Fell Seal - Beat the Wizard SCC. Here's the run-down from my last post, where I got stuck at Gelligh 2. Ultimately that proved one of three main struggle fights for the challenge, as you'll see.
Gelligh 2 (8 resets, then 2 injuries) - This battle has you start surrounded on three sides by three groups of two enemies. Two of the groups are a pair of assassins, the third is a werewolf + gunner. They all outspeed me, pepper me with status on turn 1, and the assassins unleash horrific damage on turn 2 (except the one with dual shields). If Kyrie dies I lose. Also when I kill two people a boss shows up.
I'm initially around Level 20 on Kyrie when I get here, with other PCs in the 14-18 range. The enemies are level 22. Eventually I decide to grind out a few more levels for everyone else, getting Kyrie to 23 and the rest of my main team to 18-22. This helps.
What also helps is optimizing my equipment more. Vigil Bands for sleep immunity (the assassins have AoE sleep) is the first change I make, but ultimately I decide that I can get away with lower magic than I'm used to (the enemies largely don't have huge res). I eventually settle on using Thunder Rods (the shield assassin resists all elements except lightning), Glasses (to help with reliability against the assassins... shield assassin is still a dodgetank though), and Sapphire Earrings (which block blind as well as root, which the werewolf sometimes uses, and bleed, which... we'll talk about). The last one is a pretty big pocketbook hit but whatever, I have money.
Strategy is to hope the at least one assassin group stays in an AoE first turn. With blind blocked they can't do that much useful turn 1, although the werewolf can still land various statuses and the gunner usually uses silence. 4-5 attacks are needed, hopefully two assassins die and I can retreat in the direction where they were. Septimus then shows up, keep staying on top of Kyrie's healing (other people can die if necessary), kill the remaining enemies as fast as possible. I don't kill the gunner ultimately, and take down Septimus. He has about 700 HP and counters everything with bleed (Sapphire Earrings to the rescue!). As long as he doesn't build up too much MP he doesn't do too much that's scary, mostly debuff my mind/res, though can punish me with Blood Nova if I group for AoEs, so I don't. Battle ends when Septimus drops.
Bardvig Aqueduct (1 reset, then 3 injuries) - Another Defeat Boss map, this time the boss stays back like a turtle. One of the enemies has Gadgeteer secondary and can push people into the water with a Springer, but I don't bother equipping Flippers because it's easy enough to position myself to avoid this. I'm split into two groups and the group on the northwest side does die, but the other persists, revives, and overcomes the enemies until I can lure the boss forward to his death.
Kapawka Jungle (3 injuries) - Another map where the water is dangerous. I go without flippers again and mercilessly target the Redcaps who can Flipkick me into the water from range 2. The Kawas can also push me into the water with boomerangs but positioning can mostly avoid that. Big elemental weaknesses on everyone here helps, but it's still a dangerous battle.
Godstear Wastes (1 reset, then 4 injuries) - Our introduction to Aeoths. These big guys will fire barrages every turn which take a turn to charge but deal big AoE damage. Specifically, big AoE fire damage. Molten Robes on everyone = they're useless. However, the rest of the fight is still legit, even before considering there's a bunch of hidden traps on this battlefield which steal your turns if you trigger one. Mostly another fight where I need to mostly stay back and let the enemies come to me.
Devilsblood Ascent (3 injuries) - There being 3 injuries here is a bit misleading; this is a rare battle you can use seven people in and with all my recent injuries I have to deploy Anadine who's still like Level 7 or something, obviously she dies during the fight. Otherwise, respect the enmeies who can counter ranged damage with Pounce (being at melee = they can't counter, so does being surrounded on all sides). Pektites return and die real fast as usual between low MDef and Magic Counter.
Mountain Temple 1 (1 reset, then 1 injury) - This is a tricky fight because the enemies have some nasty setups (lots of healing/support, Sniper Shot, a hard-hitting reaver, and a tanky bug with regen/reraise who you can't easily approach with melee because he'll push you into the lava). Fortunately, the enemies don't pressure too much; you have space at the start to wait and let them come to you. And doing this is very important, letting them walk past the bug and into my waiting death spells. I overextend just a bit on attempt 1 and die horribly for it.
Mountain Temple 2 (1 reset, then 0 injuries) - Raife and Grim Eye boss fight. Grim Eye's so weird, his skillset is mostly junk (sacrifice a big amount of HP to temporarily raise elemental defence by 25%, even the Wizard SCC doesn't care about this! ... and it's worse than it sounds, because enemies immediately waste their limited good potions healing him). The only thing scary about him is he can push people into the lava with his boomerang like a standard kawa. Raife also requires some respecting because if he does get to melee range he can do big damage with Infused Edge, get a kill, and Cleave to do even more nonsense. Otherwise not a very scary fight, bit with the Kyrie falls loss condition you do have to be careful.
Crossroads 2 - After Chapter 4 was so rude in general it's nice to get a breather fight. Bunch of demons, not too tricky, the one kinda scary thing normally is a full MT Grand Cross-style ability from the Overscourge but as it triggers up to six counters (each of which can add status!) it basically removes him as a threat after one use.
Illuster - Second apperance from an Aeoth, fire immunity (Molten Robe) returns. I stack it with dark defence from the Ebony Rod and suddenly very few things can actually do decent damage to me. Also easy.
Septimus/Secunda (10 resets, then 5 injuries) - This on the other hand is hell. The battle features Septimus (can instantly kill non-swimmers with Teleport), Secunda (instantly kills any wizard at melee range with her dual-wielding Infused Edge), two ranged attackers who can use One For All, and two bugs, one of whom has Adaptive Evasion and can hit for big melee damage, the other of which is the relative scrub of the fight but still not nothing. Two bosses, I lose one accessory slot due to Flippers, lots of ways for me to take big damage and die... definitely adds up! I generally try to target the vampire with dual guns first since s/he comes reasonably far forward turn 1 if baited properly. The archer usually needs to go next, although their evade can make that a pain. The Adaptive Evasion bug would be a good target since he both takes and deals a lot of damage, but since he becomes immune to magic after being hit by a spell (unless/until I physical him) this is often impractical. Occasionally I can bait him into using his AoE earth spell which gets him to take a bunch of damage back and that helps. Also, the more enemies actually bunch up for AoEs, the more that helps too. I usually end up trying to blitz Secunda at some point, with Septimus and the last bug being lower priority targets. Difficult to manage and pull off though. I end up doing the first tournament (Phoenix Band is a cool prize, one shot of Auto-Life) and gaining a few levels before I'm able to refine my strategy enough to win.
Raife 2 (1 reset, then 2 injuries) - I block fire and dark again to deal with the Aeoth (an Aeoth! At this time of year, in this small a room, localized entirely within the council chambers?) and the demons. This map's pretty simple on paper but my team is in tatters after the last fight so it's definitely the B squad on duty, and they do have some difficulty. But not too bad.
Primus (1 injury) - The most hilarious battle of the run. Primus is certainly competent enough, I have to equip Flippers once again lest he drown all of me, and that leaves him primarily using his AoE move Downfall, which does gravity damage.
Downfall is magic. It gets magic countered. For gravity damage. On a high-HP boss. Multiple times.
Two uses of Downfall by him and I'm through all ~1600 of his HP. He moved towards Kyrie's group at the west, the group at the east (including Raife) never gets to do anything. Which saves me the trouble of deciding if using Raife is legal or not.
Gelligh 3 (3 injuries) - I don't have too much to say about this fight. There are gyaums (the third tier tiger) who can Rally Howl to get some decent damage/speed to them and their allies, some knight with the lord skillset... it's not incompetent but not too notable.
Gelligh Foothills (4 injuries) - Weird fight. You start across a river in range of two ranged fighters who can do some pretty big damage. They don't move though, so run away from them and they become irrelevant. The immediate threats are an annoying druid with lots of damage/healing options and initiative, and also a unicorn-type enemy. Once they're dealt with and I survive that initial onslaught though I can mostly take the rest of the fight out at my leisure.
Raife 3 (11 resets, then 1 injury) - Well then.
This fight is competent enough normally, but is extra hard on this playthrough because it features a very rare enemy who always has Evade Magic, a Scoundrel/Ranger who can status and do decent damage. He's pretty physically tanky too; it takes Corrosive Bombs followed by anywhere from 6 to 10 attacks to drop him depending on who's landing the hits and how many back hits I get. Also, throughout all this, there's a bug in the back who will use the bulldrake full MT while sleeping skills, which slowly grind me down.
Setup is Glasses, status/sleep immunity on most people (I have three Amethyst Earrings by the time I win), and Plainwalker Boots for mobility. I end up not bothering with elemental defences.
The general strategy I come up with is:
-Lure Raife to hit at range 2 on his third turn (he always waits turn 1 then moves forward twice, with haste he gets there pretty quickly). Hopefully he uses a Warmage spell and I can counter it, usually I have to settle for him using a Marked skill though. Then unload on him and he dies. If he gets a turn at range 1 I lose, if an enemy heals him during this blitz I lose, so I mustn't spread my damage or let up. Fortunately, the enemies can't revive him (or any boss).
-Next up are the demons, one malcubus and one archafflictor. Both can be mildly scary with either damage or annoying status. Hopefully they bunch up a bit. Crucially, though, I want them to use both the good potions before I kill them - the scoundrel being left with one is a disaster. The werewolf will revive one of them when they die, no big.
-The vessel/healer can certainly be annoying, so when he comes forward I'm sure to kill him. Fortunately his durability is bad, just avoid Critical Rebirth.
-At this point there are three enemies left: the scoundrel, the bug who is slowly grinding me down, and the werewolf, who won't move until someone enters his melee attack range. DO NOT ENTER IT, his offence is scary as fuck. This is where I kill the scoundrel, having more people still alive now is a huge help for this of course. I have to think carefully about where to face so that he doesn't run back into the werewolf's melee range.
-Finally, kill the werewolf. He'll probably kill one person, no big. I have loads of MP now, two Locus spells trigger his reraise and a third finishes him.
-Bug dies last.
Occasionally the bug will have sleep immunity and this makes him easier, though he does now move forward. I don't manage to win on one of those attempts. I'm rather proud of the winning run though, while I do benefit from some AoEs I feel like I play really well and manage to only get 1 injury (plus Kyrie who doesn't count), which is crazy. I invariably use up almost my entire item supply.
Between fight attempts I do some randoms hoping for drops (I get a second Prism Rod, and two more Amethyst Earrings) as well as catching my levels up a little once again. I also try the second tournament but lose to the first fight.
But with that fight beaten, we're almost done!
Nervanzer Wellspring (1 injury) - Not too bad. Plaguestorm returns, once again Magic Counter does good work. This battle introduces the Abyssal Aeoth, the dark version of the original. Ebony Rods hard spoil this, though I end up not bothering on my two Prism Rod users, they can take half damage if they're actually hit which of course they usually aren't. Mostly routine.
Final battle (3 resets) - The Maw's a pretty tough cookie. 1340 HP, which isn't actually too much on paper, but he takes less damage (10%?) for each living ally. There are initially seven (eight really, but he kills one of them turn 1) and four of them are either hard to kill or come back. The boss uses Sacrifice to kill one of his friends turn 1 and receive every single stat buff, but never does that again. After that, the Maw's most dangerous move is Dreadmaw, a range 3 AOE which inflicts some statuses and also steals any buffs and gives them to the boss. Sadly, this includes my old friend Boon, so I actually try to get kills with my status immune folks and then don't put them near anyone else so this doesn't happen. Besides that the boss also has a range 7 basic physical. If he actually builds up to 30 MP (Dreadmaw costs 12) he'll use an AOE summon which doesn't do status/buffs but does do some nasty damage (150 or so). He only has 3 move so his scariest moves can be kited somewhat if necessary.
Backing him up are one aeoth of each flavour (I equip to get everyone to at least 50 fire/dark res, either Prism Rod + Black Robe or Ebony Rod + Molten Robe), and two viscerwyrms who will revive after 3 rounds. The one on the east side of the battle has Evade Magic so is absolutely not worth killing, the one in the back dies fast when I finally get there, but it's a bit of a trek and involves walking past every other enemy. The wyrms either use 10-range physicals (facing them is important, they're not negligible) or steal a bit of MP, even from their allies if nobody else is in range. When they reach 40 MP they summon a full-HP demon, so between their own revival and this ability the boss keeps gaining new friends, and hence recharging its damage reduction.
There are also one regular demon of each type. The harrower-type dies to fire magic turn 1, the Overscourge tends to get itself magic countered to death like the previous two, and the Malcubus... eh, is a bit magically bulky/annoying but manageable. The aeoths, I quickly decide, are not worth the time to kill.
Best-case scenario is thus the Maw having just three living allies for a mere 30% damage reduction, which isn't too bad. I focus on minimizing the bad things she can do, keeping my units alive (particularly the status immune ones, since they're so much better off against Dreadmaw spam), and killing her allies -> damaging her once the reduction is at only 30-40%. Not too much to say, it's a reasonably tricky slugfest to optimize and I have to use all my healing items of any sort, but I do pull it off after some refinements.
There's a second phase but getting it is either impossible on this SCC or at best requires farming rare drops twice, one of which is in the final battle itself. Noooope! I'm good with this ending.
Fun times! Final levels were 35-39 on my main six (Kyrie, Hubert, Rune, Jelanda, Lulu, Yates)
Compared to FFT SCCs you definitely notice the lower damage scale, Wizards were typically killing in 4-5 hits with Level 1 spells (so 2-3 with Locus, L2 somewhere in the middle) at most points in the game. Lots of managing turns and MP to get off the spells I needed. Magic Counter is great (unlike FFT), you can quickly take out certain enemies if you bait them into using AOE spells, and it even sends status back, too. Boon's nice for a little damage push, and Smart Casting's extremely helpful. I thought I might forgo it on some people for healing but it turns out the healing sucks, while Smart Casting is really useful.
It'll be interesting to compare how other classes do. I really have no idea.
