Rambling: Episode Three: Stage Fifteen: Abyss Bridge

Stage Fifteen: Abyss Bridge

Enemies: Snuff Imp lvl 6 x3

         Manikin lvl 7 x3

         Witch lvl 8 x1

   The only bridge across the gorge between you and Aerei is guarded by a Witch and her summoned imps. Although not as powerful as Malevolenta, the Witch will still throw Fire spells at you from the safety of other side of the bridge, and her bevy of attendant imps will join in with Fireballs.

   This is not a battle where you can hang back and let the enemies come to you, as they will refuse to do so. Your only choice is to storm them, and the only way to do this is by crossing the bridge (or by fielding a group entirely comprised of Crows to fly over the chasm, but this is rather impractical). Of course, crossing the bridge is going to be a slow process, and you're going to be pelted by flames the entire time. This sounds like a job for a magic-defense tank, like, say, oh...Søren?

   With Søren to lead your advance, deploy some similar tanky types with high magic defense (Familiars, Elementals) or, failing that, high HP (Flo, Manticores). Since the enemies are trapped in tight quarters on their side of the bridge, area spells from Elementals or Yuki can put a large dent in their collective strength, allowing your advancing tanks to wade in and finish them off.

Rambling: Episode Three: Stage Fourteen: Mountain Pass

Stage Fourteen: Mountain Pass

Enemies: Crow lvl 7 x3

         Oread lvl 7 x5

         Gorgon lvl 7 x1

Guests: Pepper (Ferret) lvl 5

   A level 7 Gorgon is dangerous, but not really worrisome. Later in the game, these will become one of your most dreaded foes, capable of killing in one hit with their Fatal Gaze skill, but for now the worst they can do is turn you to stone with Stone Gaze. While inconvenient, this ailment is easily cured with Refresh or Hana’s Scent of Roses. None of the monsters here really pack much of a punch at this level, so you shouldn't have trouble handling them in straight-up combat.

   However, before moving on, take careful note of that little ferret statue off to the side. If you examine it, you’ll notice that it has stats. That’s because it’s actually a character! Use Refresh or Scent of Roses to unstone the little ferret...and you’ll find out that you just unleashed a fireball of ferret-energy called Pepper. Most of Pepper’s stats are very low, but his attack, speed, and movement are through the roof. He’ll be controlled by the computer for this one battle, and you’ll see his worth as a fighter as he rips off the face of every enemy within his range. After the battle, you have the option of letting him join you. If you refuse, you will not get another opportunity! However, if you accidentally miss unpetrifying him the first time through, he’ll still be there on subsequent playthroughs of this stage.

Rambling: Episode Three: Stage Thirteen: Foot of the Mountain

Stage Thirteen: Foot of the Mountain

Enemies: Dryad lvl 7 x3

         Oread lvl 7 x3

   This is a simple enough stage that really exists so you have a nice, easy stage to experiment with Søren. Søren is a heavy-duty tank-type character with good defense and very high magic defense, making him an ideal counter to any strong magic-user you come across. His spells are strong, but expensive, so particularly at this early point in the game, you'll want to conserve them for serious threats only.

   There's not much to say about the battle itself. Focus your attacks on one dryad at a time, as all six of them can heal themselves, undoing all of your hard work. Also, try to let your weaker characters finish the dryads off for some easy experience.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Twelve: Sleeping Tower

Stage Twelve: Sleeping Tower (One-shot)

Enemies: Malevolenta lvl 7 x1 (Boss)

         Familiar lvl 6 x5

         Manticore lvl 6 x2

   This is the last stage of the episode, and you can be sure it's not going to be easy. Malevolenta stands near the princess’ canopy bed, casting Bad Magic and Fire on you from afar while her Familiars and Manticores rip you to shreds up close.

   To make this stage easiest to handle, you need some strong defensive units to counter the strength of the two Manticores. You already have Flo, but by repeating the stages Crown of Thorns, By Way of the Kitchen, or Dusty Staircase, you can Absorb the Wickedness of and recruit a Grizzly Bear, a Cookie Man, or a Manticore, respectfully, to bolster your fighting forces. Ideally, at this point in the game, you will have recruited enough monsters to field a full ten-character party against Malevolenta.

   The stage is over the moment Malevolenta falls, but the close quarters of the stage and the large amount of enemies upon it makes reaching her difficult. To make things even more awkward, an Impenetrable by Good Force Line extends across the stage, blocking off the princess' bed; Malevolenta stands in this Line, directing it at her minions, who bounce it about to draw a complicated maze across the map during your first turn. Although the maze will be destroyed once the enemies take a turn and move off the Line, it effectively stops you from reaching Malevolenta until your second turn, at the earliest.

   Use your first turn to take out as many Familiars as possible before they get a chance to act. Familiars have high magic defense, so use your melee units to take them out while your spellcasters try to aim their spells at the Manticores bringing up the rear. If you can end the first turn with a few Familiars down and the Manticores weakened, you're in good shape to win the battle.

   Your second turn should see the end of all of the Familiars and maybe even one of the Manticores, leaving Malevolenta as the major threat on the field. If your units are bunched close together, she'll have more play to damage with her Bad Magic and Fire spells, but spreading out is difficult on a map this tiny. Grit your teeth and bear her assault, using healing spells from Yuki and a Dryad or two to keep your units healthy, and rush her on your second or third turn. Malevolenta's defenses are quite weak, so once you reach her, you should find that a few powerful Briar Rose and Paper Cut volleys suffice to take her down.

   Hana pulls back the hangings on the princess’ bed to reveal...

   A prince.

   Flo threatens to give Hana –10,000 points if she doesn’t kiss him, and awards her a million when she does. Well, that mission ends successfully.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Eleven: Dusty Staircase

Stage Eleven: Dusty Staircase

Enemies: Crow lvl 5 x4

         Familiar lvl 5 x2

         Manticore lvl 5 x1

   Much of this stage is dominated by a huge, spiraling staircase. From the top, a Manticore and two Crows move down towards you. At the base level, two more Crows and two Familiars stand ready.

   Take out the ground monsters first with combo attacks and set up your forces near the base of the stair, waiting for the other monsters to come to you. Hardier units, such as Hana, Flo, or Cookie Men, should be in the front, with fragile spellcasters like Yuki, Elementals, and Dryads behind them. Chances are good that the flying Crows will pull far ahead of the Manticore and fly over your strong characters to get at the squishy mages; pelt the Crows with spells the moment they come into range and try to eliminate them before they can do any lasting damage to your team.

   Hopefully, the Manticore will not reach you until all the other enemies are gone. He's huge and powerful and can heal himself at your expense with the Ravage skill, but his health and defenses are lower than the Bahamut's, making him easier pickings. A handy Defense Down Force Line streams away from the bottom of the stairs, too; position your forces just behind its flow and the Manticore will likely stand in it to attack you, further weakening him for your fighters.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Ten: By Way of the Kitchen

Stage Ten: By Way of the Kitchen

Enemies: Cookie Man lvl 5 x2

         Familiar lvl 5 x2

   This is the first map where your opponents will be on level 5 and will actually have skills to use against you. Beware the Familiars’ Quickdraw, which causes heavy damage, and watch out even more for the Cookie Men’s Sugar High, which increases their strength, magic, and defense. You also have to be careful of the stage. Fire Damage Force Lines extend from the mouths of the open ovens, dealing fire-elemental damage whenever anything ends a turn upon them. Although you can direct these Force Lines at the enemies to damage them as well, the characters you use to direct the lines will take collateral damage, so be wary of this tactic.

   You might want to recruit both a Familiar and a Cookie Man from this fight, as these are two powerful monster types that will be handy in the battles ahead. Keep in mind that if you’ve recruited any monster allies yourself, they’ll also be learning their first skills on level 5; if any happen to be close to that level, consider doing a little training on this stage and the previous one to push them the rest of the way. A Dryad’s Spirit of Wind or an Imp’s Fireball can really prove to be a big help in the stages to come.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Nine: Decadent Hallway

Stage Nine: Decadent Hallway

Enemies: Snuff Imp lvl 3 x6

         Tin Soldier lvl 3 x4

   This stage is simply comprised of a long hallway lined with enemies. Snuff Imps alternate with Tin Soldiers all the way to the stairway up, and all of them must be defeated to continue. A Strength Up Force Line runs down the right side of the hallway and a Defense Up Line runs down the left, reinforcing your foes and making this otherwise plain fight a little bit more interesting.

   Take out the closest Snuff Imp on the Strength Up Line and move Hana onto the square on which the Imp used to stand. Turn her so that she faces away from the other enemies, allowing the Force Line to flow through her position, and then attack from afar using her Briar Rose skill. Once her turn is over, turn her to face directly into the Force Line. This way, she gets the benefit of the Strength Up Line during her turn, but does not end her turn presenting her vulnerable back to the enemies. This little trick will serve you well throughout the game when dealing with Force Lines.

   The enemies on the Strength Up Line will be quicker to defeat and are more dangerous than the enemies on the Defense Up Force Line, so try to take them out first. Utilize the long-range capability of Yuki’s Xerox Machine to target groups of enemies at once, then move onto their positions on the Force Line to receive its benefits.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Eight: Crown of Thorns

Stage Eight: Crown of Thorns

Enemies: Bahamut lvl 4 x1 (Boss)

         Dryad lvl 3 x2

         Tin Soldier lvl 3 x5

Replacements: Bahamut with Grizzly Bear lvl 4 x1

   The bad fairy Malevolenta has summoned a mighty Bahamut to block your way into the castle. If you don't keep yourself at full health, the Bahamut's attacks are easily capable of wiping you out, so try to rush it with all of your allies and overwhelm it in a single round.

   Instead of using a brute force approach, you can also use the Red Force Line to create a red Force Field and shatter it, causing huge fire-based damage to everything within the area of the field. Although this won’t finish off the Bahamut, it should leave it weak enough that one solid attack will.

   Since the stage is won when the Bahamut falls, ignore the Dryads and Tin Soldiers and just focus all your strength on defeating the boss. It might be a difficult fight, but it should also be a quick one. If you're having trouble winning, consider going back and redoing the Tepid Pool stage a few times to grab a quick level or two. That should give you the edge you need to win here.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Seven: Tepid Pool

Stage Seven: Tepid Pool

Enemies: Water Elemental lvl 2 x2

         Dryad lvl 2 x4

         Mermaid lvl 2 x2

   Another tutorial, this time on Force Fields and the breaking thereof. When a character stands in the flow of a Force Line, the Line will travel in the direction the character is facing. This allows you to direct the flow and length of a Force Line by placing multiple characters in its stream. When a Force Line is directed so as to form a closed shape, the area inside becomes a Force Field, spreading the power of the Line across every square enclosed by the Line. Although the Dryads on this stage are forming a Force Field out of the red Strength Up Force Line, increasing the physical attack power of all the enemies on the field, Flo trains a blue Healing Force Line at it, turning the Force Field from red to purple. This turns the Strength Up Force Field into a Transfiguration Force Field, transforming the enemies into chickens!

   That’s not all, either. Flo then proceeds to Absorb the Healing Force Line’s base, causing the Line to explode, thus breaking the Force Field. Breaking a Force Field causes a gigantic explosion, damaging everything standing on it!

   After Flo’s pyromaniacal delights are over, all of the enemies on the field should be one hit away from defeat, leaving them easy targets for your team. For this reason, you might want to play through this map several times. The next stage is quite difficult, and it's very easy to grind up a level or two for all your characters on this map. Furthermore, having a bunch of enemies at low health makes it easy to kill all but one and then recruit that one for your party. Water Elementals and Mermaids are both powerful casters who naturally learn water magic; their skills may come in handy for the boss fight ahead.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Six: Rose Way

Stage Six: Rose Way

Enemies: Dryad lvl 2 x6

   Technically you could Absorb enemies to deplete their Wickedness and recruit them as of the last stage, when the Absorb command was unlocked. However, this is where Flo actually informs you about it. Try it out if you haven’t already. Dryads are not the strongest allies in the game, but they can be valuable support units, especially at this point in the game, with so few units at your disposal. They are capable magic-users with high magic defense and a natural healing spell, learned automatically once they hit level 5, so you might want to take the effort to recruit one on this stage.

   With or without a Dryad ally, this stage is pretty easy. The Dryads here have no magic or special skills learned yet, so they're forced to rely on their physical attacks, and they hit like powder puffs. Take them down at your leisure and continue the story.

Rambling: Episode Two: Stage Five: Briar Entrance

Stage Five: Briar Entrance

Enemies: Tin Soldier lvl 1 x4

         Dryad lvl 1 x2

   The learning’s not over yet! Flo notices Force Lines on this stage that you and your enemies can draw power from. Use the Absorb command on a Force Line, and you will recover HP and MP equal to the line’s level. However, by Absorbing the lines at their base, the absorber instead regains HP and MP equal to the number of squares the line was spanning times the line’s level. In addition, anything standing on said squares will be damaged when the line gives out and explodes!

   You can also use the Absorb command on enemies. This drains their Wickedness gauge, raising the chance they will join you when defeated. Although a wicked monster would rather die than join you, monsters without high Wickedness factor will surrender to you instead. More powerful monsters have more Wickedness and require more Absorbing. The chance of a monster joining you is inversely proportional to the percentage of energy remaining in their Wickedness gauge. Beware that some enemies have Infinite Wickedness, making it impossible to cause them to join you.

   With the Tin Soldiers damaged by Flo’s Absorption of the Force Line, even Yuki can take them out in one physical strike. With the Soldiers dead, the Dryads are easy for Hana and Flo to mop up. They boast high Magic Resistance, however, so Yuki's skills and spells will be less effective on them. Just barrage them with physicals and proceed onward.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Four: Opposite Edge

Stage Four: Opposite Edge

Enemies: Ulfgar lvl 3 x1 (Boss)

         Snuff Imp lvl 1 x2

         Tin Soldier lvl 1 x4

Replacements: Ulfgar with Raven lvl 3 x1

   Ulfgar has ticked off your entire party. Now he challenges you to a showdown and not even Yuki is against it. This is your tutorial on fighting Boss monsters.

   This is the first battle you actually have to exercise some concern with. It takes two hits from Yuki to finish off a Tin Soldier and only one from Hana or Flo, so having Yuki target the Tin Soldiers is a waste of effort. Focus her attacks on the Snuff Imps, which she can knock out in one hit, while Hana and Flo take on the Soldiers. With his satellite monsters gone, Ulfgar's options are limited. He will likely pull out his Dig attack early on, which can do substantial damage, but he can only use it twice. Heal up from the assault using Flo's Fairy Magic, then attack Ulfgar with Briar Rose and Paper Cut and he should go down in no time.

   Following the battle, a panicked Ulfgar runs away. Good riddance, the girls unanimously agree.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Three: Open Fields

Stage Three: Open Fields (One-shot)

Enemies: Roc lvl 5 x1

         Crow lvl 1 x4

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   In this map, Ulfgar is being kidnapped by a very large Roc bird. Hana and Flo are against helping the big jerk, but Yuki insists out of natural politeness.

   This map exists to explain to you about combos and Omega Attacks. Right off the bat, Hana, Yuki, Flo, and Ulfgar will all attack the Roc under computer direction. The barrage of attacks fills the Happy Ending Gauge, allowing Hana--as the character who attacked first, starting the combo--to pull off her powerful Omega Attack, Roses for a Grave. This will take the Roc down to a fourth of its starting HP, making it quite manageable despite its high level.

   The Roc will not attack you at all, but goes continually for Ulfgar, who runs about the map attacking nothing and keeping himself alive with Candy. Kill the Crows and then attack the Roc. Whoever kills the Roc will receive a massive experience boost, so plan your attacks to dispense that experience to whomever it will benefit most.

   When you rescue Ulfgar from this final threat, the mouthy dwarf manages to insult Yuki at last.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage Two: Irrigation Channel

Stage Two: Irrigation Channel (One-shot)

Enemies: Water Elemental lvl 1 x2

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   Another tutorial map, this time trying to save Ulfgar from Water Elementals he managed to irritate by trying to fish in an irrigation canal. Although you cannot possibly reach Ulfgar before the Water Elementals do, Ulfgar instructs you in the mechanics of throwing to help. Simply have Yuki pick up Hana or Flo and Throw them closer to the fray to distract the Elementals from their target. The Elementals are fragile, so you should have no trouble disposing of them.

   However, Ulfgar is still tangled in his fishing rod and line, so Yuki snips off still more of his beard. Ulfgar becomes even madder than before and ticks Hana off.

Rambling: Episode One: Stage One: Field Edge

Stage One: Field Edge (One-shot)

Enemies: Crow lvl 1 x4

Guests: Ulfgar (Dwarf) lvl 3

   This is the first “tutorial” map, in which Ulfgar (the dwarf) yells moving and fighting instructions at you. Follow his directions, galling as it might be, and beat down the weak Crows using physical attacks. As a tutorial battle, there's nothing remotely complicated about it; enjoy the attack animations and move on back to more story.

   After the battle, Hana and Yuki try to wrestle Ulfgar out of the trunk, but cannot get his beard free. So Yuki gets out her scissors and snips the end off, sending Ulfgar into a rage. He storms away, ticking Flo off.