recommend it as anything but a last resort.) Get flying Witches and fast- moving Assassins into position for the biggest Beats in the shortest time and initiate on this wicked not-witch like a tank into an epic raid boss. And hope she drops that Southern Cross: it's a one-of-a-kind and very powerful Rod, and even though it's not really much better than the Lava Rod or the Icicle Rod, it's a four-star weapon and thereby worth much in the way of bragging points. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-23-24] SCENE 23-24 INTERLUDE ****************************************************************************** *************************** IMPERIAL MERCHANT'S SHOP *************************** WEAPONS ******* End of Ages (1H Sword) Crystal Edge (Dagger) Kamaitachi (Whip) Shin Zentetsu (Katana) Spiral Arch (Bow) Burning Sun (Bow) Night Raven (Bowgun) Yggdrasil Staff (Rod) Sandworm Staff (Rod) Inferno (Broom) Wind of Eden (Broom) Lost Maiden (Mace) Aerial (Wand) SHIELDS ******* Crusade Shield (Large) Lion Heart (Small) ARMOR ***** Mephilum Diamond Plate Maximilian Heretic Dress Walkyrie HEAD **** Academy Hat Tin Soldier Hat Pantera Armet HAND **** Gauntlet Aerobrace Aggressor FOOT **** Gargan Boots Hunting Gear ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Oat Bread x2 Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: The end of the game is drawing nigh, and with it arrives the End of Ages. While a potent sword if you got it to drop off of Nelson back in Scene 19 and have built up the Mastery to unlock its Curse-causing Fallen Malediction skill, the End of Ages takes a long time to unlock its skills and lacks knockback. It's simply too late in the game to take advantage of it. The Crystal Edge is similarly disadvantaged, but unlike the End of Ages - which is merely good once Mastered - the Crystal Edge is fantastic. With Knockback, AOE, and the marvelous Stone ailment attached, the Crystal Edge is in some ways preferable even to the four-star Daggers (the Light Slasher and the Laevatein). You may not be able to Master it before you hit endgame now - though lucky you if you managed to get one to drop back on the Vast Fissure - but it is still very important that you pick one up for your dagger-users, especially if you're going to do New Game +. The Kamaitachi is a whip designed to be equipped by somebody who is just now getting a Tamer and needs a strong whip that can be used immediately with no Mastery (say, if your Tamer drowned in the last battle but you didn't want to reset because you got the Southern Cross). It's not a great whip on its own, but you can pair it with the Rope to make a satisfactory Tamer with good damage potential and the ability to Capture. Meanwhile, the Shin Zentetsu is an improved version of the Zentetsu, having the same "Void DEF" property but a much stronger attack. I still like the Suigetsu better, but the Shin Zentetsu does good work. I endorse it. As for bows, the Spiral Arch is still excellent at countering mages, and there are still more powerful mages waiting for you in the wings, so get it if you decide you want it. The Burning Sun, on the other hand, is so substandard as to be insulting. Its one claim to fame is only being able to use its Specialty III attack during the day, and when your only notable quality is a limitation on when you can use your most annoying attack, you're not doing too well. Poor Burning Sun. It tried so hard. The Night Raven is kind of weird. It's a bowgun that can only be shot at night and is one of two weapons in the entire game that cause Fleeing. Fleeing is a status effect that forces the target to move away from all nearby enemy units every turn, without acting in any way as they run. It completely destroys any target and has the bonus of moving them out of your way, allowing you to get by them to chests, enemy Aces, or other important objectives. It's a tricky bowgun to rate. On the one hand, like the Moonlight Rod, you can just equip another weapon alongside it to shoot during the day, and you can still participate in Beats during the day and cause Fleeing that way. However, the Night Raven is a bit heavier than the Moonlight Rod and takes a LOT more Mastery to become useful. The Moonlight Rod starts out with Full Moon Pillar; Lunatic Glow is really just an afterthought. The Night Raven won't even be able to shoot in a straight line until 18 Mastery. At this stage in the game, it's way too late to build the Night Raven up to any respectable level, but if you plan on starting a New Game +, you can farm up some Mastery on it in easy early Scenes and have a pretty potent weapon for the mid-to-late game. The Yggdrasil Staff is as bad as the Burning Sun, but the Sandworm Staff has a small and unique niche, being the only Rod with a Specialty IV giant-AOE Earth elemental spell (Dune Ruin). Now, other than that, the Sandworm Staff is not very good. Its Guard Rating is low, its only other attack is Specialty II, and its status effect is Geoism. But despite that, Dune Ruin IS one of a kind, so if you really want it... go ahead and get it. The Inferno hasn't gotten any more useful since last time, but the arrival of the Wind of Eden makes up for it. The first broom that can manage to touch the base of the Cryocross' indelible throne, the Wind of Eden causes MDEF 1/2 and, most crucially, has a Specialty III spell: Cleansing Wind, which it starts off with. It doesn't have a ranged Specialty II spell like the Cryocross does, but it DOES have the hard-hitting Skilled Broom Specialty I skill, which allows the Wind of Eden to initiate Beats - just about the only thing the Cryocross cannot do. Is it better than the Cryocross? Hell no, not even close. However, it's a pretty strong broom regardless, and it works well in the hands of either a melee or a magical Witch, which gives it a certain degree of versatility that can be nice to have around. The Lost Maiden is the Earth-elemental Mace, and in comparison to the Sapphire and Bronze Maces, it falls shamefully flat, even for a Mace. The Sapphire Mace causes Freeze; the Bronze Mace causes Burn. What does the Lost Maiden cause? Geoism. Not. Worth. It. If you are for some reason using maces, stick to the two you should already have; the Lost Maiden benefits you not one whit. And as for the Aerial... don't make me call that beautiful butterfly wand useless again. I just don't think my heart can take it. On to the shields, where we have the Crusade Shield (large) and the Lion Heart (small). The Crusade Shield is sadly not related to the Crusade card from Yggdra Union and thus cannot allow you to instant-kill enemies, but it does have an even higher Guard Chance than the Basilisk Shield. Unfortunately, it only beats the Basilisk Shield by 3% and it doesn't even protect from Poison. Unless you just plain-out don't have a shield for your Knight, the Crusade Shield can be skipped. I feel the same way about the Lion Heart as well. Yeah, sure, it has 6% better Guard Chance than the Round Shield, but it reduces your MOV and it costs a heck of a lot more. Not for me, thank you. The Mephilum, the Diamond Plate, and the Maximilian are all heavy armors, and while we've seen the latter two in the store before, this is the first time you can purchase the Mephilum. I have no idea what its name is supposed to mean - is it a mistranslation of Nephilim? - but I know what it IS, which is "decent enough, for heavy armor." While it still decreases your MOV, JUMP, and DEL, which is my main problem with heavy armor, it at least offers +10 MDEF to go with its +30 DEF, which doesn't leave you quite as vulnerable to enemy spellcasters as, for example, the Diamond Plate. It's only equippable by Paladins and Natalia, but if you're going for a tanky build on either, it's the next best body armor to the Magic Eater as far as I'm concerned. The Heretic Dress is the ever-so-stylish MDEF equivalent of the Maximilian, with +5 DEF and +35 MDEF and no MOV/JUMP/DEL penalties. The Heretic Dress is ideal for turning a Sorceress into an impenetrable magical tank, especially if complemented by the Angel Halo and the Force Bracelet (a build that results in +70 MDEF). So if that's what your Sorceress's role on your team is, you should probably get her that dress to do it in. And as for the Walkyrie... it's pretty hard for me to imagine a situation in which you wouldn't want to buy the Walkyrie. As female-only armor that not only offers DEF and MDEF but also increases MOVE and JUMP by +1 each, it is basically the best female armor in all but the most unusual of circumstances. Buy it and treasure it forever. Our helmet section consists entirely of items you haven't been able to buy before, unlike our armor section. The Academy Hat is an Intelli Ribbon repackaged with better stats that is equippable by the educated rather than simply those with long hair. Interestingly, the list of "the educated" includes Gunners, rather to my surprise. I suppose they're more cultured than they look, eh? Sexy. The Tin Soldier Hat, the Pantera, and the Armet are all essentially variations of the same helmet. Each offers different elemental affinities and slightly different stats, but all three are focused on the same thing: RES. Think of them as equivalents to the Pure Grace or the Black Maria, but equippable mostly by fighters rather than mages. If that sounds good to you, get whichever ones you need. Otherwise, moving on. There's another Gauntlet, in case your Knight needs one; another Aggressor, in case you're enjoying that "Damage to Ace increased" effect; and the intriguing Aerobrace, a bangle with +15 MDEF, +15 HIT, and +35 CAST. While you probably have all the CT equipment you need at this point, the Aerobrace has the niche of being the lightest hand armor a Witch can equip to give her +35 CAST. It's outperformed by the Chrono, obviously, but if your Witch doesn't have one of those to speed her spells along, the Aerobrace is a pretty good substitute. Gargan Boots are a dime a dozen by now, but Hunting Gear is worth a dozen dimes. The only footgear with +HIT on it (and a whopping +20, at that,) this is equipment that every ranged character in the game can and should equip. It is lamentable, therefore, that there is only one in the shop. Much like the Walkyrie, there is absolutely no reason not to buy as many of these as you can equip, so unless you're using no ranged units at all, you'll want to put aside a few thousand gold for this one. And with that, we end our shopping expedition for today. Better dress nicely; we're about to meet up with an old friend.... PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: The next battle doesn't involve too many status effects, but it does involve a lot of Brutes equipped with equipment-shattering Axes. Wherever you can, avoid equipping shields, head armor, or hand armor, as the Brutes are capable of breaking any of these pieces and will do so with impunity (and then trigger a Beat by doing so, just to add injury to insult). Melee units that can equip the Dragonia Armor should unanimously do so, as the Throwers all have the fire-elemental Salamandora javelins. Assassins should break out the Fuuma Muffler, as the enemy Witch has the Wind of Eden broom and there is an enemy Assassin with the Wind Tearer claw. Equip +JUMP shoes where possible, as this scene has a lot of height differences that can be trivialized with good shoes, giving you much more freedom of movement. Mages will be in trouble if the Wind Tearer-wielding Assassin comes their way, as she causes Slow Cast wherever she goes. Paladins should switch over to 1H Swords rather than Greatswords, and Alissa should probably remove her Wands in favor of Lances (preferably that sweet new Shangri-La from the previous scene). Despite the danger of the Brutes' breaking, all other mages should be wearing Pointy Hats. Slow Cast functionally cripples any mage, so you must prevent it at all costs. (Anyway, mages can generally stay far enough away from the Brutes to avoid Head Crush, so the hats should be safe.) Aqua Robes are recommended for all the same reasons as Dragonia Armor, and Sabbath shoes will make up for some of the CT lost by not equipping hand armor. (If you're staying out of the Brutes' reach anyway, you can take a chance and wear hand armor, but I would stick to your least valuable pieces, just in case. You don't want to restart the stage just because a Brute happened to come out of nowhere and smash your one and only Chrono.) Valerie is forced to be your Ace on this coming scene, so make sure she's well- equipped. I like to make sure her weapon has a high Guard Chance, then equip her with the Walkyrie and the Amazon Boots to give her incredible mobility. Whether you give her a claw or a bowgun is up to you; claws have higher Guard Chance overall and you can give her the Bloody Claw for added survivability, but bowguns' ranged Beat initiation and AOE control can add up to more damage in the long run. Throw in a Medicinal Herb for a clutch situation and she should be all set. At last, revenge is nigh. Justice shall be served! ****************************************************************************** [SC24] ************** *** SCENE 24 *** ************** THE GREEDIER THEY ARE... The more you have, the more you want. Battle: Breaking Through Van der Dalt ******************************************************************************* SCENE 24 Victory Condition: -Defeat Bacchus Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: NIVL 31, 985 PM 15:30 Time limit: MUSPEL 5, 985 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 36 hrs *** >= 36 hrs, < 44 hrs ** >= 44 hrs, < 52 hrs * Ace Options: Valerie Character Limit: 5 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Brute (Bacchus) BOSS Headman's Axe +9 Axe Break Head Magic Eater Body Armor DEF +15, Absorb Magic Damage Kaiser Knuckle Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Oat Bread x2 Consumable Mild HP Recovery Brute x2 (Diedrich, Ghilbeli) ***** Sunrise +5 Axe Break Shield Kill Blade +7 Axe Break Head Tyrant Armor Body Armor DEF +35 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Savage Hunter Hand Armor DEF +10 BOOST: Enemy Guard -20% Brute x1 (Nadon) **** Berserker +5 Axe Break Hand Tyrant Armor Body Armor DEF +35 Power Gaunts Hand Armor DEF +10, HIT +10 BOOST: Melee Damage +50% Wheel Greaves Foot Armor DEF +10, Counter IV Assassin x1 (Bilgurate) **** Revenger +5 Dagger Knockback, Crisis Power UP Magic Tiara Head Armor MDEF +15, Prevent MDEF 1/2 Wonder Sandals Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, Counter I, Prevent Gravity Beni Shigure Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Assassin x1 (Fume) **** Wind Tearer +5 Claw Slow Cast, Steal Thief Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, Counter IV Beni Shigure Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Gunner x1 (Gimlet) **** Tri Shot +5 Bowgun Phys Aura Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Apollon Shoes Foot Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, Counter III Protector Body Armor DEF +15 Thrower x1 (Phillig) ***** Salamandora +6 Javelin Knockback Feather Ornament Head Armor MDEF +15, Prevent Aerism MG Gadget Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20 BOOST: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Thrower x1 (Volk) *** Salamandora +4 Javelin Knockback Feather Ornament Head Armor MDEF +15, Prevent Aerism MG Gadget Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20 BOOST: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Witch x1 (Emma) **** Wind of Eden +5 Broom MDEF 1/2, Knockback Aerobrace Hand Armor MDEF +15, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Air Affinity +5 Safety Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter II, Ignore Traps Chests: *UNIQUE* Formula - Four squares in front of and one square to your Ace's right. Intelli Ribbon - One square in front and three squares to your Ace's left. *UNIQUE* Hammer of Ruin - Two squares behind and three squares to your Ace's right. Academy Hat - Three squares in front and three squares to your Ace's left, up on the top of the one-square-wide cliff. *UNIQUE* Laevateinn - Directly behind Diedrich the Brute. Elixir - One square in front of and three squares to Diedrich the Brute's right. *UNIQUE* Epitaphios - One square behind and two squares to Nadon the Brute's right. Objects Potion x3 - Mailbox directly to Bacchus' left. *UNIQUE* Madorisux - Mailbox one square in front of and one square to Nadon the Brute's right. *RARE* Dried Dozeu - Three squares in front of and three squares to your Ace's left. Antidote x3 - Destroy the Grass. Herb x3 - Destroy the Grass. Antidote x3 - Destroy the Grass. NOTE .Reinforcement unit Joey will be equipped with the *UNIQUE* Gae Bolg. .Reinforcement unit Yonig will be equipped with the *RARE* Golden Hammer. As it was Bacchus who brought us the first real difficulty jump of the game, so it is Bacchus again who brings us to the last. This scene is difficult; there are no two ways about it, especially if you're aiming for three stars and some of the sweet treasure scattered around. The last time we saw Bacchus, he attempted to bottleneck us to death, and that didn't work. No fool he, this time he tries a different tack: pinning you down from the higher ground and ambushing you from all sides. Your first inclination for this fight is probably going to be meeting the oncoming charge headfirst, since that's obviously what the stage is designed for. The village street is narrow, twisty, and deeply sunken into the ground, and Bacchus' units flood into it from the ledges and raised knolls where the houses stand. What with the limited space and the quick onslaught of the enemy team, standing your ground and crossing swords with them is what you're meant to do, right? Unfortunately, unless you are severely overpowered - which is a difficult state to attain in this game - meeting the charge headon is generally an appalling idea. Bacchus has predicated his ambush on the idea that you will walk right into him, and his forces are at their strongest if you just waltz into the middle of them and let them rain blows down on you from all sides. Their weapons are very strong and are massively Alchemized to boot, with no enemy carrying a weapon that is less than +4 in strength. Coupled with nasty bonuses from their accessories and the resulting Boosts, you can find 50-75% of an ally's HP disappearing in one Beat if you're not careful. Furthermore, the Brutes are enormously bulky physical walls, easily resisting any amount of physical punishment, and the rest of the units are well-equipped to handle a magic assault, bedecked as they are in Feather Ornaments and Beni Shigure. And then, of course, there's Bacchus. Bacchus enters this battle clad in the rare Magic Eater armor, which, as you probably remember, completely absorbs all magic attacks, whether they come from Greatswords, Grimoires, Rods, or Brooms. God, I hate Bacchus. What I'm getting at here is that Bacchus' team is not just hard-hitting, they are also tough as cockroaches. Worse still, the configuration of the map makes it tricky - not impossible, but definitely tricky - to get the enemies into a position to knock them off the map, and there's no convenient river as there was in Cannavaro to take advantage of instead. While the three-star time limit is more lenient than Cannavaro's, it's still going to be a tight squeeze to reach it in time while grabbing precious gems like the Formula, the Hammer of Ruin, the Epitaphios, and the Madorisux. That being said, there are several different approaches you can take to cut the feet out from underneath Bacchus' charge, and as long as you can implement one of them - or any other appropriate strategy of your own invention - to gain the upper hand early enough in the fight, Bacchus' ambush will flounder and fail. Let's take a look at some of the possibilities here. One of the easiest ways to gain an advantage over Bacchus is to start the battle by summoning Midgardsormr. There are plenty of Base Panels within reach from your starting position, and generally, just moving to take them will give you enough TP to summon. If you can persuade Midgardsormr to hit all of the enemy targets, the entire enemy team will lose all defenses, Boosts, CT, and HIT, and Bacchus will lose his Oat Bread and his Magic Eater, making him much easier to defeat. At this point, you can reequip your characters at the Base Panels you've taken and cut through your defenseless foes like a scythe through wet tissue paper, quickly eliminating them and giving yourself time to crack open a few treasure chests before slitting Bacchus' throat. Another good option is use of elemental-absorbing armors and plenty of Witches and Sorceresses. As we previously explored during the conquering of Golgotha, equipping tanks with Dragonia Armor and letting them draw the enemy's attention while your mages cast fire magic on them results in massive amounts of AOE damage and constant healing for your tanks. You can also accomplish the same strategy with Mermaid Pareos and water magic, but the Burn from fire magic will cause extra damage and speed the battle along more than water magic's Freezing will, so fire is preferable if you can swing it. (If you have particularly sturdy Assassins or Tricksters, you can try the same strategy with wind or earth magic, but as with water magic, the lack of Burn makes them less than ideal.) Bring a Brute who has mastered the Battleaxe to Break Bacchus' Magic Eater and you're all set to win this scene in a blaze of glory. If you choose to approach this scene physically - perhaps so you don't need to break the Magic Eater and have a chance of getting it once Bacchus dies - your main issue will be damaging the Brutes, who are quite resistant to physical blows. There are several good ways to do this: Burn is the first thing that comes to mind, of course, via Flint Bow or Shiranui, but there are other equally effective options, such as Poison (Griffin Talon, Scorpion Tail, Thorn Whip,) Mana Aura (Mana Dagger, Zephyr,) or DEF 1/2 (Blue Stinger, Mermaid Fin, Lightning Bow). You can also try some less-conventional strategies like using Charm or Panic to turn the enemies on each other, or the Zolfy's Nightmare to doom your targets. An even less conventional approach is simply ignoring all the enemies on the field by inflicting them with status effects such as Freeze, Fleeing, Sticky, or Gravity, impeding their ability to pursue and engage with you. This allows you to fly around the stage, collecting all the items, while the enemies try to follow you and find the circuitous maze of their ambush location suddenly turned against them. With appropriate application of these crowd-controlling status effects, you can end the stage without killing any of the small fry; simply leave them in the dust and converge on Bacchus after you've looted the stage of items. Bacchus himself is pretty nasty, but nothing as difficult as previous heavy- weights like Isabeli or Robertus. He generally favors his Punishing Chop skill, which can hit multiple characters in a row. He can also break Head equipment (so try not to have helmet-wearers get too close to him) and absorbs HP if you try to hit him with magic, which - just to refresh your memory - includes books and maces as well as rods. (Interestingly, Alissa's Specialty IV wand skill is physical rather than magical, so at least that will work on him. I suppose you could also use a Morning Star, if you're feeling really desperate.) He packs a definite punch, but rather like Regina, he's just a souped-up version of a class you've been spending the whole game fighting and countering. If his damage is really too much for you to handle, you can apply Weak or Poor Aim to soften his blows, but most of the damage on this stage is going to come from his lackeys rather than from him. On his own, Bacchus is quite manageable and should go down hard as long as you can work around (or destroy) his Magic Eater and Oat Bread. There's one more thing to be aware of here, and I am so sorry to have to say it, but there is a special item obtainable on this scene that can ONLY be obtained, not from chests and not from enemies, but from REINFORCEMENTS. Yes: an enemy unit must use one of the enemy Retreat Points, escape from the field, and bring in a specific replacement, which you must then kill, to obtain the ultimate Javelin: the Gae Bolg. The reinforcement's name is Joey, and if you see him enter the field, you must kill him at all costs to obtain this one-of- a-kind weapon. This is a highly irritating procedure, and I don't recommend trying to do it until a second or even third playthrough (especially since, in my opinion, the Hraesvelger is a better javelin than the Gae Bolg). The best way to accomplish it is to select one of the Throwers, wear him down to low HP, and then follow him to the Retreat Point and surround it as he Retreats. If the unit that comes into the battle is not Joey, beat him or her down to low HP until he or she retreats and hope that the next one is Joey instead. Once Joey does appear, kill him immediately and hope he drops the Gae Bolg (I strongly recommend using a Brute to break his other equipment and improve this chance). Obviously, this can take a great deal of time and will almost certainly ruin your three-star rating, which is one of the reasons you probably ought to save it until a New Game +. It's also advisable that you eliminate most of the other enemies before trying this, to minimize outside interference with the process. In the end, Bacchus will fall. At long last, Valerie's vengeance has been exacted. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-24-25] SCENE 24-25 INTERLUDE ****************************************************************************** *************************** IMPERIAL MERCHANT'S SHOP *************************** WEAPONS ******* Zephyr (1H Sword) Excalibur (Greatsword) Zelos (Greatsword) Berserker (Axe) Revenger (Dagger) Scarlet Blade (Dagger) Wind Tearer (Claw) Vitra Whip (Whip) Kamaitachi (Whip) Shin Zentetsu (Katana) Burning Sun (Bow) Salamandora (Javelin) Wyvern (Javelin) Sandworm Staff (Rod) Alchemia (Grimoire) Wind of Eden (Broom) Lost Maiden (Mace) SHIELDS ******* Crusade Shield (Large) Lion Heart (Small) ARMOR ***** Mephilum Maximilian Tyrant Armor Dark Robe Heretic Dress Walkyrie HEAD **** Tin Soldier Hat Pantera Demon Mask Holy Hood HAND **** Aggressor FOOT **** Gargan Boots Heavy Greaves Hunting Gear ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: Time for mastering the attacks on weapons you are just purchasing now is fast running out as the endgame comes rushing in upon us. At this point in time, anything you are buying has to be worth buying either for its very first attack or for its worth in a New Game +. As you can imagine, this narrows the playing field considerably. The Zephyr is a great source of Mana Aura, which can be useful both offensively and defensively, and it can initiate Beats. It's definitely worth buying. One can't say the same for the Excalibur, which has only one skill - one that can only be used at full HP. It's a strong sword, and Earthspark Smash has a great name and is pretty strong itself, but as a melee skill that can only be used at full HP, it's pretty restrictive. The Zelos is a much better option. Though still inferior to golden oldies like the Holy Sabre, the Zelos causes Freeze during Beats and Knockback with its sole attack, Mortal Frozen Blade (which might be the coolest-named attack ever). It also does bonus damage to Drakes, which isn't a bad thing to have during a New Game +. I wouldn't equip it over the Volcano or the 7-Star Sword, but as far as Greatswords go, it's in the upper echelon. The Berserker is a pretty strong axe, but it takes a lot of Mastery to reach its full potential. For a while it's only going to have Brave Swing, which can't initiate a Beat and can't break equipment. It's not worth it for the endgame, so only get it if you're going to New Game +. The Revenger is a dagger focused on the "Crisis Damage UP" property, meaning its damage increases dramatically when its wielder is low on health. Even aside from that, it's a pretty strong dagger, and when you hit that critical threshold and start doing 250% damage, the resulting numbers can be pretty crazy. Since Assassins and Tricksters aren't meant to take hits anyway, the Revenger adds an impressive amount of power to these as long as you can play them perfectly. If you like either of these classes, it's a good purchase to consider. We already know the Scarlet Blade is useless to you, but sadly, if you're not going to New Game +, the Wind Tearer is as well. Starting with its stealing ability and not learning its offensive skill until Mastery 32, the Wind Tearer might have a soupçon of use if you don't have thievery unlocked on the Jackhand yet, but is otherwise too much CAP for too little result. The same applies for the Vitra Whip; if you don't have one already, you won't be able to make much use of it before the game ends. Stick to Rope. We've discussed the Kamaitachi and the Shin Zentetsu previously, and the Burning Sun and the Salamandora haven't magically grown more useful since last time. The Wyvern, the Alchemia, and the Sandworm Staff remain extremely niche picks that you probably don't need. The Wind of Eden is still good, and the Lost Maiden is still a mace. So that tells you pretty much everything you need to know there. Almost all of the armor in all the categories has appeared before, with the exception of the Holy Hood. This is a massively heavy head equip that offers a truckload of RES, +10 CAST, and +1 TAC, which is totally worth the enormous CAP it takes up when equipped. It works best on Alissa or a Priestess, but you can also equip it on Elise, Tricksters, and Throwers, and due to the +1 TAC, it has worth for all of them (though Tricksters and Throwers prefer the Hermet Hood instead). We've also got another Walkyrie and more Hunting Gear, both of which you will unequivocally want, and another Demon Mask, which can be put to good use on a variety of units. Pretty much everything else can be taken or left as you please; we've discussed it all before, so you should be well- equipped to make the equipment decisions you need to be well-equipped. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: Okay, everybody, this next scene is a doozy. It's going to be a two-part fight, and unlike most of the other two-parters we've had before, this one is two full, completely different fights, rather than a simple change of objective or addition of reinforcements. This is similar to Scenes 03 and 10 - your units will be healed between the two parts, you will choose an Ace again, and units you Retreated from the first part of the battle will be available again in part two - but you are also intended to WIN both parts, unlike Scenes 03 or 10. This allows you to prepare for the two parts of the battle separately; because of this, I will be putting a secondary "Preparing for the Next Fight" section in between the two parts so you can reassess during the lull. There isn't much you're going to have to do to prepare for the first part of the fight, however. You're going to be facing a bunch of generics who, while they can hit pretty hard, aren't going to be much of a challenge if you've managed to get this far in the game. Set up your best characters with your best equipment and prepare to have some fun. ******************************************************************************* [SC25] ************** *** SCENE 25 *** ************** DALTANICA, THE IMPERIAL CITY All things are only transitory. Battle: The Capture of Daltanica ******************************************************************************* NEW WAR GOD .The God of Bravery, Fimbultyr, is unlocked! Fimbultyr is the last and only missable War God, only obtained if you are on the path for the A+ Ending (meaning you've been nice to Alissa, fielded her in every battle, and never let her die). With all the stress you have to go through to get him, you'd expect Fimbultyr to be the be-all end-all of the War Gods, which... he kind of is and kind of isn't. Fimbultyr is a very strange War God. His effect when summoned is to place the Bravery status effect on his targets, which is a positive effect only Fimbultyr can cause that allows the affected units to move and act without accruing Wait Time. In other words, it allows one character to act multiple times in a row without losing VIT. This is just as powerful of an effect as it sounds like, but it can be frustratingly tricky to take advantage of. Due to the way Brave works, its duration is greatly heightened by equipment that lowers your DEL, so keep that in mind when using it. The main thing you'd want to do with this effect is initiate several Beats in a row, which is probably the most directly effective use of the effect. However, once you're afflicted with Brave, you cannot gain TP while moving (to prevent instantly gaining 20 TP with free movement). Also, Brave lasts for a VERY short period of time. Therefore, to make several Beats with Fimbultyr, you need to build up all of your TP before summoning, then use it all up before Brave wears off. There are other uses for the effect than just raw damage, however. You can have an Assassin Steal multiple items in a row and still get out of range before your enemies can respond, or have a Brute get behind an opponent and break multiple pieces of equipment before his target can turn around and start to block him. You can have a character attack multiple times just to try and inflict status effects, or land multiple hits on a treasure chest, break it open, and collect the item inside before your enemies can move. You can use it to move a slow Knight several spaces to assume a better tank position, or have a Thrower land several hits of knockback to push a target that is multiple squares away from the edge of the map into an Out of Zone before they can move to save themselves. Brave doesn't work so well with mages, since cast times can't be shortened with Brave and the status will probably expire before more than one cast can be completed. Still, you can use Brave to move your mages into a better position for spellslinging, or perhaps to let a Witch get in some powerful melee action on a key target or swoop in to grab an item drop. And with that, here ends our analyses of the War Gods. The power of all five lies at your fingertips, o Gungnir player. Use them well. SCENE 25-1 Victory Condition: -Annihilate all enemies. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: MUSPEL 20, 985 AM 11:00 Time limit: MUSPEL 25, 985 AM 6:00 Ace Options: Giulio, Natalia, Valerie Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Paladin x1 (Guy) ***** Balmung Greatsword MDEF 1/2, Knockback Rune Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +10, CAST +15 Round Shield Small Shield GUARD 48% Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Knight x3 (Bartoll, Gosta, Virgil) **** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Paladin x2 (Eduarte, Volmer) **** End of Ages 1H Sword Curse Excalibur Greatsword (Full HP Only) Rune Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +10, CAST +15 Round Shield Small Shield GUARD 48% Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Gunner x2 (Bareed, Simeon) *** Gatling Bow Bowgun N/A Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Protector Body Armor DEF +15 Gunner x1 (Dictus) *** Fallen Phoenix Bowgun Gravity Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Protector Body Armor DEF +15 Sorceress x1 (Heather) *** Sandworm Staff Rod Geoism Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Academy Hat Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, TAC +2 Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Sorceress x1 (Joanna) *** Sandworm Staff Rod Geoism Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Intelli Ribbon Head Armor MDEF +5, TAC +2 Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Chests: *RARE* Fallen Phoenix - Appears three squares to your Ace's right. *RARE* Balmung - Two squares right of Guy the Paladin (who is also, rather fittingly, equipped with one). *UNIQUE* Scarlet Scissor +1 - Ten squares to Guy the Paladin's right. Or, one square behind and two squares to the gargoyle statue in the fountain's left. *UNIQUE* Natalia Starbow - Four squares behind and two squares to the gargoyle statue in the fountain's left. *UNIQUE* Light Slasher - Eight squares behind Dictus the Gunner. *RARE* Auto Ether - Two squares to Dictus the Gunner's right. *RARE* Royal Shield - Atop the battlements, two squares right from Heather the Sorceress. Requires at least 3 JUMP to reach. Objects: Loriel x3 - Barrel six squares to your Ace's right. *RARE* Auto Potion - Barrel five squares to your Ace's right. Art of War - Castle Candles two squares behind and one square to Volmer the Paladin's right, atop the battlements ahead of you. Revenger - Castle Candles one square behind and one square to Heather the Sorceress' left, atop the battlements ahead of you. NOTE .Reinforcement unit Tilda will be equipped with the Galactica. The hosts of Daltanica stand against you as this scene opens, featuring a variety of units from tanky Knights to versatile Paladins to ranged Gunners to spellslinging Sorceresses. Though they aren't pushovers, they're also a refreshing change of pace from the grueling fights of Golgotha, Cannavaro, and Van der Dalt. Any well-organized party should be able to conquer this stage in just about any way it pleases. Knights can draw the mass of Paladins and enemy Knights down into the dip in the road, creating a playground for Assassins and Tricksters while shrugging off the blows that come their way. Paladins can tank the physical and the magical attacks simultaneously and retaliate with powerful mixed damage of their own. Brutes can smash all the shields on the field with the Slasher or the Sunrise, freeing up Elise and Natalia to engage in rapier-play without fear of being blocked. Assassins can easily knock enemies off the side of the road or wear them down using Poison. Tamers will have a lot of fun here, as the enemies bunch up trying to attack you, giving their whips a lot to play with. Tricksters can rain down Poison or DEF 1/2 with the Specialty II Tool attacks and place traps with a lot more assurance than usual, due to the enemies' tendency to group up. Archers, Gunners, and Throwers are all valuable for both initiating Beats on the ground-level enemies and attacking the Gunners up on their perch above the battlefield. Throwers are particularly good at dealing with the Gunners, as they can use their Specialty III attack to knock them off their bridge, causing them to take extreme damage from the fall. Gunners can, with proper positioning and a Specialty III bowgun, attack enemies on both of the stage's two roads at the same time. And Archers can take a rare occasion to make some use out of their randomized Specialty III attacks, since the enemies will often be so grouped together that the shots will all hit more often than not (much like when you fought Conrad on the Vast Fissure). Priestesses will be busy keeping everybody healthy, particularly once the Gunners start initiating enemy Beats on your characters. Sorceresses are once again magnificent with their dispensation of wide-ranged death and destruction, whether they are aiming at the ground-level infantry or the Gunner-occupied Bridge. And Witches? The only question for Witches is whether they should start by knocking the Gunners off the bridge with their Specialty III magic or by shooting fire and ice at the Knights and Paladins. Both Throwers and Witches must take note, however, that the only place you can knock the enemy Gunners off their bridge is in the middle of it, where there are no guide ropes to prevent them from falling. Giulio can pull Ragnarok out at the start of the fight, but it's an easy enough battle that you don't particularly need to. He can occupy himself in direct sword-to-sword or spear-to-sword combat instead rather than taking the time to summon a War God and be just as effective. Alissa is in her element here, able to strike multiple targets at once with either her wands or the dangerously lovely Shangri-La. There is pretty much only one wrinkle in your plan to take over Daltanica, and that is obtaining Galactica, the ultimate mace. This mace only appears on a reinforcement unit - Tilda the Priestess - just like the Gae Bolg on the previous scene. The exact same strategy you used to get the Gae Bolg should work to get the Galactica here as well; the Knights seem to be most prone to Retreating, so I'd advise focusing on them if given the chance. As I said in regards to the Gae Bolg, I don't advise doing this until a second or third playthrough; the time it takes will kill your three-star rating, and while the Galactica may be the strongest mace in the game... it's still a mace, with all the problems and shortcomings that come along with that. Still, if you're trying to collect every item, or if you happen to like maces, or if you just think it's cool-looking, you know the procedure: get an enemy to low health, wait for them to use the Retreat Point, and kill Tilda when she shows up. Reinforcements CANNOT appear in the second part of this fight, so if you're going to get her, it has to be here and now! All told, this battle should be over pretty much before you know it. Don't let your guard down; again, these enemies may not be the star material of Isabeli or Robertus, but they will punish you if you take them too lightly. However, for the army who has defeated all the finest warriors of Daltanica, this group should be a cakewalk. Now onto part two.... ******************** PREPARING FOR THE NEXT PART OF THE FIGHT: Giulio is about to clash with a relative whom he believed dead. To avoid spoiling the surprise, I shall simply refer to this relative as "Raguel" for this section and the description of the battle itself. Raguel will be accompanied by none other than Isabeli, so break out those Angel Halos again, especially if you ended part one of the battle at night. (In case you've forgotten, Isabeli can only cast Hades Invitation at night.) Raguel is himself equipped with the Gargarodon axe, which can break body armor (a most inconvenient effect). I strongly recommend removing all body armor from your team at this point, or at least all of your irreplaceable pieces, such as the Magic Eater or the Dragonia Armor. You're going to want to cover all of your DEF and MDEF needs through hand, head, and foot equips instead. Fortunately, at this late stage in the game, you should be capable of handling such a tall order. Helmets such as the Beastbone Helm, the Stone Head, the Iron Heaume, and the Viking Helm; hand equips such as the Defender; and foot equips such as Gargan Boots, Heavy Greaves, Safety Boots, and Shura Kogake all offer +15 DEF, which adds up quickly. Take special care to load Giulio up with DEF. He will be starting this part of the fight alone with Raguel, separated from the rest of the party by a solid line of Skeletons. Ah yes, Skeletons. They're back too, to nobody's surprise. (I think you're intended to believe that Isabeli raises the corpses of the units you've just fought to battle you again. Creepy as hell, she is.) They'll all be sporting Crimson Red rapiers, so break out those shields to help defend against their attacks. Double- and triple-check that you've got those Undead Killer weapons on anybody who can equip them! Just to remind you, those are the Rosier sword, the Holy Sabre greatsword, and the Cryocross broom. (There's also the Bow of Iria, but you don't have one of those yet.) Like Robertus before him, Raguel has a metric ton of HP, so you desperately want somebody who can Burn or Poison him to help whittle down his high health quickly. You can also do some nifty damage redirection to him by inflicting him with Scapegoat and using an Undead Killer attack on a Skeleton, so if you want to play around with that strategy, you'll need a Scapegoat user, that being either a Trickster with the Shiranui (which also causes Burn) or a Witch with the Cryocross (which also has Undead Killer). Obviously, neither item is exactly a hardship to equip. The Skeletons can cause Mana Aura and MDEF 1/2 with their attacks, but you do NOT want to bother trying to protect against these two ailments unless you can do it with accessories (One-Eyed Dragon for Mana Aura, Magic Ring for MDEF 1/2) or can't equip the Angel Halo anyway. Preventing Isabeli's Undead is much more important than the Skeletons' ailments, so prioritize Angel Halos above all else. Also, I am obligated to warn you that the music for the next part of this scene is some of the most epic music ever composed for video games, and that it might just blow your brain out of your ears if you're not ready for it. In case you need a preemptive listening to immunize yourself, or in case you're suffering from post-epic-soundshock addiction and you need to get your fix, here's a convenient link to said song, appropriately titled "Raguel." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUq6L0gdJnI ******************** [SC25-2] 25-2 Victory Condition: -Defeat Raguel Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: Same as conclusion of Scene 10-1 Time limit: MUSPEL 25, 985 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 48 hrs *** >= 48 hrs, < 56 hrs ** >= 56 hrs, < 64 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio Character Limit: 6 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Gladiator (Raguel) BOSS Gargarodon +9 Axe Break Armor, Damage Split, Full HP Only Rosier +9 1H Sword Sleep, Undead Killer, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Ranger Boots Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, Prevent Sticky, Gravity, Slippery Lion Heart Small Shield GUARD 54% Necromancer (Isabeli) BOSS Cursed Dead Scroll +9 Scroll Undead Healing + WT Down, Absorb Undead HP, cause Undead (night-only,) cause Undead Explode Alicorn Accessory BOOST: Recover 10% HP Chrono Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +50 BOOST: Cast Time -30% Dragon Coat Body Armor DEF +10, TP +3 when taking Magic damage Skeleton x4 (Skeladio, Skelman, Skeltus, Squel) **** Crimson Red Rapier MDEF 1/2, Knockback Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Buckler Small Shield GUARD 42% Golem x3 (Gonzas, Goppola, Gostora) ***** Rock Physique Physique Break RANDOM Chests: Chronodict - One square in front of and three squares to Isabeli's left. Must have at least 3 JUMP to reach. Loriel x3 - One square in front of Raguel and four squares to Raguel's left, up on the battlements. *UNIQUE* Rainbow Arc +1 - Appears on the battlements directly behind Raguel. *UNIQUE* Prominence - One square in front of and three squares to Raguel's left. *UNIQUE* Fanelia - Directly to Skeladio's left, on the little ledge. *UNIQUE* Magic Comet - One square behind and three squares to the gargoyle statue in the fountain's left. *UNIQUE* Marchen Wing - On the tallest watchtower, all the way in the north corner of the stage. Must have at least 4 JUMP to reach. Objects: *UNIQUE* Evensem - Castle Candles eight squares behind and one square to Goppola the Golem's right. *RARE* Demon Pen - Castle Candles eight squares behind and one square to Gonzas the Golem's left. *RARE* Golem Suit - Wooden box five squares behind Goppola the Golem. Elixir - Wooden box six squares behind Goppola the Golem. Ohhh, poor Giulio. We all knew this was coming, but we were all so hoping we were wrong. Giulio is forced to be your Ace for this fight, and he starts out far removed from your main team by distance, a horde of Skeletons, and Raguel, who faces him grimly in a one-on-one duel. If you load Giulio up with sturdy armor, he should be able to handle Raguel's assault long enough to reunite with the main team; if you can, smack Raguel with one attack as early in the battle as possible. The Gargarodon's strongest attack - Concussive Ruin - can only be used as long as Raguel is at full HP. That one hit will give you at least a little more breathing room. Isabeli, meanwhile, is hounding your main team from the bridge that was being occupied by Gunners in the previous part. In addition to all her old tricks - Hades Invitation, Gravedigger, and Occult Heal, an upgraded version of Necro Heal that also reduces the wait times of Undead targets - she has a brand-new super-spell up her sleeve: Soul Exhaust. This is a fascinating attack. It must target a Skeleton, and once its cast time completes, it causes the Skeleton to detonate, heavily damaging all units in a wide area around it. This spell hurts a lot, even with a lot of MDEF to soften the blow, and it makes the Undead status inflicted by Hades Invitation even more dangerous to have, since Isabeli can and will detonate your own party members if they get turned into Skeletons, killing them instantly. On the other hand, if she can't turn your allies into Undead (thank you Angel Halos!) she'll often cast Soul Exhaust on her own Skeleton soldiers, thereby saving you the trouble of having to deal with them. The Skeletons themselves need to be handled with care (unless Isabeli handles them for you with Soul Exhaust). They are extremely knockback-happy, so stay one or two squares away from the edges of the battlefield at all times under pain of knockout. Even (re?)killing them can be a chore, as they cannot be afflicted with any status effects due to their permanent Undead status and they have pretty decent Guard Chance between their Zephyrs and their Bucklers. Fortunately, by this time, you should have an Undead Killer weapon in your repertoire with which to speedily eliminate this skeletal horde. Have a Priestess standing by to Purge the remains with her book and the Skeletons should be out of commission in no time, freeing you to rush to Giulio's aid. If you don't have Paladins or Witches, then you'll have to handle the Skeletons the old-fashioned way. Knocking them out of the fight can be tempting, but it tends to leave your Assassins and Tricksters perilously vulnerable to being knocked out in turn by the rest of the Skeleton crew, so only take advantage of this strategy when a very safe opportunity presents itself. Without the benefit of status effects, your best option is to kill only the Skeletons that are specifically standing in your path. They simply take too much time and effort to defeat - time and effort that could be much better spent on Raguel. Knock them out of your way by whatever means necessary and make a beeline for the stage goal rather than wasting time on them. Handling Raguel isn't necessarily hard, but it is extraordinarily time- consuming. In addition to a boatload of HP, Raguel has high DEF and Guard Chance, making him difficult to damage in any respectable period of time. The most obvious way to wear him down is through Burn or Poison, but a particularly neat alternate strategy is to have a Trickster or a Witch inflict Scapegoat on Raguel using the Shiranui tool or the Cryocross broom. Upon successfully doing this, start one-shotting the Skeletons with Undead Killer weapons. All of the Skeletons have well over a thousand HP, and Scapegoat will redirect ALL of the damage you ought to be doing with the Undead Killer weapons straight to the Scapegoat: in this case, Raguel. You can also use +Golem weapons (Thor's Hammer or the Lava Rod) on the Golems to similar effect. Scapegoat doesn't last long, but it shouldn't take more than two or three hits to put Raguel on his last legs. You don't have to defeat or even damage Isabeli in order to win this stage, but she does have yet another Chrono and the very rare Alicorn accessory, so there's good reason to do it if you can. Knocking her off the bridge with a Thrower or a Witch is the easiest way, but you can also just pelt her with projectiles and magic until she concedes defeat, then fly a Witch or somebody with high JUMP up to the bridge to collect her item. Interestingly - and very appropriately, considering her powers - if you can get Isabeli to critical health, she will often suicide by jumping off the bridge herself. I love this both from a story perspective - of course she can just reanimate herself elsewhere, as she has before, so suicide is the best escape option for her - and from a practical standpoint, as this puts her item bag in much easier reach. We haven't spoken about the Golems yet, partially because they aren't any different than they were the last time you fought them, but also partially because they are very easy to avoid this time around. Their pitiful 1 MOVE keeps them marooned in their back street, sending Earthquakes at you as long as you remain in a straight line with them and sitting around uncertainly if you aren't. Unless you're trying to use them to inflict extra Scapegoat damage onto Raguel, you can honestly go through this scene without laying a finger on them (which is somewhat advised, due to their nasty Random Breaking capability in close combat). If you have to run into their midst to collect a chest or Isabeli's item bag, don't forget that you can have another character stand on top of them to paralyze them indefinitely. You'll probably have to move quickly in this part of the fight, not just to avoid death at the two-pronged assault of Raguel and Isabeli, but also to make the three-star time limit. While the time limit looks rather generous for this scene, don't forget that you have 48 hours to complete BOTH parts of the stage, not one or the other! When you take into account the effort it can take to get to and kill Raguel, this can be a more difficult task than it sounds. The good part is that, with the appropriate status effects, you can take Raguel out in record time despite his high HP and DEF, and he is easily reachable within the first few turns of battle as long as you can adequately handle the Skeletons. And with Raguel's fall, Scene 25 - the penultimate, the momentous, the playing site of the most epic boss music ever - comes at last to an elegiac end. ****************************************************************************** [INTER-25-26] SCENE 25-26 INTERLUDE ****************************************************************************** **************************** BEAUTIFUL IMPERIAL'S SHOP **************************** WEAPONS ******* End of Ages (1H Sword) End of Ages (1H Sword) Zephyr (1H Sword) Zephyr (1H Sword) Excalibur (Greatsword) Excalibur (Greatsword) Zelos (Greatsword) Zelos (Greatsword) Revenger (Dagger) Revenger (Dagger) Crystal Edge (Dagger) Crystal Edge (Dagger) Wind Tearer (Claw) Wind Tearer (Claw) Kamaitachi (Whip) Kamaitachi (Whip) Shin Zentetsu (Katana) Shin Zentetsu (Katana) Burning Sun (Bow) Burning Sun (Bow) Bow of Iria (Bow) Bow of Iria (Bow) Night Raven (Bowgun) Night Raven (Bowgun) Gatling Bow (Bowgun) Gatling Bow (Bowgun) Babel Spearhead (Javelin) Babel Spearhead (Javelin) Sandworm Staff (Rod) Sandworm Staff (Rod) Chronodict (Grimoire) Chronodict (Grimoire) Wind of Eden (Broom) Wind of Eden (Broom) Lost Maiden (Mace) Lost Maiden (Mace) SHIELDS ******* Kite Shield (Large) Kite Shield (Large) Lion Heart (Small) Lion Heart (Small) Round Shield (Small) ARMOR ***** Mephilum Mephilum Diamond Plate Diamond Plate Maximilian Maximilian Tyrant Armor Tyrant Armor Heretic Dress Heretic Dress Walkyrie Walkyrie HEAD **** Tin Soldier Hat Tin Soldier Hat Armet Armet Holy Hood Holy Hood HAND **** Gauntlet Gauntlet Hunter Gauntlet Hunter Gauntlet Overdrive Overdrive Snipe Finger Snipe Finger Aerobrace Aerobrace FOOT **** Gargan Boots Gargan Boots Wheel Greaves Heavy Greaves Heavy Greaves ACCESSORIES *********** N/A CONSUMABLES *********** Ether Move Ampule Jump Ampule Eyedrops x3 Eyedrops x3 Holy Water x3 Holy Water x3 Antidote x3 Antidote x3 Analeptic x3 Analeptic x3 Aroma x3 Aroma x3 Neutralizer x3 Neutralizer x3 Orb x3 Orb x3 Herb x3 Herb x3 Grease x3 Grease x3 Black Ash x3 Black Ash x3 Incense x3 Incense x3 Loriel x3 Luciel x3 Lumiel x3 Lumiel x3 Medicinal Herb x2 Medicinal Herb x2 ********************* WHAT TO BUY: This is it, you guys. The last shop. The last battle. We are at the culmination of all of our and Esperanza's hopes and goals. Everything will either come together in one shining moment of glory, or go down in a blaze of ignominy. Are you ready? We've discussed nearly every weapon in the store before, so before we look at the four that we haven't, let's make a rough analysis of what you should be considering purchasing and why. The Zephyr, the Revenger, the Crystal Edge, the Shin Zentetsu, and the Wind of Eden are just flat-out good. You've had the ability to purchase all of them before now, but if you lost one due to a death or a retreat, or if you need more, purchase them here with a right good will. The Zelos, the Kamaitachi, and the Gatling Bow (which we'll talk about later) are all useful in their own right, but probably outclassed by other weapons you've had longer, especially if you've been plundering chests and boss drops. While there are better options, you may not HAVE said better options, and if you don't, these are here for you. The Babel Spearhead (which we'll talk about soon) and the Sandworm Staff are just... not great options. The Babel Spearhead is weaker than the Wyvern and less useful than the Knight Killer, both of which you have had multiple opportunities to get ahold of, and the Sandworm Staff's very minor niche has already been discussed. You shouldn't buy either of these unless you have no other options for your Thrower or Sorceress. The End of Ages, the Wind Tearer, the Night Raven, and the Bow of Iria and the Chronodict (both of which we'll talk about in a moment) are weapons that are only worth buying if you're going to play a New Game +. They are all amazing weapons with great potential, but they take a lot of time and Mastery to unlock that potential, and you are about to engage the final boss. You do not have that time. Finally, the Excalibur, the Burning Sun, and the Lost Maiden are useless to you in any situation. All three have better options for their classes available right here in the store, and all three lack any kind of power, perk, or status effect to make them worth using. Skip 'em. All right, so that covers everything we've seen before. Let's describe those four that we haven't. The Gatling Bow is a bowgun with no status effects that starts with Specialty III unlocked. Its Base Power is high, and its two attacks are quite strong, so it can pack a pretty decent punch. It carries over well into a New Game + but can also be quite useful right now, even if it can't initiate Beats. It's a pretty good buy, even though a Mastered Grief Bowgun or Crossbow is likely to outclass it. The Babel Spearhead does not fare so well. As the last javelin to appear in the game - even after the four-star Hraesvelger and Gae Bolg - you'd expect it to be, well, good. Unfortunately, it is weaker than the Wyvern in Base Power and attack strength, and it only has one attack: Specialty II, which cripples it in comparison to every javelin with the ranged knockback of Specialty III. It doesn't cause a status effect, so it's inferior to the Ice Javelin, and the Knight Killer just laughs at it from every angle. Poor Babel Spearhead. It's at least not weak, and it does hold the role of strongest earth-elemental javelin, so I guess that's something? The Bow of Iria is nothing short of godlike. It has all the right Specialties, causes No Counter, has great Base Power, and is the last available weapon to have Undead Killer, allowing you to totally sweep Isabeli on any subsequent playthrough. Unfortunately, its initial attack is the unimpressive Acute Arrow, so until you can put some time into it, you won't unlock its great power. New Game + only. Trivia: the Bow of Iria first appeared in Riviera, where Iria was an Undine princess who gave you her bow in return for saving her life. How it was that a princess who lives underwater could ever have reason to shoot a bow was never explained, but logical impossibility hasn't stopped us before and it ain't gonna stop us now. The Chronodict also takes a while to ramp up, but it also serves as a great weapon once it gets going. Strong and defensive (with a 36% Guard Rating,) the Chronodict has the strongest Specialty II ranged heal of all Grimoires and also boasts Slow Cast as its attendant status effect, striking fear into the hearts of enemy mages the world over. Save it for a New Game +, but be sure to enjoy it when you get there. There is no piece of body, head, or foot armor that has not been for sale before, but in the hand armor department... heh heh heh... at long last, the Snipe Finger makes its purchaseable appearance. Featuring a mindblowing +60 to HIT (!) this is THE hand armor for Archers, Gunners, and Valerie if she's wielding a bowgun. (Throwers and Elise, sadly, can't equip it.) Obviously this is of no use to you if you're not using one of those classes, but if you are, there's nothing better to spend your money on. And with that... our shop analyses come to an end! There is nothing more to discuss; your shopping days are over. Farewell, beautiful Imperial maiden. Your store was delightful, and we shall remember it fondly as the last of its kind. PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FIGHT: It is time to pull out all the stops. There are no axes on this final scene, so pull out all that equipment you've left off around the last several waves of Brutes. Equip those consumables. Refine those spare items and use up all your Gems for Alchemy. Pick the final six soldiers that will be heading into this final battle and arm them to the teeth. Some particular pieces you'll want to equip for this fight are: .The Basilisk Shield. The final boss causes Poison. .The Magic Eater. The final boss will be slinging spells at you from the top of the stage all battle long, and one of his spells is non-elemental, making the Magic Eater the only way to absorb it. .The Golem Suit and the Yggdrasil armor. While Criminal Ruin may be non- elemental, Digger's Orb and Venom are earth-elemental and the Sorceresses have Sandworm Staffs. .ANY weapon that can cause Silent. The final boss is not immune to it! This includes the Rune Knife, the Epitaphios, the Natalia Starbow, the Icicle Rod, and the Magic Comet. You can also make do with the Slow Cast of the Wind Tearer, the Spiral Arch, the Southern Cross, or the Chronodict. .The humble Iron Choker. The Tricksters here have Demon Pens, which can cause Branded, which will cause damage to the victim every time they act. This is not game-breaking, but it is inconvenient, so if you can put the Iron Choker on somebody to protect them from it, it's not a bad idea. .Anti-burn equipment. While not the priority it's been on previous scenes (Golgotha Fort...) Heidelgard Castle's ramparts are indeed armed with Ankh Cannons, which can and will Burn things they open fire upon. Therefore, any unit that can't equip anti-Earth armor should consider anti-Fire armor, and units that DO have anti-Earth armor should consider Fire Boots. .+JUMP shoes or armor. You will be climbing and leaping all over tall castle walls; thus, any +JUMP shoes you have room to equip (to say nothing of the Walkyrie, of course) are well worth it. Weapon choice is crucial for this final scene. There are a lot of Knights with very strong shields, so ranged weapons are very valuable, as is anything that causes Shieldless (Bloody Rose, Jackhand, Alchemia, even the Morning Star). Burn and Poison are as vitally useful as they have ever been. And even though you might have just gotten a whole batch of really cool four-star weapons from the chests in the last few fights, take a moment to weigh whether you really want to equip them here. While four-star weapons are very potent, you may not have the Gems to Alchemize them to +9 and you may not have the Mastery poured into them to make them truly threatening. Three-star weapons that you have had around longer, like the 7-Star Sword or the Cryocross, may be stronger and more useful to you than new additions like the Balmung or the Magic Comet. Save such four-star weapons for your New Game +, and stick to your Old Faithfuls for this fight. Beyond that, bar no holds and take no prisoners. Let the final battle begin!! ******************************************************************************* [SC26] ************** *** SCENE 26 *** *** *** *** SCENE: FINAL *** **************** FROM ANCIENT TIMES Only light can drive out darkness. Battle: Showdown at Heidelgard Castle ******************************************************************************* SCENE 26 - FINAL Victory Condition: -Defeat Ziyad. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: YMIR 10, 985 PM 12:00 Time limit: YMIR 16, 985 PM 18:00 Star Rating Times: < 60 hrs *** >= 60 hrs, < 68 hrs ** >= 68 hrs, < 76 hrs * Ace Options: Giulio, Alissa Character Limit: Six including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: Chariot (Ziyad) BOSS Ouroboros +9 Rod Poison Jormungandr +9 Whip Capture Full Metal Coat Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +15 Chrono Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +50 BOOST: Cast Time -30% Knight x1 (Knocker) **** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Knight x2 (Bonifatius, Zilvof) *** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Mars Shield Large Shield GUARD 75% Knight x1 (Gustan) *** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Knight x1 (Victor) *** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Assault Shield Large Shield GUARD 39%, Knockback Archer x2 (Gerhart, Minthus) **** Bow of Iria Bow No Counter Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Pauldron Body Armor DEF +25 Archer x1 (Lufraine) **** Bow of Iria Bow No Counter Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Cuirass Body Armor DEF +10, HIT +15 Trickster x2 (Aline, Lauryn) *** Demon Pen Tool Branded Walkyrie Body Armor DEF +20, MDEF +10 MG Gadget Hand Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20 BOOST: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Sorceress x1 (Heidrich) *** Sandworm Staff Rod Geoism Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Academy Hat Head Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, TAC +2 Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Sorceress x1 (Loughner) *** Sandworm Staff Rod Geoism Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Intelli Ribbon Head Armor MDEF +5, TAC +2 Valiant Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +25 Chests: Elixir - Two squares behind and two squares to your Ace's right. *RARE* Orihalcum - Four squares in front of Bonifatius the Knight. *UNIQUE* Yashamaru - One square in front of and one square to Bonifatius the Knight's right. *RARE* Balmung - One square in front of and two squares to Aline the Trickster's left. *RARE* Knowledge Tablet - Appears directly behind Lufraine the Archer. *UNIQUE* Accelerator - Four squares behind and one square to Lufraine the Archer's left. *UNIQUE* Meteor - Two squares to Ziyad's right. Objects: Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ankh Cannon. Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Onyx - Destroy Ballista. Babel Spearhead +1 - The knight statue one square in front of and one square to Zilvof the Knight's right. Zelos +1 - The knight statue directly behind Bonifatius the Knight. Elixir - Wooden crate next to Gerhart the Archer. Art of War - Castle Candles one square in front of and two squares to Minthus the Archer's right. Loriel x3 - Castle Candles one square in front of and one square to Minthus the Archer's left. Siege Weapons: Ankh Cannon x3 Ballista x3 At last, we come face-to-face with the wheelchair-bound orchestrator of the Blood Purge, the Daltanican serpent, the evil politician behind the Emperor's paranoia and the ruination of Alissa's life. And don't think for a moment that he's going to be a pushover just because he's an invalid. Ziyad not only wields the awesome power of the Jormungandr rod, but he manipulates the flickering tail of the fatal whip Ouroboros through force of will, tearing flesh from bone with a thought and a twist of his wrist. Moreover, he stands (er... bad choice of words) atop the battlements of Heidelgard Castle, with the personal guard of the Emperor himself arrayed in a seemingly endless gauntlet along the single twisting path leading to his aerie. As you battle your way through slashing Knights, elusive Tricksters, the best-trained of Sorceresses, and a hail of Archer arrows to reach your target, the rampant boom of cannonfire and hiss of ballista shots will punctuate your grand battle to establish the future of Daltanica and Espada. So no pressure or anything. In contrast to some of the more knockdown brawls you've had (Bacchus) or the intricate chessmatches of positioning (Regina,) your final battle here against Ziyad is a siege, and it's best to approach it from such a perspective. Right from the start of the fight, the defenders will rain damage down upon you from their perches, shooting arrows and casting spells. The Trickster closest to you leaps onto her Ankh Cannon and starts firing at you immediately, causing Burn and great pain. While you remain in the initial courtyard, you are fish in a pot waiting to be speared. There is only one path up onto the castle walls, which you must secure before you can adequately begin to retaliate. The path is a slim, one-panel ramp going over the moat and up onto the walls, guarded by Knights. Taking this path is a dangerous prospect, because it squeezes your army into a tight single-file line that can easily be cut down by Ziyad and his Sorceresses, and as usual, the Knights take a lot of time to kill, prolonging your time in this unfortunate formation. The Knights are also equipped with Zephyrs, which they can use to cause Knockback, so be particularly wary about the placement of your units in locations where they can be knocked into the moat or off the edges of the walls. As usual, Burn does a great job of eliminating the Knights in record time. None of the Knights present have any MDEF at all, either, so magic is in general a good way to DPS them down quickly. The first Knight on the path can be knocked into the moat behind him quite easily, especially by a Thrower or a Witch, which will save you a lot of time. You can then troop up onto the path en masse, preferably with Paulo or a Priestess bringing up the rear to heal off the damage raining down on you as you do so. If you're going to use Ragnarok, the soonest you can do it is after you've taken out the first two Knights and collected all the Base Panels on the ground and in your path. Since there are no healers or healing items on the enemy team, you can safely summon Einherjar or Vanagandr without worrying about your damage getting healed off in a few turns, or you can call upon Midgardsormr to make killing the Knights easier and destroy the mages' +CAST equips. If you're on the A+ path and you have Fimbultyr, this is a great time to summon him. The Brave status will minimize the amount of time you spend on the bridge and allow you to quickly move multiple units along the path and up onto the castle walls, where you have much more space to move and are much safer both from magic and knockback. Characters with a JUMP boost or two will have a particular amount of freedom at this point, as they can hop over the Ballistae and up onto the crenellations to avoid spells and make their own attacks. Keep watching out for the Knights, though, as they can still knock you off the walls if you end your turn within reach. Also be wary of the Castle Candles. At night, they will ignite and set anybody standing on top of them on fire, Burning them. Although they are quite safe during the day, try to avoid them once you see night coming up in the next 15 ticks or so. If your party is full of Archers and mages, once you've reached the fortress walls proper, you can engage in all-out War of the Magi with Ziyad. Scramble to avoid his spells, Burn him in return with the Lava Rod or the Kikimora, and heal off the damage from his Archers until your mages have worn him down. You can make this even easier if you have the Icicle Rod equipped, as you can use its Red Pillar spell to Silence Ziyad, stopping all of his spells! Alternate between Burning him in between his turns and Silencing him before his turn or during his spellcasting (use the Serpent's "Ailment infliction chance UP" Boost to improve this strategy) and you will leave Ziyad powerless to resist you. If your party is mostly melee units who need to get up in Ziyad's face, you have a little farther to go still. Loop around the next bend in the wall up toward Ziyad, offing the two Knights along the way (or ignoring them; they're very slow and easy to outrun). Kill the Sorceresses and the Archers (or just knock them over the battlements, that ought to do the trick) and surround the evil advisor on all sides so you can Beat on him. Be warned that, unlike every other unit in the game, Ziyad's wheelchair gives him incredible Guard Rating when being attacked from behind. If you're going to assault Ziyad physically, attack his ugly face. The back of his wheelchair even blocks projectiles! Ziyad won't be letting you do all this quietly, however. As long as you're kept at a distance from him by Heidelgard's walls, he'll wield the Jormungandr rod, the most powerful rod in existence. Its Specialty I magic, Digger's Orb, is by far its kindest spell, causing earth-elemental damage with no added ailments. Criminal Ruin, the Specialty IV spell, is quite a bit nastier; with the Specialty IV radius and no elemental affinity, it cuts through everything but high MDEF and is certain to leave a few bruises when it hits the field. The one you really have to watch out for, though, is Venom, the Specialty III spell. Not only the hardest-hitting, it also causes Poison, which is very hard to guard against (only the Basilisk Shield, the Magic Eater, or earth-nulling armor will stop it) and will rip off huge chunks of your maximum health every few ticks, as you probably well know by now, especially if you've been using Tricksters. When you see Ziyad start Venom, Scramble everybody out of the way immediately! The last thing you want is for half of your army to be afflicted by this lethal ailment. When you close with Ziyad in melee combat, he switches over to the Ouroboros whip. His main strategy with this is to Capture one of your units, holding them still for one of his attending Archers or Knights to initiate a massive Beat on while your unit is defenseless and can't guard. This is why getting rid of as much of his entourage as you can in ways such as knocking them over the ramparts is a good idea; without allies around to help him attack Captured targets, Ziyad instead is left with Shriketail, which is a simple attack you should be familiar with from the Vitra Whip. (Devouring Ruination, like other Whip Specialty III attacks, is "VS Beast" only, so you don't have to worry about it.) Truthfully, while a melee-heavy team will have a harder time getting TO Ziyad, they'll have an easier time fighting him once they get there. Ziyad is used to dealing with words and schemes and magical forces from afar. He's not used to dealing with people punching him in the face. The time limit for three-starring this stage is very generous, but you might need all of it while you're crawling up the ramparts and breaking open the chests and statues for the items. Still, if you don't quite nab the three stars, don't worry! All your three-star rating will be affecting is the amount of money you'll get from winning. To carry over into your New Game +. BECAUSE YOU JUST BEAT THE GAME! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! ******************************************************************************* [ENDINGS] FINAL INTERLUDE: ABOUT THE ENDINGS ******************************************************************************* You've beaten the game!!! But don't throw the confetti just yet. At this point, your ending comes into play, and depending on which ending you're getting, you may not be out of the woods quite yet. There were nine Decisions you could make throughout the game, each one pushing you either toward the path of chaos or the path of law. Whichever path you had more points for at this point in time will determine which of the possible endings you will receive. If you answered mostly "Chaos" answers, you will get the "Chaotic," "B," or "Bad" Ending, which has one last battle to fight. Skip to the Chaos Epilogue: [EPILOGUE-B] If you answered mostly "Law" answers," you will get the "Lawful," "A," or "Good" Ending. There will be no battle. Skip to the Law Epilogue: [EPILOGUE-A] If you gave specific answers when talking to Alissa throughout the game... Scene 03: Stop Alissa Scene 06: Pray with her Scene 15: Choose to fight together Scene 20: Reassure her ...and chose at least one other Lawful answer, and fielded Alissa in every single battle without once letting her be defeated, then you will get the "A+" or "Alissa" ending. There will be no battle. Skip to the Law Epilogue: [EPILOGUE-A] ******************************************************************************* [EPILOGUE-B] ************** *** CHAOS EPILOGUE *** ************** WAY OF LIFE, WAY OF DEATH Never do anything against conscience. Battle: Escape from Heidelgard ******************************************************************************* EPILOGUE: ENDING B Victory Condition: -Bring everyone to escape point. Losing Conditon: -Ace KIA -> The Ace must not be killed.. -Time Up -> You must win before the deadline! Date and Time: YMIR 18, 985 PM 12:00 Time limit: YMIR 21, 985 AM 6:00 Star Rating Times: < 24 hrs *** >= 24 hrs, < 32 hrs ** >= 32 hrs, < 40 hrs * Ace: Giulio Character Limit: 3 including your Ace Guests: N/A Enemies: General (Robertus) BOSS Oni Lance +9 Lance Pain, Void DEF, HP 1/2 Damage Chronodict Grimoire Slow Cast Blade Armor Body Armor DEF +35, Reflect 50% Physical damage Gargan Boots Foot Armor DEF +15, Counter III, Prevent Fleeing Eventrion Accessory AUTO-REVIVE, can't be stolen Knight (Wallace) ********* Zephyr +9 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Dragonia Armor Body Armor DEF +30, Absorb Pyro Damage Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Knight x3 *** Zephyr 1H Sword Mana Aura, Knockback Brigandine Body Armor DEF +30 Heavy Greaves Foot Armor DEF +20, Counter III Crusade Shield Large Shield GUARD 66% Paladin x3 **** End of Ages 1H Sword Curse Excalibur Greatsword (Full HP Only) Rune Mail Body Armor DEF +15, MDEF +10, CAST +15 Round Shield Small Shield GUARD 48% Serpent Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +10, HIT +15, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment chance +20% Archer x1 ** Bow of Iria Bow No Counter Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Lorica Body Armor DEF +20 Gunner x1 *** Fallen Phoenix Bowgun Gravity Snipe Finger Hand Armor HIT +60 BOOST: Accuracy +25% Hunting Gear Foot Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, HIT +20, Counter I Protector Body Armor DEF +15 Priestess x1 ** Chronodict Grimoire Slow Cast Healing Gloves Hand Armor DEF +5, MDEF +5, CAST +35 BOOST: Ailment Time Down White Robe Body Armor DEF +10, MDEF +5, CAST +15 Chests: N/A Objects: *RARE* Rosier - *UNIQUE* Aegis - COMING SOON ******************************************************************************* [EPILOGUE-A] ************** *** LAW EPILOGUE *** ************** TITLES SUCH AS HERO... One cannot change destiny overnight, but... ******************************************************************************* EPILOGUE: ENDING A No combat occurs this scene. EPILOGUE: ENDING A+ No combat occurs this scene. ******************************************************************************* [POST-GAME] POST-GAME INTERLUDE ******************************************************************************* What carries over Talk about the New Game + only recruitable generics All Difficulties .Since all characters revert to their starting levels again, their HP will drop, but so too will their CAP. This means that you will not be able to equip a full bevy of high-end equipment to wade into battles with 70 DEF and an uber-weapon; you just won't have the CAP to do such a thing. You'll have to pick one or two pieces of high-end equipment, then either leave the rest of your slots empty or fill them with lighter, lower-grade stuff. .Watch out for Brutes. Since you'll be coming through the earlier battles with high-end, late-game equipment like Dragonia Armor, the Magic Eater, or the Chrono, it's very important you watch out for what Brutes can destroy on any given scene, lest you lose something irreplaceable! .Chances are good that you bought the majority of the equipment you would want or need during your first playthrough. Because of this, money should be at less of a premium for you through most of the game. Therefore, instead of selling old armor pieces, you should strongly consider refining them into Gems for Alchemy! This is especially true in the early stages, where you'll lots of unnecessary drops such as Leather and Battle Clothes. Advanced and Nightmare Advice .Burn and Poison necessary for bosses .Ignore enemies where you can ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 5.0 CHARACTERS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* 5.01 STORY CHARACTERS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* As many games do, Gungnir features several colorful characters that carry the brunt of the story and are thus appropriately termed "story characters." Let's take a look at these characters and their stories, as well as just what kind of violence they're capable of producing in order to ensure their story continues. ************************** 5.01.01 Giulio Raguel ************************** Age: 15 Class: Fencer Recruited: Scene 1 Leaves: N/A Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Sword Weapon Type B: Magic Spear *Can also equip Small Shields Ace DEL Bonus: Brute -1, Assassin -1, Archer -2, Thrower -2 Parameters: Initial Level: 5 HP: 995 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 103 Specialty: I Elemental Affinity: Fire 0, Water +1, Air 0, Earth -1 Giulio is our main character: a young rebel careered into the spotlight of his brother's revolution when a birth defect is revealed to actually make him the chosen wielder of a cursed magic spear. By nature a follower rather than a leader, the game quietly watches him force his own growth into a figurehead people can follow and believe in while wrestling with insecurity, uncertainty, and the realization that even a divine spear can't magically fix his world and the corruption within it. In the manner of most video game main characters, Giulio is both a strong and versatile fighter when placed on the battlefield. You are usually not obligated to use him, as an Ace or even in the fights at all, but as the only person who can wield Gungnir, most people find themselves making him a team mainstay anyway. In addition to the power of Gungnir, Giulio has respectable DEL and TAC, high CAP, and VERY high HP. Devoid of weaknesses on the battlefield and with many strengths to take advantage of, Giulio can easily fill a number of roles in any given party. RECOMMENDED LATEGAME SETUPS BERSERKER GIULIO Rainy Saber/ Dark Saber/ Gran Saber/ Rosier Your best Small Shield Apollon Shoes If you're going to throw Giulio into the thick of things as a damage-focused fighter, rely on a Small Shield and his innately high HP to keep him alive long enough to wreck face, then give him any sword with both a Specialty I attack (for damage and Beats) and a Specialty III attack (for knockback). Giulio is naturally quick, and with Apollon Shoes to boost his MV, this light setup turns him into an unstoppably quick warrior with a lot of killing potential. TANK GIULIO Rainy Saber Your best Small Shield Your best armor OR Silphy Garb Stone Head (physical) OR Feather Ornament (magical) Defender Giulio's huge HP makes him a natural tank. Equip the light but effective Rainy Saber on him to give him Beat potential and knockback, then load him up with as much armor as you can give him. I like the Stone Head helmet to protect him from the various -isms, which can affect his tankiness, but any helmet with 10 or more of the relevant defensive stat works. Keep the Silphy Garb on hand for those Rune Knife Assassins or Lightning Bow Archers and you should have an excellent frontline tank at your disposal. SPEARMAN GIULIO Gungnir As many of the following as CAP allows: Silver Wolf Obsidian Glove Apollon Shoes Gungnir is dramatically heavy and takes up almost all of Giulio's CAP to equip, so if you're going to be using it as a melee weapon - and Distant Shadow is admittedly worth using - you're going to need to make each piece of equipment count. Apollon Shoes increase MV, and the Silver Wolf and the Obsidian Glove offer both defense and magic defense to help protect Giulio in the melee. Distant Shadow's lifesteal is instrumental to keeping Giulio alive in such a setup, so keep an eye on his HP if he gets guarded a few times and can't heal with it. SUMMONER GIULIO Gungnir Rune Mail Force Bracelet This is a somewhat unorthodox way of using Giulio, but it has its uses. The point of this Giulio is to come onto the field, summon a War God as quickly as possible, and then either Retreat off the field or swap equipment into one of his other setups at a Base Panel. The Rune Mail and the Force Bracelet together will give him 50 CT, allowing him to summon a War God in 9 ticks rather than 18, halving the time enemies have to interrupt the lengthy casting. If you don't intend to use Giulio much but still have to pull him out for a War God, this is probably the setup you'll want to use. ********************* 5.01.02 Teresa ********************* Age: 17 Class: Assassin Recruited: Post-Scene 1 Leaves: Post-Scene 3 Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Dagger Weapon Type B: Claw Ace DEL Bonus: Brute -2, Gunner -2 Parameters: Initial Level: 7 HP: 977 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 99 Specialty: II Elemental Affinity: Fire -2, Water +3, Air 0, Earth -1 A fan favorite despite her relatively minor role in the story, Teresa is reticent to the point of mystery. Beneath her placid exterior burns either a patriotism or a rage so fierce that she doesn't think twice about stabbing Daltanican dogs in the back, ribs, or side, as opportunity presents. She keeps her reasons for fighting entirely to herself, but then, that's probably why we all like her so much: who doesn't love a girl with a little mystique? Teresa is only a temporary character and you won't get the opportunity to change her equipment while she's fighting alongside you. She is functionally identical to the generic Assassins, so I won't go into many details about her here. Suffice it to say, use her Cutlass as much as you can so she can get Abyssal Edge and start knockbacking enemies in the best of Assassin tradition. ******************* 5.01.03 Noah ******************* Age: 16 Class: Archer Recruited: Post-Scene 2 Leaves: Post-Scene 3 Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Bow Weapon Type B: N/A Ace DEL Bonus: Assassin -2, Thrower -2, Knight -1, Gunner -1 Parameters: Initial Level: 9 HP: 971 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 104 Specialty: I Elemental Affinity: Fire +3, Water -3, Air 0, Earth 0 Brash and headstrong Noah is the foil to the cautious and considerate Giulio, always eager to kick his shyer friend in the pants when he feels sensibilities are getting in the way of taking necessary actions. More outspoken about his prejudices than Giulio or Teresa, it's hard to tell whether he feels more strongly about Daltans than they do or whether he's just more vocal about it. He particularly encourages Giulio to make something of his unspoken attraction to Alissa, much to Giulio's chagrin. Like Teresa and Claude, Noah is only a temporary character and has no notable differences as compared to the generic class he is based on: Archer. The most important detail to note about him is NOT to make him the Ace during Scene 03, or else his bow won't be added to your inventory when he leaves at the end of the battle. This is undoubtedly a bug, but it doesn't make it any less important to keep in mind. ********************* 5.01.04 Claude ********************* Age: 27 Class: Thrower Recruited: Post-Scene 2 Leaves: Post-Scene 3 Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Javelin Weapon Type B: N/A Ace DEL Bonus: Never selectable as an Ace Parameters: Initial Level: 10 HP: 1085 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 108 Specialty: III Elemental Affinity: Fire +3, Water +1, Air -3, Earth -1 Claude is the last member of the quartet of Giulio, Noah, and Teresa, and he gets by far the least development out of all of them. He's, um, nice, I guess? Oh, and I'm sure he hates Daltanica. And... that's pretty much everything I can say about him. No more different from Thrower than Teresa is from Assassin or Noah is from Archer, I'm afraid I can't say anything more about Claude in battle than I can say about Claude as a person. Poor Claude. You really got the shaft after spitfire Noah and Teresa the enigma were completed, didn't you? ******************** 5.01.05 Elise ******************** Age: Unknown Class: Valkyrie Recruited: Scene 3-3 Leaves: N/A Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Rapier Weapon Type B: Bow *Can also equip Small Shields Ace DEL Bonus: Trickster -1, Archer -2, Gunner -2, Thrower -1 Parameters: Initial Level: 15 HP: 986 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 107 Specialty: IV Elemental Affinity: Fire 0, Water 0, Air 0, Earth 0 The blunt yet oblique valkyrie Elise is both the guardian of the magic spear Gungnir and one of the small, powerful faction known as the Grimm. For those of you who have never played Riviera, Elise's status as a Grimm is a big freaking deal. She is essentially a demigod granted the powers necessary to protect and change the course of the world as she sees fit. In her particular case, she guides the destiny of the spear Gungnir and its chosen wielder, Giulio, for purposes she does not care to disclose. Elise somehow manages to serve the functions of comic relief, all-powerful mentor, and deadpan snarker despite being entirely disinterested in any and everything that does not involve Giulio's future or the procuring of her favorite mortal food, the Kokorinut. She's amazing and I love her. Elise's unique class, Valkyrie, gives her the ability to use bows and rapiers. Being as she is one of only two classes in the game (not counting Skeletons) that can equip rapiers, it's tempting to default her to them for the sake of variety, but Elise's HP is very low and her armor options tend not to have much in the way of defenses. A bow is the safer and more efficient option for her, particularly in the early game, when rapiers are scarce. Near the endgame, however, the introduction of the Blue Stinger and the Crimson Red opens up a wider variety of options for her in battle. Regardless of her weapon, though, Elise is best used as a speedy guerilla fighter: dashing just close enough to send her opponent reeling, then dashing away to safety again. An interesting thing to note about Elise is that she is uncharacteristically capable of equipping many pieces of equipment with CT, despite not having any spells to cast. Was she originally intended to be more of a hybrid fighter- caster rather than a fighter-archer? Was her unique Diviner, a characteristic of the Grimms, supposed to be usable as a magical weapon for her? Who knows! RECOMMENDED LATEGAME SETUPS FENCING ELISE Blue Stinger OR Crimson Red Your best Small Shield Walkyrie Ruby Armguard The Walkyrie is one of the best armors in the game, and Elise should always be equipped with one as soon as you have access to it. Elise's goal as a rapier-user is to rush in on vulnerable targets and ring them out with the knockback of the Stinger or the Crimson. You should select which rapier to use based on the rest of your team composition: take the Blue Stinger for the DEF 1/2 effect with a physical army, or the Crimson Red and its MDEF 1/2 for a magical group. It's also possible to equip Elise with the Zolfy, but I prefer a lighter, more mobile Elise, and the Zolfy is very heavy, so I don't recommend it on her. The Ruby Armguard bolsters her low defenses, and you can throw in a light helmet like the Noel if desired. ARCHERY ELISE Gust Bow/ Flint Bow/ Bow of Iria/ Natalia Starbow Walkyrie Ruby Armguard OR Hard Stringer Hunting Gear The crucial Specialty to have on a bow is Specialty II, which is the longest ranged attack any bow has to offer. All four of the listed bows have access to such an attack except for the Flint Bow, which causes Burn, which is so valuable that it rates a mention here anyway. Elise is a Specialty IV character, so the Bow of Iria and the Natalia Starbow are better for her in the long run, but both are difficult to obtain and come late in the game, at which point you will easily have the Gust Bow at +9 and with 50 Mastery. The Gust Bow is therefore the best option for a casual gamer. The Ruby Armguard and the Hard Stringer are both hand accessories to give Elise some extra HIT; the Ruby Armguard gives more defense at the cost of a worse Boost and a little less HIT, while the Hard Stringer gives a bit more HIT and an awesome Boost at the cost of DEF and MDEF. Note that shields cannot be used with a bow. EQUILIBRIUM ELISE Blue Stinger/ Crimson Red Gust Bow Walkyrie Ruby Armguard OR Hard Stringer This variation of Elise gives her the knockback of a rapier and the range of a bow, but forces her to sacrifice speed and survivability to do it. You may even be forced to leave off the hand accessory if Elise is too low level to have the CAP for the entire setup. The versatility of this particular pair of weapons is high enough to make the sacrifices worth it, but you have to play extra-carefully with Elise and keep your healer's eyes on her at all times. ************************** 5.01.06 Ragnus Raguel ************************** Age: 22 Class: Gladiator Recruited: Post-Scene 3 Leaves: Post-Scene 10 Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Sword Weapon Type B: Axe *Can also equip Small Shields Ace DEL Bonus: Knight -2, Tamer -2, Archer -1, Witch -1 Parameters: Initial Level: 18 HP: 1298 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 116 Specialty: III Elemental Affinity: Fire -2, Water -1, Air +2, Earth +1 Giulio's adopted older brother and the successor to the torch of their father, Ricard Raguel, Ragnus is the leader of the Esperanza rebellion and the number- one advocate for Leonican equality. By nature warm, loving, and overly emotional, he hides these traits that he considers his weaknesses behind a cool wall of competence, intelligence, and practicality. He is a great and charismatic leader and has inspired the loyalty of all of his fellow rebels, despite his young age. However... ah, but I don't want to spoil you, now do I? Ragnus is a tank, boasting high HP, sturdy armor options, and two dependable weapon choices between swords and axes. It's highly tempting to turn him into the mainstay for your party due to his solid participation in battle, but unfortunately, he will be forced out of your army midway through the game and does not return, leaving your party in much the same state as Esperanza as a whole. If you're going to use him up until that point - and he will be forced into being your Ace at least once while he's with you - just try not to depend on him too much. RECOMMENDED MIDGAME SETUPS AXE MURDERER RAGNUS Kill Blade Chain Mail Iron Mask Fire Boots I am a big advocate of giving Ragnus an axe, partially because axe-users are less common than sword-users and so there will be more axes to go around, and partially because axes are damn useful and Ragnus can do great things with them. This particular setup emphasizes Ragnus' innate tankability while still giving him the potent Kill Blade in order to chop people's heads off. What's not to love? BREAKER RAGNUS Battleaxe Slasher Chain Mail Fire Boots While it takes a lot of time and Mastery to get going, this iteration of Ragnus has the ability to break his enemies' Armor (Battleaxe) or Shield (Slasher,) making him a devastating Knight- and Paladin-killer. Since Knights are possibly the most common class fought during Ragnus' stint in your party, this is a valuable role to fill, and it's one that can be easily replaced by a Brute once Ragnus leaves if you so choose. You're forced to go a little lighter on the armor than Axe Murderer Ragnus, but I personally feel that the benefits outweigh the slight loss in sturdiness. SWORDSMAN RAGNUS Bronze Sword/ Rainy Saber Chain Mail Iron Mask Fire Boots This setup is virtually identical to Axe Murderer Ragnus, only replacing the Kill Blade with a sword. Ragnus is a Specialty III character, so the Bronze Sword or Rainy Saber will serve him best, especially as both are available early on and he can rack up some Mastery with them. Swordsman Ragnus will be a little lighter on his feet than he would be with an axe and he'll have access to knockback, but he will be doing less direct damage and he won't have the equipment-breaking capabilities offered by an axe. ******************** 5.01.07 Paulo ******************** Age: 63 Class: Alchemist Recruited: Post-Scene 3 Leaves: N/A Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Rod Weapon Type B: Book Ace DEL Bonus: Tamer -2, Sorceress -1, Priestess -2, Witch -1 Parameters: Initial Level: 16 HP: 861 DEL: 4 TAC: 3 CAP: 129 Specialty: IV Elemental Affinity: Fire +1, Water +2, Air -2, Earth -1 I'm not going to say too much about Paulo here in order to avoid giving too much about his story away. Suffice it to say that Paulo is many of the things you'd expect him to be at first glance - wise, practical, knowledgeable, tactically-minded - and many other things that you may not expect at first glance - a parental substitute for the Raguel children, an alcoholic, a dirty old man, and a former... ah, but I said I wasn't going to spoil you.... It is not at all uncommon for players to find Paulo becoming the linchpin of their army. As the only unit in the game to wield both Rods and Grimoires, he brings an enormous amount of magical offense and defense to your army. He is predictably fragile and slow, considering his age, but his magical prowess makes him a valuable and versatile character well worth using. RECOMMENDED ENDGAME SETUPS ANTIPODE PAULO Icicle Rod Lava Rod Mirage Garb Chrono OR Overdrive The raw damage setup for Paulo, this takes the two most valuable rods in the game and pairs them with a Chrono for maximum CT reduction. If you haven't gotten a Chrono to drop from Isabeli, an Overdrive is the next best thing. Replace the Mirage Garb with a Sun Cloak or an Aqua Robe when elemental damage comes up and you should be set. YIN-YANG PAULO Icicle Rod/ Lava Rod Book of Kirie Mirage Garb Chrono OR Overdrive Probably the setup most people prefer, the Book of Kirie offers all the healing you could ever need, while the Icicle or Lava Rod still allows Paulo to devastate the battlefield. Simple and effective. CONTROL PAULO Icicle Rod Mirage Garb Chrono OR Serpent Gram Canceller OR Tough Boots Sorcery Glass OR Voodoo Doll The goal with this setup is to maximize Paulo's Water affinity and thereby the damage from the Icicle Rod. The Gram Canceller, Tough Boots, Sorcery Glass, and Voodoo Doll all work toward this end, as does the Mirage Garb. Paulo will also have a fair amount of DEF and MDEF with this setup, making him much more survivable than usual, but he generally won't have room to equip a book along with everything else, which is a drawback. BURNING PAULO Lava Rod Grimoire OR Armor of preference Hero's Crown OR Pumpkin Hat Chrono OR Overdrive Tiger Band Paulo doesn't have as many options for Fire affinity as he does for Water affinity, but because of this you have the ability to give him a book instead of armor, which many may prefer. The Lava Rod doesn't need its affinity boosted as much anyway, considering that its main purpose is to cause Burn, but it will make it easier to take out Golems with Redder Blitz, if nothing else. DOCTOR PAULO Book of Kirie Mirage Garb Pointy Hat Chrono OR Overdrive Tough Boots Tiger Band OR Voodoo Doll A Paulo focused on healing only needs one book: the Book of Kirie. This frees up the rest of his equipment slots for much-needed protection (and Earth affinity where possible, to benefit the Book). He'll still be unreliable in direct melee combat, but his MDEF will be very high and his RES won't be too shabby either. NECROMANCER PAULO Madorisux Armor of preference Hero's Crown OR Pumpkin Hat Chrono OR Overdrive Tiger Band The Madorisux is my four-star book of choice for Paulo because it plays to his higher Fire affinity rather than his lower Earth affinity (the Apocalypse is Earth-elemental) and because it keeps him farther away from the action, seeing as it possesses all ranged healing skills rather than the Apocalypse's melee-range one. Specifically as opposed to the Book of Kirie, the Madorisux offers more damage, a better status effect, and better AOE healing at the cost of requiring more CAP and having much weaker instant-cast healing. APOCALYPSE PAULO Apocalypse As many of the following as CAP allows: Mirage Garb Pointy Hat Tough Boots Tiger Band OR Voodoo Doll Paulo is actually not the best choice for wielding the Apocalypse due to low Earth affinity, but if you reach endgame with him as your only book-user and really want to use the Apocalypse, you'll have to make do by giving him an Earth-elemental setup. Note the complete lack of +CAST in the above build: as the Apocalypse has no skills with a cast time, +CAST is unnecessary when equipping it, and the damn thing is WAY too heavy to equip alongside a second weapon without completely sacrificing the rest of your equipment slots. So yeah. Not exactly "recommended," but the Apocalypse is so powerful that you might not care. **************************** 5.01.08 Valerie Brighid **************************** Age: 17 Class: Rebel Recruited: Scene 6-2 Leaves: Post-Scene 10-2 Returns: Post-Scene 20 Weapon Type A: Bowgun Weapon Type B: Claw Ace DEL Bonus: Knight -1, Brute -1, Tamer -2, Witch -2 Parameters: Initial Level: 20 HP: 1158 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 118 Specialty: II Elemental Affinity: Fire +2, Water -1, Air 0, Earth -1 The only child of the Republican faction of Gargania, Valerie is an active and energetic young woman. But her life - a pleasantly challenging carnival of piano lessons, political discussions, and hunting trips that caused her to develop into a strong, outspoken young aristocrat - took a sudden, bloody turn when the Republican faction was betrayed and usurped by Bacchus, a well-spoken sadist who took most of the party prisoner in order to enjoy the satisfaction of executing them with his own hands. Valerie escapes and joins forces with Ragnus and Esperanza, where her searing need for revenge colors her actions for the rest of the game. Valerie feels like an odd cross between a Gunner, a Tamer, and an Assassin when used in battle. She's got a bowgun like a Gunner, but she has the frontline HP and equips of a Tamer, but she also has the speed and stealthy claws of an Assassin. Trying to figure out what to do with her can be a real chore, not because she's not good at all of these areas, but because it's difficult to feel like you're using her to her full potential when she has such contradictory talents to utilize. RECOMMENDED ENDGAME SETUPS HUNTRESS VALERIE Meteor/ Fallen Phoenix Walkyrie OR Cuirass Snipe Finger Fire Boots OR Safety Boots Honestly, Valerie isn't well cut out to be a pure-Bowgun-wielder. You can't get her Specialty and her elemental affinity on the same weapon, and she loses a lot of utility if you don't equip her with a claw. However, if you really want her to be a crossbow purist, you'll want to go with the Meteor (for Specialty) or the Fallen Phoenix (for affinity) over the Fanelia, which can be much better used by a Gunner. Valerie can actually tear up the field a good deal with the Meteor, particularly with a pair of Specialty II boots (i.e. Fire Boots or Safety Boots,) so if you're going this direction with her, that's what I would advise. CATWOMAN VALERIE Bloody Claw Griffin Talon Walkyrie Amazon Boots OR Twilight Leggings With Amazon Boots or Twilight Leggings to boost her mobility, this setup turns Valerie into a high-HP Assassin who can go in, Poison key targets to death, and then lifesteal herself back to full health on the way out. On Nightmare difficulty, Poison and Burn are two of the VERY few ways to realistically deal damage to bosses, thus the choice of the Griffin Talon; other potent status-effect-causing claws like the Wild Cat, the Leyte Claw, or the Jackhand can work just as well, but I find the Griffin Claw the most useful of the bunch. ANTI-MAGIC VALERIE Wind Tearer Magic Eater Savage Hunter Unusually, Valerie can equip the Magic Eater: valuable body armor that absorbs ANY magic damage dealt to the equipee while still providing a sweet 15 DEF. And if you're going to equip the Magic Eater on Valerie, you might as well go the whole way and turn her into an anti-magic mage eater with the Wind Tearer claw, which causes Slow Cast. While not as good at shutting down magic users as Silent, Slow Cast can still be used to great effect, especially later in the game as powerful spellcasters become both more common and more dangerous. If you don't have an Assassin or a Sorceress trained in the art of nullifying enemy spellcasters, Valerie equipped with the Magic Eater can do the job instead. BREAKER VALERIE Crossbow/ Grief Bowgun/ Fallen Phoenix Cuirass Shady Shackles This is an interesting one. Valerie is one of the very, very few characters that can equip the Shady Shackles: a one-of-a-kind hand equip with the unique Boost effect of "Destroy random piece of enemy equipment." Furthermore, she is the only character who can equip both the Shady Shackles and a ranged weapon at the same time, allowing her to easily position herself to grant the Shackles' Boost to multiple characters from a safe location while still contributing to the battle when necessary. The Cuirass provides some extra HIT to allow her to shoot from farther away. ***************************************** 5.01.09 Alesandra (Alissa) Delacroix ***************************************** Age: 16 Class: Royal Recruited: Scene 13 Leaves: Epilogue: Ending B Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Lance Weapon Type B: Wand Ace DEL Bonus: Knight -2, Paladin -2, Gunner -1, Priestess -1 Parameters: Initial Level: 1 HP: 804 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 CAP: 96 Specialty: III Elemental Affinity: Fire -2, Water +3, Air -2, Earth +1 Alissa is my favorite character in this game. She is a richly nuanced and deeply sympathetic character to me, and while I won't go into details on her background to avoid spoiling you all, suffice it to say that it complicates her life more than one usually sees in a video game. As a Daltanica noble, she is clearly a sheltered individual, but she displays a keen sense of politics and underhanded, roundabout dealings that only makes sense in an aristocrat, and this gives her otherwise innocent and idealistic character a surprisingly hard edge. The time she spends early in the game with Giulio and Esperanza clearly has a powerful effect on her, and her feelings for Giulio are quite evident... but can you trust her? Good question.... On the battlefield, Alissa is a beast. With two unique weapon types, a variety of armor types to fill multiple roles, naturally high HP and CAP, and high Guard Ratings on her best weapons, Alissa can simultaneously serve as tank, mage, fighter, healer, and knockback specialist, all with one build. She's incredibly versatile and very effective at pretty much anything you need her to do - and she does it all in a gorgeous Pimped Out Dress, to boot. Need I say more? RECOMMENDED ENDGAME SETUPS GRAB-BAG ALISSA Any lance Arrow Heart OR Twinkle Stick Joker Angel Halo Healing Gloves This setup gives Alissa her maximum potential in a fight. Her lances give her damage and (except for the Oni Lance) knockback; the Arrow Heart grants Burn and Charm, while the Twinkle Stick offers Mana Aura and Purge Undead; the Joker gives her some DEF, the Angel Halo has great MDEF, and the Healing Gloves have 35 CT on them, speeding up her already-quick wand spells. You can't go wrong with this Alissa; she does pretty much everything this way. WIND KNIGHT ALISSA Shangri-La Pure Grace Angel Halo OR Medic Cap Aerobrace OR Overdrive Cat Feet Some people like the Oni Lance on Alissa - possibly because of how hard it can be to get - but I prefer the Shangri-La. The two lances do comparable damage and have overall nearly the same stats, but the Shangri-La is a little lighter and has knockback, which the Oni Lance lacks. The problem? Alissa's Air affinity is naturally low. This setup boosts her up from -2 to +1, overcoming that disadvantage, and still leaves her sturdy (lots of armor) and quick (Cat Feet). CUPID ALISSA Arrow Heart Beni Shigure Magic Tiara Overdrive Leg Warmer OR Ping Pong Pumps This setup maximizes Fire affinity in order to maximize damage out of the Arrow Heart. The Arrow Heart is arguably the best wand in the game, tied only with the Twinkle Stick; possessing Burn, Charm, and healing powers in its repertoire, it's well deserving of its own setup. This is my preferred midgame setup on Alissa, before you get access to her best lances, and even in the endgame, it's a setup that can serve you well. QUICK-CAST ALISSA Twinkle Stick White Robe Rapid Rabbit Aerobrace/ Healing Gloves/ Overdrive This is an interesting little build that results in an Alissa with 70 CT. Yes: 70 CT. Wands already have fairly low cast times, and with 70 CT, Alissa will be casting so quickly even Isabeli will be impressed. Technically you can do this with any wand, but the Twinkle Stick is non-elemental, meaning you don't need to worry about elemental affinities with this hodgepodge of equipment. MAGIC TANK ALISSA Any weapon Beni Shigure Angel Halo Aerobrace OR Overdrive Jewel Anklet Alissa is pretty good at taking physical hits, but where she really excels is as a magical tank. With this setup, Alissa will have a whopping 75 MDEF, making her nigh-invulnerable to Priestesses, Sorceresses, Witches... and the final boss. Any weapon can work with this setup; take a lance for more damage or a wand for more party support, whichever you prefer. **************************** 5.01.10 Natalia Raymont **************************** Age: 21 Class: Duelist Recruited: Scene 15 Leaves: Epilogue: Ending B Returns: N/A Weapon Type A: Sword Weapon Type B: Rapier *Can also equip Small Shields Ace DEL Bonus: Paladin -2, Assassin -1, Trickster -1, Sorceress -2 Parameters: Initial Level: 29 HP: 1334 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 121 Specialty: IV Elemental Affinity: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +3, Earth -1 The daughter of a rather crucial character, Natalia is an Imperial knight with intense loyalty to Alissa. She is graced with many talents, being a brilliant fencer, an accomplished strategist, and absolutely freaking gorgeous. Her loyalty to Alissa is unquestionable, but that doesn't leave her loyalty to Esperanza feeling very genuine, and she doesn't seem too interested in changing what others might feel about her. A lot of fans aren't too sure what to make of her, but I like her, even if just for her magnificent hairdo. What can I say? There are worse reasons to like a character. In the original plans for Gungnir, Natalia's class of Duelist was important, as the ability to duel units one-on-one inside of homes and buildings was planned to be implemented and Natalia was going to be nigh-unbeatable in such situations. That feature was cut somewhere along the way, though, which leaves Natalia feeling a bit generic. She's a strong physical fighter and a pretty decent tank, but she joins your party a bit late and is usually overshadowed by the fighters people have been training since the start of the game. At least she still has one niche specialty, however: since Elise rarely puts rapiers to much use and no other class can equip them, Natalia can consider herself the best rapier-user in the game. RECOMMENDED ENDGAME SETUPS FENCING NATALIA Blue Stinger/ Crimson Red/ Zolfy Your best Small Shield Walkyrie Amazon Boots OR Wheel Greaves While you could focus on increasing Natalia's elemental affinities to maximize the damage of the Blue Stinger or the Crimson Red, I find that rapiers are generally more valuable for the knockback rather than the direct damage. Natalia gets +2 MOVE with this setup - also +1 JUMP with the Amazon Boots - making her extremely mobile as well as extremely deadly. If you have the CAP, you can also equip the Intelli Ribbon on her to turn her into a TP- generating machine. ANTIMAGIC NATALIA Blue Stinger/ Crimson Red/ Zolfy Magic Eater Power Gaunts Heavy Greaves OR Wheel Greaves Like Valerie, Natalia is capable of wearing the coveted Magic Eater and becoming completely immune to magical attack. Compliment this potent armor with a healthy chunk of DEF from the Power Gaunts (+10) and the Heavy Greaves (+20) and you'll find Natalia a difficult force to stop. While she doesn't have a specific anti-mage weapon the way Valerie does, don't forget that knockback interrupts enemy spells while they are casting. You can also sacrifice some of her DEF for the extra +1 MOVE from a pair of Wheel Greaves, which may be more valuable depending on how you plan to use her. ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* 5.02 GENERIC CHARACTERS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Our main cast wouldn't get too far without the army of devoted soldiers ready to give their lives for the cause. But of what measure is your army? Where do their skills lie? And in what way should you be utilizing those skills to unlock their fullest potential? Let's take a glance at such things here. ******************************************************************************* THE KNIGHT ******************************************************************************* [5.02.01] KNIGHT First Available: Scene 4 Weapon Type A: Sword Weapon Type B: Shield Purpose: Uber-tank Pros: Can use swords for knockback Large shields, offering the best Guard rating in the game The Basilisk Shield, which blocks the final boss' Poison Heavy armor, allowing for sky-high defenses The Dragonia Armor, which absorbs the very common fire damage! Cons: Heavy armor lowers mobility, making Knights' turns come up very slowly. Options for MDEF are limited (other than the amazing Magic Eater). UNDERSTANDING THE KNIGHT "Next time, try to leave a dent!" -Leona, League of Legends The role of the tank - the unit that sits there and takes damage so the other members of the army don't have to - is a valued component of most RPGs out there, and in Gungnir, the Knight is far and away the best at this job. Why? Because the Knight is the only unit that can equip Large Shields, which boast the highest Guard Rating of any equipment in the game. When you see that most characters can get a maximum Guard Rating of about 30% and then you see that the highest Guard Rating on a Large Shield is 75%, it's not hard to understand how valuable this single equipment option is when it comes to tanking damage. On top of Large Shields, Knights tend to have naturally high HP and CAP, making it easy to fill all of their equipment slots without surpassing their CAP limit. Large Shields may make it difficult for an enemy to get a hit in, but it's the additional HP and armor potential a Knight brings along to back up that ridiculous Guard Rating that truly makes a Knight impossible to kill. However, this isn't all a Knight brings to the table. Along with a Large Shield, a Knight can equip many different Swords, giving them a versatile blend of damage, knockback, and status effects. Suddenly your Knight isn't just unkillable: he can also wade into the middle of any number of foes and hack them all to pieces, barely blinking at their attempts to damage him in return. Just because Knights are the best at tanking doesn't mean that's all they can do in a fight! "Wanna know the opposite of agility? That." -Rainbow Dash, My Little Pony All that CAP and heavy armor comes with a price, and that price is mobility. Knights generally have naturally high DEL, and Large Shields and heavy armor will increase that DEL, compounding the problem by taking up most of the Knight's CAP to equip. A fully-equipped Knight's turn will come up once a year or so; of course, he can act anyway at the cost of VIT, which he has to spare, but this reduces his capacity to do his main job: tank. This mostly becomes problematic, not in terms of a Knight doing his job properly - Knights don't need to take turns to get attacked - but in terms of trying to finish stages with a three-star rating. Part of getting a three-star rating is finishing the stage with speed, and Knights can sometimes be counterproductive to this goal. It's great when you can just station your Knight at a chokepoint - i.e. a bridge or a single narrow path - and let the enemies come to him, but trying to have him plod across an open field or a wide city street quickly gets him left in the dust. Knights also work better with ranged and magic units that can safely sit behind the Knight and do their damage from there. Quick melee units like Tamers and Assassins will move three times in the time a Knight can move once, thereby putting themselves far ahead of the Knight's protection and preventing him from doing his job. It's also an unfortunate truth that Knights have few ways to protect themselves from magic-users. While there are a few items they can equip that give them some MDEF, Knights are often left completely vulnerable to enemy Witches and Sorceresses. This weakness, though, can be overcome at the end of the game, when Knights gain access to the Magic Eater: an amazing armor piece that absorbs ALL magical damage inflicted upon the wearer! QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A KNIGHT Since you ought to be planning to move a Knight to a key strategic position and leave him there to soak up damage, DEL, TAC, and Specialty are usually inconsequential for a Knight. Focus instead on finding a Knight with high HP and CAP that you can load up with heavy defensive equipment to maximize the strengths of his class. Firenz and Ernest are good choices for early-game Knights, while Gert and Rudolph will fit the bill better if recruiting in the mid- or late-game. As far as Camp Knights go, Kristoph is astoundingly good for a Camp recruit, and David and Hugo aren't too bad either. ****************** LIST OF KNIGHTS ****************** GUILD KNIGHTS ************* Rondine Reinhart Firenz Lester Ernest LV: 6 LV: 11 LV: 21 LV: 33 LV: 41 HP: 1067 HP: 938 HP: 1137 HP: 1314 HP: 1535 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 95 CAP: 106 CAP: 122 CAP: 125 CAP: 139 Spec: III Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: 1 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: 3 Water: 0 Air: 1 Air: 0 Air: -2 Air: -3 Air: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: -3 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: 3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 4-9 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-23 14-25 14-25 14-25 Gert Theonil Rudolf Basturk Audric LV: 52 LV: 60 LV: 72 LV: 81 LV: 1 HP: 1620 HP: 1422 HP: 1899 HP: 1944 HP: 1532 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 156 CAP: 155 CAP: 161 CAP: 158 CAP: 114 Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: -3 Fire: -1 Fire: 0 Fire: -3 Fire: 2 Water: 1 Water: -2 Water: 1 Water: 3 Water: -3 Air: 1 Air: 3 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: 2 Earth: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: -1 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP KNIGHTS ************ POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Gordon David Hugo Clark LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1055 HP: 1202 HP: 1215 HP: 1156 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 123 CAP: 126 CAP: 132 CAP: 120 Spec: I Spec: II Spec: II Spec: III Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: 1 Air: -1 Air: 0 Air: -3 Air: 1 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Kristoph Frederic Benedict LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1358 HP: 1176 HP: 1107 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 CAP: 133 Spec: II Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: -1 Fire: -3 Fire: 3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 1 Air: 3 Air: 3 Air: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 ******************************************************************************* THE BRUTE ******************************************************************************* [5.02.02] BRUTE First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Axe Weapon Type B: Hammer Purpose: Melee DPS Pros: Great physical damage potential Can break enemy armor, greatly increasing damage for your entire party Only Hammer user Can easily smash Golems using Thor's Hammer Cons: Lack of ranged attacks leaves them vulnerable to ranged attackers. UNDERSTANDING THE BRUTE "See? Violence. You'll get the hang of it." -Chiana, Farscape If your goal is just to get into the enemy's face and smash it through the back of their skull, you can't do better than a Brute. If the Knight is the master of defense, the Brute is a master of offense, dishing out tremendous raw damage at point-blank range. With their high HP, a Brute can usually survive long enough to get in close; with their ability to destroy enemy equipment - including armor and shields! - a Brute can make sure their foes face them at maximum vulnerability; and with their vicious selection of weaponry, a Brute can really take advantage of that vulnerable state. Even if your Brute is not the damage-dealing cornerstone of your army, he can provide a surprisingly potent supporting role simply by using his various equipment-breaking skills to remove an enemy's defenses and special passive abilities. Bacchus and his Magic Eater armor aren't as scary when the Magic Eater is in pieces on the ground and your spellcasters are advancing with murder in their eyes. The armor-breaking capability of a Brute can be used for other, less-directly offensive contributions to your army as well. For example, take the infamous Pamela, holder of the one-of-a-kind weapon Pamela's Broom. People have ripped their hair out trying to get this drop from the ditzy witch. Want to tip the odds in your favor? Destroy all of her other equipment using a Brute, then flatten her into the snow. Your chances of getting the Broom to drop just went from 25% to 100%! "Maybe I need to get closer..." -Sailor Chibimoon, Sailor Moon Brutes have one rather dramatic weakness: lack of range. In some games, this isn't much of a problem, but in Gungnir, it can really hurt a Brute's viability. Gungnir's maps can be quite twisty, convoluted, and obstacle- filled, and a Brute is vulnerable to ranged projectile- and caster-units while they're trying to get in range to be effective. The computer can easily play keep-away with your Brutes with the knockback of Throwers or the debilitating status effects of Sorceresses and Witches, and there's nothing your Brute can do other than power through the gauntlet and hope it doesn't hurt too much. Countering with crowd-control from mages of your own can help a lot, as can equipment options like the Wheel Greaves (for mobility) or the Magic Eater (to nullify offensive magic,) but it's still a weakness that can sometimes make a Brute a liability rather than an advantage, especially on some of the late- game maps. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A BRUTE A Brute really wants high HP and CAP above all else. He needs HP to survive long enough to reach your enemies and work his magic on their equipment and/or their life, and he needs the CAP to equip all the armor and weapons necessary to do his job. A Brute specialized toward breaking enemy equipment generally wants two axes or an axe and a hammer, so he will need more CAP than a Brute whose intent is just to do damage. Finally, try to aim for a Brute with low DEL; a quick Brute gets up to enemies and destroys their gear faster than a slow one, obviously, and that's worth a lot in a fight. Generally Specialty, TAC, and elemental affinity isn't too important, although I confess I have a preference for a Fire-affinity Brute, since the Sunrise is my favorite axe and it is fire-elemental. With all this in mind, particular Brutes of note are Alonso, Josef, Cougar, and Hagen. Camp Brutes Calvin and Caesar aren't bad options either. ***************** LIST OF BRUTES ***************** GUILD BRUTES ************ Alonso Josef Jungwil Krozem Fritz LV: 4 LV: 10 LV: 20 LV: 30 LV: 44 HP: 1080 HP: 1159 HP: 1391 HP: 1588 HP: 1720 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 96 CAP: 99 CAP: 106 CAP: 131 CAP: 139 Spec: IV Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: III Spec: I Fire: 1 Fire: 3 Fire: -3 Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: 1 Water: -1 Air: 3 Air: 0 Air: -1 Air: -2 Air: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: 1 Earth: 3 Earth: 3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Husrev Cougar Hagen Ulrich Legro LV: 52 LV: 60 LV: 71 LV: 80 LV: 1 HP: 1832 HP: 1868 HP: 2299 HP: 2229 HP: 1524 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 135 CAP: 155 CAP: 163 CAP: 178 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: III Spec: II Fire: -3 Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 2 Fire: -1 Water: 0 Water: 2 Water: -2 Water: -2 Water: -3 Air: 0 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: -3 Air: 3 Earth: 3 Earth: -3 Earth: 0 Earth: 3 Earth: 1 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP BRUTES *********** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE Calvin Barnaby LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 1048 HP: 1043 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 102 CAP: 96 Spec: I Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: 3 Water: -1 Air: 0 Air: -1 Earth: -1 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE Armant LV: 15 HP: 1161 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 104 Spec: II Fire: 3 Water: -1 Air: -3 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Gastend Clive Caesar Bold LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1607 HP: 1691 HP: 1454 HP: 1644 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 109 CAP: 118 CAP: 127 CAP: 121 Spec: II Spec: I Spec: I Spec: III Fire: 0 Fire: 1 Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: 2 Water: -1 Water: 1 Water: 2 Air: 1 Air: -2 Air: 2 Air: -1 Earth: -3 Earth: 2 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 ******************************************************************************* THE PALADIN ******************************************************************************* [5.02.03] PALADIN First Available: Scene 6 Weapon Type A: Sword Weapon Type B: Greatsword *Can also equip Small Shields Purpose: Melee magic-user, off-tank, undead extermination Pros: Can use swords for knockback Can use greatswords to hit multiple enemies with unblockable magic Fairly defensive; functions as a decent tank The Holy Sabre and its ability to one-shot the undead Cons: Jack of all trades, master of none. UNDERSTANDING THE PALADIN "Oh great spirit of the divine, grant me the forgiveness that I, in my fleshy weakness, cannot grant, and thus must perpetrate this act of violence against my fellow man." -White Mage, 8-Bit Theater Paladins in Gungnir are more akin to Red Mages of Final Fantasy than they are to most other incarnations of Paladins I've seen. They have no healing or protective abilities and their tankiness is iffy unless you load them up with heavy armor, but they have a wide variety of physical and magical attacks in various elements that make them devastating on the battlefield. The ability to easily swap between physical and magical attacks is an advantage that cannot be overlooked, especially in the endgame, when you'll be facing a plethora of units at a time with all sorts of varied defenses to overcome. Between Swords and Greatswords, a Paladin has access to all elements, several very nasty status ailments, valuable effects like TP damage and knockback, and more. This versatility becomes even nastier with a hefty chunk of CT, a stat Paladins can build very easily; this makes their spells almost as quick as their physical attacks, giving enemies no time to evade the damage or the crippling status effects that come with said damage. Don't let the pure white armor and baby blues fool you; when you put a Paladin on the field, your foes are in for a hell of a time. Even moreso than slashing, hacking, igniting, and drowning foes, however, Paladins have one particular specialty that rises above the rest: murdering the undead with extreme prejudice. Paladins have access to the Holy Sabre, a sword that has the ability to one-shot Undead with the spell Luminous Wraith. While Archers and Witches can fill this role as well, the Paladin gets access to the Holy Sabre before these other classes get their equivalent weapons, making him the defining master thereof. If you lived in fear of Isabeli and her infinitely reviving hordes, as I once did, fear no longer: Paladins can put those bags of bones back into the graves they came from without putting a lock of their perfectly tousled hair out of place. "Anything you can do, I can do better." -Anything You Can Do, Ethel Merman Okay. So we've established that Paladins can tank, attack, and cast, all at the same time, right? Seems like there's no need for any other unit, in that case, right? Wrong. Unfortunately for Paladins, they tend to fall face-first into the "jack of all trades, master of none" position so dreaded by game players the world over. They can't tank as well as a Knight, they can't attack as well as a Brute, they can't nuke huge areas like a Sorceress... the list goes on. Their main specialty is killing the undead, which only appear on three maps in the game (granted, they can be hideous maps) and isn't even a skill unique to them by the time endgame rolls around (although, again, they will be able to do it first, at least). What about their simple versatility? Doesn't that make them worth using? Well, there happens to be a character in this game - you might have met her, her name is Alissa - who can do everything a Paladin can do and more... and do it BETTER. This isn't to say that Paladins are worthless, though. If you decide to specialize them in a particular role - say, loading them with heavy armor for maximum tankability - they will perform adequately in that role while still having that delightful ability to alternate magical and physical damage with a single Greatsword. And on the other hand, by having your Paladin dabble in all of the roles he can manage, you gain a very flexible party member who can quickly adjust to the flow of battle however you need him to. Heck, load him up with healing items and you can even use him as a de facto tanky healer with magical and physical capabilities. However, you must be prepared to accept that by specializing your Paladin, you will have to cut back on his versatility, and by leaving him versatile, you cripple his ability to shine in any of his roles. If you can make a sacrifice that satisfies you, though, then Paladins will unquestionably help your army to prosper. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A PALADIN This is a tricky one. It's best to choose what role you want your Paladin to fill before you start making decisions about which stats are important for him and thus which Paladin recruits are best. If you want a tanky Paladin, clearly you're looking for high HP and CAP, such as on Freiber and Mahmoud. If you want a Paladin more suited for quick, surgical strikes, you want low DEL and a high Elemental affinity; Gieche and Rochet fit such a bill. (Rochet is actually a very good Paladin, despite being a Camp mercenary.) Elemental affinity is also an important consideration, based on which weapon you want your Paladin to be wielding; for example, Mahmoud has low Air affinity, which is bad for the 7- Star Sword, while Gieche has low Fire affinity, making him ill-suited for the Volcano. However, Paladins have such a wide variety of elemental choices in weaponry that you can work with pretty much any elemental affinity in the end. The only Guild Paladin I would warn you away from is Michel. Sadly, with low HP, CAP, and Elemental affinities, he's just not as good of an option as many of his fellows are. ******************* LIST OF PALADINS ******************* GUILD PALADINS ************** Morozof Michel Freiber Pilgrim Gieche LV: 7 LV: 12 LV: 23 LV: 33 LV: 43 HP: 966 HP: 802 HP: 1054 HP: 1072 HP: 1160 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 105 CAP: 95 CAP: 124 CAP: 119 CAP: 132 Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Spec: II Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -1 Fire: -3 Water: -2 Water: 2 Water: 1 Water: -1 Water: 3 Air: 2 Air: -1 Air: -2 Air: -1 Air: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: 1 Earth: 1 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 6-9 AVA: 6-12 AVA: 6-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-23 14-25 14-25 14-25 Juno Melange Mahmoud Grimwad Leonil LV: 50 LV: 63 LV: 72 LV: 80 LV: 1 HP: 1262 HP: 1356 HP: 1622 HP: 1464 HP: 1280 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 145 CAP: 167 CAP: 152 CAP: 169 CAP: 114 Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: I Spec: III Spec: II Fire: 1 Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Water: -3 Water: -1 Water: 3 Water: -2 Air: -3 Air: 2 Air: -3 Air: -1 Air: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP PALADINS ************* POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Augusto Jeremias Gabriel LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 969 HP: 810 HP: 1093 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 106 CAP: 115 CAP: 109 Spec: I Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: 2 Fire: 3 Fire: -1 Water: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Air: 3 Air: 1 Air: 2 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Ariel Clifford Bradle LV: 31 LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1040 HP: 1144 HP: 1026 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 132 CAP: 108 CAP: 111 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: III Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: -1 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Rochet LV: 35 HP: 1096 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 109 Spec: II Fire: -2 Water: 3 Air: -3 Earth: 2 ******************************************************************************* THE ASSASSIN ******************************************************************************* [5.02.04] ASSASSIN First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Dagger Weapon Type B: Claw Purpose: Mobile thief with lifesteal and knockback Pros: Tend to have low DEL, allowing them to act frequently Can use daggers for knockback Can use claws to steal accessories and consumables from enemies The Bloody Claw, which lets you recover HP when attacking enemies! Cons: Fragile and less effective at direct damage than you might expect. UNDERSTANDING THE ASSASSIN "You don't really want to mess with me tonight." -P!nk, U + Ur Hand Fast, versatile, and wielding weapons designed for disembowelment, the Assassin lives up to her name as last thing you want to run into in a dark alley. Her actual potential for direct damage in a one-on-one fight is low; after all, if she wanted to just walk to somebody and beat on them, she'd have trained to be a Brute. No, the Assassin ghosts around the map, waiting for the perfect opening to sneak up on her target and immobilize them, take their healing items, and kick them into a bottomless pit. The name of the Assassin's game is positioning, positioning, positioning. Due to generally low CAP and HP, she doesn't have the staying power to plunge right into an engagement and start hacking away, nor does she possess ranged attacks to contribute to a fight from the outside. The primary tool an Assassin uses is knockback, a common feature on both Claws and Daggers. Knockback allows the Assassin to disrupt enemy spellcasters; separate vulnerable targets from their fellows; knock enemies into pits, traps, deep water, or off the side of the map; clear the way to the boss of a stage; and much more. A 3000-HP Knight it would take your entire team to kill can be knocked off the side of a bridge to his instant death with just one quick movement from an Assassin. Knockback is not the only tool in the Assassin's bag of tricks, however. She can also access a plethora of useful status effects, one of the most useful being the rare and potent Stone effect, which allows her to take an enemy out of the fight when there's nothing convenient for Knockback to work with. There's also her capacity to steal an enemy's healing items - and if that doesn't sound useful to you, clearly you've never had a boss full-heal using an Elixir when you had them down to their last 50 health. Throw in AOE slashing attacks and the Bloody Claw, a weapon that restores the Assassin's health when she attacks with it, and you'll quickly begin to see the full extent of the Assassin's potential. "All the world will be your enemy, O Prince with a Thousand Enemies. And if they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you." -Frith, Watership Down In a perfect world, an Assassin would have all the time in the world to set up the perfect kill: wait for the unsuspecting enemy to meander along the banks of the river, get into just the right range, then rush out and knock them into the drink. Unfortunately, Gargania is not a perfect world; that's what this game is all about, after all. When every battle is timed for the three-star rating, you don't always have time for an Assassin to sit in one place doing nothing while she waits for somebody to come along and spring her trap. It doesn't help that sending an Assassin straight into battle is a suicide mission. Their damage is low and they die as soon as an enemy looks at them sideways, so direct combat is out of the question. Getting in close and Stoning an enemy is all well and good, but when that leaves you vulnerable to the four guys behind him and you're as squishy as an Assassin is... well, it doesn't usually end prettily. Using an Assassin is not a cheap ticket to victory in Gungnir the way it is in most games (I'm looking at you, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance!) It takes a lot of planning, both on the micromanaging level (the Assassin herself) and the macromanaging level (using Knights to tank for her, using Sorceresses to Freeze other enemies to keep them away from her, etc.) However, it's all worth it once your Assassin gets that opening she's been waiting for. While not a unit ideal for beginners, she's great fun and great power once you get the hang of her! QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN AN ASSASSIN The ideal Assassin has 2 DEL - maximizing her ability to move into close range, attack, and move quickly away again before she can get caught - and is focused on Specialty I - as Knockback is her best tool and Knockback is Specialty I on both Claws and Daggers. The only Assassins to have both of these qualities, however, are Lucia and Aquina, so if you want to use an Assassin before the endgame, you'll have to compromise somewhat. Moira is my personal favorite, compensating for her 3 DEL with 2 TAC and high Water affinity for the Crystal Edge. Elaine is a great Camp Assassin with high Air affinity; good for the Rune Knife and the Griffin Talon, an unstoppable combination. Other great choices are Frabela (low DEL and high TAC) and Vishna (low DEL and Specialty II for AOE slicing-and-dicing). ******************** LIST OF ASSASSINS ******************** GUILD ASSASSINS *************** Frabela Vishna Moira Rolenta Minotta LV: 5 LV: 11 LV: 20 LV: 30 LV: 40 HP: 762 HP: 894 HP: 927 HP: 1142 HP: 1305 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 CAP: 88 CAP: 100 CAP: 112 CAP: 125 CAP: 132 Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Spec: III Spec: III Fire: 1 Fire: -1 Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: 3 Water: 0 Water: -1 Air: -1 Air: 0 Air: -3 Air: -3 Air: 0 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: 3 Earth: 3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Seriee Sarland Lucia Grunwalde Aquina LV: 54 LV: 60 LV: 74 LV: 86 LV: 1 HP: 1400 HP: 1362 HP: 1449 HP: 1564 HP: 1123 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 158 CAP: 137 CAP: 172 CAP: 175 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 0 Fire: -1 Fire: 0 Fire: 0 Fire: 0 Water: 3 Water: -3 Water: -1 Water: 0 Water: 3 Air: -1 Air: 2 Air: 3 Air: -3 Air: -2 Earth: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP ASSASSINS ************** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE Elaine LV: 10 HP: 809 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 102 Spec: III Fire: -1 Water: 0 Air: 3 Earth: -2 POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE Eleanor Clara LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 879 HP: 885 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 101 CAP: 110 Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 3 Fire: -1 Water: -1 Water: 2 Air: 1 Air: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: -3 POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Evita Hannah LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1006 HP: 967 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 Spec: III Spec: II Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Water: 1 Water: -3 Air: -1 Air: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: 0 ******************************************************************************* THE TAMER ******************************************************************************* [5.02.05] TAMER First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Whip Weapon Type B: Katana Purpose: Melee AOE physical attacker and status inflictor Pros: Melee AOE damage Capturing! Use of whips to capture enemies can turn the tide of a battle Only user of two unique weapon types: whips and katanas Cons: How well they do in battle depends largely on luck. UNDERSTANDING THE TAMER "Sit!" -Wadsworth, Clue: The Movie With the crack of a whip, the Tamer asserts her dominance over the battlefield and never lets the enemy have it back. A master of counterattacks and AOE physical damage, the Tamer - while not as adept at direct burst damage as the Brute - excels at making the enemy regret any move they make. If they group up to attack, the Tamer hits them all at the same time. If they spread out, the Tamer Captures them one by one, allowing your team to easily cut them down. If they go after the Tamer, she blocks and counters with the use of a Katana. If they leave the Tamer alone, she hounds them relentlessly with a barrage of whip strikes. The Tamer is roughly the melee equivalent of the Gunner, being a physical damage-dealer whose forte is AOE damage. Whips have both row and piercing line attacks, allowing for a range of possible targeting ranges, and they can initiate Beats using their melee, single-target, Specialty III attack. The most insidious power of the whip is their Specialty IV capturing ability, however, which allows the Tamer to take both herself and her target out of the fight until she next moves or attacks. Use these Capturing skills to immobilize a difficult opponent, cancel an enemy spell midcast, or hold the enemy still while you move the rest of your allies into place for an orchestrated Beat strike. While meant to be in melee combat, Tamers are usually somewhat fragile. Their HP is not the best and their armor choices - while not bad, per se - are not the greatest, particularly before the Walkyrie armor becomes available. They make up for this deficiency by equipping Katanas, which have high Guard Rating and serve as automatic counterattack engines. This emphasis on evasion and countering makes Tamers surprisingly good evade-tanks; they capitalize on this role with their counterattacks, which are quite powerful. "My life is a chip in your pile! Ante up!" -Setzer, Final Fantasy VI The problem with Tamers is that, while they have a definite role in battle - AOE physical damage and evade-tanking - figuring out what exactly to do with those roles is easier said than done. Being a damage dealer implies that you want them to, well, do damage, but Tamers have low single-target damage to even out their ability to strike multiple units at once. Being a tank implies they can take a hit, as does their melee status, but their survival is entirely dependent on their luck in dodging and they have little defense against well- aimed arrows or spells. Coupled with their generally low HP, this makes their survival - even with a good Katana - uncertain at best. What this comes down to is that Tamers are rather reliant on luck to maximize their effectiveness in battle. If enemies don't move close enough for her to attack, her damage suffers. If her katanas don't activate and block attacks, or if unblockable projectile-users decide to start targeting her, then SHE suffers. Fortunately, even in such a situation, there's always Capturing, which can provide instrumental battlefield control on any stage in any difficulty. If you use a Tamer, focus her strategies around this ability and take any extra damage or dodging she manages to do as icing on the cake. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A TAMER Tamers often throw themselves onto the frontlines to Capture and slow as many enemies with their whips as they can. While their Katanas can help to deflect some blows, it's still advisable for a Tamer to have high HP for those hits that make it through her Guard. Her elemental affinity generally isn't crucial, since so many whips and katanas are non-elemental, but a Tamer with an all- around balanced elemental spread will take less damage from elemental attacks than a Tamer with dramatic elemental weaknesses, so there's that to consider. I find Diora, Joanna, Platier, and Neredo to be keen Tamers worth employing, and Mavis and Brigitte are quite respectable Camp Tamers as well. ***************** LIST OF TAMERS ***************** GUILD TAMERS ************ Bonita Diora Hildegard Joanna Platier LV: 4 LV: 10 LV: 20 LV: 32 LV: 41 HP: 900 HP: 1041 HP: 981 HP: 1226 HP: 1344 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 93 CAP: 102 CAP: 97 CAP: 130 CAP: 133 Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: -3 Water: 2 Water: 1 Water: -1 Water: -1 Air: 3 Air: -2 Air: 2 Air: -1 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Neredo Atkasia Magenta Darushan Alier LV: 53 LV: 64 LV: 71 LV: 81 LV: 1 HP: 1406 HP: 1535 HP: 1863 HP: 1891 HP: 1235 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 154 CAP: 165 CAP: 175 CAP: 176 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: III Fire: 3 Fire: 2 Fire: 1 Fire: 3 Fire: -2 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: 1 Water: -1 Water: 2 Air: -2 Air: -3 Air: 1 Air: 0 Air: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP TAMERS *********** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE Jamie Mavis Esther LV: 10 LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 861 HP: 885 HP: 859 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 102 CAP: 102 CAP: 108 Spec: I Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 3 Air: 0 Air: 1 Air: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: 0 Earth: 2 POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Edith Camilla Colin Brigitte LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1117 HP: 1070 HP: 1161 HP: 1200 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 133 CAP: 124 CAP: 130 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Water: -2 Water: -3 Water: -2 Air: -3 Air: 0 Air: 2 Air: 0 Earth: 3 Earth: 2 Earth: 3 Earth: 0 ******************************************************************************* THE TRICKSTER ******************************************************************************* [5.02.06] TRICKSTER First Available: Scene 4 Weapon Type A: Dagger Weapon Type B: Tool Purpose: Knockback expert and status inflictor Pros: Can use daggers for knockback Can use tools for multiple useful and very rare status effects Can place traps Has access to several uncommon and useful equipment pieces Cons: Traps are generally inefficient, and Tricksters' non-trap damage is low. UNDERSTANDING THE TRICKSTER "For my next trick, I'll make their life bar disappear." -LeBlanc, League of Legends Unassuming at first glance, the Trickster - like the Assassin - utilizes the stage and her own potent status effects to deliver one-hit kills and complete debilitation to the enemy team. Not one for the sweat and stress of pitched combat, the Trickster knocks enemies off cliffs, lays traps to cover her blind spots, cripples enemies with ailments, and provides a bit of ranged and melee damage to put the finishing touch on her weakened foes. With the proper foresight, a Trickster acts as an Assassin who has traded in thievery and lifesteal for ranged capabilities and traps. In fact, Tricksters actually play quite similarly to Assassins: with low direct damage, their strength lies in their easy access to knockback, allowing them to knock enemies off bridges, houses, and cliffs for one-hit-K.O.s. The quality, of course, that really defines the Trickster is their traps, which can only be laid at night on the square the Trickster is standing on. Once laid, the trap lies inert until an enemy stops on the same square. Then the trap detonates, dealing immense damage and inflicting a nasty ailment upon the victim. Manipulating the A.I. to force them into your traps is a key element of using a Trickster; try placing a trap on a narrow bridge to block the enemy advance, or on a Base to prevent an enemy from taking it. A particular favorite of Molivious, a prolific Gungnir forum-goer, is to place a trap, then put it between you and your enemy and turn your back to the enemy. The A.I. often takes the bait and moves to attack your vulnerable backside, triggering the trap in the process! "Final Fantasy games give you a choice: you can either spend forty hours playing underwater foosball or watching chocobos screw or whatnot, which eventually gives you your ultimate weapon so that you can defeat the final boss pretty handily. Or, you can spend those forty hours actually fighting the final boss. It's up to you." -Lore Sjöberg, The Book of Ratings While Tricksters can be a lot of fun to use, the problem is... there isn't a whole lot they can do that another unit can't do better. Tricksters can't do much damage, and they certainly can't take a hit. Their claim to fame is their ability to set traps, but the problem is that traps often take more time than they save in the long run. If you're playing on Normal difficulty and you're not trying to get three-star ratings, this isn't a problem, but spending two or three turns to get the enemy to step in or be knocked into a trap will often do less damage than you could have gotten by outright assaulting that enemy with some swords or magic. Now, mind you, Tricksters' traps can set some status effects that are very difficult to set any other way. Pain is great, Curse is great, Scapegoat and Sacrifice are great, and Burn and Poison are crucial damage sources on any difficulty level. The problem isn't that a Trickster doesn't do anything worth doing - definitely not. The problem is that you can usually get similar results from other classes without fooling around with traps. If you're trying to stop an enemy from attacking, put them to Sleep with the Wild Cat claw or Freeze them in place with an Icicle Rod. Burn and Poison can be caused by Sorceresses on multiple enemies over a wide area. Knockback is wielded by many classes, including Assassins, Paladins, Witches, and every story character except Paulo. A Trickster has to bring enough value to you beyond her knockback potential to be worth a spot in your team over any of these other classes. This isn't to say Tricksters are useless: as stated, traps are very strong when they work, and knockback is good no matter who it comes on. Tricksters also have the ability to manipulate siege weaponry (of limited use, but cool when they get the chance) and to equip several great pairs of shoes, including the Trickster-only Tricky Boots. They also have a ranged attack on some of their Tools, allowing them to stand safely back from the action and still contribute, unlike an Assassin. Having a ranged attack also allows them to initiate Beats on shield-toting units without getting blocked, which is great. They're all abilities possessed by other units, but if, when presented in one package, it feels like something you could make good use of - or if you perhaps want a bit more creativity in the game by adding traps into the equation - you should go for it and recruit one of these tricksome ladies. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A TRICKSTER I consider a low DEL to be the most important quality in a prospective Trickster, with a secondary consideration given to a high TAC, which pairs well with her MV-increasing shoes and TAC-increasing Hermet Hood. Specialty isn't too important, but elemental affinity is worth a consideration: the best daggers are Air- and Water-elemental, but the best Tools are Fire- and Earth-elemental, so what you care to equip your Trickster with will make a difference in who will fit your needs best. Leier is good for Fire; Irma serves well with Water; Woosh has high Air, as well as possibly the most awesome name in the game; and Enite is the only Trickster with a 3 in Earth. I'm also rather fond of Freier, a Camp Trickster with low DEL, good TAC, and a max Water affinity. ********************* LIST OF TRICKSTERS ********************* GUILD TRICKSTERS **************** Leier Erica Janice Lillian Nina LV: 6 LV: 11 LV: 23 LV: 32 LV: 42 HP: 843 HP: 805 HP: 1022 HP: 1144 HP: 1146 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 98 CAP: 112 CAP: 121 CAP: 121 CAP: 134 Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: I Spec: IV Spec: III Fire: 3 Fire: 2 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: 1 Water: 0 Water: -1 Air: 0 Air: 2 Air: -2 Air: 1 Air: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: 1 Earth: 1 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 4-9 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-23 14-25 14-25 14-25 Irma Oryze Woosh Enite Sacchito LV: 51 LV: 61 LV: 74 LV: 83 LV: 1 HP: 1224 HP: 1305 HP: 1725 HP: 1554 HP: 1011 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 131 CAP: 144 CAP: 169 CAP: 184 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: I Spec: III Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Water: 3 Water: -2 Water: -2 Water: 0 Water: -1 Air: -2 Air: -3 Air: 3 Air: -3 Air: 1 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 Earth: 3 Earth: 2 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP TRICKSTERS *************** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Ulrich Evi LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1080 HP: 1052 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 132 CAP: 129 Spec: IV Spec: III Fire: 2 Fire: -3 Water: -3 Water: 3 Air: 1 Air: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Freier Ludmilla Lolo LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1072 HP: 978 HP: 1180 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 118 CAP: 124 CAP: 109 Spec: I Spec: IV Spec: II Fire: -2 Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Water: 2 Water: 0 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 0 Earth: -3 ******************************************************************************* THE ARCHER ******************************************************************************* [5.02.07] ARCHER First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Bow Weapon Type B: N/A Purpose: Long-ranged poke Pros: Longest-ranged attacks in the game 100% accuracy if the sweet spots of bow attacks are targeted Can shoot over enemies and most obstacles Cons: Inability to fight at close range. Generally outclassed by Elise early on. UNDERSTANDING THE ARCHER "Archery is among the highest and most e%ceptional crafts, held in tremendous regard by the most a100f classes for centuries" -Equius Zahhak, Homestuck When you're looking for physical damage from a distance, you can't do better than the wielder of a bow. Archers, as the only generics with skill in this weapon, are experts in the field of ranged combat; their maximum range is eight panels, which, even on the largest of Gungnir's maps, is substantial. Due to the way bow accuracy is calculated, Archers can hit even the hardiest Knights with 100% accuracy. While Archers have no skill for close combat, their potent ranged capabilities allow them to be useful in just about any situation. Archers have two enormous advantages: distance, and the ability to hit with perfect accuracy at such a distance. The sweet spot of 100% accuracy on their longest-range attack, their Specialty II, is six panels, and even aiming it at seven panels causes only a 25% drop in accuracy, which is often better than any melee unit could achieve if attacking from the front. This combination of range and accuracy becomes especially nasty once you start utilizing their Specialty IV attack, which inflicts an ailment and can't miss when targeting a square five panels away. For example, the Flint Bow has a Specialty IV attack that causes Burn, one of the most useful status effects in the game. The Bow of Iria has Undead Killer - vital on any stage with Isabeli - and the Natalia Starbow causes Silent, which declaws any spellcaster... up to and including the final boss! "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Iris Chateaubriand, Sakura Wars The primary disadvantage of an Archer is their weakness to close combat. Archers outright cannot attack enemies that are directly next to them, and their low HP and limited armor options allow any unit that gets within that range to rip them apart. Often this isn't much of a problem, true, as Archers can move away from their enemies before shooting, but if your Archer gets cornered or caught out away from the rest of your army, there won't be enough left of them to save by the time your next turn comes around. Truthfully, this really is a minor disadvantage. After all, you wouldn't expect a ranged fighter to be good at close combat, would you? So what's the real problem with Archers? Unfortunately, there is one, and it's the fact that Elise exists. Early in the game, Elise is better than any Archer in any way, mostly because she has access to a second weapon type: Rapiers, which give her great prowess at close combat. A normal Archer's only option in melee combat is to run away. Elise can knock her opponent off the map, inflict them with a lethal Nightmare, or at least slip her blade right in between their ribs. This is a big hit to the viability of the Archer class (unless, of course, you want a second Archer on your team to complement Elise, which is of course possible). It's not until late, when the Snipe Finger becomes available, that Archers finally get to emerge from Elise's shadow. The Snipe Finger, which gives +60 HIT, is a very powerful hand equip, and it's pretty much the godliest thing any ranged projectile unit can have - and Elise cannot equip it, while Archers can. This boosts the viability of Archers greatly, making them unquestionably the kings of ranged physical damage at last. Unfortunately, this godly item cannot be obtained until late in the game, and up until you receive it, the Archer will be watching Elise's rapierwork and female-only equipment pieces (such as the Walkyrie) with jealousy. If you want to have two bow-users, or if you're on New Game + and already have a Snipe Finger, then an Archer has great potential just waiting to be realized. If not, though, you're more likely to realize it with Elise instead. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN AN ARCHER Archers don't need high HP or CAP, as they aren't going to be too survivable no matter what you do and they can often use Base Points to switch bows rather than equip two on a constant basis. I also really like my Archers to have high TAC, as they can often run around a bit to recharge TP before every shot they take at the enemy team. Earth is the least useful affinity for an Archer: Fire capitalizes on the Flint Bow and its Burn, Water on the Bow of Iria and its anti-Undead capability, and Air on the early-game Gust Bow and the end-game Natalia Starbow. Surprisingly, Camp Archer Niccolo is the only option for a high Air affinity, but Fire can be handled by Dosika, Walder, or Heckler, and Water is perfect for Oswald. ****************** LIST OF ARCHERS ****************** GUILD ARCHERS ************* Johann Doraize Kress Schmitz Walder LV: 3 LV: 12 LV: 20 LV: 30 LV: 40 HP: 808 HP: 807 HP: 999 HP: 1281 HP: 1150 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 89 CAP: 104 CAP: 112 CAP: 107 CAP: 141 Spec: I Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: II Fire: 1 Fire: 0 Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Water: 1 Water: -1 Water: -2 Water: -1 Water: 1 Air: -1 Air: -1 Air: 1 Air: 1 Air: -1 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: 2 Earth: 1 Earth: -3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Colt Oswald Heckler Werner Dosika LV: 50 LV: 60 LV: 72 LV: 83 LV: 1 HP: 1468 HP: 1347 HP: 1397 HP: 1561 HP: 1172 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 154 CAP: 152 CAP: 152 CAP: 172 CAP: 114 Spec: I Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: III Spec: III Fire: 1 Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: -2 Fire: 2 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: 1 Water: -2 Water: -2 Air: 0 Air: 0 Air: -2 Air: 2 Air: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: -3 Earth: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: 3 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP ARCHERS ************ POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE Niccolo Antionne Gasparo LV: 15 LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 781 HP: 896 HP: 925 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 110 CAP: 104 CAP: 113 Spec: I Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: -3 Fire: 1 Fire: -3 Water: 0 Water: -3 Water: 1 Air: 3 Air: 2 Air: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: 0 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Bruno LV: 23 HP: 882 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 109 Spec: IV Fire: -3 Water: 0 Air: 2 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Kashmir Charles LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 1134 HP: 875 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 105 CAP: 132 Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 0 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Water: 0 Air: -3 Air: 0 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE N/A ******************************************************************************* THE GUNNER ******************************************************************************* [5.02.08] GUNNER First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Bowgun Weapon Type B: N/A Purpose: Close-to-mid-range physical attacker Pros: Ranged poke potential Can shoot diagonally using the Specialty III attack Only projectile unit with reliable AOE damage They can use the Fanelia, which is automatic coolness points Cons: Forced to be closer to the frontline than desired due to Bowguns' range. UNDERSTANDING THE GUNNER "SHOOTING THINGS MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!" -Aeryn Sun, Farscape Able to shoot at diagonals and pierce multiple enemies with the same crossbow bolt, the Gunner - if protected adequately - will prove his worth as a source of AOE death and destruction. While Gunners CAN poke from afar as Archers and Throwers can, it's not really what they're best at. Bowguns are meant to be used at close-to-mid range, putting the Gunner in an interesting "buffering" position with the Knights and Brutes of the group in front of them and the Archers and Sorceresses safely behind them. Their skills reflect this intent of role, particularly their Specialty III attack, which shoots outward in two perpendicular diagonals without hurting whatever unit is directly in front of them. Their role as a ferocious damage-dealer is cemented by the reimagining of the legendary weapon Fanelia, a mainstay of the Dept. Heaven series, as a bowgun. Possessing the single highest raw power in the game packed onto a Specialty IV shot with a whopping 509 power that causes Pain, the might of this single weapon is probably one of the biggest attractions to using a Gunner. "You dropped your guard, boy!!!" -Anabelle, Suikoden II Like the Archer and Elise, there is a Gunner-like story character who uses Bowguns plus another weapon type: Valerie, who uses Bowguns and Claws. However, Valerie is not as equitable a replacement for a Gunner as Elise is for an Archer, at least in part because she's not great at using Fanelia. Fanelia is a Water-based weapon and her Water affinity is low, and furthermore, Fanelia takes up a whopping 90 Capacity. To equip Fanelia basically forces Valerie to choose between equipping a Claw and equipping armor, neither of which is a satisfactory choice. For this reason, Valerie does not invalidate Gunners the way Elise overshadows Archers. So where IS the problem? Gunners' disadvantage actually comes from the basis of their design. The whole point of a ranged unit is for them to be able to, y'know, attack from range. Gunners are forced into close combat in order for their attacks to be accurate, and while their attacks do allow them to be protected by tanks, they're still vulnerable to piercing attacks and any AOE fire your tank might draw. They are similar to Tamers in this respect; however, Tamers have the high Guard Rating of Katanas to give them a little bit of survivability. Bowguns, unfortunately, do not offer this kind of protection. The problem becomes compounded by the high CAP cost of Bowguns, especially the Fanelia, which really limits how much armor you can equip to compensate for the Gunner's short range. The crucial accessory that allows a Gunner to overcome this weakness is the Snipe Finger. The 60 HIT this hand equip affords the Gunner allows him to actually use the Specialty I and IV attacks of Bowguns to attack from a distance, giving him much-needed breathing room. While your Gunner will still need to be in close range to capitalize on his Specialty II and III attacks, at least you'll find using him much easier once you have the Snipe Finger to open up his options. Earlier in the game, you can substitute with equipment pieces like the Cuirass and the Power Gaunts, which also boost HIT, but nothing approaches the Snipe Finger's +60 bonus. Get it at all costs if you intend to use a Gunner! QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A GUNNER The number one question when using a Gunner is, do I want my Gunner to be using the Fanelia? If the answer is yes, there is only one Gunner for you: Staehel, who has max Water affinity, high CAP, and all-around good stats. Staehel was pretty much designed specifically to wield Fanelia, and he does it beautifully. Assuming you don't have or want the Fanelia, however, then your goal is to find a Gunner with high Air or Earth affinity and as much HP as he can carry, since Gunners are always in danger of attracting the attention of the enemy. (High TAC to take advantage of their constant repositioning isn't bad either, much like with Archers.) I'd give my recommendation to Granitz, Bergman, Mauser, Bordeaux, or Derick. ****************** LIST OF GUNNERS ****************** GUILD GUNNERS ************* Granitz Legaard Hampton Staehel Bergman LV: 5 LV: 10 LV: 20 LV: 30 LV: 41 HP: 846 HP: 1083 HP: 1076 HP: 1156 HP: 1277 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 94 CAP: 108 CAP: 97 CAP: 125 CAP: 124 Spec: I Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: III Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: 0 Water: 0 Water: -2 Water: 3 Water: -2 Air: 3 Air: -2 Air: 3 Air: -1 Air: 3 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Mauser Ganosh Bordeaux Otto Amalgun LV: 55 LV: 61 LV: 79 LV: 84 LV: 1 HP: 1542 HP: 1727 HP: 1745 HP: 1627 HP: 1155 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 147 CAP: 156 CAP: 171 CAP: 188 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: II Spec: I Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: -3 Fire: -1 Fire: 1 Water: 0 Water: -3 Water: 0 Water: -1 Water: -1 Air: 1 Air: 2 Air: 3 Air: 3 Air: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: 1 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP GUNNERS ************ POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE Linus Greg Derick LV: 10 LV: 10 LV: 10 HP: 816 HP: 890 HP: 905 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 102 CAP: 96 CAP: 84 Spec: II Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: 0 Water: -1 Water: 3 Water: 1 Air: -2 Air: -2 Air: 2 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE Diego Cesar LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 1019 HP: 881 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 CAP: 95 CAP: 110 Spec: I Spec: III Fire: 2 Fire: 2 Water: -1 Water: 3 Air: -3 Air: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: -3 POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Claus LV: 23 HP: 1041 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 121 Spec: IV Fire: -1 Water: 1 Air: -1 Earth: 1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE N/A ******************************************************************************* THE THROWER ******************************************************************************* [5.02.09] THROWER First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Javelin Weapon Type B: N/A Purpose: Versatile mid-ranged projectile class Pros: Most versatile projectile unit, possessing close- and long-range attacks Only ranged class with knockback capability (unless you count Witches) Only user of javelins Rarely has to upgrade said javelins, as the best ones are available early Cons: Can only cause one status effect throughout the entire game: Freeze. Has a lot of trouble damaging bosses, especially hardy melee bosses. UNDERSTANDING THE THROWER "...It's a stick." -Lady Tremaine "Ooh! Let's beat her with it!" -Drusilla Tremaine, Cinderella III Champions in the hurling of long, pointy objects, Throwers also stand out as the most versatile of the three projectile-type generic classes (the other two being Archers and Gunners). Able to function at close, mid, and fairly long (not quite as long as an Archer, at least with any accuracy, but still pretty long) range, a Thrower is the class to turn to when you're looking for a nice blend between close- and long-ranged combat. Even just hurling a length of bamboo, a Thrower is a force to be reckoned with. Their versatility in combat is unmatched: they have a piercing melee attack, a ranged Beat initiation, a ranged knockback, and a ranged ICBM, even if its targeting might be random. Longer-ranged than a Gunner, much more capable in melee combat than an Archer, and one of two characters in the game with ranged knockback (the other being Witches,) Throwers are simple and effective to utilize. The king of the Thrower's abilities, however, is the Specialty III and its ranged knockback. Instant-use, unlike a Witch's, it's the perfect ability to use to interrupt spellcasting, keep a slow-moving tank away from the action, or knock a vulnerably-positioned enemy off a wall, cliff, or map edge. It's even a common Specialty on Javelins, allowing Throwers to utilize it throughout most of the game without sacrificing the rest of their damage and utility. "But I simply cannot do it alone!" -Velma Kelly, Chicago Throwers have two jobs: they initiate Beats from a distance and they cause ranged Knockback. These are their jobs, and they do them well. However, they are incapable of doing anything else. Throwers pretty much use their Specialty III attack every turn except when they need to initiate a Beat, in which case they'll switch to Specialty II. They don't have a wide variety of useful status effects they can inflict - in fact, other than Knockback, they only have one status effect they can cause at all, that being Freeze. They have the ability to do extra damage to certain monster types - which was probably going to be their shtick, back in the early design processes when monsters were supposed to be more common - but in the finished game, Harpies and Wampyrs are pretty rare, and are very fragile and easy to kill on the occasions they do appear. You don't need a whole unit on your team devoted to killing them. So what does this leave Throwers with? Knockback and Beats. Over and over. Every turn of every battle. I don't want you to think Throwers are sucky, one-dimensional units that have no place on a balanced team, however. Throwers just skew the power balance of a team toward direct damage. In many games, that would be just fine; however, since Gungnir doesn't tend to approve of the brute force approach and will in fact often penalize you for relying on it, Throwers leave several glaring holes in your team lineup that need to be filled if you're going to make it to the endgame. It can be important, for example, to bring a Sorceress with a Lava Rod to support your Thrower by Burning the high-DEF targets of a scene, who will easily shrug off his attacks. Or perhaps a Brute, to smash those high-DEF targets' armor. Throwers are easily outranged by Archers, so a Witch who can fly into those Archers' faces and Blind them with the Noir broom can be a great help. Or perhaps an Assassin, to make those Archers Flee using the Evensem. Basically, Throwers need an extra-versatile team to work with them in order to smooth out all of the situations that his brute force can't handle alone. And since team spirit is what Gungnir is all about, this requirement is well within your means to achieve! Throwers may need your team to go an extra mile for them to perform, but as long as your team is up to the job, your Thrower will repay their investment with interest. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A THROWER Throwers benefit from a decent chunk of HP to help them act with their full versatility, and clearly a high TAC doesn't hurt either, as with other ranged units. The three best javelins are the Ice Javelin, the Knight Killer, and the Hraesvelger, and two out of those three are Water-elemental (while the third is non-elemental and can thus be used by all Throwers equally). You can probably guess that our preferred Specialties are going to be II or III; with all this in mind, the top-tier Throwers are Rolf, Wunsche, Heinz, and Dante. ******************* LIST OF THROWERS ******************* GUILD THROWERS ************** Bonn Mardin Bailey Wunsche Rolf LV: 6 LV: 10 LV: 20 LV: 31 LV: 42 HP: 865 HP: 965 HP: 1068 HP: 1237 HP: 1245 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 98 CAP: 99 CAP: 115 CAP: 117 CAP: 122 Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: II Spec: I Spec: III Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Fire: -1 Fire: 2 Fire: -1 Water: 0 Water: 0 Water: -1 Water: 3 Water: 2 Air: 0 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: -3 Air: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: 3 Earth: -2 Earth: -3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Hydrick Baltar Alfred Yavusu Yuga LV: 51 LV: 60 LV: 73 LV: 84 LV: 1 HP: 1398 HP: 1611 HP: 1665 HP: 1656 HP: 1280 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 143 CAP: 164 CAP: 159 CAP: 164 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: IV Spec: II Fire: -2 Fire: 3 Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Fire: 3 Water: -1 Water: -3 Water: -1 Water: -3 Water: 0 Air: 3 Air: 2 Air: -1 Air: 3 Air: -2 Earth: 0 Earth: -2 Earth: 3 Earth: 1 Earth: -1 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP THROWERS ************* POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Gregory Heinz Gunther LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 1037 HP: 1041 HP: 898 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 112 CAP: 118 CAP: 115 Spec: III Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 2 Fire: -3 Fire: 1 Water: -2 Water: 3 Water: 2 Air: -2 Air: 0 Air: -2 Earth: 2 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Dante Dean Ferando LV: 35 LV: 35 LV: 35 HP: 1187 HP: 1179 HP: 1268 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 121 CAP: 127 Spec: III Spec: I Spec: IV Fire: 2 Fire: -2 Fire: -3 Water: 0 Water: 1 Water: 1 Air: -1 Air: -1 Air: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: -1 ******************************************************************************* THE PRIESTESS ******************************************************************************* [5.02.10] PRIESTESS First Available: Scene 3 Weapon Type A: Book Weapon Type B: Mace Purpose: Healing battery. And by "battery," I mean "assault and." Pros: Unsurpassed healing power Surprising capability to offtank due to powerful heals Decent damage capability, ranged with a Book and melee with a Mace Can Purge Undead (no Undead Killer, sadly) Cons: None, really. It's hard to argue with a healer who can take a hit. UNDERSTANDING THE PRIESTESS "Stop using your religious artifacts as blunt weapons!" -Vlad, Press Start A Priestess is a messenger of the gods. She is a bastion of healing, a sanctuary for her allies, a stalwart rallying force of good and justice. She is a doctor, a healer, a savior. She is also a brutal warrior who, in the pursuit of light, liberty, and justice for all, has kicked more arse than you've sat on. The Priestess would look the Devil in the eye, and the Devil would look away first (while breaking out into a cold sweat of fear). Armed with a stout mace and a tome the size of Pierre's ego, there is just about nothing this cute little nun can't do. As you would expect, the primary role of the Priestess is keeping her allies alive through the restoration of their HP. With a wide variety of books that can heal at all ranges and percentages, the Priestess can recover her allies from any wound this side of death. In most games, this kind of unparalleled healing potential comes at the cost of offense, defense, and often utility to boot. The Priestess clearly held her designers at bookpoint while they were designing her, because she doesn't suffer from any of these problems. Sturdier than any other caster and bolstered by her own healing powers, the Priestess can run into the thick of the fray to provide succor to her injured allies with little fear for herself. Stronger than any ranged unit not equipped with the Fanelia, she can dish out ranged or melee magic damage with a 100% hit rate and no cast time. And when it comes to utility, the Priestess can inflict Burn and Freeze - two of the best status effects in the game - and has a bookbag full of other nasty disabling effects. In fact, the Priestess has a status effect for every type of unit she could go up against: Poor Aim for melee units, Blind for ranged units, and Slow Cast for casters! "'Sacred Tome?' HA! More like... Sucky... Dumb... ...thing...!" -Zetta, Makai Kingdom I sat here for about ten minutes trying to figure out a downside to Priestesses. I failed. When you have a full-heal, above average damage, good survivability further increased by several pieces of unique armor, Burn and Freeze, melee and ranged capabilities, Beat initiation, undead purification, and an awesome range of status effects as your "pros," what area is left for you to have a "con" in? Granted, they can't do all of those listed things at the same time, since they can only equip two weapons at once, but if they could, they would be the most broken class in any game ever made. As it is, they might even beat out Alissa when it comes to "strongest class of Gungnir." What it comes down to, is that Priestesses are awesome. Use them. Love them. And don't forget to cheer when they concuss the final boss with a dictionary. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A PRIESTESS Most of the Priestesses are pretty good one way or another. Since books come in a wide flavoring of elements, elemental affinity isn't super-important, and Specialty is pretty flexible as well. However, the two best books you can have (the Book of Kirie and the Apocalypse) are both Earth-elemental, so I admit I have a slight bias toward an Earth-element Priestess. High HP and low DEL are also fairly obvious plusses for a woman who may have to run into the middle of a knot of tussling Brutes to make sure HER Brute gets his HP topped off. I'd therefore give preference to the Priestesses Frances, Dahlia, and Frederica (all of whom have awesome name references, by the way,) but in the end, just make sure that you get ahold of a book that works to your Priestess' element and Specialty, and chances are that you'll be pleased with the results. ********************** LIST OF PRIESTESSES ********************** GUILD PRIESTESSES ***************** Frances Simone Meryl Anette Dahlia LV: 5 LV: 11 LV: 21 LV: 30 LV: 44 HP: 833 HP: 903 HP: 1062 HP: 1027 HP: 1157 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 91 CAP: 109 CAP: 122 CAP: 110 CAP: 133 Spec: II Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: I Spec: II Fire: -1 Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Fire: 3 Fire: -2 Water: -1 Water: 3 Water: 2 Water: -1 Water: -3 Air: 0 Air: 0 Air: 2 Air: 0 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -2 Earth: 2 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 3-9, 13 AVA: 3-23 AVA: 3-25 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-25 14-25 Ansela Lakshmi Elizabeth Misleen Pische LV: 52 LV: 61 LV: 73 LV: 87 LV: 1 HP: 1153 HP: 1344 HP: 1601 HP: 1577 HP: 1025 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 150 CAP: 165 CAP: 168 CAP: 188 CAP: 114 Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: III Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: -3 Fire: -2 Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Water: 1 Water: 2 Water: 0 Water: 0 Water: -1 Air: -2 Air: 3 Air: 1 Air: 3 Air: 1 Earth: 2 Earth: -2 Earth: 1 Earth: -2 Earth: 1 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP PRIESTESSES **************** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE Frederica Marian LV: 15 LV: 15 HP: 824 HP: 919 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 116 CAP: 101 Spec: II Spec: III Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Water: -2 Water: -2 Air: -2 Air: -1 Earth: 1 Earth: 2 POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Frenda LV: 23 HP: 895 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 CAP: 115 Spec: IV Fire: 1 Water: 2 Air: -1 Earth: -2 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Cecilia Azema LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 805 HP: 965 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 129 CAP: 126 Spec: I Spec: II Fire: 3 Fire: 2 Water: 1 Water: 1 Air: -1 Air: -2 Earth: -3 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE N/A ******************************************************************************* THE SORCERESS ******************************************************************************* [5.02.11] SORCERESS First Available: Scene 4 Weapon Type A: Rod Weapon Type B: Mace Purpose: Ranged AOE status inflictor Pros: Widest-range AOE spells in the game Excellent range of status effects One of the few characters able to restore Vitality Can Purge Undead like a Priestess Cons: Dies very easily. Spells' casting time can eat up a lot of ticks on the map. UNDERSTANDING THE SORCERESS "Sleeping flame, I summon thee/ To your form return./ Make the night as bright as day/ And burn, baby, burn." -Angelique Bouchard, Dark Shadows A mistress of magic and my personal favorite class, the Sorceress controls every battle she participates in through the application of wide-range spells that cannot be evaded and leave behind a host of nasty effects for her enemies to deal with. While damage is the primary thing people think about when they consider this elegant lady, the Sorceress has so much more to offer her team, such as the rare abilities to restore lost Vitality, conjure Gems, and purify the undead. Versatile, potent, and nigh-indispensible on Nightmare Mode, the Sorceress is bound to impress with more than just her fancy dress. While the Sorceress is not the biggest source of damage you can find, her damage comes with several properties that make it useful to you: namely range, accuracy, and side effects. Sorceresses can cast from very far away and affect more units at a time than any other class, and while enemies can move out of range of the spell to avoid it before it casts, once caught in the blast, they have no chance of evading or guarding it. And what's better than damaging a five-square-wide section of enemies with 100% accuracy? Damaging a five- square-wide section of enemies with 100% accuracy and slapping Burn or Freeze on them at the same time. What can I say? There's little sweeter than a well- aimed Sorceress nuke. "Well, I'm terribly sorry I spent my extensive lifespan unlocking the means to unravel the universe and reshape it according to my will rather than, say, jogging. It has a tendency to leave one relatively fragile." -Vaarsuvius, The Order of the Stick As you'd probably expect, Sorceresses are pretty universally delicate, and their limited armor options don't go far in helping them survive. While they can put together a respectable amount of MDEF, their weakness to physical attacks is more difficult to overcome. However, there are equipment pieces that can help them become passably survivable, and anyway, everybody knows and is prepared to accept the fragility of one's more magically-inclined units. Probably the more urgent problem with Sorceresses is that they are slow. And I don't just mean that in terms of DEL, although most available Sorceresses are a little slow in that department as well. The main problem is cast time. While casting, a Sorceress remains in place, unable to move or act, and her wait to recover from casting does not start counting down until the spell finishes casting. This means that, until you start equipping copious amounts of CT on your Sorceress, she will spend a surprising amount of time standing around doing nothing. That wastes time, and wasting time is bad when you have a three-star rating countdown ticking in the background. Of course, once you have 50+ CT on your Sorceress and her spells are casting twice as quickly, this becomes much less of a problem. In the early stages of the game, though, it can be quite frustrating. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A SORCERESS For the most part, I ignore HP and DEL when selecting a Sorceress. She's going to be fragile and slow no matter what you do, so you might as well focus on maximizing her strengths: her Specialty, CAP, and elemental affinities. As a general rule, avoid the Specialty II Sorceresses, as the random nature of the Specialty II magic is not the best place to pour Specialty points. Any other Specialty is preferable. With this in mind, your best Sorceresses are: for Fire, Beatrix; for Water, Heinel, Beatrix, or Silvano; for Air, Consuela or Marion; and for Earth, Alighieri, Cornelia, Caline, or Marion. ********************** LIST OF SORCERESSES ********************** GUILD SORCERESSES ***************** Alighieri Crozeph Lyzz Cornelia Isolde LV: 5 LV: 13 LV: 21 LV: 32 LV: 42 HP: 798 HP: 893 HP: 896 HP: 819 HP: 1070 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 109 CAP: 108 CAP: 98 CAP: 124 CAP: 128 Spec: IV Spec: II Spec: III Spec: I Spec: II Fire: -3 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Fire: -2 Fire: 3 Water: 1 Water -3 Water: -1 Water: 0 Water: 3 Air: -1 Air: 1 Air: -1 Air: -1 Air: -3 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: 3 Earth: -3 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 4-9 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 4-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-23 14-25 14-25 14-25 Heinel Beatrix Caline Silvano Marion LV: 56 LV: 64 LV: 70 LV: 82 LV: 1 HP: 1174 HP: 1022 HP: 1080 HP: 1341 HP: 1105 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 CAP: 151 CAP: 153 CAP: 168 CAP: 174 CAP: 114 Spec: I Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: III Spec: IV Fire: 0 Fire: 2 Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Water: 3 Water: 2 Water: 0 Water: 3 Water: -2 Air: -2 Air: -3 Air: -1 Air: 0 Air: 2 Earth: -1 Earth: -1 Earth: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP SORCERESSES **************** POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Gracia Caldina Consuela LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 885 HP: 850 HP: 855 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 CAP: 109 CAP: 103 CAP: 115 Spec: II Spec: II Spec: I Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 0 Water: -2 Water: -3 Water: -2 Air: 3 Air: 2 Air: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: -2 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Velanche Barthez LV: 31 LV: 31 HP: 993 HP: 953 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 1 TAC: 2 CAP: 108 CAP: 120 Spec: IV Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: -1 Water: 1 Water: -1 Air: 0 Air: 3 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE N/A ******************************************************************************* THE WITCH ******************************************************************************* [5.02.12] WITCH First Available: Scene 7 Weapon Type A: Broom Weapon Type B: N/A Purpose: Flying unit!! Infinite-range knockback!! Oh yeah, status effects too. Pros: SHE FLIES! SHE HAS AN INFINITE-RANGE KNOCKBACK SPELL! One of the few classes with a weapon that causes Undead Killer Has relatively few status effects, but they're good ones Capable of reaching the highest CT rating in the game Cons: Witches are easily the most fragile units in the game, yet their flying movement tends to put them ahead of the rest of your army. UNDERSTANDING THE WITCH "Let me show you the powers of a witch." -Ultimecia, Dissidia Duodecim I'm going to preface this with the simple fact that Witches are the bomb. They are the only recruitable unit with the ability to fly, using their cute little brooms to completely ignore any obstacles on the field, from towering trees to bottomless pits. They can one-shot the undead like a Paladin with the help of their Cryocross or Wind of Eden brooms. They can max their CT at the cap of 80 more easily than any other class, making their spells cast nearly instantaneously. And finally, their spells kick serious butt. While the Witch has the Sorceress' ability to cause Burn and Freeze over a substantial area, she can only match the Sorceress' Specialty I AOE, coming nowhere close to the Sorceress' enormous Specialty IV magic. What does the Witch do instead to make up for it? She has an infinitely-ranged straight- line magical nuke that CAUSES KNOCKBACK. INFINITE-RANGED. KNOCKBACK. YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. ASSASSINS, EAT YOUR HEART OUT. "Next thing I knew, they were dead on the floor/ Dark Lady would never turn a card up anymore..." -Cher, Dark Lady Assassins are fragile. Sorceresses are fragile. Archers are fragile. But none of them qualifies as the most fragile unit in the game. That singular honor falls to Witches. In fact, the ultimate Witch, Vienna, is the ONLY ultimate unit to have a level 1 HP of three digits instead of four. Their DEF options are minimal and you're unlikely to equip them anyway, since you're more likely to use their equipment slots to modify their affinities and CT rather than their DEF. But none of those facts on their own are usually the reason your Witches get killed. No... the number one cause of Witchly death is the fact that they are flying. It is SO easy to get caught up in the moment and send your Witch just an inch out too far in order to grab an item or a Base panel or that perfect position for a spellcast... only to have them catch one stray arrow, or one stray swordswipe, and die immediately. Essentially, as with so many other things in Gungnir, the Witch's biggest weakness is a tradeoff between two conflicting parts of her design. She has the best mobility in the game due to her flying movement, but as such a delicate character, she has to use her movement wisely or risk sudden, painful death. It's a beautiful balance, but one that must be walked carefully to fully unlock the Witch's great power. QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A WITCH Witches are subject to much the same list of criteria as Sorceresses, although unlike Sorceresses, Witches actually can and should have a low DEL in order to help them swoop in and out of the battle before enemies can react to their presence. Also, while there's a broom of every element for a Witch to love, any Witch who can't take full advantage of the Water-elemental Cryocross is going to be gimped during the midgame, when it is unquestionably the most powerful broom around. On top of that, Specialty IV is the Gram-laying spell, which is undesirable as a Specialty, so I don't recommend any Witch with a Specialty IV. Therefore, my recommended Witch choices are: for Fire, Vienna; for Water, Annalot, Colette, or Vienna; for Air, Flora and possibly Audrey; and for Earth, Annalot or Lulu. Finally, if you're interested in trying out that melee-Witch build I've mentioned a few times throughout the guide, give it a shot with Flora, Audrey, or Natalie. ****************** LIST OF WITCHES ****************** GUILD WITCHES ************* Flora Annalot Sofine Kriemhild Rosa LV: 7 LV: 11 LV: 22 LV: 31 LV: 40 HP: 833 HP: 733 HP: 903 HP: 877 HP: 894 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 DEL: 2 TAC: 1 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 TAC: 1 TAC: 3 CAP: 105 CAP: 109 CAP: 99 CAP: 132 CAP: 129 Spec: I Spec: II Spec: III Spec: IV Spec: IV Fire: -2 Fire: -2 Fire: 0 Fire: 3 Fire: 3 Water: 0 Water: 2 Water: -2 Water: -2 Water: -2 Air: 3 Air: -2 Air: 3 Air: 2 Air: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: -1 Earth: -3 Earth: 2 WPN: * WPN: * WPN: * WPN: ** WPN: ** AVA: 7-9 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 7-12 AVA: 10-12 14-23 14-25 14-25 14-25 Natalie Roslip Belta Carena Vienna LV: 51 LV: 63 LV: 70 LV: 80 LV: 1 HP: 1131 HP: 1148 HP: 1070 HP: 1321 HP: 987 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 3 DEL: 4 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 TAC: 3 TAC: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 143 CAP: 143 CAP: 174 CAP: 175 CAP: 114 Spec: II Spec: III Spec: II Spec: III Spec: II Fire: 3 Fire: 1 Fire: 3 Fire: -2 Fire: 1 Water: -3 Water: 1 Water: -3 Water: -2 Water: 3 Air: -2 Air: 1 Air: 1 Air: 1 Air: -1 Earth: 2 Earth: -3 Earth: -1 Earth: 3 Earth: -3 WPN: *** WPN: *** WPN: **** WPN: **** WPN: **** AVA: 14-25 AVA: 17-25 AVA: 21-25 AVA: 24-25 AVA: 3-25 CAMP WITCHES ************ POST-SCENE 03 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 05 CAMP MODE N/A POST-SCENE 07 CAMP MODE Lemmince Colette Audrey LV: 23 LV: 23 LV: 23 HP: 821 HP: 903 HP: 982 DEL: 3 DEL: 2 DEL: 4 TAC: 2 TAC: 2 TAC: 1 CAP: 115 CAP: 112 CAP: 121 Spec: IV Spec: I Spec: I Fire: -1 Fire: -2 Fire: -3 Water: 3 Water: 3 Water: 1 Air: -1 Air: -1 Air: 3 Earth: -1 Earth: 0 Earth: -1 POST-SCENE 15 CAMP MODE Lulu LV: 31 HP: 848 DEL: 2 TAC: 3 CAP: 120 Spec: II Fire: 0 Water: 0 Air: -3 Earth: 3 POST-SCENE 18 CAMP MODE Sharon LV: 35 HP: 893 DEL: 2 TAC: 2 CAP: 118 Spec: IV Fire: -1 Water: 3 Air: -1 Earth: -1 ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* 5.03 NON-PLAYABLE CHARACTERS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* For the sake of completion, here are the stats for the various unobtainable classes in the game, most of them held by bosses. You cannot use any of these classes (unless perhaps you hack them in somehow,) but you will have to face most of them on the field of battle, so having an idea of their capabilities can be useful. ******************* 5.03.01 Bandit ******************* Representative Character: Rodrigues Weapon Type A: Axe Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 4 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk The Bandit is functionally identical to a Brute, though he appears to lack a second weapon type. Considering that Rodrigues knew Giulio's father, Ricard Raguel, and Ricard was a famed spearman, I suspect Rodrigues might have been intended to wield some kind of spear or lance for his second slot, but there's no proof of this. Always watch out for your equipment around Rodrigues, as he will use his axes to destroy it if he gets a chance. ******************** 5.03.02 General ******************** Representative Character: Robertus Weapon Type A: Lance Weapon Type B: Grimoire MOVE: 4 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk The closest comparison to General is the Royal class, which is the only other wielder of lances and also has a magical weapon as its second weapon type. However, instead of Alissa's wands, Robertus uses healing grimoires, oddly in keeping with his role as the empowering figurehead of the Daltanican army. There does seem to be a bit of a magical bent to lances in this game, most noticeably with Veronica, the royal Lance of the Stars, which was dummied out of the game (much to my chagrin) but still has plot relevance, at least. The General class is an indomitable tank, clad in heavy armor and possessing the ability to heal itself and its allies. It doesn't help any that lances are devastating weapons and Robertus uses them to terrifying effect. Watch out whenever you see him. ************************ 5.03.03 Necromancer ************************ Representative Character: Isabeli Weapon Type A: Rod Weapon Type B: Scroll MOVE: 4 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk The Necromancer, at least, is one character class that nothing had to be cut from. Isabeli uses her unique weapon, Scrolls, in all the diabolical ways you'd expect from an evil and soulless necromancer: she transforms your characters into Skeletons, then rips the life force from their bones to heal herself. She is also the only character capable of healing Skeletons with her unique healing spells, and her final and most deadly technique is to detonate any Skeleton like a living (er...) bomb, dealing extreme damage in a wide area. At least she is also as delicate as an ancient mage in the body of a ten-year-old girl ought to be, making her pretty easy to take out... as long as you can get to her in time, that is. ******************* 5.03.04 Teller ******************* Representative Character: Heramia Weapon Type A: N/A (though I suspect Grimoire) Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 4 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk The only class in this section you do not fight against, Heramia is a fortune teller who reads the future in the stars. Her astrological powers are just a footnote in the game we have today, but in the full, original version, Heramia was going to be a crucial character, joining Ragnus' cause and serving as his version of Elise: the mysterious yet knowledgeable character helping him to achieve his goals. In her official art, she is depicted holding a Grimoire, so I think it's safe to say that was intended to be her weapon type, although you won't see her wielding one in game during the one scene she guest-stars in. She appears for an escort mission once in Scene 16, where she has no combat capabilities whatsoever but is at least not reluctant to run the hell away from her pursuers. ******************* 5.03.05 Mystic ******************* Representative Character: Pamela Weapon Type A: Broom Weapon Type B: N/A (though I suspect Wand) MOVE: 4 JUMP: N/A Movement Type: Fly A Department Heaven mainstay, Pamela is an insane, narcoleptic, random, cutesy, and self-proclaimedly powerful witch who comes from another world known as Yumira and has an obsession with Undine. Little is known about her; she usually pops up in scenes completely unrelated to the plot of her game, bumbles around being inconvenient, and then either disappears inexplicably or joins your party even more inexplicably. Sadly, in Gungnir's case, it's the former - Pamela will not join you - but at least you can snag her hot-pink Broom to remember her by. Her Mystic class is functionally identical to Witch in-game, but I suspect she was originally intended to wield Wands too, mostly because I also believe that Wands were originally intended to contol the weather. In Yggdra Union, where Pamela WAS playable, she had the ability to use GEO cards - spells that could only be cast on specific terrain types - regardless of what terrain she stood on, which could have been translated into weather control here in Gungnir. But sadly, that feature was cut - if it was even intended at all - so instead our dear Pamela just flies about blowing kisses and falling asleep. Silly girl. ******************** 5.03.06 Chariot ******************** Representative Character: Ziyad Weapon Type A: Whip Weapon Type B: Rod MOVE: 4 JUMP: 0 Movement Type: Walk (ironically) The final boss of Gungnir is unusual, to say the least. But then, Gungnir is a pretty unusual game. Due to being confined to a wheelchair, Ziyad has 0 JUMP and can only move about on the ramps that litter the top third of his scene; however, his magical abilities allow him to clash with you even from such a distance, so don't think his low mobility makes you safe from his wrath. In melee combat, he attacks with whips - an unusual weapon choice - and boasts incredible Guard Rating from his back, where his wheelchair protects him from all attacks. Even the normally-unblockable projectiles of arrows or javelins can be blocked by Ziyad's diabolical chair if they come at him from behind! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* 5.04 MONSTER CLASSES ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* At certain locations or under the guidance of certain characters, you may find an opponent that is not entirely human, raising claw or knife or trident against your army. We'll finish off our character section here, with a brief discussion about these aggressive creatures. ****************** 5.04.01 Harpy ****************** Weapon Type A: Harpy Physique Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 6 JUMP: N/A Movement Type: Hover Harpies are the first monster class you'll face in Gungnir, and if you're not prepared for them, they can be a bit of a shocker. Their unparalleled MOVE coupled with their Hover movement type allows them to go anywhere on the field with blistering speed, where they will then cause Poison, lower your TP, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Fortunately, they're gung ho about their health, throwing their fragile bodies at you like battering rams. This makes them easy to cut down in return. ****************** 5.04.02 Pixie ****************** Weapon Type A: Small Physique Weapon Type B: Wand MOVE: 5 JUMP: N/A Movement Type: Hover Pixies appear on two maps, but unless you go out of your way to force the issue, you'll only have to fight them on one of them (and even that can be avoided if you bumrush the boss on said stage). This is good, as Pixies' small size belies their aggravating skill at combat. Pixies are the only characters other than Alissa that can use Wands, giving them access to unusual and inconvenient status effects, and at full health they can cause Panic, which is a nasty ailment to try and deal with. They love to play keep-away while they send statuses your way, but if you can poke them once with any attack to stop the Scatter Pollen attack and the Panic it causes, you'll find them little lasting threat. ******************* 5.04.03 Wampyr ******************* Weapon Type A: Sexy Physique Weapon Type B: Dagger MOVE: 4 JUMP: N/A Movement Type: Fly Wampyrs are flying succubus-vampire-type creatures that appear to have some dark connection to the overseas land of Millenia. (I smell a Grandia II reference here. There'll be flying eyeballs next.) Their involvement in the story is minor but troubling, much like their involvement in the scenes they appear in. Wampyrs are possibly the most dangerous monster, but also the most easily dealt with. During the day, they are quite helpless, barely defending themselves with their daggers; once night falls, however, a Wampyr will apply her Enchanting Rouge and give herself the Enchanted status, allowing her to use her catastrophic Charming Eyes and Tempting Lips skills. These cause Charm and Batrify, respectively, either of which can singlehandedly ruin your chance at winning a battle. You can prevent this from happening by destroying the Enchanting Rouge with Midgardsormr, avoiding the Wampyr until day dawns once more (causing her Rouge to wear off,) or just killing her before nightfall. However, if you don't manage to do any of these things before Charming Eyes comes out, it could be goodnight forever, so watch out. ********************* 5.04.04 Skeleton ********************* Weapon Type A: Rapier Weapon Type B: 1H Sword *Can equip Small Shields MOVE: 3 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk These Undead soldiers are the personal army and attendants of Isabeli the Necromancer, and they'll appear on any stage she does. Skeletons tend to have a lot of HP, and their Small Shields will block many melee attacks, making them even harder to deal with. Worst of all, Skeletons cannot be killed by traditional means! Oh no. When a Skeleton's HP reaches 0, it falls down into a pile of bones, quiescent and unmoving... until its next turn comes around, at which point it rises up again with HP fully restored. Worse still, their penchant for Rapiers allows them to ignore Weapon Guard and cause Knockback, making them annoying offensively as well as defensively. In order to destroy a Skeleton for good, you must use an attack with the Purge Corpse or Undead Killer property on them in their dormant-bone-pile state, which will remove them from the field, preventing their revival. Fortunately, there's an easy way to get them to that state: any attack with the Undead Killer property will reduce a Skeleton's HP to 0 immediately! ****************** 5.04.05 Golem ****************** Weapon Type A: Rock Physique Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 1 JUMP: 1 Movement Type: Walk Golems are similar to Wampyrs in that they are potentially-dangerous foes that are thankfully easily nullified. The danger with Golems comes from their melee Megaton Punch ability, which breaks a random piece of equipment on its target. The ramifications should be obvious. Fortunately, Golems have a crippling weakness that balances out this terrifying power: they have only 1 MOVE and 1 JUMP, making it nearly impossible for them to get into melee range unless you let them. You can also remove all non-weapon equipment from your melee units and then attack the Golems at close range, as a Golem can't break equipment if you're not equipped with any (and nobody and nothing can break weapons). ****************** 5.04.06 Drake ****************** Weapon Type A: Dragon Physique Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 4 JUMP: 2 Movement Type: Walk Drakes are usually pretty low-key opponents. They can cause Knockback, so you need to watch your positioning around them, and they can attack multiple units at the same time (although they split their damage by doing so, like a Brute using a Specialty IV Axe attack). Their Dragonfire attack is their most dangerous skill, causing damage and Burn in a two-square line. However, Drakes also appear exclusively on stages with shallow water you can jump into to cure the Burn, so this isn't quite as bad as it may sound. They tend to be hardier than most other monster units, possessing quite a lot of HP, but they're not really a concern despite this. ******************* 5.04.07 Undine ******************* Weapon Type A: Javelin Weapon Type B: Trident MOVE: 4 JUMP: 1 Movement Type: Water Undine are weird crosses between human and monster units that do not have a physique, but instead utilize a unique weapon type. And what a weapon type it is. Undine can use Tridents, which combine devastating melee stabs with potent ranged magic, making them dangerous combatants from any range. Most of their skills are, predictably, Water-elemental, so equipping Sun Cloaks or Mermaid Pareos can help a lot in nullifying their damage output. Undine also have the very limiting "Water" movement type, which confines them to moving only to squares that have water in them. Furthermore, if they get knocked out of the water and onto dry land, they will Dry Out and die instantly. This is obviously the easiest (and most satisfying) way to off these vicious merwomen, but if you can't get them in a position for the knock-out, you can just resort to good old-fashioned violence instead. ************************ 5.04.08 Rail Cannon ************************ Weapon Type A: Iron Chassis Weapon Type B: N/A MOVE: 4 JUMP: 0 Movement Type: Wheel Less a "monster" and more of a "moving siege weapon," Rail Cannons have the ability to move and fire under their own power, without Tricksters to operate them. And be warned, their fire is deadly. Rail Cannon shots deal 1/4 of their targets' maximum HP as damage and cause Burn, quickly burning through the last 3/4s before the Rail Cannon's next turn. Their Wheel movement means that they can't leave the Rail Cannon tracks they start on, which can allow you to isolate them from the rest of the stage by destroying the tracks that allow them to move, but Rail Cannons have great range, making this a less-than-ideal solution to the problem. It's much preferable to just destroy them, a task made easier by the fact that they are counted as siege weapons by the game, meaning you can use Wrecker Gloves to easily Boost your damage to one- or two-shot them. They only appear twice in the game, but any Gungnir player will tell you that twice was twice too many. ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.0 ITEM LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ********************************* ITEM PREFACE: NOTES ON ALCHEMY [ALC-NOTES] ********************************* Alchemy is a simple process: you pay Gems and your weapons get stronger. Gems can be obtained by refining armor, accessories, or consumables; by attacking gem Crystals and picking up the gems that fall; or using the Jewel Rod's Earth Orb spell, which creates gems as though you had attacked a Crystal. Every time you level up a weapon, its power increases - up to a maximum of 150% of the base power - but the process also becomes more expensive and more likely to fail for that weapon thereon. A weapon's level maxes out at +9. The thing about Gungnir is that, since weapons come with such a wide variety of skills on them, you might be stuck using an early weapon until late into the game. Take bows, for example, where the Gust Bow is the only bow with a Specialty II attack until very late indeed, or where the Flint Bow is the only bow at all that can cause Burn. In order for these weapons to remain powerful as well as useful in terms of utility, Alchemy can level the weapons up and increase their power. This is what allows useful early-game weapons, such as the Rope and the Cutlass, to remain completely viable no matter how late in the game you are. Here's a little trick to cheat the system if you want to conserve your Gems: after upgrading any weapon by a level, exit the Alchemy screen and save. Then return and upgrade by another level. If the upgrade is successful, exit and save again. If the upgrade fails, load your last save and try it again until it works. Gems are more difficult to come by than I'd like, and chances are that you'll want to use a LOT of them throughout the game, and this trick can greatly extend the life of your supply. I strongly recommend it. ***************** ALCHEMY TABLES [ALC-TAB] ***************** Upgrading a weapon takes a set number of an elemental Gem matching the elemental affinity of the weapon (a Null-elemental weapon requires Null Gems, an Earth-elemental weapon requires yellow Earth Gems, etc.) Below is a chart detailing the number of gems it takes to increase the level of all ranks of weaponry. The last column is the total number of gems required to raise a weapon of the corresponding star rank from +0 to +9. NUMBER OF GEMS NEEDED PER LEVEL Weapon Rank +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 TOTAL * 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 19 ** 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 28 *** 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 37 **** 4 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 8 46 ******************************************************************************* Unfortunately, every time you level up a weapon, the chance the upgrade will fail and consume your Gems with no benefit increases, making it harder and harder to go to the next level. Below is the rate of failure for every level of all ranks of weaponry. SUCCESS RATE OF LEVEL INCREASE (PERCENTAGE) Weapon Rank +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 * 95.1 92.0 88.0 83.0 77.2 70.4 62.7 54.1 44.6 ** 89.7 85.2 79.9 73.7 66.7 58.8 50.2 40.7 30.6 *** 83.4 77.6 71.0 63.7 55.6 46.8 37.4 27.3 16.6 **** 76.1 69.1 61.4 53.0 44.0 34.5 24.4 13.8 2.7 ******************************************************************************* Every level a weapon gains also increases the price you can sell it back for at a shop. Below is the number the weapon's selling price is multiplied by for each level it can have (for example, if your weapon sells back for 1000 gold with 0 Alchemy levels but you have just raised it to level +3, it will now sell back for 1180 gold). SELLING PRICE INCREASE BY LEVEL Weapon Rank +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 Any 1.02 1.08 1.18 1.32 1.50 1.72 1.98 2.28 2.62 ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.01 WEAPON LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* WEAPON RATING RUBRIC 5/5: A must-have purchase. Equipment that is exceptionally good. 4/5: A good purchase. This'll probably last you throughout the entire game. 3/5: A solid purchase. Reliable, but nothing to write home about. 2/5: A situational purchase. Has uses, but may not be worth spending money on. 1/5: A disappointing purchase. Probably not worth buying. ******************************************************************************* 6.01.01 1H Sword ******************************************************************************* Used By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Duelist (Natalia) Knight Paladin Skeleton Swords are jack-of-all-trades weapons that deal in a little bit of everything. They have Beat initiation, a good blend of status effects, and sometimes some AOE damage or knockback. Generally they have good Base Power and Guard Rating, further increasing their usefulness. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + knockback DEL: 9 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + ailment DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target *************************** Quick Comparison: Swords *************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Blunt Sword Null II, IV Poor Aim Bronze Sword Null III Knockback Iron Sword Null I, II N/A Rainy Saber Water I, III Knockback Flamberge Fire II, IV Pyrism Dark Saber Null I, III, IV Blind, Knockback Earth Divide Earth II N/A Gran Saber Null I, III Knockback End of Ages Null I, II, IV Curse Zephyr Water II, III, IV Mana Aura, Knockback Rosier Air I, II, III, IV Sleep, Undead Killer, Knockback Aegis Null II, III, IV DEF 1/2, Knockback, +Wampyr ***************** List of Swords ***************** Blunt Sword Rating: 2/5. It can cause Poor Aim, but otherwise isn't much use. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 64 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Poor Aim Attacks: Spec II: Root Blade Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 61 Tactics Pow: 13 Spec IV: Mortal Regret Mastery 0 Null, fixed damage = 1, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Poor Aim Location: Scene 01-02 Shop Scene 02-03 Shop Bronze Sword Rating: 4/5. Easy and early knockback; very useful. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 86 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 28 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec III: Varo Impulse Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 108 Tactics Pow: 127 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) (Chest) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Iron Sword Rating: 3/5. Purely average and unremarkable in every way. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 93 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 22 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Norman Strike Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 99 Tactics Pow: 77 Spec II: Root Blade Mastery 8 Null Base Pow: 61 Tactics Pow: 13 Location: Giulio initial equipment Scene 02 (Chest) Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Rainy Saber Rating: 5/5. Does everything a sword should and is available early. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 101 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Dean Strike Mastery 0 Water Base Pow: 112 Tactics Pow: 71 Spec III: Blue Impulse Mastery 18 Water, Knockback Base Pow: 123 Tactics Pow: 145 Location: Scene 04 (Chest) Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Flamberge Rating: 2/5. Can be strong early, but is quickly outclassed. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 108 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Pyrism Attacks: Spec II: Crimson Ignition Mastery 0 Fire Base Pow: 79 Tactics Pow: 17 Spec IV: Flame Slash Mastery 18 Fire, Pyrism Base Pow: 121 Tactics Pow: 46 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Dark Saber Rating: 4/5. Takes some time to master, but can be well worth it. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 114 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Blind Attacks: Spec I: Solid Strike Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 125 Tactics Pow: 84 Spec III: Varo Impulse Mastery 13 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 108 Tactics Pow: 127 Spec IV: Darkness Raid Mastery 0 Null, Blind Base Pow: 131 Tactics Pow: 50 Location: Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Earth Divide Rating: 1/5. Might look appealing, but trust me, it isn't. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 119 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Cliff Splitter Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 82 Tactics Pow: 18 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Gran Sabre Rating: 4/5. It's the Rainy Saber Mark Two. Just as good, but arrives late. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 130 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 37 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Damnation Blade Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 141 Tactics Pow: 93 Spec III: Arc Impulse Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 149 Location: Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20 (Enemy equipment) Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop End of Ages Rating: 5/5. Awesome sword, but slow to master. Great for Cursing bosses. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 140 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Curse Attacks: Spec I: Solid Strike Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 125 Tactics Pow: 84 Spec II: Final Slide Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 30 Spec IV: Fallen Malediction Mastery 25 Null, Curse Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 56 Location: Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Zephyr Rating: 4/5. Very strong. Mana Aura can be a help or a hindrance. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 145 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Mana Aura Attacks: Spec II: Zephyr Ride Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 146 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec III: Blue Impulse Mastery 25 Water, Knockback Base Pow: 123 Tactics Pow: 145 Spec IV: Flood Slash Mastery 0 Water, Mana Aura Base Pow: 157 Tactics Pow: 60 Location: Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) (Chest) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Rosier Rating: 5/5. Unparalleled awesome. Unequivocally the best sword. Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 157 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 49 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec I: Vortex Raid Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 150 Tactics Pow: 98 Spec II: Vertical Epic Mastery 50 Air, Undead Killer Base Pow: 161 Tactics Pow: 30 Spec III: Arc Impulse Mastery 18 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 149 Spec IV: Quaking Gale Mastery 41 Air, Sleep Base Pow: 149 Tactics Pow: 57 Location: Scene 23 (Object) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Object) Aegis Rating: 4/5. Really good, but not quite on the Rosier's level. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 172 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 58 Beat Action: DEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec I: Damnation Blade Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 141 Tactics Pow: 93 Spec III: Fearless Purge Mastery 41 Null, Knockback, +Wampyr Base Pow: 157 Tactics Pow: 186 Spec IV: Heaven Striker Mastery 25 Null, DEF 1/2 Base Pow: 155 Tactics Pow: 59 Location: Epilogue B (Object) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.02 Greatsword ******************************************************************************* Used By: Paladin Greatswords offer a tantalizing blend of physical and magical attacks, allowing the user to adjust to any situation as needed. Their range is short, but their cast times are quick and they tend to have excellent added effects. Their disadvantages are their lack of distribution - only Paladins can equip them - and the fact that they tend to take a long time to master. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 9 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting magic spell DEL: 2 CT: 14 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback DEL: 10 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Two-square piercing magic spell DEL: 3 CT: 10 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square ******************************** Quick Comparison: Greatswords ******************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Magical Sword Fire II Burn Air Blade Air I, IV Aerism, MDEF 1/2 Black Brand Earth II, III, IV Blind Holy Sabre Water II, IV Freeze, Weak, Undead Killer Deathbringer Water I, IV Branded, Freeze 7-Star Sword Air II, III, IV TP Damage, Knockback, Phys Aura Excalibur Earth I N/A Zelos Water III Freeze, Knockback, +Drake Volcano Fire I, III, IV Burn, Knockback Balmung Air I, II, III MDEF 1/2, Knockback ********************** List of Greatswords ********************** Magical Sword Rating: 5/5. First source of Burn and an excellent one. Don't miss it. Stars: * Element: Fire Base Power: 84 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Burn Attacks: Spec II: Flame Burst Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 98 Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Air Blade Rating: 1/5. Outshone in every way by the Magical Sword. No good use for it. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 91 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Aerism Attacks: Spec I: Shieldbreaker Mastery 25 Air, MDEF 1/2 Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 145 Spec IV: Sonic Wraith Mastery 0 Air, Aerism Base Pow: 142 Tactics Pow: 118 Location: Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Black Brand Rating: 3/5. Good if mastered, but the Magical Sword is still better. Stars: * Element: Earth Base Power: 97 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Blind Attacks: Spec II: Energy Burst Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 155 Tactics Pow: 109 Spec III: Rock Wedge Mastery 0 Earth, Knockback Base Pow: 96 Tactics Pow: 58 Spec IV: Gloom Wraith Mastery 25 Null, Blind Base Pow: 150 Tactics Pow: 126 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Holy Sabre Rating: 5/5. Ridiculously good, especially on Skeletons. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 111 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Weak Attacks: Spec II: Water Burst Mastery 13 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 106 Spec IV: Luminous Wraith Mastery 0 Null, Weak, Undead Killer Base Pow: 163 Tactics Pow: 132 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Deathbringer Rating: 2/5. Cool but impractical. There are just too many better options. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 117 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Branded Attacks: Spec I: Armorbreaker Mastery 0 Null, Frozen Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 149 Spec IV: Dread Wraith Mastery 13 Null, Branded Base Pow: 176 Tactics Pow: 148 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop 7-Star Sword Rating: 3/5. Better the earlier you get it; falls off later on. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 128 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 38 Beat Action: Phys Aura Attacks: Spec II: Divine Gale Mastery 0 Air, TP damage 3 Base Pow: 160 Tactics Pow: 113 Spec III: Lethal Wedge Mastery 18 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 105 Tactics Pow: 63 Spec IV: Blink Wraith Mastery 32 Null, Phys Aura Base Pow: 189 Tactics Pow: 184 Location: Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17 (Chest) Scene 18 (Chest) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Excalibur Rating: 1/5. While strong, it's too finicky about being used. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 139 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Earthspark Smash Mastery 0 Earth, can only be used at Base Pow: 148 Tactics Pow: 175 full HP Location: Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Zelos Rating: 3/5. +Drake is unnecessary, but it's strong and good in Beats. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 141 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 42 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec III: Mortal Frozen Blade Mastery 0 Water, Knockback, +Drake Base Pow: 128 Tactics Pow: 77 Location: Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Object) Volcano Rating: 5/5. Outstanding Greatsword. No downsides to using. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 153 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 48 Beat Action: Burn Attacks: Spec I: Rampaging Inferno Mastery 41 Fire Base Pow: 138 Tactics Pow: 163 Spec III: Ardent Wedge Mastery 25 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 133 Tactics Pow: 79 Spec IV: Penumbra Wraith Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 181 Tactics Pow: 200 Location: Scene 22 (Object) Balmung Rating: 4/5. Only misses 5/5 because the Volcano is so much better. Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 168 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 57 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Shieldbreaker Mastery 0 Air, MDEF 1/2 Base Pow: 123 Tactics Pow: 145 Spec II: Energy Burst Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 155 Tactics Pow: 109 Spec III: Celestial Darkness Mastery 50 Air, Knockback Base Pow: 226 Tactics Pow: 124 Location: Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Chest) Scene 26 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.03 Rapier ******************************************************************************* Used By: Valkyrie (Elise) Duelist (Natalia) Skeleton Rapiers are very rare weapons that are unanimously amazing. Only two story characters can use them, but they have a variety of useful purposes, from ensuring hits on any enemy without a shield to causing the unique and deadly Nightmare status. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike; ignores Weapon Guard DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback; ignores Weapon Guard DEL: 11 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square **************************** Quick Comparison: Rapiers **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Estoc Null I Ignores Weapon Guard Bloody Rapier Irrelevant, as you cannot obtain this weapon Blue Stinger Water IV Knockback, DEF 1/2, Ignores Weapon Guard Crimson Red Fire IV Knockback, MDEF 1/2, Ignores Weapon Guard Zolfy Null IV Knockback, Nightmare, Ignores Weapon Guard ****************** List of Rapiers ****************** Estoc Rating: 4/5. The weakest rapier; also the only one that can initiate Beats. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 97 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Piercing Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 91 Tactics Pow: 18 Location: Elise initial equipment Scene 04-05 Shop Bloody Rapier Rating: N/A, as this weapon is unobtainable. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 119 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Bloody Stab Mastery 0 Null, +Critical health Base Pow: 102 Tactics Pow: 21 Location: Unobtainable. Skeletons never die and drop items, so you can't get this. Blue Stinger Rating: 4/5. Perfect for physical teams. Can't initiate Beats, though. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 144 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: DEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec IV: Lapis Cascade Mastery 0 Water, Knockback, DEF 1/2 Base Pow: 112 Tactics Pow: 103 Location: Natalia initial equipment Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Crimson Red Rating: 4/5. Perfect for magical teams. Can't initiate Beats, though. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 146 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: MDEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec IV: Rose Cascade Mastery 0 Fire, Knockback, MDEF 1/2 Base Pow: 117 Tactics Pow: 144 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Zolfy Rating: 4/5. Only source of Nightmare, but Nightmare is pretty unreliable. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 163 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 56 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec IV: Nameless End Mastery 0 Null, Knockback, Nightmare Base Pow: 124 Tactics Pow: 154 Location: Scene 22 (Object) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.04 Axe ******************************************************************************* Used By: Gladiator (Ragnus) Brute Bandit (Rodrigues) If you're expecting the same old "does nothing but damage one target" paradigm that axes so often have in video games, then you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that Gungnir is substantially more awesome than that. Axes do indeed put the hurtin' on single targets, but they can also attack in rows or circle AOEs and, most crucially, are the primary source of equipment breakage in the game. Breaking an enemy's armor doesn't just lower defense, either: breaking their Hand equipment will generally prevent them from Boosting their allies; breaking their Head equipment can often render them vulnerable to status effects they were previously immune to; breaking their less-valuable equipment makes them more likely to drop the valuable pieces when they retreat... there are a million reasons to use axes in this game! ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 9 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + equipment break DEL: 12 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: All adjacent squares physical strike; damage dealt is split amongst targets hit DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square ************************* Quick Comparison: Axes ************************* NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Francisca Null I N/A Battleaxe Null I, III Break Armor Slasher Null II, III Break Shield Silver Moon Null III, IV Break Hand Ogre Blade Earth I N/A Kill Blade Null I, II, III Break Head Sunrise Fire III, IV Break Shield Berserker Null II, III, IV Break Hand Headman's Axe Null I, II, III Break Head, VS Human Gargarodon Earth I, III, IV Break Armor *************** List of Axes *************** Francisca Rating: 1/5. It hits things, but it doesn't break things. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 83 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: High Smash Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 167 Tactics Pow: 60 Location: Scene 01 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Battleaxe Rating: 5/5. Only way to break body armor until the endgame. Invaluable! Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 88 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Power Smash Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 55 Spec III: Armor Crush Mastery 25 Null, Break Armor Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 10 Location: Ragnus initial equipment Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-05 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Slasher Rating: 4/5. Takes a while to break shields, but is great against Knights. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 93 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Stack Swing Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 113 Tactics Pow: 22 Spec III: Shield Crush Mastery 25 Null, Break Shield Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 9 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Silver Moon Rating: 4/5. Great for Hand Crush if nothing else. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 108 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec III: Hand Crush Mastery 0 Null, Break Hand Base Pow: 101 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Shining Moon Mastery 25 Null, damage split among Base Pow: 175 Tactics Pow: 32 targets, night-only Location: Scene 08 (Chest) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Ogre Blade Rating: 1/5. Hits hard... once or twice a fight. Has no Breaking, either. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 117 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Concussive Ruin Mastery 32 Earth, can only be used at Base Pow: 233 Tactics Pow: 84 full HP Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Kill Blade Rating: 3/5. Pretty good, but Head Crush may be the least useful Break. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 126 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 37 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Power Smash Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 55 Spec II: Brave Swing Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 148 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec III: Head Crush Mastery 32 Null, Break Head Base Pow: 105 Tactics Pow: 9 Location: Scene 05 (Chest) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Sunrise Rating: 5/5. The Slasher, but even better. Fabulous attack name, too. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 137 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec III: Shield Crush Mastery 0 Null, Break Shield Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Solar Fury Dance Mastery 32 Fire, damage split among Base Pow: 194 Tactics Pow: 36 targets, day-only Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Berserker Rating: 4/5. Really good, but takes a long time to master and appears late. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 143 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Brave Swing Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 148 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec III: Hand Crush Mastery 25 Null, Break Hand Base Pow: 101 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Insanity Dance Mastery 32 Null, damage split among Base Pow: 155 Tactics Pow: 29 targets Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Headman's Axe Rating: 4/5. Has the most reliable axe damage, but takes time to get there. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 156 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: High Smash Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 167 Tactics Pow: 60 Spec II: Punishing Chop Mastery 41 Null, VS Human Base Pow: 188 Tactics Pow: 35 Spec III: Head Crush Mastery 0 Null, Break Head Base Pow: 105 Tactics Pow: 9 Location: Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Gargarodon Rating: 4/5. Not as strong as it looks due to finickiness, but still strong. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 167 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 56 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Concussive Ruin Mastery 32 Earth, can only be used at Base Pow: 233 Tactics Pow: 84 full HP Spec III: Armor Crush Mastery 18 Null, Break Armor Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 10 Spec IV: End of Days Mastery 0 Earth, damage split among Base Pow: 215 Tactics Pow: 76 targets Location: Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.05 Hammer ******************************************************************************* Used By: Brute Hammers have two purposes: breaking shoes (which axes can't do) and breaking open treasure chests. Their Specialty IV attack is extremely strong against objects, but will do single-digit damage to living beings. However, hammers also tend to come with other useful effects that make them pretty damn useful in a surprising variety of situations. They have to step pretty to outshine axes, after all. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 11 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Two-square piercing physical strike + foot equipment break; invalid on targets who are flying or in the water DEL: 12 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback + Ailment DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike; only deals full damage to objects DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target **************************** Quick Comparison: Hammers **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Spiky Hammer Null IV VS Objects Bloody Rose Fire II, III, IV Shieldless, Break Foot, Knockback, power up when at critical HP, VS Objects Thor's Hammer Air I, III Half Guard, Knockback, +Golem Hammer of Ruin Null I, II, IV Break Random, Break Foot, VS Objects Golden Hammer Null III Charm, Knockback ****************** List of Hammers ****************** Spiky Hammer Rating: 3/5. No good for combat, but invaluable for opening chests. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 102 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec IV: Wandering Blow Mastery 0 Null, VS Objects Base Pow: 352 Tactics Pow: 448 Location: Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Bloody Rose Rating: 5/5. Only reasonable way to break shoes in a regular playthrough. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 126 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 37 Beat Action: Shieldless Attacks: Spec II: Foot Crusher Mastery 0 Null, Break Foot, does not Base Pow: 92 Tactics Pow: 0 damage units that are Hovering or in water Spec III: Crisis Slash Mastery 18 Null, Shieldless, Base Pow: 97 Tactics Pow: 40 Knockback, Power = 250% when user is near death Spec IV: Crimson Blow Mastery 25 Fire, VS Objects Base Pow: 256 Tactics Pow: 320 Location: Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Thor's Hammer Rating: 3/5. Would be 4/5 if Golems were more common. Still good, though. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 141 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Half Guard Attacks: Spec I: Stone Breaker Mastery 0 Air, +Golem Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 76 Spec III: Air Rush Mastery 18 Air, Knockback, Half Base Pow: 109 Tactics Pow: 47 Guard Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Hammer of Ruin Rating: 5/5. Takes time to get going, but WOW that Break Random. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 150 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 48 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: ??? Mastery 32 Null, Break Random Base Pow: 159 Tactics Pow: 60 Spec II: Foot Crusher Mastery 0 Null, Break Foot, does not Base Pow: 92 Tactics Pow: 0 damage units that are Hovering or in water Spec IV: Wandering Blow Mastery 25 Null, VS Objects Base Pow: 352 Tactics Pow: 448 Location: Scene 24 (Chest) Golden Hammer Rating: 2/5. I don't like the gold cost, but the Charm is fantastic. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 155 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 52 Beat Action: Charm Attacks: Spec III: Gold Rush Mastery 0 Null, Knockback, Charm; Base Pow: 198 Tactics Pow: 92 costs gold equal to damage caused x 10 Location: Scene 17 (Chest) Scene 24 (Reinforcement equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.06 Dagger ******************************************************************************* Used By: Assassin Trickster Wampyr Daggers are light, fast weapons that primary exist to cause knockback and status effects. Their attacks have low DEL, letting your Assassin move again quickly and get herself out of the way of reprisals, and they can be invaluable for enemy crowd control. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback DEL: 10 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 4 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + ailment DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target **************************** Quick Comparison: Daggers **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Cutlass Null I, III Knockback Icepick Water IV Aquism Main-gauche Null I, II Knockback Mana Dagger Water III, IV Mana Aura Rune Knife Air II, IV TP Damage, Silent Revenger Null I, III Knockback, +Damage when Critical Scarlet Blade Fire II, III N/A Crystal Edge Water I, II, IV Knockback, Stone Light Slasher Air II, III, IV Sleep Laevatein Water I, III Knockback ****************** List of Daggers ****************** Cutlass Rating: 5/5. Cheap, simple knockback. Can be used through the entire game. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 82 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Abyssal Edge Mastery 8 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 26 Tactics Pow: 232 Spec III: Silver Reap Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 86 Tactics Pow: 16 Location: Teresa initial equipment Scene 01 (Enemy equipment) Scene 02 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 04 (Chest) Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Icepick Rating: 1/5. Has no purpose in any situation. Sorry, Icepick. Stars: * Element: Water Base Power: 90 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Aquism Attacks: Spec IV: Freezing Scythe Mastery 0 Water, Aquism Base Pow: 90 Tactics Pow: 36 Location: Teresa initial equipment Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 06-07 Shop Main-gauche Rating: 3/5. The Cutlass' Beat initiation outclasses its AOE damage. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 95 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Abyssal Edge Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 26 Tactics Pow: 232 Spec II: Hollow Axel Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 82 Tactics Pow: 49 Location: Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10-11 Shop Mana Dagger Rating: 3/5. Only good if you like Mana Aura, but quite good if you do. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 106 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 33 Beat Action: Mana Aura Attacks: Spec III: Silver Hail Mastery 25 Water Base Pow: 172 Tactics Pow: 32 Spec IV: Oratorio Scythe Mastery 0 Null, Mana Aura Base Pow: 85 Tactics Pow: 32 Location: Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Rune Knife Rating: 5/5. Even without Knockback. Silent works on the final boss! Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 116 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Silent Attacks: Spec II: Axel Wing Mastery 0 Air, Tactics damage 3 Base Pow: 92 Tactics Pow: 53 Spec IV: Calm Scythe Mastery 13 Null, Silent Base Pow: 105 Tactics Pow: 40 Location: Scene 10 (Object) Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Revenger Rating: 4/5. It's the Cutlass, but with crazy damage... if you can use it. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 123 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 37 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Helsing Edge Mastery 0 Null, Knockback, 250% Base Pow: 29 Tactics Pow: 259 damage when Critical Spec III: Silver Crisis Mastery 25 Null, 250% damage when Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 22 Critical Location: Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Object) Scene 25-26 Shop Scarlet Blade Rating: 1/5. Better than the Icepick. Worse than all other daggers. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 135 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Torrid Flame Mastery 25 Fire Base Pow: 100 Tactics Pow: 58 Spec III: Cremation Mastery 0 Fire Base Pow: 105 Tactics Pow: 21 Location: Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Crystal Edge Rating: 4/5. VERY good, but takes ages to reach its full potential. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 138 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 42 Beat Action: Stone Attacks: Spec I: Guilty Edge Mastery 18 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 30 Tactics Pow: 271 Spec II: Frigid Axel Mastery 0 Water Base Pow: 101 Tactics Pow: 56 Spec IV: Diver Scythe Mastery 32 Water, Stone Base Pow: 116 Tactics Pow: 47 Location: Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Light Slasher Rating: 3/5. Not BAD, but no knockback. Damage is less than crisis-Revenger. Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 149 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec II: Blinding Flash Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 102 Tactics Pow: 60 Spec III: Silver Rapids Mastery 41 Air Base Pow: 204 Tactics Pow: 37 Spec IV: Tornado Scythe Mastery 0 Air, Sleep Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 44 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) Laevateinn Rating: 5/5. The Cutlass with damage. The Revenger with reliability. Stars: **** Element: Water Base Power: 154 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 51 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Widofnir Stab Mastery 25 Water, Knockback Base Pow: 35 Tactics Pow: 315 Spec III: Silver Hail Mastery 0 Water Base Pow: 172 Tactics Pow: 32 Location: Scene 24 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.07 Claw ******************************************************************************* Used By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Claws are similar to daggers in a lot of ways, also possessing knockback and line-AOE attacks, but they can also steal accessories or consumables from enemies and have a different array of status ailments to cause. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback DEL: 11 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + steals; moves the user behind the target after the attack is used DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [*] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target [*] = This square must be empty. The attacker will move to this square once the attack is over. ************************** Quick Comparison: Claws ************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Wild Cat Null III Sleep Carnage Claw Null I, II Knockback, Phys Aura Griffin Talon Air II, III Poison, Aerism Snatcher Air I, IV Knockback, Steal Leyte Claw Water II, III Sleep, Aquism Jackhand Air II, IV Shieldless, VS Human, Steal Bloody Claw Null I Knockback, Lifesteal Wind Tearer Air II, IV Slow Cast, Steal Evensem Earth I, III, IV Knockback, Fleeing, Steal Scarlet Scissors Fire II, III, IV No Counter, Weak, Steal **************** List of Claws **************** Wild Cat Rating: 4/5. Initiates Beats and takes enemies out of action with Sleep. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 72 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec III: Tiring Beat Mastery 0 Null, Sleep Base Pow: 89 Tactics Pow: 18 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Carnage Claw Rating: 2/5. Only use is applying Phys Aura for a magical team's usage. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 91 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Phys Aura Attacks: Spec I: Dark Claw Mastery 18 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 129 Tactics Pow: 146 Spec II: Ray Cleave Mastery 0 Null, Phys Aura Base Pow: 81 Tactics Pow: 33 Location: Valerie initial equipment Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Griffin Talon Rating: 5/5. Poison slaughters bosses. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 96 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Poison Attacks: Spec II: Acid Cleave Mastery 18 Null, Poison Base Pow: 82 Tactics Pow: 34 Spec III: Falcon Beat Mastery 0 Air, Aerism Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 21 Location: Scene 08 (Chest) Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Snatcher Rating: 2/5. Only Steal attack that does good damage, but only at night. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 103 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 33 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Night Claw Mastery 25 Air, Knockback Base Pow: 134 Tactics Pow: 151 Spec IV: Thief of Shadow Mastery 0 Null, Steal, night-only Base Pow: 133 Tactics Pow: 11 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Leyte Claw Rating: 3/5. Good upgrade to the Wild Cat, but the Griffin Talon is better. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 113 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec II: Breeze Cleave Mastery 0 Null, Sleep Base Pow: 89 Tactics Pow: 37 Spec III: Aqua Beat Mastery 18 Water, Aquism Base Pow: 115 Tactics Pow: 23 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Jackhand Rating: 3/5. Slow to build up, but steals and has good AOE damage. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 125 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Shieldless Attacks: Spec II: Storm Cleave Mastery 0 Air, Shieldless, VS Human Base Pow: 100 Tactics Pow: 42 Spec IV: Pursecutter Mastery 32 Null, Steal Base Pow: 27 Tactics Pow: 2 Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Bloody Claw Rating: 5/5. Knockback and lifesteal? Yes please! Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 132 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Blood Claw Mastery 0 Null, Knockback, lifesteal Base Pow: 164 Tactics Pow: 186 Location: Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Wind Tearer Rating: 4/5. Like the Jackhand, but better. Harder to master, though. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 141 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Slow Cast Attacks: Spec II: Blue Moon Slash Mastery 32 Air, Slow Cast Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 46 Spec IV: Sudden Overthrow Mastery 0 Null, Steal Base Pow: 20 Tactics Pow: 2 Location: Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Evensem Rating: 3/5. "Full HP Only" and prevalance of Gargan Boots hurts it. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 151 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 46 Beat Action: Fleeing Attacks: Spec I: Darkness Hook Mastery 41 Earth, Knockback Base Pow: 178 Tactics Pow: 202 Spec III: Solid Beat Mastery 0 Earth, Fleeing, can only Base Pow: 121 Tactics Pow: 24 be used at full HP Spec IV: Pursecutter Mastery 18 Null, Steal Base Pow: 27 Tactics Pow: 2 Location: Scene 25 (Object) Scarlet Scissor Rating: 4/5. Lacks knockback, but it's strong and versatile regardless. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 159 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 53 Beat Acting: No Counter Attacks: Spec II: Crimson Combustion Mastery 0 Fire, Weak Base Pow: 104 Tactics Pow: 43 Spec III: Binding Beat Mastery 32 Null, No Counter Base Pow: 138 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec IV: Fierce Ember Mastery 18 Fire, Steal Base Pow: 11 Tactics Pow: 1 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.08 Tool ******************************************************************************* Used By: Trickster Tools are trap-laying Trickster weapons that have an interesting blend of melee and ranged techniques. Their main draw - other than traps, of course - is their plethora of status effects, some of which - such as Pain, Slippery, and Scapegoat - are very rare indeed. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback DEL: 2 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Physical strike on one random target within one square of user DEL: 9 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No [R] [R] [R] [R] [>] [R] [R] [R] [R] [>] = Attacker [R] = Potentially targeted panels. These attacks will not target empty squares; their random targeting is randomly decided between targets standing on the squares shown above. Specialty III ************* Summary: Ranged physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [S] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: Sets a pit trap. Only usable at night. DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: N/A Beat? No [>] [>] = Trap is placed wherever the attacker is standing ************************** Quick Comparison: Tools ************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Wolf Fang Null IV Pain Beast Fang Null IV Poor Aim Spider Spike Earth I, IV Sticky Naga Fangs Null III, IV Curse Scorpion Tail Earth II, IV Poison, Half Guard Shiranui Fire I, III, IV Burn, Scapegoat Arabian Might Earth IV Panic Mermaid Fin Water I, II, IV DEF 1/2, Slippery Demon Pen Null I, III, IV Branded Epitaphios Earth II, III, IV Sacrifice **************** List of Tools **************** Wolf Fang Rating: 3/5. Great ailment, but can only apply it through Beats or Traps. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 80 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 28 Beat Action: Pain Attacks: Spec IV: Gastro Trap Mastery 0 Null, Trap, Pain, night- Base Pow: 241 Tactics Pow: 289 only Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Beast Fang Rating: 1/5. Ailment is more easily applied other ways. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 89 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Poor Aim Attacks: Spec IV: Hurtful Trap Mastery 0 Null, Trap, Poor Aim, Base Pow: 243 Tactics Pow: 304 night-only Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Spider Spike Rating: 2/5. Sticky is good, but its melee attack is not. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 98 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Sticky Attacks: Spec I: Crawling Snake Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 46 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Slime Trap Mastery 13 Null, Trap, Sticky, night- Base Pow: 246 Tactics Pow: 320 only Location: Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Naga Fangs Rating: 4/5. Ranged attack and a great status, especially for bosses. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 110 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 33 Beat Action: Curse Attacks: Spec III: Mulberry Shark Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 79 Tactics Pow: 104 Spec IV: Grudge Trap Mastery 13 Null, Trap, Curse, night- Base Pow: 245 Tactics Pow: 315 only Location: Scene 07 (Chest) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scorpion Tail Rating: 5/5. Noxious March inflicts Poison and can't miss. Great tool. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 112 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Poison Attacks: Spec II: Noxious March Mastery 0 Earth, Poison Base Pow: 143 Tactics Pow: 252 Spec IV: Defenseless Trap Mastery 13 Earth, Trap, Half Guard, Base Pow: 248 Tactics Pow: 336 night-only Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Shiranui Rating: 5/5. Burn and Scapegoat on one tool?! Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 119 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Scapegoat Attacks: Spec I: Dark Intentions Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 52 Tactics Pow: 10 Spec III: Carmine Shark Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 84 Tactics Pow: 110 Spec IV: Ransom Trap Mastery 32 Fire, Trap, Scapegoat, Base Pow: 249 Tactics Pow: 346 night-only Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Arabian Might Rating: 2/5. The status is good, but the Wolf Fang does a better job. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 124 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Panic Attacks: Spec IV: Panic Trap Mastery 0 Earth, Trap, Panic, night- Base Pow: 252 Tactics Pow: 362 only Location: Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Mermaid Fin Rating: 4/5. The Shiranui is better, but the Mermaid Fin is more fun. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 127 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 38 Beat Action: Slippery Attacks: Spec I: Dark Intentions Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 52 Tactics Pow: 10 Spec II: Weak March Mastery 0 Water, DEF 1/2 Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 255 Spec IV: Slide Trap Mastery 32 Water, Trap, Slippery, Base Pow: 255 Tactics Pow: 383 night-only Location: Scene 16 (Chest) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21 (Object) Scene 22-23 Shop Demon Pen Rating: 4/5. Branded isn't great, but it's not bad, and the Pen is good. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 142 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: Branded Attacks: Spec I: Hypocritical Urge Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 56 Tactics Pow: 11 Spec III: Mulberry Shark Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 79 Tactics Pow: 104 Spec IV: Traitorous Trap Mastery 25 Null, Trap, Branded, Base Pow: 260 Tactics Pow: 420 night-only Location: Scene 25 (Object) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epitaphios Rating: 5/5. Silences the final boss and only gets better from there. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 152 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 50 Beat Rating: Sacrifice Attacks: Spec II: Mute March Mastery 0 Null, Silent Base Pow: 152 Tactics Pow: 273 Spec III: Brown Shark Mastery 32 Earth Base Pow: 139 Tactics Pow: 166 Spec IV: Sigil Trap Mastery 18 Earth, Trap, Sacrifice, Base Pow: 257 Tactics Pow: 399 night-only Location: Scene 24 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.09 Whip ******************************************************************************* Used By: Tamer Chariot (Ziyad) Whips have two primary purposes: Capturing enemies, taking them out of the action for as long as the Tamer can hold them still, and whipping the ever- loving crap out of them until they kiss your boots. Whips' status effects tend to be crowd-controlling statuses like Sticky, Gravity, or Stone, which can let a Tamer control the field even if she doesn't have a whip for Capturing, but Capturing is definitely her most potent disabling tool. Always keep Rope around for your Tamers to utilize in a tight spot. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Two-square piercing physical strike DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent Capture effect; no damage DEL: 4 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target ************************** Quick Comparison: Whips ************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Thorn Whip Null I, II Poison Rope Null IV Capture Flame Whip Fire II, III Pain, VS Beast Thunder Chain Air I, II No Counter Dragon Eater Null I, III +Drake, VS Beast Kraken Water II, III Sticky Vitra Whip Earth I, II, IV Stone, Capture Kamaitachi Air I N/A Prominence Fire II, III Gravity, VS Beast Ouroboros Earth I, III, IV Capture, VS Beast **************** List of Whips **************** Thorn Whip Rating: 5/5. A great early weapon. The first source of Poison available. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 79 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Poison Attacks: Spec I: Nagtail Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 21 Spec II: Doom Wind Mastery 13 Null, Poison Base Pow: 106 Tactics Pow: 37 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Rope Rating: 5/5. Only reasonable way to Capture in a regular playthrough. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 52 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec IV: Tandem Hold Mastery 0 Null, Capture Base Pow: 2 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 02 (Object) Scene 03 (Chest) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Flame Whip Rating: 3/5. Has a rough start, but good for incapacitating using Pain. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 107 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Pain Attacks: Spec II: Grave Wind Mastery 8 Null, Pain Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 51 Spec III: Beastly Remedy Mastery 0 Null, VS Beast Base Pow: 144 Tactics Pow: 53 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Thunder Chain Rating: 3/5. Does more direct damage than the Thorn Whip, but lacks Poison. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 113 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: No Counter Attacks: Spec I: Houndtail Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 136 Tactics Pow: 23 Spec II: Quad Wind Mastery 0 Air, No Counter Base Pow: 132 Tactics Pow: 53 Location: Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Dragon Eater Rating: 1/5. Only use is killing Drakes. And that's not hard to begin with. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 123 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Nagtail Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 21 Spec III: Dragon Spiral Mastery 0 Null, VS Beast, +Drake Base Pow: 166 Tactics Pow: 61 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Kraken Rating: 4/5. Virtually immobilizes whole swathes of enemies at a time. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 124 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 38 Beat Action: Sticky Attacks: Spec II: Thorn Wind Mastery 0 Null, Sticky Base Pow: 143 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec III: Niad Remedy Mastery 13 Water, VS Beast Base Pow: 233 Tactics Pow: 82 Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Vitra Whip Rating: 4/5. It's very good once mastered, but it's very slow to get there. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 139 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Stone Attacks: Spec I: Shriketail Mastery 25 Earth Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 26 Spec II: Stag Waltz Mastery 32 Earth, Stone Base Pow: 147 Tactics Pow: 57 Spec IV: Interdependence Mastery 0 Null, Capture Base Pow: 16 Tactics Pow: 2 Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19 (Object) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Kamaitachi Rating: 2/5. Unimpressive, but its damage is solid. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 148 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Wind Menace Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 166 Tactics Pow: 28 Location: Scene 18 (Chest) Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Prominence Rating: 4/5. Would be better without the VS Beast, but still really good. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 156 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Gravity Attacks: Spec II: Soul Charger Mastery 0 Null, Gravity Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 61 Spec III: Phoenix Remedy Mastery 18 Fire, VS Beast Base Pow: 249 Tactics Pow: 88 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) Ouroboros Rating: 3/5. Captures, but its full strength can only be used on Beasts. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 162 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Shriketail Mastery ?? Earth Base Pow: 153 Tactics Pow: 26 Spec III: Devouring Ruination Mastery 32 Earth, VS Beast, can only Base Pow: 268 Tactics Pow: 95 be used at full HP Spec IV: Interdependence Mastery ?? Null, Capture Base Pow: 16 Tactics Pow: 2 Location: Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.10 Katana ******************************************************************************* Used By: Tamer Katanas are unusual weapons that do not attack themselves, but are used only for counterattacking. Katanas can counter ANY Specialty attack, unlike shoes, making them the easiest way to achieve counterattacks. They contribute a lot of extra damage and defensibility to a Tamer, but you won't always have room to equip one, especially if you're using the Rope to Capture foes. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback; Counter only DEL: 0 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike; Counter only DEL: 0 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike; Counter only DEL: 0 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike; ignores Defense DEL: 0 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target **************************** Quick Comparison: Katanas **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Zentetsu Null IV Void DEF Suigetsu Water III Freeze, 1/4 health = damage Shin Zentetsu Null IV Void DEF Misteltein Null I LV Down Yashamaru Fire II Weak, +Damage when Critical ****************** List of Katanas ****************** Zentetsu Rating: 4/5. Ignores enemy DEF, making it hurt a lot. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 132 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec IV: Stardust Slash Mastery 0 Null, Void DEF; Counter Base Pow: 181 Tactics Pow: 100 only Location: Scene 05 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Suigetsu Rating: 5/5. Highest Guard and a great counterattack. My personal favorite. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 146 Guard Rating: 39% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec III: Winter's White Fang Mastery 0 Water, Freeze, damage = Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 1/4 health; Counter only Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Shin Zentetsu Rating: 5/5. Improved version of the Zentetsu; very strong. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 160 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec IV: True Stardust Slash Mastery 0 Null, Void DEF; Counter Base Pow: 202 Tactics Pow: 112 only Location: Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Mistelteinn Rating: 5/5. Stupidly strong, but lowest Guard Rating. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 179 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 50 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Wandering Darkness Mastery 0 Null, LV Down; Counter Base Pow: 279 Tactics Pow: 449 only Location: Scene 17 (Chest) Yashamaru Rating: 5/5. Does less damage than the Mistelteinn, but adds Weak. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 188 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 52 Beat Action: Weak Attacks: Spec II: Channeled Flame Mastery 0 Fire, Weak, 250% damage Base Pow: 195 Tactics Pow: 224 when Critical; Counter only Location: Scene 26 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.11 Bow ******************************************************************************* Used By: Valkyrie (Elise) Archer Bows are fantastic projectile weapons with an emphasis on range. Their claim to fame is their accuracy at range, allowing them to initiate Beats and apply status effects from great distances. Because projectiles ignore Guard Chance, bows are particularly ideal for initiating attacks on Knights and other high- guarding targets, like Tamers or Robertus. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Ranged physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes Minimum Range: 2 Best Range: 5 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [X] [P] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [X] = Untargetable; bows cannot target adjacent squares [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty II ************ Summary: Ranged physical strike DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes Minimum Range: 2 Best Range: 6 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [X] [P] [P] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [X] = Untargetable; bows cannot target adjacent squares [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty III ************* Summary: AOE striking three random targets in range with physical strikes DEL: 10 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No Minimum Range: 2 Best Range: N/A Maximum Range: 8 [>] [X] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [X] = Untargetable; bows cannot target adjacent squares [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on first available panel (two squares away): [R] [>] [R] [R] [R] [R] [>] = Attacker [R] = Panels that may be targeted by the attack Specialty IV ************ Summary: Ranged physical strike + ailment DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes Minimum Range: 2 Best Range: 5 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [X] [P] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [X] = Untargetable; bows cannot target adjacent squares [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel ************************* Quick Comparison: Bows ************************* NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Handmade Bow Null I N/A Gust Bow Air I, II N/A Longbow Null I, III N/A Elfin Bow Water I, II, III TP damage 3 Flint Bow Fire I, IV Burn Lightning Bow Air I, III, IV DEF 1/2 Raincloud Bow Water III Freeze Spiral Arch Null II, IV Slow Cast Burning Sun Fire I, III N/A Bow of Iria Water I, II, IV No Counter, Undead Killer Rainbow Arc Null I, III, IV Half Guard Natalia Starbow Air II, III, IV Silent *************** List of Bows *************** Handmade Bow Rating: 3/5. Your everyday, garden-variety bow. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 70 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 24 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Wreaking Arrow Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 77 Tactics Pow: 60 Location: Noah initial equipment Scene 01-02 Shop Scene 02 (Enemy equipment) Scene 02-03 Shop Gust Bow Rating: 5/5. The only bow for HOURS with an easily-usable Specialty II. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 90 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Vertical Arrow Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 87 Tactics Pow: 69 Spec II: Wind Arrow Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 64 Tactics Pow: 131 Location: Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Longbow Rating: 1/5. The Gust Bow absolutely steamrollers it. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 84 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 28 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Wreaking Arrow Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 77 Tactics Pow: 60 Spec III: Heaven-sunderer Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 58 Tactics Pow: 81 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Elfin Bow Rating: 2/5. Good on paper, but takes too long to beat the Gust Bow. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 95 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Stream Arrow Mastery 13 Water Base Pow: 91 Tactics Pow: 73 Spec II: Bright Snipe Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 61 Tactics Pow: 124 Spec III: Armor Needle Mastery 0 Null, TP damage 3 Base Pow: 62 Tactics Pow: 86 Location: Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Flint Bow Rating: 5/5. Instant, ranged, unavoidable Burn?! Take my firstborn child. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 105 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Burn Attacks: Spec I: Fire Arrow Mastery 0 Fire Base Pow: 96 Tactics Pow: 78 Spec IV: Thermal Fang Mastery 18 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 61 Tactics Pow: 61 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Lightning Bow Rating: 4/5. DEF 1/2 is great, but it suffers for lacking Specialty II. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 112 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: DEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec I: Vertical Arrow Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 87 Tactics Pow: 69 Spec III: Pouring Squall Mastery 25 Air Base Pow: 67 Tactics Pow: 93 Spec IV: Delight Fang Mastery 0 Null, DEF 1/2 Base Pow: 67 Tactics Pow: 65 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Raincloud Bow Rating: 2/5. Can be really useful on Scene 21. No other real purpose. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 122 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec III: Freezing Night Mastery 0 Water, Freeze, rain-only Base Pow: 68 Tactics Pow: 95 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Spiral Arch Rating: 5/5. Cripples mages and has a Specialty II. Really damn good. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 131 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Slow Cast Attacks: Spec II: Piercing Echo Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 77 Tactics Pow: 158 Spec IV: Burden Fang Mastery 0 Null, Slow Cast Base Pow: 73 Tactics Pow: 71 Location: Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Burning Sun Rating: 1/5. Its Spec. III may as well not exist, for all the good it does. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 140 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Acute Arrow Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 88 Spec III: Sunlight Squall Mastery 0 Fire, day-only Base Pow: 74 Tactics Pow: 103 Location: Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Bow of Iria Rating: 5/5. Trivializes Skeletons and has Specialty II. Takes time, though. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 151 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: No Counter Attacks: Spec I: Acute Arrow Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 88 Spec II: Maelstrom Mastery 32 Water Base Pow: 86 Tactics Pow: 175 Spec IV: Silent Martyr Mastery 18 Water, No Counter, Undead Base Pow: 70 Tactics Pow: 67 Killer Location: Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Rainbow Arc Rating: 3/5. Could be a lot better. Would be a 2/5, but does good damage. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 154 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: Half Guard Attacks: Spec I: Flowering Dive Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 115 Tactics Pow: 95 Spec III: Heaven-sunderer Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 58 Tactics Pow: 81 Spec IV: Revered Fang Mastery 32 Null, Half Guard, day-only Base Pow: 79 Tactics Pow: 77 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) Natalia Starbow Rating: 5/5. Upgrade to the Spiral Arch. Pretty excellent in all ways. Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 166 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 55 Beat Action: Silent Attacks: Spec II: Bright Snipe Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 61 Tactics Pow: 124 Spec III: Noxious Arts Mastery 32 Air, night-only Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 137 Spec IV: Raven Thrust Mastery 18 Air, Silent Base Pow: 82 Tactics Pow: 80 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.12 Bowgun ******************************************************************************* Used By: Rebel (Valerie) Gunner Bowguns are projectile weapons with an emphasis on multi-target attacks. Two of their attacks can pierce through multiple enemies, like a whip or a lance, allowing the wielder to cause damage to multiple foes at once. Bowguns rarely have attached status effects, but the ones they do have - like Curse, Pain, and Weak - tend to be pretty good. Bowguns shoot in straight lines rather than in arcs like bows or javelins, however, so between this and the somewhat unusual targeting of their Specialty III attack, positioning is paramount when using one. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Ranged physical strike DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? Yes Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-panel piercing ranged physical strike DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? No Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 3 [>] [T] [S] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty III ************* Summary: Piercing diagonal ranged physical strike DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? No Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 3 (diagonally) [T] [T] [T] [>] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Ranged physical strike + ailment DEL: 7* CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? Yes Best Range: 3 Maximum Range: 8 *The Fanelia's Jihad attack has a DEL of 15. [>] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel **************************** Quick Comparison: Bowguns **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Slinger Null I N/A Crossbow Air I, IV Weak Iron Bowgun Null I, II N/A Grief Bowgun Earth III, IV Curse Arbalest Null I, II N/A Flare Shooter Fire I, IV Pyrism Tri Shot Null I, III, IV Phys Aura Night Raven Air II, III, IV Fleeing Gatling Bow Null I, III N/A Meteor Earth II N/A Fallen Phoenix Fire I, III, IV Gravity, +Harpy Fanelia Water I, II, III, IV Pain ****************** List of Bowguns ****************** Slinger Rating: 3/5. Your typical, garden-variety crossbow. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 76 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 25 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Rhino Shot Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 117 Tactics Pow: 58 Location: Scene 01 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Crossbow Rating: 5/5. Initiates Beats and causes Weak. No AOE, but great anyway. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 87 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Weak Attacks: Spec I: Accurate Target Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 113 Tactics Pow: 61 Spec IV: Loss Mastery 13 Air, Weak Base Pow: 100 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Iron Bowgun Rating: 3/5. Lacks a status ailment, but has the piercing Specialty II. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 96 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Ox Shot Mastery 13 Null Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 65 Spec II: Ray Drive Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 104 Tactics Pow: 62 Location: Valerie initial equipment Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Grief Bowgun Rating: 4/5. Good once mastered, especially with Curse, but takes time. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 107 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: Curse Attacks: Spec III: Cliff Angle Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 97 Tactics Pow: 82 Spec IV: Tragedy Mastery 25 Null, Curse Base Pow: 130 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Arbalest Rating: 3/5. It's the Iron Bowgun Redux: stronger, but otherwise the same. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 114 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 33 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Ox Shot Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 110 Tactics Pow: 65 Spec II: Shine Drive Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 119 Tactics Pow: 71 Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Flare Shooter Rating: 1/5. Nothing to recommend it over the Grief Bowgun. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 121 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Pyrism Attacks: Spec I: Accurate Target Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 113 Tactics Pow: 61 Spec IV: Prod Mastery 25 Fire, Pyrism Base Pow: 140 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Tri Shot Rating: 2/5. Phys Aura is great for magical allies, but trips up fighters. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 133 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Phys Aura Attacks: Spec I: Rhino Shot Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 117 Tactics Pow: 58 Spec III: Riot Angle Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 118 Tactics Pow: 101 Spec IV: Nimbus Mastery 32 Null, Phys Aura Base Pow: 143 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 17 (Object) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Night Raven Rating: 2/5. It's strong, but night-only, and Fleeing is commonly resisted. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 138 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Fleeing Attacks: Spec II: Howling Drive Mastery 32 Air, night-only Base Pow: 135 Tactics Pow: 82 Spec III: Burial Angle Mastery 0 Air, night-only Base Pow: 111 Tactics Pow: 95 Spec IV: Animus Mastery 18 Null, Fleeing, night-only Base Pow: 113 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 21 (Chest) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Gatling Bow Rating: 3/5. Does a lot of damage. Doesn't do much else, though. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 152 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Banishing Phantom Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 140 Tactics Pow: 84 Spec III: Phoenix Angle Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 109 Tactics Pow: 93 Location: Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Meteor Rating: 2/5. Packs a punch, but it's got that damn "Full HP Only." Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 158 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 48 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Meteoric Impact Mastery 0 Earth, can only be used at Base Pow: 145 Tactics Pow: 72 full HP Location: Scene 26 (Chest) Fallen Phoenix Rating: 5/5. Probably the best bowgun not called the Fanelia. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 161 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 54 Beat Action: Gravity Attacks: Spec I: Banishing Phantom Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 140 Tactics Pow: 84 Spec III: Riot Angle Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 118 Tactics Pow: 101 Spec IV: Crimson Wing Mastery 25 Null, Gravity, +Harpy Base Pow: 160 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Fanelia Rating: 5/5. Good god. Just look at Jihad and tremble. Stars: **** Element: Water Base Power: 200 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 90 Beat Action: Pain Attacks: Spec I: Lather Shot Mastery 0 Water Base Pow: 118 Tactics Pow: 70 Spec II: Ocean Drive Mastery 25 Water Base Pow: 121 Tactics Pow: 72 Spec III: Sprite Angle Mastery 41 Water Base Pow: 102 Tactics Pow: 87 Spec IV: Jihad Mastery 50 Null, Pain Base Pow: 509 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.13 Javelin ******************************************************************************* Used By: Thrower Undine Javelins are the last type of projectile weapon, unless you count Grimoires. Their focus was supposed to be on hunting monsters in early versions of the game, but in the end, monsters became fairly uncommon opponents, causing the Javelins' main strength to be wasted. Instead, their most notable feature is their devastating access to ranged, instant knockback, which Throwers can use to interrupt spellcasters and knock foes to their deaths. They're pretty versatile weapons even aside from this, with melee and ranged capabilities, but their greatest strength is their Specialty III ranged knockback and they should be viewed as such. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Two-square piercing physical strike DEL: 9 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty II ************ Summary: Ranged physical strike DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes Best Range: 4 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [P] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty III ************* Summary: Ranged physical strike + knockback DEL: 10 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No Best Range: 4 Maximum Range: 8 [>] [P] [P] [P] [S] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: Ranged physical strike to one random target in range DEL: 13 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 8 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (eight squares away): [R] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [R] [R] [R] [R] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [R] = Panels that may be targeted by the attack ***************************** Quick Comparison: Javelins ***************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Bamboo Pick Earth I, II N/A Pilum Null II, III Knockback Flamme Fire II, IV N/A Ice Javelin Water II Freeze, Void DEF Gladius Earth I, III, IV Knockback Knight Killer Null I, II, III +Wampyr, Knockback Berkut Null II, IV +Harpy Salamandora Fire I, III, IV Knockback Babel Spearhead Earth II N/A Wyvern Air III, IV Knockback Hraesvelger Water II, III +Harpy, +Wampyr, Knockback Gae Bolg Null I, II, IV N/A ******************* List of Javelins ******************* Bamboo Pick Rating: 2/5. It certainly can stab things. Yep. Stars: * Element: Earth Base Power: 60 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 23 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Plant Spike Mastery 13 Earth Base Pow: 89 Tactics Pow: 8 Spec II: Econa Weapon Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 69 Tactics Pow: 27 Location: Claude initial equipment Scene 01-02 Shop Scene 02 (Enemy equipment) Scene 02-03 Shop Pilum Rating: 5/5. One of the only javelins with Specialty II and III. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 86 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Fling Spear Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 99 Tactics Pow: 39 Spec III: Light Drop Mastery 18 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 67 Tactics Pow: 14 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Flamme Rating: 2/5. Specialty IV hits really hard, but is very unreliable. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 92 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Flare Spear Mastery 0 Fire Base Pow: 97 Tactics Pow: 38 Spec IV: Wrath Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 341 Tactics Pow: 273 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Ice Javelin Rating: 5/5. Simultaneously Freezes and ignores DEF. It's beautiful. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 104 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 33 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec II: Frozen Spear Mastery 0 Water, Freeze, Void DEF Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 42 Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Gladius Rating: 4/5. Has the Specialty III, but lacks ranged Beat initiation. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 110 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Collision Spike Mastery 18 Null Base Pow: 126 Tactics Pow: 11 Spec III: Crag Drop Mastery 0 Earth, Knockback Base Pow: 86 Tactics Pow: 18 Spec IV: Pain's Wrath Mastery 32 Earth Base Pow: 363 Tactics Pow: 284 Location: Scene 10 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Knight Killer Rating: 5/5. The perfect javelin. Literally perfect. Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 120 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Jolt Spike Mastery 25 Null Base Pow: 134 Tactics Pow: 12 Spec II: Sparkle Spear Mastery 18 Null, +Wampyr Base Pow: 114 Tactics Pow: 45 Spec III: Light Drop Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 67 Tactics Pow: 14 Location: Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Berkut Rating: 3/5. Ranged Beats and extra damage to Harpies? Could be worse. Stars: *** Element: Null Base Power: 131 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Drop Spear Mastery 0 Null, +Harpy Base Pow: 121 Tactics Pow: 48 Spec IV: Lord's Wrath Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 379 Tactics Pow: 293 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Salamandora Rating: 1/5. Forces you into melee to get skills you already had elsewhere. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 137 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Collision Spike Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 126 Tactics Pow: 11 Spec III: Devouring Demons Mastery 18 Fire, Knockback Base Pow: 95 Tactics Pow: 20 Spec IV: Adder's Wrath Mastery 32 Fire Base Pow: 407 Tactics Pow: 307 Location: Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Babel Spearhead Rating: 2/5. Not weak, but not nearly strong enough to be worthwhile. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 149 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Ziggurat Surge Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 137 Tactics Pow: 54 Location: Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Object) Wyvern Rating: 4/5. A stronger version of the Gladius without Specialty I. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 153 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec III: Draconic Wind Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 100 Tactics Pow: 21 Spec IV: Nova's Wrath Mastery 41 Air Base Pow: 440 Tactics Pow: 324 Location: Scene 19 (Chest) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Hraesvelger Rating: 5/5. Beats the Knight Killer only once it's been mastered. Stars: **** Element: Water Base Power: 160 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 49 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec II: Twin Attacker Mastery 25 Null, +Harpy, +Wampyr Base Pow: 130 Tactics Pow: 51 Spec III: Hydra's Whirlpool Mastery 0 Water, Knockback Base Pow: 104 Tactics Pow: 22 Location: Scene 23 (Chest) Gae Bolg Rating: 4/5. Just a stronger version of the Gladius, really. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 165 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 54 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Dual Eradication Mastery 41 Null, can only be used at Base Pow: 247 Tactics Pow: 21 full HP Spec II: Fling Spear Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 99 Tactics Pow: 39 Spec IV: Lord's Wrath Mastery 32 Null Base Pow: 379 Tactics Pow: 293 Location: Scene 24 (Reinforcement equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.14 Rod ******************************************************************************* Used By: Alchemist (Paulo) Sorceress Necromancer (Isabeli) Chariot (Ziyad) Rods are the spellcasting weapons of the Sorceress. Their primary advantage is wide area-of-effect, sweetened by the incredibly nasty status effects that can be slung alongside the damage. On individual targets, Rod magic isn't the most impressive damage-dealing tool around; it's when it starts striking half the enemies on the field that the real potential starts to become apparent. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell; either heals Vitality (Moonlight Rod and Yggdrasil Staff) or does damage (all other Rods) DEL: 3 CT: 18* Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 5 *CT for Moonlight Rod and Yggdrasil Staff is 20. [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (five squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty II ************ Summary: AOE magic spell striking three random targets in range DEL: 3 CT: 20 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [R] [>] [ ] [ ] [R] [R] [R] [R] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [R] = Panels that may be targeted by the attack Specialty III ************* Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell + ailment DEL: 3 CT: 12 Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: Wide-ranged AOE magic spell DEL: 4 CT: 24 Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 6 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (six squares away): [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel ************************* Quick Comparison: Rods ************************* NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Ruby Staff Fire I, III Pyrism Jewel Rod Earth I Creates Gems Icicle Rod Water I, III, IV Freeze, Silent Fire Wyrm Rod Fire II MDEF 1/2 Moonlight Rod Air I, III Sleep, VIT heal, Purge Corpse Gargoyle Rod Water II, III DEF 1/2, Stone Lava Rod Fire I, II, IV Burn, Sticky, +Golem Yggdrasil Staff Water I, III Aquism, VIT heal, Purge Corpse Sandworm Staff Earth II, IV Geoism Southern Cross Fire II, III, IV Slow Cast, Poor Aim, Burn Jormungandr Earth I, III, IV Poison *************** List of Rods *************** Ruby Staff Rating: 3/5. Notable for Rune Orb being non-elemental. Stars: * Element: Fire Base Power: 81 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 28 Beat Action: Pyrism Attacks: Spec I: Rune Orb Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 90 Tactics Pow: 74 Spec III: Ignus Pillar Mastery 13 Fire, Pyrism Base Pow: 80 Tactics Pow: 77 Location: Paulo initial equipment Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Jewel Rod Rating: 2/5. Surprisingly good distraction, as enemies like to grab Gems. Stars: * Element: Earth Base Power: 92 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 29 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Earth Orb Mastery 0 Earth, creates Gems Base Pow: 93 Tactics Pow: 78 Location: Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Icicle Rod Rating: 5/5. The ultimate defensive, crowd-controlling rod. Stars: * Element: Water Base Power: 100 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec I: Cool Orb Mastery 0 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 95 Tactics Pow: 79 Spec III: Red Pillar Mastery 13 Null, Silent Base Pow: 81 Tactics Pow: 78 Spec IV: Cold Ruin Mastery 25 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 68 Tactics Pow: 79 Location: Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Fire Wyrm Rod Rating: 2/5. Unreliable as hell, but MDEF 1/2 is sweet for a Sorceress. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 106 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: MDEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec II: Ashen Call Mastery 0 Fire, MDEF 1/2 Base Pow: 106 Tactics Pow: 105 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Moonlight Rod Rating: 3/5. Night-only, but so good at night it's just about worth it. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 116 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec I: Lunatic Glow Mastery 8 4% VIT heal, Purge Corpse, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 night-only Spec III: Full Moon Pillar Mastery 0 Air, Sleep, night-only Base Pow: 84 Tactics Pow: 81 Location: Scene 06 (Chest) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Gargoyle Rod Rating: 4/5. Painful to level, but Cluster Pillar is worth your time. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 121 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: DEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec II: Purgatory Call Mastery 0 Water, DEF 1/2 Base Pow: 123 Tactics Pow: 109 Spec III: Cluster Pillar Mastery 13 Null, Stone Base Pow: 83 Tactics Pow: 80 Location: Scene 07 (Chest) Scene 12 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Lava Rod Rating: 5/5. The ultimate offensive rod, all thanks to AOE Burn. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 130 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Burn Attacks: Spec I: Redder Blitz Mastery 25 Fire, Burn, +Golem Base Pow: 101 Tactics Pow: 86 Spec II: Trampling Call Mastery 18 Null, Sticky Base Pow: 119 Tactics Pow: 106 Spec IV: Inferno Ruin Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 70 Tactics Pow: 84 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Yggdrasil Staff Rating: 2/5. Restoring VIT is rare, but its damage is atrocious. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 133 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 38 Beat Action: Aquism Attacks: Spec I: Healing Light Mastery 13 6% VIT heal, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Benefactory Mastery 0 Water, Aquism Base Pow: 87 Tactics Pow: 83 Location: Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Sandworm Staff Rating: 1/5. Only Specialty IV earth spell. Now if only that was useful.... Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 136 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Geoism Attacks: Spec II: Radial Call Mastery 18 Earth, Geoism Base Pow: 126 Tactics Pow: 111 Spec IV: Dune Ruin Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 72 Tactics Pow: 92 Location: Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Southern Cross Rating: 5/5. Variant on the Lava Rod. Great against other mages. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 157 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Slow Cast Attacks: Spec II: Prominence Call Mastery 25 Fire, Slow Cast Base Pow: 138 Tactics Pow: 119 Spec III: Fallen Acrux Mastery 0 Fire, Poor Aim Base Pow: 89 Tactics Pow: 85 Spec IV: Inferno Ruin Mastery 13 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 70 Tactics Pow: 84 Location: Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Jormungandr Rating: 5/5. Poison and a non-elemental Specialty IV. Worthy of the hype. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 164 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 50 Beat Action: Poison Attacks: Spec I: Digger's Orb Mastery 18 Earth Base Pow: 111 Tactics Pow: 97 Spec III: Venom Mastery 32 Earth, Poison Base Pow: 160 Tactics Pow: 119 Spec IV: Criminal Ruin Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 71 Tactics Pow: 88 Location: Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.15 Grimoire ******************************************************************************* Used By: Alchemist (Paulo) Priestess General (Robertus) Potentially the most awesome weapons in the game (as seen from the perspective of a crazy bibliophile,) Grimoires serve as your primary methods of healing, but also come equipped with a surprisingly variety of hard-hitting, Beat- initiating, ranged, magical attacks that put the "book" in "throwing the book at them." The second-strongest weapon in the entire game after the Fanelia is, in fact, a Grimoire, and it causes Panic to go with the Fanelia's Pain. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent healing spell DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Caster [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Ranged single-square healing spell DEL: 6 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? No Maximum Range: 7 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Caster [P] = Possible targeting panel Specialty III ************* Summary: Ranged AOE healing spell DEL: 3 CT: 16 Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Caster [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Caster [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: Ranged single-square magical projectile DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? Yes Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 3 [>] [P] [S] [P] [>] = Caster [P] = Possible targeting panel [S] = Best accuracy when targeting this panel ****************************** Quick Comparison: Grimoires ****************************** HEAL COMPARISON BY PERCENTS NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES S.I % S.II % S.III % Small Bible Water I, IV 35% 0 0 Sooty Testament Air II, IV 0 40% 0 Sorcery Book Earth I, II, IV 50% 30% 0 Book of Eleanor Water III, IV 0 0 60% Book of Laura Fire I, III, IV 80% 0 25% Book of Gelt Air I, II, IV 60% 70% 0 Book of Nanai Water II, III, IV 0 45% 50% Book of Kirie Earth I, II, III, IV 70% 60% 40% Alchemia Water I, II, IV 85% 50% 0 Chronodict Air II, III, IV 0 80% 30% Madorisux Fire I, III, IV 40% 0 75% Apocalypse Earth I, IV 100% 0 0 ******************** List of Grimoires ******************** Small Bible Rating: 2/5. Poor Aim is good for neutering fighters like Brutes, though. Stars: * Element: Water Base Power: 78 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 27 Beat Action: Poor Aim Attacks: Spec I: Little Wish Mastery 0 35% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Linked Grace Mastery 8 Water, Poor Aim Base Pow: 60 Tactics Pow: 40 Location: Scene 04-05 Shop Sooty Testament Rating: 2/5. Doesn't start with healing, but Blind messes up projectiles. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 80 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 28 Beat Action: Blind Attacks: Spec II: Great Word Mastery 13 40% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Page Turner Mastery 0 Air, Blind Base Pow: 62 Tactics Pow: 42 Location: Paulo initial equipment Scene 05 (Chest) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Sorcery Book Rating: 3/5. Gravity is fun and all of its healing is instant. Lacks AOE. Stars: * Element: Earth Base Power: 94 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Gravity Attacks: Spec I: Crisis Recovery Mastery 25 50% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec II: Soulsend Mastery 0 30% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Hedge Magic Mastery 13 Earth, Gravity Base Pow: 66 Tactics Pow: 44 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Book of Eleanor Rating: 5/5. Aerial Cure is ridiculous throughout the entire game. Stars: * Element: Water Base Power: 109 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 32 Beat Action: No Counter Attacks: Spec III: Aerial Cure Mastery 13 60% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Consecration Mastery 0 Water, No Counter Base Pow: 71 Tactics Pow: 47 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Book of Laura Rating: 4/5. Takes a long time to master, but Purity Raiser is godly. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 118 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Pyrism Attacks: Spec I: Purity Raiser Mastery 32 80% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Criss-Cross Mastery 0 25% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Scarlet Sight Mastery 13 Fire, Pyrism Base Pow: 74 Tactics Pow: 49 Location: Scene 05 (Chest) Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 08 (Chest) (Object) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Book of Gelt Rating: 3/5. Takes time to excel and doesn't have a good status effect. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 125 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Aerism Attacks: Spec I: Secret Charm Mastery 13 60% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec II: Concentration Mastery 32 70% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Meditation Mastery 0 Air, Aerism Base Pow: 76 Tactics Pow: 51 Location: Scene 12 (Chest) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Book of Nanai Rating: 4/5. A well-balanced book. Takes a while before it can attack. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 134 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Aquism Attacks: Spec II: Healing Wisdom Mastery 0 45% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Breath Recovery Mastery 18 50% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Cataclysm Mastery 25 Water, Aquism Base Pow: 79 Tactics Pow: 53 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Book of Kirie Rating: 5/5. Only book with all Specialties. It's just as good as it sounds. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 140 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Geoism Attacks: Spec I: Hallowed Voice Mastery 25 70% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec II: Holy Tone Mastery 32 60% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Benediction Mastery 0 40% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Land Sight Mastery 13 Earth, Geoism Base Pow: 81 Tactics Pow: 54 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Alchemia Rating: 4/5. It gets good faster than Gelt and has a better ailment. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 145 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Shieldless Attacks: Spec I: Resurrection Mastery 25 85% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec II: Salvation Mastery 0 50% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Alchemic Dream Mastery 18 Water, Shieldless Base Pow: 82 Tactics Pow: 55 Location: Scene 20 (Chest) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Chronodict Rating: 4/5. The weak Specialty III it starts with brings it down a point. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 155 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 47 Beat Action: Slow Cast Attacks: Spec II: Ascension Mastery 25 80% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Fervent Hope Mastery 0 30% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Relativity Mastery 18 Air, Slow Cast Base Pow: 85 Tactics Pow: 57 Location: Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Chest) Scene 25-26 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Madorisux Rating: 4/5. Strongest AOE heal and a good ailment. Starts out meh, though. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 163 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 54 Beat Action: Curse Attacks: Spec II: Hidden Grace Mastery 0 40% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec III: Healing Spray Mastery 25 75% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Necronomicon Mastery 13 Fire, Curse Base Pow: 87 Tactics Pow: 58 Location: Scene 24 (Object) Apocalypse Rating: 5/5. It will take time. But then it will take lives. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 194 Guard Rating: 39% Capacity: 80 Beat Action: Panic Attacks: Spec I: Sanctuary Mastery 0 100% healing, Purge Corpse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Apocalypse Mastery 32 Earth, Panic, Void DEF Base Pow: 236 Tactics Pow: 131 Location: Scene 23 (Object) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.16 Broom ******************************************************************************* Used By: Witch Mystic (Pamela) Brooms are the other primary magical weapon in your army, available only to the cute and dangerous Witches. Brooms are a strange mixed bag, going from melee attacks to ranged rod-like spells to the magical equivalent of Trickster Traps, known as Grams. However, their pride and joy is their Specialty III spell, which damages and knocks back everything in an infinite straight line across the map, regardless of height or other obstacles. It's really, really good. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 11 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty II ************ Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell DEL: 3 CT: 16 Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty III ************* Summary: Infinite-range piercing magic spell + knockback DEL: 3* CT: 28** Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: Infinite *For the Formula's Explosion spell, the DEL is 14. **For the Formula's Explosion spell, the CT is 0. [>] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T]... [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: Sets a Gram trap. Only usable during the day. DEL: 5 CT: 0 Height: N/A Beat? No [>] [>] = Trap is placed wherever the attacker is standing *************************** Quick Comparison: Brooms *************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Straw Broom Earth IV Sticky Lucky Broom Air IV Charm Kikimora Fire II, IV Burn, Mana Aura Noir Earth I, IV Blind Apple Tree Air II, IV Sacrifice Inferno Fire I, IV Burn, Pyrism Spirit Broom Earth I, II, IV Geoism Cryocross Water II, III, IV Freeze, Undead Killer, Knockback, Scapegoat Wind of Eden Air I, III, IV MDEF 1/2, Purge Undead, Knockback Pamela's Broom Null III, IV Knockback, Pam. Virus Magic Comet Earth I, II, IV Silent, Branded Formula Fire I, III, IV Burn, Knockback, Stone ***************** List of Brooms ***************** Straw Broom Rating: 1/5. Sticky's not bad, but this broom kind of is. Stars: * Element: Earth Base Power: 54 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Sticky Attacks: Spec IV: Cleaning Gram Mastery 0 Earth, Gram, Sticky, day- Base Pow: 225 Tactics Pow: 193 only Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Lucky Broom Rating: 2/5. Charm is very rare, and VERY POWERFUL if you can inflict it. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 85 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 35 Beat Action: Charm Attacks: Spec IV: Temptation Gram Mastery 0 Air, Gram, Charm, day- Base Pow: 234 Tactics Pow: 261 only Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Kikimora Rating: 4/5. Misses a 5/5 only because it causes Mana Aura in Beats. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 99 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Mana Aura Attacks: Spec II: Pyro Wave Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 85 Tactics Pow: 8 Spec IV: Magical Gram Mastery 13 Null, Gram, Mana Aura, Base Pow: 236 Tactics Pow: 280 day-only Location: Scene 07 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Noir Rating: 2/5. Decent broom for a melee Witch build, but useless otherwise. Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 109 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Blind Attacks: Spec I: Buster Broom Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 180 Tactics Pow: 65 Spec IV: Diurnal Gram Mastery 13 Earth, Gram, Blind, day- Base Pow: 237 Tactics Pow: 289 only Location: Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Apple Tree Rating: 2/5. Saved from a 1/5 due to its rare Sacrifice ailment. Stars: ** Element: Air Base Power: 118 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 41 Beat Action: Sacrifice Attacks: Spec II: Sweet Wind Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 94 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Scarring Gram Mastery 13 Null, Gram, Sacrifice, Base Pow: 240 Tactics Pow: 308 day-only Location: Scene 06 (Chest) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Inferno Rating: 1/5. Dramatically not worth the time it takes to master. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 134 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Pyrism Attacks: Spec I: Hell's Crater Mastery 32 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 208 Tactics Pow: 75 Spec IV: Mine Gram Mastery 0 Fire, Gram, Pyrism, day- Base Pow: 235 Tactics Pow: 275 only Location: Scene 21 (Chest) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Spirit Broom Rating: 2/5. Debatably the best melee broom. Bad for a mage-Witch, though. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 136 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 44 Beat Action: Geoism Attacks: Spec I: Buster Broom Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 180 Tactics Pow: 65 Spec II: Clay Soul Mastery 25 Earth Base Pow: 98 Tactics Pow: 9 Spec IV: Pestilence Gram Mastery 13 Earth, Gram, Geoism, day- Base Pow: 244 Tactics Pow: 340 only Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Cryocross Rating: 5/5. FREAKING OVERPOWERED AS DELICIOUS HELL. Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 144 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Scapegoat Attacks: Spec II: Drowning Wave Mastery 0 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 103 Tactics Pow: 10 Spec III: Direct Starlight Mastery 13 Null, Undead Killer, Base Pow: 64 Tactics Pow: 13 Knockback Spec IV: Enormity Gram Mastery 18 Water, Gram, Scapegoat, Base Pow: 245 Tactics Pow: 349 day-only Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Wind of Eden Rating: 4/5. Might be 5/5 if the Cryocross didn't make every broom look bad. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 152 Guard Rating: 12% Capacity: 49 Beat Action: MDEF 1/2 Attacks: Spec I: Skilled Broom Mastery 32 Air Base Pow: 219 Tactics Pow: 79 Spec III: Cleansing Wind Mastery 0 Air, Purge Undead, Base Pow: 88 Tactics Pow: 18 Knockback Spec IV: Resistor Gram Mastery 18 Air, Gram, MDEF 1/2, day- Base Pow: 245 Tactics Pow: 353 only Location: Scene 23 (Chest) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Pamela's Broom Rating: 4/5. Should probably be 3/5, but it's just too wonderfully pink. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 128 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 40 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec III: Pamela's Spellcraft Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 162 Tactics Pow: 30 Spec IV: Magic Square Mastery 13 Null, Gram, Pam. Virus, Base Pow: 241 Tactics Pow: 321 day-only, Pamela-only Location: Scene 17 (Pamela's equipment. Who else?) Magic Comet Rating: 4/5. Its best feature is Silence Broom. Good on any Witch. Stars: **** Element: Earth Base Power: 159 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 56 Beat Action: Branded Attacks: Spec I: Silence Broom Mastery 32 Earth, Silent Base Pow: 211 Tactics Pow: 76 Spec II: Earth Wave Mastery 0 Earth Base Pow: 112 Tactics Pow: 11 Spec IV: Freedom Wave Mastery 13 Earth, Gram, Branded, day- Base Pow: 246 Tactics Pow: 358 only Location: Scene 25 (Chest) Formula Rating: 5/5. The only broom that can stand up to the Cryocross. Stars: **** Element: Fire Base Power: 176 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 71 Beat Action: Stone Attacks: Spec I: Hell's Crater Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 208 Tactics Pow: 75 Spec III: Explosion Mastery 25 Fire, Burn, Knockback, can Base Pow: 203 Tactics Pow: 38 only be used at full HP Spec IV: Captive Wave Mastery 18 Fire, Gram, Stone, day- Base Pow: 248 Tactics Pow: 376 only Location: Scene 24 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.17 Mace ******************************************************************************* Used By: Priestess Sorceress Maces have a couple of good status effects, give Sorceresses the ability to initiate Beats, come in all elemental flavors, and provide the only physical damage attack available to Priestesses and Sorceresses. If that sounds like it might be useful... it really isn't. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 7 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent magical strike DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target ************************** Quick Comparison: Maces ************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Morning Star Null III Shieldless Sapphire Mace Water IV Freeze Bronze Mace Fire IV Burn Lost Maiden Earth IV Geoism Galactica Air IV Aerism **************** List of Maces **************** Morning Star Rating: 2/5. Only physical weapon a Priestess or Sorceress can have. Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 88 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Shieldless Attacks: Spec III: Iron Vice Mastery 0 Null, Shieldless Base Pow: 66 Tactics Pow: 7 Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Sapphire Mace Rating: 3/5. Causes Freeze and initiates Beats. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 115 Guard Rating: 18% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec IV: Icicle Mastery 0 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 124 Tactics Pow: 11 Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Bronze Mace Rating: 3/5. Causes Burn and initiates Beats. Stars: ** Element: Fire Base Power: 120 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Burn Attacks: Spec IV: Crimson Flash Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 127 Tactics Pow: 11 Location: Scene 07 (Object) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Lost Maiden Rating: 1/5. Sadly, the most lackluster of a lackluster set of weapons. Stars: *** Element: Earth Base Power: 135 Guard Rating: 24% Capacity: 43 Beat Action: Geoism Attacks: Spec IV: Lead Grain Mastery 0 Earth, Geoism Base Pow: 133 Tactics Pow: 12 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Galactica Rating: 2/5. It's the strongest mace. That counts for something... right? Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 142 Guard Rating: 21% Capacity: 46 Beat Action: Aerism Attacks: Spec IV: Cosmic Lore Mastery 0 Air, Aerism Base Pow: 139 Tactics Pow: 13 Location: Scene 25 (Reinforcement equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.18 Wand ******************************************************************************* Used By: Royal (Alissa) Pixie Wands are pretty weird. The only playable character that can equip them is Alissa, and it can be pretty difficult to find a use for them over the sheer awesomeness that is Alissa's lances. However, wands do have access to some very unusual status effects, including Branded and Charm, and they also allow Alissa to heal her allies. Their magic can also give her the benefit of range. Lances are definitely the stronger option, but sometimes a wand can do more with weirdness than a lance can with brute force. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell DEL: 3 CT: 10 Height: +/- 9 Beat? No Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (five squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting magic spell DEL: 3 CT: 6 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: All adjacent squares healing spell DEL: 3* CT: 12** Height: +/- 1 Beat? No *For the Honey Stick's Waggle Dance spell, the DEL is 7. **For the Honey Stick's Waggle Dance spell, the CT is 8. [T] [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Caster [T] = Targeted square Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + ailment DEL: 4 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target ************************** Quick Comparison: Wands ************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Honey Stick Air III, IV Branded, HP/ VIT heal Coral Branch Air II, IV Sleep Lilybell Wand Water I, IV Freeze, Slippery Arrow Heart Fire II, III, IV Burn, HP/ VIT heal, Charm Aerial Air I, II, IV Half Guard Twinkle Stick Null I, II, III, IV HP/ VIT heal, Purge Corpse, Mana Aura **************** List of Wands **************** Honey Stick Rating: 1/5. Has the highest VIT recovery of any spell, though. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 58 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 26 Beat Action: Branded Attacks: Spec III: Waggle Dance Mastery 13 8 HP heal, 8% Vit heal Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Honeyed Assault Mastery 0 Air, fixed damage = 8, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Branded Location: Scene 11 (Chest) Coral Branch Rating: 2/5. Saved from 1/5 only because Sleep can be a useful tool. Stars: * Element: Air Base Power: 89 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 31 Beat Action: Sleep Attacks: Spec II: Skate Sphere Mastery 13 Air Base Pow: 62 Tactics Pow: 60 Spec IV: Naptime Mastery 0 Null, Sleep Base Pow: 10 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 06 (Enemy equipment); don't get it here!!!! It requires killing the Pixies, which will prevent you from getting the Four-Leaf Clover! Scene 12-13 Shop Lilybell Wand Rating: 4/5. Slippery is rare and the quick AOE Freeze is always handy. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 115 Guard Rating: 3% Capacity: 34 Beat Action: Slippery Attacks: Spec I: Sorcerous Sleet Mastery 13 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 49 Tactics Pow: 25 Spec IV: Handicap Mastery 0 Null, Slippery Base Pow: 4 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 12 (Enemy equipment) Scene 15-16 Shop Arrow Heart Rating: 5/5. Possibly the best wand, offering Charm, Burn, and healing. Stars: *** Element: Fire Base Power: 124 Guard Rating: 15% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Charm Attacks: Spec II: Hearty Sphere Mastery 0 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 74 Tactics Pow: 71 Spec III: Restoration Mastery 25 45% heal, 3% Vit heal Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Spec IV: Cupid's Sign Mastery 13 Null, Charm Base Pow: 12 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Aerial Rating: 3/5. Not "bad," just "unremarkable." But really, really pretty. Stars: *** Element: Air Base Power: 129 Guard Rating: 6% Capacity: 42 Beat Action: Half Guard Attacks: Spec I: Climaturgy Mastery 0 Air Base Pow: 44 Tactics Pow: 23 Spec II: Eminent Sphere Mastery 25 Air Base Pow: 75 Tactics Pow: 72 Spec IV: Wind Mirage Mastery 13 Null, Half Guard Base Pow: 7 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Twinkle Stick Rating: 5/5. The other best wand. Its strengths even outweigh its Mana Aura. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 147 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Mana Aura Attacks: Spec I: Grand Cross Mastery 41 Null Base Pow: 55 Tactics Pow: 28 Spec II: Glint Sphere Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 69 Tactics Pow: 67 Spec III: Alliance Heal Mastery 25 30% heal, 5% Vit heal, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Purge Corpse Spec IV: Corpse Bride Mastery 13 Null, Mana Aura Base Pow: 49 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 20 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.19 Trident ******************************************************************************* Used By: Undine I'm not going to rate these, because it is impossible for you to use them, as you cannot recruit Undine. Pretty much all you need to know about them is that they have melee stabbing attacks and ranged magical attacks. It's a good thing you'll never face the Longinus in hand-to-hand combat, too, considering that incredibly nasty Break RANDOM it has. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Two-square piercing physical strike DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell + ailment DEL: 14 CT: 12 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 8 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (eight squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel ***************************** Quick Comparison: Tridents ***************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Coral Spear Water II, III Slippery, Freeze, 1/4 health = damage Northern Spear Water I, III Gravity Poelus Ice Pike Water I, II, IV Freeze, 1/4 health = damage Longinus Null I, II, III, IV Scapegoat, Break Random, Void DEF ******************* List of Tridents ******************* Coral Spear Stars: * Element: Water Base Power: 87 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 30 Beat Action: Slippery Attacks: Spec II: Coral Stab Mastery 0 Water, Freeze, damage = Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 1/4 health Spec III: Flooded Land Mastery 0 Water, Slippery Base Pow: 100 Tactics Pow: 60 Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Northern Spear Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 122 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 36 Beat Action: Gravity Attacks: Spec I: Maiden's Charge Mastery 0 Water Base Pow: 111 Tactics Pow: 136 Spec III: Buoyancy Mastery 0 Null, Gravity Base Pow: 115 Tactics Pow: 69 Location: Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Poelus Ice Pike Stars: *** Element: Water Base Power: 161 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 53 Beat Action: Freeze Attacks: Spec I: Absolution Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 119 Tactics Pow: 146 Spec II: Coral Stab Mastery 0 Water, Freeze, damage = Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 1/4 health Spec IV: Diamond Dust Mastery 0 Water, Freeze Base Pow: 42 Tactics Pow: 352 Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Longinus Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 187 Guard Rating: 33% Capacity: 81 Beat Action: Scapegoat Attacks: Spec I: Conviction Mastery 0 Null, Break Random Base Pow: 143 Tactics Pow: 175 Spec II: Fahrenheit Mastery 0 Null Base Pow: 111 Tactics Pow: 24 Spec III: Judgment Mastery 0 Null, Scapegoat Base Pow: 250 Tactics Pow: 137 Spec IV: Storm Call Mastery 0 Null, Void DEF Base Pow: 38 Tactics Pow: 319 Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.20 Lance ******************************************************************************* Used By: Royal (Alissa) General (Robertus) Lances are really, REALLY powerful. They hit like a semi and all have at least three of their Specialties available per weapon. Alissa is the only character you'll be recruiting who can use them, and let me just assure you that they are well worth using. As is Alissa. ******************** Ability Breakdown ******************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Two-square piercing physical strike DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty II ************ Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike + status effect DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty III ************* Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike; ignores Defense DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target Specialty IV ************ Summary: Single-square adjacent strike; moves the user behind the target after the attack is used DEL: 11 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [>] [T] [*] [>] = Attacker [T] = Target [*] = This square must be empty. The attacker will move to this square once the attack is over. *************************** Quick Comparison: Lances *************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Darkish Irrelevant, as you cannot obtain this weapon Chilled Lance Water I, II, IV Weak, Knockback, 1/4 health = damage Shangri-La Air I, II, III, IV Sacrifice, Knockback, Void DEF, 1/4 health = damage Oni Lance Null II, III, IV Pain, Void DEF, 1/2 health = damage ***************** List of Lances ***************** Darkish Stars: ** Element: Earth Base Power: 136 Guard Rating: 27% Capacity: 39 Beat Action: No Counter Attacks: Spec I: Reverse Lance Mastery 25 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 115 Tactics Pow: 122 Spec II: Reverse End Mastery 0 Null, No Counter Base Pow: 119 Tactics Pow: 137 Spec III: Vald Cannon Mastery 32 Earth, Void DEF Base Pow: 139 Tactics Pow: 204 Location: Unobtainable. Only equipped on the boss of Scene 10-2, who cannot die. Chilled Lance Rating: 5/5. You could keep this equipped on Alissa the entire game. Stars: ** Element: Water Base Power: 135 Guard Rating: 30% Capacity: 37 Beat Action: Weak Attacks: Spec I: Cruel Lance Mastery 41 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 112 Spec II: Avalanche Mastery 0 Water, Weak Base Pow: 115 Tactics Pow: 122 Spec IV: Burial Shave Mastery 25 Null, 1/4 health = damage Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Alissa initial equipment Shangri-La Rating: 5/5. The only lance with all four Specialties, and my favorite. Stars: **** Element: Air Base Power: 173 Guard Rating: 36% Capacity: 45 Beat Action: Sacrifice Attacks: Spec I: Cruel Lance Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 107 Tactics Pow: 112 Spec II: Blessed Wind Mastery 25 Air, Sacrifice Base Pow: 121 Tactics Pow: 147 Spec III: Sylvan Stab Mastery 41 Air, Void DEF Base Pow: 151 Tactics Pow: 226 Spec IV: Burial Shave Mastery 13 Null, 1/4 health = damage Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 23 (Object) Oni Lance Rating: 5/5. That Specialty IV alone would make it a 5/5. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 178 Guard Rating: 39% Capacity: 54 Beat Action: Pain Attacks: Spec II: Enlightened Swipe Mastery 8 Null, Pain Base Pow: 140 Tactics Pow: 145 Spec III: Celestial Echo Mastery 0 Null, Void DEF Base Pow: 162 Tactics Pow: 246 Spec IV: Hellhound's Tooth Mastery 13 Null, 1/2 health = damage Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Location: Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.21 Scroll ******************************************************************************* Used By: Necromancer (Isabeli) There's little point really talking about Scrolls, since only Isabeli can equip them, she never joins the party, and I go over them in great detail each time Isabeli shows up. So I'm just going to say this: damn you, Scrolls. Damn you to hell. ****************** Ability Details ****************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Ranged AOE healing spell, only affects Undead DEL: 16 CT: 6 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Caster [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (five squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Caster [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Specialty II ************ Summary: Ranged magic spell that drains Skeletons' HP to restore Isabeli's; only affects Undead DEL: 14 CT: 14 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Specialty III ************* Summary: Ranged magic spell + causes Undead DEL: 14 CT: 4 Height: Infinite Beat? No Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Specialty IV ************ Summary: AOE magic spell + causes the Undead to explode DEL: 14 CT: 8 Height: Infinite Beat? No [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square **************************** Quick Comparison: Scrolls **************************** NAME ELEMENT SPECIALTIES USEFUL EFFECTS Necroscript Null I, II, III Irrelevant; can't be equipped Cursed Dead Scroll Null I, II, III, IV Irrelevant; can't be equipped ****************** List of Scrolls ****************** Necroscript Stars: ** Element: Null Base Power: 125 Guard Capacity: 33% Capacity: 38 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Necro Heal Mastery 0 Null, 65% Undead healing Spec II: Gravedigger Mastery 0 Null, Absorbs Undead HP Spec III: Hades Invitation Mastery 0 Null, Undead, night-only Location: Scene 12 (Enemy equipment) Scene 20 (Enemy equipment) Cursed Dead Scroll Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 170 Guard Capacity: 33% Capacity: 69 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Occult Heal Mastery 0 Null, 100% Undead healing, Undead WT -50% Spec II: Gravedigger Mastery 0 Null, Absorbs Undead HP Spec III: Hades Invitation Mastery 0 Null, Undead, night-only Spec IV: Soul Exhaust Mastery 0 Null, Undead Explode Location: Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.01.22 Magic Spear ******************************************************************************* Used By: Fencer (Giulio) Gungnir is a bizarre weapon. You'd expect it to be an instant-win kind of thing, being the great and titular Divine Spear, but it actually has a lot of unique drawbacks that temper its otherwise insane power. For one thing, it's crazy-heavy, taking up 76 CAP all on its own. For another, the War Gods are fickle friends, and they may turn on you as easily as help you. For another, Gungnir's damage is entirely based on TP, so early in a battle, you'll barely scratch your opponents! Despite all of this, however, Gungnir also comes with perks as substantial as its weight. It can drain HP from its targets, cause Curse, and turn the entire battlefield into your stomping grounds, as long as the War Gods are feeling magnanimous at the time. Use it with care, and you will be well rewarded. Rely on it too much, however, and you'll find victory slipping through your fingers. ****************** Ability Details ****************** Specialty I *********** Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike; a percentage of the total damage dealt is restored to Giulio as HP; causes Curse to targets; does half damage when targets are in Critical HP DEL: 8 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Specialty IV ************ Summary: Summons a War God with random targeting. Requires at least 18 TP to cast. Reduces TP to 0 when cast. DEL: 14 CT: 20 Height: Infinite Beat? No Targeting of the War Gods is random, but they seem to primarily target whichever side is winning. If you're winning the battle, they'll likely attack you. If, on the other hand, you are losing the battle, they'll probably attack your enemies instead. *********************** List of Magic Spears *********************** Gungnir Rating: 5/5. Of course. Stars: **** Element: Null Base Power: 175 Guard Rating: 9% Capacity: 76 Beat Action: Curse Attacks: Spec I: Distant Shadow Mastery 0 Null, HP drain, Curse Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 233 Spec IV: Ragnarok Mastery 0 Summon a War God; requires at least 18 TP to use Location: Scene 03-3 story event THE WAR GODS God of Defiance: Einherjar "A dark knight without peer in all the heavens. His crimson scythe scours the battlefield." Unlocked: End Scene 03-3 Effect: Causes HP damage and Stun to all targets. Damage dealt is a percentage of current HP that increases based on how many TP are used for the attack. God of Intensity: Midgardsormr "The cruel ruler of the land. His enormous jaws devour the earth." Unlocked: End Scene 08 Effect: Destroys all non-weapon equipment carried by all targets. God of Nobility: Vanagandr "A nimble god wielding twin blades. His swords cut through anything." Unlocked: End Scene 15 Effect: Causes HP damage and a random ailment to all targets. Goddess of Protection: Lifbrasir "A goddess bringing good tidings to the battlefield. Her light envelops people in warmth." Unlocked: End Scene 20 Effect: Restores all HP to all targets. God of Bravery: Fimbultyr "A divine dragon who fills the sky. His majestic figure summons courage." Unlocked: Start of Scene 25; only if on A+ ending path Effect: Causes Brave status to all targets. ******************************************************************************* 6.01.23 Physique ******************************************************************************* Used By: Harpy Pixie Wampyr Golem Drake Note that all of the Physiques are unique to monster-type enemies and are unobtainable by your party. Even if you kill the enemy and loot their corpse, the Physiques cannot be taken. ******************** List of Physiques ******************** ***************** Harpy Physique ***************** Enemy Type: Harpy Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 120 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Scratch Fever Mastery 0 Null, Poison Base Pow: 142 Tactics Pow: 66 Spec II: Feather Cutter Mastery 8 Air Base Pow: 106 Tactics Pow: 98 Spec III: Audio Blast Mastery 13 Null, fixed damage = 123, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 TP damage = 3 Location: Scene 05 Scene 14 Scene 17 Scratch Fever Targeting: Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Poison DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Feather Cutter Targeting: Summary: Linear piercing physical strike DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? No Best Range: 2 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Audio Blast Targeting: Summary: Ranged AOE fixed damage of 123; reduces target's team's TP by 3 DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel ***************** Small Physique ***************** Enemy Type: Pixie Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 94 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Scatter Pollen Mastery 0 Null, Panic, only usable Base Pow: 84 Tactics Pow: 13 if user at full health Location: Scene 06 Scene 12 Scatter Pollen Targeting: Summary: AOE offensive magic around user + Panic DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square **************** Sexy Physique **************** Enemy Type: Wampyr Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 127 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Charming Eyes Mastery 0 Null, Charm, only usable Base Pow: 90 Tactics Pow: 30 when user is Enchanted Spec II: Tempting Lips Mastery 18 Null, Batrify, only usable Base Pow: 113 Tactics Pow: 50 when user is Enchanted Location: Scene 08 Scene 18 Scene 23 Charming Eyes Targeting: Summary: Ranged AOE magic spell + Charm DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 2 Beat? No Maximum Range: 4 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (four squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Tempting Lips Targeting: Summary: Ranged single-target magic spell + Batrify DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: Linear Beat? Yes Maximum Range: 3 [>] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [P] = Possible targeting panel **************** Rock Physique **************** Enemy Type: Golem Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 147 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Megaton Punch Mastery 0 Null, Random Break Base Pow: 89 Tactics Pow: 373 Spec II: Earthquake Mastery 13 Earth, can't be Guarded, Base Pow: 30 Tactics Pow: 126 does not damage units that are Flying or standing in water Location: Scene 12 Scene 20 Scene 25-2 Megaton Punch Targeting: Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + breaks random piece of non- weapon equipment DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? Yes [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Earthquake Targeting: Summary: Infinite-range physical damage; can't be guarded against; does not affect characters who are Flying or standing in water DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: Infinite Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T]... [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted panel ****************** Dragon Physique ****************** Enemy Type: Drake Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 136 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Dragon Tail Swipe Mastery 0 Null, Damage is split Base Pow: 117 Tactics Pow: 54 between all targets Spec II: Dragon Charge Mastery 8 Null, Knockback Base Pow: 194 Tactics Pow: 30 Spec III: Dragonfire Mastery 15 Fire, Burn Base Pow: 135 Tactics Pow: 126 Location: Scene 14 Scene 16 Dragon Tail Swipe Targeting: Summary: Three-square row-targeting physical strike; damage dealt is split amongst all targets (does 100% damage to one target; does 33% damage each to three targets) DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [T] [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Dragon Charge Targeting: Summary: Single-square adjacent physical strike + Knockback DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square Dragonfire Targeting: Summary: Two-square piercing damage + Burn DEL: 14 CT: 4 Height: +/- 1 Beat? No [>] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [T] = Targeted square *************** Iron Chassis *************** Enemy Type: Rail Cannon Stars: * Element: Null Base Power: 144 Guard Rating: 0% Capacity: 0 Beat Action: Normal Attacks: Spec I: Rail Cannon Mastery 0 Fire, 1/4 health = damage, Base Pow: 0 Tactics Pow: 0 Burn, Undodgeable Location: Scene 10 Scene 22 Rail Cannon Targeting: Summary: Wide-ranged AOE damage equal to 1/4 of target's maximum HP; cannot be evaded DEL: 14 CT: 0 Height: +/- 0 Beat? No Minimum Range: 3 Maximum Range: 6 [>] [ ] [ ] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Untargetable square [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (six squares away): [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = Attacker [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.02 SHIELD LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Ah, shields! Lifeblood of the Knight and bane of my existence. Used for guarding against melee attacks... and occasionally for causing them. SHIELD RATING RUBRIC 5/5: A must-have purchase. Equipment that is exceptionally good. 4/5: A good purchase. This'll probably last you throughout the entire game. 3/5: A solid purchase. Reliable, but nothing to write home about. 2/5: A situational purchase. Has uses, but may not be worth spending money on. 1/5: A disappointing purchase. Probably not worth buying. ******************************************************************************* 6.02.01 Small Shields ******************************************************************************* Used By: Fencer (Giulio) Valkyrie (Elise) Gladiator (Ragnus) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight General (Robertus) Skeleton Buckler Rating: 5/5. Lightest possible shield, with no MOVE or JUMP penalties. Category: Small Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 42% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x2 Location: Scene 03 (Chest) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Valkyrie Shield Rating: 1/5. Has no satisfactory niche between Buckler and Round Shield. Category: Small Capacity: 15 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 45% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV +0 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x4 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Round Shield Rating: 5/5. Best shield to have no MOVE penalties. Category: Small Capacity: 16 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 48% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV +0 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x3 Location: Scene 09 (Object) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Lion Heart Rating: 5/5. Highest Guard Chance on a Small Shield. Category: Small Capacity: 17 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 54% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x5 Location: Scene 22 (Boss equipment) Scene 23 (Chest) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Royal Shield Rating: 2/5. The Scapegoat Boost is very situational. Bad otherwise. Category: Small Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 39% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV +0 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: Scapegoat Addition to Counters Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x4 Location: Scene 22 (Object) Scene 25 (Chest) ******************************************************************************* 6.02.02 Large Shields ******************************************************************************* Used By: Knight Mirror Shield Rating: 1/5. Vastly inferior to the Buckler and the Basilisk Shield. Category: Large Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 48% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: Scapegoat Addition to Counters Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x5 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Crusade Shield Rating: 4/5. Best Guard Chance while keeping the penalties at -1. Category: Large Capacity: 25 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 66% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: Scapegoat Addition to Counters Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x7 Location: Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Ogre Shield Rating: 3/5. An unusual choice, but not a bad one, by any means. Category: Large Capacity: 24 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: Prevent Half Guard Guard: 54% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 150 Main Action: Shield Bash Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: Knockback Refine: Null x8 Location: Scene 09 (Chest) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 14-15 Shop Kite Shield Rating: 4/5. Really good until you get a Crusade or Basilisk Shield. Category: Large Capacity: 22 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 60% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: Scapegoat Addition to Counters Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x7 Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Basilisk Shield Rating: 5/5. The best. High Guard, mild penalties, and Poison prevention. Category: Large Capacity: 20 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: Prevent Poison Guard: 63% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x6 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Assault Shield Rating: 2/5. Packs a punch, but lacks actual Guard. Good if used well. Category: Large Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 39% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 227 Main Action: Shield Strike Mastery 0 Null, Knockback Boost Action: N/A Beat Action: Knockback Refine: Null x3, Fire x3, Water x3, Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 11 (Chest) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Chest) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Mars Shield Rating: 4/5. Highest Guard Rating, period, but the mobility penalties hurt. Category: Large Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None Guard: 75% RES +0 Counter: N/A MOV -2 JUMP -2 DEL +1 Offensive Power: 0 Main Action: N/A Boost Action: Scapegoat Addition to Counters Beat Action: N/A Refine: Null x9 Location: Scene 19 (Chest) Scene 22 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.03 ARMOR LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* I'd just like to take a moment here for a quick reminder: armor can NOT be Alchemized the way weapons can. It can, however, be refined into Gems that can then be used to Alchemize weapons. Just so we all remember that. ARMOR RATING RUBRIC 5/5: A must-have purchase. Equipment that is exceptionally good. 4/5: A good purchase. This'll probably last you throughout the entire game. 3/5: A solid purchase. Reliable, but nothing to write home about. 2/5: A situational purchase. Has uses, but may not be worth spending money on. 1/5: A disappointing purchase. Probably not worth buying. ******************************************************************************* 6.03.01 Body Armor List ******************************************************************************* Leather Clothes Equipped By: Anyone Rating: 1/5. Not worth the CAP. Category: Body Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Air x1 Location: Giulio initial equipment Teresa initial equipment Noah initial equipment Claude initial equipment Ragnus initial equipment Paulo initial equipment Scene 01 (Enemy equipment) Scene 01-02 Shop Scene 02 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 02-03 Shop Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 04-05 Shop Hard Leather Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 3/5. Fine until you get something better. Category: Body Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Earth x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Corset Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Assassin Trickster Tamer Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 3/5. First MDEF armor. Surprisingly rare, considering. Category: Body Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Water x1, Air x1 Location: Elise initial equipment Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Battle Clothes Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Assassin Trickster Tamer Rating: 4/5. Best female DEF armor for quite some time. Category: Body Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x1, Air x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Iron Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Rating: 5/5. Best body armor for anybody until the Brigandine appears. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +25 MDEF +0 RES +15 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3, Earth x2 Location: Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Raven Cloth Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Rating: 2/5. It's actually pretty good, but it's unnecessarily expensive. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Classic Robe Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Sorceress Witch Necromancer (Isabeli) Rating: 4/5. Shockingly strong MDEF armor that appears very early on. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +25 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x1, Air x3, Earth x1 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 12 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Lovely One-Piece Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Witch Rating: 4/5. Solid stats and great elemental affinities. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Protector Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Gunner Rating: 1/5. Completely inferior to Chain Mail. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Chain Mail Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 5/5. Strong, cheap, early, easily-purchasable armor for many units. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10-11 Shop Iron Skinnies Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Tamer Rating: 5/5. Even better than Chain Mail for those who can equip it. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x2, Water x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Evening Gown Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Priestess Sorceress Rating: 2/5. Decent MDEF and RES, but Sorceresses prefer Classic Robes. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +15 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x2, Earth x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Sun Cloak Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Prevent Aqua Damage is great against Undine. Category: Body Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Aqua Damage DEF +10 MDEF +15 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x3, Air x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 09 (Chest) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Lorica Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 4/5. Pretty strong armor for Archers and Gunners. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +20 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x5 Location: Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Aqua Robe Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Priestess Sorceress Rating: 5/5. Prevent Pyro Damage is crucial for multiple scenes. Category: Body Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Pyro Damage; Prevent Burn DEF +10 MDEF +20 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x3, Water x3, Earth x2 Location: Scene 11 (Chest) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Mermaid Pareo Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Trickster Tamer Undine Rating: 5/5. The ideal armor to wear against Undine. Category: Body Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Absorb 35% Aqua Damage DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x5 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Silphy Garb Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 5/5. Less important than Prevent Pyro/ Aqua, but still great. Category: Body Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Aero Damage DEF +10 MDEF +10 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Fuuma Muffler Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Rating: 5/5. Absorbs damage from several Assassins and Tricksters. Category: Body Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Absorb 35% Aero Damage DEF +5 MDEF +15 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Water x1, Earth x4 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Yggdrasil Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Trickster Rating: 5/5. Unnecessary early, but comes into its own in the endgame. Category: Body Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Absorb 35% Geo Damage DEF +10 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Dragon Coat Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Archer Gunner Rating: 2/5. Can be useful, but I'd rather have a +TAC helmet. Category: Body Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: TP +3 when equipee takes Magic damage DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x2, Water x2 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Mirage Garb Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Alchemist (Paulo) Assassin Trickster Rating: 4/5. Has a great spread of DEF and MDEF and is nice and light. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +15 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3, Water x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 20 (Enemy equipment) Misty Minimum Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Assassin Witch Rating: 2/5. Very, VERY rarely worth the crippling cost of money or CAP. Category: Body Capacity: 41 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Reflect 50% Magic Damage DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Mithril Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Rating: 4/5. Can be good early on. Inferior to Iron Armor, in my opinion. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +20 MDEF +5 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Earth x3 Location: Scene 09 (Chest) Scene 10 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Rune Mail Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Rating: 5/5. Only Giulio- and Paladin-armor with +CAST. Priceless. Category: Body Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Water x4, Air x5 Location: Scene 11 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Lamellar Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Thrower Rating: 1/5. A bit more RES than Chain Mail. That's it. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Full Metal Coat Equipped By: Thrower Chariot (Ziyad) Rating: 4/5. One of the better armors for Throwers, but has no other use. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +15 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x3, Air x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Pure Grace Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Priestess Rating: 3/5. Mediocre but not bad stats and rare Air affinity. Has uses. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +10 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x2, Water x1, Earth x3 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Black Maria Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Priestess Witch Rating: 2/5. Barely saved from a 1/5 by its high RES stat. Very situational. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +50 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x2, Earth x3 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Servant Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 4/5. Surprisingly strong DEF for your lady casters. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +5 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x5 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Pauldron Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Duelist (Natalia) Archer Rating: 2/5. Good protection for an Archer, but the mobility drop hurts. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +25 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x1, Air x4 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Joker Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) (why...?) Trickster Rating: 4/5. I don't understand why Alissa can equip it, but it's good. Category: Body Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +10 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x3, Air x2 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Valiant Robe Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Sorceress Rating: 3/5. I prefer the Classic Robe, but this is a decent substitute. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +25 RES +15 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3, Earth x4 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Shell Breastplate Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Tamer Rating: 2/5. Hard or impossible to use, but the HP regen is very strong. Category: Body Capacity: 41 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: 4% HP Regen in Water DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x6, Earth x6 Location: Scene 17 (Chest) Beni Shigure Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Assassin Rating: 4/5. It's a Valiant Robe for people who can't wear the Classic Robe. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +25 RES +15 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x5 Location: Scene 18 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Dragonia Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Brute Rating: 5/5. Critically important for multiple scenes. Category: Body Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Absorb 35% Pyro Damage DEF +30 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x5, Fire x5 Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Brigandine Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Brute Rating: 5/5. Nice little upgrade to the Iron Armor. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +30 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x2, Earth x3 Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Brave Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Paladin Knight Brute Rating: 3/5. It's heavy armor. That's about it. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +20 MDEF +10 RES +25 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x2, Air x4 Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Cuirass Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 5/5. Only body armor with +HIT. Category: Body Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x1, Air x3 Location: Scene 16 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Leopardess Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Trickster Tamer Rating: 5/5. It's a Classic Robe that protects against Sticky! Category: Body Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sticky DEF +5 MDEF +25 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3, Air x3, Earth x2 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop White Robe Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Priestess Rating: 5/5. One of the very rare +CAST body armors. Priestesses love it. Category: Body Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x3, Air x2 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Maximilian Equipped By: Knight Rating: 4/5. Pretty good Knight armor. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +35 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x4, Air x5 Location: Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Tyrant Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Brute Rating: 4/5. One of the better heavy armor choices on a non-Knight. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +35 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x5, Air x4 Location: Scene 19 (Chest) Scene 22 (Chest) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Magic Eater Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Thrower Rating: 5/5. Absorbs ALL magic damage. Freaking. Priceless. Category: Body Capacity: 41 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Absorb 35% of ANY magic damage DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 19 (Chest) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Golem Suit Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Rating: 4/5. Misses 5/5 only because of the shocking mobility loss. Category: Body Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Geo damage DEF +50 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV -2 JUMP -2 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x8, Air x8 Location: Scene 20 (Chest) Scene 25 (Object) Mephilum Equipped By: Duelist (Natalia) Paladin General (Robertus) Rating: 5/5. Makes for a great tanking Natalia or Paladin build. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +30 MDEF +10 RES +10 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x4, Air x4 Location: Scene 22 (Chest) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Blade Armor Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight General (Robertus) Rating: 2/5. About as useful as the Misty Minimum. Category: Body Capacity: 41 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Reflect 50% Physical Damage DEF +35 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV -2 JUMP -2 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x5, Water x5, Air x4, Earth x5 Location: Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Diamond Plate Equipped By: Knight Rating: 3/5. Knights can build DEF easily; it's getting MDEF that's tricky. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +40 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV -1 JUMP -1 DEL +1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x4, Air x4 Location: Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Dark Robe Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Witch Rating: 4/5. Similar to the Classic Robe and the Beni Shigure. Thus, good. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +30 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Heretic Dress Equipped By: Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Highest MDEF of any armor. Not much else, though. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +35 RES +15 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x8 Location: Scene 23 (Chest) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Walkyrie Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Assassin Trickster Tamer Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Make that 10/5. Pretty much the best armor, period. Category: Body Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +20 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +1 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x4, Earth x4 Location: Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* 6.03.02 Head Armor List ******************************************************************************* Academy Hat Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Royal (Alissa) Paladin Gunner Sorceress Rating: 5/5. Anything with +2 TAC is a 5/5. Category: Head Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 TAC +2 (!) Refine: Null x3, Fire x3, Air x1 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24 (Chest) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Angel Halo Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Paladin Priestess Sorceress Rating: 5/5. The only way to prevent Undead. Category: Head Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Undead, Prevent Curse DEF +0 MDEF +20 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x4, Earth x3 Location: Scene 17 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Armet Equipped By: Knight Rating: 3/5. Twice the RES but also twice the CAP of the Iron Heaume. Category: Head Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +70 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x7 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Bat Hairpin Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Sorceress Witch Rating: 2/5. Batrify is very, very uncommon, but extremely annoying. Category: Head Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Batrified DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Beastbone Helm Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Brute Tamer Rating: 4/5. Great DEF for low CAP. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Aerism DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Air x4 Location: Scene 12 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Brave Bandana Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Brute Assassin Gunner Rating: 2/5. Good way to get some early RES, but Sacrifice is scarce. Category: Head Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sacrifice DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Crystal Circlet Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Priestess Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Good source of early MDEF. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Phys Aura DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x5 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Demon Mask Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Sorceress Rating: 5/5. It's got +TAC! Category: Head Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +55 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 TAC +1 (!) Refine: Fire x5 Location: Scene 21 (Chest) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Feather Ornament Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Gunner Thrower Witch Rating: 4/5. Gives good MDEF to multiple units throughout the game. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Geoism DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x6 (odd...) Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Firebird Helmet Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Rating: 4/5. Virtually identical to the Beastbone Helm. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Aquism DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x3, Fire x3 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Green Beret Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Paladin Trickster Tamer Archer Rating: 3/5. Panic is almost never seen, but it's not a bad hat anyway. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Panic DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x2, Earth x2 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Hermet Hood Equipped By: Trickster Thrower Rating: 5/5. Anything with +2 TAC is a 5/5. Category: Head Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 TAC +2 (!) Refine: Null x2, Fire x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 12 (Chest) Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Hero's Crown Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Brute Archer Gunner Rating: 5/5. It's a good helmet, and DEF 1/2 is a bad effect. Category: Head Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent DEF 1/2 DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x3, Earth x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Holy Brim Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Assassin Priestess Rating: 5/5. Curse and Stone are both terrible ailments. Category: Head Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Curse, Prevent Stone DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x2, Air x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Holy Hood Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Trickster Thrower Priestess Rating: 5/5. So heavy... but for +CAST and +TAC, I can manage. Category: Head Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +50 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +10 TAC +1 (!) Refine: Null x2, Water x3, Earth x2 Location: Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Intelli Ribbon Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Tamer Archer Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Anything with +2 TAC is a 5/5. Category: Head Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 TAC +2 (!) Refine: Null x2, Earth x3 Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11 (Chest) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 24 (Chest) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Iron Heaume Equipped By: Knight Rating: 5/5. My preferred Knight helm. Mana Aura really screws with Knights. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Mana Aura DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3, Air x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Iron Mask Equipped By: Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Knight Assassin Thrower Rating: 5/5. Good DEF and protects against a horrific ailment. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Charm DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x2, Air x2 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 08 (Enemy equipment) Magic Tiara Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Assassin Tamer Sorceress Rating: 5/5. Good MDEF and good status protection. Category: Head Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent MDEF 1/2 DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x2, Water x2 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Medic Cap Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Priestess Rating: 5/5. A rare headpiece with +CAST on it. Important for Priestesses. Category: Head Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Water x4, Earth x3 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Noel Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Valkyrie (Elise) Alchemist (Paulo) Royal (Alissa) Paladin Trickster Archer Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Stats are low, but a nice bonus, and Prevent Sleep is handy. Category: Head Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sleep DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Water x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Pantera Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Brute Trickster Tamer Rating: 4/5. Good stat spread. Category: Head Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +65 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Pointy Hat Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Trickster Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Essential for mages where Silent lurks. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Silent, Prevent Slow Cast DEF +5 MDEF +15 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x2, Air x3, Earth x1 Location: Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Pumpkin Hat Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Trickster Archer Witch Rating: 5/5. Better stats than the Holy Brim, but only prevents Curse. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Curse DEF +5 MDEF +15 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x4, Air x3 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Rapid Rabbit Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Witch Rating: 5/5. Highest +CAST of any helmet, even if it is heavy. Category: Head Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +20 Refine: Earth x7 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Silver Wolf Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Brute Trickster Tamer Thrower Rating: 5/5. Good stats, and Scapegoat can and will screw you. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Scapegoat DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +40 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x2, Air x2 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Stone Head Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Tamer Gunner Bandit (Rodrigues) Rating: 5/5. Really damn light for stone. Appropriately sturdy, though. Category: Head Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Pyrism, Aquism, Aerism, and Geoism DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x5 Location: Scene 12 (Object) Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Tin Soldier Hat Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Archer Gunner Rating: 4/5. Good stat spread. Category: Head Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +60 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x3, Air x3 Location: Scene 21 (Object) Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Viking Helm Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Brute Tamer Rating: 4/5. It's the Beastbone/ Firebird Helmet all over again. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Fleeing DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +35 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x5 Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Water Veil Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Priestess Rating: 3/5. Not bad, but usually forgotten once the Angel Halo arrives. Category: Head Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Pyrism DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +45 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x3, Water x3 Location: Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop ******************************************************************************* 6.03.03 Hand Armor List ******************************************************************************* Aerobrace Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Thrower Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Lightest CAST +35 equipment for Witches. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Air Affinity +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +35 Refine: Null x3, Fire x3, Water x3, Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Aggressor Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Duelist (Natalia) Assassin Thrower Witch Rating: 3/5. Average stats, but pretty nice Boost. Really heavy, though. Category: Hand Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Damage to Ace increased Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +25 Refine: Null x3, Air x10, Earth x10 Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21 (Chest) Scene 22 (Chest) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Alchemitton Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Trickster Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 4/5. Good +CAST early on, and Gems are always valuable. Category: Hand Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Creates Gems in the element of the attack being Boosted Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +25 Refine: Null x4, Fire x4, Water x4, Air x4, Earth x4 Location: Scene 08 (Chest) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Angelist Equipped By: Royal (Alissa) Paladin Priestess Witch Rating: 4/5. Makes it easier to Master some grimoires, i.e. Book of Laura. Category: Hand Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Increases HP healed by a healing spell by 15% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +25 Refine: Null x5, Water x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Answerer Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Brute Assassin Thrower Rating: 2/5. Your army has to build around it, but it gets results. Category: Hand Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Increases damage dealt if Boost target is at Critical HP Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +20 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Water x2, Air x4 Location: Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20 (Chest) Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Arm Guard Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Knight Tamer Rating: 3/5. Light, and has high DEF. Boost isn't great, but could be worse. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Counter Guard +50% (NOTE: The effect reads "Counter Damage +50%." This is inaccurate.) Equip Effect: None DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Chrono Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Trickster Sorceress Witch Necromancer (Isabeli) Chariot (Ziyad) Rating: 5/5. Highest +CAST of any piece of equipment. Category: Hand Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Cast Time -30% Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +50 Refine: Null x2, Water x8, Air x8, Earth x10 Location: Scene 12 (Enemy equipment) Scene 20 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Defender Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Paladin Knight Brute Rating: 3/5. Light, and has high DEF. Half Guard isn't common, but hey. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Half Guard DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x4 Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Fish Scale Gaunt Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Trickster Gunner Rating: 2/5. Occasionally useful, but usually unusable. Category: Hand Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Power UP in water Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Force Bracelet Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Valkyrie (Elise) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Assassin Priestess Sorceress Rating: 5/5. Great +CAST and can boost your melee fighters' damage. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Melee Weapon Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +35 Refine: Null x7, Fire x3, Air x1 Location: Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 16 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Gauntlet Equipped By: Knight Rating: 5/5. Shieldless is bad for a Knight, and +20 DEF is great. Category: Hand Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Shieldless DEF +20 MDEF +0 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x3, Earth x2 Location: Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Hard Stringer Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 5/5. Best +HIT equipment for Elise. Good for all others, too. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Ranged weapon damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +30 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x2, Water x4, Earth x3 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Healing Gloves Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Priestess Rating: 5/5. Lightest CAST +35 equipment for Alissa and Priestesses. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Ailment Time Down Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +35 Refine: Null x1, Water x6, Air x6 Location: Scene 16 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Hunter Gauntlet Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 4/5. Would be a 3/5, but the Boost is really good. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Ranged Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Javelick Blue Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Rebel (Valerie) Thrower Rating: 3/5. Offers a nice chunk of MDEF to its equipper, but a meh Boost. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Water Affinity +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +25 CAST +0 Refine: Water x4, Air x5 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 21 (Enemy equipment) Kaiser Knuckle Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Knight Brute Trickster Rating: 4/5. A bit heavy, but its Boost is very much worth it. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Melee Tactics Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Magic Gauntlet Equipped By: Paladin Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Would be a 3/5, but the Boost is really good. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Magic Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Air x5 Location: Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop MG Gadget Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Trickster Archer Thrower Rating: 4/5. Great if you get it early. Outclassed by the Hard Stringer. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Ranged Tactics Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +20 CAST +0 Refine: Air x7 Location: Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Mystic Bangle Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Royal (Alissa) Priestess Sorceress Witch Rating: 4/5. Easily obtained and has the best +CAST for a while. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Magic Tactics Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +25 Refine: Null x2, Fire x3, Water x3 Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Obsidian Glove Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Brute Archer Rating: 2/5. Not very good. The Ruby Arm Guard is better. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Earth Affinity +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +0 Refine: Air x6 Location: Scene 14 (Object) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Overdrive Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Royal (Alissa) Paladin Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Ideal Boost, stats, and equippees. Worth the CAP. Category: Hand Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Magic Weapon Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +35 Refine: Null x3, Fire x6, Air x1, Earth x1 Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Power Gaunts Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Duelist (Natalia) Knight Brute Tamer Thrower Rating: 5/5. +10 DEF and an awesome Boost for only 14 CAP. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Melee Damage +50% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +10 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 02 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03 (Chest) (Enemy equipment) Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Ruby Arm Guard Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 3/5. Decent package of stats, but a substandard Boost. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Fire Affinity +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +25 CAST +0 Refine: Null x4, Fire x5 Location: Scene 09 (Chest) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Savage Hunter Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Brute Assassin Tamer Rating: 4/5. An excellent Boost. Unremarkable stats hold it back from 5/5. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Enemy Guard -20% Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1 Location: Scene 04 (Enemy equipment) Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Scene 07 (Enemy equipment) Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Serpent Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Paladin Trickster Tamer Sorceress Rating: 5/5. One of my personal favorites. Sorceresses love these. Category: Hand Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Ailment infliction chance +20% Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +35 Refine: Null x4, Fire x3, Water x3, Earth x7 Location: Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Shady Shackles Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Brute Tamer Rating: 5/5. Allows anybody to break enemy equipment! Category: Hand Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Destroy random piece of enemy equipment Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1 Location: Scene 20 (Chest) Snipe Finger Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 5/5. +60 HIT?! No, that is not a typo. Category: Hand Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Accuracy +25% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +60 CAST +0 Refine: Null x5, Fire x5, Water x5 Location: Scene 19 (Chest) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Vamp Nail Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Trickster Sorceress Rating: 3/5. The lifesteal adds up over time, but the CAP is very high. Category: Hand Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Absorb 1/3 Damage Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Null x4, Air x4 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Vantage Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Alchemist (Paulo) Rebel (Valerie) Brute Assassin Trickster Tamer Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 3/5. Has +HIT, but prevents a melee status effect? Still, not bad. Category: Hand Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Poor Aim DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +15 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x2, Water x1 Location: Scene 03 (Enemy equipment) Scene 03-04 Shop Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 06 (Enemy equipment) Wrecker Gloves Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Trickster Thrower Rating: 5/5. Virtually necessary to open chests in any reasonable time. Category: Hand Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Damage to Objects Increased Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 09 (Object) Scene 09-10 Shop ******************************************************************************* 6.03.04 Foot Armor List ******************************************************************************* Amazon Boots Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Duelist (Natalia) Tamer Rating: 5/5. Heavy, but offers an invaluable level of mobility. Category: Foot Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +1 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x1 Location: Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Apollon Shoes Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Rating: 4/5. A side-grade to the Wheel Greaves. Just as good. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +1 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Army Tights Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Rating: 5/5. Assassins shouldn't get hit anyway; they love the mobility. Category: Foot Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +1 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Cat Feet Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Trickster Rating: 4/5. Slows down the equippee to speed up your army. Category: Hand Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL -1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Fire Boots Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Paladin Trickster Tamer Witch Rating: 5/5. Virtually required for Scene 10. Still useful afterwards. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Burn DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 06-07 Shop Scene 07-08 Shop Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Frog Shoes Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Assassin Trickster Archer Gunner Witch Rating: 2/5. The effect is occasionally useful, but never required. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Stops drift in water DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3 Location: Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Gargan Boots Equipped By: Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Tamer Rating: 3/5. Pretty decent way to get a quick +15 DEF. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Fleeing DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x2, Air x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09 (Enemy equipment) Scene 10 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25-26 Shop Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Glass Shoes Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Assassin Trickster Priestess Sorceress Rating: 3/5. Good stats, but not very special otherwise. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +1, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 14 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Gram Canceller Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Tamer Thrower Rating: 2/5. Can be useful, but that price tag is murder. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Ignore Grams DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Water x3, Earth x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Heavy Greaves Equipped By: Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Rating: 4/5. They ARE heavy, but it's worth the highest DEF on a shoe. Category: Foot Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +20 MDEF +0 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1 Location: Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 22-23 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Hunting Gear Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Rebel (Valerie) Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 5/5. Only shoes with +HIT. Obviously valuable. Category: Foot Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +20 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x2, Air x3 Location: Scene 23-24 Shop Scene 24-25 Shop Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Scene 26 (Enemy equipment) Epilogue B (Enemy equipment) Insect Shoes Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Archer Gunner Thrower Rating: 4/5. I'd like them more if they were lighter, but +JUMP is great. Category: Foot Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x1 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Jewel Anklet Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Natalia Priestess Sorceress Teller (Heramia) Rating: 3/5. The passive is whatever, but it's got a lot of MDEF. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Affinity Can't Change (immune to all -ism ailments and Boosts from items such as the Roses) DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x4 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Leg Warmer Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Assassin Trickster Witch Rating: 3/5. Enemies eventually stop Freezing you, but it's good until then. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Freeze DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Ping Pong Pumps Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Priestess Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Pretty similar to the Insect Shoes. Adds a touch of MDEF. Category: Foot Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Ranger Boots Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Duelist (Natalia) Tamer Thrower Rating: 5/5. None of its ailments are common, but they're all annoying. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sticky, Gravity, Slippery DEF +10 MDEF +5 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x2, Earth x2 Location: Scene 11 (Chest) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Sabbath Equipped By: Sorceress Witch Rating: 5/5. Only shoes with +CAST. Obviously valuable. Category: Foot Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +15 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Safety Boots Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Trickster Priestess Witch Rating: 4/5. Gives more DEF than most armors, especially for Witches. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Ignore Trickster Pit Traps DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x4, Earth x3 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Shadow Sandals Equipped By: Assassin Rating: 5/5. +2 MOVE?! Of course it's good!! But that price tag...!! Category: Foot Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +2 (!) JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Air x2 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Shell Shoes Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Valkyrie (Elise) Royal (Alissa) Trickster Archer Gunner Rating: 2/5. Hard or impossible to use, but the HP regen is very strong. Category: Foot Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: 4% HP Regen in water DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x1 Location: Scene 16 (Chest) Shinobi Shoes Equipped By: Assassin Rating: 5/5. As ridiculously good (and expensive) as the Shadow Sandals. Category: Foot Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL -2 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Shura Kogake Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Alchemist (Paulo) Knight Brute Rating: 5/5. From stats to Counter Number to CAP to ailment, it's good. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent No Counter DEF +15 MDEF +0 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Air x2 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Spikes Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Knight Brute Tamer Rating: 2/5. Slippery is very uncommon and they're unremarkable otherwise. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Slippery DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x3 Location: Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Spring Shoes Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Assassin Trickster Rating: 5/5. +2 JUMP can get you chests you'd otherwise need a Witch for. Category: Foot Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +2 (!) DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Thief Shoes Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Assassin Trickster Tamer Rating: 4/5. Slows down the equippee to speed up your army. Category: Foot Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL -1 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x1 Location: Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Tough Boots Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Trickster Tamer Thrower Rating: 3/5. Can be useful on Scene 17 in particular and are very light. Category: Foot Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty II Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sticky DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3 Location: Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05 (Enemy equipment) Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Tricky Boots Equipped By: Trickster Rating: 5/5. Tricksters just love that mobility. Category: Foot Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +1 JUMP +1 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 14-15 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Twilight Leggings Equipped By: Rebel (Valerie) Assassin Rating: 2/5. Too expensive, and outclassed by the much-better Army Tights. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty III Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +0 MOV +1 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1, Earth x1 Location: Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 14-15 Shop Wheel Greaves Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Duelist (Natalia) Knight Brute Rating: 4/5. Pretty much anything with +MOVE is good, and this is the first. Category: Foot Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +0 Counter Number: Specialty IV Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +10 MDEF +0 RES +10 MOV +1 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 04-05 Shop Scene 05-06 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) Scene 25-26 Shop Wonder Sandals Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Assassin Trickster Sorceress Rating: 3/5. Gravity only appears in the very endgame, but it can be a pain. Category: Foot Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Counter Number: Specialty I Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Gravity DEF +5 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x1, Air x2 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 17-18 Shop Scene 24 (Enemy equipment) ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.04 ACCESSORY LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Generally charms used to protect the wearer from status ailments, you'll find that some of them - like the Accelerator and the Knowledge Tablet - are a bit more... unusual. ACCESSORY RATING RUBRIC 5/5: A must-have purchase. Equipment that is exceptionally good. 4/5: A good purchase. This'll probably last you throughout the entire game. 3/5: A solid purchase. Reliable, but nothing to write home about. 2/5: A situational purchase. Has uses, but may not be worth spending money on. 1/5: A disappointing purchase. Probably not worth buying. Accelerator Equipped By: Any Rating: 2/5. Category: Accessory Capacity: ??? Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: ??? Equip Effect: ??? DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: ??? Location: Scene 26 (Chest) Alicorn Equipped By: Any Rating: 3/5. Offers no stats, but allows any character to heal. Category: Accessory Capacity: 32 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Recover 10% HP Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x8 Location: Scene 23 (Chest) Scene 25 (Enemy equipment) Ambrosia Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Paladin Knight Brute Assassin Trickster Tamer Archer Gunner Thrower Sorceress Witch Rating: 4/5. Offers no stats, but constant regen is very strong. Category: Accessory Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: HP Regen 4% DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x15, Fire x15, Water x15 Air x15, Earth x15 Location: Scene 20 (Object) Scene 23 (Chest) Anti-Trap Equipped By: Any Rating: 2/5. Almost NEVER necessary, but barely takes any CAP, either.... Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Nullify a trap; breaks on use; comes with three charges DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 14 (Chest) Black Cat Earring Equipped By: Paladin Assassin Trickster Sorceress Witch Rating: 2/5. You might have Sacrifice placed on you once. Maybe twice. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Sacrifice DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Black Fan Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Sorceress Rating: 4/5. I really like this item. Killing enemy TP can be a big help. Category: Accessory Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Reduce Enemy TP Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +10 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x4, Fire x5, Air x3, Earth x3 Location: Scene 12 (Chest) Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Butterfly Broach Equipped By: Assassin Sorceress Rating: 3/5. Gravity only appears in the very endgame, but it can be a pain. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Gravity DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Cat's Eye Equipped By: Valkyrie (Elise) Assassin Trickster Gunner Witch Rating: 1/5. Appears AFTER all the Blind-causing enemies are dead. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Blind DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x2, Earth x2 Location: Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Charge Bugle Equipped By: All Rating: 5/5. The Boost is kind of cool, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 23 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Decrease WT by 50% for action taken Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x10, Fire x10, Water x10, Air x10, Earth x10 Location: Scene 10 (Chest) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 21 (Chest) Cheering Flag Equipped By: All Rating: 5/5. The Boost is kind of cool, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: DEL -2 for action taken Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x10, Fire x10, Water x10, Air x10, Earth x10 Location: Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 15-16 Shop Scene 22 (Enemy equipment) Crimson Rose Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. The Boost is unnecessary, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Fire +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x10 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 09 (Object) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19 (Enemy equipment) Dog Tag Equipped By: Any Rating: 2/5. Slippery is incredibly rare, but also really aggravating. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Slippery DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x2 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 14 (Chest) Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Eventrion Equipped By: Anybody Rating: Unobtainable. Would be completely and obviously broken, though. Category: Accessory Capacity: 0 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent all ailments Cannot be stolen Passive Effect: Revive when KO'ed Refine: N/A Location: Unobtainable, as the enemies equipped with it cannot die and drop it and it specifically has the quality "Cannot be stolen." Feather Rose Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. The Boost is unnecessary, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Air +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x10 (NOTE: This is clearly a bug, as the Feather Rose ought to refine into Air Gems, but it does not! It refines into Earth Gems!) Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Gorgon Cameo Equipped By: Any Rating: 4/5. Stone is good to prevent, and it offers some good MDEF. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Stone DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1, Earth x2 Location: Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 19-20 Shop Scene 20-21 Shop Scene 21-22 Shop Ice Rose Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. The Boost is unnecessary, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Water +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x10 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Scene 23 (Enemy equipment) Iron Choker Equipped By: Assassin Trickster Tamer Rating: 3/5. Branded is rare, but aggravating, and the DEF and RES are good. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Branded DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Fire x3 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Knowledge Tablet Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. Unique and potent Boost, but I'd rather refine it for Gems. Category: Accessory Capacity: 27 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: Experience gained +20% Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x15, Fire x15, Water x15, Air x15, Earth x15 Location: Scene 20 (Chest) Scene 26 (Chest) Magic Ring Equipped By: Any Rating: 3/5. Pretty average. Decent stats, decent ailment prevention. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent MDEF 1/2 DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Water x3 Location: Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Chest) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop Marchen Wings Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. HOLY CRAP I WANT THESE ON EVERYBODY. Category: Accessory Capacity: 36 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Movement becomes Flying DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x15, Fire x15, Water x15, Air x15, Earth x15 Location: Scene 25 (Chest) Master Key Equipped By: Any Rating: 1/5. Why do so many things prevent an ailment as rare as Fleeing? Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Fleeing DEF +0 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Earth x2 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Mighty Ring Equipped By: Any Rating: 3/5. Pretty average. Decent stats, decent ailment prevention. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent DEF 1/2 DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x1 Location: Scene 09-10 Shop Scene 10 (Chest) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 17 (Enemy equipment) Scene 18-19 Shop One-Eyed Dragon Equipped By: Tamer Rating: 3/5. Can come in useful when every Knight starts carrying a Zephyr. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water -1, Air +1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Mana Aura DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Air x1, Earth x1 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18 (Chest) Scene 18-19 Shop Power Stone Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Rebel (Valerie) Knight Brute Tamer Thrower Rating: 3/5. You almost never face Weak, but the stats are pretty useful. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water -1, Air +0, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Weak DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Air x2, Earth x1 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10 (Object) Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Purging Talisman Equipped By: Any Rating: 4/5. A good "fill this last space" accessory. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water +0, Air +0, Earth -1 Boost Effect: Ailment Time Down Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x2 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18 (Object) Scene 18-19 Shop Rosary Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. If only it didn't break on use! (Then it'd be the Eventrion.) Category: Accessory Capacity: 18 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +0 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Revive when K.O.'d; Rosary breaks on use! DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x15 Location: Scene 14 (Object) Sand Rose Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. The Boost is unnecessary, but the Gems it refines to!! Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air +0, Earth +0 Boost Effect: Earth +5 Equip Effect: None DEF +0 MDEF +10 RES +20 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x10 (NOTE: This is clearly a bug, as the Sand Rose ought to refine into Earth Gems, but it does not! It refines into Air Gems!) Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 11 (Enemy equipment) Scene 11-12 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Sorcery Glass Equipped By: Alchemist (Paulo) Sorceress Rating: 4/5. Has the Power Stone's stats, but its ailment is common. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air +1, Earth -1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Phys Aura DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Water x1, Earth x1 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Stunner Belt Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Gladiator (Ragnus) Knight Brute Tamer Rating: 3/5. Just adds a little extra DEF to a frontline fighter. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +0, Water +0, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: None DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +0 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Air x1 Location: Scene 03-04 Shop Talisman Equipped By: Any Rating: 5/5. Curse is pretty common in the endgame, and the stats help too. Category: Accessory Capacity: 14 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Curse DEF +0 MDEF +15 RES +25 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x2, Fire x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Tiger Band Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Brute Tamer Rating: 2/5. Pain is a concern exactly once, but it has good DEF and RES. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire +1, Water -1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Pain DEF +5 MDEF +0 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 08-09 Shop Scene 10-11 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop Voodoo Doll Equipped By: Fencer (Giulio) Alchemist (Paulo) Rebel (Valerie) Royal (Alissa) Duelist (Natalia) Paladin Knight Brute Assassin Trickster Tamer Archer Gunner Thrower Sorceress Witch Rating: 3/5. Scapegoat is very rare, but it often forces resets. Category: Accessory Capacity: 9 Elemental Index: Fire -1, Water +1, Air -1, Earth +1 Boost Effect: None Equip Effect: Prevent Scapegoat DEF +0 MDEF +5 RES +30 MOV +0 JUMP +0 DEL +0 HIT +0 CAST +0 Refine: Null x1, Water x1, Air x1 Location: Scene 12-13 Shop Scene 16-17 Shop Scene 18-19 Shop ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 6.05 CONSUMABLE LIST ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* These are your healing items that come in stacks and disappear when you use them. Like the accessories, however, some of them are a bit odd, particularly the Lumiel, Luciel, and Loriel - which are items with cast times - or the Orichalcum - which exists purely for the purpose of being refined into 150 Alchemy Gems. Potion Capacity: 8 Refine: Null x1 Use: 35% HP recovery for self or another unit DEL: 6 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Medicinal Herb Capacity: 8 Refine: Earth x2 Use: 50% HP and 5% VIT recovery for self or an adjacent unit DEL: 3 Maximum Range: 1 [>] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Kokori Seed Capacity: 4 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x1, Air x1, Earth x1 Use: 20% HP and 2% VIT recovery for self or an adjacent unit DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Oat Bread Capacity: 8 Refine: Null x1 Use: 50% HP recovery for self DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Elixir Capacity: 15 Refine: Null x10 Use: 100% HP and 10% VIT recovery for self DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Dozeu Capacity: ??? Refine: ??? Use: ???% VIT recovery for self DEL: ? Maximum Range: User only Dried Dozeu Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1, Fire x1, Water x1, Air x1, Earth x1 Use: 25% VIT recovery for self DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Auto Potion Capacity: 13 Refine: Null x3 Passive: 35% HP recovery to self when you hit Crisis mode Lumiel Capacity: 11 Refine: Null x2 Use: 30% HP recovery for all units in range. Night-only. DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 3 CT: 18 [>] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (three squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = User [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Luciel Capacity: 11 Refine: Null x5 Use: 60% HP recovery for all units in range. Night-only. DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 CT: 18 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (five squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = User [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Loriel Capacity: 11 Refine: Null x10 Use: 90% HP recovery for all units in range. Night-only. DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 7 CT: 18 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Assuming targeting on farthest available panel (seven squares away): [T] [>] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [T] [T] [T] [T] [>] = User [ ] = Unaffected square [T] = Targeted panel Ether Capacity: 5 Refine: Null x10 Use: Reduces one unit's WT to 0 DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Auto Ether Capacity: ??? Refine: ??? Passive: Own WT becomes 0 when you hit Crisis mode Moon Lily Capacity: 13 Refine: Air x5, Earth x5 Passive: WT becomes 0 at night Art of War Capacity: 9 Refine: Null x3 Use: +10 TP DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Move Ampule Capacity: 7 Refine: Null x5 Use: Increases one unit's MOVE by 1 DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Jump Ampule Capacity: 7 Refine: Null x5 Use: Increases one unit's JUMP by 1 DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Eyedrops Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Sleep and Blind DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Holy Water Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Stone and Curse DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Antidote Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Poison and Pain DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Analeptic Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Poor Aim and Weak DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Aroma Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Silent and Slow Cast DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Neutralizer Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Pyrism, Aquism, Aerism, and Geoism DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Orb Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Mana Aura and Phys Aura DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Herb Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures DEF 1/2 and MDEF 1/2 DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Grease Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Sticky and Gravity DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Black Ash Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Slippery and Charm DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Incense Capacity: 6 Refine: Null x1 Use: Cures Fleeing and Panic DEL: 4 Maximum Range: 5 [>] [P] [P] [P] [P] [P] [>] = User [P] = Possible targeting panel Four-Leaf Clover Capacity: 8 Refine: Null x10, Fire x10, Water x10, Air x10, Earth x10 Passive: Cannot be stolen Use: Causes Lucky to the user. Day-only. DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Enchanting Rouge Capacity: 9 Refine: Null x3 Passive: Cannot be stolen Use: Can only be equipped by Wampyrs. Causes Enchanted. Night-only. DEL: 3 Maximum Range: User only Upola Statue Capacity: 18 Refine: Air x10 Use: Refinement or selling Onyx Capacity: 14 Refine: Null x10 Use: Refinement or selling Orichalcum Capacity: 14 Refine: Null x30, Fire x30, Water x30, Air x30, Earth x30 (!!!) Passive: Cannot be stolen Use: Refinement ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 7.0 STATUS EFFECTS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Status effects in Gungnir are not the piddling little irritants they are in many other RPGs. In Gungnir, status effects are gods; tiny War Gods that whole battles turn upon. One well-timed application of Pain can save your army from destruction. The use of Burn can single-handedly destroy even the toughest of bosses. An accidental Mana Aura can mean the difference between life and death mid-Beat. Long story short, status effects are important and here we're gonna talk about them. ************************* 7.1 REGULAR AILMENTS ************************* Blind Effect: The victim's accuracy with projectile weapons (Tools, Bows, Bowguns, Javelins, and Grimoires) is reduced by 50%. How to Cause Dark Saber 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Darkness Raid) Black Brand Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (Gloom Wraith) Sooty Testament Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Page Turner) Noir Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Diurnal Gram) How to Protect Cat's Eye Accessory How to Cure Eyedrops Consumable Branded Effect: The victim takes damage when they successfully land an attack. How to Cause Deathbringer Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (Dreaded Wraith) Demon Pen Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Traitorous Trap) Magic Comet Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Freedom Wave) Honey Stick Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Honeyed Assault) How to Protect Iron Choker Accessory How to Cure N/A Burn Effect: The victim takes damage every few ticks of the clock. Burn can be spread to other units: if you knockback the Burned unit into another unit or vice versa, both will become Burned; and if you use an attack with the Pass Through effect (Claws, Lances,) the character that passes through the Burned unit will also become Burned. How to Cause Magical Sword Greatsword Beat, Specialty II (Flame Burst) Volcano Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (Penumbra Wraith) Shiranui Tool Specialty III (Carmine Shark) Flint Bow Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Thermal Fang) Lava Rod Rod Beat, Specialty I (Redder Blitz) Specialty IV (Inferno Ruin) Southern Cross Rod Specialty IV (Inferno Ruin) Kikimora Broom Specialty II (Pyro Wave) Inferno Broom Specialty I (Hell's Crater) Formula Broom Specialty I (Hell's Crater) Specialty III (Explosion) Bronze Mace Mace Beat, Specialty IV (Crimson Flash) Arrow Heart Wand Specialty II (Hearty Sphere) How to Protect Aqua Robe Body Armor Fire Boots Foot Armor How to Cure Jump into shallow water. Charm Effect: The victim becomes uncontrollable and attacks its allies. How to Cause Golden Hammer Hammer Beat, Specialty III (Gold Rush) Lucky Broom Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Temptation Gram) Arrow Heart Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Cupid's Sign) How to Protect Iron Mask Head Armor How to Cure Black Ash Consumable Physically attack the Charmed unit. Curse Effect: The victim is unable to recover HP, via spell or item. All passive effects on said unit are negated until Curse wears off. How to Cause End of Ages 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Fallen Malediction) Naga Fangs Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Grudge Trap) Grief Bowgun Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Tragedy) Madorisux Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Necronomicon) Gungnir Magic Spear Beat, Specialty I (Distant Shadow) How to Protect Angel Halo Head Armor Holy Brim Head Armor Pumpkin Hat Head Armor Talisman Accessory How to Cure Holy Water Consumable DEF 1/2 Effect: The victim's DEF stat is halved. How to Cause Aegis 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Heaven Striker) Blue Stinger Rapier Beat, Specialty IV (Lapis Cascade) Mermaid Fin Tool Specialty II (Weak March) Lightning Bow Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Delight Fang) Gargoyle Rod Rod Beat, Specialty II (Purgatory Call) How to Protect Hero's Crown Head Armor Mighty Ring Accessory How to Cure Herb Consumable Fleeing Effect: The victim becomes uncontrollable and will move away from the closest enemies on their turn without acting in any other way. How to Cause Evensem Claw Beat, Specialty III (Solid Beat) Night Raven Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Animus) How to Protect Viking Helm Head Armor Gargan Boots Foot Armor Master Key Accessory How to Cure Incense Consumable Freeze Effect: The victim cannot move and cannot participate in Beats. They can still take action, although I believe Pass Through attacks (Claw, Lance) cannot be used. How to Cause Holy Sabre Greatsword Specialty II (Water Burst) Deathbringer Greatsword Specialty I (Armorbreaker) Zelos Greatsword Beat Suigetsu Katana Beat, Specialty III (Winters White Fang) Raincloud Bow Bow Beat, Specialty III (Freezing Night) Ice Javelin Javelin Beat, Specialty II (Frozen Spear) Icicle Rod Rod Beat, Specialty I (Cool Orb) Specialty IV (Cold Ruin) Cryocross Broom Specialty II (Drowning Wave) Sapphire Mace Mace Beat, Specialty IV (Icicle) Lilybell Wand Wand Specialty I (Sorcerous Sleet) How to Protect Leg Warmer Foot Armor How to Cure N/A Gravity Effect: The victim's JUMP is reduced to 0. How to Cause Prominence Whip Beat, Specialty II (Soul Charger) Fallen Phoenix Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Crimson Wing) Sorcery Book Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Hedge Magic) How to Protect Ranger Boots Foot Armor Wonder Sandals Foot Armor Butterfly Broach Accessory How to Cure Grease Consumable Half Guard Effect: The victim's Guard Chance, either from weapons or shields, is halved. How to Cause Thor's Hammer Hammer Beat, Specialty III (Air Rush) Scorpion Tail Tool Specialty IV (Defenseless Trap) Rainbow Arc Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Revered Fang) Aerial Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Wind Mirage) How to Protect Defender Hand Armor How to Cure N/A Mana Aura Effect: The victim's DEF is reduced to 0, but their MDEF is increased to 75. How to Cause Zephyr 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Flood Slash) Mana Dagger Dagger Beat, Specialty IV (Oratorio Scythe) Kikimora Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Magical Gram) Twinkle Stick Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Corpse Bride) How to Protect Iron Heaume Head Armor One-Eyed Dragon Accessory How to Cure Orb Consumable MDEF 1/2 Effect: The victim's MDEF stat is halved. How to Cause Air Blade Greatsword Specialty I (Shieldbreaker) Balmung Greatsword Specialty I (Shieldbreaker) Crimson Red Rapier Beat, Specialty IV (Rose Cascade) Fire Wyrm Rod Rod Beat, Specialty II (Ashen Call) Wind of Eden Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Resistor Gram) How to Protect Magic Tiara Head Armor Magic Ring Accessory How to Cure Herb Consumable Nightmare Effect: The victim becomes afflicted by a Doom Counter that ticks down over time. If the counter reaches 0 before the status wears off, the victim immediately dies. I believe the victim's RES affects when the ailment will wear off, so Breaking your target's head or body armor with an axe beforehand might make Nightmare work more frequently. How to Cause Zolfy Rapier Specialty IV (Nameless End) How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A No Counter Effect: The victim cannot counterattack. How to Cause Scarlet Scissor Claw Beat, Specialty III (Binding Beat) Thunder Chain Whip Beat, Specialty II (Quad Wind) Bow of Iria Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Silent Martyr) Book of Eleanor Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Consecration) How to Protect Shura Kogake Foot Armor How to Cure N/A Pain Effect: The victim cannot take action, but can still move and participate in Beats. How to Cause Wolf Fang Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Gastro Trap) Flame Whip Whip Beat, Specialty II (Grave Wind) Fanelia Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Jihad) Oni Lance Lance Beat, Specialty II (Enlightened Swipe) How to Protect Tiger Band Accessory How to Cure Antidote Consumable Panic Effect: The victim becomes uncontrollable and will attack random targets. This ailment is similar to other games' Confuse ailment. How to Cause Arabian Might Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Panic Trap) Apocalypse Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Apocalypse) How to Protect Green Beret Head Armor How to Cure Incense Consumable Phys Aura Effect: The victim's MDEF is reduced to 0, but their DEF is increased to 75. How to Cause 7-Star Sword Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (???) Carnage Claw Claw Beat, Specialty II (Ray Cleave) Tri Shot Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Nimbus) How to Protect Crystal Circlet Head Armor Sorcery Glass Accessory How to Cure Orb Consumable Poison Effect: The victim takes damage every few ticks of the clock. Functionally identical to Burn, but it cannot be spread by contact, nor can it be cured by jumping into shallow water. How to Cause Griffin Talon Claw Beat, Specialty II (Acid Cleave) Scorpion Tail Tool Beat, Specialty II (Noxious March) Thorn Whip Whip Beat, Specialty II (Doom Wind) Jormungandr Rod Beat, Specialty III (Venom) How to Protect Basilisk Shield Large Shield How to Cure Antidote Consumable Poor Aim Effect: The victim's melee attacks have double the chance of being guarded by their targets. How to Cause Blunt Sword 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Mortal Regret) Beast Fang Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Hurtful Trap) Small Bible Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Linked Grace) How to Protect Vantage Hand Armor How to Cure Analeptic Consumable Sacrifice Effect: Any unit that attacks the victim will regain a small amount of HP. How to Cause Epitaphios Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Sigil Trap) Apple Tree Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Scarring Gram) Shangri-La Lance Beat, Specialty II (Blessed Wind) How to Protect Brave Bandana Head Armor Black Cat Earring Accessory How to Cure N/A Scapegoat Effect: Whenever one of the victim's allies is attacked, the victim will take the damage instead. Damage is calculated against the target's DEF and MDEF, not the victim's. How to Cause Shiranui Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Ransom Trap) Cryocross Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Enormity Gram) How to Protect Silver Wolf Head Armor Voodoo Doll Accessory How to Cure N/A Shieldless Effect: The victim's shield becomes incapable of guarding against attacks, providing Boosts, or attacking. How to Cause Bloody Rose Hammer Beat, Specialty III (Crisis Slash) Jackhand Claw Beat, Specialty II (Storm Cleave) Alchemia Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Alchemic Dream) Morning Star Mace Beat, Specialty III (Iron Vice) How to Protect Gauntlet Hand Armor How to Cure N/A Silent Effect: The victim cannot cast magic that requires Cast Time to activate (Grimoires, Rods, Brooms, Wands, Scrolls, Tridents, Gungnir). Non- Cast-Time spells, such as a Grimoire's Specialty I healing or a Broom's Specialty IV Grams, can still be used. How to Cause Rune Knife Dagger Beat, Specialty IV (Calm Scythe) Epitaphios Tool Specialty II (Mute March) Natalia Starbow Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Raven Thrust) Icicle Rod Rod Specialty III (Red Pillar) Magic Comet Broom Specialty I (Silence Broom) How to Protect Pointy Hat Head Armor How to Cure Aroma Consumable Sleep Effect: The victim can neither move nor attack, but recovers health every few ticks of the clock. How to Cause Rosier 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Quaking Gale) Light Slasher Dagger Beat, Specialty IV (Tornado Scythe) Wild Cat Claw Beat, Specialty III (Tiring Beat) Leyte Claw Claw Beat, Specialty II (Breeze Cleave) Moonlight Rod Rod Beat, Specialty III (Full Moon Pillar) Coral Branch Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Naptime) How to Protect Noel Head Armor How to Cure Eyedrops Consumable Physically attack the Sleeping unit. Slippery Effect: When the victim moves, there is a chance they will slip and move to a different space instead. When this occurs, the victim's action is automatically cancelled. How to Cause Mermaid Fin Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Slide Trap) Lilybell Wand Wand Beat, Specialty IV (Handicap) How to Protect Ranger Boots Foot Armor Spikes Foot Armor Dog Tag Accessory How to Cure Black Ash Consumable Slow Cast Effect: The victim requires twice as much Cast Time to perform a spell that has Cast Time (Grimoires, Rods, Brooms, Wands, Scrolls, Tridents, Gungnir). How to Cause Wind Tearer Claw Beat, Specialty II (Blue Moon Slash) Spiral Arch Bow Beat, Specialty IV (Burden Fang) Southern Cross Rod Beat, Specialty III (Fallen Acrux) Chronodict Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Relativity) How to Protect Pointy Hat Head Armor How to Cure Aroma Consumable Sticky Effect: The victim's MOVE and JUMP are reduced to 1. How to Cause Spider Spike Tool Beat, Specialty IV (Slime Trap) Kraken Whip Beat, Specialty II (Thorn Wind) Lava Rod Rod Specialty II (Trampling Call) Straw Broom Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Cleaning Gram) How to Protect Leopardess Body Armor Ranger Boots Foot Armor Tough Boots Foot Armor How to Cure Grease Consumable Stone Effect: The victim turns to stone and can neither move nor attack. The victim will only take 1 damage from any attack they suffer while Stone. The victim can also be stood upon, like any other object, and while a unit stands atop them, the victim cannot recover from the status. You can actually use this to get to locations you may not normally be able to reach, by using enemies or allies as stepping stones. How to Cause Crystal Edge Dagger Beat, Specialty IV (Diver Scythe) Vitra Whip Whip Beat, Specialty II (Stag Waltz) Gargoyle Rod Rod Specialty III (Cluster Pillar) Formula Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Captive Wave) How to Protect Holy Brim Head Armor Gorgon Cameo Accessory How to Cure Holy Water Consumable Stun Effect: The victim can neither move nor attack. Wears off very quickly. How to Cause *Knock the target off a great height *Deal a great amount of damage with any attack Gungnir Magic Spear Specialty IV (Ragnarok: Einherjar) How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A Weak Effect: The victim deals reduced damage with physical attacks. How to Cause Holy Sabre Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (Luminous Wraith) Scarlet Scissor Claw Specialty II (Crimson Combustion) Yashamaru Katana Beat, Specialty II (Channeled Flame) Crossbow Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Loss) Chilled Lance Lance Beat, Specialty II (Avalanche) How to Protect Power Stone Accessory How to Cure Analeptic Consumable *************************** 7.2 ELEMENTAL AILMENTS *************************** Pyrism Effect: The victim's Fire Index becomes +9. The victim's element becomes Fire regardless of their total elemental index. How to Cause Flamberge 1H Sword Beat, Specialty IV (Flame Slash) Flare Shooter Bowgun Beat, Specialty IV (Prod) Ruby Staff Rod Beat, Specialty III (Ignus Pillar) Book of Laura Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Scarlet Sight) Inferno Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Mine Gram) How to Protect Stone Head Head Armor Water Veil Head Armor Jewel Anklet Foot Armor How to Cure Neutralizer Consumable Aquism Effect: The victim's Water Index becomes +9. The victim's element becomes Water regardless of their total elemental index. How to Cause Icepick Dagger Beat, Specialty IV (Freezing Scythe) Leyte Claw Claw Specialty III (Aqua Beat) Yggdrasil Staff Rod Beat, Specialty III (Benefactory) Book of Nanai Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Cataclysm) How to Protect Firebird Helmet Head Armor Stone Head Head Armor Jewel Anklet Foot Armor How to Cure Neutralizer Consumable Aerism Effect: The victim's Air Index becomes +9. The victim's element becomes Air regardless of their total elemental index. How to Cause Air Blade Greatsword Beat, Specialty IV (Sonic Wraith) Griffin Talon Claw Specialty III (Falcon Beat) Book of Gelt Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Meditation) Galactica Mace Beat, Specialty IV (Cosmic Lore) How to Protect Beastbone Helm Head Armor Stone Head Head Armor Jewel Anklet Foot Armor How to Cure Neutralizer Consumable Geoism Effect: The victim's Earth Index becomes +9. The victim's element becomes Earth regardless of their total elemental index. How to Cause Sandworm Staff Rod Beat, Specialty II (Radial Call) Book of Kirie Grimoire Beat, Specialty IV (Land Sight) Spirit Broom Broom Beat, Specialty IV (Pestilence Gram) Lost Maiden Mace Beat, Specialty IV (Lead Grain) How to Protect Feather Ornament Head Armor Stone Head Head Armor Jewel Anklet Foot Armor How to Cure Neutralizer Consumable ************************* 7.3 SPECIAL AILMENTS ************************* Brave Effect: The character will incur no WT from moving or acting, allowing them to move every time your army's turn comes up without losing VIT. This is somewhat similar to Quick from Final Fantasy. The character cannot gain TP from moving while under the effect of Brave. Wears off very quickly. How to Cause Gungnir Magic Spear Specialty IV (Ragnarok: Fimbultyr) How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A Capture Effect: The victim can neither move nor attack. How to Cause Rope Whip Specialty IV (Tandem Hold) Vitra Whip Whip Specialty IV (Interdependence) Ouroboros Whip Specialty IV (Interdependence) How to Protect N/A How to Cure Attack the Capturing Tamer or the Captured target Jump+ Effect: The character's JUMP is increased by 1. How to Cause Jump Ampule Consumable N/A How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A Lucky Effect: The character will always cause the maximum amount of damage possible with their attacks. Wears off very quickly. How to Cause Four-Leaf Clover Consumable N/A How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A LV Down Effects: Reduces the target's level by 1. I'm not sure if this is permanent and I'm not sure what happens if the lost level causes the victim's equipment total to go over their new maximum CAP. How to Cause Misteltein Katana Specialty I (Wandering Darkness) How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A Move+ Effect: The character's JUMP is increased by 1. How to Cause Move Ampule Consumable N/A How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A ********************** 7.4 ADDED EFFECTS ********************** +Drake How to Cause Zelos Greatsword Specialty III (Mortal Frozen Blade) Dragon Eater Whip Specialty III (Dragon Spiral) +Golem How to Cause Thor's Hammer Hammer Specialty I (Stone Breaker) Lava Rod Rod Specialty I (Redder Blitz) +Harpy How to Cause Fallen Phoenix Bowgun Specialty IV (Crimson Wing) Berkut Javelin Specialty II (Drop Spear) Hraesvelger Javelin Specialty II (Twin Attacker) +Wampyr How to Cause Knight Killer Javelin Specialty II (Sparkle Spear) Hraesvelger Javelin Specialty II (Twin Attacker) Break Armor How to Cause Battleaxe Axe Specialty III (Armor Crush) Gargarodon Axe Specialty III (Armor Crush) Break Hand How to Cause Silver Moon Axe Specialty III (Hand Crush) Berserker Axe Specialty III (Hand Crush) Break Head How to Cause Kill Blade Axe Specialty III (Head Crush) Headman's Axe Axe Specialty III (Head Crush) Break Foot How to Cause Bloody Rose Hammer Specialty II (Foot Crusher) Hammer of Ruin Hammer Specialty II (Foot Crusher) Break Shield How to Cause Slasher Axe Specialty III (Shield Crush) Sunrise Axe Specialty III (Shield Crush) Break - RANDOM How to Cause Hammer of Ruin Hammer Specialty I (???) Shady Shackles Hand Armor BOOST Effect Break - ALL How to Cause Gungnir Magic Spear Specialty IV (Ragnarok: Midgardsormr) Costs Gold Affected Weapons Golden Hammer Hammer Specialty III (Gold Rush) Creates Gems How to Cause Jewel Rod Rod Specialty I (Earth Orb) Alchemitton Hand Armor BOOST Effect Crisis Damage UP Affected Weapons Bloody Rose Hammer Specialty III (Crisis Slash) Revenger Dagger Specialty I (Helsing Edge) Specialty III (Silver Crisis) Yashamaru Katana Specialty II (Channeled Flame) Damage = 1/4 Health How to Cause Suigetsu Katana Specialty III (Winter's White Fang) Chilled Lance Lance Specialty IV (Burial Shave) Damage = 1/2 Health How to Cause Oni Lance Lance Specialty IV (Hellhound's Tooth) Damage Split Among Targets Affected Weapons Silver Moon Axe Specialty IV (Shining Moon) Sunrise Axe Specialty IV (Solar Fury Dance) Berserker Axe Specialty IV (Insanity Dance) Gargarodon Axe Specialty IV (End of Days) Fixed Damage Affected Weapons Bent Sword 1H Sword Specialty IV (Mortal Regret) = 1 Honey Stick Wand Specialty IV (Honeyed Assault) = 8 Heals HP How to Cause *ALL GRIMOIRE WEAPONS* Specialties I, II, and III Honey Stick Wand Specialty III (Waggle Dance) Gungnir Magic Spear Specialty IV (Ragnarok: Lifbrasir) Alicorn Accessory BOOST Effect Purge Corpse How to Cause Moonlight Rod Rod Specialty I (Lunatic Glow) *ALL GRIMOIRE WEAPONS* Specialties I, II, and III Wind of Eden Broom Specialty III (Cleansing Wind) Twinkle Stick Wand Specialty III (Alliance Heal) Steal How to Cause Snatcher Claw Specialty IV (Thief of Shadow) Jackhand Claw Specialty IV (Pursecutter) Wind Tearer Claw Specialty IV (Sudden Overthrow) Evensem Claw Specialty IV (Pursecutter) Scarlet Scissor Claw Specialty IV (Fierce Ember) TP Damage 3 How to Cause 7-Star Sword Greatsword Specialty I (Divine Gale) Rune Knife Dagger Specialty II (Axel Wing) Elfin Bow Bow Specialty III (Armor Needle) Black Fan Accessory BOOST Effect Undead Killer How to Cause Rosier 1H Sword Specialty II (Vertical Epic) Holy Sabre Greatsword Specialty IV (Luminous Wraith) Bow of Iria Bow Specialty IV (Silent Martyr) Cryocross Broom Specialty III (Direct Starlight) VIT Heal How to Cause Moonlight Rod Rod Specialty I (Lunatic Glow) Yggdrasil Staff Rod Specialty I (Healing Light) Honey Stick Wand Specialty III (Waggle Dance) Arrow Heart Wand Specialty III (Restoration) Twinkle Stick Wand Specialty III (Alliance Heal) VS Beast Affected Weapons Flame Whip Whip Specialty III (Beast Remedy) Dragon Spiral Whip Specialty III (Dragon Spiral) Kraken Whip Specialty III (Niad Remedy) Prominence Whip Specialty III (Phoenix Remedy) Ouroboros Whip Specialty III (Devouring Ruination) VS Human Affected Weapons Headman's Axe Axe Specialty II (Punishing Chop) Jackhand Claw Specialty II (Storm Cleave) VS Object Affected Weapons Spiky Hammer Hammer Specialty IV (Wandering Blow) Bloody Rose Hammer Specialty IV (Crimson Blow) Hammer of Ruin Hammer Specialty IV (Wandering Blow) **************************** 7.5 ENEMY-ONLY AILMENTS **************************** Batrify Effect: The victim turns into a Bat at night. How to Cause Sexy Physique Wampyr Specialty II (Tempting Lips) How to Protect Bat Hairpin Head Armor How to Cure Defeat the Wampyr that caused the ailment. Enchanted Effect: Allows the affected Wampyr to use her Sexy Physique skills. How to Cause Enchanting Rouge Consumable Wampyr-only. Night-only. How to Cure Wears off when it becomes Day again. Pam. Virus/ Pam. Dream Effect: Pam. Virus has no effect on the victim normally, but it will at random intervals turn into Pam. Dream, which is functionally identical to Sleep. When Pam. Dream wears off or the victim is attacked, the status reverts to Pam. Virus and can transform back into Pam. Dream at any time. Note that while any Witch can equip Pamela's Broom and use the spell Pamela's Spellcraft, only Pamela herself can set the Magic Square Grams that can cause the Pam. Virus effect. How to Cause Pamela's Broom Broom Specialty IV (Magic Square) How to Protect N/A How to Cure N/A Undead Effect: The victim turns into a Skeleton at night. Any weapons they have equipped that are not 1H Swords or Rapiers cannot be used while a Skeleton, and they can be targeted by Soul Exhaust's Undead Explode effect. If the victim is reduced to 0 HP while a Skeleton, they will revive when their WT next reaches 0. If your Ace becomes a Skeleton and is reduced to 0 HP, it still counts as a Game Over; they will not revive. If a character is reduced to 0 HP during the day, while not a Skeleton but while still afflicted with Undead, they will not revive. How to Cause Necroscript Scroll Specialty III (Hades Invitation) Cursed Dead Scroll Scroll Specialty III (Hades Invitation) How to Protect Angel Halo Head Armor How to Cure Defeat the Necromancer that caused the ailment. Undead Explode Effect: The afflicted Skeleton explodes, damaging all targets in the area. How to Cause Cursed Dead Scroll Scroll Specialty IV (Soul Exhaust) How to Protect ...Don't be Undead How to Cure N/A ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 8.0 FAQS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* You've got questions, I've got answers! ************************** 8.01 SYSTEM QUESTIONS ************************** Q: "Do I really need to Install Data for this game?" A: No. Installing data will only decrease the load times for the game, which are already pleasantly low. If you've got the space to do it, I'd of course recommend it, but if your PSP memory is cramped for space, Gungnir will operate just fine without installing data. Q: "What's the difference between the difficulties?" A: The main difference between Normal, Advanced, and Nightmare difficulty is how difficult enemies are to kill. They will have much higher health in Advanced and Nightmare, and their AI is better; they won't fall for some of the tricks that can get you past Normal's AI. Finally, you cannot carry items over into Nightmare mode on a New Game +. Q: "Can you save anywhere other than the Camp screen?" Q: "Does Gungnir have a Quicksave function during battles?" A: No to both. *************************** 8.02 GENERAL QUESTIONS *************************** Q: "THIS GAME IS TOO HARD!" A: A lot of people do find this game too hard. Don't worry if you're feeling this way and getting frustrated with the game; take a look at this advice and see if any of it can help you. 1) Start on Normal mode. Do not start on Advanced. Even if you only play partway through the game on Normal before getting bored with the difficulty and starting over on Advanced, Gungnir has a very intricate system that you MUST understand before you even think about trying Advanced. If you started on Advanced and found it too hard, don't feel bad about starting over on Normal. As I've said earlier, I would consider myself fairly skilled at SRPGs, and I would not have been able to handle this game on Advanced the first time I played it. 2) Let go of the common tricks used to go through many other SRPGs. Gungnir doesn't let you grind much and none of the character classes are powerful enough to win the game unaided, so powerleveling and soloing - perfectly viable strategies in most SRPGs - aren't going to work for you here. 3) Remember to use Beats! Gungnir emphasizes teamwork and positioning by making the Beat system essential for dealing damage quickly. You might be having difficulty with the Beat system, and that's okay: it can take some time before it starts making sense. I know I didn't fully understand the Beat System until somewhere around Scene 20 of my first playthrough! The key is just to keep practicing it, even if you're finding it hard to use. Consider playing the next stage, not with the intent to win, but with the intent just to get as many Beats off as possible. The results may surprise you. 4) Retry the map! Sure, you'll lose your star rating for the stage, but retrying gives you the opportunity to amass extra levels and experience for overcoming the problem. Be warned, of course, that powerleveling generally won't get you far, as levels don't give you much, but sometimes a little extra HP or one extra skill on a weapon is the deciding factor in a really heated brawl. 5) Finally, if you're really getting irritated, take a step back from the game, breathe, and think. As I've stressed over and over again, Gungnir is not a typical game. Get a little distance and think about what is giving you trouble in the game and how you could possibly work around it. Is there one particular enemy that keeps ruining your strategy? Perhaps equipping a weak weapon with a debilitating status effect, like the Wild Cat, could help you remove him or her from your plate. Are you just too low on TP to pull off all the Beats you want? Maybe an Intelli Ribbon can help you out. Is breaking through a line of tanks to reach the devastating magic-user proving impossible? If you employ some knockback, maybe you can get the tanks out of the way so you can take out that magic-user first. Take a little break from playing and come back later with a fresh perspective. You might see methods to victory that you hadn't seen before! Q: "Isn't there any way to grind in this game?!" A: Actually, there is, although (like most things about Gungnir) they aren't your conventional grinding methods. There are two unwinnable stages in this game: Stage 3-2 and Stage 10-2. Both have high-level enemies and no penalty for losing units. As a result, you can take the time just to whale on the enemies for an extended period of time and get a tidy chunk of experience for your trouble. You can also turn any stage into a grinding stage simply by Retrying it over and over! Experience, Mastery, and Specialty gained during a battle carries over if you Retry it, and the only thing you lose is the ability to pick up three bonus treasure chests from the next battle you fight. Q: "Why doesn't this stupid game let me grind more easily?!" A: Well... because grinding really isn't that important. Levels have minimal impact on your party and only exist to gradually increase your HP and CAP throughout the game. Mastery and Specialty have similarly small, gradual benefits (other than the unlocking of weapon skills through Mastery, which is obviously an immediate and tangible benefit). The attacks of any weapon type are all very similar, differing mostly in status effects inflicted, so testing out new skills isn't necessary. Grinding... meh. Who needs it? Q: "How many stages are there in this game?" A: There are twenty-six Scenes total, but two of them have no combat stages to go with them, so there are only twenty-four battles. It's quite a short game, really. Q: "Does this game have character creation of some kind?" A: It does not. Neither does it have randomly generated generics. All of the recruitable characters in the game, from the Camp or the Guild, are pre- created with recognizable names and distinctive parameters. Q: "Does this game have any replayability?" A: That depends entirely on what a game needs for you to find it replayable. Gungnir does not have a very complicated plot, and while it has three endings, many people find them less than satisfying and the story leading up to them is always the same. You do not unlock new scenes, characters, or stages by replaying the game, either. The strength of this game is in its battle system, and that is the system that benefits from the replayability. The New Game + and the varied difficulties are in place purely to allow you to replay the game for the battles. Want to run through Normal mode with the highest-level equipment and smash everything into kindling as you go? You can do that. Want to amass every single weapon, skill, and Specialty in the game? You can do that. Want to take on the highest difficulty and get a three star rating on every single map? You can do that. In other words, it's got a lot of replayability for me! ...but then again, you probably figured that part out already.... Q: "How do I get all the War Gods?" A: Four of them are obtained automatically throughout the game. The fifth War God, Fimbultyr, is the tricky one. To access Fimbultyr, you must follow the path for the A+ ending up to Scene 24. After winning the Scene 24 battle, if you are on the A+ ending path, Fimbultyr will be unlocked for you. (Should you deviate from the A+ ending path after unlocking Fimbultyr, Fimbultyr will NOT be removed from your abilities list.) Q: "Do the choices in the game do anything?" A: They do indeed. They determine which ending you will get. Q: "What carries over into New Game +?" A: All items except for Gungnir, which is given to you by a story event at the same time every game and every difficulty, will carry over... as long as you start your New Game + on Normal or Advanced difficulty. Nightmare difficulty always starts you over fresh, no items whatsoever, even if you enter it on a New Game +. All hired mercenaries will leave your party and will have to be hired again regardless of your New Game's difficulty; however, everything they are equipped with will be returned to your inventory when you defeat the final boss (except on Nightmare,) so you'll have it from the start of the game without having to hire your old mercenaries again. While all characters, story and generic, will have their levels returned to their initial values (yes, Alissa will start at level 1 every playthrough, I'm afraid,) Mastery and Specialty levels WILL carry over, for generics as well as story characters. Finally, all of your gold and Gems will carry over as well, into any difficulty except for Nightmare. ************************** 8.03 ENDING QUESTIONS ************************** Q: "How do I get the respective endings?" A: At several points through the game, you will be offered various choices that will affect whether you get the B (or Chaos) Ending or the A (or Lawful) Ending. Each of these choices give two options, and in each case, one of the options adds a "Law" point to your Ending score and one adds a "Chaos" point. If you have more "Law" points than "Chaos" points by the end, you get the Lawful Ending, and vice versa. There are nine choices in the game, so you must choose at least five options of whichever side you're shooting for. Scene 1: Let him live (Law) Strike him down (Chaos) Scene 3: Stop Alissa (Law) Let her go (Chaos) * To defeat the Gargan Empire (Chaos) To protect those he... (Law) Scene 4: Promise victory (Chaos) Promise to return home safely (Law) Scene 6: Confront her (Chaos) Pray with her (Law) Scene 8: Avenge fallen comrades (Chaos) Quietly lower the spear (Law) Scene 15: Reject her idea (Chaos) Choose to fight together (Law) Scene 17: Refute him (Law) Say nothing (Chaos) Scene 20: Reassure her (Law) Hesitate to reply (Chaos) Note that the first choice of Scene 3 - to stop Alissa or let her go - is the ONLY choice that has an effect on gameplay other than the ending. Selecting this choice will add Alissa to the subsequent battle as a (non- fighting) guest and issue an extra loss condition: Alissa's death results in a Game Over. The other choices (including the choices to kill people!) have no lasting effect on the game. Q: "Wait... isn't there a special third ending?" A: There is. It is known as the A+ ending, or alternately, the "Alissa" ending. To get it, however, you must make some very specific choices in the game: Scene 3: You MUST choose "Stop Alissa." Scene 6: You MUST choose "Pray with her." Scene 15: You MUST choose "Choose to fight together." Scene 20: YOu MUST choose "Reassure her." But that's the easy part! The real trick to getting the A+ ending is that you must deploy Alissa in EVERY battle from when she joins your party (Stage 14 onward)... and never let her die. If you can make it to the end of the game deploying Alissa and keeping her alive every battle, you will get the A+ ending (as well as the fifth War God, Fimbultyr, on Scene 24!) Q: "Do I have to make Alissa the Ace when she's an option to get the A+ ending?" A: You do not. Q: "Can I deploy Alissa at the start of the battle, then have her retreat partway into the battle and replace her with a different character?" A: You can! If Alissa is a character you do not wish to use, this is an easy way to get the A+ ending. Q: "If Alissa dies and I Retry the battle, can I still get the A+ ending?" A: No. The death count is carried over along with experience, Mastery, etc. when you Retry a battle. If you're going for the A+ ending and Alissa dies, you need to Restart the battle to wipe the death from the game's records. Q: "But I can still get the A+ ending if I Retry a stage she didn't die on, right?" A: Yes, that is definitely, definitely correct - AS LONG AS Alissa didn't die the first time through the stage. RESTART a stage immediately if Alissa dies when you're going for the A+ ending. Q: "Is the A+ ending worth the hassle?" A: A lot of people were very disappointed by the A+ ending, but I actually really liked it myself. I certainly like it far more than the Lawful or Chaos endings. Besides, honestly, the A+ ending isn't too much hassle to get. Alissa is a very powerful character, so using her isn't a bother and keeping her alive isn't hard (even though she joins your party on level 1, she's still easy to keep alive). On top of that, fulfilling the A+ ending requirements also gets you Fimbultyr, the final War God, who is basically a mass-party Quick spell. Why wouldn't you want that? Q: "So I can choose to kill *SPOILERS* and still get the good endings?" A: That's correct! Indulge your vengeful side and mete out the vengeance that jerk so richly deserves. You will not harm your game or miss out on anything by doing so. ***************************** 8.04 MECHANICS QUESTIONS ***************************** Q: "Isn't there any way to move more than one character at a time?!" A: There is not. Try it with an open mind before you knock it. It's a surprisingly fun and involving system of combat. Q: "Can I rotate the battlefield to see it from different angles?" A: Yes you can, simply by using the analog stick. Q: "Are status effects any good in this game?" A: They are more than just good. The final boss, who is a mean spellcaster, can actually be Silenced. Poison and Burn will do more damage more reliably than any damage dealer. Freeze and Sleep are among the best defensive measures in the game. Tamers and their immobilizing Whips can singlehandedly block an infinite amount of enemies trapped in a bottleneck. Status effects are VERY useful, and you should go out of your way to apply them in any situation where they could possibly be helpful to you. Q: "How do I counterattack?" A: If you're a Tamer, the answer is easy: equip a Katana and Guard an attack. If you are somebody else, things get more complicated. Let's use an example to demonstrate how countering works: 1) Let's equip the Tough Boots, which have Counter II on them. 2) Now we have to make sure our weapon has a Specialty II attack on it to match the Tough Boots. A Flamberge would suffice. 3) Now you need your enemy to attack you with a Specialty II attack - again, to match the Tough Boots. If they do so, and if you block the Specialty II attack they used against you, you will counterattack with the Flamberge's own Specialty II attack: Crimson Ignition. Only direct melee attacks can be countered or used to counter. For the record, enemies tend to use Specialty I and IV attacks a bit more than Specialty II or III, so you may want to focus your counterattack strategies around them. Q: "What are those stars under the enemy's legion listing?" A: You might notice that under an enemy's name they typically list the loyalty the unit holds, such as "1st Merc Guild" or "Rodrigues' Raiders," and that underneath these listings there is a line of stars. You might also notice that typically the bosses of a stage have a long line of stars, perhaps ten or so, while the smaller grunts might have only three or four. This line of stars tells you how much the DEL of the rest of the enemies on the field will increase when you kill this unit. Yes: enemies will become faster every time you kill one of them! Defeating a high-rank enemy will make all of his grunts become much faster, while defeating a low-rank enemy usually has little effect on his fellows. It doesn't matter whether you kill the enemy or force them to retreat; when they leave the battle, their allies always speed up. Q: "When do I lose HP for performing actions?" A: A character loses a percentage of their maximum HP if you have them perform an action when their "Ready" counter is at 5 or higher. This percentage of lost HP comes out of a stat called "Vitality," or "VIT." Q: "Is the max HP loss from performing an action before my unit is ready permanent?" A: It is not. Just let that character sit out of the next battle and they'll be back to their normal maximum VIT, which translates into having their old maximum HP back. You can also use a VIT-recovering item or spell on the character to restore their VIT, such as a Medicinal Herb or the Moonlight Rod's Lunatic Glow spell. Q: "What's the difference between Guard and Dodge?" A: Guard affects your probability of blocking melee attacks. Dodge affects your probability of blocking ranged attacks. They're essentially the same, just for different types of attacks. Magic cannot be dodged through a stat; the only way to avoid a spell is to move out of its range before it casts. Q: "What does Resistance (RES) do?" A: Resistance affects a character's susceptibility to status effects. The higher your RES, the more difficult it is for enemies to inflict status effects on you. However, it's not the only factor that affects this; a character's maximum HP and the innate status infliction chance of the attack being used also play a role. You can check the status infliction chance of an attack by looking at the Frequency statistic (FRE) beside the Beat action. The FRE rate is represented by various symbols: Double Circle: Very high Circle: High Shaded triangle: Average Triangle: Low Cross: Very Low Q: "What does elemental affinity actually do?" A: The higher your affinity for an element, the more damage you will do with attacks that are that element and the less damage you will take from attacks that are that element. Conversely, the lower your affinity to an element, the less damage you will do with attacks that are that element and the more damage you will take from attacks that are that element. For example, a Sorceress with +3 Water will do more damage with Cool Orb than a Sorceress with -1 Water, and if the two were both targeted by an enemy Sorceress' Cool Orb, the Sorceress with +3 Water would take less damage than the Sorceress with -1 Water would. Note that elemental affinity must always balance out to 0 when added together; it's impossible to have a character with all positive or all negative elemental scores. Q: "Do I want low DEL and high TAC, or the other way around?" A: DEL stands for DELAY. It helps determine how long it takes for your army to get another turn after the character acts. Therefore you want it to be as LOW as possible. TAC stands for TACTICS. It helps determine how many Tactics Points, or TP, you can obtain during a turn. Therefore you want it to be as HIGH as possible. Q: "What's the difference between DEL and WT? Where does Weight come in?" A: Okay. DEL stands for Delay. This stat affects how long it will be until your army's next turn comes up after any particular character takes an action. All attacks have a specific DEL of their own that gets added to the user's DEL to determine the delay until your army gets to act again. Movement also causes a delay, and you can move farther with less penalty when your DEL is low. So one more time: DEL stands for DELAY before your next turn. Equipment weight does NOT affect DEL or the rate of your army's next turn. Q: "Okay. So what about WT? And how does equipment Weight affect it?" A: WT is different. When a character acts, they have to WAIT a certain amount of TIME before they can act again, regardless of whether your army has a turn or not. If you have a character move that has not yet recovered from their last attack, they will lose VIT (Vitality,) reducing their maximum HP for the rest of the fight. The amount of time a unit must WAIT in order to recover from an action is based off the total WEIGHT of the equipment they are carrying. The heavier the equipment a unit is equipped with, the longer that unit will have to wait after moving, acting, or even just selecting the Wait command. Q: "How do I get Tactics Points (TP)?" A: Getting TP is slightly confusing at first. Whenever you move one of your characters, you receive 1 TP for every square that they move up to a maximum of whatever that character's TAC stat is equal to. For example, Valerie has a TAC of 1. That means that whether she moves one square or three squares during your turn, you will only receive 1 TP. However, Elise has a TAC of 3. If she were to move one square during your turn, you would receive 1 TP, but if she moved two squares, you'd get 2 TP, and if she moved three squares, you'd get 3. If Elise moves FOUR squares, however, that is a number that exceeds her TAC and she would still only generate 3 TP. Q: "What's the point of Tactics Points (TP)?" A: Tactics Points are used like MP to fuel Beats and Boosts, but they also serve a direct benefit in battle. You see, all attacks have two Power ratings: a Base Power rating and a Tactics Power rating. The Tactics Power rating tells you how much stronger the attack becomes with TP. Let's look at a few examples: 1) The Iron Sword's Norman Strike attack has a Base Power of 99 and a Tactics Power of 77. When you have 0 TP, Norman Strike has a total Power of 99. When you have 10 TP - half of the maximum amount - Norman Strike gains half of its Tactics Power rating, giving it a total Power of 137 or 138 (I'm not sure if the game rounds down or up, and anyway, the difference is negligible). When you have the maximum of 20 TP, Norman Strike will gain 100% of its Tactics Power, giving it a total Power of 176. 2) The Bloody Rose's Foot Crusher attack has a Base Power of 92 and a Tactics Power of 0. This means that regardless of your TP amount, the power of Foot Crusher will ALWAYS be 92. 3) The Cutlass' Abyssal Edge attack has a Base Power of 26 and a Tactics Power of 232. When you have 0 TP, Abyssal Edge has an underwhelming total Power of 26. When you have 10 TP, Abyssal Edge will have a total Power of 142 - much more respectable - and at 20 TP, Abyssal Edge will have a total Power of 258 - quite powerful indeed! This applies to your enemies' attacks as well! So as you can see, it can be quite worth your time to steal some enemy Bases - reducing their max TP and thus the power of their attacks - or use a TP-damaging attack, such as the Rune Knife's Axel Wing, to reduce their current TP. Keep an eye on the TP situation on the battlefield at all times! Q: "What happens when I gain a Mastery level?" A: Every level of Mastery you gain with a particular weapon increases the Power of the weapon by 1%. On top of that, weapons with unlockable abilities will always require a certain level of Mastery to unlock their extra skills! Q: "What's the maximum Mastery I can have with a weapon?" A: The maximum Mastery level is 50. Q: "Are the bonuses you get from Specialty levels permanent?" A: Yes they are. Q: "What do I get for leveling up my Specialty?" A: Every time a character gains a level in their Specialty, one of the following bonuses will randomly be applied to them: .The weapon's base power will increase. .The weapon's Tactic power will increase. .The weapon's chance of inflicting its status ailment will increase. This bonus will not appear if the weapon does not inflict a status ailment, of course. .The Delay cost for using the weapon will be decreased. .The Cast time for using the weapon will be decreased. ************************ 8.05 BEAT QUESTIONS ************************ Q: "EVERY QUESTION ABOUT BEATS EVER" A: So... I'm not actually going to answer questions about Beats, partially because I'm not very good at them and partially because they have been explained in much, much more detail by people more adept at them than I. If you have questions about Beats, I encourage you to check out one of the awesome guides... http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/622913-gungnir/faqs/64458 http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/622913-gungnir/faqs/64430 ...or threads... http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/622913-gungnir/63091364 ...on the subject right here at GameFAQs. ***************************** 8.06 CHARACTER QUESTIONS ***************************** Q: "Which story characters do you get in this game?" A: Possible spoilers ahead, so be warned. You will get Giulio, Teresa, Noah, Claude, Elise, Ragnus, Paulo, Valerie, Alissa, and Natalia. Q: "Will any characters leave my party throughout the game?" A: Sadly, yes. Teresa, Noah, Claude, Ragnus, and Valerie will all leave at various portions of the game. While Valerie will eventually return, the other four will not. Q: "Will Teresa, Noah, Claude, Ragnus, or Valerie ever rejoin my party after they leave?" A: Valerie will. The other four will not. Q: "Are there any secret characters or classes in this game?" A: No. Q: "What are the generic classes you can get in this game?" A: The generic classes are Knight, Assassin, Paladin, Brute, Tamer, Trickster, Archer, Gunner, Thrower, Sorceress, Priestess, and Witch. Q: "How many characters can I recruit total?" A: At any point in the game, you may have a maximum of ten mercenaries in your army at a time. Q: "Can I recruit monsters?" A: No. Q: "Can I recruit Pamela?" A: It breaks my heart, but no. Q: "What are the best/ worst classes to use in this game?" A: This game actually does a great job balancing its classes. Pretty much any combination of classes, AS LONG as it's put together with a strategy in mind, can emerge victorious in this game. Get creative and have fun with your party composition! Q: "Should I use generics or story characters for my main team?" A: Unlike some games, where story characters are clearly overpowered compared to the generics, Gungnir's cast, both plot-relevant and not, are mostly well-balanced with one another. There's no dramatic benefit to using story characters over generics, nor the reverse. While you will want to pick at least two story characters to keep equipped, since only story characters can be Aces, there's no reason you can't field a full party of generics to go along with them throughout the game. In a nutshell: there is no answer to this question! Use whoever you like best. Q: "Is Alissa worth using? She joined me at level 1, I don't want to level her if she's just gonna be useless!" A: Alissa is incredibly strong, even at level 1. Honestly, levels don't mean much for power in this game, since Power is determined by weapon and TP rather than character strength, so joining at level 1 just means you have to keep an eye on her HP for a while. She'll level up extremely fast with all the enemies being so much higher level than she is, her parameters are pretty uniformly fantastic, and her two weapon types - Lances and Wands - are both unique to her and quite powerful in their own ways. If there is any character in this game who deserves the title of "Best Character," Alissa might be the one. Q: "What determines the units that appear in Camp mode?" A: To the best of my knowledge, there is no determining factor. They are randomly selected from the available pool per respective Camp. Q: "How important is the Specialty of a mercenary when I'm going to recruit them?" A: The short answer is, "Don't worry about it too much." The long answer is, "It depends. What you ought to do is look at the weapon types for the class you want to recruit, find out what each attack does, decide which attacks you're likely to use the least" (for example, I NEVER use Grams, so I would never hire a Specialty IV Witch,) "and then avoid generics with that Specialty. However, as long as the Specialty your generic has is for an attack you don't mind using, it's not worth worrying about just which Specialty that is." So yeah. Don't worry about it too much unless you're playing Nightmare mode and trying to min-max for greatest efficiency. Q: "Can I get the character artwork somewhere?" A: You can! The wonderful site Lacrima Castle has it available right here: http://lacrimacastle.net/index.php?game=Gungnir ************************** 8.07 WEAPON QUESTIONS ************************** Q: "How can I view what skills are on my weapons and what they do?" A: The game isn't as direct about this as it should be. When a weapon is equipped to a character, you can press Triangle on the character's status screen to see all skills learned on that weapon. Press Select while highlighting any skill and you can see all the details of that skill laid out for you. Q: "Should I focus on getting new weapons and save my Gems for upgrading until the end of the game, or should I upgrade my early weapons and hold onto them until they just don't cut it anymore?" A: This is a tricky question to answer because it's the wrong question to ask. In Gungnir, weapon power is secondary to what the weapon actually DOES for you. For example, the Holy Sabre - a Greatsword of middling power - is one of a Paladin's most valuable tools, simply because its Luminous Wraith spell has the invaluable Undead Killer property. The Icicle Rod is one of the best Sorceress Rods in the game; it allows for enormous AOE, Freezing, and Silent all in one package, and it's the third rod available for sale. The humble Cutlass, the lowest level Dagger, is one of the most reliable sources of knockback for any Trickster or Assassin. Don't focus on getting new weapons or upgrading old ones; focus on finding weapons with attacks that boast valuable qualities, then upgrade those and use them with abandon. Q: "What's the best way to get more Gems?" A: While you can get Gems by hitting the floating crystals that appear on most of the stages in the game and by using the Boost ability on the Alchemitton hand equipment, by far the best way to get Gems is refining items. Several armors and consumable items offer great returns on Refining, but there are some items that are specifically meant to be refined and offer particular rewards for doing so. Four Leaf Clover: Obtained automatically after Scene 6. Orihalcum: Carried by some rare monsters, such as Undine and Fairies. Cheering Flag: Accessory that appears in the shop. Charge Bugle: Accessory that appears in the shop. Crimson/ Ice/ Feather/ Sand Rose: Items that appear in the shop. These items are some of the absolute best to refine. However, what do you do when those items aren't in your inventory and you need some quick Gems? Null: Potion, Leather Armor, Ether, Loriel Fire: Hard Leather, Corset, Gargan Boots Water: Corset, Fish Scale Gaunt, Vantage Air: Medical Herb, Hard Leather, Aggressor Earth: Leather Armor, Hard Leather, Aggressor These are all fairly easy to obtain items that aren't massively useful in most team compositions and can fairly safely be transformed into Gems to boost your more useful items instead. Q: "I thought this weapon had three skills on it, but I just equipped it and it only has one! What gives?" A: Typically, weapons come with only one skill unlocked on them. To unlock the other skills on the weapon, you must use the initial skill(s) multiple times to gain Mastery levels, which are basically the same as Weapon Skill levels in many other games. Once you gain a certain level of Mastery with a particular weapon, you will unlock one or more of the other skills on the weapon. Keep in mind, however, that Mastery is unique to particular weapons, not weapon types! If a Sorceress reaches 15 Mastery level with a Jewel Rod and then switches to an Icicle Rod, she does NOT have 15 Mastery for the Icicle Rod; she starts over from scratch with 0. However, if she gets tired of the Icicle Rod and goes back to the Jewel Rod, she still has her 15 Mastery from before and can pick up right where she left off. Q: "If I have two weapons equipped, does my character get the Guard and Dodge rating from the weapon with the higher Guard/ Dodge, or does he only get the rating of his current Active weapon?" A: Your character will only get the Guard and Dodge bonus from his or her current Active weapon. The exceptions to this rule are Shields and Katanas, which will override your Active weapon's Guard and Dodge with their own even from the secondary slot (which is a good thing, trust me). Q: "Doesn't Gungnir get any other attacks?" A: No, it does not. Gungnir starts with only two attacks and it will never get more. However, seeing as there are up to five War Gods you can summon using Ragnarok, you can also look at it as having six attacks - more than any other weapon in the game. Q: "Is Gungnir even worth using? It's so heavy!" A: Gungnir can be a very powerful weapon, but its greatest strength is careful application of the Ragnarok War Gods. If you don't have the time, patience, or need for the War Gods, then Gungnir is often not worth its great weight. However, the War Gods can literally turn a losing battle into a complete, crushing victory, so think twice before you completely dismiss them. Q: "Why is Gungnir doing so little damage?" A: Gungnir's damage is heavily affected by the number of TP you have when using it (see "What's the point of Tactics Points (TP)?" under the Mechanics Questions earlier in this section for more details). If you use it when you have 20 TP, you'll see a big difference in damage as compared to attacking with 0 TP. Q: "Why are the War Gods only targeting my party?" A: The War Gods target random characters every time you select Ragnarok. However, it's important to note that the War Gods like the underdogs! If you're losing a battle, they're more likely to target the way you want them to (enemies for the first three, allies for the last two). If you're winning, on the other hand, the War Gods are more likely to help your enemies than they are to help you! So be careful about using them. Always check which units a War God is targeting before confirming the action, and if the targeting isn't in your favor, exit out and Overclock exactly one tick. Every tick of the Overclock will cause the War Gods to rearrange their targets, so you can "shuffle" for a better setup by doing this. Q: "Can shields ever attack?" A: There are two shields that have attacks on them: the Ogre Shield and the Assault Shield. Other than these two, all shields are only used for defense. Q: "Are shields worthwhile, then?" A: Absolutely! It's hard to get a lot of HP on a character in this game, as HP is mostly given by levels and levels aren't intended to be ground as they are in most games. As a result, outright blocking damage through the extra guard chance offered by a shield is very valuable. Q: "Do I need to have my shield as my Active equipment to get its guard?" A: No, you do not. Simply having a shield equipped will grant you its high Guard rating. The same applies to Katanas. Q: "I thought rapiers ignored guard, but this enemy guarded against me!" A: Rapiers cannot pierce shields. If your enemy is equipped with a shield, they can still guard against your attacks, even if you're using a rapier. Q: "Which claws have the Steal Weapon/ Armor skill on them?" A: None. There is no Steal Weapon or Steal Armor ability in this game. Claws only allow you to steal accessories and consumables from enemies. Q: "How do I steal at all? I'm trying to steal the fairies' Orichalcum, but it's not working!" A: Stealing moves the stealing character to the opposite side of the target, so you first need to make sure that square is empty. You also need to make sure that square has a height difference of no more than 0.5 from either the user or the target; the Stealing skills are finicky about height. Next, make sure your stealing unit has an empty space in their inventory; the item you steal will be put there if you are successful at stealing it. Thirdly, remember that the chance for stealing is not 100%. If it doesn't work the first time, just keep trying! Lastly... don't try to steal Orichalcum. Orichalcum has the "Can't be stolen" property, as you can see on its status screen, and can therefore never be stolen no matter what you do. Q: "Why can't I attack with my katana?" A: Katanas are for counterattacking only. You cannot use them as direct weapons. Just have one equipped and you will automatically use it for counterattacks. Q: "Do I need to have my katana as my Active weapon to use it to counter?" A: Nope. Just have it equipped and you can use it to counter all you want. Q: "Why can't I hit anything with my bows/ javelins?" A: All ranged weapon attacks have a "sweet spot" at which their accuracy is 100% without question. This range can be point blank, 4 squares away, 6 squares away... it varies greatly between weapon type and attack. If you're not attacking at the sweet spot for the particular attack, your accuracy drops sharply. You can check what exactly the sweet spot is by pressing Select when you're highlighting the attack in question. Q: "Are Trickster traps and Witch Grams good for anything?" A: The AI is usually pretty good about avoiding them, sadly. However, there are a few strategies that work pretty reliably: the most prominent of these is using knockback to knock a nearby enemy into your trap! Since both Witches and Tricksters can cause Knockback, this is a strategy they are quite able to enact. You can also placing your traps on Base Panels! If an enemy tries to take your base, they get blown up. If they decide taking the trap damage isn't worth it, then your Base is safe from molestation. Either way, you come out ahead! Q: "How many traps/ Grams can I place at once?" A: One per unit. Try using multiple Tricksters and laying multiple traps in strategic areas.... Q: "Can you trigger your own traps/ Grams?" A: Yes you can, so watch out! Q: "My trap/ Gram disappeared!" A: If the Trickster or Witch who set the trap or Gram is defeated, retreated, captured, or inflicted with Stone, Sleep, or Stun, their trap or Gram will disappear. Q: "Can I obtain the Darkish from Robertus the first time I fight him?" A: No. As you cannot kill him, you cannot get the drop. Q: "Can I get the Darkish some other way?" A: No. The Darkish lance is enemy-use only. Q: "Can I recruit anybody who uses those fairies' wands?" A: You can! Alissa can use them, although she is the only one. Q: "Can I recruit anybody who uses Isabeli's scrolls or Undine's spears?" A: Unfortunately, no. Scrolls and spears are only good for selling. ************************************ 8.08 ARMOR/ ACCESSORY QUESTIONS ************************************ Q: "What does the Arm Guard do, exactly? It says that its Boost effect is Counter Dmg +50%, but how can I Boost somebody with it if an enemy has to attack them in order for them to counter?" A: Excellent eye! This question was first asked by Molivious (if you know anything about the Gungnir forums, you'll know who he is) and was answered by ecthel1412 (and if you know anything about Sting game forums, you'll know who he is). The description "Counter Dmg +50%" is actually a typo. The real effect is "Counter Guard +50%," which gives the Boosted ally a 50% chance to guard against an enemy counterattack should the targeted enemy counterattack the Boosted Beat. Yeah... it's not the best accessory around, but at least the mystery of what it does has been solved! Q: "What attacks exactly does the Magic Eater absorb?" A: Let's see: - All Greatsword Specialty II and IV spells. - All Rod spells, period. - All Grimoire Specialty IV attacks. - All Broom Specialty attacks, including Grams. - The attacks of all maces EXCEPT for the Morning Star. - All Wand Specialty I and II spells (but not Specialty IV). - All Trident Specialty IV spells. - All Scroll Specialty III spells. I'm not sure about II or IV. - Gungnir's War Gods are NOT absorbed by the Magic Eater. - Pixies' Scatter Pollen attack - Wampyr's Charming Eyes and Tempting Lips attacks Q: "Can I get the Eventrion (auto-revival item)?" A: No. Since enemies equipped with it always revive and it has the property "Cannot be stolen," you cannot obtain it. Q: "What's the point of shoes or armor that's really heavy but lowers my DEL? Won't it just make my turns take longer anyway?" A: Here's the thing. A character's personal Weight of their equipment affects their personal Wait Time (WT) for the next time that they can act without losing VIT. DEL, however, affects the length of time before your party gets another turn for ANYBODY to act at all. In other words, something like the Thief Shoes - which are very heavy, but reduce DEL by 1 - makes the equipped character act less frequently, but allows your party as a whole to act more frequently. It's a tricky decision to make, and there are pros and cons to both equipping and not equipping such things. Experiment with both and see what you feel works better for you. Q: "Does equipment with Boost effects give that effect to the equipped unit, or just to allies that the equipped unit Boosts during a Beat?" A: The latter. So, for example, equipping a Savage Hunter does NOT passively reduce the Guard Chance of enemies that the equipped character targets. The equipped character must activate the Savage Guard's Boost effect for another ally in order to have the enemy target's Guard Chance drop. Q: "What is the Four-Leaf Clover for?" A: The Four-Leaf Clover, obtained at the end of Scene 6, is a consumable item that can be used in battle to grant the Lucky status effect to an ally or be refined into 10 gems of every color (50 gems total). This is, to my knowledge, the ONLY way to obtain the Lucky status effect, which allows a unit to always deal maximum damage as long as it lasts! However, Lucky is short-lived, while the benefits of all those gems will last you all game (and through multiple playthroughs, if you play your cards right). I'd refine them in a heartbeat, but if you have a perfect strategy in mind for maximizing that Lucky status, more power to you. Q: "Is Orihalcum good for anything besides refining?" A: No, it is not. Refine it with a clear conscience and enjoy your 150 gems. ************************** 8.09 EFFECT QUESTIONS ************************** Q: "How do you get the Lucky status effect?" A: By using a Four-Leaf Clover, you can grant the Lucky status to one target. Q: "What does that Pam. Virus status effect do?" A: The status effect Pamela Virus randomly inflicts its victim with the status effect Pamela Dream, which functions exactly the same as Sleep with the caveat that it will transform back into Pamela Virus when it wears off or is broken. So essentially, Pamela Virus randomly inflicts Sleep on the target. Q: "What does the Brave status do?" A: Brave is a very potent but very shortlived status effect that can only be placed using the ultimate War God, Fimbultyr, While under the influence of Brave, moving and acting will NOT incur a Delay penalty, but the unit cannot gain TP when moving (to prevent you from spamming Beats indefinitely while Brave lasts). It generally seems to last for two turns at most. Think of it as a mass-targeted Quick from the Final Fantasy series and you'll have a pretty good idea of how it works, as well as how powerful it is. ************************** 8.10 BATTLE QUESTIONS ************************** Q: "What's the difference between Retrying and Restarting a stage?" A: Retrying is an option offered to you when you lose a stage, either by going over the time limit or by the death of your Ace. By Retrying, you will start the battle over but retain all experience, Mastery, and Specialty points you gained. Restarting, on the other hand, is an option available from the Options screen that immediately starts the battle over from the beginning. Nothing is carried over whatsoever. Q: "What's the penalty for Retrying a stage?" A: When you lose a stage, you're given the option to Retry it. By doing so, you will carry over all experience, Mastery, and Specialty points gained during your first attempt at the stage and start the stage over afresh. You will lose any items you picked up during the fight, but you will also have any items that were broken, stolen, or dropped and picked up by an enemy given back to you and reequipped on the proper members. This allows you a better- informed crack at the stage and also provides the most reliable form of "grinding" that Gungnir will offer to you. If you have to Retry more than once, the statistics of the enemies on the stage will also drop, making it a bit easier to get through! The penalties you take for Retrying are not large; you forfeit a three star rating on the stage automatically, which means there will be no bonus treasure chests on the next map and the difficulty of the game will not go up for the next map. Q: "So Retrying doesn't change which ending I get?" A: Nope! Retrying does not prevent you from getting the A+ ending. I can attest to this for certain! Q: "What's the penalty for Restarting a stage?" A: Happily, there isn't one! Q: "Can I enter battle with less than the maximum number of characters offered to me?" A: No. You must always fill all available party slots before you may begin a stage. Q: "What are the unwinnable-by-plot battles in this game?" A: Stage 3-2 and Stage 10-2 are both unwinnable fights. Even if you manage to kill the bosses of these stages, they will automatically revive. Q: "I just heard a weird ding while time was passing between my turns. What the hell was that?" A: That was probably the sound of a status effect wearing off of somebody on the field. When a status effect runs its course on its target, the now-cured unit raises its arms into the air and a little chime is heard. The camera doesn't focus on them while this happens, though, so the chime is there to give you a clue in case you miss the animation. Q: "Can enemies learn new skills on their weapons in battle?" A: They can. Enemies do gain Mastery on their weapons as they use them in the battle, and if they use their weapon enough to unlock a new attack, they will indeed unlock and begin using that attack. So your enemies will get stronger the longer a battle goes on. Watch out! Q: "What's the difference between killing an enemy and making them retreat?" A: While both outcomes cause the target to hit 0 HP and be removed from the field, there's a big difference beyond that. When an ally retreats from the field, they drop an item bag containing one piece of their equipment and are removed from the battle, unable to return. When an enemy retreats from the field, they too drop an item bag containing one piece of their equipment and skedaddle from the fight. On the other hand, when an ally DIES, their corpse falls to the ground and anyone moving on top of it will retrieve ALL of their items. This will permanently remove the character from your party, so avoid this at any cost! When an enemy perishes, their corpse falls to the ground as an ally's will, but moving on top of them will give you the option to pick any one item from their inventory to receive, rather than letting you take all of them. What makes the difference? The deciding factor is how much damage the final blow dealt. Doing a massive amount of overkill will cause death, while just barely taking the target to 0 will cause a retreat. I think the threshold for overkill damage is determined as a percentage of the character in question's HP, but I'm not certain about this. Q: "Why did my character's maximum HP go down after they retreated?" A: Characters forced to retreat from a battle will receive an Injury, which causes their maximum HP to decrease (specifically, it decreases their Vitality stat by 15%). To remove an Injury, that character must not be called in to battle for one entire Scene. Q: "Can a character receive multiple Injuries?" A: They can, so be careful about bringing an Injured character into battle instead of letting them sit out to recover. Q: "Can characters die permanently in battle?" A: Yes they can, so watch out. Again, the determination on whether an attack causes an ally to retreat or perish is how much damage the final blow deals, so even if you know you can't heal a character to a high enough health to avoid a finisher, it might still be worth using a Medicinal Herb just to make sure they retreat instead of dying. Q: "One of my characters died/ retreated, and when they did, they dropped an item bag and an enemy picked it up! Have I lost that item forever?" A: Unfortunately, yes, enemies can retrieve items dropped by your fallen allies. On the plus side, if you Retry the stage, your items will be back in your inventory safe and sound, and if you can get to the item bag your ally dropped before an enemy can, you'll pick the item up and add it back to your inventory instead. Note that the ally who dropped the item will be unequipped with it in the next battle even if you did pick it back up, so be sure to reequip them! Q: "Is there a way to revive characters in battle?" A: There is not, although the Rosary will save you from death once if you have it equipped (and then break; it's one-use only). Q: "If I kill the boss of a stage instead of just making him retreat, will I get all of his items as my Final Spoils?" A: Sadly, no. One of the boss' items will be randomly chosen to become your Final Spoils, and if you don't like it, you'll have to replay the entire stage again. Q: "If I get a valuable item drop from a battle - say Orichalcum - and then retry the battle, do I keep the Orichalcum, allowing me to farm it from the battle infinitely?" A: No. Good idea, but no. Q: "If I reset my game to play a stage over, will the treasure chests randomize again?" A: Yes they will. Q: "Should I be striving for three stars on each stage, or for collecting all the treasures and item drops even if it costs me the three star rating?" A: Three star ratings give you two things: extra money rewarded at the end of the fight and three treasure chests randomly selected from a pool of set treasures that will appear in the next stage. Some of the treasure chests you can get this way are very good; some of them, in fact, are one-of-a-kind items you can get no other way! However, in the early game, most of the treasure chests have nothing important inside, and in the late game, if the chests you want don't spawn in the next stage, you'll have to reload repeatedly to try and find the right ones. The decision is up to you, but as a general rule, I would advise not paying much attention to the chests until a second or third playthrough. The items inside are not essential to winning, and getting them can be a big pain for somebody trying to learn the system at the same time. (On top of that, the difficulty of the game increases every time you three-star a stage.) Q: "The difficulty of the game increases every time you three-star a stage?!" A: Yes it does. The game tries to scale its challenge to you even within the three difficulty levels. If you get a three star rating on a stage, it decides the game must be too easy and the enemies on the following stage will have slightly higher stats! Q: "Why are chests so hard to kill?!" A: Chests do have an amazing amount of HP. Gargania clearly has excellent carpenters. To make things easier on yourself, use the Boost from Wrecker Gloves to do extra damage to objects; Brutes also have special Hammers that do a phenomenal amount of damage to chests. Be warned that once the chest breaks, you don't get the item inside automatically; it falls on the ground! You must still move onto the item and pick it up to obtain it, and if an enemy gets there first, they can easily gank the result of your hard work! Q: "Can enemies damage chests/ objects/ siege weapons?" A: They can, although they rarely choose to. However, if, for example, an enemy an enemy Sorceress casts a spell on you and you happen to be next to a chest, the spell will indeed damage the chest as well as your character. Q: "I moved onto an item/ corpse/ Base and started casting a spell, and I didn't pick up the item/ get to change my equipment!" A: This is normal. If you begin casting a spell, your character cannot spare the time to pick up an item or switch out their equipment. They will just stand on the space, leaving the item beneath them. If you wish to pick up the item or change equipment once the spell is cast, just wait on the square once your next turn comes around and you can perform the desired action then. This also applies to Retreat Points, Collect Points, siege weapons, and capturing Bases; casting a spell prevents use of ANY of these actions. Q: "Can I knock bosses out of the battlefield?" A: You cannot. In fact, knockback doesn't work on enemy Aces at all, although if the Ace is casting a spell and you hit them with knockback, the spell will still be cancelled. Q: "What other enemy units are immune to knockback?" A: All units with the Hovering movement type - that means Harpies and Pixies - are immune to knockback. This includes if you knock another unit back INTO them; they will take damage, but they still won't budge from their square. Q: "Holy @*$# how do I defeat bosses on Nightmare mode?" A: Bosses on Nightmare mode will have incredibly high health, attack, and defense, and killing them can seem nigh-impossible. The key to defeating them is to abuse status effects. Poison and Burn deal percentage-based damage to their targets, making them the most reliable ways of damaging a 9000-HP Robertus, for example, and using Freeze, Sleep, or Capture can take powerful sidekicks out of the fight long enough for you to subdue the boss without them. Use your Normal and Advanced runs to pick out your favorite classes, learn which status effects they can inflict, and use them to the best of your ability once you hit Nightmare mode! Q: "How do I increase the chance of an enemy dropping an item I want?" A: Try destroying the rest of their armor pieces using a Brute, stealing their consumable items using Claws, or removing all of their non-weapon equipment period by using the War God Midgardsormr. If the enemy has fewer items equipped, they're more likely to drop the one you want when you kill them. Alternately, you can always try to overkill them so you can select which item you want from their corpse manually, but that gets harder and harder as the game goes on. Don't rely on overkilling, especially for bosses. Q: "If there's an item bag left on the field when I finish a battle, do I automatically pick it up once the battle ends?" A: No. You will automatically get loot from the final enemy you killed in the battle (it appears as your "Final Spoils,") but any items left unclaimed on the field will disappear forever! Q: "The battle requirement said Kill All Enemies, but the battle ended even though I didn't kill the monsters in the corner! Why?" A: As monsters are considered neutral, unaffiliated units, even battles that say you have to kill all enemies will end as long as you kill all the human units. You do not need to kill Pixies, Harpies, Undine, etc. to finish battles. Q: "Why should I bother taking Base Panels?" A: The number of Base Panels you currently own affords you two direct advantages and one more subtle one. Firstly, the number of Base Panels you control affects how far away your units can be and still initiate Beats with one another. By controlling five Base Panels, you can initiate Beats from five squares away, as long as all other positioning requirements are fulfilled! Secondly, every Base you take increases your maximum Tactics Points by two points, up to a maximum of 20, and by taking away enemy Bases, you will lower the max TP of your enemies, too. Lastly, having lots of Base Panels scattered around the map gives you a lot of places to reequip and refill consumables on your characters. This isn't always an advantage you need, but sometimes being able to dart into a Base Panel right before you close combat with the boss of a stage can make all the difference in how the final fight turns out. The moral of the story is: take Bases when you can! They WILL make a difference. Q: "I just took a Base, planning to change my equipment, but I can't do it!" A: You cannot change equipment on a Base Panel on the same turn in which you claim it. You must Wait on a captured Base Panel in order to be offered the opportunity to change your equipment. Q: "What do I do with a Retreat Point?" A: When you move onto a Retreat Point and select Wait, you have the option of switching the Waiting character for another character not currently on the field. This can be an excellent tactical move - say you started the battle picking at the enemies from afar with Archers, but now the enemy has closed the gap. You might switch your Archer for a Brute who is better suited for close-range combat. You can even change the equipment of the person you're about to switch into the battle before bringing them in! However... Q: "I retreated somebody out of battle with the Retreat Point, but then I couldn't pull them back in!" A: Yes, this is normal. Once a character has retreated from a battle, you can NOT pull them back into the same battle. As such, don't let a character retreat until you are sure you don't need them anymore or that they can't contribute in their present state (perhaps they are afflicted with a nasty status effect, or they're going to die the moment the next enemy's turn comes). Q: "What is that weird crystal on this field?" A: Most stages have a giant floating crystal just resting quietly in a corner, minding its own business. These crystals have extremely high defenses, but exceedingly low HP, generally in the double digits. Every time you hit one of these crystals, Gems will fly out of them and land in a space close to the Crystal - one Gem for every point of damage dealt. Move onto the space containing this fallen Gem and it will be added to your inventory! Q: "How much attention should I pay to Crystals?" A: Honestly, unless you're on an item-hunting playthrough - which is to say, a second or third New Game + set on Normal difficulty, where your high-end items and Specialties make the game a breeze - you can ignore Crystals. It takes a lot of time to get Gems out of them, and it's not something you should be worrying about until you are really, really desperate for Gems. Q: "What's a Collect Point?" A: Collect Points are interesting but often useless points on the field where a unit with sufficient Capacity and a free inventory space can find an item that may prove useful to them in the fight. Things like Rocks and Poison Mushrooms can be found at Collect Points, and you can then carry them around the field and chuck them at your enemies as desired for damage and the occasional status effect. Generally, however, these items are very weak and exactly what you get from a Collect Point is random, making them a dubious way to spend your turn. Furthermore, all items found at Collect Points vanish at the end of a battle if not used, meaning you can't stock up on Poison Mushrooms and bring them along to throw at later bosses (cool though that would be). Q: "What's a siege weapon?" A: On various stages, particularly those that take place at castles and forts, the battlements are armed with some form of cannon or catapult that can be operated by units, allied or enemy, to cause great damage to the other team. Firing a siege weapon requires TP, so be prepared before trying to use one! Also note that only particular units can fire a siege weapon. Tricksters, Valerie, Paulo, and most enemy bosses can do so, but all other units cannot, even if they are standing on the correct square with enough available TP. Q: "Is there a point to destroying siege weapons?" A: There is, as it happens. All siege weapons drop Onyx, a valuable refining tool, when destroyed, and Cannon rails drop sachets of Grease. Q: "Will I drown in deep water?" A: You certainly will, and some apparently shallow rivers have currents that will drag you into deep holes if you're unaware enough to stop in them. Water becomes lethal at a depth of 2.0 or higher; always beware when moving in or through water because of this. Q: "I was standing on a lamp and I caught fire!" A: Lamps are automatically lit at nighttime. And while standing on them during the day is perfectly safe, standing on a lamp when it lights or is lit will indeed inflict Burn on the character foolish enough to do it. Q: "If I have the Burn status, and I jump into shallow water, will it be cured?" A: Surprisingly, yes. Just make sure the water really IS shallow before you go cannonballing into it! Q: "What the hell? I had one character standing next to a wall and another character standing in front of him. An enemy knocked the second guy back into the first one, and he got knocked into the wall, and the two of them knocked back and forth into each other until they died!!" A: Yeah... this is a well-known and -documented occurence. Whether it's a glitch or intentional is unknown, but it definitely happens. There's no way to stop it, either, so make sure you don't leave yourself in such a situation. On the other hand, you can do it to enemies, too! Q: "@&#*, Skeletons revive?!" A: Yes they do. Once you reduce a Skeleton's HP to 0, they will fall into a pile of bones. They will neither move nor act while a pile of bones; nor can they be looted. If left alone, after a set amount of time has gone by, they will pick themselves up, recovered to full health once more. To get rid of a Skeleton for good, you must first reduce its HP to 0 and then use a skill on it that has either the Purge Undead or the Undead Killer property. This will wipe the Skeleton off the field for good. (They will not drop loot. You cannot get a Skeleton to drop loot by any method, which means you can never get their unique Bloody Rapiers, either.) Q: "@&#*, Isabeli turned me into a Skeleton and MY character revived!" A: Yep! Being inflicted with the Undead status effect really makes you an Undead in every sense of the word, including their eventual automatic revival. On the less fortunate side, though, they also gain Skeletons' weakness to Undead Killer skills, and if your Ace gets turned into a Skeleton and killed, it's Game Over right away, even though they would revive eventually. Q: "What's the difference between Purge Corpse and Undead Killer?" A: Purge Corpse will remove a fallen Skeleton from the field completely, but it has no effect on Skeletons that still have HP remaining. Undead Killer will remove a fallen Skeleton from the field, the same as Purge Corpse, but if you use an Undead Killer skill on an active Skeleton, the attack will deal damage to the Skeleton equal to its current HP, killing it instantly and without question. As you can imagine, Undead Killer is therefore a very powerful and very rare property; the only weapons that have it are the Rosier sword, the Holy Sabre greatsword, the Bow of Iria, and the Cryocross broom. Q: "What can I do about those Golems?!" A: There's actually an extremely easy way to handle Golems. Believe it or not, you can actually jump on top of a Golem, and by doing so you slam it to the ground and prevent it from moving or acting as long as you're standing on it. Your character can still act from on top of it, too, so it gives you a free little podium to rain death from! Just be warned that once you get off of a Golem, it's free to resume damaging you and breaking your equipment, so make sure you get a healthy distance away when you choose to let it up again. Q: "How do I win in a stage with a Rail Cannon?!?!?!" A: Destroy the cannon, of course! Use Archers to initiate a full-team Beat from your starting positioning and destroy the damn thing. Wrecker Gloves help, as they allow you to do extra damage to objects (i.e. cannons). You can also equip fire-resistant equipment to defend against the cannons' shots or block the inflicted Burn status. Seriously, though: take out the cannons first. It makes the rest of the stage much easier. Q: "I attacked the final boss from behind, but I got guarded! I thought Guard rating was 0 when being attacked from behind!" A: The final boss is a special case. He actually has incredible Guard rating when being attacked from behind (it makes sense if you look at him). Attack him from the front or sides instead. ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 9.0 EXTRA STUFF ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* 9.01 Some Possible Challenges ******************************************************************************* Have you beat this game so many times you could do it in your sleep? Are you gearing up for your final playthrough to get a complete item collection and feeling a bit bored of it all? Maybe a nifty little challenge can spice up your gameplay and reignite your interest! ************************************************* 9.01.01 Melee Attacker Super Hammering (MASH) ************************************************* The Challenge: .Any mode; play using only melee weapons on all characters and classes The Extra Challenge: .Play without using skills that target more than one panel ******************************************* 9.01.02 Ranged Attack Destruction (RAD) ******************************************* The Challenge: .Any mode; play using only Valkyrie/Rebel/Archer/Gunner/Thrower/Trickster The Extra Challenge: .Play while only attacking enemies from two or more panels away ******************************************* 9.01.03 All Magic User Challenge (AMUC) ******************************************* The Challenge: .Any mode; play using only Alchemist/Royal/Paladin/Witch/Priestess/Sorceress The Extra Challenge: .Play while only using spells with cast times *************************************************** 9.01.04 Single Character Class Challenge (SCCC) *************************************************** The Challenge: .Any mode; play using only characters of a single class The Extra Challenge: .Every weapon can only be equipped by one character ********************************************** 9.01.05 Anti-Store Stuff Challenge (A-SSC) ********************************************** The Challenge: .Any mode; play without ever buying a single item from the store The Extra Challenge: .Play without opening treasure chests or other objects ******************************************** 9.01.06 Ultimate Perfect Challenge (UPC) ******************************************** The Challenge: .Nightmare mode; get three stars every scene The Extra Challenge: .Combine with another challenge... if you dare! ******************************************************************************* 9.02 A Treatise on Alissa ******************************************************************************* Possibly coming someday. I love Alissa to death and may someday write up an analysis of her character and a rebuttal to certain criticisms I've heard of her. However, for now, this section is under construction. ******************************************************************************* 9.03 "Knights in the Nightmare" and Gungnir's Generics ******************************************************************************* So, I recently acquired the "Knights in the Nightmare" artbook known as the "Tome of Lost Souls" (from Amazon, if you're curious,) and found, much to my shock, that the names of all of the generics in Gungnir were taken from the characters of Knights in the Nightmare! As the generics in Knights have some rather involved backgrounds, I thought it might be fun to copy the backstories of these characters here so you can transpose them onto the Gungnir generics for added flavor. BE WARNED: there WILL be spoilers for Knights in the Nightmare, so proceed with caution if you haven't played that game yet. ********************** 9.03.01 Knights ********************** Rondine Enduring Warden: Rondine Lex Oh Dias Class: Warrior "A veteran of numerous battles, he is one of the most well-respected knights in the kingdom. Rondine is passionate about weaponry, and surprisingly, he is very self-sufficient, opting to take care of all his own cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Unfortunately, he has yet to finish paying off his debt to the tavern for the many nights of drinking he and Morozof spent together..." Reinhart Immortal Rider: Reinhart Ross Valero Class: Lance Knight "He is a fearless knight who is driven by his intense honor and loyalty to the kingdom. Off the battlefield, he always makes time to listen to his subordinates and even counsel them on their troubles. Reinhart takes great pride in his horse, whom he named Chatreau, and he holds Grand Marshal Gunther in high esteem." Firenz Trusty Blade: Firenz Hanover Class: Warrior "He has a bit of a sensitive side and loves working with children. Firenz can always find the good qualities in people, and that has helped him make many friends. When he has free time, he drinks with Bonn, but he will never admit to actually being drunk..." Lester Detached Hero: Lester Derrick Class: Warrior "Probably no knight is more obsessed with his appearance than Lester. He can be a bit arrogant, but he has a lot of respect for the higher-ups, especially Rolf, who looks after him. Lester rarely smiles and is not very sociable with his comrades, and in particular, he gets irritated frequently by Alonso's loud speaking voice. His skills in battle could use some improvement, but he knows this and trains hard to get better." Ernest Gallant Avenger: Ernest Air Garland Class: Warrior "As an officer, he does his best to inspire younger knights and help them meet their potential. His soft demeanor and warm personality make it very easy for his subordinates to open up to him. After his daughter died, he began looking after Myra, whom he tries to give fatherly advice to. Ernest is also quite the wine enthusiast." Gert Immobile Mountain: Gert T. Fobis Class: Warrior "Nothing is more important to Gert than a good meal. Fortunately, he has phenomenal cooking skills to complement his phenomenal appetite! During meals, he can always be found trying to shove more food down Bailey's throat because he feels Bailey does not eat enough. Gert enjoys Legaard's company because he has a large appetite, like himself." Theonil Lackadaisical Cloud: Theonil L. Algren Class: Warrior "Somewhat of a lazy oaf, Theonil spends most of his days eating Gert's cooking, sleeping, and goofing off. This includes days in which he has actual duties to perform. The worries of the kingdom are of no concern to him, and he would rather spend time being unproductive with Jungwil and Josef. Although Theonil gets along well with Cornelia, his true feelings are toward Caline." Rudolf Hallowed Protector: Rudolf M. Kialoster Class: Lance Knight "Contrary to the philosophy of many, Rudolf strongly believes that the best offense is a good defense. As such, he is an obsessive collector and expert on different types of armor, and those around him are often forced to listen to him ramble on for days at a time. He suspected Cardinal Capehorn had ordered the assassination of Azhan, and he laments not having taken action to stop it. He is married to Magda, another knight." Basturk Cunning Hawk: Basturk Tas Oh Tubek Class: Warrior "A hearty and experienced combatant, he is General Rondine's right-hand man. Having endured many hardships, including the death of his longtime friend Levi, Basturk's hardened composure sometimes reveals traces of the sorrow in his heart." Audric Knight of Ages: Audric V. Schneider Class: Lance Knight "Having created his own, unique fighting style, he quickly earned the respect of General Rondine. Audric lives by a strict code of honor. He values a good drink above all else, and he has no patience for those who do not. He is very close to Juno, whom he considers a reliable friend both on and off the battlefield." Gordon N/A David N/A Hugo N/A Clark N/A Kristoph N/A Frederic N/A Benedict N/A ********************* 9.03.02 Brutes ********************* Alonso Savage Impaler: Alonso Updike Class: Lance Knight "He looks after the rest of the order almost obsessively. Alonso's expert knowledge on spears is almost unmatched, and local blacksmiths are nervous about dealing with him because of it. However, what Alonso is best known for is being a very loud talker, and his comrades talk about it behind his back frequently. He is aware of how loud he is, but he has no desire to lower his volume." Josef Stone Arm: Josef Jarvis Hertz Class: Warrior "He is a grizzled veteran who has fought in countless battles, but somehow, Josef always manages to have a smile on his face. Because he constantly jokes around with his peers, he is frequently scolded by Minotta. However, when it is time for battle, he becomes a completely different person. Josef takes combat seriously, and his leadership is an asset to the order. He often worries about his niece, Aura, who is growing up in a strict household." Jungwil Clever Hand: Jungwil C. Zachs Class: Lance Knight "He is a prankster who rarely acts his age. Because of this, he and Josef have become very close friends, and are always getting in trouble with Minotta. He cares very deeply about Mervyn, whom he treats like a son." Krozem N/A Fritz Barreling Ox: Fritz Rupio Oh Dayan Class: Warrior "He is a gruff man with a very unrefined vocabulary. Deep down, Fritz is genuinely kindhearted and loyal. Before becoming a knight, he used to deliver packages with Gilder. He holds Rolf in very high regard, and he is often worried about Cornelia. Husrev Fearless Champion: Husrev Hanon Aigil Class: Lance Knight "More brawn than brain, Husrev strives to be nothing more than the most renowned and formidable knight in the kingdom. Unfortunately, his skills are not quite enough to accomplish this goal. While he is not loyal to the kingdom itself, he greatly respects Gunther and his other superiors. He harbors an intense hatred for Cardinal Capehorn, especially after the Cardinal blamed Gunther for the King's death. Husrev has a long lost sister, Beatrix, who he believes to be dead." Cougar Steel Mastiff: Cougar G. Sheridan Class: Warrior "Due to his eagerness to charge headlong into the frontlines, he has acquired an impressive array of battle scars. He is not the brightest knight in the order, but he has a heart of gold. Cougar looks after Oryze very closely, and he knows of Piche's feelings for Prince Nordich." Hagen War Reaver: Hagen M.K. Ifroth Class: Warrior "Despite his dark and tragic past, he chooses to spend his life laughing and enjoying himself. He and Otto have been friends for years, and the two have an inseparable bond. Hagen does his best to act cold and unmovable, but deep down, he has a strong sense of justice and compassion. Like the rest of the order, he considers himself to be more mercenary than knight." Ulrich Untamed Lion: Ulrich D. Andibus Class: Warrior "A bit intense at times, he focuses so intently on the mission at hand that he ignores everything else. Ulrich has learned to distance himself emotionally from carrying out his orders, so it is no wonder he was asked to track down General Algiery. He is not very skilled with words, and consequently, he has no hope of advancing much further through the ranks. However, this does not trouble him at all." Legro Righteous Pillar: Legro Rei Forden Class: Warrior "As the only male knight in the 6th Order, he feels compelled to watch over General Algiery and his female comrades a little too obsessively. However, despite his caring nature, Legro is often very gruff and standoffish, leaving many people scared of him before they get to know him." Calvin N/A Barnaby N/A Armant N/A Gastend N/A Clive N/A Caesar N/A Bold N/A *********************** 9.03.03 Paladins *********************** Morozof Grand Sage: Morozof Mohr Jensen Class: Wizard "Morozof is a veteran commander with an incredible insight into all matters, and he was the first to notice the conspiracy against the Prince. Outside of his knightly duties, Morozof takes great pleasure in drinking with his old time friends: Rondine and Granitz." Michel Innocent Apprentice: Michel Kareem Levine Class: Warrior "He is a fairly young knight who enlisted alongside his friend Johann. Although his body is somewhat frail, he joined the knights to help support his sick grandfather. What Michel is most passionate about, though, is playing the ocarina." Freiber Sable Adept: Freiber Will Permeal Class: Wizard "He is a veteran Wizard who cares deeply for his peers, but his greatest concern in life is the welfare of his daughter, Annalot. Freiber spends a lot of time with Lillian and Hilgard, and he treats them like family. As he grows older, he does not cling to the past, but rather, he embraces the younger generation of knights who will one day be taking over." Pilgrim Arcane Seer: Pilgrim Latigen Class: Wizard "His passion for the magical arts and his enthusiasm to study inspire those around him to better themselves. Pilgrim constantly pesters Mahmoud to take him as his apprentice, but he is always rejected. He has acquired a large vocabulary from the sheer volume of books he has read and studied, and he does his best to insert new words he has learned into daily usage." Gieche Loyal Mastermind: Gieche Gigas Siegel Class: Wizard "He is a charismatic, sharp-looking fellow with an undying devotion to the King. Gieche is the older brother of Colt and the son of Gaston, and he is close to the King, which gives him insight into the goings-on of the castle and into the conflict between the King and the Prince. He is willing to lay down his life for the King." Juno Stoic Philosopher: Juno O. Credin Class: Wizard "Often condescending and pompous, the only person he respects or even acknowledges is his superior, Audric. Juno can always be seen with a dictionary in hand because he staunchly believes people are forgetting how to speak properly. No matter where he goes, he does not make friends, only enemies. He is curious about other people, but he is terrified of betrayal." Melange Wise Elder: Melange Kiev Dotorov Class: Wizard "Often lost in thought, Melange is extremely introspective and reflective. He is haunted by regrets of not being able to save Levi's life, and although it falls on deaf ears, Levi's friend Basturk has tried to counsel him on many occasions. Melange and his longtime academic rival, Mahmoud, have become masters in many different spheres of magic." Mahmoud Solemn Ancient: Mahmoud Gary Murdock Class: Wizard "Once an arrogant and reckless mage, he was known for being cold and unmerciful toward others. However, when his prized student, Baltar, lost respect for his master and left, Mahmoud began to see the error of his ways. After reforming, he vowed to never again take on any disciples, much to Pilgrim's chagrin." Grimwad Spectral Master: Grimwad Dylan Mirele Class: Wizard "He has inadvertently become the 10th Order's personal therapist, as all of his comrades come to speak to him and seek his advice. Because General Frabela and General Algiery are so close, Grimwad has reservations about his assignment to track down Algiery." Leonil The Bloodthirsty Swordsman: Leonil Class: Gladiator "A commander in the 3rd Order. He is a shrewd and powerful swordsman, and even his subordinates are afraid of his temper at times." Augusto N/A Jeremias N/A Gabriel N/A Ariel N/A Clifford N/A Bradle N/A Rochet N/A ************************ 9.03.04 Assassins ************************ Frabela Meteoric Striker: Frabela Flay Arkun Class: Duelist "The courageous and reliable General of the 10th Order. Despite her youth, many of the other knights look up to her. When Frabela was promoted, General Algiery of the 6th Order came to her quarters to congratulate her, but brought her flowers to liven up her room upon seeing how empty it was. The two have been close friends ever since. Frabela knows she should not play favorites, but she sees Oswald as more a brother than a subordinate." Vishna Unseen Wanderer: Vishna Elle Alestie Class: Hermit "Loyal to Cardinal Capehorn, she is a responsible and capable fighter. However, she dislikes how much praise the Cardinal gives to Yelma. She used to let her emotions get the best of her, but one day long ago, a close friend of hers met with an untimely tragedy because Vishna was unable to react in time. Now, she is stern and detached. Vishna considers General Morozof to be her arch-nemesis." Moira Iron Rose: Moira Chateletze Class: Hermit "She is a strong and beautiful woman who commands a great deal of respect from her subordinates. Her unit has been known to get rowdy at times, but she has a lot of pride in all of them. Although she is generally calm, when Moira gets angry, she does not hold anything back, and her subordinates have learned how to keep her content. Moira is currently taking care of the stray dog that Cress found, and she is betrothed to Wunsche." Rolenta Prophet of Ruin: Rolenta Ellenhart Class: Hermit "Her mother abandoned her family while Rolenta was very young, and it scarred her emotionally. She has trouble getting close to people sometimes, even now. The only person she trusts is Flora, who she gained as a stepsister when her father remarried. As a commoner, Rolenta has great disdain for the upper classes, but no matter how much she pretends to hate Schmitz, she is secretly attracted to him." Minotta Emerald Observer: Minotta Y. Irving Class: Hermit "She is very serious about her duties and takes it upon herself to act as a big sister to her peers. Although she is usually calm and composed, Minotta has been known to become so heatedly angry that her temper is legendary among the other knights. She is a very fast learner and keen observer, and she despises Cardinal Capehorn with every fiber of her being. She takes special care to watch over Anette and care for her." Seriee Graceful Brute: Seriee D. Colaine Class: Duelist "Having been hardened by battle, Seriee has forsaken her softer, feminine side and devoted her life to studying the sword. Unfortunately, because of this, she is often mistaken for a man. Seriee is very stubborn and does not like relying on others, and this can make her comrades worry at times. She has a friendly rivalry with Erica." Sarland Fate Stealer: Sarland I.S. Vista Class: Hermit "She is a reliable and capable ally, but she lets her temper get the best of her far too often. Sarland considers herself more of a mercenary than a knight, and having grown up in poverty, she mistrusts the upper class. Although not treasonous, she feels no strong affinity for the kingdom or its well-being." Lucia Alluring Angel: Lucia Riese Eh Krauz Class: Hermit "As someone who tends to blend in rather than stand out, she became a perfect candidate for espionage missions. Lucia is known for having a large appetite, and the only person she is exceptionally close to is Legro. She was assigned to track General Algiery's movements, but her adoration for her commander has left her feeling conflicted..." Grunwalde Eye of Salvation: Grunval Lena Eh Cael Class: Hermit "She is a young mother whose sense of justice often gets her into trouble. Although she once idolized Yelma, Grunval soon learned the truth and now despises her. Grunval is very close friends with Isolde. She loves children and is very emotional." Aquina The Heartless Sniper: Aquina Class: Silent Sniper "A commander in the 3rd Order. She's a calm and composed knight who does not get along very well with her comrade, Leonil, but has great respect for Cardinal Capehorn." Elaine N/A Eleanor N/A Clara N/A Evita N/A Hannah N/A ********************* 9.03.05 Tamers ********************* Bonita High Inquisitor: Bonita Yorick Class: Duelist "Always brash and bold when expressing her opinions, she does not hesitate to say what is on her mind. Bonita was a problem child growing up, but Jorgen helped straighten her out. Bonita hates Juno because she feels Juno embodies what she herself used to be." Diora Faith's Refuge: Diora Rene Eh Mahana Class: Hermit "Although she is a brave and capable fighter, she is known for her discretion and her ability to choose her battles calmly and rationally. Very outgoing, she is more likely to be found fighting for her friends or countrymen than for herself or the kingdom. She has great respect for Bergman, her superior, and she tries hard to encourage Annalot, whom she feels has great leadership potential." Hildegard Striking Lily: Hilgard Rei Merkitas Class: Duelist "A pessimistic young woman who tends to over-think the situations she is in, Hilgard is often fawned over by the men around her. Her best friend is Janus, whom she thinks of as an older sister at times. When tragedy swept Aventheim, she was one of the first to be caught in the middle of it..." Joanna Diamond Cutter: Johanna W. Swift Class: Duelist "A beautiful, young knight, she seems frail and naive to the men around her. Consequently, many of the knights feel an extra need to protect her. Aside from being notoriously bad at cooking, Johanna's biggest weakness is sweet talk, and she often finds herself falling for the wrong kind of man. Because of this, Meryl tries to look out for her. Johanna's best friend is Diora, even though the two have seemingly opposite personalities." Platier Karmic Melody: Platier M. Lawrence Class: Duelist "A caring and empathetic woman, she is eerily perceptive toward the people around her and very adept at reading people's moods. Platier places a high value on helping her comrades, and she has profound respect for artists and musicians. Few things irritate her more than unprofessionalism, such as when Atkasia and Neredo bicker. She believes she knows the Cardinal's true ambitions." Neredo Scarlet Fury: Neredo A. Velden Class: Duelist "She is a boastful and arrogant fighter who often bickers with her older sister, Atkasia. Neredo does not much care for other people and rarely puts forth any effort to remember names or faces." Atkasia Scarlet Rage: Atkasia N. Velden Class: Duelist "She is Neredo's older and more mature sister. Atkasia can be just as brash and cocky as her younger sister, but she has enough self-reflection to control herself. Nevertheless, she and her sister will still argue with each other like young children, and it can upset their comrades, especially Lakshmi." Magenta Sword Dancer: Magda L. Kialoster Class: Duelist "Above all else, she values camaraderie and family values. This is not surprising since she is married to a fellow knight, Rudolf. She is not very intimidating and consequently is often underestimated by her opponent. Magda has learned to use this to her advantage on the battlefield. In her spare time, she collects antiques. Darushan Pure of Mind: Darshan Teno Eh Crow Class: Lance Knight "She is a sharp-tongued girl with no desire to get involved in other people's affairs. Darshan has great respect for General Vishna, but she has no tolerance for Yelma or the Cardinal. Secretly, she feels that she is no match for Silvano, and this worries her for some reason. Unbeknownst to her comrades, she is very skilled at playing the harp." Alier The Last Hope of the Tiamats: Princess Alier Class: Princess "The young Princess of the Tiamats. Her arranged marriage to Prince Nordich was to cement the realm of Aventheim and the Tiamat people, but that plan never came to fruition. She takes responsibility for the plight of her race." Jamie N/A Mavis N/A Esther N/A Edith N/A Camilla N/A Colin N/A Brigitte N/A ************************* 9.03.06 Tricksters ************************* Leier Twilight Keeper: Leier Bertzog Class: Hermit "She is small in size but not in spirit. Leier is a knight in Firenz's unit, and she does her best to tolerate his drinking. When she needs to rant about him, she turns to her good friend Moira. Leier is a fond admirer of Sven's paintings and one day aspires to be a talented artist herself." Erica Celestial Fencer: Erica Val Eh Sokolov Class: Duelist "She was born into nobility but quickly learned to hate class distinctions and prejudice. One day, Erica would like to be a housewife and take care of a family, but she feels compelled to serve her kingdom as a knight. She trained alongside Seriee, and has taken it upon herself to look out for Frances." Janice Rare Blossom: Janus Raymond Class: Duelist "She may be a talented knight, but her primary passion is for reading. She takes every chance she can get to read Marion's poetry. Janus has a positive, almost naive, outlook on life, and she bears no ill will toward the Tiamats." Lillian Elegant Force: Lillian I. Amnoble Class: Duelist "Although responsible and highly capable, Lillian much prefers the social aspects of knighthood. She loves looking after children and playing games with them, and she wishes she could spend more time with her childhood friend, Annalot." Nina Dutiful Slicer: Nina H. Answorth Class: Duelist "She is a weak and timid young girl who only joined the knights to carry on the family tradition. She is constantly worried she is not cut out to be a knight, and she would much rather be in another line of work. Fortunately, she can find strength in her brother, Hampton, her friend, Annalot, and her superior officer, Reinhart." Irma Dancing Mapper: Irma Eri Sheifer Class: Duelist "She is an overzealous girl with a very informal demeanor. Irma loves cartography, but she unfortunately has no sense of direction. Always obsessed with cleanliness, she over-polished her sword and armor until neither was usable anymore. The only time she ever focuses on the world around her is when she is backed into a corner." Oryze Chirping Sparrow: Oryze Vid Eh Dapho Class: Duelist "She is currently the youngest knight in the kingdom, and all her comrades are amazed by her. In truth, she is much more immature than people realize she is, and she is still very naive about the world around her. Professionally, she idolizes Seriee and hopes to be as skilled as her one day." Woosh Searing Flame: Woosh W. Simmons Class: Duelist "Despite her immense strength and skill, she is never good enough in her own eyes. Woosh trains hard daily, and when she is not training, she feels guilty. A large part of her dedication stems from the fact that she blames herself for the death of Melfi's parents. She now takes care of Melfi and has unrealistically vowed to never let anyone else die ever again." Enite Crimson Frost: Enite Toro Eh Keilos Class: Duelist "She is a seductive woman who is direct with her emotions and her words. Enite idolizes Algiery, and distrusts anyone who does not like the young General. She has known Amalgun since childhood, but recently, the two have had their differences. Enite is also friends with Hydrick, and she worries about him constantly." Sacchito The Loyal Attendant: Sacchito Class: The Secret "Princess Alier's faithful retainer. Sacchito is a doll given artificial life to protect the Tiamat Sanctuary's barrier." Ulrich N/A Evi N/A Freier N/A Ludmilla N/A Lolo N/A ********************** 9.03.07 Archers ********************** Johann Sullen Axe: Johann Elliott Class: Warrior "Johann is always worried about the well-being of his mother, Nadia. He is incredibly homesick, but he continues to endure because he wants to make a difference in the kingdom. Lisbet tends to worry about him and does her best to take care of him. Johann has a secret crush on Leier, but he is afraid to tell her how he feels." Doraize Eagle Eye: Dreyuss Koubelka Class: Archer "He is an excellent Archer, and he knows it. Dreyuss has a tendency to be blunt and rude at times, but he always means well. For a young man who spends most of his day focusing intently on targets, measuring wind speeds, and searching for strategic firing locations, he has a surprisingly horrible sense of direction. Dreyuss studied archery under Legaard, and he is fortunate to have Frances looking after him like an older sister." Kress Adroit Tactician: Cress Follet Class: Archer "A humble and self-deprecating Archer, he idolizes Ganosh and is worried he will never have that degree of talent in his lifetime. Cress loves learning about people's pasts and the hardships they have had to overcome. He is very close friends with Simone, and has a great deal of respect for Isolde. He knows why Crozeph acts the way she does among the other knights." Schmitz Rolling Boulder: Schmitz Shell Orwall Class: Lance Knight "A lazy man, Schmitz always moves at his own pace, no matter how intense the situation may get. He carries his lucky hat with him wherever he goes, and if he ever finds himself without it, he turns into a nervous wreck. Secretly, he is in love with Flora." Walder Deadly Phantom: Walder W. Wallace Class: Archer "Walder's marksmanship is thought to be nearly unparalleled among the knights, second only to General Granitz himself. His sharp gaze causes people to regard him as cold and uninviting, but he is actually quite concerned for the welfare of those around him. He is very focused, and he does not rest until he has finished what he set out to accomplish. Walder's surprisingly vast vocabulary has been known to impress the kingdom's poets and orators." Colt Passionate Youth: Colt Corbin Siegel Class: Archer "At a very young age, his father, Gaston, made it very clear that Colt's older brother, Gieche, was his favorite son. This gave Colt an intense inferiority complex and has driven him to be the best he can be in every area of his life. This even extends to the arts, where Colt is recognized as a very talented singer. Despite having never struck up a conversation with Bailey, he views him as a kindred spirit." Oswald Cheerful Raptor: Oswald J. Titus Class: Archer "One of General Frabela's favorites, he is treated more like a brother than a subordinate. Many feel that with his skills, Oswald would make a great General one day, but unfortunately, he does not hold his talent in such high regard. He is considered one of the top five Archers in the kingdom and was even offered a position in the 1st Order, but he declined it. His mistrust for Ganosh was a large factor in this decision." Heckler Glittering Star: Heckler D.T. Aivor Class: Archer "A pure and innocent young boy, he genuinely believes the world could be made a better place if everyone would try a little harder. While not as brash as Dreyuss, Heckler is very energetic and stands up for what he believes in. Having grown up in Balmore, he has a strong dislike for prejudice. Wunsche saved his life in battle, and now Heckler looks up to him." Werner Valiant Lamb: Werner F. Device Class: Warrior "He is a gullible, weak-willed fighter who tends to get stomach aches from the stress of being a knight. Werner gets upset easily by Caline's sharp remarks and constantly falls for the merchant Salida's sales pitches. He idolizes Silvano, and his best friend is Monk." Dosika The Storm Speaker: Dosika Donia Ultina Class: Archer "He is a Tiamat soldier who trained with Partha under Gordon. While not as strong as Yuga, Dosika makes up for it with keen strategy and finesse on the battlefield. He struggles tirelessly to end war and spread a message of peace and love." Niccolo N/A Antionne N/A Gasparo N/A Bruno N/A Kashmir N/A Charles N/A ********************** 9.03.08 Gunners ********************** Granitz Gale Marksman: Granitz S. Dinatog Class: Archer "As the General of the 9th Order, Granitz is known for his exceptional skill with a bow and arrow. He is also known for his stern expression. There are rumors circulating that General Granitz has not laughed in years! He treats Oryze like a daughter, and he is close friends with Morozof, who drinks him under the table regularly." Legaard Crashing Thunder: Legaard Rockwell Class: Archer "He comes across as a gruff and simpleminded Archer, but deep down, he cares more about his comrades' well-being than he does about himself or his career. Legaard has absolutely no willpower when it comes to Gert's cooking, and although he overeats, he has found a passion for new foods he would not ordinarily eat, such as mushrooms." Hampton Lord of Woe: Hampton N. Answorth Class: Warrior "While he takes his duties as a knight seriously, his highest priority will always be the safety of his little sister, Nina. He is not very comfortable with expressing his feelings or speaking openly with most people. Hampton has enough talent to be an Archer if he wanted to, but he does not have enough focus or patience for it." Staehel Infernal Lightning: Staehel Rudolia Class: Archer "Always the honorable and humble Archer, he is loved by all his subordinates. Upon receiving his promotion, Staehel's friends gave him a brand new bow, but he used it so much that it broke. He is currently searching for a master fletcher to repair it. While his unit is often criticized for being too relaxed, he firmly believes that nothing prepares for battle better than high morale and a hearty laugh. He greatly respects Walder." Bergman Wind Runner: Bergman A. Granger Class: Archer "Although originally a member of the 2nd Order, he later forms a resistance movement to prevent the rise of Cardinal Capehorn. Bergman is hot-tempered, but his comrade, Mauser, tries to keep him calm. Although no one questions his skills as an Archer, many suspect he would be equally suited as a melee knight. He is desperately in love with Merrick, a maid at the castle." Mauser Keen Observer: Mauser D. Mendel Class: Archer "He is a very conservative, old fashioned man. He regrets not being able to save the King and has now devoted his mind and body to preserving the kingdom. Mauser values being an individual instead of following the crowd, and he often usees proverbs to convey his feelings on a given subject. He has a great deal of respect for Granitz, and looks up to Ganosh's abilities, if not his attitudes." Ganosh Legendary Hunter: Ganosh Gaia Travis Class: Archer "For an Archer, he is very well built. He has been charged with the care of the Prince, and as such, he is loyal to both the King and his son. In fact, despite Prince Nordich's generally selfish ways, Ganosh is viewed as somewhat of a father figure. Recently, Ganosh has begun suspecting that either Yelma or Cardinal Capehorn has been corrupting the Prince." Bordeaux Standing Reed: Bordeau Bach Fredric Class: Archer "Though he appears exceptionally slender and frail, he is actually quite hearty. Bordeau is a quiet man who believes actions speak louder than words. He may not always voice just how proud he is to be a knight or how loyal to the King he truly is. Some find him to be socially awkward at times, but he has been fortunate enough to earn the trust and respect of many key individuals." Otto Devious Dragon: Otto L.O. Croney Class: Lance Knight "The loss of his love, Lutecia, turned him into a bitter and pessimistic man. He is gruff and often anti-social, trusting no one except Hagen and Sarland. Otto does not care about the methods undertaken in order to accomplish a mission. He has mixed feelings toward Natalie, who looks a lot like Lutecia." Amalgun Silent Stalker: Amalgun Roni Oh Jieu Class: Archer "He is a realist who suspects the higher-ups are concealing the truth from the knights. Amalgun thinks the state of the world is rapidly declining, and he has a great mistrust for General Algiery. Recently, he and his longtime friend Enite have been having some differences. His passion in life is studying the weaponry of foreign kingdoms." Linus N/A Greg N/A Derick N/A Diego N/A Cesar N/A Claus Still River: Klaus D. Strick Class: Lance Knight "He puts his wife and daughters above all else, including his duties as a knight. He looks up to Basturk and General Rondine with great admiration, and he is longtime friends with Josef." *********************** 9.03.09 Throwers *********************** Bonn Loyal Companion: Bonn Clavell Class: Warrior "A carefree hedonist, he sees knightly formalties as just obstacles that bar him from drinking and having a good time. Nevertheless, despite his irresponsible inclinations, Bonn is a reliable and capable ally on the battlefield. He is eternally regretful that he did not pursue Moira earlier, before Wunsche, his superior, proposed to her." Mardin Vigilant Cavalier: Mardin Scott Class: Lance Knight "A stoic pessimist, the only area of his life in which Mardin has confidence is his ability to throw darts. He worries about others to the point that their problems soon become his own. Although he is embarrassed to admit it, he idolizes Wunsche and hopes to be like him one day. Mardin's best friend is Fritz." Bailey Curious Prodigy: Bailey Y. Fender Class: Warrior "He is a rash and foolhardy young man who is quite immature. He became a knight solely because he thought it would afford him more opportunities to see the world, but now he has begun to regret that decision. He can sense how similar his life is to Colt's." Wunsche Devout Liberator: Wunsche L. Belanose Class: Lance Knight "Although he is one of the calmest and most stoic knights in the kingdom, he lives by one of the strictest codes of morality. He is betrothed to Moira, a knight from the 11th Order, and he works tirelessly to keep her happy and content." Rolf Burning Tiger: Rolf Rolinger Class: Wizard "He is an impressively talented young Wizard who climbed the ranks quickly. He continually strives to better himself for the kingdom's sake, but he knows he still has much left to learn. To many, Rolf is a model example of what a knight should be. Unlike some of the other Generals, Rolf is not able to hold his alcohol as well as he would like to." Hydrick Quiet Invoker: Hydrick A. Crowley Class: Wizard "After losing his parents, Hydrick's life was given new meaning when Gunther inspired him to become a knight. He is a stubborn man with a somewhat low opinion of himself, and much of his free time is spent taking long, pensive walks. To many, he seems distant and uncompromising, and Meryl is especially worried about him." Baltar Hopeful Sky: Baltar Bert Brouden Class: Wizard "Before joining the knights, he was a respected educator and researcher. He has a daughter, Maimi, whom he spoils, and he gives similar treatment to Gudrun, one of his subordinates who looks and acts a lot like his daughter. Before being injured and let go, Garick once served under Baltar." Alfred Unwavering Spear: Alfred Alois Dias Class: Lance Knight "He is a handsome and often idolized young man, and people have described his graceful fighting style as though he is dancing with his spear. Recently, though, his behavior has changed a lot. He seems to have little patience for anyone, with the exception of his undying loyalty to Yelma, which perplexes many." Yavusu Constant Scholar: Yavuz Rolef Walesner Class: Wizard "He is a conflicted intellectual, and although he acts tough and cold, he is deeply concerned for the people around him. He is reluctant to pry into other people's personal lives, and in battle, he is always calm and rational. Yavuz was ordered by Yelma to track General Algiery, but he has moral reservations with carrying out this mission..." Yuga Red Apostle: Yuga Luna Mephi Leto Class: Wizard "He devotes his existence to protecting his land, his people, and Princess Alier. Yuga is frequently short-tempered, and years ago, he and Heinel fought each other. Although he does not hold her in high esteem as she holds him, he does admit to her ability in combat." Gregory N/A Heinz N/A Gunther The Stalwart Knight: Grand Marshal Gunther Class: Grand Marshal "The right arm of the King. He is a well-liked and popular knight who keeps the other orders in line. There are rumors that the king's death drove him insane..." Dante N/A Dean N/A Ferando N/A ************************** 9.03.10 Priestesses ************************** Frances Shadow Spirit: Frances Mervyl Class: Hermit "The youngest of seven sisters, she has very low confidence in herself and derives most of her strength and happiness from those around her. Frances is brokenhearted that she and her friend Roslip are not serving in the same order. Fortunately, she can depend on Erica to help her make it through the day." Simone Ivory Disciple: Simone Alexei Class: Priestess "Her gentle, caring, motherly personality has garnered her immense popularity among her peers. From time to time, she acts as a fortuneteller, and many consider her readings to be very accurate. She and Cress have been very close since the two entered knighthood, and Simone trusts her with her deepest secrets [sic]." Meryl Ardent Prayer: Meryl U. Shretter Class: Priestess "She is an angelic, motherly Priestess who loves all the knights equally, and her compassion and kind words have earned her a spot in the hearts of her comrades. She works closely with Gunther and has great faith that Rolf will one day be worthy to follow in his shoes." Anette Blazing Shepherd: Anette Asim Straud Class: Priestess "Because she looks and acts extraordinarily young, she is constantly underestimated by the people around her. Her uncle, Donnel, is constantly worried about her and think she needs someone to watch over her at all times. Anette is secretly jealous of Misleen, whom she feels is prettier and more talented." Dahlia Gentle Tide: Dahlia E. Laverly Class: Priestess "Perhaps afraid of silence, Dahlia constantly feels the need to talk. She tries her best to lighten people's moods and be social, but unfortunately, her comrades are often irritated by how talkative she is. In formal situations, she gets nervous easily and usually resorts to telling jokes that no one but her seems to understand." Ansela Bastion of Hope: Ansela F. Rowain Class: Priestess "She is a quiet woman who is endlessly captivated by the hustle and bustle of living in the royal city. Basturk had served under Ansela's father, but her father passed away while she was still very young. She is very close friends with Wander." Lakshmi Sapphire Nymph: Lakshmi Sera Bradley Class: Lance Knight "She is a soft-spoken and reserved young woman who tries not to draw attention to herself. Raised as an orphan, Lakshmi places high value on family and togetherness. When she sees Neredo and Atkasia fighting with each other, she frequently tries to intercede. Lakshmi has a great fear of Leonil." Elizabeth Tender Minister: Lizbet Eihm Wagner Class: Priestess "Due to her maternal tendencies, she considers every knight to be like family, and she never speaks ill of anyone. Lisbet is exceedingly polite and formal, and she is passionate about helping others. It is quite possible that she is the only person who cares about the well-being of Aquina, and if the two had met before Aquina met Cardinal Capehorn, things may have been different..." Misleen Dusk Requiem: Misleen Eri Berton Class: Priestess "She did not enter knighthood to fight, but rather, she wants to help those in need. Misleen is a somewhat sickly girl who has been relying on Yantana's herbs her whole life. It pains her that her body is so weak because she wishes she could help more people. She and Kulich have been good friends since before joining the knights." Pische The Pawn of Fate: Piche Class: Harpy "The gentle-hearted granddaughter of Cardinal Capehorn. She has few acquaintances within the palace, and her feelings for Prince Nordich grow every day. The Prince also shares her feelings, but they are unable to meet publicly. Due to political obligations, the Prince was arranged to marry the Princess of the Tiamats." Frederica N/A Marian N/A Frenda N/A Cecilia N/A Azema N/A ************************** 9.03.11 Sorceresses ************************** Alighieri The Devoted Guardian: Algiery Merza Ectole Class: Priestess "A torn spy who fell in love with her target. She was sent to Aventheim on a mission from the Elder, but things did not go according to plan... She is a compassionate and talented knight who climbed the ranks at an impressive speed. Her beauty and personality have helped her gain the trust of many of the knights, and she leads the 6th Order as fairly and justly as she knows how. Algiery's love for the King drives her to succeed in everything she does, and she considers General Frabela to be a close friend." Crozeph Fiery Heart: Crozeph Ross Arlay Class: Lance Knight "She is loyal and noble, but she cuts herself off to everyone around her except her childhood friend, Raphael. She does not believe in having many friends because she cannot bear to see people she cares about get hurt or die. She is also a talented writer and sometimes speaks in metaphors. Many of her comrades find her aloofness attractive, and Crozeph frequently receives love letters from both men and women!" Lyzz Light Bringer: Lyzz Linda Ragford Class: Priestess "Her loving parents passed away while Lyzz was very young, and she was adopted by Isabel. She is constantly unsure of herself, so she puts everything she has into each task she undertakes. When Lyzz joined the knights, Ernest saw she had great potential but lacked confidence, so he took her under his wing. She has also become good friends with Woosh, and she holds all her superiors in high regard." Cornelia Waning Moon: Cornela N.Z. Julius Class: Duelist "Soft-spoken but never weak or timid, Cornela secretly harbors a fatal illness that very few people know about. A lot of her free time is spent listening to Fritz's stories, and she looks up to Freiber with great admiration. She is the granddaughter of Roberta, and those around her regard her as a sincere and beautiful young woman." Isolde Glowing Savior: Isolde Alma Dicrivan Class: Hermit "Originally from a small farming village, she is a quiet woman who cuts herself off from most of the other knights. Grunval is the only person she feels comfortable opening up to, and Isolde always tries to keep her out of trouble." Heinel Bride of War: Heinel R. Hauser Class: Lance Knight "She is a mysterious woman who does not speak much, but she has the trust of all her superiors. Heinel lost an eye years ago while fighting her bitter rival, Yuga. She is always in competition with herself to become better, and although she may seem unemotional at times, she constantly fights for the greater good." Beatrix Wrath of Night: Beatrix Bell Noran Class: Hermit "In a cold and grim twist of fate, she was separated from her brother, Husrev, at a very young age. She knows of his existence, but does not know whether he is dead or alive. Though she is exceptionally talented, she is fairly closed off and introverted. To her, there is nothing more important than accomplishing the mission." Caline Garnet Zephyr: Caline Rheia Dickson Class: Duelist "Although she is a cold realist who is very direct with her choice of words, Caline's heart is filled with an intense loneliness and a hatred of war. Much of her day is spent criticizing Werner and Nina, whom she views as weak. It is only around Theonil that she feels comfortable letting her guard down." Silvano Plated Marlin: Silvano Shin Renal Class: Lance Knight "Sometimes known as the "Battle Goddess," she is an important member of the 10th Order. Silvano is very calm and chooses her words carefully. She is an excellent chess player, and she has learned to transfer her chess strategies onto the battlefield. However, she is fully aware that her fellow knights are not as expendable as wooden chess pieces and often dwells on human nature." Marion Slender Thorn: Marion Mel Zweig Class: Lance Knight "She is an elegant but powerful knight that even General Vishna holds in high regard. She has a strong hatred for war and is worried about the state of the kingdom. Therefore, she is not happy with her orders to keep an eye on Yelma and kill her at the first sign of suspicious activity. Marion has known Annalot since they went to school together." Gracia N/A Caldina N/A Consuela N/A Velanche N/A Barthez N/A ********************** 9.03.12 Witches ********************** Flora Amber Servant: Flora Ellenhart Class: Hermit "She is constantly in search of sweets and anything cute, and she is not afraid to tell a guy she thinks he is good-looking. Flora is aware her sister, Rolenta, can be difficult at times, but she loves her anyhow. She has a lot of admiration for Schmitz's talents, but she worries that he is not living up to his full potential." Annalot Noble Cub: Annalot Ella Permeal Class: Lance Knight "One of the newest and youngest recruits, Annalot tries hard to hone her skills and to take after her father, Freiber. She has been friends with Lillian since they were in school together, and Lillian loves to remind her of her embarrassing childhood nickname, "Clumsy Anna." Sofine Chipper Visionary: Sofine C. Renard Class: Hermit "Although she has a terminally ill brother at home, she is an infectiously happy young woman. Sofine always sees the brighter side of things and tries to use her smile to motivate others." Kriemhild Beloved Lady: Gudrun H. Mison Class: Lance Knight "She is cheery and polite, and although she is not very skilled in battle, she works hard to improve. Gudrun has a very difficult time telling Neredo and Atkasia apart, and as a result, she is not well-liked by either of them. She looks upon Baltar like a father, and while she adores cheese, she will not abide milk." Rosa Shining Mystic: Rosa Shis Proias Class: Priestess "Always the optimist, she finds no greater joy than making other people happy. Sometimes, this means going beyond the call of duty or even potentially jeopardizing the mission. Nevertheless, she follows her heart in everything she does. Rosa watches over Piche like a child and treats her like family." Natalie Enlightened One: Natalie K. Sinclaire Class: Hermit "She is a shy, modest young woman. Growing up as an orphan, she has seen her share of harsh times. Natalie looks after Lakshmi, a fellow orphan, and she bears a striking resemblance to Chester's deceased sister, Lutecia." Roslip Silver Tempest: Roslip L'Arg Vol IX Class: Priestess "Her mother, Maginot, struggles constantly to preserve the family's social standing and see that her daughter is taken care of in life, but Roslip does not like having her mother's ways forced upon her. Most of her comrades find her difficult to work with, but she and Frances get along very well." Belta Rune Mistress: Belta Shimi Lesburg Class: Priestess "She was raised by her grandmother, Myra. Belta is famous for having an amazing memory. When she joined the knights, she was put under the guidance of Ernest, who always thought she showed great promise. She lacks confidence in herself, but she tries hard to make everyone around her feel at ease." Carena Scion of the Night: Carena Yiel Eh Ceres Class: Priestess "Although she works hard to be the best, she tends to get jealous of others' abilities very easily. Because of this, she sometimes leaves a bad impression on others. Carena looks up to Lisbet and Rosa, and she secretly envies the enormous amounts of praise that Belta receives." Vienna The Survivor & The Familiar: Vienna the Ashen & Moja Class: Cendrillon "A determined youth of the Mehse. Vienna cannot speak, but rather, she allows her familiar to speak for her." Lemmince N/A Colette N/A Audrey N/A Lulu N/A Sharon N/A ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* SECTION 10.0 CREDITS AND DISCLAIMERS ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Thank you to... .My boyfriend, who kindly listened to me prattle on and on about this game for hours on end and was magnanimous enough to even promise to play it someday. I love you, darling! .My murderous little kitten. I love you too, baby! .Special thanks to R, E, and H for encouraging my work and helping me double- check my info by playing the game themselves. Also to Molivious, who provided extra information and opinions, especially on items and builds! .Ultimecia, Dahlia Hawthorne, and Princess Peach: my video game idols. .Alissa, my interest in whom engaged me in this story and caused me to fall in love with it. And Elise, who constantly made me laugh. .All Sorceresses, Witches, Priestesses, and Paladins, for being my favorite units and just amazingly good fun to use. .STING and Department Heaven, for this game, Yggdra Union, Riviera... ah, just for everything they've ever made! .Atlus, may they live forever, for bringing this and many other magnificent games into my life. .Credit to all of the following sites for helping me collect and doublecheck the information in this guide: Molivious' guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/622913-gungnir/faqs/64458 Broonga's guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/622913-gungnir/faqs/64430 The GameFAQs forums: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/622913-gungnir http://www.atlus.com/gungnir/GungnirManual.pdf http://cs-wiki.net/gungnir/ http://cs-wiki.net/gungnir/index.php?%E3%82%AE%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89 http://zoffie-game.com/Gungnir/ http://gungnir.game-cmr.com/data/Ending/index.html http://wiki.mmo-station.com/msData/list/gungnir/8209 http://disaresta.livejournal.com/75948.html .Special credit here, for the thread where Broonga reveals the secret to getting the Longinus and the Poelus Ice Pike: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/622913-gungnir/63182413/706316574 .Special credit also to Didja Redo, whose spectacular Riviera Let's Play taught me everything I know about the game: http://lparchive.org/Riviera-The-Promised-Land/ .ASCII art courtesy of http://www.network-science.de/ascii/ This guide was written in 2012 by me, Ian Sentelik. All of it is my intellectual property: found by me, experienced by me, and written by me. The information itself is property of Atlus, so ripping this document off is actually to rip a video game company of monumental proportions off. Good luck. You are not permitted to copy this document, in part or in whole, without attributing the proper credit to me. This guide belongs NOWHERE except for GameFAQs, under the account of Serenitys_Cat. All rights, including the one to compress time upon anyone who dares to copy this document, reserved.