*tempted to pull a Fujin*

[Assassin]

which is what properties are passed and what not, I'll have to play-test this

the Monster Guide on ZED's site explains this.

[Assassin]

more bosses..

Narshe Kefka -

Stop him cold in his pointy snowshoes with Primordite or Areneid, and let the other party members handle the offense.

Those are definitely the best, but a few other decent ones are:

Stray Cat. With Kefka's Magic Defense nearly 3x his normal Defense, a physical attack is just what the coroner ordered.

Vaporite. Absorbs Bolt. Absorbs Drain. Blaze is one of your strongest magical attacks, and at lower levels, you'd need to be in the front row for Catscratch to surpass it.

Leafer. Laugh all you want, but this absorbs Ice, and Kefka has two spells of that element in his arsenal.

Ghost. Absorbs Kefka's Poison and Drain, and has a strong Bolt 2 attack.

Over-Mind. Same advantages as Ghost, but Elf Fire is slightly stronger.

Templar. Decent Fire 2 attack. Also has Safe status.

[Assassin]

Dadaluma -

The Magic and Fight commands will eventually trigger counters, so avoid those if you can.

Like with Narshe Kefka, Areneid and Primordite are godly. And since you're free to go to the Veldt again before ascending for Terra, there's zero excuse not to have these now.

I'm told Gabbldegak can be handy for preventing against Dadaluma's physical attacks.

Stray Cat is also solid.

There is nothing more purely offensive than the Aspik. <-- I have all sorts of lame "Aspik" jokes you can recycle from my non-FAQ, should you have trouble coming up with your own.

HadesGigas is a close second in damage, and it has the benefit of hitting every foe on screen for when the Iron Fists arrive.

Marshal's right behind that, and also hits everything.

Trilium is nearly as strong as Aspik, but it'll heal the Iron Fists Dadaluma summons, so the idea here is to end this fight quickly, or cross your fingers.

Templar, SlamDancer, Dark Side, Hazer, and Ghost all have nice L.2 elementals which can spread (so you're not doing lots of attacks that only hit Iron Fists), but I don't see them as better than any of the above.

Really, it's silly to discuss anything other than the Stop attacks for this guy and Kefka.

[Assassin]

Octopus of Operatic Octaves (Ultros) -

Avoid use of Blitz and Swdtech, as they'll get a nasty Acid Rain counter.

Aspik, Primordite, and Areneid rule the day again. the first two's imp immunities make them quite effective. I think it was Mnrogar who made the case that even in an LLG, Giga Volt's sheer power will beat putzing around with stop, especially with Gau wearing Earrings and other party members using Bolt 2 or decent attacks.

Bomb, Templar, and Hazer are also fantastic.

[Djibriel]

Thanks.

I'm told Gabbldegak can be handy for preventing against Dadaluma's physical attacks.

Yes, but only when confusing them in Zozo. Noboby is going to break up a Zozo tour and go all the way back to the Veldt. Well, I might, but I won't count on the average persond doing so

Now here's the average set-up for a boss strategy listing in the Rage FAQ as it stands now (Copy/Paste):

http://tenchinohoukai.greatnow.com/Atma.txt

Some typos still in there, which are fixed on my hard disc. It's just the set-up I wanted to show you guys

[Assassin]

Yes, but only when confusing them in Zozo. Noboby is going to break up a Zozo tour and go all the way back to the Veldt. Well, I might, but I won't count on the average persond doing so

ok.. but i trust you will count on them hitting the Veldt before they head for the Opera House, as neglecting to do so would leave the entire party crippled for the performance and all of Vector.

some people may be willing to do two trips, especially those pursuing a Gau-centric guide. iow, listing Zozo Rages against Zozo foes is valid, though i agree they shouldn't be the only option.

[Djibriel]

Oh, obviously. HadesGigas is nice, as is

As far as I'm concerned, when the Rage is obtainable and worthy of mentioning, it should be mentioned. Put if I think HadesGigas is the best bet for a Dadaluma fight period, I still won't count on my Perfect Player (/King ripoff) to actually have it.

Now in the WoR, where the Falcon is parked right around the corner, I don't really see the problem. And Cluck is mean to Hidon anyway, so I need the excuse

[Assassin]

SrBehemoth -

Wear Wall Rings all around; you'll be glad you have them against both foes.

Living:

Primordite, Areneid, Chitonid, or Bug. Any of these work well. Stop will protect you nicely, but other party members will need to pick up some of the offense.

Undead:

Gau's Rage will continue as the party is ambushed, turning from brilliant to crapulent in the matter of a second: this boss is immune to Stop. Have party members kill and revive Gau, then fire up Rhodox Rage and do what you do with any dead pet: flush it. (Of course, anybody capable of resuscitation can just insta-kill the boss ) Spek Tor's and Wild Cat's Blaster will have around the same success as Snare.


"But I'm playing an SCC!" you cry. "But my religion will not let me harm the Wild Child!" you protest. In that case, you'll need to find a Rage that's respectable for both parts of the battle. All forms of SrBehemoth are weak to Fire, so go to town with Over-Mind, Lich, Vaporite, Scrapper, Templar, Bomb, or Grenade. The first three are immune to Sleep, which helps in the second matchup, but they have the downside of being undead should your party want to heal Gau. Templar's Safe is nice, as is Scrapper's Haste.

With Wall Rings, your only real concerns are Battle and Meteo.

If you've been to the Colosseum already, Merit Award + Flame Sabre will make Gau quite formidable. In fact, the idea of using a Stop-inflicting Rage for the whole battle becomes a little more tolerable (Bug is immune to Sleep). Alternatively, you can go lopsided in the other direction with Rhodox, Spek Tor, Wild Cat, Harpy, or Wirey Drgn (the last two kill slower, but have Sleep immunity and Safe status, respectively).

^-- if that's too bloated, lemme know.

[Assassin]

now to balance out that rambling with brevity.

You should have put on Wall Rings before the Atma Weapon battle, and you'll want to keep them for the Floating Continent escape.

Naughty -

Not technically a boss, but it's the end of the freakin' world, so we'll make an exception.

Don't give naughty kids a lump of coal for Christmas; turn them into deformed turtles instead! Pipsqueak!

Aspik is also grand.

Templar, Over-Mind, and Vaporite are close behind that.


Nerapa -

Rhodox. How do you like your Condemned counter of ZERO, tough guy?!

should you lack that, Telstar's Sonic Boom or Baskervor/Wyvern's Cyclonic will make short work of Nerapa's HP so allies can finish him off.

other decent ones are Insecare, Primordite or Areneid, Aspik, and Stray Cat. with time at a premium, though, Rhodox is the clear winner.

[Djibriel]

Merit Award is definately a great option here, but I suggest the Fire Rod over the Flame Sabre as it is flat-out better in every possible way. Fidor, has a level 3 Special in Pouce while being immune to Sleep. Cephaler and Red Wolf, while being weaker offensively, have Death protection against the undead's Doom.

This is a great case of a battle where dual-raging is a good thing. I'm liking a Primordite/Rhodox combo, for example.

I would prefer Scrapper over the other choices you gave, with the Haste thing and all. The real threat is Meteo anyway, so while Safe is nice I think Haste is superior here.

[Assassin]

ah, thanks; i forgot about Fire Rod. yep, Fidor/etc are good non-lopsided choices. it'd be interesting to see how a balanced Rage compares overall to one that rocks on one Behemoth but sucks on the other.. at any rate, those are great suggestions for Merit Award.

This is a great case of a battle where dual-raging is a good thing. I'm liking a Primordite/Rhodox combo, for example.

aha.. true. most people may not have Gogo by then, but it's definitely worth giving the option.

so i take it you're against arbitrary junk like letting an ally use Phoenix Down on Gau but not on the opponent? bringing non-Raging party members into the picture could open the floodgates as far as strategies go, so it is probably best to avoid..

[Assassin]

Inferno -

Dual Raging is great here. Let one person halt the arms with Primordite (Meritorious Gogo with Tempest or Stunner is brilliant here; I barely saw Shrapnel), or heal the party with Magic Urn.

The offensive person should punish the body with Ceritops (which will regularly be healed by Inferno's Bolt attacks, but it's weak to Fire, so equip appropriately), Coelecite, Stray Cat with Merit Award + Thunder Rod, or Ing/Psychot to absorb Fire and recover damages with LifeShaver.

Put Wall Rings on anybody who doesn't absorb Bolt (via Rage or equipment). Anyone without a protective Rage should wear a Jewel Ring/Ribbon/Safety Bit to protect from the body's Delta Hit.

As an alternative to Primordite, the first Rager can go with Osteosaur (if they're equipped for Fire) to take out both arms at a time. [EDIT: i tried Veteran in a two person party, but even with its perfect hit rate, far too much of the battle had a precarious one-armed Inferno]

You're better off having 0 or 2 arms alive, because the body can use Meteor with just 1 limb (maybe it needs it to throw dem giant stones?)

If you've only brought one Rager to the disco, go with one of the offensive Rages I listed above, the Merit Award + Primordite setup, or the ever reliable Magic Urn.

[Assassin]

[re: Cranes]

Anguiform The lightning weakness is there and a big problem should you be unlucky with the moves. However, Aqua Rake *will* kill either Crane in one hit, and this is such a sweet thing I'm willing to overlook the downsides.

i've long been a fan of Anguiform here too, but if you're still intent on listing multiple Rages per boss battle, Marshal and HadesGigas are also strong (the latter absorbs Earth, although in an LLG, when you'd most likely need that, Gau quickly falls to the Cranes' physical attacks once he's alone).

i'd also mention Wall Rings.

[Assassin]

Imperial Banquet -

I think battles in timed situations have a place in the guide, because they're a notch above normal random encounters; plus, most are in the WoB, where Gau is uber dominant. If you object, speak within the next 5 minutes or tacitly acknowledge my brilliance. ;P

Might as well give somebody your Ribbon. Put White Capes on others, just in case. Both types of speedy footwear are obviously key.

Mega Armor x 1 -

Aspik or Rhodox.

Commando x 1 -

Aspik or Rhodox. Both of these are protected against Commando's Mute special, making them doubly perfect.

during dinner, Sp Forces x3 -

Trilium, HadesGigas, Marshal, Aspik, or Stray Cat.


... maybe Rage can't compete with conventionally cast Bolt 2 when you're on the clock, but players can figure out for themselves what to do with Terra and co.

[Assassin]

Tritoch -

Ragers laugh at your Rasp and outdated helmet, perpetually frozen serpent! The Rage command may randomly trigger a Cold Dust counter, but that will be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

How a giant block of ice floats eludes me, but winning this battle doesn't.

To quote a great man:

Any kind of Rage will work with the Snow Muffler, especially those like Io, SrBehemoth or Brachosaur. But only Leafer and Toe Cutter absorb it naturally, of which the former should be superior with a Merit Award (and the latter without).

For those who come here early in the WoR (quite possible given how easy this and Ice Dragon are), Over-Mind, Vaporite, Templar and Lich are all fine choices.

If you lack a Snow Muffler and an Ice-absorbing Rage, throw on a Wall Ring.

[Djibriel]

Oi! Major update You make me happy. The Rage FAQ has reached 25 pages in font size 8, so I'd say it's about half-way.

I was thinking about Ceritops in the Inferno battle as well. I'll post notes once I have them again.

I listed HadesGigas for the Cranes. It rocks. You'll want one at a time gone, so Magnitude8 definately has my preference over Wind Slash as it will hit both targets. Not to mention Magnitude8 is twice as strong because it can only target a single Crane.

plus, most are in the WoB, where Gau is uber dominant.

And I was always thinking that it was WoR Gau who was uber dominant. I guess he really *is* the best character around.

I can give nothing but 'Word' on the Tritoch strategy. Some of the dragons are simply too easy. One single element, whoop-dee-doo. At least Storm Drgn, Dirt Drgn and Red Drgn pretend they can actually be dangerous.

You know the drill. I'll send what I have so far your way one of these days and supply you with a nice amount of stuff for you to bitch about

[Djibriel]

For those of you non-stoned killers out these (Dude! An assassin reference), I've reached over the 50 %. What's left is:

A walkthrough which I have some other place, the majority of the boss strategies, and waiting for Terii to give the thumbs up on some good borrowing (while not copying).

[Djibriel]

An update!

It's basically the second tier I'm having a little trouble with. So far I have, next to Magic Urn and the Wind God (I even specifically mentioned them here ), Chaos Drgn for Disaster's Condemned and Mute on resp. Tools and Magic and Evil Oscar with a Flame Shld for Hit's elemental weakness and Tiger's Poison status opening.

Any other ideas?

[Assassin]

those are quite good.. i'd recommend Wall Rings for Magic's attacks, though Mute will get rid of those pretty early. Ribbons/Amulets for Tiger's Doom Tusk.

hopefully, you'll kill Tools very soon (maybe say: "have nameless party members focus their attacks on Tools", as it can help without taking the spotlight off of Rage ^__^), because you're still open to:

- Delta Hit, on everybody who lacks Ribbon or isn't Chaos Drgn.
- Tek Laser. Thunder Shields on everybody but the Evil Oscar will protect you, but i dunno if it's worth the hit in Defense (or giving up the Flame Shlds for the longer lasting Tiger).
- Grav Bomb

really, equipment suggestions are all i have. you picked one kickass Rage combo. you also gave a smart alternate in Magic Urn.

i'm not sure who should Rage what. on the one hand, Gau's Snow Muffler will absorb Absolute 0 (which you likely won't see), but it also halves Fire damage. thoughts?

if Tools puts a wrench into your plans , you can start off with Osteosaur, then kill and revive to Evil Oscar.. though with X-Zone's effective 54% success rate, that may not be much faster than Disaster (which the other rager will still be using for Mute) and its Condemned timer.

once again, good job.

[Djibriel]

I have considered Wall Rings and even named them in the Guide, but the thing about these fight is that you'll have to survive four battles them where in two of them, Wall Rings are next to useless. On top of that, the four Rages which sport auto-Reflect where downright horrible for this fight IMO (Figaliz and Lethal Wpn were no option whatsoever, Meteor and Bolt3 are only moves I would accept coming from a Rage with Death protection). You're better off with a Merit Award/something else combo then a Wall Ring, I think.

Maybe a short note on what equipment/relics are admirable for the final fight?