FFRK - Someone to Protect (FFIX) Event & Boss Strats

[Aerin]

I might add the other ability to notable rewards too, little pressed for time atm. Also, there's a way to cheese the Beatrix fight with Retaliate. But I won't post that strat here. Because this is BG. And BG don't roll that way.

Event ETA: 1/27
Bonus Battles ETA: 1/30
Event Ends: 2/6

Event Info

Basic information below is copy/pasted from above link. Any extra information gathered once the event goes live will be posted here in the OP in the form of quotes.

==== Notable Rewards ====

Banish Raid

• 4* Knight Ability
• Physical Holy Damage
• Does Dispel too

==== Characters Required ====

Steiner and Beatrix are required for Alexandria in Elite version.

Desert Palace ++: Steiner



==== Bonus Battles ====

Confrontation +

1. Antlion (~100600 HP) Target Score: Use Ice, No KO
2. Tantarian (~79100 HP) Target Score: Use Fire, No KO
3. Ark (~117300 HP) Target Score: Use Wind, No KO
   
   Use Ice on Antlion (he absorbs Water). Tantarian is revealed only once a certain amount of damage has been done to the book. So there's only a certain window of damage, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'll try and find exact values if possible. He's weak to Holy/Fire. Ark has some annoying attacks and hits hard, bring Wall and/or Blind to help out. He's weak to wind.
   

Recommended abilities: Breakdowns/Full Break, Protectga, Shellga, Steal Power, Blindga
Recommended RW: SG/SS2, Lunatic High


Desert Palace ++

Boss: Valia Pira (~187000 HP)

• Defeat Valia Pira without being KO’d.
• Win without Steiner being KO’d.
• Hit Valia Pira with Banish Raid.
  
  Valia Pira begins the fight by detecting "Bloodstones." The more Bloodstones are detected the more powerful it is. The method is as follows:
  
  
  • In this particular encounter in FFRK, Bloodstones are represented by every non IX character in the party.
  • With a full IX party, Valia Pira only uses “0 Bloodstones detected” Abilties.
  • With 3 to 4 IX characters in the party, Valia Pira uses “1-2 Bloodstones detected” Abilities.
  • With 0 to 2 IX characters in the party, Valia Pira will use “3-5 Bloodstones detected” Abilities.
  
  
  All of its attacks are magic, so bring Shell, Wall, RES+, Magic Break(down). Don't bother with Reflect since most of the attacks are against all party members. You'll only see single target attacks too with 3-5 Bloodstones detected.

Vulnerabilities: Slow / Blind / Sleep / Sap

Recommended abilities: Sleep
Recommended RW: Boon


Mount Gulug +++

Boss: Meltigemini (~237000 HP)

• Defeat Meltigemini without being KO’d.
• Exploit Meltigemini’s weakness to fire attacks.
• Exploit Meltigemini’s weakness to holy attacks.
  
  Physical/Magical damage, heavy hitters. Bring enough mitigation and you shouldn't have to worry about AoE heals. There's an AoE Sap move, so bringing an AoE Regen may help, but again isn't necessary.
  

Vulnerabilities: Blind / Sap

Recommended abilities: Shellga, Magic Breakdown, lots of heals.
Recommended RW: SG/SS2


Alexandria Castle 【Ultimate】

Boss: Beatrix (~262000 HP)

• Defeat Beatrix before she uses Climhazzard three times.
• Hit Beatrix with holy attacks.
• Hit Beatrix with Armor Strike.
  
  
  • Beatrix begins the battle with Reflect
  • She uses Climhazzard at 75% and 30%, this will reduce entire party HP to 1. If you start casting an AoE heal SB right after this goes off it'll be cast before her next attack.
  • At 50% she will start using her Holy Sword Stock Break ability. This does damage and inflicts the entire party with Sap. Use some form of AoE regen to remove this immediately. If you don't and she uses Climhazzard, you'll die on the next tick.
  • She's also able to do single target Silence
  • Banish Raid is useful here since it'll dispel the Reflect, give her a reason to waste a turn putting it back on, and satisfies the target score of hitting her with a Holy attack. Edit: As pointed out below, she does have the change to cast Reflect even though it's already on her.
  • If Reflect is dispelled she will not necessarily immediately reapply it. She doesn't use it as a counter to magic attacks either.
  • She uses mostly physical attacks, but after the 50% mark she is able to cast Holy. She will reflect it off herself if Reflect is up.
  
  

Vulnerabilities: Sap

Recommended abilities: Banish Raid, AoE Regen
Recommended RW: Sentinel’s Grimoire, Stoneskin, Lunatic High, Boon, Hymn of the Fayth

The only way to get SAP is

1) Shadowsteel (a 4* Ninja ability) [25% Sap]
2) Sniper (a 5* FFVI throwing weapon that can give sap on hit) [Adds small chance to Sap w/ regular attack. % Unknown]
3) Vaan's Zwill Crossblade Relic SB [50% Sap]
4) Rikku's Buster Claw Relic SB [50% Sap]
5) Golbez's Ebon Armor SB [50% (29% x 2 hits) Sap]
6) Bartz's Air Knife Relic SB [50% (29% x 2 hits) Sap]
7) Shadow's Sasuke Relic SB [50% (16% x 4 hits) Sap]
8) Sephiroth's Yoshiyuki SSB [34% (10% x 4 hits) Sap]
9) Beatrix's Save the Queen Relic SB 20% Sap

[Alkar]

I've just found out that she can cast Reflect even if she still has it on. It happens multiple times here:

[Skai]

Beatrix is gonna be a bitch to deal with.

[Ratatapa]

Not about the extra battles, but Beatrix and Steiner are both needed for Dungeon 11 in the elite version

[kuronosan]

My temporary setup:


Cecil abilities will change, and I might even switch him out for Steiner for synergy once he's uncapped and leveled more. Still thinking about an RM for Thancred since Sap is suicide.

[Alkar]

My temporary setup:


Cecil abilities will change, and I might even switch him out for Steiner for synergy once he's uncapped and leveled more. Still thinking about an RM for Thancred since Sap is suicide.

Sap is not suicide, Beatrix will Sap your whole party. I'd suggest some form of AoE Regen to counter that instead of relying on SBs alone.

[kuronosan]

Yuna.

Admittedly Than can Armor Break so I wonder if I shouldn't grab a different skill, like Renewal, for Yshtola.

[Ratatapa]

If you have Steiner Sword, why don't you use steiner in place of Pcecil? the Armor Breakdown from the SB can be good

[kuronosan]

I probably should.

[Alkar]

I was referring to Hymn when I said "relying on SBs alone" . You need to use a SB to heal up after Beatrix uses Climhazzard and Sap needs to be removed before she does. I'm afraid Hymn will not be enough on its own.

[Aerin]

Going in without an AoE regen ability (read as not just the one from an RW SB) is expert mode. Technically you could get away with it, but your timing would have to be perfect and you'd want to have RNGesus on your side.

[kuronosan]

I'll just bring Memento.

[Kirbyprime]

Rekt# 2049535935

Did the 2nd ( mind you, the 2nd ) dungeon with a lv 57 Steiner. Lost at final boss because he coiled Steiner which KO'ed him.

[Ratatapa]

This is my current plan for Ultimate

Spoiler: show

Steiner will get Banish Raid/Armor Strike when I get it
Thancred is mostly there for sap and the song is the one that raise party's attack
Selphie have Trabia Light SB

Planning to use Eiko's Emerald Light as RW (Haste + Heavy Regen)

Opinion?

Edit just saw that Eiko was Cura + Haste, ffs

[kuronosan]

Fucking mowed over all three fights with my setup (except I subbed in 9 characters for the ++). Currently waiting on stamina for Ultimate. Your setup looks great Rata. You're not going with Dismiss on Thancred?

If you want I can switch up to Amarant to give you Shellga + Regen.

[Robertfb]

Don't forget to bring a aoe regen Rata, Seiken stock break (aoe sap) > Stock break won't be fun!

[Sonomaa]

I coasted through the first fight but Valia Pira keeps stomping my face in. I start getting agaed out the ass and just die in a few turns with a full FF9 group with pro/shell and shield RW

[Kainos]

[kuronosan]

Eh.

[Ratatapa]

He cheaped it out big time