FFRK - Royal Tactitian (XV) Event & Strategies

[Kirin]

There is a lot that can be said. But sometimes, the classic way is the best way.

If you're the type of person who can go all night long...

Spoiler: show

"Coffee whenever, wherever. Big flavor in a small package." - Ignis


Haha! Multiple entendre.

Son of House Scientia, a family of royal retainers. Serious as he is studious, Ignis entered into Noctis's service at the age of 6, caring after the crown prince from that day forward. On the road, he acts as a caretaker for the entire crew, driving the car and balancing their books. He also monitors the group's nutrition, effortlessly preparing exquisite meals—the result of many hours of culinary practice.

Ignis has a composed and serious personality, and while calm most of the time, will exchange banter with the others and make puns or sarcastic quips. He serves as the brains of the party, being in-depth with his strategies and disliking ambiguity. Ignis is proud of his cooking skills, and chooses to drive as he only trusts himself to.

Event Start Date: May 31
Event Bonus Battle: June 3
Event End Date: June 10

All information is taken from a mixture of Reddit/Spreadsheets and my own obviously expert analysis.

Much info for the event comes from this thread and its related links: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKee...9d&sh=af8480e9

Though the information provided is used as a guideline and not always taken directly from the thread. When necessary, additional thoughts on Cid Missions and battle strategies are added.

Notable Rewards:

Ignis's Glasses - Accessory: Atk +20, Mag +15

Not really notable, honestly.

New Characters Acquired:
Ignis Scientia - Combat 4, Support 5, Dragoon 3 (why?), Thief 5, Shooter 5, Black Magic 4

Dress Spheres Acquired:
Glasses Touchdown!

Old Characters Acquired:
Noctis
Gladiolus
Prompto
Iris
Best Dragoon

New Memory Crystals:
Ignis Touchdown MC1/MC2

Old Memory Crystals
Noctis MC1/MC2
Gladiolus MC1/MC2
Prompto MC1/MC2
Iris MC1/MC2
Aranea MC1/MC2

New Record Materia:

Ignis:

• Tireless Learning - Small damage up w/ daggers equipped.
• Royal Family - Low chance to counter hits with Drain Strike.
• Reliable Strategist - Large damage up w/ daggers equipped.

New Record Dive
Ignis: Shooter 9%

New Legend Materia

Ignis:

• Small fire damage up.
• Moderate chance to doublecast fire abilities.

Cid Missions/Acolyte Archives

• Beat '凶++' with a party consisting of FFXV synergy characters.

Balance Changes

*Certain USB's with a "Chase" effect will now gain a non-elemental component to their damage.

Bartz USB
Machina USB
Cougar of Darkness USB
Matoya USB

Relics

We have a new bannah!

Just one this time though. Which is fine, because Noctis and I believe Prompto show up enough during the next two fest events.

This also marks what should be Global's last banner with character SSB's on it as the upcoming FFIV event does away with them for Barbariccia.

It's an okay banner overall. For straight XV tech, it is pretty well rounded touching on many characters strengths, good LMR options, and 2 medica options in Iris. The SSB's are even decent, with Noctis spreading CT0 and Ignis boosting the party's critical damage.

For meta on the whole though, aside from Ignis' awesome USB buff, it is an average banner. Which is a shame, honestly, because Ignis may be the best designed character Square has put out since forever.

Comparing the next FFXV event (Noctis Goes Fishing) with this one:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKee...ac&sh=44b7a77e

Element Boosts:

Spoiler: show

Banner 1:

• Lightning: Aranea BSB
• Fire: Ignis LMR

Ultra EX/Chase Type Glossary:

Spoiler: show

Rules of thumb:

1. Stat buffs from the EX mode have a unique ID and will stack with everything.
2. Many USB’s come with a built in class damage boost. These are separate from the iteration class boosts and do stack.
3. EX modes last 15 seconds, while buffs provided by the USB entry last 25 seconds. (Terra is an exception, with her EX Mode lasting 25 seconds).

Special Effects:

• General Boost: These can be anything specifically tied to the EX Mode - HP Stock, Crit Fix, Cast Speed, Ability Boost, Stat buffs, and even Break Damage Limit. This will stack with every other buff on the user, including other EX Modes.
  
• Rank Boost: This provides a damage boost scaling with the rank of the ability used. The boost starts out at ~5% for R1 increasing to ~30% for R5+.
  
• Chase: Follow up attack(s) triggered by using abilities of a specific element or school while under the EX Mode. The number of these chase attacks can be random, reliant on the rank of the ability used (Rank Chase) or status of the user (Status Chase).
  
• Cycle: Unit receives a quickcast or instacast charge when using abilities tied to a specific element or school – generally meant to be used in repetition for maximum effect.
  
• Build Up: A gradient damage boost toward a specific ability school based on the number of ability uses from the start of the battle to when the EX mode is applied. This buff is not tied to EX mode duration, and will persist whenever the EX mode is active.
  
• Wind Up: Generally applying to Summoners, this will provide additional damage based on the sum total of all type (class or element) damage done during EX mode when the mode expires. The unique aspect of this is that a recast of the USB will count toward the exit damage of the previous EX mode.
  
• Phantom Cast: This effect will auto cast an attack every few second at a set rate independent of the character. The number of attacks or potency is not reliant on any outside factors (Haste, Slow, QC) and will generally produce 4 actions per EX Mode.
  
• Cheer: This will grant a party wide effect after using a triggering ability. For example, Marche will triple the cast speed of every front row party member (himself included) for 1 turn after he uses a Knight ability.
  
• Ability Double: This will guarantee that an ability will cast 2 times per use at the cost of 2 hones. The first cast can trigger appropriate W-Cast materia for a total of 3 hits, but the additional hits will not generate SB gauge.

Banner 1:

Ignis' role is that of the support tactician who kills things with fire. To that end, he offers a USB similar to Marche's: 10x ST fire/non hits with en-fire, an Atk/Def boost, and EX mode "Sagefire". Sagefire, like Marche's USB, will double the cast speed of every party member in the same row as him when he uses a fire element ability. It isn't as potent as Marche's 3x Cast Speed, but being able to alter the row helps mage parties while still having a good enough attack boost to be self sufficient.

His BSB, however, can be a complicated mess if you are not paying attention. Entry is a party Atk/Res buff and grants Ingis a +2 for the BSB's internal 'Ingredients' counter. C1 is 3x ST hits of a fire/ice/lightning Machinist hit and will also grant +1 to the Ingredients counter. C2 will provide a special effect based on 'Ingredients', and then remove -1 from the counter.

+2: Ally gains Auto-crit
+1: Ally heals 30% Max HP, gains Critical Damage Boost
+0: Ally heals 40% Max HP, gains CT0

Since you cannot go below 0 or above 2, it is possible to spread CT0 to people for ~3 turns after granting someone Auto-Crit and Damage Boost.

*Note that the auto-target rule for C2 is lowest HP% because of its healing effect. You'll want to manually target all casts.

Finally, Ignis' SSB is a 6x ST fire/ice/lightning hit while boosting the party's critical damage.

Iris's returning BSB is hard to beat, and sadly her new USB doesn't quite put her on the level of Aerith or Elarra. It is a potent instant Curaga effect with party Raise and Haste, but the CT0x3 is only for Iris.

Aranea gives Kain a run for his money with her new USB. 10x ST lightning/dark Jump attacks with en-lightning, an Atk/Def boost, and 'Dragon Boost' chase effect of 5x lightning/dark/non attacks after a Dragoon ability. Her standard Cycle BSB returns too.

Returning Items:
Noctis: USB, BSB, SSB

Banner 2:

Nada

Legend Materias:

• Banner 1 - Ignis: Begin battle with 2x Cast Speed x3.
• Banner 1 - Iris: Small chance to doublecast White Magic abilities.
• Banner 1 - Aranea: Begin battle with en-lightning.
• Banner 1 - Noctis: Small chance to doublecast Combat abilities.

Relic Discussion
https://www.reddit.com/r/FFRecordKee...ej&sh=aa2601a0

[Kirin]

Can Ignis see why kids love Cup Noodles?

Ultimate + Apocalypse Battles

Sabertusks
凶Sabertusk (x3)
HP: ???
Target Score:

• Defeat the Sabertusks with 3 or more heroes not KO'ed.

Weak: Ice
Absorb: None
Resist: Fire, Holy
Null: None
Status Vulnerabilities: None

Notes: Physical only fight here.

Like the FFV Gargoyles, you must defeat the Sabertusks within close proximity to each other otherwise they will respawn on the 5th turn after being defeated.

Arachne +
凶Arachne
HP: 350,000
Target Score:

• Defeat Arachne with at least 3 characters not KO'ed.

Weak: Fire, Holy
Absorbs: None
Resists: Ice, Earth, Wind, Water, Dark, Poison
Null: Lightning
Vulnerabilities: None

Notes: You'll want both magical and physical mitigation here. But is isn't really her damage overall that causes you frustration...

Arachne can Stop you in a few different ways. Some of her attacks can inflict AoE Stop or Stun at a moderate rate, and she counters Black/White Magic with a ST Stop.

If you would prefer elemental resist, lightning is your reliable option as Arachne carries a front row lightning physical hit that is decently potent in both weak and very weak phases.

Cid Mission/Acolyte Archive:
The fire weakness begs for you to bring Ignis. In the event you didn't pull for him, Gladio can deal out some Holy damage with Knight abilities.

Prompto can fit in for some fire element Shooter skills, and Aranea/Noct can deal some quick + clean non-elemental damage with Dragoon/Combat abilities if you need to.

No restrictions on the support role with regards to counters, so you can double up Iris with Dancer 5 if you have her dived.

Mindflayers and Imps (Apoc +)
滅Mindflayers and Imps
HP: Mindflayer 1: 120,000 - Mindflayer 2: 160,000 - Mindflayer 3: 300,000
HP: Imp 1: 20,000 - Imp 2: 30,000 - Imp 3: 50,000
Target Score:

• Defeat the bosses with 2 or more heroes not KO'ed.

Weak: Lightning, Holy
Absorbs: None
Resist: Mindflayer: Ice
Null: None
Vulnerabilities: None

Notes: 1st wave is 1 Flayer and 3 Imps, each additional wave is 1 Flayer and 2 Imps.

The debilitating Atk/Mag 50% debuff returns. The Imps will use it on specific turns depending on the wave. You may not even see it on wave 1/2 if you bring Valigarmanda to play, but be midnful it is there. The imps otherwise only deal with ST magic or physical hits.

The flayers carry mixed offense, but their only AoE offering is magic based dark damage. It does carry a 30% Atk debuff, so stay away from +Atk only buffs.

Llike any other Mindflayer fight in the history of FF, you'll want to bring confuse resist, Affliction Break, or Astra. Mind Blast carries a 51% chance of confusion.

Also, the wave 2 and 3 flayers will start with a 50% Atk buff. Power BD that quickly.

Jump Start: No known changes.

Leviathan (Apoc ++)
滅Leviathan
HP: 650,000
Target Score:

• Defeat Demon with 2 or more heroes not KO'ed.

Weak: None
Absorbs: None
Resist: Omni (50%)
Null: None
Vulnerabilities: None

Notes: This is Squall Dissidia fight all over again. Everything ignores Def/Res, so pack heavy debuffs and treat this like a magicite fight.

Water resist gear should be obvious. Tsunami is magical, but everything else is physical damage.

You will also be dealing with imperil-water, so Affliction Break if you can slot it or rely on magicite equips like Enlil.

[Ratatapa]

Fuck this apoc ++ in before it happens for real

[synistar]

The ability to get Auto-crit + Crit Boost + Instant cast (Thanks Ignis for the food) on a Noctis spamming USB made Apoc++ ezpz.

[Melena]

So what's the trick to keeping the atk down debuff off? I can get through the first two phases on both the 220 and jump start fine, and it just comes to a crashing halt in Phase 3 when Omega Drive goes from 8-11k to 1500 a hit.

[Alkar]

So what's the trick to keeping the atk down debuff off? I can get through the first two phases on both the 220 and jump start fine, and it just comes to a crashing halt in Phase 3 when Omega Drive goes from 8-11k to 1500 a hit.

Don't use straight ATK buffs and replace them with mixed ones (ATK+MAG/ ATK+MAG+DEF/ etc.). Or go magic.

[Melena]

Interesting, so mix or magic don't get affected. Thanks. Time to retry 220.

[hyoton]

Boost!!

[Karbuncle]

Dragoon 3 (why?)

Well, his secondary weapon was a Polearm, and he jumped a hell of a lot. Guess they worked that into his kit in a very useless way :D?