I figure we may as well use this as a placeholder topic for generic 4JF discussion. Also going to shamelessly plug the adventures of Richard and Laggy, in the void.
We're running hard mode, berserker risk (obv) with an additional twist. In boss fights (defined as fights with either the boss music theme, Gilgamesh, and Exdeath), if the fight concludes with both PCs of one team dead, the surviving player gains a point. Richard has Bartz (aptly named CHONBO) and Faris, while I have Lenna and Galuf. In the interest of fairness we will exclude boss fights that don't include all 4 PCs. This means that we will be trying to simultaneously kill each other during fights (without wiping).
To avoid continually wiping over and over to self-inflicted losses, there is an instigator rule. Instigation is defined as the first offensive action against the opposing team's PCs (if you're hitting someone out of charm/confusion or something then it's okay if the other player consents; also, doing stuff like attacking into enemies' counter phases is A-OK and not considered instigation). Should a boss fight result in a wipe, the instigator (if any) will lose 0.5 points. PLAN YOUR BACKSTABS CAREFULLY RICHARD
Wing Raptor
So technically the challenge isn't in place yet but in glorious honor of our past shenanigans I immediately have Lenna and Galuf attack into the counter phase. Claw ensues, they hit Richard's dudes, he flips out. Some minor shenanigans ensues as we scramble to use the precious Potion supply we have and I kill off Faris, but Richard simply kills Wing Raptor shortly afterwards to end the fight with 3 PCs still standing. At this point we formalize the challenge.
Wind Crystal - we roll Black Mages. I keep Galuf front row'd and barefisted because he is too manly.
Karlabos
My staunch refusal to buy any Potions makes Richard go into conniptions during this entire segment. We reach the boss relatively unscathed though, and start wailing on it with Bolt. Unfortunately Karl decides to pick on my dudes more and Richard picks an opportune moment to preempt me with treachery, killing both of my PCs. There's a tense moment my last-moment attack on Richard causes Karl to knock out Faris as well, leaving him with only 1 PC and less than 30 HP, but he gets stupidly lucky and eats Tailscrew instead of a physical. Lame !!
RICHARD 1 - LAGGY 0
Siren
So form 1 is kind of hilarious and takes 0 damage from all spells, resulting in front row Galuf fisting away and knife physicals. Siren opens with Mute on Lenna to boot causing me to swear profusely. Fortunately Mute wears off, and undead form is kind of wrecked by Fire. We eye each other for a while but being so far away from a save point we decide to take the safe boring route and just murder Siren before she becomes a problem.
RICHARD 1 - LAGGY 0
Magisa
Richard decides to open with double MT Sleep on our entire party for his first two turns. Fortunately the balance of the cosmos is on my side, and he ends up literally sleeping his own casting PC both times, leaving me with essentially just my team versus Magisa. She only cast spells, so I take my time killing Richard and wailing on her before she summons her hubby. Drain hurts like hell and OHKOs Lenna, but fortunately it happens before the summon. Hubby, likewise, is sleep vulnerable, letting me stop him from taking more than a single action and killing Magisa before slowly shredding him apart with Ice. You snooze, you lose.
RICHARD 1 - LAGGY 1
Galura
Once again Richard shows his traitorous ways as he starts the fight essentially trying to screw me immediately, putting both of my PCs to sleep. They get knocked out of it by Galura eventually, but the turns lost and turn gauge being lost means I basically never see actions as Richard is intent to keep me down. Too bad this causes him to just get ingloriously murdered by Galura as he tries to futilely sleep it as well. (Note - this was before the instigation rule, thus Richard did not lose any points).
Second time around we agree to cooperate for at least a little bit before turning on each other, as we hog turns using Potions to not lurk dangerously low on HP. Once Galura gets into his counter phase it starts becoming extremely dicey, though... and as Richard ONCE AGAIN attempts to off me with sleep in what would doubtlessly end with his face plastered over the floor, he gets himself killed and leaves me with a 2 HP Lenna. Forcing my hand, I break the Ice Rod equipped on her, overkilling Galura with over 1200+ damage. He is not happy about this.
LAGGY 2 - RICHARD 1
Water Crystal - We get Knights and are glad we haven't actually fled from any fights yet.
Shiva
After a hilariously one-sided wipe despite landing MT sleep on everything, we agree that Shiva is too threatening a boss to not cooperate with for the majority of the fight. We split up two PCs per row to mitigate the effects of her Ice 2 and open by putting all of the Commanders to sleep, then conservatively chipping away with Fire while Potion spam keeps us out of Ice 2 death range. Unfortunately Ice 2 does outpace Potion healing, and at a juncture where it would take 2 Potions on a single PC to keep him/her out of being killed, we go all out Fire blitzing. Shiva gets a last turn in, but fortunately decides not to nuke the two PCs at 20 HP, opting to hit our better healed team members and then dying.
Pause.
Richard gets a turn on Faris. She's at 110+ while everyone else is at 20-30 HP. I already know what's coming.
Fortunately he FATALLY MISCALCULATES and the resulting MT Fire on our team does not end up actually being lethal to anyone. I follow up with my two PCs' turns coming back to back, and use them to knock out Faris. Stuck in a 2 vs 1 situation, Richard deliberates for a while before deciding to spitefully kill Galuf. I off Bartz and, because sleep apparently never wears off, cast MT Fire like 7 times to win the fight, and walk out with a 26 HP Lenna.
LAGGY 3 - RICHARD 1
