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Use the encounter tables to prepare elements, recovery and defensive equipment before entering a boss fight. The story table covers Chapters 1-4; it is not a catalogue of every later story boss. Levels and HP identify the listed encounters, including the two forms of The Hunger.
For the route between encounters, see Early Chapter Walkthrough.
Story encounters
Encounter | Battle preparation and response |
|---|---|
Belmodar Chapter 1; level 4; HP 2,000 Weakness: Fire | Use Rain's Fire and Lasswell's Dawn Frost to stagger it. Preserve MP and heal when a character is in danger. |
Hell's Rider Chapter 1; level 6; HP 4,000 Weakness: Ice, Light | Remove the Dark Skeletons and aim for a sweeping stagger. Tronn's Hibernal Fury exploits the boss's Ice weakness. |
The Hunger Chapter 1; level 9 / 10; HP 2,500 / 7,000 Weakness: Ice, then Light | Keep resources for the second form. Kill its two Enhanced Wraith Soldiers with Light attacks before concentrating on the boss. |
Siren Chapter 1; level 11; HP 20,000 Weakness: Lightning | Protect Rain and the healer from Charm with Monk's Prayer Beads. Keep Fina available to heal while the attackers exploit Lightning. |
Liquid Thunder Chapter 2; level 13; HP 10,000 Weakness: Earth | After Charging Electricity, guard or stagger it before its next action. Cape of the Raiju halves Lightning damage to its wearer. |
Mom Bomb Chapter 2; level 14; HP 21,000 Weakness: Water | Watch for the self-destruct warning around half HP and guard against the explosion. Four Bombs appear afterward. |
Epimetheus Chapter 2; level 16; HP 3,645 Weakness: Lightning | The shipyard countdown continues during this fight. Finish promptly and save resources for Adrastea immediately afterward. |
Adrastea Chapter 2; level 16; HP 25,000 Weakness: Water, Lightning | Clear Blind from physical attackers. Physical Counter can punish its physical attacks; Cloud supplies Lightning damage and Ascension. |
Aether Chapter 2; level 18; HP 34,000 Weakness: Ice | Kill summoned minions before they accumulate. An exclamation mark on its coming action warns of Heavenly Wind; guard the party. |
Wave Lopros Chapter 3; level 20; HP 21,000 Weakness: Ice | Kill Snappers before the boss eats them and gains a buff. Azure Snappers are weak to Lightning and Land Snappers to Wind. |
Water Dragon Chapter 3; level 21; HP 24,000 Weakness: Lightning | The restricted Old Town lineup has three members. Expect two attacks per turn and both damage types; keep Fina ready to heal between summons. |
Leviathan Chapter 3; level 23; HP 40,000 Weakness: Lightning | Destroy the supporting orbs to weaken the boss. Check each new orb separately because their weaknesses differ. Shell can reduce magical damage. |
Alluvion Chapter 3; level 26; HP 48,000 Weakness: Lightning | Destroy Prism Cores to weaken its special attack. The Divine Signet inflicts Berserk and Charm; a provoking tank can equip Calm Armlet and Monk's Prayer Beads. |
Ignis Chapter 4; level 27; HP 56,000 Weakness: Water | The first two factory encounters are scripted losses. Prepare Water attacks for the winnable fight and protect a covering tank against Fire. |
Emperor of Zoldaad Chapter 4; level 30; HP 52,000 Weakness: Water | Defeat the supporting soldiers first to reduce incoming attacks. Prepare protection against status ailments. |
Lazarov Chapter 4; level 30; HP 45,000 Weakness: Earth | Prioritize the experiments. Bring Light and Fire for The Hunger v5, Water for Test Subject No. 9, and Wind for No. 999. |
A weakness is an attack element. It does not mean every skill of that element is available to every character. Match the equipped Vision and damage type to the character, and keep enough MP for healing after the stagger window.
Selected optional encounters
Encounter | Battle preparation and response |
|---|---|
Antlion Chapter 1; level 20; HP 20,000 Location: Desert southwest of Kol | Water magic avoids its physical counters. Protect and Debrave help reduce incoming physical damage. |
Marauder Chapter 1; level 15; HP 30,000 Location: Marauder Cave | Use Wind damage, including Siren's Lunatic Voice. Reduce physical damage and preserve Fina's MP for healing. |
Gilgamesh Chapter 1; level 11; HP 6,000 Location: Siren's Tower | This first encounter ends with him stealing the Genji Gloves and fleeing. Avoid spending the resources needed for the rest of the tower. |
Ramuh Chapter 2; level 20; HP 24,000 Location: Mt. Thunderclap | Use Earth attacks and Shell. Cape of the Raiju protects its wearer from Lightning; the optional fight can wait until the party is stronger. |
Shoggoth Chapter 2; level 25; HP 45,500 Location: Shoggoth Cave | Bring magical damage, ailment recovery and protection against magic. |
Guardian Chapter 2; level 25; HP 10,000 Location: Mobliz Shipyard | Avoid optional fights during the timed escape. If fighting one, use Lightning attacks. |
Rukh Chapter 3; level 26; HP 46,800 Location: Rukh Cave | Use Wind damage from Siren or Zidane. Shell helps a tank survive magical attacks. |
Mindflayer Chapter 3; level 28; HP 52,000 Location: Mindflayer Cave | Prepare equipment protection against Paralysis, Poison, Silence and Blind. Remove the Mind Elementals and reduce incoming magic damage. |
Gogmagog Chapter 4; level 34; HP 78,000 Location: Gogmagog Cave | Draw attacks with a durable physical tank. Protect and Debrave reduce damage; Y'shtola supplies Wind attacks and healing. |
Pyroviper Chapter 4; level 37; HP 89,700 Location: Pyroviper Cave | Protect the tank against Fire and use Water damage. Keep a healer available if Multi-Cover concentrates damage on one character. |
Titan Chapter 4; level 30; HP 65,000 Location: Sealing Stone west of Kol | Obtain the Gaia Hammer from the Colosseum first. Draw attacks toward a tank and reduce physical damage. |
Sephiroth Chapter 5; level 45; HP 250,000 Location: Whirlpool Hollow | Prepare physical damage, several elements and strong healing. The phase mechanics require different responses. |
The three-phase Whirlpool Hollow fight is covered in Sephiroth.
Quest encounters
Encounter | Battle preparation and response |
|---|---|
Poison Flora Quest: Dream of an Idealist Level 7; HP 1,200 Location: Overworld east of Kol | Use Fire and watch the poisoned characters' HP. The encounter appears after the Earth Shrine banner is returned to Scott. |
Imposter Soldier Quest: The Weight of Mercy Level 10; HP 1,600 Location: Kolobos Ruins | Use Ice and remove Paralysis or Blind when they prevent the party from acting effectively. |
Blood Dragon Quest: Medicinal Mission Level 28; HP 10,800 Location: Overworld | An optional way to obtain a medicine ingredient. Prepare Fire damage and healing. |
For Ancient equipment guardian trials, see Twelve Legendary Arms.
Item-feeding pots and evasive farming enemies work differently; see Rare Enemy and Magic Pot Guide.