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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
General Analysis Guide v1.1
by DevChandA
Contact: dev221117@gmail.com
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-----TABLE OF CONTENTS--------------------------------------------------------
1. INTRODUCTION (I)
2. GLYPH OVERVIEW (O)
2.1 Attributes (Atr)
2.2 Glyph Damage (Gdm)
2.3 Attribute Points (Apt)
3. BLUE GLYPHS (B)
3.1 Confodere (Con)
3.2 Vol Confodere (Vcon)
3.3 Melio Confodere (Mcon)
3.4 Secare (Sec)
3.5 Vol Secare (Vsec)
3.6 Melio Secare (Msec)
3.7 Hasta (Has)
3.8 Vol Hasta (Vhas)
3.9 Melio Hasta (Mhas)
3.10 Macir (Mac)
3.11 Vol Macir (Vmac)
3.12 Melio Macir (Mmac)
3.13 Arcus (Arc)
3.14 Vol Arcus (Varc)
3.15 Melio Arcus (Marc)
3.16 Ascia (Asc)
3.17 Vol Ascia (Vasc)
3.18 Melio Ascia (Masc)
3.19 Falcis (Fal)
3.20 Vol Falcis (Vfal)
3.21 Melio Falcis (Mfal)
3.22 Culter (Cul)
3.23 Vol Culter (Vcul)
3.24 Melio Culter (Mcul)
3.25 Scutum (Scu)
3.26 Vol Scutum (Vscu)
3.27 Melio Scutum (Mscu)
3.28 Redire (Red)
3.29 Cubus (Cub)
3.30 Torpor (Tor)
3.31 Lapiste (Lap)
3.32 Pneuma (Pne)
3.33 Ignis (Ign)
3.34 Vol Ignis(Vign)
3.35 Grando (Gra)
3.36 Vol Grando (Vgra)
3.37 Fulgur (Ful)
3.38 Vol Fulgur (Vful)
3.39 Luminatio (Lum)
3.40 Vol Luminatio (Vlum)
3.41 Umbra (Umb)
3.42 Vol Umbra (Vumb)
3.43 Morbus (Mor)
3.44 Nitesco (Nit)
3.45 Acerbatus (Ace)
3.46 Globus (Glo)
3.47 Dextro Custos (Dex)
3.48 Sinestro Custos (Sin)
3.49 Dominus Hatred (Domh)
3.50 Dominus Agony (Doag)
4. RED GLYPHS (R)
4.1 Magnes (Mag)
4.2 Paries (Par)
4.3 Volaticus (Vol)
4.4 Rapidus Fio (Rfi)
4.5 Vis Fio (Vfi)
4.6 Fortis Fio (Ffi)
4.7 Sapiens Fio (Sfi)
4.8 Fides Fio (Fifi)
4.9 Felicem Fio (Fefi)
4.10 Inire Pecunia (Inp)
4.11 Arma Felix (Arf)
4.12 Arma Chiroptera (Arc)
4.13 Arma Machina (Arm)
4.14 Refectio (Ref)
4.15 Arma Custos (Arcu)
4.16 Familiars (Famil)
4.17 Fidelis Caries (Fica)
4.18 Fidelis Alate (Fial)
4.19 Fidelis Polkir (Fipo)
4.20 Fidelis Noctua (Fino)
4.21 Fidelis Medusa (Fime)
4.22 Fidelis Mortus (Fimo)
4.23 Dominus Agony (Doag)
5. GLYPH UNIONS (U)
5.1 Confodere Union (Conu)
5.2 Secare Union (Secu)
5.3 Ascia Union (Ascu)
5.4 Falcis Union (Falu)
5.5 Macir Union (Macu)
5.6 Hasta Union (Hasu)
5.7 Arcus Union (Arcu)
5.8 Culter Union (Culu)
5.9 Invalid Union (Invu)
5.10 Ignis Union (Ignu)
5.11 Ignis Sword Union (Igsu)
5.12 Ignis Grando Union (Iggu)
5.13 Grando Union (Grau)
5.14 Grando Sword Union (Grsu)
5.15 Fulgur Union (Fulu)
5.16 Fulgur Spear Union (Fusu)
5.17 Pneuma Union (Pneu)
5.18 Pneuma Spear Union (Pnsu)
5.19 Lapiste Union (Lapu)
5.20 Lapiste Hammer Union (Lahu)
5.21 Light Union (Ligu)
5.22 Light Sword Union (Lisu)
5.23 Light Darkness Union (Lidu)
5.24 Darkness Union (Daru)
5.25 Darkness Sword Union (Dasu)
5.26 Nitesco Union (Nitu)
5.27 Nitesco Sword Union (Nisu)
5.28 Scutum Union (Sctu)
5.29 Dominus Union (Dmiu)
6. ENEMIES (E)
6.1 Bat (Bat)
6.2 Zombie (Zom)
6.3 Skeleton (Ske)
6.4 Ghost (Gho)
6.5 Banshee (Ban)
6.6 Bone Scimitar (Bsc)
6.7 Sea Stinger (Sti)
6.8 Nominon (Nom)
6.9 Axe Knight (Axk)
6.10 Une (Une)
6.11 Merman (Mrm)
6.12 Necromancer (Necr)
6.13 Bone Archer (Barh)
6.14 Spear Guard (Speg)
6.15 Invisible Man (Invm)
6.16 Gelso (Gels)
6.17 Needles (Nedl)
6.18 Demon (Deon)
6.19 Fishhead (Fihd)
6.20 Dark Octupus (Daot)
6.21 Killer Fish (Kfis)
6.22 Forneus (Frn)
6.23 The Creature (EC1)
6.24 Black Crow (EC2)
6.25 Skull Spider (EC3)
6.26 Scarecrow (EC4)
6.27 Sea Demon (EC5)
6.28 Winged Guard (EC6)
6.29 Nightmare (EC7)
6.30 Rock Knight (EC8)
6.31 Flame Demon (EC9)
6.32 Bitterfly (EC10)
6.33 Specter (EC11)
6.34 Grave Digger (EC12)
6.35 Werebat (EC13)
6.36 Black Fomor (EC14)
6.37 Enkidu (EC15)
6.38 Bone Pillar (EC16)
6.39 Skeleton Frisky (EC17)
6.40 Skeleton Hero (EC18)
6.41 Dullahan (EC19)
6.42 Skeleton Rex (EC20)
6.43 White Dragon (EC21)
6.44 Saint Elmo (EC22)
6.45 Lorelai (EC23)
6.46 Edimmu (EC24)
6.47 Decarbia (EC25)
6.48 Merman (EC26)
6.49 Ladycat (EC27)
6.50 Ectoplasm (EC28)
6.51 Curse Diva (EC29)
6.52 Miss Murder (EC30)
6.53 Automaton ZX26 (EC31)
6.54 Skeleton Beast (EC32)
6.55 Balloon (EC33)
6.56 Arachine (EC34)
6.57 Lizardman (EC35)
6.58 Armored Beast (EC36)
6.59 Yeti (EC37)
6.60 Thunder Demon (EC38)
6.61 Owl (EC39)
6.62 Werewolf (EC40)
6.63 Altair (EC41)
6.64 Mandragora (EC42)
6.65 Jersey Devil (EC43)
6.66 Owl Knight (EC44)
6.67 Chosen Une (EC45)
6.68 Stone Rose (EC46)
6.69 Mad Butcher (EC47)
6.70 White Fomor (EC48)
6.71 Evil Force (EC49)
6.72 Flea Man (EC50)
6.73 Ghoul (EC51)
6.74 Peeping Eye (EC52)
6.75 Gargoyle (EC53)
6.76 Blood Skeleton (EC54)
6.77 Black Panther (EC55)
6.78 Mimic (EC56)
6.79 Draculina (EC57)
6.80 Tin Man (EC58)
6.81 Polkir (EC59)
6.82 Nova Skeleton (EC60)
6.83 Gashida (EC61)
6.84 Devil (EC62)
6.85 Gurkha Master (EC63)
6.86 Red Smasher (EC64)
6.87 Cave Troll (EC65)
6.88 Blade Master (EC66)
6.89 Lilith (EC67)
6.90 Lizardman Blade (EC68)
6.91 Hammer Shaker (EC69)
6.92 Rebuild (EC70)
6.93 Imp (EC71)
6.94 Bugbear (EC72)
6.95 Spectral Sword (EC73)
6.96 Automaton ZX27 (EC74)
6.97 Medusa Heads (EC75)
6.98 Gorgon Heads (EC76)
6.99 Mad Snatcher (EC77)
6.100 Great Knight (EC78)
6.101 King Skeleton (EC79)
6.102 Winged Skeleton (EC80)
6.103 Final Knight (EC81)
6.104 Jiang Shi (EC82)
6.105 Demon Lord (EC83)
6.106 Double Hammer (EC84)
6.107 Weapon Master (EC85)
6.108 Giant Skeleton (EC86)
6.109 Arthroverta (EC87)
6.110 Brachyura (EC88)
6.111 Maneater (EC89)
6.112 Rusalka (EC90)
6.113 Goliath (EC91)
6.114 Gravedorcus (EC92)
6.115 Albus (EC93)
6.116 Barlowe (EC94)
6.117 Wallman (EC95)
6.118 Blackmore (EC96)
6.119 Eligor (EC97)
6.120 Death (EC98)
6.121 Dracula (EC99)
7. NOTABLE ITEMS (NI)
7.1 Tower Ring (NI1)
7.2 Emperor Ring (NI2)
7.3 Justice Ring (NI3)
7.4 Gold Ring (NI4)
7.5 Devil Ring (NI5)
7.6 Fortune Ring (NI6)
7.7 Sun Ring (NI7)
7.8 Moon Ring (NI8)
7.9 Lovers Ring (NI9)
7.10 Miser Ring (NI10)
7.11 Heart Earrings (NI11)
7.12 Mirror Cuirass (NI12)
7.13 Heart Cuirass (NI13)
7.14 Death Ring (NI14)
8. HINTS AND TRICKS (H)
9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (A)
10. UPDATE HISTORY (UH)
11. LEGAL STUFF (L)
Hint: Use the search function (Ctrl+F) in combination with the titles here(
including the bracketed letters)to quickly jump to a section.
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1. INTRODUCTION (I)
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Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia was Konami's third, and last Castlevania hybrid
game(popularly known as Metroidvanias) on the DS. While a good game, I feel
that few people have attempted to break down its systems and mechanics, and
the lack of good information on many aspects of the game, such as enemy
strategies and good glyph use, compelled me to write this.
Note that this is not a walkthrough. I will not cover how to beat the game,
just how to effectively use the game's systems to full effect, including
utilizing a few notable items.
There will be a lot of focus on the glyph system, since it's such a major part
of this game. However, I also cover the enemies of this game and what
strategies work best against them, and list some items of general interest.
I reference Darth Nemesis' and Zeric's maps quite often since they're pretty
well done and save people a lot of hassle in tracking things down.
Feel free to contact me if I'm wrong, or have missed anything. You can even
suggest new strategies, or just talk about this game or guide. Just title
your email properly, and don't send any spam.
Anyway, on with the guide!
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2. GLYPH OVERVIEW (O)
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Glyphs are magical symbols found in several forms around the game world.
Shanoa can absorb these using her back glyph, which is done by pressing Up on
the pad. Glyphs are of two major types: Blue glyphs and red glyphs. Blue
glyphs are equipped in the X and Y slots, and are used for most regular
attacks. Red glyphs occupy the R slot, and provide secondary abilities, like
stat buffs and transformations. For the most part, it mimics how the "Soul
System" worked in Aria and Dawn of Sorrow, with the exceptions that not all
enemies drop them, they control your standard attacks, and two slots have been
granted for attacks while glyphs with Guardian/Enchanted soul functions have
been merged into one slot.
Glyphs can be found in one of four ways:
i. They're present in the open. This sort of glyph is usually either related
to the plot, or are part of an environmental obstacle. In the latter case,
absorbing them gets rid of the obstacle alongside granting the glyph.
ii. They're in statues placed in levels. These glyphs appear when the
statues are broken, and they stay on screen until absorbed. Leaving the room
resets the statue, and absorbing the glyph gets rid of it on subsequent
visits.
iii. Most commonly, enemies leave a glyph upon death. This depends on a random
chance, which rises with your LCK statistic. If not absorbed, they will fade
out after a while. Given their nature, it's very likely that you will need to
"farm" enemies, i.e, kill them and then exit and enter the area to reset them
repeatedly, to get these.
iv. Some enemies cast spells using glyphs. This is pretty simple; all you need
to do is keep Up held until the glyph is absorbed. Of course, there are
situations where it's easier said than done, particularly when the caster is
defended by other enemies. Failing to absorb this gets the spell casted.
Blue Glyphs can be used to trigger Glyph Unions. These are attacks generally
more powerful than the standard glyph attacks. The downside is they consume
Hearts, a resource only filled in a few ways and which isn't restored by
saving.
Absorbing glyphs has several effects beyond granting the glyph consumed. Each
absorption gives 10 hearts to the player. All attributes are also raised by 1
for every absorption, and familiars level up faster through glyph absorption.
Needless to say, this is not generally too efficient for raising attributes,
though there are locations where it can be exploited for attribute farming.
Speaking of which...
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2.1 Attributes (Atr)
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Attributes define the type of damage the glyph does to enemies. This is quite
significant in this game as many enemies have varying strengths and weaknesses
to several damage types, and using the right attribute often does a
lot more damage than using the wrong one. A few attributes, particularly
Stone, Curse and Poison inflict status effects on some enemies. Stone petrifies
them in place, Curse severely slows them down and Poison weakens their
attack strength and makes them more susceptible to your attacks.
Attributes are represented by icons in the enemy screen and in game glyph
guide. Here's what they are from left to right in the enemy screen:
Strike Slash Flame Ice Lightning Light Darkness Poison Stone Curse
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2.2 Glyph Damage (Gdm)
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The strength of standard attacks and glyph unions depends on Shanoa's STR,
INT, and/or Attribute Points. STR affects the damage of Slash and Strike
glyphs, INT the damage of everything else. Poison, Stone and Curse damage is
raised by both, but they don't gain as much as other damage types.
Glyph damage increases by a certain proportion of its base damage for every
single point of STR or INT, depending on its attribute. Poison, Stone and
Curse has their damage raise works weirdly in comparison to other attributes.
They seem to gain damage at the same rate as others upto a point; after around
say 7 damage points or so their growth rate drops dramatically.
Enemies can take higher or lower damage based on their physical and magical
resistance and their weakness to attributes. If they resist an attribute, they
take 25% damage from an attack having that attribute, and if they are
vulnerable they take 150% damage; basically a standard RPG style damage
system. If a glyph has two or more attributes, being weak to one attribute
makes it deal extra damage while the enemy needs to resist all the attributes
for the extra damage reduction(this practically never happens). Keep in mind
that this damage deduction is calculated *after* the physical/magical defense
is taken into account, and the damage boost makes the game completely
ignore the enemy's defenses. This is part of why knowing attributes is very
significant in this game, even more so than other metroidvanias.
On Hard mode and above, an extra damage penalty is applied to your attack
before other modifiers like weaknesses are taken into account. This penalty
depends on the normal damage and scales along with it, higher the normal
damage, higher the penalty. In addition, enemies do an extra 30 points of
damage on Hard and 60 on level 1 cap, which is applied after all other
modifiers have been considered.
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2.3 Attribute Points (Apt)
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Attribute Points are listed near the bottom right of the Start menu screen.
They rise whenever you defeat enemies using glyphs with the corresponding
attributes. Different enemies give varying amounts of attribute points,
usually related to their toughness and/or experience points granted. For
approximately every 328 points gained, the base damage of glyphs with that
attribute raises by 1%, upto a maximum of 300% damage from 65535 points. There
are other means of raising this, such as absorbing glyphs and consuming
colored drops.
Note that Poison, Stone and Curse aren't listed in the attribute point list
and can't be raised this way.
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3. BLUE GLYPHS (B)
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Blue glyphs are used for standard attacks and glyph unions. They have a blue
aura around them while in the world, and can be assigned to the X and Y slots.
Note that the slots have different ranges, with Y having slightly larger
range. Alternating between the X and Y buttons allows you to attack rapidly,
provided you have the mana or the glyph's attack has dissipated by then. Note
that mana doesn't start regenerating until you pause attacking for a while,
so be careful with your attacks.
As mentioned earlier, their damage is based on STR, INT and/or the Attribute
points. Glyphs dealing Slash or Strike attribute damage depend on STR, while
glyphs with other attributes use INT. The damage noted here is the base
damage at level 1 with minimal attribute points and no stat/attribute boosting
gear equipped.
Keep in mind that the ATK shown in the Start menu isn't necessarily your
actual damage; it just shows the current damage for the glyph occupied in the
Y slot if both happen to be filled. This doesn't matter much since it's
normally best to equip both slots with the same glyph, but it's still worth
keeping in mind.
I've discovered that the damage listed in the in game glyph guide isn't
accurate, that's why there's a discrepancy between the values noted here and
listed in the game's guide.
Needless to say, there's going to be a few plot spoilers here. I've tried
cutting down on them but a few are inevitable while listing out the glyphs.
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3.1 Confodere (Con)
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Base Attack: 4
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Your very first glyph, given by Barlowe.
Game Description: A rapier glyph.
Information: Your very first glyph, the Confodere is good for quickly killing
enemies with low HP, especially if equipped on both slots. While it may seem
a little weak, the fast attack rate makes it very useful for killing
many early game enemies. That being said, it has low forward range, and
absolutely no vertical range at all, making it awkward against enemies flying
around or in odd places. It also requires being in dangerously close ranges to
the enemy, which is ill advised, especially if they have swift attacks of
their own. It's decent, but it won't last long.
Rating: 6/10
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3.2 Vol Confodere (Vcon)
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Base Attack: 8
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Dullahans.
Game Description: A powerful rapier glyph.
Information: The Confodere upgrade comes a bit too late in the game. While the
range is raised a fair bit and it still has the rapid attack rate, the enemies
become a bit too dangerous to just rely on swift melee attacks. It still has
its uses, but there are better glyphs in store. If you do get it, play around
with it for some enemies, especially the Ladycats.
Rating: 5/10
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3.3 Melio Confodere (Mcon)
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Base Attack: 11
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue, G15, Library, Dracula's Castle (Coordinates from Zeric's
map)
Game Description: Superior rapier glyph.
Information: Same story as the Vol Confodere, except the drawbacks become even
more painfully apparent, given how strong the enemies can get in the castle.
Use it on a few enemies weak to slash, but don't rely on it.
Rating: 4/10
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3.4 Secare (Sec)
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Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 8
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Bone Scimitars.
Game Description: A sword glyph.
Information: The Secare is the Confodere's beefier cousin. While its attack
speed isn't as high, it covers more range than it and also has some upward
vertical range, making it more useful for general attacking. It's still
pretty fast and the higher attack makes it a worthwhile Confodere replacement
for the early game.
Rating: 7/10
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3.5 Vol Secare (Vsec)
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Base Attack: 11
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue at D20, Giant's Dwelling
Game Description: A powerful sword glyph.
Information: The Vol Secare suffers from the same dilemna as its Confodere
equivalent, in that it comes a little late and the enemies are more dangerous
just to rely on swift melee attacks. However, its higher damage and vertical
range give it more purpose, though it no longer outranges the Confodere family
horizontally. Give it a whirl here and there.
Rating: 6/10
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3.6 Melio Secare (Msec)
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Base Attack: 16
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Spectral Swords.
Game Description: Superior sword glyph.
Information: This glyph is very hard to get, unless you're lucky. It doesn't
help that Spectral Swords are nasty enemies that take a while to kill. For the
effort, you get a glyph that does decent damage but lacks effective range,
though it does regain the horizontal range advantage over its Confodere
equivalent. The vertical swing still keeps it useful for a few enemies, as
does its fast attack rate. I wouldn't use it often though.
Rating: 5/10
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3.7 Hasta (Has)
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Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Spear Guards.
Game Description: A lance glyph.
Information: This glyph gives a lot of bang for your buck. For a rather low MP
cost, you get a powerful attack with high horizontal range. The downside? It
comes out a bit slow and doesn't have any vertical range, so you'll have
trouble hitting enemies that fly around or stay in odd corners. That being
said, this is very handy against formidable enemies in the early game,
especially if they're weak to slash or are slow.
Rating: 8/10
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3.8 Vol Hasta (Vhas)
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Base Attack: 13
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue at E10, Tristis Pass (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Game Description: A powerful lance glyph.
Information: A slightly late, yet still welcome upgrade to Hasta. It doesn't
gain much range over the original glyph though, not that it necessarily needed
it. The high damage and range make it fare better than its Secare and
Confodere counterparts, and it remains useful for a lot of the mid game.
Rating: 7/10
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3.9 Melio Hasta (Mhas)
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Base Attack: 18
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: V27, Barracks, Dracula's Castle (Coordinates from Zeric's map)
Game Description: Superior lance glyph.
Information: This is not a bad glyph by any means, its range and damage still
give it use even within the Castle. The problem is by then it has to compete
with other glyphs that offer advantages over it without sacrificing too much
range or attack power. It's good for some of the castle's enemies, but I would
choose a different glyph for general attacks.
Rating: 6/10
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3.10 Macir (Mac)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 8
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: Strike
How to Gain: Statue in A06, Ruvas Forest(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: A hammer glyph.
Information: This looks a lot like a slower, but more damaging Secare glyph.
It has similar horizontal range and vertical swing, but in addition the tip
gives it a bit more downward reach. What truly makes this stand out though is
its strike attribute. This makes it effective against pesky armored enemies
and skeletons, which are pretty common in the early game, especially in Minera
Prison Island. Just watch out for its range and for enemies resistant to
strike.
Rating: 7/10
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3.11 Vol Macir (Vmac)
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Base Attack: 14
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Strike
How to Gain: Statue at C14, Misty Forest Road(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
map)
Game Description: A powerful hammer glyph.
Information: The Macir upgrade adds a bit of range over the original glyph,
but once again it's the strike attribute that makes it worthwhile. The
vulnerability of many formidable enemies to it makes up for the lack of range
over some elemental glyphs, and its range isn't too shabby either. It's
especially useful for levels like the Skeleton Cave.
Rating: 7/10
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3.12 Melio Macir (Mmac)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 19
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Strike
How to Gain: Dropped by Hammer Shakers.
Game Description: Superior hammer glyph.
Information: Not only is this hard to get, thanks to Hammer Shakers being
formidable, but like its Hasta brother, it competes with a lot of good glyphs
that outclass it in several aspects by this point. The high damage still
makes it effective, and it does gain range over its predecessor, but it's
gimped a bit when compared to its alternatives. It's effective against a
wide range of enemies in the castle though, especially all the armored
ones.
Rating: 6/10
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3.13 Arcus (Arc)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 4
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Skeleton Archers.
Game Description: A bow glyph.
Information: The low base damage and the high MP cost are strikes against this
glyph. It tries to offset this by having high horizontal range(across the
whole screen) and being quickly cast. The problem though is that it's very
inefficient at killing anything, especially those not weak to slash. While the
range may be desirable on difficulties such as Hard mode or Hard Level 1 cap,
where you need to be more cautious than normal, the high MP cost makes this
unsustainable for long even in those cases.
Note that inspite of the fast casting speed, there's a significant delay for
the arrow being launched so you shouldn't rely on it for close range combat,
which would be silly anyway.
Rating: 4/10 (Hard Mode: 5/10, Lvl 1 cap: 5.5/10)
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3.14 Vol Arcus (Varc)
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Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue at I11, Somnus Reef(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: This bow glyph fires diagonally.
Information: I'm sorry, this is not how you upgrade a glyph. It may deal
higher damage, but there are few times where enemies will be positioned in
its path. The problem is not that it fires upwards, rather its path is too
rigid to reliably hit any airborne enemy. This may have a few uses but it's
not worth bothering with.
Rating: 3/10
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3.15 Melio Arcus (Marc)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue at C9, Misty Forest Road(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Note: You need to have Paries to get this.
Game Description: A bow glyph that targets enemies automatically.
Information: Finally the Arcus line tries to have features that are actually
useful, like targeting enemies. This certainly grants a lot more flexibility
in its use. Despite that, it's a case of too little, too late. While the
arrows may target on their own, the delay between attacking and having the
arrow actually fly out still exists. In addition, the targeting is not
completely reliable and can easily miss the faster enemies in the castle.
The low damage is very unacceptable at this point, and it's still very MP
inefficient. Pairing it with Volaticus gives it some decent sniping utility,
but it's still far from being good. Use only if you really need all that
distance.
Rating: 5/10
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3.16 Ascia (Asc)
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Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Axe Knights.
Game Description: An axe glyph.
Information: The high MP cost for a glyph dealing the damage of Secare is
suspicious, but don't be fooled. Ascia is actually a pretty handy and
versatile glyph. It travels in a steep upward arc and falls rapidly, passing
right through walls and floors. This makes it handy for attacking flying
enemies, but aside from that the arc also provides a decent horizontal range.
You can attack quickly with these and there can be upto four of them on the
screen. It also can hit large enemies multiple times.
All of this add to make a rather formidable glyph for the early game,
especially considering how many enemies fly or are placed in odd corners in
this game. Just remember that it's not the best for straightforward attacks.
Employ it in the right situations, and it will certainly shine.
Rating: 8/10
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3.17 Vol Ascia (Vasc)
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Base Attack: 9
MP Cost: 30
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in C19, Somnus Reef. (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
Game Description: A powerful axe glyph.
Information: The upgrade doesn't raise attack by much, however the axes get
bigger and the effective forward range increases, i.e the thrown axes travel
further. It retains all of the advantages of its predecessor too, making it
pretty effective. The range keeps it useful against many dangerous enemies,
and the rate of fire makes up for the low base attack. However, you may
prefer using harder hitting attacks for single, formidable enemies, especially
ones not weak to slash.
Rating: 7/10
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3.18 Melio Ascia (Masc)
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Base Attack: 13
MP Cost: 45
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Great Knights.
Game Description: Superior axe glyph.
Information: Like a lot of glyphs dropped by late game enemies, this is quite
hard to get unless you're lucky. For the effort, you get a buffed up Ascia
that has most of the benefits of its predecessors alongside even more
forward range. Like its Hasta and Macir counterparts, it does face competition
from other good glyphs and the lower attack is noticeable, but its reach gives
it a significant edge.
Rating: 7/10
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3.19 Falcis (Fal)
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Base Attack: 8
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in H29, Minera Prison Island(Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: A sickle glyph.
Information: The slashing cousin of Macir, Falcis shares a lot of its
advantages and quirks, including its slight downward range. It doesn't have
the advantage of Macir's strike attribute, but it does the most damage per hit
from all the original slash damage glyphs. That being said, it doesn't feel as
unique, and Secare has some advantages over it. It's still worth using, just
don't expect anything extraordinary.
Rating: 7/10
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3.20 Vol Falcis (Vfal)
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Base Attack: 14
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Miss Murder.
Game Description: Powerful sickle glyph.
Information: This adds a bit more range and does good damage. However, the
same issues of Falcis apply to it, though its range is useful for horizontal
attacks. It's useful, but not exceptional, and a few glyphs start out
performing it in several situations.
Rating: 6/10
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3.21 Melio Falcis (Mfal)
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Base Attack: 22
MP Cost: 15
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in Z39, Arms Depot, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from
Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Superior sickle glyph.
Information: The damage for the final Falcis glyph is pretty high, and the
range isn't shabby either. However, much like the Macir and Hasta equivalent,
it competes with a lot of good glyphs that outdo it in several aspects.
It's useful, but doesn't really have much to have a distinct advantage over
other glyphs. Try it out on some of the castle's enemies, especially if you
can surprise them and get an extra hit or two in.
Rating: 6/10
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3.22 Culter (Cul)
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Base Attack: 1
MP Cost: 8
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in E07, Monastery(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: A knife glyph.
Information: For the most part, it's like Arcus but without the firing delay
and with lower damage. Inspite of the higher speed, it has trouble killing any
thing efficiently. I wouldn't bother with it.
Rating: 3/10
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3.23 Vol Culter (Vcul)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 1
MP Cost: 16
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Dropped by Red Smashers.
Game Description: A double knife glyph.
Information: Same as Culter, but with two knives. Not worth it, especially in
the castle.
Rating: 3/10
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3.24 Melio Culter (Mcul)
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Base Attack: 1
MP Cost: 24
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in Z42, Arms Depot, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from
Zeric's maps)
Game Description: A triple knife glyph.
Information: Same as Culter, with three knives. It's still pretty bad.
Rating: 3/10
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3.25 Scutum (Scu)
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Base Attack: -
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: -
Base Stats: +31 CON, +20 MND
How to Gain: Statue in G09, Kalidus Channel(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: A shield glyph.
Information: Rather than attack, this glyph deflects projectiles and boosts
your defense. However, there's not many situations where it's practical. It
only blocks projectiles from above, which are pretty rare. The defense boost
doesn't do much either, it merely shaves a few points of damage. Equipping it
in both slots does give more significant reduction, but leaves you without any
means of attacking. Not to mention that on Hard or Level 1 cap difficulties,
the boosts don't matter as much given how much more damage enemies deal. It
has potential for boss fights, but I wouldn't bother much beyond that.
Keep in mind that the boost rises based off your current CON and MND, and
approximately every 4 points of either stat raises its related stat boost by
1.
Rating: 3/10 (Hard Mode: 2.5/10, Level 1 Cap: 2/10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.26 Vol Scutum (Vscu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: -
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: -
Base Stats: +46 CON, +30 MND
How to Gain: Dropped by Lizardmen.
Game Description: A powerful shield glyph.
Information: It shares a lot of characteristics of the original Scutum, but it
has one important difference; it blocks projectiles from the front. This makes
it more useful, since many projectiles are launched at the same horizontal
level as the player and attacks aren't too reliable at stopping them. The stat
boosts are more notable, though not by much. The boosts still don't make a
big difference for higher difficulties, but it's useful for some enemies and
boss fights, especially since you don't have the firepower to quickly kill
them there.
Do note that this doesn't cover all of your front, so be careful while using
it.
Rating: 5/10 (Hard Mode: 5.5/10, Level 1 Cap: 5.5/10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.27 Melio Scutum (Mscu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: -
MP Cost: 5
Attribute: -
Base Stats: +61 CON, +40 MND
How to Gain: Statue in Z46, Arms Depot, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from
Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Superior shield glyph.
Information: This glyph protects all of the front, making it much more
reliable than its predecessors. The damage reduction is pretty significant too,
though less so in Hard and Level 1 cap difficulties. In the castle, there
aren't many projectile based enemies, making this a bit too situational. Still,
it has its uses in boss fights.
Rating: 5/10 (Hard Mode: 4/10 Level 1 Cap: 3.5/10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.28 Redire (Red)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 3
MP Cost: 10
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Statue in F8, Training Hall(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: A glyph to magnetize blades for additional effect.
Information: The description is actually incorrect, what this glyph does is
throw blades with a magnetized center which you can attach to using Magnes.
The base damage is low and while the blades travel fast and cover a lot of
area, it's not very effective for late game enemies. They do rebound, covering
area behind Shanoa which is handy for crowd control.
While the gimmick with Magnes is enjoyable and speeds up travel significantly
in the right rooms, there's not many practical uses for it, especially given
its arc and how you can easily run into enemies while riding it. Atleast it's
an enjoyable novelty, if not much more.
Note: This glyph can't be used for glyph unions.
Rating: 4/10
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3.29 Cubus (Cub)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 4
MP Cost: 20
Attribute: Stone
How to Gain: Puzzle in E01, Monastery(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: A glyph that creates stones.
Information: The low attack and MP cost paint a rather bad image for it. The
stones created don't have much range either, and fall to the ground. Enemies
are hurt when they come in contact. What makes this worthwhile is the stone
attribute that petrifies most humanoid enemies in place. This is not that big
a deal in a normal game, as you can often dispatch them easily. On Hard and
Level 1 cap however, this gains a lot of importance, considering how much less
damage you'll be dealing out and how easily they can cut you down. This
remains useful for most of the game, even in Dracula's castle. Just remember
to pull it out for the right situations, and combine it with
another glyph.
Note: This glyph can't be used for glyph unions.
Rating: 4/10 (Hard Mode: 5/10, Level 1 Cap: 6/10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.30 Torpor (Tor)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 8
MP Cost: 20
Attribute: Ice
How to Gain: Wygol Village, first visit.
Game Description: A glyph that incapacitates opponents.
Information: Basically Cubus' little cousin. It falls onto the ground and
forms a small crystal area that hurts enemies. Inspite of the Ice attribute,
it actually freezes most enemies weak to petrification, so its almost like
hitting a weakness without having the attribute. It also freezes some humanoid
enemies not specifically weak to petrification, like Mermen.
This has higher base attack and is available earlier than Cubus, but in
practice Cubus comes out faster since you can have four stones out at once,
and can hit enemies not on the ground. Just like Cubus, it's more useful on
Hard and Level 1 cap, and remains effective even in Dracula's castle.
Note: This glyph can't be used for glyph unions.
Rating: 4/10 (Hard Mode: 5/10, Level 1 Cap: 6/10)
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3.31 Lapiste (Lap)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 13
MP Cost: 20
Attribute: Strike
How to Gain: Puzzle in AA10, Underground Labyrinth, Dracula's Castle(
Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Pulverize enemies with giant fists of stone.
Information: This combines the striking abilities of the Macir line with the
speed of the Confoderes(sorta). It has decent range, about as much as Melio
Macir, but it really eats up on MP. If you have quick reflexes though, nothing
armored or skeletal will stand up to it. The damage per second is just
ridiculous on enemies weak to strike, and it can effectively outdamage any
other effective glyphs for them. Pretty useful in the right hands.
Note: This doesn't count as a melee weapon for glyph unions, rather it has
unique unions with itself and other weapons.
Rating: 7/10
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3.32 Pneuma (Pne)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 11
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Slash
How to Gain: Puzzle in G20, Tymeo Mountains(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Note: Getting this glyph requires double jump.
Game Description: This glyph creates squalls to sweep enemies away.
Information: This glyph is awkward to use, it creates a small squall that
travels a short distance along the ground before stopping. Equipping it in
both slots and pressing them at once creates a larger squall with more ground
coverage, but also consumes double the MP. You can also throw them from mid
air for more range, though they travel quickly downward at a sharp arc.
The real problem with this is that it eats up a lot of MP for a slashing
attack that's a little hard to use effectively. It certainly has advantages
over slashing glyphs like the Secares and Confoderes, especially if boosted
with the right equipment, but its efficiency is doubtful given its mediocre
damage and weird area coverage. Give it a try if you're being swarmed by lots
of weak ground enemies, but don't rely too much on it.
Note: This doesn't count as a melee weapon for glyph unions, it has unique
unions with physical glyphs.
Rating: 6/10
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3.33 Ignis (Ign)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Flame
How to Gain: Cast by Flame Demons.
Game Description: Call forth burning flames.
Information: Don't be fooled by the low attack and MP cost, this is actually a
very effective glyph in many situations. It quickly fires three fireballs that
cover a decent horizontal *and* vertical range. The flame attribute is
effective against many enemies not particularly magic resistant, which only
makes it even more useful. While good for a number of situations, this is
especially effective at close range, where you can hit enemies with all three
shots in rapid succession. Its only drawback is the high MP cost and the poor
damage against magic resistant enemies, but those are hardly big problems all
things considered.
Do keep in mind that this glyph has a minimum range, since the fireballs spawn
a bit away from Shanoa's hands. This usually doesn't come into play, but can
be a nasty surprise if you get too close to an enemy and miss, leaving
yourself briefly open to attacks.
Rating: 8/10
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3.34 Vol Ignis (Vign)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 5
MP Cost: 40
Attribute: Flame
How to Gain: Puzzle in AA10, Underground Labyrinth, Dracula's Castle(
Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Create pillars of fire.
Information: This creates long fire pillars that aren't very wide and don't
do much damage. It has problem hitting anything not on the ground, and even
there Ignis usually does the job better. While they can hit multiple times and
last for a decent duration, they're just not very practical. It can help with
some boss fights and be used as a temporary, if unreliable projectile wall,
but I'd find something more helpful.
Rating: 4/10
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3.35 Grando (Gra)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Ice
How to Gain: Cast by Sea Demons.
Game Description: Call forth freezing ice.
Information: A pretty straightforward glyph, this sends an icicle forward at
a decent speed. The icicle breaks upon hitting any obstacle, be it a
projectile, enemy or even just a candle. While it's not particularly bad, it
doesn't have anything too worthwhile going for it, and the ice attribute often
works against it given how many formidable enemies resist it.Use it for
shooting down some non resistant enemies at range, but don't make it your
damage workhorse.
Note that this glyph has a quirk: if launched at close range, the glyph will
form and break at the enemy, effectively hitting it twice. Very handy for
raising its damage output.
Rating: 6/10
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3.36 Vol Grando (Vgra)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 21
MP Cost: 40
Attribute: Ice
How to Gain: Puzzle in L21, Tristis Pass(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: Create pillars of ice.
Information: Now that's some solid damage! This glyph creates a huge crystal
on the ground that damages enemies. What makes this work, unlike Vol Ignis, is
the range covered and effective damage. Its firing rate is a bit too slow,
it only works for enemies on or near the ground, and the ice attribute often
works against it, but this is still a decent addition to your glyph stash.
Rating: 7/10
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3.37 Fulgur (Ful)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 3
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Lightning
How to Gain: Cast by Thunder Demons.
Game Description: Summon a ball of lightning.
Information: The balls created move rather slowly and dissipate pretty fast.
While they can hit enemies multiple times, the low base damage means that you
won't really be effectively killing anything besides slow, large enemies or
enemies with low HP. While it technically does bonus damage against armored
or sea based enemies, both can be targeted with better glyphs. A mediocre
glyph overall, use only if you lack a good ranged answer to the enemies
vulnerable to it and don't want to risk melee fights.
Rating: 5/10
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3.38 Vol Fulgur (Vful)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 1
MP Cost: 40
Attribute: Lightning
How to Gain: Puzzle in H25, Minera Prison Island (Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: Call forth shocking electricity.
Information: It's certainly shocking...in a bad way. While it does have near
infinite range, homes in on enemies and can hit multiple times, the low base
damage and exorbitant MP cost undoes the virtues of those abilities. I would
use it only for rooms infested with low HP sea creatures, for occasional
sniping, and/or possibly for Rusalka; after that I would promptly retire it.
Rating: 2/10
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3.39 Luminatio (Lum)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Light
How to Gain: Rotating light in A04, Lighthouse(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Call forth a ball of light.
Information: It's actually two balls of light. This glyph summons two balls
that travel outwards and rotate around the initial casting point twice before
vanishing. The light element helps with several formidable enemies, and the
movement can make it hit larger enemies multiple times or clear out nearby
swarms of weak enemies. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the speed or the damage
potential of Ignis, since the balls travel a bit slowly and can't be cast as
fast. This makes it lose its worth in the late game, even with its range and
area coverage.
Rating: 6/10
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3.40 Vol Luminatio (Vlum)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 16
MP Cost: 40
Attribute: Light
How to Gain: Cast by White Fomors.
Game Description: Call a ball of light that tracks enemies.
Information: The homing is nice, as is the near infinite range. However, the
ball travels rather slowly, and the cast time is pretty slow too. The light
attribute helps it defeat some formidable enemies, but it's a really
situational glyph all things considered. Good for sniping enemies and for some
boss fights, but there are better glyphs for your general use.
Rating: 6/10
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3.41 Umbra (Umb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 10
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Darkness
How to Gain: Cast by Black Fomors.
Game Description: Command the malice of the dead.
Information: This sounds way more interesting than it actually is. It summons
a dark colored thread that slowly moves forward, than tries to home in and
circle the nearest enemy. More often than not, it only gets in 1
or 2 hits, even if it does successfully target an enemy. For the most part, it
completely misses enemies after the first hit, or simply can't keep up with
them. The homing aspect does grant it utility against some flying enemies, and
the weird targeting behavior can be exploited to destroy some projectiles, but
I prefer something more reliable. Not to mention the darkness attribute tends
to work against it.
Rating: 4/10
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3.42 Vol Umbra (Vumb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 18
MP Cost: 40
Attribute: Darkness
How to Gain: Puzzle in D2, Mystery Manor(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: Command the powers of darkness.
Information: It deals decent damage and travels a good distance forward,
however what truly gives this glyph value is the duration it stays on the
screen. While the darkness attribute works against it, it's pretty effective
for enemies who don't resist it or are'nt particularly magic resistant. It can
often hit enemies thrice, and given its long duration you can lure enemies
to run into multiple orbs at once. Good in several situations, though you
can use something else for longer range or hitting swarms of enemies.
Rating: 6/10
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3.43 Morbus (Mor)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 11
MP Cost: 25
Attribute: Curse
How to Gain: Puzzle in T45, Mechanical Tower, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates
from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Command a forbidden curse.
Information: In reality, this only lets you fire a weird red ball that travels
upward in an arc. It's unlikely to hit anything except targets right in
front, or the occasional enemy above. Most flying enemies will be very agile
to be caught by this. The lack of any "normal" attributes also means it won't
gain as much damage from raising stats as other glyphs, and given its mediocre
initial damage this is a big issue. What saves it somewhat is its curse
attribute that slows down most humanoid enemies; yet Acerbatus does it too,
and better. Use only if you missed getting that, and you really shouldn't.
Note: This counts as a darkness glyph for glyph unions.
Rating: 3/10
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3.44 Nitesco (Nit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 20
Attribute: Flame, Light
How to Gain: Cast by Nova Skeletons.
Game Description: Concentrate magic energy into a destructive beam.
Information: Easily one of the best glyphs in the game. It covers decent
forward range, hits multiple times, lasts for a while, and hits two
attributes. Flame and light are both attributes many enemies are weak to, so
this glyph is pretty versatile and effective in a lot of situations. The only
drawbacks are that it's a little awkward to use against flying enemies and
it's not as efficient on magic resistant or fast enemies not particularly weak
to either attribute. These are minor nitpicks however, this glyph is very
reliable and easily stumps most of your arsenal.
Note: This doesn't count as either a light or a flame glyph for glyph unions.
It has some unique unions.
Rating: 9/10
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3.45 Acerbatus (Ace)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 17
MP Cost: 44
Attributes: Lightning, Darkness, Curse
How to Gain: Cast by Albus.
Warning: If you don't absorb this during the boss fight, you'll never be able
to get it. This is the only glyph you can permanently miss in the game.
Game Description: Calls forth the power of spite.
Information: Will you look at that: finally a good Lightning glyph! Acerbatus
covers a huge area with its sphere, and travels forward pretty fast. The two
"main" attributes means that it's effective against a wide range of enemies,
much like Nitesco. The Curse attribute is a neat addition, especially on
Hard and Level 1 cap where you don't want to risk getting hit much. The only
drawbacks are its slow cast time and high MP cost; but for the sheer power
you'll be wielding this is more than a fair trade.
Note: This counts as a darkness glyph for glyph unions.
Rating: 7/10
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3.46 Globus (Glo)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 6
MP Cost: 50
Attributes: Strike
How to Gain: Cast by Barlowe and Demon Lords.
Game Description: Unleash an energy sphere.
Information: This summons two balls that travel forward fast and bounce around
the room's boundaries for a while before vanishing. They have a long duration,
and the bouncing makes it great for clearing out small rooms. However, this
can only be fired twice from each slot before you need to wait, and the low
damage makes it not as good for longer rooms. The high MP cost also becomes a
problem for sustaining a constant attack rate. It's a good glyph, but it's a
little situational and outclassed by a few other striking glyphs in some areas
.
Do note that if you're too close to a wall or other solid room geometry while
casting this, the balls will not be formed even though you'll use MP. Atleast
it doesn't delay you from casting normally immediately afterwards, provided
you have the MP.
Note: This counts as a darkness glyph for glyph unions.
Rating: 6.5/10
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3.47 Dextro Custos (Dex)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 14
MP Cost: 16
Attributes: Slash
How to Gain: Q21, Library, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Game Description: Attack with the right head of Cerberus, guardian of Hell.
Information: It fires a dog head that travels a short distance, slightly more
than the melee glyphs, and hurts enemies. It's like a slower Melio
Confodere; it does more damage and covers more range but has a noticeable
casting delay. While it's a passable melee weapon, it just doesn't have much
utility. Lots of glyphs outdo it in several areas, and there are other
effective glyphs for slashing. This is really only meant for a plot point
which you solve to progress further into the castle.
Note: This counts as a darkness glyph for glyph unions.
Rating: 5/10
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3.48 Sinestro Custos (Sin)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 14
MP Cost: 16
Attributes: Slash
How to Gain: F45, Mechanical Tower, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from Zeric's
maps)
Game Description: Attack with the left hand of Cerberus, guardian of Hell.
Information: See Dextro Custos. Basically the same only with white dog heads.
Note: This counts as a darkness glyph for glyph unions.
Rating: 5/10
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3.49 Dominus Hatred (Domh)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 53
MP Cost: 66
Attributes: Darkness
How to Gain: Gifted at K21, Minera Prison Island(Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' maps)
Game Description: One piece of Dominus; summons a pillar of light.
Information: This summons a green pillar that makes three pillars fall on both
sides. The damage is good and it covers a lot of area, but it lacks a little
straightforward distance, which is important. Of course, the real kicker with
this glyph is that it consumes HP per cast, at a rate of 1/10th the current
HP. This severely limits its actual use, though on Hard mode and Level 1 cap
the high damage can be helpful, especially given how weak most of your normal
attacks are. Like the Custos glyphs, these are plot related stuff.
Note: This does not act as a darkness glyph for unions, and it has one unique
union.
Rating: 5/10 (Hard Mode: 6/10, Level 1 cap: 6.5/10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.50 Dominus Anger (Doma)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Attack: 53
MP Cost: 66
Attribute: Darkness
How to Gain: Gifted at B18, Giant's Dwelling(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Game Description: One piece of Dominus, unleashes a cluster of energy.
Information: This summons a medium sized fireball that travels forward a bit
slowly. It passes through multiple enemies and level geometry, meaning you can
get many targets with it in the right situations. It's certainly the more
useful of the two Dominus glyphs, though it has all of the other quirks and
drawbacks.
Note: This does not act as a darkness glyph for unions, and it has one unique
union.
Rating: 6/10 (Hard Mode: 6.5/10, Level 1 cap: 6.5/10)
==============================================================================
4. RED GLYPHS (R)
==============================================================================
Red glyphs support Shanoa indirectly in several ways. Some let her get to
new places; others raise stats while some others have weird effects. Most of
them don't depend on Shanoa's stats and remain consistent in their
effectiveness, with a few exceptions like familiars.
Glyphs here are activated by pressing R, with one exception. Mana regenerates
a short while after activating them, with one exception. They generally remain
active until R is pressed again, some other actions deactivate them too like
leaving an area or using a save point or teleporter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1 Magnes (Mag)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Create an attractive magnetic field.
MP Cost: 5
How to Gain: G05, Monastery(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Information: The funny part is the game lists stats and an attribute for it,
as if it were a blue glyph or could attack. Anyhow, there's not much to say
about this, it's a glyph you need to platform around all the areas with the
yellow round magnets. Holding down the R button generates an aura that lets
Shanoa cling to these, and releasing it flings her at the desired arc and
speed. Pressing the directional buttons determines the strength and direction
she's flung with. Be warned that getting hit deactivates this, which can be
very dangerous in rooms with spikes or traps.
This can be combined with Redire, but there's not many practical uses to it.
Rating: -
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4.2 Paries (Par)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Pass through walls in specific locations.
MP Cost: 5
How to Gain: Cast by Wallman.
Information: Pretty much what the description says. The "specific locations"
here refers to the green lit walls. Simply activate it, find one of them,
press against it, and travel around. To get out, find another green lit wall,
position yourself against it, and press yourself again. Obviously has no
utility in combat, unless you think hiding in walls is a smart tactical
maneuver or something.
Rating: -
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4.3 Volaticus (Vol)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Conjures a pair of wings, allowing the power of flight.
MP Cost: 20
How to Gain: F26, Final Approach, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from Zeric's
maps)
Information: Self explanatory. Shanoa flies around at a faster speed than
running. Flying also raises your mobility significantly. However, while flying
Shanoa can't crouch or absorb glyphs, though she can keep attacking. The only
problem with this glyph is that it's found very late in the game, and by that
time there's not too many places you could use it on. It does help a lot with
the Large Cavern though, and potentially in the final boss fight.
Keep in mind that getting hit will deactivate this, which can be dangerous if
there are tough enemies or traps below.
Rating: 8/10
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4.4 Rapidus Fio (Rfi)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A glyph of divine motion that enables faster movement.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: AH41, Underground Labyrinth, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates from
Zeric's maps)
Information: This lets you move a lot faster, as expected, and generates a
shockwave that slashes. This doesn't do a lot of damage, but it lets you tear
through weak enemies and destroy some projectiles. If you can't kill an enemy
with it, you will be abruptly stopped and take damage, which makes you
vulnerable for a few moments. Of course, it's true worth comes from its
speed, which lets you skip past rooms and dodge attacks. Just be careful not
to run into nasty stuff with it.
Rating: 7/10
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4.5 Vis Fio (Vfi)
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Game Description: Temporarily increase STR and the effects of physical glyphs.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue in Q48, Mechanical Tower, Dracula's Castle(Coordinates
from Zeric's maps)
Information: Pretty handy. The damage boost might not seem like much, but
remember that even a few extra points of damage add up quickly with fast
attacks, especially since it stacks with attribute weaknesses too. This is
even more important for melee weapon glyphs since they generally rely on
quickly killing at close range, and while their base damage tends to be higher
than elemental glyphs, raising damage through equipment is more limited. Too
bad this isn't as powerful as its equivalent spell in Portrait of Ruin
though..
Note that the boost scales with your current STR. It has an initial boost of
+5, raising by 1 point per 8 points of STR.
Rating: 8/10
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4.6 Fortis Fio (Ffi)
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Game Description: Temporarily increases CON and physical resistance.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue in E09, Kalidus Channel(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Information: My main problem with this is that it never really seems to reduce
damage much, only shaving off a few points per hit. While getting good armor
takes a bit more effort compared to a few other metroidvanias, it's still not
so hard to find that you would feel a need for this. Not to mention, it does
little to save you on Hard mode and particularly Level 1 cap, given how much
enemies hurt you. It does help, but there are better choices.
Note that the boost scales with your current CON. It gives an initial boost of
+5, and raises by 1 for every 8 points of CON.
Rating: 5/10 (Hard Mode: 4/10, Level 1 cap: 3.5/10)
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4.7 Sapiens Fio (Sfi)
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Game Description: Temporarily increases INT and the effects of magical glyphs.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue in B14, Oblivion Ridge(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Information: The Vis Fio of elemental glyphs. The damage boost is effective,
though not as high as for melee weapon glyphs given their generally higher
base damage. Once again, it pales in comparison to its Portrait of Ruin
counterpart, but it's a good glyph nevertheless.
Note that the boost scales with your current INT. The initial boost is +5, and
raises by 1 for every 8 points of INT.
Rating: 7.5/10
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4.8 Fides Fio (Fifi)
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Game Description: Temporarily increases MIND and magic resistance.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue in H5, Tymeo Mountains(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
maps)
Information: Magic attacks, while damaging, are not as common as physical
attacks. They're usually projectiles, so can either be blocked by the Scutum
line, dodged, or destroyed using your own attacks. If you're really
being bothered by magical damage, you can just equip the appropriate pins.
There's not as many ways to raise MND as there is for DEF, but it's a bit
situational anyway. Like Fortis Fio, this helps, but there are far better
choices for support. And as expected, it does little for Hard mode or
Level 1 caps.
Note that the boost scales with your current MND. It gives an initial +5 raise
and goes up by 1 for every 8 points of MND.
Rating: 4.5/10 (Hard mode: 3.5/10, Level 1 cap: 3/10)
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4.9 Felicem Fio (Fefi)
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Game Description: Grants the user a temporary boost of LUCK.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue in AI36, Underground Labyrinth ,Dracula's Castle. This is
in a hidden room.(Coordinates from Zeric's maps)
Information: I'm not sold on this. The luck boost seems very minimal, and
didn't really help much with getting drops or rare chests.
Besides, since this scales with your base stat, much like all the other stat
boosts, you need to equip your LCK boosting gear to get any noticeable value
out of it, kind of defeating its purpose. Even if you do all that, it
doesn't really alter drop rates by that much. If you feel like this helps,
go ahead.. but don't expect a dramatic improvement.
Once again, Portrait of Ruin had a *much* stronger version of this glyph that
actually had observable impacts on item hunting.
Note that the boost scales with your current LCK, as mentioned. It gives an
initial boost of +5, and raises by 1 for every 8 points of LCK.
Rating: 4/10
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4.10 Inire Pecunia (Inp)
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Game Description: Temporarily increase the amount of money received from
enemies.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue at D5, Tristis Pass(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
Information: This is pretty good at what it does: every single coin gets
converted into a 100G coin. This adds up very fast and is good for gold
farming. Contrary to what the description says, this applies for all coins,
not just ones dropped by enemies. Given that in this game money is harder to
come by compared to some metroidvanias, this does have more value here.
However, all said and done, you usually won't be truly scarce for money if you
take the time to explore and diligently collect all the money you can from
candles, money bags and more. Selling off redundant items from chests and
enemies helps too, especially since most of them are only used in side quests.
There's not much to buy from the shop either this time around; most purchases
are likely to be healing consumables. It can't hurt if you want some quick
gold; just equip it, do your farming, and take it off.
Rating: 6/10
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4.11 Arma Felix (Arf)
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Game Description: Grants cat-like abilities
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Black Panthers.
Information: This tranforms Shanoa into a Black Panther, and grants her two
attacks, a swift forward slash and a quick flurry of cuts. The first attack
quickly moves her forward and restores HP by 1 for every hit, the second hits
less hard but strikes multiple times. Both deal slash damage and cost MP.
The first attack is generally more useful, especially since Shanoa is
invincible while pulling it off. It can be spammed by repeated tapping, though
be warned that it will eat up MP and it doesn't let you skip past enemies
since you're bounced back after each attack. The second is a bit like a Melio
Confodere with more range and vertical area coverage. It's good and deals
decent slashing damage, but is a bit weak in comparison to other glyphs
available at this point.
The big drawback with this is that general movement is slower than normal
speed, which makes some attacks harder to dodge. Attacking needs getting up
close to enemies, which may not be something you want. You can't slide or jump
kick, but your forward slash works as a slide of sorts and jump kicks aren't
too useful in this game anyway. Furthermore, you can't quickly change
equipment or use items while transformed, so be careful. Being
under any status effect also pulls you out of the transformation abruptly, and
it doesn't work underwater.
A neat little quirk to this is that it makes Ladycats and Black Panthers
fight for you. While they're not very reliable at killing enemies where
encountered, they can defend reasonably well and you avoid having to fight
them, thus simplifying several encounters. The opportunities to use this
aspect don't come very often though.
As a bonus, you can talk to cats in Wygol Village while transformed. They
usually tend to drop hints about various secrets, alongside more casual chat.
Rating: 6.5/10
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4.12 Arma Chiroptera (Arc)
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Game Description: Grants bat-like abilities.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Werebats
Information: This turns Shanoa into a Werebat and grants her two attacks: a
quick leg kick that heals 1 HP with each hit and can hit multiple times and a
bat summon which can call upto five bats on the screen. Both deal slashing
damage.
The leg kick, while useful due to its multi hit ability, suffers from its low
range. The bat summon does have long range but the bats travel a little slowly
and their sine pattern makes it somewhat hard to predict whether they'll hit
their target.
While this transformation makes Shanoa move faster, ironically it also lacks a
lot of mobility in other ways. In addition to lacking a jump kick,
Shanoa can't crouch or slide, and both moves are necessary for dodging many
enemies, especially fast ones. This transform also has the same issues of not
being able to access menus or change equipment, being pulled out upon being
hit by a status effect, and not working underwater. There's no quirks like
having some enemies support you or being able to talk to some animals either,
unlike Arma Felix. All in all, a really drab transformation that has little
utility. It's worth playing with, but don't expect anything great.
Rating: 5.5/10
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4.13 Arma Machina (Arm)
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Game Description: Grants every ability of an automaton.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Automaton ZX27s
Information: Apparently the abilities of an automaton are "moving really
slowly" and "not being able to defend yourself", because that's what
transforming with this does. There are some benefits to this of course.
Shanoa takes damage to MP instead of HP while as a robot if it's of the slash
or strike variety. However, MP regeneration is disabled in robot form, so
it's not as useful as it sounds. Running out of MP switches Shanoa back to
normal. Being a robot also charms other robots (not Tin Men though) and makes
them actively attack other enemies or move around trying to defend you.
Unfortunately, robots are very slow and they won't really help much in most
situations.
The most useful ability is being able to break spikes, both stationary and
moving. Thankfully, neither cost MP. This can come quite handy in some
platforming sections, though these are rare and mostly limited to some
levels, like the Mechanical Tower.
As a robot, Shanoa can't crouch, jump kick or slide, not that she needs to
since the robot form is pretty small. Jumping works but is very slow and
covers little height or width. For some reason, backdashing is at normal
speed, so use that if you're traversing large rooms with this transform
active.
Lastly, this has many of the problems of other transformations, like not being
able to change equipment and access the menu, not working underwater, and
being abruptly pulled out by status effects. Overall, a rather weak transform
only suitable for some platforming sections and for getting a secret.
Rating: 4/10
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4.14 Refectio (Ref)
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Game Description: Increases the rate of physical regeneration.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Statue at K16, Library, Dracula's Castle. This is in a hidden
area.(Coordinates from Zeric's map)
Information: This actually heals Shanoa at a rate of 1 HP per second. Free
healing is nothing to complain about, and this can be boosted further by
wearing Emperor rings. Even better, this remains active while you're moving
around and attacking, so if you're good enough you can heal a significant
amount of health on the fly.
Problem is, at its base rate it's a little too slow to heal, requiring a lot
of time before you regain enough from large losses. Getting hit at any time
will also deactivate this, making it cumbersome to manage. It doesn't offer
any advantage in active combat either, so keep that in mind.
However, with even one Emperor ring its effectiveness raises dramatically, and
two make it heal at a great rate. This is especially handy for Hard mode or
Level 1 cap, where you can take a heavy beating and run out of healing items
after a fight. Refectio is a little situational, but if used well it really
goes a long way towards keeping Shanoa alive.
Rating: 6/10 (with one Emperor ring: 7/10, with two rings: 7.5/10)
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4.15 Arma Custos (Arcu)
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Game Description: Grants the mighty power of Cerberus
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: AC45, Arms Depot, Dracula's Castle.(Coordinates from Zeric's
map)
Information: This raises your STR as your HP goes lower. This glyph is
quite powerful, and you get large boosts even for proportionally small HP
losses. While I don't have the exact ranges for the damage boost noted, at 39
out of 709 HP I was getting +50 to STR. While still less than Dominus Agony's
boosts, this is more reliable and can be kept on longer. In a Castlevania
game, most players will inevitably take damage while fighting, so this ability
comes quite handy no matter the playstyle(Unless you're all about elemental
attacks).
The only issue is you need to not heal up, which can make Shanoa pretty
vulnerable. This becomes a big problem on Hard and Level 1 cap where you can't
take too many hits before dying. Saving anywhere immediately negates most of
its bonus. But these are small problems; the immense power boost only does a
lot of good when you do get it.
Rating: 8/10
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4.16 Familiars (Famil)
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Before proceeding further, I need to explain a bit about familiars.
Some red glyphs summon familiars, monsters that fight alongside Shanoa. They
can level up, and have different effects and higher effectiveness per level.
There are two ways of leveling them up: absorbing their respective glyph
multiple times, or letting them kill enemies. Absorbing glyphs is recommended
since most familiars aren't that good at killing anything, and it takes a lot
of kills for them to level up in comparison.
Familiars can gain two levels, one at 15 glyph absorptions and the other at
30. Their effectiveness is based both on their levels and on the current
STR/INT stat, depending on the attribute of their attacks. Keep in mind that
they only check for the stats at the time of summoning, so removing any
stat raising gear after summoning them will not lower their effectiveness.
This can be handily combined with the Death ring to make them actually kill
enemies reliably.
I'm not a fan of the familiars myself, so I may be a bit biased against them.
Even so, I do recognize that they can be useful, especially for blocking
projectiles or causing status effects to enemies. I'll try to cover their
strengths and flaws with an open mind, and I'm open to more suggestions for
their uses.
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4.17 Fidelis Caries (Fica)
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Game Description: Summon zombies that fight to the death.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Cast by Necromancers.
Attack Attribute: Strike
Information: At first, this seems pretty worthless. It summons upto three
zombies that move too slowly, and they don't hit anything for much, even if
you bother leveling them up. However, they are a good projectile shield, since
they're about the same length as Shanoa and tend to stay close when there
aren't any enemies nearby. This is not of much use in the normal game, but on
Hard and Level 1 cap it helps out quite a bit on a few levels, especially
since you won't really have good red glyphs for a long while there. It's not a
particularly impressive glyph, but where it works it really works. Just don't
hope to kill anything with this.
Rating: 4/10 (Hard mode: 5.5/10, Level 1 cap: 6/10)
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4.18 Fidelis Alate (Fial)
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Game Description: Summon guardians to glide down from above.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by red Winged Skeletons.
Attack Attribute: Slash
Information: Don't bother. This summons upto three winged skeletons to attack
depending on the familiar level. They are too slow to attack anything and they
don't hurt for much. This is effectively a worse version of Fidelis Noctua,
with the only possible advantage being the summoned skeletons cover more area
than owls. But since that's available a lot earlier than this glyph, I can't
recommend this at all.
Rating: 3/10
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4.19 Fidelis Polkir (Fipo)
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Game Description: Summon Polkir to descend on your enemies.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Polkirs.(duh!)
Attack Attribute: Flame
Information: This is just a weird familiar. It does indeed have the most
damage potential and an attack covering a lot of area, but the problem is
it's hard to actually make it attack. More often than not it'll just fly
around doing nothing. Sometimes it will even dumbly fire right inside a wall,
wasting time and its attack. Higher levels allegedly make it fire more
frequently but even then it just doesn't attack reliably enough to be worth
it. Choose something that actually works instead.
Note that this familiar will not damage anything by touching enemies, unlike
others.
Rating: 4/10
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4.20 Fidelis Noctua (Fino)
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Game Description: Summon owls to soundlessly descend.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Owls.
Attack Attribute: Slash
Information: Surprisingly not bad. This summons upto three owls based on their
familiar level. The owls don't do much damage, but they follow Shanoa pretty
well and attack quickly, meaning that their hits quickly add up and can
complement your main attacks pretty well under the right situations. And when
you're idle with no enemies around for a while, they have a neat little
animation where they perch on Shanoa's shoulders. I still think the familiars
could use a bit of work, but you can't go too wrong with this, especially if
you put the effort of leveling it.
Rating: 6.5/10
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4.21 Fidelis Medusa (Fime)
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Game Description: Summon Medusa Heads in a strangely familiar pattern.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Gorgon Heads.
Attack Attribute: Stone
Information: This glyph summons upto six Gorgon Heads around Shanoa depending
on the familiar level. They hover around and attack enemies that come close.
The damage is pretty low, however their petrifying effect is very useful and
they're good for killing off swarms of weak enemies, like bats. It's not too
hard to level this up either since Gorgon Heads always leave behind their
glyph on death. This comes highly recommended, especially for rooms with many
humanoid enemies.
Rating: 6.5/10
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4.22 Fidelis Aranea (Fiar)
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Game Description: Summon skull spiders to skitter about when needed.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Dropped by Skull Spiders.
Attack Attribute: Slash, Poison
Information: This summons a single skull spider that walks around the ground,
walls and ceiling. It attempts to run into enemies and skitter around them,
scoring multiple hits. The poison effect, while nice, sadly doesn't come to
play as often as cursing or petrification. However, the multiple hit attacks,
the speed and the ability to get into odd places make this worthwhile. Just
remember to level this up, as it's too slow at level 1 and a single level up
drastically raises its speed.
Rating: 6.5/10
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4.23 Fidelis Mortus (Fimo)
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Game Description: Summon a lively assortment of the dead.
MP Cost: 80
How to Gain: Cast by Jiang Shi.
Attack Attribute: Strike, Curse
Information: This summons upto 3 minature Jiang Shis that hop about and jump
into enemies. They actually do good damage for a familiar, and since they
tend to hop around the enemy they can score multiple hits on larger enemies.
They can also hop high into the air and attempt to target flying enemies. The
curse attribute also helps a lot against most humanoid enemies. The downside
is that this glyph is got very late into the game, and there's not much to
use it on at that point. Still, it's worth fiddling around with, and very
enjoyable to use.
Rating: 7/10
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4.24 Dominus Agony (Doag)
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Game Description: One piece of Dominus; shrouds you in Dracula's magic.
MP Cost: 66
How to Gain: D10, Mystery Manor.(Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
Information: This glyph boosts all stats except for ATK, DEF and LCK by 66.
It comes at a huge cost; 66 HP per second. This naturally limits how much it
can be used, and reduces its time periods on Hard mode and Level 1 cap. The
boosts are great but the health cost makes it a high risk, high reward
proposition. This comes very handy when combined with powerful attacks and
glyph unions. It can also defeat bosses very fast when combined with other
items. Even on Level 1 hard, Dracula can't stand up to several fully powered
Nitesco slashes.
Rating: 6/10
==============================================================================
5. GLYPH UNIONS (U)
==============================================================================
Two, and occasionally three glyphs, can combine for a powerful attack, also
called a glyph union. These attacks are determined by the kind of glyphs
equipped in the Y and X slots. The order of the glyphs placed in the slots
doesn't matter, only the sort of glyphs equipped. They consume hearts, a
resource only filled up by breaking candles, using some items or heart
restoration jars when the heart meter isn't full. Keep in mind that this means
you won't get money until your heart meter is filled, and most candles drop 1
heart a piece, so it can take a long time to fill it up solely through this
way.
The exact method of determining glyph union damage is unknown, but like glyphs
they raise with STR and INT depending on their attributes. The damage increase
for them is more noticeable generally since they hit a lot harder than normal
attacks. Also note that their damage is not influenced by the damage of the
glyphs involved, so a Secare+Secare union hurts as much as a Melio Secare+
Melio Secare or a Vol Secare+Melio Secare one.
All the rules about attributes and their role in damage calculations for
glyphs apply to glyph unions too.
I have named the unions based on the combinations of glyphs used and their
observed effects. They are not the official names, but they should be easy to
understand.
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5.1 Confedere Union (Conu)
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Glyph Combo: Confodere line+ Confodere line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: A rather straightforward union, this shoots a red line of rose
petals that slash targets forward. The damage is mediocre, but it comes out
fast and can hit upto 3 times, making it worthwhile for enemies weak to slash.
It's generally not that good on stronger enemies though, and there are more
powerful unions for the same heart cost. Use it if you quickly need to clear
out a swarm of ground enemies, but consider other unions for your heavy hit
needs.
Rating: 6/10
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5.2 Secare Union (Secu)
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Glyph Combo: Secare line+Secare line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: It summons a huge sword that travels downward in a circular arc.
It covers a lot of the screen and deals significant slashing damage to
anything on its path. The downsides? Well, it's a bit slow, it can be
inadvertently cancelled by using a normal attack, any sort of sudden movement
like jumping or backdashing, or just plain being hit, and once it plays out
you're often defenceless against attacks. It's still pretty good though, and
worth using when swarmed by lots of enemies, just don't get reckless with it.
Rating: 7/10
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5.3 Ascia Union (Ascu)
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Glyph Combo: Ascia line+Ascia line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Similar to the Secare union except it summons an axe instead. The
axe has slightly more range but also has a minimum range, so be careful if you
trigger this at close range.
Rating: 7/10
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5.4 Falcis Union (Falu)
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Glyph Combo: Falcis line+Falcis line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Similar to the previous two unions, except it summons a sickle.
The sickle has higher downward range than the axe and slightly more forward
range than the sword, but it again has the minimum range. Either way, this is
worth using, just like the previous two unions.
Rating: 7/10
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5.5 Macir Union (Macu)
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Glyph Combo: Macir line+Macir line
Attribute:Strike
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Similar to the last three unions, except it summons a hammer. The
hammer has slightly lower range than the sword, lacks the downward range of
the sickle and still has the minimum range of the axe, but it distinguishes
itself with the strike attribute. It is very strong against a lot of
formidable enemies, especially the skeletal and armored variety. Use it if
you're swarmed by the aforementioned enemy types, or just to quickly take down
more powerful enemies.
Rating: 7/10
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5.6 Hasta Union (Hasu)
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Glyph Combo: Hasta line+Hasta line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This shoots out a short range spear in a straight line. The spear
can hit thrice and does decent damage per hit, but in general you're better
off using the other unions for killing off massed monsters. This has decent
potential against stronger monsters, but you need to be careful since it holds
you in one place. It's a bit situational, but it can be quite handy.
Rating: 6.5/10
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5.7 Arcus Union (Arcu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Arcus line+Arcus line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 30 hearts
Information: This shoots a bunch of arrows around Shanoa's position. The
arrows themselves don't deal much, but the large number of them ensures that
few enemies would survive. While not much good against strong foes, the room
clearing aspect of this has appeal.
Unfortunately, it's a bit too pricey for what it does. Usually, other unions
work well enough and are more efficient hearts wise, but this still has
potential, especially for rooms with lots of flying enemies. It's also nice
that it doesn't hold you in place, unlike so many other unions. For all its
good it still doesn't excuse the Arcus line though.
Rating: 6.5/10
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5.8 Culter Union (Culu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Culter line+Culter line
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 30 hearts
Information: This sends a bunch of knives forward. The duration is decent, and
number of knives can easily add up for a lot of damage though individually
they are weak. Once again though, this is just a bit too pricey heart wise,
and usually a single Confodere union does the job as well. This also holds you
in place, making you vulnerable for a long time. Use on flinching monsters,
but don't rely too much on it.
Rating: 5.5/10
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5.9 Invalid Union (Invu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Any+Any(Anything besides unions listed here)
Attribute: None
Cost: 5 hearts
Information: This occurs when you don't have any of the combos the game
considers "valid". It fires a short blast forward. While this obviously isn't
very useful for most situations, it has a few covert advantages to it.
First, it has no attribute. While this works against it since it gains damage
much slower than other unions, it also means that no enemy resists it. It's
one of few unions that will deal full damage to every enemy.
Second, it's very heart efficient. While it's true that each blast deals
rather unimpressive damage, at 5 hearts a pop you can get a lot of damage out
of this, especially in combination with the first advantage.
Lastly, you can keep this up for longer than other unions, thanks to its low
heart cost. While this doesn't seem like an advantage, saving up hearts to use
for powerful unions later helps out a lot in tricky situations, and when used
appropriately this gives a decent answer against monsters without sacrificing
too many hearts.
All these make for an attack that's not amazing, but can be surprising if used
creatively.
Rating: 5/10
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Important note: I will be referring to the Confodere, Secare, Hasta, Ascia,
Macir, Falcis, Arcus and Culter line glyphs as physical glyphs, since the
game considers them all the same for most of the glyph unions from now on.
Note also that regardless of the glyph type used, most unions involving them
will have slash damage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.10 Ignis Union (Ignu)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Ignis line+Ignis line
Attribute: Flame
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This lets out a forward flamethrower blast. The speed isn't
too exciting but the blast itself deals decent damage and can hit enemies 3
times, and given its attribute it can deal significant damage to a wide
variety of enemies. It also has a long duration, which is both a blessing
and a curse since it covers an area for longer but also makes you vulnerable.
While there are some better options, it holds up well enough.
Rating: 6.5/10
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5.11 Ignis Sword Union (Igsu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Ignis line+Physical glyphs
Attribute: Flame, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This swings a short ranged fiery sword. The range isn't great and
the damage may seem a little underwhelming at first, but this can hit twice,
and combining flame and slash attributes gives it more flexibility over
several other unions. In general there are more effective unions but this
works well under the right circumstances.
Rating: 6/10
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5.12 Ignis Grando Union (Iggu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Ignis line+Grando line
Attribute: Flame, Ice
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This combines a single part of the flamethrower blast with a line
of ice and an ice flake in the middle. Note that the flame blast and the ice
line and flake will do their respective attribute damage, so you need to hit
an enemy with the right line to take advantage of their attribute weakness.
The damage isn't great and while this can get multiple hits in, in practice
it's rarely as effective as the Ignis union or the Ignis sword. This is partly
because it comes out slowly and partly because of how its attribute damage
works. There are times it could work, but I would pick other unions for flame
/ice based attacks.
Rating: 5.5/10
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5.13 Grando Union (Grau)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Grando line+Grando line
Attribute: Ice
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This causes a storm of icicles around Shanoa. The overall damage
is good and it is useful for swarms of enemies and some bosses but there are
limitations. The horizontal range is a bit low, and the ice attribute often
doesn't work in its favor. In addition, this holds you in place for the entire
duration of the union, so you're quite vulnerable while doing this even though
it does destroy most projectiles aimed at you. It's good enough, but I prefer
unions with lower risk and higher damage potential.
Rating: 6/10
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5.14 Grando Sword Union (Grsu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo:Grando line+Physical glyph
Attribute: Ice, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This summons an ice sword. It has a range similar to that of the
flame sword, but it does higher damage. It can't hit for more than once
though, and while combining slash with ice gives it more utility it's not as
widely useful as other unions which summon weapons. Give it a try on enemies
weak to ice, but don't expect amazing returns.
Rating: 6/10
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5.15 Fulgur Union (Fulu)
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Glyph Combo: Fulgur line+Fulgur line
Attribute: Lightning
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This summons a lightning ball that targets enemies around. The
homing aspect is nice, and it can get a lot of hits before vanishing, but the
base damage is a little low, making this a bit too skewed towards just enemies
weak to lightning. It doesn't help that weakness to that attribute is pretty
situational. The nice thing about this is that it doesn't hold you in place,
unlike most unions. It's best used on swarms of low HP enemies.
Rating: 6/10
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5.16 Fulgur Spear Union (Fusu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Fulgur line+Physical glyph
Attribute: Lightning, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This summons a short range charged spear. It's similar to the
Hasta union except it does lower base damage, hits more times, and has the
lightning attribute. Most of that union's strengths and weaknesses apply to
it too, except the lightning attribute makes it a bit more useful for some
enemies.
Rating: 6.5/10
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5.17 Pneuma Union (Pneu)
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Glyph Combo: Pneuma+Pneuma
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This causes a strong wind to blow around Shanoa. It's very
similar to the Grando union, down to holding you in place for the whole
attack. The slash attribute allows it to target a wider range of enemies with
attribute weakness, but it also hits less often. I would still prefer more
damaging and less riskier unions to it.
Rating: 6/10
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5.18 Pneuma Spear Union (Pnsu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Pneuma+Physical glyph
Attribute: Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This causes a bunch of slashes in front. The effective hits is
similar to the Hasta and Fulgur spear unions, and it shares many of their
characteristics. The range is higher and it gets in more hits, but it also
has the lowest base damage. If I were to pick between them, I would choose the
Fulgur spear simply because of the lightning attribute and decent number of
hits.
Rating: 6/10
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5.19 Lapiste Union (Lapu)
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Glyph Combo: Lapiste+Lapiste
Attribute: Strike
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This summons two fists that travel in opposite directions and
smash into each other. They cover a lot of area and are good for massed
enemies. The strike attribute helps out against many enemies too and it
doesn't hold you in place either. It's only limitation is that it can't get
multiple hits against single enemies, but this is still a formidable union
regardless.
Rating: 7/10
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5.20 Lapiste Hammer Union (Lahu)
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Glyph Combo: Lapiste+Physical glyph
Attribute: Strike
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: This creates a short ranged stone hammer with an arc similar to
the elemental swords. It does higher damage than the hammer, but I find the
hammer more useful for its range. This could be more useful for stronger
enemies and bosses though, but in other cases I would just use the regular
hammer union instead.
Rating: 6/10
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5.21 Light Union (Ligu)
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Glyph Combo: Luminatio line+Luminatio line
Attribute: Light
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This makes a bunch of light orbs form around all enemies. The
damage is mediocre and while each orb can hit multiple times, they often miss
any enemies that move even moderately fast. I wouldn't bother much with this,
usually glyphs do a better job unless you're being swarmed by lots of slow
low HP enemies.
Rating: 5/10
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5.22 Light Sword Union (Lisu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Luminatio line+Physical glyph
Attribute: Light, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Summons a light sword with a range and arc similar to other
elemental swords. While obviously more useful than the other light union, it
still has the downside of low range. Use it for stronger enemies, and choose
something else for general massed foes.
Rating: 6/10
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5.23 Light Darkness Union (Lidu)
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Glyph Combo: Luminatio line+Darkness attribute glyph
Attribute: Light, Darkness
Cost: 50 hearts
Information: This causes time to stand still while everything on screen is hit
by meteors. For the heart cost, you would be expecting a powerful attack; and
indeed, it does the highest damage of all unions. But the high heart cost
means you can't keep it up for long, and several unions are more cost
effective than this. Use it only for emergencies and boss fights.
Rating: 6.5/10
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5.24 Darkness Union (Daru)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Darkness attribute glyph+Darkness attribute glyph
Attribute: Darkness
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: Pretty similar to the light union except with the Darkness
attribute. I wouldn't bother with it, and the Darkness attribute makes it less
useful in general anyway.
Rating: 4/10
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5.25 Darkness Sword Union (Dasu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glyph Combo: Darkness attribute glyph+Physical glyph
Attribute: Darkness, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Similar story as most elemental swords, this hits twice but has
lower damage than other unions of its ilk. Once again, the range is not
inspiring though the arc helps. This is a bit more situational than the others
since weakness to darkness isn't really common. Still, the combo of attributes
help out again.
Rating: 6/10
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5.26 Nitesco Union (Nitu)
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Glyph Combo: Nitesco+Nitesco
Attribute: Light, Fire
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: With how powerful Nitesco is, you'd expect its union to be very
impressive. That's not the case, it just fires a beam that covers a bit more
area than the regular Nitesco attack. The damage is higher, but not by much,
and you can achieve the same by rapidly firing off two Nitesco glyphs anyway.
In fact, you're better off doing that ,mana is much more plentiful than hearts
and you save those hearts for more powerful attacks. Use this only if you're
in a bind and need all the extra coverage.
Rating: 4/10
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5.27 Nitesco Sword Union (Nisu)
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Glyph Combo: Nitesco+Physical glyph
Attribute: Light, Fire, Slash
Cost: 15 hearts
Information: Easily the best of the elemental sword glyphs. The multiple
attributes and high damage are good, but what sets it apart is the high range.
Definitely a very useful union, especially if you power it up to its highest
extent. Even Dracula can't stand up to several fully powered slices of this.
Rating: 8/10
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5.28 Scutum Union (Sctu)
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Glyph Combo: Scutum line+Scutum line
Attribute: None
Cost: 20 hearts
Information: This shields Shanoa against all damage for 2 seconds. This is
obviously a very situational union, good only for boss battles or the
occasional enemy you can't dodge. It requires having two shield glyphs in the
slots, which limits its practical uses even further.
Rating: 4/10
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5.29 Dominus Union (Dmiu)
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Glyph Combo: Dominus Hatred+Dominus Anger+Dominus Agony
Attribute: ?
Cost: All HP
Information: This causes a huge fiery explosion to fill the screen and hit
every enemy. It does a lot of damage, but costs your life, so it's obviously
only meant for story purposes. This means that it can't really be rated
either.
Rating: -
==============================================================================
6. ENEMIES (E)
==============================================================================
Like its ilk, Order of Ecclesia has a large number of enemies. Most aren't a
problem individually, but are dangerous when in swarms or combined with other
enemies. I write strategies that I find to work best on them. A few other
details are taken from the in game guide. I've also listed their attacks and
how much base damage they deal based on testing with an unarmored Shanoa at
level 1. The attribute of the attacks are also listed, based on what effects
they show upon hitting Shanoa and what damage specific armor works notably
against them.
Don't expect any boss strategies here, I'll only give some hints to beating
them. They're not that hard to figure out mostly, unlike a lot of enemy
encounters.
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6.1 Bat (Bat)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A bloodsucking bat that lurks in the dark.
HP: 1 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash, Flame
Attacks: Contact - 3, Slash
Information: A basic annoyance. Take note of their positions and try to
quickly kill them off. Sliding on the ground often works, as does attacks with
multiple projectiles. On Hard mode and above they fly faster, so be even more
careful around them.
Sometimes they spawn continously from the left and right of the screen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 Zombie (Zom)
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Game Description: A lively animated corpse, magically brought back to life.
HP: 9 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light, Stone
Attacks: Contact - 5, Strike
Information: Generally slow enemies, they're not hard to dispose on their own,
but they often come in large swarms and can quickly overwhelm you if you're
not careful. Use slashing glyphs for the early game and Ignis for later
encounters. They're summoned by Necromancers, but stopping that is easy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.3 Skeleton (Ske)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A skeletal corpse controlled by magic. One of many.
HP: 12 XP: 3 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Bone - 4, Strike | Contact - 4, Strike
Information: A basic opponent, the skeleton tends to throw bones at you. You
can trick them into throwing those at the wrong position or destroy them, but
be careful since they do significant damage in the early game, and even more
on Hard mode and above. Sometimes they tend to fall off ledges or jump around,
so watch out and be prepared to dodge a little. Due to their low HP, many
attacks work well on them, but I recommend using Macir early on, and Luminatio
or Ignis for later fights.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.4 Ghost (Gho)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: The reanimated ghost of a horse killed on the battlefield.
HP: 5 XP: 3 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Strike
Attacks: Contact - 4, Strike
Information: Basically the token flying respawning enemies of the Monastery.
They continously spawn from left and right. At first, they float around slowly
and aren't that threatening, but from time to time they will stop and attempt
to lock onto your position. Quickly move, because otherwise they will rush
into you for quite some damage. Again, many glyphs work well here, but Secare
on your first visit and Ignis or the Ascia line on your next ones are pretty
good for them. It often pays to be aggresive with them given their slow speed
and delayed attacks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.5 Banshee (Ban)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An apparition whose chilling wail stops men cold.
HP: 3 XP: 4 Weakness: Light Resistance: Strike, Slash, Darkness
Attacks: Wail - 6, Strike | Contact - 6, Strike
Information: These fly around and attempt to touch you. After a while, they
break into a shrill cry that covers a short area around them and hurts you.
They aren't too hard to dodge on their own and many glyphs work on them. Try
attacking them as soon as they appear, they're a bit slow to actually start
flying around and killing them early reduces hassle in the more crowded rooms.
Note that you need to record their cry for a quest. To do this, get one to
follow you around for a while, keep dodging it until it starts crying, and
then stand close(but not too close) and select the Gramophone from the "Use
Item" menu.
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6.6 Bone Scimitar (Bsc)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A skeleton warrior. Strangely, it fights with genuine
courage.
HP: 17 XP: 5 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Sword hit - 7, Strike | Contact - 7, Strike
Information: More sophisticated than most early ground enemies, the bone
scimitar attempts to approach you and quickly slice with its sword. They're
dangerous in swarms because they take longer to dispatch and their attack can
catch you unawares. Attack a few times and then jump or backdash away. The
obvious striking and flame glyphs are recommended against them, too bad you
don't have access to any when first fighting them in the Monastery.
Try farming a few of them for the Secare glyph, it's quite handy for most of
the early game.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.7 Sea Stinger (Sti)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A carnivorous and disturbingly agile fish creature.
HP: 6 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Ice
Attacks: Contact - 12, Strike
Information: These swarm the surface of the sea on Kalidus Channel. They jump
around, usually angling at your position. If you're fast enough, you can avoid
their attacks by jumping, but a safer bet is to alternate between going
underwater and using platforms above water when necessary. They're a bit
faster on Hard mode and above too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.8 Nominon (Nom)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An evil, soul sucking spirit that paralyzes its victims.
HP: 16 XP: 7 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Strike
Attacks: Suck - 5, No Attribute | Contact - 11, Strike
Information: These fly around erratically over Ruvas Forest. They try to stick
on you and suck your health away; this is dangerous in the early game and can
outright kill you on higher difficulties. When you see them abruptly stop mid
air, be prepared for this and run away as fast as possible, or crouch or slide
if you can't do that. Ascia works well for early encounters, as does Secare.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.9 Axe Knight (Axk)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A heavily-armored warrior with an equally heavy axe.
HP: 23 XP: 9 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Attacks: Axe - 14, Strike | Contact - 14, Strike
Information: A formidable enemy HP wise for the early game, they slowly move
around and throw axes. The axes aren't fast and can easily be stopped, but
if they do contact they hurt a lot and while swarmed it's easy to lose track
of them, so be careful. Macir is recommended against them, as is Ascia if they
aren't on your horizontal level. Do try farming some of them for the Ascia
glyph once you can kill them reliably with little risk.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.10 Une (Une)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: This plant's diet of blood results in odd mutations.
HP: 1 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Lightning, Light
Attacks: Contact - 13, Slash
Information: They're plants that sprout from the ground. They aren't very
formidable, but they tend to blend with their environment, and they hurt a
lot. Sliding works well on them, as do a bunch of attacks. Just try to keep a
close eye for them in Ruvas Forest and Argila Swamp. Chosen Une tend to plant
them on their path.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.11 Merman (Mrm)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: This aquatic hunters spots prey from the water before
leaping.
HP: 17 XP: 6 Weakness: Slash, Lightning, Poison, Curse Resistance: Strike, Ice
Attacks: Contact - 15, Strike | Fireball - 13, Flame
Information: They actually have two sets of behaviours. On the surface, they
ceaselessly jump up and interrupt your progress. It's not too hard to avoid or
kill them here, but this is complicated often by swarms of Sea Stingers.
Underwater, they aren't that threatening. They tend to walk around, and
sometimes shoot a fireball. They're easy to dodge and give a fair amount of
warning before shooting. Slashing glyphs work well, especially Ascia when they
aren't on the same horizontal level.
Interestingly, they can be frozen by Torpor even though they don't have
weakness to Stone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.12 Necromancer (Necr)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Uses black magic to animate and control corpses.
HP: 22 XP: 7 Weakness: Stone
Attacks: Contact - 12, Strike
Information: They don't actually attack, just summon zombies with their glyph.
Despite that, touching them still hurts, and the zombies can swarm you, so try
to absorb their glyph or hit them fast to stop the summoning and make them
teleport. While the HP is high for an early game enemy, they're not hard to
kill, but there's not much benefit to doing that anyway. They drop nothing
useful and their casted glyph is easily absorbed unless you're on the higher
difficulties and are being swarmed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.13 Bone Archer (Barh)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An archer who attacks with bone and arrows.
HP: 18 XP: 5 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Arrow - 13, Strike | Contact - 13, Strike
Information: These enemies are an annoyance. They take time to actually
attack, but once they do their arrows fly out rather fast and can easily hit
if you aren't reactive. Being aggressive helps, but if it's possible attack '
them from a different horizontal level to reduce their threat. Macir and Ascia
work well on them, and closing the distance fast also lets you attack more
freely with your arsenal. The Arcus glyph could be handy on higher
difficulties, but don't go out of your way to get it; it's a pretty common
drop anyway.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.14 Spear Guard (Speg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An armored warrior weilding a long lance.
HP: 24 XP: 9 Weakness: Strike, Lightning, Stone
Attacks: Spear swings - 15, Slash | Spear throw - 23, Slash
Up/downward stab - 15, Slash | Contact - 15, Slash
Information: These enemies are quite a pain early on. They use a whole bunch
of fancy spear moves with decent melee range that often come out too fast to
react to reliably. They also have the nasty habit of attempting to stab you
when you're a level above or below them. If you attack from a distance,
they'll attempt to throw their spear, which can be tricky to dodge, so try
being at a different horizontal plane while doing that. Macir works if you
surprise them and are fast enough, but I would try using Ascia and hitting
them from a distance or a different horizontal plane. Their drop, Hasta is
pretty good atleast, and worth getting if you can manage farming them
without much risk.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.15 Invisible Man (Invm)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A magician who gave up his soul to gain invisibility.
HP: 70 XP: 15 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Curse
Attacks: Aerial kick - 17, Strike | Punches - 17, Strike
Contact - 17, Strike
Information: For early on, their health is very high, and their attacks deal a
lot of damage. I would advise using unions on them to avoid things getting too
messy. You can observe their moves if you look closely, but they move very
fast and hit so hard that you shouldn't risk it. Torpor freezes them in place
too, so use that if you can aim it well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.16 Gelso (Gels)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A rare, water-dwelling creature.
HP: 14 XP: 4 Weakness: Slash, Lightning, Resistance: Strike, Ice
Attacks: Contact - 15, Strike
Information: The flying respawning enemies of Kalidus Channel, they are more
of an annoyance than a threat. They move around fast and sometimes try to run
into you. However, given that they're encountered underwater, it's not too
hard to maneuver around them most of the time. Kill them fast with Ascia or
other slashing glyphs, or just dodge them. If there are too many of them, use
Vol Fulgur.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.17 Needles (Nedl)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A hard shelled sea urchin. A questionable delicacy.
HP: 10 XP: 2 Weakness: Flame, Lightning Resistance: Ice
Attacks: Contact - 16, Slash
Information: They're effectively underwater landmines. They don't actively
attack but hurt on touch. Destroy them once you aren't preoccupied, they die
easily.
Needles drop Salt, which is used for a side quest. It's a rather rare drop, so
be patient.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.18 Demon (Deon)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A fell beast of the underworld.
HP: 44 XP: 22 Weakness: Slash, Light Resistance: Darkness
Attacks: Swoop - 21, Strike | Contact - 21, Strike
Information: Demons come in a variety of forms, all of them having similar
behaviour. This basic form has a lot of HP and an annoying flying pattern,
however their weakness to slash makes them vulnerable to several attacks at
your disposal. It's still advisable to learn dodging their patterns though,
especially since it helps against more powerful variants of this enemy.
Tricking them into swooping upon you works, as does jumping around to throw
them off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.19 Fishhead (Fihd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A violent fish, with a spirit as fossilized as its body.
HP: 50 XP: 7 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Icicle - 21, Ice | Contact - 23, Strike
Information: They're stationary enemies that fire off icicles at you.
Fishheads are often encountered in groups, stacked upon each other. Luminatio
works nicely on them, as does Macir if you can get close. On higher
difficulties, they fire more frequently so be more cautious around them.
Fishheads drop Salt too, but it's still quite rare.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.20 Dark Octopus (Daot)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An octopus creature, tormented by black magic.
HP: 40 XP: 18 Weakness: Slash, Lightning, Curse Resistance: Strike, Ice
Attacks: Tentacle contact - 20, Strike | Contact - 1, Strike |
Black ink - 18, Darkness
Information: These don't move much, but they emit a black fluid that covers a
significant horizontal area near them and hurts on touch. Ascia works on them,
and Luminatio, while a little awkward to position, isn't bad either.
Dark Octopi drop Black Ink, an item for a side quest. It's not an easy drop
though, be prepared for a lot of grinding.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.21 Killer Fish (Kfis)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A ferocious fish. Fetches a high price among epicures.
HP: 38 XP: 17 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Strike, Ice
Attacks: Contact - 21, Strike
Information: These don't move much, they only travel a short distance before
turning around and retracing their steps repeatedly. If you're in sight, they
move slightly faster. Many glyphs work well on them, especially Ascia.
Killer Fish drop Raw Killer Fish, an item used for a side quest. Like many
other such drops, it's very rare and often requires a lot of patience.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.22 Forneus (Frn)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A demonic sea creature from the oceans of the underworld.
HP: 43 XP: 19 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Strike, Ice
Information: They slowly float about underwater and try to run into you. Not a
threat by any means, Ascia works the best against them early on.
Forneuses(Fornei?) drop Salt, allegedy at a better rate than Fishheads or
Needles. Try farming them if the other two aren't being cooperative with
drops.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.23 The Creature (EC1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A mad scientist created this wonder of artificial biology.
HP: 260 XP: 90 Weakness: Slash Resistance: Lightning
Attacks: Kick - 26, Strike | Contact - 26, Strike | Flame burst - 10, Flame
Electric blast - 10, Lightning
Information: A pretty formidable opponent, with high health, several attacks,
and generally damaging moves. He advances slowly towards you, and will try to
kick you if you're too close. Moving quickly in and out of close range can
make him use his flamethrower or lightning blasts, which is good for getting
attacks into him. Use ranged attacks like Hasta, and activate unions if he
gets too close.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.24 Black Crow (EC2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An evil bird with an acquired taste for human flesh.
HP: 13 XP: 13 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Curse, Stone
Information: These are a big nuisance. They are small and tend to blend in
well with the scenery. When they see you, they'll try to quickly fly into you
and repeat this as long as they're alive. They can get into level geometry and
put themselves out of range of your attacks, making it hard to get to them.
Try spotting them beforehand and using ranged attacks to get rid of them fast.
They often start out facing your position when you enter a room, so try going
behind them to reduce the risks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.25 Skull Spider (EC3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A monsterous spder with a skull-shaped body.
HP: 32 XP: 20 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light
Information: These spiders skitter around surfaces, occasionally dropping onto
the ground if they spot you. They actively attempt to run into you, and their
hits cause poisoning. Use Luminatio to get rid of them, and be quick with your
dodging. On higher difficulties, they're significantly faster so try tricking
them to moving into convenient positions or avoiding them if possible.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.26 Scarecrow (EC4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Quite a threat, if he only had a brain.
HP: 56 XP: 26 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: Scarecrows don't really attack, they just bounce around. Only the
body/head attached to the pole actually hurts, and they're easy to kill,
especially with Ascia. They can hurt if you're moving upwards/downwards, but
they're really not a problem.
Note that there are two versions of Scarecrows, one with a body and the other
with a head. They have similar behavior but their hitboxes differ.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.27 Sea Demon (EC5)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An evil demon of the sea, skilled in ice magic.
HP: 88 XP: 33 Weakness: Lightning, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Swoop - 32, Strike | Icicle - 23, Ice | Contact - 32, Strike
Information: Their behavior is similar to their lesser ilk, only they cast a
spell too. You can absorb the glyph they cast if you want it, and it's not too
hard to avoid. Since they are always encountered underwater, it's not as hard
to avoid them as some other demons, but it still pays to practice dodging
their attacks. Luminatio and Ascia work well on them, among other things.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.28 Winged Guard (EC6)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A skeleton given wings and made to fly.
HP: 10 XP: 1 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: They are sturdier versions of the token flying respawning enemies.
They are generally less numerous, but they cover a lot more area and are
harder to dispose of. Try using Luminatio or Ascia to deal with swarms of them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.29 Nightmare (EC7)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Those who witness its coming soon know death.
HP: 44 XP: 27 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light
Information: These run about in a straight path, turning invisible every so
often. While invisible, they don't hurt you. Macir works well on them, as do
Luminatio casts. Just be prepared to run away if you suddenly come in their
path when they're visible.
Nightmares drop Horse Hair, an item needed for a side quest. It's not too
rare, but it can still require a bit of farming.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.30 Rock Knight (EC8)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: A soldier armed with stones and a throwing arm.
HP: 100 XP: 45 Weakness: Strike, Lightning, Stone Resistance: Flame
Information: The knights themselves move slowly, but the stones they throw
travel fast and can hurt a lot. Try running away or sliding if they're about
to throw them. Macir and Cubus work well, and Luminatio is good for breaking
their stones and does alright damage on them.
Rock Knights drop Iron Ore, which is utilized for a side quest. It's not too
hard to find it in chests on Minera Prison Island or Kalidus Channel instead
though.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.31 Fire Demon (EC9)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: This demon is master of the consuming flame.
HP: 111 XP: 66 Weakness: Ice, Light Resistance: Flame, Darkness
Information: Similar behavior to other demons, these cast a set of three
flames. Absorb the glyph if you want it. This one's spell isn't hard to dodge
either. Luminatio and Grando are good choices against them.
If you want to boost for your slashing or striking stuff, try grinding them
for the Crimson Mail and Greaves. Both provide a decent boost to your STR stat
for the early to mid game. Do note that neither item drops easily.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.32 Bitterfly (EC10)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: Invisibility is this creature's cloak, and its weapon.
HP: 33 XP: 29 Weakness: Slash, Ice, Darkness Resistance: Light
Information: These enemies fly around until they spot you. They then go
invisible and reappear usually above you. This is followed by a descent onto
you, in a rather erratic pattern. Hitting them makes them go faster, so try
to maintain some distance or be fast while attacking. Ascia and Grando are
good choices, and Umbra's homing abilities can work well on them. The problem
is they're often surrounded by other enemies that are either fast or dangerous
on their own, so try to be careful with your attacks to avoid unnecessarily
aggravating the other enemies too early. These also move faster on Hard mode.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.33 Specter (EC11)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Description: An eternally wandering spirit, consumed by hatred.
HP: 34 XP: 31 Weakness: Light Resistance: Strike, Slash, Darkness
Information: These enemies float in the air, going invisible from time to
time. Sometimes they may try to fly near you, but usually they don't actively
attack. However, landing an attack on them makes them very aggressive and fly
directly into you, and given their space they're a bit hard to dodge. Try to
avoid fighting them unless they get in the way. Luminatio works well on them.
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6.34 Grave Digger (EC12)
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Game Description: Enjoys his cursed vocation because he meets new people.
HP: 150 XP: 65 Weakness: Slash, Poison, Curse, Stone
Information: The grave digger always starts out by aiming his shovel at you
and throwing it. This is easy enough to dodge, though it can be tricky to do
while swarmed by Bitterflies. His following attacks are a pain though, they
come out very fast and knock you back quite a bit. In addition, he can catch
and crush you, which is deadly. Running away can help but he usually just
tries to throw his shovel again before going back to his routine attacks. Try
using ranged attacks, or Cubus and Torpor to petrify or freeze him
respectively.
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6.35 Werebat (EC13)
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Game Description: A female, half-human bat. How about that.
HP: 99 XP: 50 Weakness: Slash, Light, Curse, Stone
Information: These summon bats when you're afar and try to kick you when
you're near. Neither is hard to dodge, and many glyphs are good for getting at
them. Sometimes they can quickly backdash when you attack close up, but it's
not too hard to hit them regardless. Just try to kill their bats quickly,
they can overwhelm you in combination with the bitterflies around.
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6.36 Black Fomor (EC14)
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Game Description: This monster's tongue dances with dark incantations.
HP: 66 XP: 49 Weakness: Light, Stone Resistance: Darkness
Information: They float around and try to run into you. They can cast Umbra.
Do absorb it, since its homing abilities makes it a little hard to dodge.
After absorbing their spell or hitting them a bit, they usually teleport
behind you and repeat their pattern again. Not too hard on their own, but the
swarm of bitterflies makes dealing with it tricky. Ascia and Luminatio work
well against them, as does Cubus if you place it right.
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6.37 Enkidu (EC15)
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Game Description: A lonely artifical monster, its only company a white dragon.
HP: 450 XP: 250 Weakness: Slash Resistance: Lightning
Information: This monster just wanders around carrying a big pillar with a
white dragon attached. He doesn't really attack until you defeat the white
dragon, but the movement can make it a bit hard to get good hits on it. Once
the dragon is killed, he gets a lot more aggressive and tries hitting you with
the pillar. His attacks are very telegraphed, but also cover a lot of area and
hurt hard. You won't be strong enough to quickly take him down when first
encountering him, especially not on higher difficulties, so consider taking
some damage and sliding through him if you can afford to. If not, try using
quick slashes, glyph unions, and tricking him into attacking and then fleeing.
On higher difficulties, he comes with two white dragons instead of one.
It doesn't make much of a difference, yet you need to be careful since their
combined attacks can kill you fast.
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6.38 Bone Pillar (EC16)
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Game Description: Created from bleached dinosaur bones, fossilized in the
clay.
HP: 200 XP: 22 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: Pretty similar to Fishheads, except they shoot fireballs and are
encountered out of water. You can stand on top of stacks of them, and they
physically block movement. Vol Macir works well if you position yourself
correctly, and Luminatio does decent damage but requires multiple casts to
kill.
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6.39 Skeleton Frisky (EC17)
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Game Description: Leaps boundlessly in a dark dance of the damned.
HP: 62 XP: 28 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: These walk towards you and then jump around your position. They
aren't a threat by themselves but they restrict your movement and make it
harder to dodge other enemies. Use Luminatio or Vol Macir to get rid of them
fast.
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6.40 Skeleton Hero (EC18)
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Game Description: A skeletal savior, foretold since ancient days.
HP: 80 XP: 50 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: They usually attack by firing a bunch of particles. These travel
slowly and are never fired below crouching level, so are easily dodged. Be
careful while getting up close, since their knife can hit you when they shoot
even while crouching. Vol Macir and Luminatio are obviously good choices.
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6.41 Dullahan (EC19)
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Game Description: This knight doesn't need a head to hand his enemies theirs.
HP: 88 XP: 54 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: They walk towards you and quickly slice forward with their
rapier. Their attack comes out at a short notice, so either try using ranged
attacks or be ready to backdash between blows. Vol Macir and Luminatio work
well, as is the norm for skeletal enemies at this point.
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6.42 Skeleton Rex (EC20)
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Game Description: A fossilized thunder lizard, given life by an evil will.
HP: 184 XP: 105 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: They attack fast, cover quite some area, and move around
erratically. They either try to bite you, or spew a short ranged flame blast.
Keep your reflexes up while facing them, and keep backing away while landing
hits. If they start using their flame blast, get closer and land more attacks.
Once you've unlocked double jumping, it's better to avoid them when possible.
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6.43 White Dragon (EC21)
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Game Description: Dinosaur fossils imbued with an evil spirit.
HP: 200 XP: 150 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: These enemies are often attached to a wall and move about
erratically. They have three attacks, first they can try to lunge at you. This
is easily signalled by them winding up. The second attack is when they throw
fireballs around. They fire them quick making it hard to dodge. Try running
away or blocking with Scutum if you see this. Finally, they shoot a flame
blast. This is easy to dodge and lets you get some free hits in. Their high HP
and dangerous attacks mean that you should try to avoid direct confrontations
with them or try to use unions to kill them quickly. Thankfully, they do
usually drop a bunch of hearts upon death, so you won't be running out of
hearts much while fighting them.
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6.44 Saint Elmo (EC22)
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Game Description: An evil spirit whose power causes shipwrecks.
HP: 13 XP: 6 Weakness: Light Resistance: Strike, Slash, Darkness
Information: They're the token respawning flying enemies of Somnus Reef. They
slowly fly about until they notice you, then turn in your direction and
quickly fly into you. Luminatio works well on them, as does Ignis.
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6.45 Lorelai (EC23)
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Game Description: A nymph whose voice and beauty lures victims to a watery
grave.
HP: 88 XP: 59 Weakness: Slash, Lightning, Curse, Stone Resistance: Ice
Information: I didn't notice that it was supposed to be a nymph, for a long
time it just looked like a huge fish monster to me. Anyway, these tend to move
quickly towards your position and shoot a water jet at you. The water jet
isn't hard to dodge, but their size and speed makes avoiding them a bit
tricky. Most elemental attacks don't work well on them, so use slashing or
striking glyphs. Ascia works pretty well for most situations, as does Cubus if
you time it right.
Lorelai drop Merman Meat, which is used for a sidequest. A bit strange too,
since they're nothing like Mermen. As expected, it's not an easy drop.
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6.46 Edimmu (EC24)
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Game Description: A snake like water dweller.
HP: 110 XP: 57 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Ice
Information: These things are incredibly obnoxious. They move very fast, are
pretty long, have erratic patterns, and poison you on touch. Use Ascia or
Ignis on them, but be careful and try to get them quickly and move swiftly to
avoid being hurt much. Try to go for the section closest to their head to kill
them quick.
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6.47 Decarabia (EC25)
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Game Description: A five legged demon servant.
HP: 96 XP: 63 Weakness: Flame, Lightning, Darkness Resistance: Strike, Slash
Information: These star shaped monsters rotate around several paths through
Somnus Reef's waters. They don't attack, but their size means that they
effectively block paths for you, and they also poison on touch. Ignis and
Umbra are good choices against them. On higher difficulties, they move
significantly faster, so be careful.
Note that while the game lists Light as their weakness, they actually resist
it.
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6.48 Merman (EC26)
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Game Description: An aquatic humanoid, known for its violent, territoral ways.
HP: 80 XP: 56 Weakness: Slash, Lightning, Poison, Curse Resistance: Ice
Information: On the water's surface, they behave exactly like their Kalidus
Channel counterparts. In water, they can slide and shoot fireballs fast, but
otherwise they are similar to the other Mermen. They have more HP but really
aren't much harder than their predecessors.
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6.49 Ladycat (EC27)
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Game Description: A swift half woman, half monster. Toys with her prey.
HP: 98 XP: 63 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Poison, Curse, Stone Resistance: Strike,
Light
Information: These try to attack by charging at you, leaping towards you or
quickly slashing with their claws. It's not very hard to dodge either of these
attacks, just backdash or jump out of the way. However, while they aren't
particularly fast they're quite agile and can follow you rather competently,
making it a bit hard to handle them when paired with other enemies. Ignis and
several slashing glyphs work well on them.
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6.50 Ectoplasm (EC28)
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Game Description: A substance that oozes from lingering corpses.
HP: 33 XP: 55 Weakness: Light Resistance: Strike, Slash, Darkness
Information: These either float around preset paths or actively seek you out.
Their touch curses you, which is incredibly bad in this game as it leaves you
unable to use normal attacks for a while, and they're often found alongside
other enemies. Luminatio and Ignis are good choices for them. On higher
difficulties they're much faster, so you need to be good at dodging them and
take them down fast.
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6.51 Curse Diva (EC29)
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Game Description: Curse the living with its deadly song.
HP: 44 XP: 56 Weakness: Light Resistance: Strike, Slash, Ice, Darkness
Information: They are buffed up Banshees. Their touch curses you, and they
send a bunch of fireballs downwards while screeching. Thankfully the fireballs
themselves are short ranged and can be easily destroyed, but the attack itself
can still be pretty hard to dodge. Try killing them quickly before they start
screeching. Ignis and Luminatio work well on them.
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6.52 Miss Murder (EC30)
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Game Description: A stealthy and bloodthirsty killer.
HP: 66 XP: 66 Weakness: Light, Stone
Information: They teleport in and out of specific areas. When they spot you,
they'll try to cut you with their scissors, and then teleport. You can attack
them when they appear, but be quick about moving away from their scissors.
Many glyphs work well on them, especially Luminatio, Ignis or Cubus.
It can be worth farming them for Vol Falcis, it's quite strong at this point.
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6.53 Automaton ZX26 (EC31)
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Game Description: An animated puppet made by a demon scientists. Model No. 26.
HP: 64 XP: 64 Weakness: Lightning Resistance: Strike, Slash
Information: These robots just move around slowly, attempting to get to your
position. Most elemental attacks work well on them, they shouldn't be a
problem at all.
Automaton ZX26s drop Iron Ore comparitively frequently, which is used for a
sidequest. However, it's easy to get it from chests in Minera Prison Island
and Kalidus Channel much earlier, so farming them for it isn't recommended.
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6.54 Skeleton Beast (EC32)
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Game Description: A skeletal brute armed with a huge club.
HP: 400 XP: 190 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: These attack in two ways, they try to kick you or smash you with
their club. Both are pretty well telegraphed, but cover a large area,
especially the club attack, so be ready to run when they hint of attacking.
They're quite large, so avoiding them isn't viable. Ignis works well, as does
Vol Macir if you can do hit and run attacks well.
Skeleton Beasts drop the Barbarian Helm, which is worth getting for raising
your STR and the power of slash and strike attacks. It's not an easy drop, of
course.
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6.55 Balloon (EC33)
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Game Description: A plant that scatters poisonous spores.
HP: 45 XP: 40 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Strike, Light
Information: At first, they don't seem that threatening. They just slowly
float around and release a few stray spores. However, killing them releases a
whole bunch of spores. This is very annoying to deal with, so quickly destroy
their spores while facing them. Stay below them and use Vol Ascia to get rid
of them with minimal fuss.
Thankfully, despite the description their spores don't poison, but they do
hurt surprisingly hard.
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6.56 Arachine (EC34)
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Game Description: A female spider. Her bodily fluids are highly toxic.
HP: 104 XP: 77 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Curse, Stone Resistance: Strike
Information: These monsters aren't too harmful, but their blobs can poison,
and they're often encountered in enclosed areas where it's a little tricky to
dodge those reliably. They tend to jump back when you attack at close range,
but it's not too hard to hit them. Ignis and a bunch of slashing glyphs work
well for these.
Arachines drop Silk thread, which is used for a sidequest. You can get them
from chests in Misty Forest Road and Skeleton Cave, but since both levels
aren't really suited for chest farming and they drop it comparitively
frequently it can be worth farming them.
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6.57 Lizardman (EC35)
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Game Description: A shield makes its defences nearly impenetrable.
HP: 180 XP: 119 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Stone Resistance: Strike
Information: They step forward and slash with rather long reach. They can
block with their shield, and rush towards you if you stay afar for long. If
you're fast enough and do good damage, Ignis or slashing glyphs work well on
them. Cubus works well if you're having problems with killing them before they
attack. You should still be prepared to dodge a bit when you encounter them
though.
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6.58 Armored Beast (EC36)
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Game Description: A ferocious armored beast with steel claws on hand and foot.
HP: 255 XP: 133 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Strike
Information: These monsters either try to jump at you, or use their claws to
send a short ranged wave forward. They're not too difficult to deal with, but
try to slide under them and position yourself behind them. Ignis and several
slashing glyphs work well again.
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6.59 Yeti (EC37)
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Game Description: A mysterious, cowardly legend said to live in snowy
mountains.
HP: 166 XP: 150 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Strike, Ice
Information: Not really an enemy, this moves around idly at a spot in Tymeo
Mountains until it spots you, then it quickly runs away. While touching it
still hurts, it's not really tough to avoid. If you really want to kill it,
try quickly using Ignis or some glyph unions.
Note that you need to get an image of the Yeti for a sidequest. To do that,
select the camera from the "Use Item" menu and position yourself so that the
Yeti is mostly within the crosshairs that show up.
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6.60 Thunder Demon (EC38)
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Game Description: This demon manifests its fury in thunderous peals.
HP: 144 XP: 133 Weakness: Light Resistance: Lightning, Darkness
Information: Similar to other demons, they cast Fulgur. The ball is a bit slow
but it can do decent damage if it hits you, so it might be worth interrupting
it by absorbing its glyph. All the other tactics that apply to dodging and
attacking demons apply here. Luminatio or Vol Ascia work well here.
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6.61 Owl (EC39)
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Game Description: The magic that empowers this owl also spurs it to violence.
HP: 69 XP: 52 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Ice, Curse, Stone
Information: These try to fly into you and hurt you. They're a bit slow and
easily dodged, however hitting them with anything pulls them down a lot and
can confuse you, so make sure to keep track of them. Ignis and Vol Ascia work
well on them.
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6.62 Werewolf (EC40)
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Game Description: Men cursed with lycanthropy develop a taste for blood.
HP: 184 XP: 120 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Poison, Curse Resistance: Strike
Information: They throw a fireball and dash forward quickly. Sometimes, they
pounce on the ground and send a shockwave that travels a short distance. None
of these are too hard to dodge, but the speed at which they move can distract
you quite a bit and catch you unawares. Just keep your reflexes up while
landing hits, and they should die easily. Ignis works well on them, as does
slashing glyphs if you're fast. Cubus is good if they're giving you trouble
and you can aim it well.
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6.63 Altair (EC41)
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Game Description: With broad wings, this eagle bears its charges into battle.
HP: 24 XP: 14 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Ice, Stone
Information: They're similar to a lot of flying enemies, except they move
quite fast and home on you quickly. They continously respawn from the left and
right of certain screens, and can sometimes carry Fleamen to drop over you.
Thankfully, if they do carry Fleamen they don't swoop down onto you. Quickly
take note of them and be ready to dodge a lot. Vol Ascia works well on them,
as does Ignis in a pinch.
Altairs drop Eagle Feathers, an item used in a sidequest. While it's not a
common drop, it's not too hard to kill lots of them once you've got good at
dodging their attacks, thus raising your chances of getting it.
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6.64 Mandragora (EC42)
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Game Description: Those who hear its scream know madness.
HP: 100 XP: 58 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Lightning, Light
Information: Basically a plant styled version of a landmine, they emerge out
of the ground when you come close and explode a few seconds later. It's not
too hard to quickly run away out of the blast radius. Killing them, however,
is something you should attempt only when you're sure your attacks are strong
enough, else it'll backfire badly. Ignis and slashing glyphs work well for
killing them off if you've developed your character correctly.
Mandragoras drop Mandrake Root, an item used in a sidequest. You're not likely
to be able to kill them reliably when you first encounter them though, and
it's a rare drop, so try farming them a bit later if you've got better
equipment and/or stats.
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6.65 Jersey Devil (EC43)
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Game Description: A flying monster with a horse's head and a bat's body.
HP: 143 XP: 100 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Ice, Curse, Stone
Information: They fly away from the ground upon seeing you and either let out
a blast of fire or swoop into you. The blast is easy to dodge but the swoop
comes out fast. Try hitting them when they're on the ground. Vol Ascia and
Ignis work well on them.
You need to take a picture of them for a sidequest. The procedure is similar
to taking photos of a Yeti.
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6.66 Owl Knight (EC44)
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Game Description: A knight who sends a trained owl to attack his enemies.
HP: 220 XP: 125 Weakness: Strike, Lightning, Stone Resistance: Flame
Information: They send an owl out to attack and then try slashing you. The
owl behaves similarly to the owl enemy, and killing it makes the knight rush
towards the spot it fell and shout in disbelief, giving you some time to
either move away or reposition yourself. He can't be hit while looking over
his owl's body however. For the most part, their behavior is pretty
predictable, just be warned that like several enemies they aren't slowed down
by swamps. Killing the owl first is obviously recommended, all the strategies
that work on the normal owl enemy work on it too. Vol Macir works well for
the knight itself, as does Cubus if you place it right.
The owl doesn't drop anything, unlike the normal owls, so don't bother farming
it.
Owl Knights can drop Silver Ore, an item needed for a sidequest. However, it's
easy to have amassed enough of it before you got here, so it's generally not
necessary to farm them for it.
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6.67 Chosen Une (EC45)
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Game Description: A victim of the parasitic une that leaves une in his steps.
HP: 190 XP: 113 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Curse, Stone Resistance: Lightning,
Light
Information: They move towards you slowly, leaving unes in their path. They're
not hard to kill but do have rather substantial HP and can poison you on
touch, so be prepared to distance yourself from them if they get too close.
Ignis and slashing glyphs are good choices again, and Cubus helps if you're
being swarmed and need some reprieve.
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6.68 Stone Rose (EC46)
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Game Description: Once an insectivore, this plant's taste have broadened.
HP: 260 XP: 150 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Lightning, Light
Information: These stationary enemies spew stones that slowly bounce about for
a short while. The stones aren't hard to dodge or destroy on their own, but
they can be tough to spot since they blend into the scenery. Once hurt upto a
certain point, they open their petals and start spewing spores. They aren't
hard to dodge or destroy by themselves either, but if you let them build up
they will fill the air and block your movement. So don't.
As usual, Ignis and slashing glyphs work well, as long as you have good
footwork. Try being aggressive with them, they won't be able to hurt much if
you take them out early.
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6.69 Mad Butcher (EC47)
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Game Description: A madman with a mechanized saw. Enjoys butchery and
sculpting.
HP: 210 XP: 113 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light, Poison, Curse, Stone
Information: They rush towards you with a chainsaw held above their shoulder,
and swing once they get near you. There's a short delay before they swing, so
backdash or run away when they get close. You will need to be quick while
facing them in large numbers. Ignis and slashing glyphs work well with good
footwork, Vol Luminatio is decent for sniping them, and Cubus can stop them if
you're being overwhelmed.
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6.70 White Fomor (EC48)
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Game Description: Mocks God with sacrilegious chanting.
HP: 144 XP: 99 Weakness: Darkness, Stone Resistance: Light
Information: They behave similarly to Dark Fomors, but cast Vol Luminatio
instead. While slightly slower than Umbra, the homing abilities still make it
hard to dodge. The problem with them is they're often found in groups and
alongside tough or fast enemies, so it's hard to focus both on them and on the
other enemies around. Vol Ascia works well on them, and if you can aim Cubus
well it is quite effective.
White Fomors drop Cashmere Thread, an item used for a sidequest. It can be got
earlier from Skeleton Cave and Misty Forest Road, but since neither location
is well suited for chest farming it's possible that you don't have enough by
the time you face them, so farming them for it is ok if you're prepared to
wait a lot.
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6.71 Evil Force (EC49)
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Game Description: An evil will, given embodiment through dark karmic forces.
HP: 244 XP: 113 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: These monsters have a ton of HP and an incredibly annoying
attack. They do get pushed downwards while hit, but even then dodging them can
be really tough. Vol Ascia and Ignis are technically effective, but given
their high HP even continous attacks may not be enough to throw them off,
especially on the higher difficulties. Don't be afraid to use unions on them
if need be.
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6.72 Flea Man (EC50)
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Game Description: This sinister little man leaps like a bloodsucking flea.
HP: 30 XP: 18 Weakness: Slash, Poison, Curse
Information: These guys are obnoxious as all hell. They jump around randomly
and sometimes move in awkward paths. Try to get them from a distance with Vol
Ascia, or slash them quickly at close range. Move fast whenever you confront
them directly, and try avoiding them if possible.
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6.73 Ghoul (EC51)
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Game Description: A spirit with a steady diet of dead, rotting flesh.
HP: 66 XP: 6 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light, Stone Resistance: Darkness
Information: They're buffed up zombies encountered in Dracula's castle.
Beware, they poison on touch and take a little longer to destroy. Most
strategies that apply to Zombies works for them too.
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6.74 Peeping Eye (EC52)
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Game Description: One of the castle's watchmen.
HP: 92 XP: 66 Weakness: Light
Information: For the most part, they're fairly predictable flying enemies.
Any successful attack will throw them back and they tend to move around a fair
bit before attacking. The only part that hurts is their eye, so it's not very
hard to dodge around them. Just try to get under them so that you can easily
get them with Vol Ascia. Sadly, there isn't a good way to exploit their
weakness, you just need to land hits well.
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6.75 Gargoyle (EC53)
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Game Description: A demon turned to stone. Attacks in groups.
HP: 130 XP: 111 Weakness: Strike Resistance: Lightning
Information: Gargoyles activate when you come close to them. They fly above
you in erratic patterns and try to swoop into you. Their speed and behavior
makes it quite annoying to deal with them, and few of your striking glyphs let
you attack them with safety. Your best bet is either quickly getting strikes
in after killing off other enemies, or staying under them and landing hits
with the Ascia line.
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6.76 Blood Skeleton (EC54)
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Game Description: The blood they absorb regenerates all wounds.
HP: 99 XP: 0 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: They just move around in set paths. What makes them notable is
that they can't be killed permanently, just be put down for a while.
Thankfully, once you defeat them, it only takes one hit to put them down
again. Just remember to keep an eye on their remains while fighting multiple
enemies, they can catch you off guard.
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6.77 Black Panther (EC55)
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Game Description: A black, female panther.
HP: 168 XP: 152 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Poison, Curse, Stone Resistance:
Strike, Light
Information: Largely similar to Ladycats, most strategies that worked on those
work for them too. You just need to be more careful since they last longer and
hit harder. You should have a few more options by now.
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6.78 Mimic (EC56)
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Game Description: Poses as treasure to prey on mankind's greed.
HP: 293 XP: 165
Information: These mimic treasure chests and start attacking a while after you
open them. They're very fast, and no attacks are particularly good against
them. Thankfully, they're restricted to the ground and their positions don't
change upon room spawning. Just remember where you encountered them and don't
open them again. They also never mimic rare chests.
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6.79 Draculina (EC57)
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Game Description: This female vampire feasts on the blood of intruders.
HP: 266 XP: 170 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light, Stone Resistance: Darkness
Information: They take to the air upon spotting you and fly around you. Their
flight path is a little weird, but they don't move as fast as some other
flying enemies. They attack by either sending their bat or swooping down.
Given how much time they spend in the air, the Ascia line is a good choice
against them. Ignis and Nitesco work fine too if you can consistently get to
their level.
Their Stephanie Helm is a good drop, so do try farming them.
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6.80 Tin Man (EC58)
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Game Description: A robot with no soul, and thus no fear.
HP: 256 XP: 180 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Slash
Information: Tin Men are incredibly deadly. They move fast and quickly slash
at you. Inspite of their weaknesses, no standard attack works particularly
well against them given their speed, and fighting them on the ground is
incredibly dangerous if you can't react fast enough. I would recommend running
away and trying to snipe them, or quickly dual firing Acerbatus if possible.
Nitesco works in a pinch but your reflexes still need to be really good.
Tin Men drop Silver Ore and Gold Ore, both used in sidequests. You generally
would have obtained enough Silver Ore beforehand at this point, but Gold Ore
is a different story. Given how tough they are, I would rather get them off
chests in the castle though.
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6.81 Polkir (EC59)
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Game Description: Feasts on the precious memories of its victims.
HP: 155 XP: 124 Weakness: Slash, Flame
Information: This recolored Nominon floats around and randomly fires a laser
that makes flames rise from the ground. They aren't very accurate and usually
aren't too hard to dodge, and their attack is very well telegraphed. However,
they are sometimes encountered in tight corridors where dodging their fire
is pretty hard, so try killing them fast. The Ascia line and Nitesco are
obviously good choices here.
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6.82 Nova Skeletons (EC60)
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Game Description: Holes were drilled in its head to implant psionic powers.
HP: 248 XP: 138 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: They fire a beam that covers decent range and hits you multiple
times. While they do stand still when firing, they're encountered in tight
spaces which makes dodging it hard, so absorb their glyph. Crouching helps,
but on higher difficulties their beam covers significantly more vertical range.
They are notable for providing Nitesco, one of the best attacks in the game.
Ironically, it works pretty well against them too.
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6.83 Gashida (EC61)
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Game Description: The breath of this living statue petrifies human flesh.
HP: 355 XP: 210 Weakness: Strike Resistance: Lightning
Information: These monsters cover a lot of horizontal area, and combined with
the tight corridors they're found in, this makes dodging them quite a pain.
They have two attacks, a petrifying cloud breathed out from front and a jump.
The cloud is short ranged but the tightness makes it tricky to dodge, the jump
itself is easily dodged thankfully, as long as you can slide under. Use the
Macir line, Lapiste or Nitesco to get rid of them.
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6.84 Devil (EC62)
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Game Description: Manipulates ice and flame while moving sluggishly.
HP: 444 XP: 333 Weakness: Slash, Light Resistance: Flame, Ice, Darkness
Information: Devils move around slowly and shoot two attacks. One is a
fireball, sometimes fired as a set of three fireballs that are easy to dodge
or destroy, the other is a huge wave following the ground that can catch you
by surprise. Given their high HP and damaging attack, it's a good idea to
fight them at a distance and from a different level. Nitesco and the Ascia '
line work well here.
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6.85 Gurkha Master (EC63)
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Game Description: An armored warrior with a knife of the same name.
HP: 240 XP: 200 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: They move around the ground with a rather weird pose and try to
slice you with their scimitar when you get close. At range, they throw it.
It works like a boomerang and returns back to them after covering a medium
distance. Both attacks are well telegraphed but they're not the easiest things
to dodge, especially since the scimitar is actually a bit large. Try attacking
from a distance or being quick with your footwork at close range. The usual
striking glyphs are good for them.
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6.86 Red Smasher (EC64)
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Game Description: An armored warrior outfitted with twin daggers.
HP: 250 XP: 200 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: They run upto you fast and attempt to slice you. It's nothing too
hard, but they can still surprise you if you're not careful. Just be good with
your footwork or try taking them from range. Upon death, they'll throw a knife
that can hurt you, so look out.
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6.87 Cave Troll (EC65)
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Game Description: This beast extracts cow trials with its tongue.
HP: 310 XP: 199 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Poison, Curse Resistance: Strike
Information: These are some of the most dangerous enemies in the game. They
have long attacks, hit hard, move obnoxiously fast and don't leave much room
for error. The one notable weakness they thankfully have is being vulnerable
to curse, even then you should be wary around groups of them and be ready for
some serious dodging, or even fleeing if necessary. Acerbatus works fine on
them but it has a slow fire rate, can only hit cave trolls straight forward
and won't kill them off usually, so it's not necessarily a great solution.
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6.88 Blade Master (EC66)
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Game Description: Excels at duels with its dual-wielding technique.
HP: 200 XP: 190 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: They slide and jump around a lot, and tend to block most attacks.
They're only really vulnerable when they're sliding or standing idly. Try
moving around fast and tricking them into more convenient positions. Attack
them from range, or try avoiding them if possible.
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6.89 Lilith (EC67)
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Game Description: Tempts her victims by exploiting their most secret
fantasies.
HP: 366 XP: 188 Weakness: Slash, Light, Curse, Stone
Information: Basically similar to Werebats, except they shoot a heart out
instead. The heart is easily destroyed and they're often not accompanied by as
many enemies as Werebats, meaning that they're easy to kill.
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6.90 Lizardman Blade (EC68)
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Game Description: This lizard is reptilian enough to weild a huge sword.
HP: 375 XP: 238 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Stone Resistance: Strike
Information: These enemies are quick, heavy hitters. Their swords cover a
large area, and they can charge into you if you try backing away from them.
Try to fight them from afar, and don't be on the same level as them. If you're
having trouble with them, place Cubus stones carefully to immobilize them.
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6.91 Hammer Shaker (EC69)
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Game Description: A superhuman warrior that swings its hammer effortlessly.
HP: 450 XP: 260 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: Their hammer covers a surprising amount of area and they can
strike you at short notice even though they telegraph their attacks pretty
well. Try attacking them from afar, or being quick with your footwork if
you can take them down with close range strikes.
They drop Silver Ore which is used for a sidequest, but you should have
amassed enough of it a long time ago. If you're still somehow missing it, farm
chests in Somnus Reef and Tristis Pass.
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6.92 Rebuild (EC70)
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Game Description: Assembled from the corpses of many renowed warriors.
HP: 666 XP: 400 Weakness: Slash Resistance: Lightning
Information: They try to attack you with several fast punches and kicks, and
they have a lot of health. Fortunately, it's not too hard to double jump over
them, so just do that. If you want to kill them, try some unions.
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6.93 Imp (EC71)
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Game Description: A tiny demon who loves mischief.
HP: 66 XP: 44 Weakness: Light
Information: These small enemies fly around you and attempt to swoop into you
or take control of you. Their size and speed makes it hard to attack directly,
and losing control can be really awful. The Ascia line works the best for
them, given how they tend to be above you.
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6.94 Bugbear (EC72)
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Game Description: A single eyed fiend cloaked in lightning.
HP: 156 XP: 134 Weakness: Light Resistance: Lightning
Information: A more dangerous version of the peeping eye, Bugbears hurt with
their tail too, which has an electrically charged tip. They are far trickier
to dodge and their durability means they can be quite tough enemies. Attack
them before they take off, if you can. I recommend using the Ascia line if
airborne, and Nitesco if you can consistently land hits with it.
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6.95 Spectral Sword (EC73)
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Game Description: This blade is as sharp and deadly as the spirit that
possesses it.
HP: 260 XP: 240 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: These enemies are tough to take down. They're surrounded by
shields and swords, of which the swords hit pretty hard. They will try to
either send a bunch of swords swooping down in an area, make swords fall
straight down in a row, or rotate right into you. I would avoid them, but if
you have to take one down, try using Acerbatus or Nitesco.
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6.96 Automaton ZX27 (EC74)
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Game Description: A nearly complete mobile bot. Model no. 27.
HP: 256 XP: 128 Weakness: Lightning Resistance: Strike, Slash
Information: Similar to the ZX26's, the strategy for them is pretty similar.
They shouldn't give you any trouble.
They drop Silver Ore which is used for a sidequest, but do you really care for
it at this point?
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6.97 Medusa Heads (EC75)
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Game Description: Medusa's severed head spawned multitudes of these pests.
HP: 1 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash
Information: The last of the flying, respawning enemy variety, Medusa Heads
are obnoxious. They fly around in sine wave patterns and come in huge numbers.
While they don't actively move into you, some of them, the yellow colored
ones, petrify you, which is almost an assured death while platforming in
dangerous places. Their speed and numbers are also very problematic. I suggest
getting Fidelis Medusa fully powered to reduce their irritation. Otherwise,
just keep on the move and try using fast projectile attacks.
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6.98 Gorgon Heads (EC76)
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Game Description: Created from the head of Medusa. Turns its victims into
stone.
HP: 1 XP: 1 Weakness: Slash
Information: Basically grey Medusa Heads. They petrify just like the yellow
heads. They drop a glyph and an armor too, both being worthwhile.
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6.99 Mad Snatcher (EC77)
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Game Description: Parasite that clings to, then continually drains its
victims.
HP: 444 XP: 200 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light, Curse, Stone
Information: Basically souped up versions of the Mad Butchers, all the same
strategies still apply. Use Cubus stones if they're giving you trouble.
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6.100 Great Knight (EC78)
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Game Description: One of Castlevania's many elite armored guardians.
HP: 600 XP: 450 Weakness: Strike, Lightning
Information: They're huge, but really predictable. They move slowly and have
two attacks, both of which are telegraphed well. While they do take a long
time to go down, it's not hard to actually fight them. The Macir line or
Lapiste are good choices for them.
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6.101 King Skeleton (EC79)
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Game Description: A skeleton armed with a huge battle ax.
HP: 700 XP: 460 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: Another huge lumbering enemy that's not really tough or a danger.
They have two attacks, the first is when they will crouch and attempt to catch
you. If they do so, they will slice you hard. The second is them trying to
crush you with their axe. Both are very well telegraphed and easy to dodge.
Just don't let it back you into a corner.
If you really want, you could try farming them for the Barbarian Belt and
Barbarian Shoes. Both help with your STR, and so your striking and slashing
attacks at the cost of your physical defenses. The only problem is that
striking and slashing attacks are kind of risky to use this late into the game
because of the limited range, but they are still handy in the right hands.
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6.102 Winged Skeleton (EC80)
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Game Description: An image of death given wings to soar through the night sky.
HP: 30 XP: 1 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Information: Basically more durable winged guards, the same strategies apply
to them. Especially since you should be having a bunch more options when you
meet them first.
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6.103 Final Knight (EC81)
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Game Description: This elite warrior sees intruders as its quarry.
HP: 666 XP: 573 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame, Ice
Information: These are more of a threat than their counterparts in the huge,
lumbering enemy variety. One of their attacks actually has range and can get
to you if you aren't careful. Besides that, they telegraph their attacks very
well and it shouldn't be too hard to fight them. They are big time sinks
though, so be prepared for a drawn out fight.
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6.104 Jiang Shi (EC82)
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Game Description: This blood sucking creature crossed the sea from the East.
HP: 6500 XP: 2525 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: This is the boss of one of the optional areas. He doesn't really
do much beyond leap around a lot and summon electric balls. Just keep hitting
him and moving around, and destroy his balls with Melio Scutum.
By the way, before visiting any of the optional areas you unlock, try talking
to Irina and doing all her sidequests. Killing him is one of her sidequests,
but she doesn't give it to you until you unlock the optional areas and finish
the rest of her sidequests.
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6.105 Demon Lord (EC83)
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Game Description: A superior demon, more terrifying than its most dangerous
kin.
HP: 1333 XP: 999 Weakness: Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: They show behaviors similar to the rest of their cousins, but
they cover a significantly larger area and their spell is harder to dodge.
Thankfully you don't fight many of these and their spell can be easily
interrupted by absorbing it. Take them on one on one and don't attract
attention from other enemies while fighting them. Use Vol Luminatio or
Nitesco, depending on how well you can aim.
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6.106 Double Hammer (EC84)
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Game Description: The only thing more dangerous than a giant hammer is two.
HP: 2000 XP: 1600 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: These enemies only have two attacks, but both cover quite a bit
of area and can hurt you if you aren't careful. I suggest always being on
a watch for their attacks and being quick with your dodging. Flying around
helps, as does using ranged attacks.
They drop Gold Ore which is used for a sidequest, but frankly you should be
finding better sources for it by now.
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6.107 Weapon Master (EC85)
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Game Description: Uses any manner of weapon as easily as part of its own body.
HP: 3000 XP: 2000 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: They have several attacks which they use depending on how hurt
they are. They usually start by throwing two scimitars in your direction.
Once hurt, they somersault around and throw a bunch of daggers. Upon landing,
they quickly throw daggers in several directions. Sometimes they will slam
you with a hammer if you get close. Be quick at dodging them, use ranged
attacks, fly away if necessary. Once they're locked in repeating one of their
several attacks, it should be pretty easy to land hits safely on them.
They drop Gold Ore, which is used for a sidequest. But you should be finding
better sources for it by now.
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6.108 Giant Skeleton (EC86)
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Game Description: A giant condemned in ages past.
HP: 800 XP: 350 Weakness: Strike, Flame, Light Resistance: Ice, Darkness
Attacks: Contact - 35, Strike | Grab - 35, Strike | Leg swing - 35, Strike
Body slam - 35, Strike | Backwards smash - 35, Strike
Information: It is first met as a boss in Minera Prison Island. Its moves are
largely predictable, and you can sneak in a bunch of hits when its attacks
play out. Just remember to keep an eye out for when it tries to slam you with
its body, and quickly use the magnets to get in front of it again, else it
will keep moving backwards quickly while slamming you.
Later on, they are found as a regular enemy in one section of Tristis Pass.
They no longer try their body slam, but even with your equipment they're
still a big time sink, so use unions or trick them into lowering their stance
and then double jumping past them.
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6.109 Arthroverta (EC87)
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Game Description: A giant mutant created to guard the stronghold.
HP: 700 XP: 300 Weakness: Slash, Flame Resistance: Strike
Attacks: Contact - 29, Strike | Roll - 29, Strike | Claw - 29, Strike
Web - 44, Strike
Information: I'm not sure what this was guarding.. a single room?! Anyway, a
pretty simple first boss, backdashing and using magnets lets you dodge all of
its attacks, and it lets you get a lot of hits in between. The only thing that
could catch you by surprise is its web attack, but the webs are easily dodged
anyway so it's barely a factor.
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6.110 Brachyura (EC88)
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Game Description: A giant crab from the depths of Transylvanian history.
HP: 1800 XP: 1000 Weakness: Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Attacks: Contact - 39, Strike | Claw smash - 39, Strike | Bubbles - 19, Strike
Claw grapple - 39, Strike
Information: This boss tries to corner you by climbing up a tower. Once again,
all its attacks are predictable and can be dodged easily. The one that may
give you trouble is the red claw smash, since when first used it moves into
you if you try playing it safe and staying on the lower platform when in plays
out. Just move out when it indicates it's about to do that(it moves its claw
close to the lower platform) and dodge around the upper platform, then go back
to using that spot once that's done. One thing to note about this attack is
that when it first uses it, the spots it hits on the ceiling are a bit
misleading, so don't stray too far away from the middle while dodging. On the
third phase, stick near the wall while using the lower platform, as part of
its legs portrude through it.
As for attacking, anything with a downward range does well, except Vol Fulgur
for obvious reasons.
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6.111 Maneater (EC89)
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Game Description: This monstrous insect buzzes about inside a great skull.
HP: 2500 XP: 1500 Weakness: Slash, Flame, Light
Information: Another rather predictable boss. Luminatio works great on it, as
does Vol Macir if you have good footwork. Do watch out for the small skulls
and bones it spawns from the main skull. They bounce around a lot and can hurt
you for quite a bit, in addition to voiding your medal. Luminatio or Scutum is
good for cleaning them up or blocking them.
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6.112 Rusalka (EC90)
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Game Description: This aquatic demon compels the squalls to obedience.
HP: 2800 XP: 2000 Weakness: Slash, Lightning Resistance: Strike, Ice
Information: Another incredibly easy boss once you use a good tactic. Just
wait till it drops a pillar, than stand on top of it and rapidly attack with
Ascia or Ignis. All of its attacks are well telegraphed and easily dodged.
Remember not to destroy the pillar you're on, you'll need it to dodge the
flood attack.
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6.113 Goliath (EC91)
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Game Description: The only thing more massive than he is the weight of his
blasphemies.
HP: 4200 XP: 2500 Weakness: Slash Resistance: Lightning
Information: Yet another predictable boss. The vast bunch of his attacks are
close range, so just use ranged attacks while dodging. Double jump to avoid
the shockwaves that appear when he jumps around. When he starts advancing
slowly, get under his legs and duck until he passes by, else he'll corner you
and beat you up. Besides that, not much to say.
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6.114 Gravedorcus (EC92)
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Game Description: A monster that tracks its prey through vibrations in the
earth.
HP: 3600 XP: 3000 Weakness: Strike, Ice
Information: Another predictable boss. Just try to destroy the balls it throws
every so often and stay close enough to notice its movements. Be ready to move
out quick if it starts spewing poison or readies itself to move across the
area. For the latter attack keep moving away until it jumps, then sharply turn
back and keep attacking it. Vol Grando is good considering how often it stays
stationary in one spot while attacking.
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6.115 Albus (EC93)
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Game Description: Expert in the use of firearms. His gun is called "Agartha".
HP: 4000 XP: 0 Weakness: Slash, Darkness
Information: I was expecting him to be more agile and unpredictable,
considering how boss battles against other humans tend to be some of the
toughest battles in Castlevania hybrid games. Turns out I was wrong. Anyway,
the trick is to stay near him and jump out of the way of his shots. Don't be
directly above him or in the air for long, as that will make him use his fiery
kick that's a bit too fast to dodge reliably. Vol Umbra is good if you time it
well, else slashing glyphs work well too.
He sometimes uses Acerbatus, which I urge you to grab during the fight. It can
come in quite handy at times.
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6.116 Barlowe (EC94)
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Game Description: A pitiable madman, his body is now Dracula's vessel.
HP: 4000 XP: 0 Weakness: Slash, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: Finally, a fight that's actually somewhat involved. Barlowe has
three notable attacks, all of which are telegraphed but require some effort to
dodge.
His first attack is when he spawns a bunch of books and turns them into
fireballs thrown at you. They slowly track your position, so move around to
dodge them, and use Scutum or Vol Scutum to block them if you're in a tight
spot.
The second attack is when he drops a book on the floor and freezes it.
Just wait till he's on the ground, then double jump, timing your jumps to
spend more time mid air. On Hard Mode, you will need to jump kick off his head
to avoid this reliably.
The third attack is when he decides to form a lightning ball with two books
and bounce around fast. Jump when you see him on the ground, and drop when he
passes again. You can also crouch at the room's corners to avoid it if he
started doing this in the middle of it, timing some slides to lower your
hitbox if necessary.
He can also use Globus, which you should absorb to avoid getting annoyed, and
start teleporting and punching after losing significant health. In case you
didn't absorb it, try to move to the lower corners of the room, keeping an eye
for any balls moving around. The tactics for avoiding his punches are similar
to avoiding his lightning ball, just keep in mind that he gets faster with
each punch, so try tricking his last punch to come out mid air with a double
jump while dropping down.
As for attacking, Vol Ascia is a good choice, but if you can't aim too well
in the heat of the battle Vol Luminatio works fine.
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6.117 Wallman (EC95)
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Game Description: Walls are no obstacle for this bizarre being.
HP: 9999 XP: 3500 Weakness: Slash
Information: Basically a joke boss. Just notice where he places his bombs and
choose a spot suitable for absorbing the glyph. If you do hurt him enough with
conventional attacks, he will try drinking a Super Potion, and you can attack
him to make him drop it. You can only do this once though.
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6.118 Blackmore (EC96)
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Game Description: Sustains himself on the essence of his victims' souls.
HP: 5000 XP: 4300 Weakness: Flame, Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: A deceptively simple boss. You do fight him in a cramped area,
but there's more than enough room to dodge all of his attacks, and all of
them are pretty well telegraphed. The only main problem with this battle is
that after losing a significant amount of health, he will attempt to combine
his attacks, which means you need to be faster on your feet and try to kill
him quick.
Note that on Hard mode he starts out combining all his attacks already, so
this becomes a significantly trickier battle.
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6.119 Eligor (EC97)
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Game Description: A giant demon knight summoned to protect the castle.
HP: 3000 XP: 4300 Weakness: Slash, Strike, Lightning Resistance: Flame
Information: A four stage boss fight, Eligor has predictable, but sweeping
attacks most of the time. You need to break his leg fixtures to move to later
phases. Try to trick him into several attacks and then dodge as appropriate.
Get the two crossbows with the Ascia line, they will harass you later
otherwise. In his final stage he gets a lot faster and tries throwing you off
his back in a multitude of ways. If you do get thrown off you'll have to go
through some phases again depending on where you land, though this time his
leg fixtures will have lower HP and his crossbows won't be back. I suggest
being quick with the final phase and doing a bunch of hit and run attacks if
necessary, running back behind him and going through the third phase again
voluntarily.
The game never tells you this, but his eye is not weak to Strike but to Slash.
Also hitting his body parts doesn't reduce the HP of his eye, which is what
you need to destroy.
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6.120 Death (EC98)
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Game Description: Dracula's confidant. Knows dark secrets hidden from all
others.
HP: 4444 XP: 4444 Weakness: Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: Much like Barlowe, his attacks are telegraphed but require some
effort to dodge. He has four notable attacks. In the first, he will attempt to
create two sets of three sickles each around you and send them flying. Quickly
slide under them to avoid the worst of it.
The second attack has him summoning three spirals that grow longer as they
travel outward. This is the trickiest one to dodge, try to slide once you see
one of them move about two "steps" away from you(steps here being width
covered by the character while crouching).
The third attack is him trying to charge and slash at you. It's best to get
behind him when he starts it, but if not just double jump and linger a bit to
trick him into slicing nothing.
The fourth attack is when he sends a swarm of sickles at you. By far the
easiest attack to dodge, all you need to do is run or slide to the other side.
You don't even need to time this all that well either.
In addition, he will attempt to swing his scythe downward, and scythes
randomly spawn from the air and fly towards you. Both are easy to dodge, and
Rapidus Fio helps a lot with the latter, and with this fight in general.
Attack options are obvious, Nitesco or Vol Luminatio depending on how well you
can aim.
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6.121 Dracula (EC99)
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Game Description: The true master of the castle, and the prince of evil.
HP: 9999 XP: 0 Weakness: Light Resistance: Darkness
Information: Dracula is much like Death or Barlowe as far as difficulty goes.
He has two stages of his battle. In the first stage, he has three attacks.
Two of them have him shooting fireballs or fiery meteors forward, the third
has him shooting a bunch of rays that fall to the ground. The fireballs are
easily destroyed, the meteors aren't but are still easy to dodge as long as
you note their speed. The best way to dodge the third attack is to move
quickly towards him, it has a blind spot around him.
In the second stage, he moves around and attempts to axe kick you. He can also
use another set of attacks. In one, he summons a bunch of bats that will
quickly slice you unless you keep shield glyphs ready or react fast. The
second one is him summoning a bunch of wolves. Quickly back off and kill them
with ranged attacks. The third has him sending a bunch of rays that fall one
by one upon your current location. Depending on where he fired them, it can be
easy or tricky to dodge, try sliding around. Lastly, he will lunge and try to
catch you. If he succeeds, you lose a bunch of health and he heals up, so
avoid this by being quick.
Note that in both stages, you can use Volaticus but he will get annoyed and
use a purple flame attack to bring you down. If you have good timing, you can
get him stuck in using this attack for the first phase and dodge him reliably
while hitting him hard. In his second phase his purple flame is more
unpredictable, making this strategy harder to use. In the first stage, trying
to go over his head makes him slam you with his cloak, so don't try it.
His head is the only spot that gets hurt, so you need to jump and target it.
Generally, Nitesco works well but if you can't aim again go for Vol Luminatio
or the Ascia line.
Oh, and remember to use a special union to finish him off. I don't need to
tell you what it is, it's pretty obvious.
==============================================================================
7. NOTABLE ITEMS(NI)
==============================================================================
Order of Ecclesia has a large selection of items. I only point out items that
are of interest for several playstyles in this section. Note that these aren't
necessarily my favorite items, just stuff you should hopefully find
interesting.
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7.1 Tower Ring (NI1)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Tower". Less likely to be blown away.
Stats: -10 STR, CON, INT, MND, LCK
Location: Minera Prison Island, B21 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
You need double jump to get this.
Information: What this does is usually prevent the pesky flinching animation
from playing out whenever you're hit. This is nice since it lets you get in
more attacks and avoid being thrown off platforms, however the excessive stat
penalties sadly limits its practical uses. You could use this to get some hard
to absorb glyphs, but it doesn't come into play often. It also doesn't really
help with the puzzle of the Pnuema glyph either.
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7.2 Emperor Ring (NI2)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Emperor". Increases recovery effects.
Stats: 2 DEF
Location: Tymeo Mountains, hidden chest, C23 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
map)
You need double jump to get this.
Information: This raises the amount restored by healing items by somewhat more
than double. This goes a long way towards increasing the efficiency of your
medical supplies, especially since you can quickly burn out on them if you're
not careful or in a tight spot. It also boosts the healing rate of Refectio,
making it significantly more effective. Sadly, equipping two Emperor rings
does not give an equally large boost in healing against one. Equip it when you
need to heal up, then replace it with something else.
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7.3 Justice Ring (NI3)
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Game Description: Ring of "Justice". Enemies killed increase attack power.
Stats:+1-34 STR
Location: Monastery, F2 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
Clear up the room of blocks to get this.
Information: A very powerful ring, if you bother powering it up. The problem
is this requires a lot of dull grinding before you get it up to boot. It
doesn't help that slash and strike glyphs become less desirable further into
the game as you start facing enemies you would mostly want to take out from
range to avoid too much trouble. Still a neat ring, though.
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7.4 Gold Ring (NI4)
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Game Description: Luck increases with the gold in your wallet.
Location: Kalidus Channel rare chests
Information: This raises the amount of gold dropped by fixtures and enemies.
Very helpful for gold farming and for powering up the Miser ring, especially
in combination with Inire Pecunia.
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7.5 Devil Ring (NI5)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Devil." Status increases as you recieve damage.
Stats:+1-100 CON
Location: Tymeo Mountains, G14 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
You need Paries for this.
Information: This raises CON, and thus base physical defenses upon getting
more HP lost through damage overall throughout the game or playthroughs. It's
not as exciting as the other equipment here, but high defense can still help,
and it frees up other equipment slots for more useful or funky items. You do
need to do a lot of dull grinding for this though, and getting damaged is
usually out of your control and can easily backfire if you attempt it
intentionally.
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7.6 Fortune Ring (NI6)
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Game Description: Ring of "Fortune". Play time increases LUCK.
Stats:+1-99 LCK
Location: Mystery Mansion, D2 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis' map)
Break all the moving spikes in the puzzle room to get this.
Information: This doesn't directly help, but the huge increase in your chances
of finding stuff can be quite significant, especially if you're hunting for
items that provide good boosts to your stats or are needed for sidequests.
The great thing about this is it doesn't need much effort to power up either,
leaving the DS on for a few days is enough to bring it to touch. You can
basically forget about using other luck boosting items with this fully raised,
with the exception of the Treasure Hat since that has a bigger influence on
rare chests appearing over plain LCK.
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7.7 Sun Ring (NI7)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Sun". Status increases in daytime.
Stats: +6 STR, INT, +3 CON, MND
Location: Dracula's Castle, Final Approach, E26 (Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' map)
Information: This pretty much does what it says, it raises your stats when
it's daytime based on the DS' time. While not as significant as some other
items here, the stat boosts are good on their own and generally better than
most other items, and they don't require any effort to be put into them. They
don't raise your base stats though, so red glyphs that scale with your stats
aren't improved with this. I personally like this ring better since it focuses
more on offensive power than its nighttime counterpart.
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7.8 Moon Ring (NI8)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Moon". Status increases at nighttime.
Stats: +3 STR,INT +6 CON,MND
Location: Dracula's Castle, Barracks, R40 (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
map)
Information: The night counterpart to the Sun ring, this focuses more on
defenses. I personally prefer the daytime one, but this is decent too.
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7.9 Lovers Ring (NI9)
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Game Description: Ring of "The Lovers". Increases hearts acquired.
Stats: +2 DEF
Location: Tristis Pass, Q22, buried chest (Coordinates from Darth Nemesis'
map)
Information: This doubles the number of hearts gained per heart. It's not
really that interesting on its own, but combined with another item it works
incredibly well in sustaining a supply of hearts.
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7.10 Miser Ring (NI10)
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Game Description: Your stats increases depending on how much money you have.
Stats: +1-34 INT, MND
Location: Dracula's Castle rare chests
Information: This raises your INT and MND based on your current gold. A very
powerful ring if you take the time to bring it to speed. The INT raise is
especially handy since most of the good late game attacks are elemental.
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7.11 Heart Earrings (NI11)
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Game Description: Jagged heart earrings.
Location: A sidequest reward by Anna.
Information: This makes fixtures drop large hearts and enemies drop small
ones. Needless to say, it improves your heart replenishment by a lot, and
combined with the Lovers Ring you can get back a lot of hearts to regularly
use unions. I would only suggest using this combo if there are lots of
fixtures in a room you can exploit to regain your heart count, else you
sacrifice a lot of potential power and some interesting options for not a
whole lot of gain.
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7.12 Mirror Cuirass (NI12)
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Game Description: Mirrored armor protects the wearer from petrification.
Stats: +25 DEF
Location: Dropped by Gorgon heards.
Information: What it says on the tin. It makes Medusa head infested rooms a
lot less annoying, and helps against other petrifying attacks too. This is
quite helpful since being petrified is dangerous in this game, and in some
places it can be outright death. I wouldn't suggest you wear it all the time,
but it's worth carrying one around.
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7.13 Heart Cuirass (NI13)
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Game Description: When taking damage, you lose hearts instead of HP.
Stats: +25 DEF
Location: Dracula's Castle, Mechanical Tower, L47 (Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' map)
Information: This item sounds weird at first, but it actually has several
hidden uses. Let's face it, you're not likely to really use glyph unions much
in a regular playthrough, especially when some of them put you at risk of
being hit or rudely interrupted by enemy attacks. This gives more value to the
hearts and effectively extends your lifebar by a hundred or more points.
Besides, it's not that hard to get hearts restored once you can buy Heart
Repairs from the store. Use this if you're going through a portion you can't
reliably get through without getting hurt a bunch. It also lets you survive
one direct hit with the Death Ring on, which can help with some boss fights.
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7.14 Death Ring (NI14)
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Game Description: Ring of "Death". Hits may cause instant death.
Stats: +44 STR, INT, CON, MND
Location: Dracula's Castle, Mechanical Tower, J47 (Coordinates from Darth
Nemesis' map)
Information: One of the strongest, and riskiest items in the game. It greatly
raises your power, but a single hit kills you off unless you happen to have
the Heart Cuirass, full hearts and full HP. This makes it a rather situational
item, yet it's pretty good in the right situations. It especially helps out
with unions.
==============================================================================
8. HINTS AND TRICKS (H)
==============================================================================
-Always keep a few potions/food items handy.
-Every enemy has a pattern. Learn it, and practise dodging it for your good.
-If you're having trouble not being killed, try taking it slow or changing
your strategy.
-Some teleporters can be used as quick village restocking options, in
combination with magical tickets.
-Colored drops are never used for sidequests and should be immediately
consumed.
-Hidden chests, while nice, are not necessary. Don't waste too much time
digging them up; you get an item which helps with them anyway through a
sidequest.
-Don't bother too much with farming areas for rare chests until you get the
Treasure Hat.
-Don't try to buy everything from the shop. Most of it is stuff you generally
won't need or is too situational. In fact, sticking mostly to buying potions
and food is a good idea.
-Offense is almost always better than defense.
-Use one of your glyph sleeve slots to set up unions for convenience sake.
This is important since most good unions require not having the same two
glyphs equipped in both slots, but doing this for normal use hampers your
efficiency significantly.
-Ranged attacks are generally better than close ones, unless your footwork is
good.
-If you find yourself using one type of attack very often, it can be good to
buy or obtain the attribute rings for it, they can sometimes be better than
using other damage boosting equipment.
-Save your unions for bosses if possible.
-Remember to check previous locations once you've gained new abilities.
-Don't try doing every sidequest the first time around. Just prioritize the
ones you think can help you out, eg. Abram for medical things, Eugen for
physical armor etc.
-Don't spend too much time farming enemies, most drops are just sidequest
stuff and you can usually find them more efficiently from chests.
-Don't look solely at attributes while choosing attacks. Try thinking of the
enemies' positioning, speed and other factors too to choose a good attack.
-You don't need to defeat every enemy you meet. It's better to skip a few if
you can't effectively take them down.
-Don't bother farming for xp. You're generally never underleveled for any
enemy unless you're speedrunning or something, and generally not even then.
Besides, you can't really use this trick on the level 1 cap mode for obvious
reasons.
-If you don't care for challenge, play on the higher difficulties using New
Game+ with your best gear to get the rewards comparitively easily. Hard mode
lvl 50 or harder grants you the Queen of Hearts, Hard mode lvl 1 grants you a
level 255 mode.
-Don't underestimate tonics. They can easily grant you a few more attacks, and
so more room to hold off enemies or kill a boss faster.
-After doing a sidequest, you can safely sell the items you get related to it
to easily gain money. If you plan to play on New Game+ though, remember to
keep some of them to quickly finish up sidequests and avoid more grinding;
sidequest progress does not carry over between playthroughs.
-Talk to the cats around the village by transforming with Arma Felix and
walking upto them.
-Don't worry too much about boss medals, they're just for completion sake and
you can always get them more easily from a New Game+ playthrough.
-Backdashing exists. Remember to use it.
-If an area seems suspiciously large, barren of rewards and/or is a dead end,
it usually hides a secret room or item somewhere. Attack the geometry
meticulously to find it.
-Listen carefully, enemies usually indicate through their sounds where they
are even out of the screen.
-Don't try to jump kick enemies unless you aim it really well, more often than
not it backfires on you.
-Slide through rooms infested with low HP flying respawning enemies, it
usually kills any of them that were in front of you and would have hit you
otherwise.
-Some enemies camouflage themselves against their environment. Keep an eye
out for those, especially in the mountain areas.
-Oh, and remember that this game is to have fun with, not to grind. You should
never spend too much time grinding or restarting just for completionist's
sake. Not for items, not for xp, for nothing. The game is perfectly playable
and beatable without any grinding, at worst all you miss is like a few items
or a somewhat stronger attack.
-Have fun!
==============================================================================
9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (A)
==============================================================================
tri Ace Fanboy, for inspiring me to write this guide in the first place.
Combat Crustacean and Chris Lee, for their excellent guides on Aria of
Sorrow's soul system and System Shock 2's general mechanics respectively. Both
are a pretty big inspiration on me.
Darth Nemesis and Zeric for their great map work, which I have significantly
referenced in this guide.
Estepolis Denki for conveniently collecting related information in a pinned
board thread.
Anyone who helps me with this guide.
My family for being generally supportive.
Konami, for making a good, if controversial entry to the Castlevania
franchise.
Lastly, you, the reader for giving this guide your time.
==============================================================================
10. UPDATE HISTORY (UH)
==============================================================================
12/09/2016: First version submitted. Rejected for redundancy, so will be
expanded into a general purpose guide.
08/10/2016: Guide fully written up. To be sent.
02/02/2017: Corrected some mistakes, started adding enemy attacks to the
descriptions.
==============================================================================
11. LEGAL STUFF (L)
==============================================================================
This guide is owned by me. It can be utilized for reference, provided credit
is given to the original author. Please request for permission before publicly
copying its contents or hosting it elsewhere.
I have no affliations with Konami, and they shall not be held responsible for
any inaccuracies or harm caused by this guide. As such, this must be treated
as a third party source of information.
Castlevania, Order of Ecclesia, and any other related names are Konami's
trademarks. Castlevania remains the property of Konami.
Created using Notepad++ v6.9.2.
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Stinger
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" So if the prospect of dying means happiness for someone, he'll delight in
death just as much as another delights in money or a woman. There are no
regrets after death."
-Hasan ibn Sabbah, Chapter 16, Alamut by Vladimir Bartoli.