Board 8 > Final Fantasy Record Keeper Topic 34: Ultimate Renewal

(+) Yeah! (+)

Now that it's actually up I'm having trouble resisting the half price draw... argh.
---

Got lucky on the lucky draw. I got Gabranth and Vayne BSB and I already have Vayne OSB
---

Lucky Draw 4/11

Yuffie SSB
Hope BSB
Cid LM
Red XIII LM

ok
---

4/11

Cid Highwind USB
Vaan USB
Rufus LMR
Snow LMR

Hmm. All new at least.
---

lol at the "at least" after going 4/11 with 2 USBs.
---

4/11
3 dupes (Lightning SSB, Penelo BSB, Aerith BSB) and 1 new relic (Cloud SSB).
That was a waste of 25 mythril. At least the Lightning SSB is armor with Lightning+, so it could see occasional use as a stat stick.
---

1/11 Hope BSB dupe. I really should stop doing these.
---

3/11 Lightning LMR, Serah BSB (dupe), and ancient Snow SSB. I do have Lightning's BSB2, so I may get some mileage out of the LMR.
---

3/11
Organics (dupe)
Folding Epee
Gods Hand
---

I said screw it, it's a half price draw may as well do it.

2/11 - Vanille USB (dupe) and Serah BSB.

Ice is my worst element so the Serah BSB will actually be useful.
---

Welp, I've become a Torment farmer. It's kind of annoying, but I figure the MIOs are worth it. I'm not planning to bother for the other orb types, except maybe Dark when that one comes back again.
---

whoops, was gonna do crystal tower tonight but i guess i was off by a day. man that had a lot of good rewards, too.

did the FFVIII torment instead. 250 was a joke with decked out Squall, 200CM i lacked medica/hastega but still not too bad (have Laguna's boostga and two different stacking break SBs for Irvine).

300 was the only sort of interesting part. i used Squall/Laguna/Irvine for the CM. Cloud USB RW with no hastega, i just gave Y'shtola/Laguna/Irvine auto-haste RMs thinking i could beat it before they expire, with the other two getting in burst mode ASAP. the key was Tidus; i used his CSB pretty much just for party quickcasts cause it did almost no damage. let Squall get going so much quicker and get mitigation up quicker.

what's funny is i still have never seen Squall's USB chaser. everything always dies by the second SSS if i can get 3 bars before a fight starts, or i just use his BSB by itself if i can't.
---

Yeah. I took too long to actually get around to doing the torments and timed out having only done 3 of them, as in, I was in the process of killing the third one when they rotated out. If I'd killed it like 5 minutes earlier I could've done all 4 as I had my "A-Team" minus Rydia (needed her for the turtle) ready for the last one.

I guess I got the majority of the rewards but it was unfortunate.
---

This may count as a spoiler, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPSikNdst4Y

This game is getting actual story content now!
---

WhiteLens posted...

This may count as a spoiler, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPSikNdst4Y

This game is getting actual story content now!

There is NO WAY that shit can be real.

That is down right damn amazing...
---

Could you imagine how long it would take to get all of that content out there? They haven't finished a majority of the dungeon realm let alone redoing all of the games in walkable 2d.
---

That's crazy!
---

Wow

That would be so cool if done right. That sprite work is top notch they look like real 2D FF games. Which I mean, I should've expected given the sprites animations in battle are pretty great but you know.
---

DU Lucky Draw

Yuffie USB
Snow BSB
Lightning SSB
---

Sub 30ed my first magicite, Sealion. Bartz, Refia, Ramza, Onion Knight, Rosa. 29.29 seconds.

Ramza entrusts Bartz then lifesiphon entrusts Refia over and over, Refia uses RW then meteor crush, then either fires within or BSB if it's ready, Bartz uses steal power then USB then Blazing Quadstrike, OK uses protectga, VoF, then Smoldering Fire, Rosa wraths and uses USB.

Bartz, Refia, and OK all have 2 pieces of fire gear each. I'd love to have it so that OK is the battery and Ramza can Shout so Bartz/Refia have the 50% boost rather than 30%, but I need both protectga and shellga up.

Bartz is fully LDed, and getting sub 30 depends on doublecasts and hopefully some 8 strike chases (got only one in my sub 30 run, but a few double casts). Suggestions on how to make it less RNG dependent?

Edit: Bartz is using Vivi's "much more fire damage" RM, while Refia has Tyro's "much more using elemental weakness" RM, if that helps at all.
---

Personally I have better DPS when Bartz has his dualcast spellblade Record Materia over a damage boosting one, but that's if you're capping or near capping damage. He tends to dualcast more often and can potentially triple cast (and his Legend Materia relics stacks on top of that)

Also I don't bring protectga when sub 30ing Sealion (need shellga through!) Though that's probably because I'm using a mage team.
---

Definitely cast VoF before Protectga, you want to get your hastega up as early as possible.
---

SSJSephirothGokuX123 posted...

Personally I have better DPS when Bartz has his dualcast spellblade Record Materia over a damage boosting one, but that's if you're capping or near capping damage. He tends to dualcast more often and can potentially triple cast (and his Legend Materia relics stacks on top of that)

Also I don't bring protectga when sub 30ing Sealion (need shellga through!) Though that's probably because I'm using a mage team.

I've thought about not bringing protectga, but I think I would just get hammered if he does savage wing a few times. After VoF, steal power, and his USB, blazing quadstrike hits for about 7500 each shot (that's with the +fire damage RM).

Kaxon posted...

Definitely cast VoF before Protectga, you want to get your hastega up as early as possible.

Yeah, I'm thinking this can definitely help. Just need to hope Sealion doesn't focus on the same character a few times.

I know I can better my time on Liquid Flame, since I got Tidus's BSB2 and LMR, as well as Bartz's USB and water BSB. Beaten Golem and Bismark already as well. Still have Hydra and Fenrir to do. Squall only has his USB and unique SB that gives him enIce, though I have Ayame with her BSB. For Hydra, I have Bartz USB, as well as Tifa OSB and USB (though I don't think either gives her enEarth). I'm pretty sure I just drew Gladio's BSB a little bit ago, so maybe egging him to 99 could work.
---

Got Sephiroth's OSB from a 100 gem draw! I also got Rosa's SSB from the other 100 gem draw but that might as well be a rosetta stone.

Been trying to sub 30 Shadow Dragon, but he's such a pain in the ass because of Black Fang. I can skip that phase with Shelke entrusting Agrias so she can use her OSB but I can't seem to DPS the rest of the fight quick enough (this would be so much easier if I could use that first bar for her USB!) through Marche is only half legend dived and Agrias isn't even fully 4* dived. Good thing the Crystal Tower just opened so I can get some for Marche at least.
---

Unless you're really stacked for holy, I think it's easier to just designate a character to eat the Black Fang. Someone with entrust and DMT/MM is a good candidate. Just have a party member attack that character (and heal the 2 people that Shadow Dragon attacks) before the 10.5 second mark.
---

Crystal tower is seriously my favorite addition to this game in a long time, or maybe ever.

It's sufficiently hard, without being over-the-top, and it takes an amount of teambuilding and party-balancing, that's just not found anywhere else.
---

Ultimaphazon posted...

Crystal tower is seriously my favorite addition to this game in a long time, or maybe ever.

It's sufficiently hard, without being over-the-top, and it takes an amount of teambuilding and party-balancing, that's just not found anywhere else.

Totally agree with this. Going to make my teams tonight I think.
---

Crystal Tower done, still short on motes to get Marche's second LM, nuts!

Difficulty IMO Barbariccia>Mateus>Yojimbo>Diamond Weapon.

Diamond Weapon was fun though, literally a DPS race. My team was Cloud, Marche, Vaan, Ramza and Relm. Got to see the power of Marche's USB here.

Barbariccia sucks as usual, I focused on killing her ASAP with Tidus, Cid Highwind, Shelke, Rosa and Faris. At least you don't have to wait for her to turn into tornado form for medals this time.

I used the same mage team against Mateus (except replace Tyro for Marach) but for some reason she seemed to hit harder than she did in the FFTA event or is my imagination? I had to reset a couple times because of Star Cross or Spellbind doing major damage. Also got slowga screwed once, even though my party was all equipped with Slow resist.

Yojimbo was made a lot easier this time if you bring Gaia/Divine cross to distract the dog, also I put everyone on the front row so he doesn't silence my healer. Was lower on DPS since I used Bartz instead of Tidus and Rikku instead of Ramza but they got the job done.

I also mastered the FF9 event Ultimates

We've seen Taharka as an ultimate before, I don't think he has anything new, but now he died really fast to the buffed Snowspell strike and Dash and Slash. Vaan was doing 4x9999 even on his flattened form.

Cid Mission'd Garland, this was really easy, he does almost no damage even without wall (started with mako might on Freya so she could use her burst for breakdowns) He only uses Stop on back row members but his attacks are all ranged anyway so there's no downside to putting mages on the front. He does have one trump card, Flare which does 6000 damage. But he only uses it when he's low on health, he killed Eiko but I also finished him off quick with Zidane's OSB that did 90000 damage (team was Freya, Beatrix, Eiko and Dagger, huh I forgot about the female party member boost)

Deathguise was like Squall from the Dissidia event where most of his attacks are peircing or HP dependant, so wall and other defense buffs are mostly useless here. He does start with meteor (actually a gravity attack) so it's recommended to have mako might on your medica. One major difference from Squall is that he's not immune to breaks so your mitigation should be focused on that. Vaan and Faris stacked the breakdowns to neuter his damage and Bartz used RW Cloud USB powered Snowspell Strikes to dish major damage.
---

For me I think the difficulty was Diamond Weapon > Mateus > Barbariccia > Yojimbo.

Partly that's due to party composition - but I did Diamond Weapon first and it was the only one I had to repeat, because the first time I just didn't bring enough DPS. Second time I killed him in the last turn before his ultimate was going to go off.

Mateus I used a magic team - his stuns were annoying, he didn't manage to slow me too many times because I was using slow resist. He killed off one of my team but I was able to finish him. The other two were pretty easy, Barbariccia never went into tornado form so I was able to take her down with Lightning and Ashe. Yojimbo silenced both my healers (twice - first time I had Enkidu to save the day, but after that they were useless) - but Tidus and Paine had enough damage to kill him before he killed me.
---

Okay I got zidane's materia, Beatrix' sword (Ragnarok) and something else I don't remember so it couldn't have been that great for my first draw.

I am burning through dungeons and will probably get 2 more pulls on this banner. Come on Steiner, I raised you to 99 be good to me.
---

Can consistently murder Sealion at around 25-27 seconds. Thinking I can still tweak it a bit, but I'm satisfied. Just need 2 more Taharka's to drop, then I'm done with it. With my luck, I'll have to fight him 10 more times for that to happen (though he was pretty gracious in dropping 3 Wendigos in a row when I needed them).

I think I'll farm Liquid Flame next, as I have Bartz USB/water BSB, and Tidus LMR+BSB2. With Ramza using Shout and Onion Knight as a battery for either of them, shouldn't be too difficult. Still have yet to take down Hydra or Fenrir, but I think once I get Gladio to 99, I can combine him and Bartz for Hydra.
---

Do Witch abilities get reflected? Tempted to hone this 4* Ice Witch ability for use against the Dragon Torment but if it gets reflected there's no point.
---

FINALLY got the last Taharka Magicite to drop from Sealion. Got a new best time of 23.46 also. So never have to fight it again. Debating whether to start farming Liquid Flame or try Hydra/Fenrir for the first time.
---

For old's time sake I just went to FABUL CASTLE to test it

It does indeed get reflected. Lame. I guess Shiva's multiplier is about as high so that'll work.
---

Alright looks like Shiva was good enough

Kinda wondering if I have enough DPS to do the Jump Start though. All my best DPS units are water and even with triple water imperil this guy still isn't weak to it I don't think.
---

Unless you have Rinoa and Fujin's bursts it's better to go physical against Ruby Dragon. Just use Cloud USB RW on your Snowspell Strike user.

Speaking of dragons I'm giving up on trying to sub30 Shadow Dragon for now, everything I think of isn't killing him fast enough. I tried having Agiras lifesiphon on Ramza to have him as the sacrifice but I'm not getting enough meter fast enough to do enough OSBs without him, I tried swapping Agrias for Firion since his USB is instant and fast casts his next life siphons but it's not doing enough damage, probably because he's not fully 4* dived yet (and of course it has to be spellblade record when I'm short on Wisdom and Vitality motes again) I tried mage but Raines by himself isn't cutting since all Hope can do is summon Bahamut and Flare (don't want to bother honing Alexander when Madeen is just around the corner.)

Pretty much every strategy I see for sub30ing this guy involves Orlandeau's OSB, that fucking sword I can never get...
---

Golbez torment seems to be the first one i can't do the 200 CM. i have PCecil's BSB but basically nothing else. i was literally using the skills boost and haste for this. <_< without wall i get totally wrecked and without Cloud USB i doubt i could do enough damage.

maybe if i could just live long enough to get off two BSBs, entrust, and then use command 1 a bunch with the occasional BSB use while everyone else dies. i think i'd need magic lure to survive that without breaks but i don't see how to get all the utility i need while still killing the trash.
---

SSJSephirothGokuX123 posted...

Just use Cloud USB RW on your Snowspell Strike user.

What is

Snow... spell... Strike... user?
---

The 6* Spellblade that does ice/wind damage? Whoever who you used the spellblade motes on
---

The joke was I don't have that skill honed nor do I have a particularly capable user

I do have my boy Tritoch though
---

Bartz can use it (he tends to be the most popular choice because of his dualcast Legend Materia and USB.)
---

Looks like we're getting some Lucky Draws around Christmas time according to a reddit leaker.

First is healer SB guaranteed, second is BSB guaranteed, third is 6* guaranteed.

May pass on healer, only realm I don't have a medica on is 11, 15 and Type-0, through I would like something better for Lenna. These would have been better if they did this for *5 white magic users like that Nightmare one so we'd get a shot at stuff for Beatrix, Exdeath, Kuja ect.
---

I want some healing bursts!
---

Healer: skipping

BSB: if it's BSB+, I'm drawing. However, if it's ONLY BSBs, I might actually skip. I'm sure the BSBs I actually want are less than 10% of the complete BSB-pool. There's some nice-to-have stuff, but the ability buff has not been kind to BSBs.

6* is an easy draw, though.
---

I'm getting pretty impatient for the fest banners. I'll skip the healing lucky draw, do the 6*, and undecided on the BSB. It seems like we have a bunch of cool stuff starting in about 2 weeks (Lucky draws, fest, Terra banner, OK banner) but right now it's slow.
---

Improved my liquid flame time to 36.83. Going to finally try Fenrir today I think.

Also, I think I'll skip the healer draw, but definitely draw on the other two.
---

Yeah I'll probably do the BSB and 6*. I'm pretty okay for healer breaks.
---

Ultimates mastered, really easy though it might be because 13 is probably my strongest realm (even though I'm not a fan of that game...)

In a strange twist I think the first Ultimate was actually the hardest, the Behemoth twins. They can interrupt with their normals and have an aoe piercing attack. But they really were more annoying than hard since their damage is low. I had a mage team but ironically Raines didn't get his BSB off until the very end of the fight because he kept getting interrupted, so Hope summoning Tiamat was the main damage for this fight (I got to 3 hits using Mog's BSB, Rapha BSB RW, Devotion RM and self faith) Also found it funny Enkidu got the last hit with a 9999 Aero.

Chaos Bahamut isn't anything special, standard ultimate with a few piercing aoe attack but they didn't even hit that hard after wall and Moogle Justice. He does do a Mega Flare when he dies so watch out for that in case he costs you a few medals.

Atlas is pretty much the same from the FF13-2 event where Noel debuted, through he has been powercreeped hard and we've gotten used to dispelling bosses. I brought Tellah BSB RW instead of Rapha to refresh my haste whenever he roars, and the quickcast magic is nice bonus. Nabaat brought the dark imperils and Raines pewpewpew'd to finish him off quick so I didn't have to deal with too many roars.

Also we only have 1 medal condition for this event for the higher level bosses now, as well a bunch of Cid Missions (only have to use 3 FF13 characters to get the rewards) we can get a lot of Major Ice Orbs!
---

did one 11-pull on this banner because i have almost nothing on it and i want ice-boosting armor for Squall. i figured if i didn't get one i could go for that FFV banner in the future, but i wanted to minimize my chances of being forced to pull when i have a lot of dupes. got the Noel bracer, plus 2 USBs and 2 BSBs. too bad this couldn't have happened on another banner. this stuff seems mostly underwhelming, with Vanille's ancient BSB honestly seeming to be better than Snow/Noel USBs or Serah's BSB2.
---

Whoa, no more wall of text for the boss description, but we also lost the kupos.
---