Dragon Quest VIII Boss FAQ

DRAGONQUEST VIII





T H E    J O U R N E Y    O F    T H E    C U R S E D    K I N G



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon Quest VIII: The Journey of the Cursed King Boss FAQ

Author: Derek Anderson

Last Updated: July 12 2007

Platform: Sony Playstation 2

Genre: RPG

Developer: Square-Enix

File Version: Final

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

01) INTRODUCTION - G0100

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



This FAQ is an independent publication, offered free of charge by the author.

It may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private

use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly

without advance written permission by the author.



If you wish to use this document on your website, you may do so under one

condition - you must e-mail me first for permission. If I choose to grant you

permission, you cannot change a single character of this document without

further consideration.



Readers are encouraged to submit any information they believe may improve the

accuracy or quality of this FAQ. All contributed content will be credited to

those responsible. Contact information may be found below.



Copyright (c) 2006-2007 Derek Anderson. All rights reserved.



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

02) TABLE OF CONTENTS - G0200

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



01) Introduction.....................................................G0100

02) Table Of Contents................................................G0200



03) Boss Strategies..................................................G0300

a. Geyser........................................................G0301

b. Khalamari.....................................................G0302

c. Tortured Soul.................................................G0303

d. Trap Box......................................................G0304

e. Don Mole......................................................G0305

f. Great Argon Lizard............................................G0306

g. Dark Ruins Boss (First Form)..................................G0307

h. Dark Ruins Boss (Second Form).................................G0308

i. Evil Sorceress................................................G0309

j. Captain Crow..................................................G0310

k. Empyrea.......................................................G0311

l. Gemon.........................................................G0312

m. Evil Sir Leopold..............................................G0313

n. Holy Isle Of Neos Boss........................................G0314

o. Black Citadel Boss............................................G0315

p. Servant Of Darkness...........................................G0316

q. The Statues...................................................G0317

r. Megalodon.....................................................G0318

s. Ruin..........................................................G0319

t. Final Boss (Phase One)........................................G0320

u. Final Boss (Phase Two)........................................G0321



04) Optional Bosses..................................................G0400

a. Red Horn & Blue Fang..........................................G0401

b. Boss Trolls...................................................G0402



05) Tips & Tricks....................................................G0500

a. FAQ...........................................................G0501

b. Skill Sets....................................................G0502

c. Gaining Experience............................................G0503

d. Acquiring Gold................................................G0504

e. Monster Teams.................................................G0505

f. End-Game Equipment............................................G0506



06) Contact Info.....................................................G0600

07) Version History..................................................G0700

08) Credits..........................................................G0800



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

03) BOSS STRATEGIES - G0300

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



It should be noted that most of these strategies were written while I focused

on Swords with Hero, Axes with Yangus, Whips/Staves with Jessica, and Swords

with Angelo. Any of the skill-specific strategies I've used here should be

replaced accordingly with whichever skill set you are using. For example, if

you're using Spears with Hero instead of Swords, replace every instance of

"Falcon Slash" with either a normal attack or a powerful, low-cost ability.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

a) GEYSER - G0301

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

173 | 20 | 107 | 108 | 43 | 14 | 9 | 12 | Seed of Strength

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 20~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Sizz: 10~ Damage (ALL)

3. Cursed Mist: Curses your party (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 5 or 6 before approaching this battle. Be sure

to buy the Wayfarer's Clothes for Yangus and the Leather Armour for Hero in

Farebury. You can find one Leather Shield in Farebury's well, so you only

need one more. Get a Leather Hat for Yangus as well. Stock up on medicinal

herbs, antidotal herbs, and chimaera wings (more so for the cave than for

Geyser). Both Hero and Yangus should have at least three or four medicinal

herbs in their inventories. If Yangus reaches level 6 before making it to the

boss, he has the chance to learn Heal (if you put all 10 of his skill points

into Humanity). In the cave, make sure to grab the Copper Sword and another

Leather Hat for Hero, then heal just before you grab the crystal ball and

start the fight.



STRATEGY

Have Yangus begin the battle by psyching up and let Hero simply attack. From

then on, have Hero trade off using Heal/medicinal herbs with attacking while

Yangus raises his tension up to 50 and attacks. Repeat this process until

Geyser is finished. If you reached level 6 with Yangus and had him learn

Heal, you could give him most of the medicinal herbs and allow Hero to psych

up instead (but only if you found the Copper Sword in the cave and have Hero

equip it).



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

b) KHALAMARI - G0302

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

360 | 255 | 311 | 230 | 63 | 16 | 17 | 16 | Gold Bracer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 25~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Mow Down: 15~ Damage (ALL)

3. Flame Breath: ~35 Damage (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 11 or 12 before approaching this battle. I hope

you didn't go too spending-crazy in Alexandria, because you're going to need

some gold to buy a few things in Port Prospect. For Hero, make sure that he

has the Scale Armour and Scale Shield. If you're up for fighting quite a few

extra battles, try to get the Iron Lance as well. Yangus needs to have either

the Stone Axe or the Farmer's Scythe by now (I used the Axe, because it was

much cheaper, plus I got a +5 attack bonus while using Axes). A Scale Shield

and Leather Kilt are also recommended for Yangus (at least one Scale Shield

can be found in the Tower of Alexandria). Rest and save before heading on the

boat.



STRATEGY

Start off by having Hero attack and Yangus use Helm Splitter (or psych up, if

you don't have that ability at your disposal). No matter which attack

Khalamari hits you with first, you're going to have to be ready to heal on

your second turn. From then on, Yangus should be doing nothing but raising

his tension to 50 and attacking while Hero casts Heal every turn. Your

biggest problem in this battle is Khalamari's Flame Breath attack. Since it

hits both Hero and Yangus for around 35 damage each, it can be very deadly if

they aren't fully healed. But luckily for us, Khalamari ALWAYS follows an

exact attack pattern, and it goes something like this: Flame Breath, Normal

Attack, Mow Down, Normal Attack, Mow Down, Normal Attack, Flame Breath.

Repeat. When it's time for him to use Flame Breath, defend with both of your

characters and the attack should only do around 15-20 damage instead of 35

(or less, if your tension was high while you were defending). Then go back to

having Hero heal and Yangus psych up until it's time to defend again. Rinse

and repeat until Khalamari is finished.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

c) TORTURED SOUL - G0303

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

425 | 255 | 680 | 200 | 66 | 35 | 36 | 20 | Gold Rosary

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 20~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Sizzle: 20~ Damage (ALL)

3. Call for Back-Up: Calls Walking Corpse + Skeleton (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 14 or 15 before approaching this battle. As far

as equipment goes, you'll want to get the Pointy Hat for Yangus in Peregrin

Quay and a Turban for Hero in Simpleton (two traders on the second floor of

the bar). The Chain Mail in Simpleton wouldn't hurt to have, either, if

you've got enough gold. The ol' Stone Axe and Copper Sword should still be

okay for Yangus and Hero, but Jessica's going to need a Thorn Whip from

Peregrin Quay if you want her to be of any help in the Abbey. You might want

to give her one of your old shields as well, because she doesn't come

equipped with one. Also, make sure you've put at least three skill points

into Staves for Jessica, because she'll learn Acceleratle (a.k.a. Haste),

which works wonders in almost every boss battle from now until the end of the

game. If you're feeling REALLY crazy, you could run all the way to Ascantha,

which is far southwest of Simpleton (follow the path leading south from the

Abbey and you should be fine). It's a tough run, especially before you get

Angelo, but the equipment is much better there than it is in Simpleton. Make

sure you have at least two medicinal herbs in every character's inventory

and maybe an extra antidotal herb. Heal before you approach the boss.



STRATEGY

In my opinion, making it through the Abbey itself without wasting too much MP

is actually more challenging than fighting this boss. Nevertheless, this guy

poses quite a threat to an under-leveled party. Begin by having Hero attack,

Yangus psych up, and Jessica cast Acceleratle. For the next two turns, have

Jessica cast Sap to lower the boss's defense while Yangus psychs up and Hero

attacks and/or heals the party. If she knows Snooze by now, use that as well.

Only use Crack if you didn't get the Thorn Whip. Otherwise, it's a waste of

MP. Yangus should focus his attacks on the Tortured Soul, and Hero should

take out only one of the monsters he calls into battle (preferably, the

Walking Corpse). If you kill both of them, he'll just call for back-up again.

The Walking Corpse can poison one of your characters when it attacks, so be

ready to use Squelch or an antidotal herb. Remember that once you've killed

the boss, you still have to take out whatever monsters he summoned before the

battle is over. Keep everyone's HP as high as possible throughout the entire

battle and you should be fine.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

d) TRAP BOX - G0304

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1100 | 255 | 1020 | 660 | 92 | 60 | 50 | 23 | Venus' Tear

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 25~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Desperate Attack: 80~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Crackle: 30~ Damage (ALL)

4. Fuddle: Confuses a member of your party (SINGLE)

5. Snooze: Puts your party to sleep (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 18 or 19 before approaching this battle (he

learns Midheal at 18). There are a lot of great items in Pickham, but the

things that I HIGHLY recommend you buy are as follows: For Hero, pick up a

Steel Broadsword (or the next best weapon of your choice, depending on where

you've been placing your skill points) and an Iron Shield. Grab an Iron

Shield for Yangus as well, a Dancer's Costume for Jess, and an Iron Helmet

for our friend, Angelo. These are the absolute minimum if you want to make it

through the Labyrinth without too much trouble. If you need more money,

Goodybags net you around 106 gold every time you defeat one, and they're

quite common in the Labyrinth. If you do pick up some extra gold, I'd suggest

getting an Iron Helmet for Hero as well, and maybe the Bronze Armour. The

Iron Axe is a great weapon to have, especially when Yangus is psyched up, but

it was too expensive for my taste. Don't forget to give one of your old

shields to Angelo for protection, seeing as how the Templars never supplied

him with one. Conserve MP in the Labyrinth by having Hero and Yangus heal

instead of Angelo. Heal before you approach the chest with the Tear to begin

the battle.



STRATEGY

Oh no, it's a TRAP! A trap BOX! We'll show him a thing or two about keeping

us from our treasure once we've made it this far. Start off by having Hero

and Yangus psych up while Jessica casts Acceleratle and Angelo casts Kabuff.

Sap doesn't seem to work, so don't bother with that. Trap Box loves to use

spells that mess with your party, such as Snooze and Fuddle. This makes it

very hard to strategize past the first turn, because you never know what

state your characters will be in next. If you start psyching up with Hero and

Yangus and they get hit with Fuddle, they could attack Jessica or Angelo next

turn, potentially killing them. However, without psyching up, this battle is

going to drag on for a long time, due to Trap Box's HP. So you're going to

have to think on your feet and be ready for whatever it throws at you. If

you're having a lot of trouble with his desperate attacks, don't psych up as

much (psyching up seems to trigger his desperate attack). And once Jessica

has used Acceleratle, she's free to attack normally. Since most of her spells

are worthless at this point, the Twin Dragon Lash ability is going to be your

best friend (assuming that you've spent a few skill points on Whips). With

Jessica psyched up to 50, it has the potential to deal more damage than

either Hero or Yangus's psyched up attacks. Angelo should be busy casting

Midheal throughout the entire battle or Kabuff if no one's hurt. Don't cast

it if you don't need it, though; MP is a precious commodity in most early

boss battles.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

e) DON MOLE - G0305

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1280 | 0 | 1160 | 360 | 132 | 76 | 64 | 18 | Moonshadow Harp

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 45~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Shake the Ground: 45~ Damage (ALL)

3. The Performance Begins: Confuses your party/Soul Moles (ALL)

4. Call for Back-Up: Calls Soul Moles into battle (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 22 before approaching this battle. We can

finally put together a Monster Team to use against a boss! For my explanation

of the Monster Arena and suggestions for what your team should be, scroll

ahead to the Monster Teams section in Tips & Tricks. Of course, you have to

clear Rank E to learn the Call Team ability, but that's not very difficult (I

was able to clear Rank D before I even finished Trodain Castle!). Plus,

you'll grab a few very nice items along the way. If you haven't bought the

Iron Axe for Yangus yet, now's the time to do so (Pickham, 2,600 gold). A

lil' alchemy never hurt anyone, so let's make some Bunny Ears for Jessica

(all it takes is a Bunny Tail and a Hairband). If you have a Ring of Clarity,

you could equip this with one of your characters to prevent them from

becoming confused, but the Ring won't protect them 100% of the time, so it

may not be worth it. Let Hero and Yangus do most of the healing before you

reach the boss, because you'll want Angelo to have as much MP as possible

during the battle.



STRATEGY

With a decent Monster Team, this battle should be a piece of cake. Hell, even

without a Team, this Mole doesn't pose too much of a threat. Don Mole likes

to start off the battle by using an ability that confuses and paralyzes

everyone in your party. This also affects his Soul Mole sidekicks, which

means that they can (and probably will) become confused and attack Don Mole

for you (they attacked him at least five times in my first battle). To combat

this from affecting your party, call your Monster Team into battle right from

the start. If you don't have a Monster Team, don't worry, because the effects

of the ability will wear off in a few turns (or sooner, if Don Mole or one of

the Soul Moles attacks a confused characters and brings them to their

senses). Just keep everyone healed until they're back to normal and you can

resume your attacks. Once your Monster Team has gone through its three turns,

have Jessica and Angelo cast Acceleratle and Kabuff (respectively) while Hero

and Yangus psych up. If you've learned Falcon Slash, use that instead of your

normal attack with Hero. Sap doesn't seem to affect Don Mole, so don't waste

your time casting it. Jessica should cast Oomph on Hero, Yangus, and herself,

then attack with Twin Dragon Lash. Angelo's going to be occupied casting

Midheal and Kabuff throughout the entire battle, so there's no use in casting

Oomph on him. The Soul Moles have 88 HP and usually deal around 35 damage,

but they like to psych up a lot too. If you kill one, Don Mole will call for

back-up and bring another into the battle, so don't attack them until Don

Mole is finished.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

f) GREAT ARGON LIZARD - G0306

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1390 | 0 | 2830 | 520 | 195 | 160 | 54 | 35 | Great Big Argon Heart

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 70~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Leap Into the Air: 90~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Mow Down: 40~ Damage (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 25 before approaching this battle. If you ever

need to rest your party, just use Evac and talk to the lady in the house

outside of the Hunting Grounds. In regards to your equipment, you'll probably

want to upgrade a little in Argonia, but don't spend TOO much while you're

there. By the time you're finished with the Royal Hunting Grounds, the bazaar

will have begun, and you'll definitely need to pick up some things there

before you head to the Dark Ruins. I WOULD suggest that you buy the Silver

Mail for Hero and two Light Shields for Jessica and Angelo before this

battle, though. In Neos, you'll find a pair of Scholar's Specs that you

should give to Jessica, and if you've found 35 mini medals by now, Princess

Minnie will give you the Posh Waistcoat for Angelo to wear (if you haven't

found 35 mini medals, buy the Magic Garment in Argonia for Angelo instead).

And, of course, check the Monster Teams section to see what your team

could/should be for this boss battle.



STRATEGY

If you've got a good Monster Team, you won't even need to fight against the

normal Argon Lizards. Just call your team into battle and it should all be

over in three turns. The "Great" Argon Lizard is hardly more difficult. It's

got more HP and hits harder, but other than that, there's nothing to worry

about here. Start off by calling your Monster Team and let them absorb some

damage while they knock its health down a little. Once they're done, it's

time to land the finishing blow(s). Have Hero and Yangus psych up to 100

(odds are that your characters have the ability to do this by now). Have

Angelo use Kabuff, then begin casting Fullheal (or Midheal) on whoever's

damaged the most. Jessica's strategy is very specific. First, have her cast

Acceleratle. Next, she casts Oomph on Hero, then Sap twice on the Lizard. If

all goes to plan, Yangus probably won't even have a chance to use his psyched

up attack. Once Hero is completely psyched up and Oomphed, have him use

Dragon Slash. By all means, the Lizard should be completely destroyed. I

mean, I dealt more damage with this one attack than the Great Argon Lizard's

max HP! If, by some chance, the Lizard is still standing, have Yangus unleash

his attack. And if it's STILL there, just use normal attacks and Falcon

Slashes until it's finished.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

g) DHOULMAGUS (FIRST FORM) - G0307

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1880 | 255 | 4300 | 0 | 202 | 128 | 78 | 18 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Opens Both Hands: Splits into three Dhoulmaguses (SELF)

2. Normal Attack: 50~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Wind Sickles: 70~ Damage (SINGLE)

4. Throws Debris: 80~ Damage (HITS 2 RANDOM -or- 1 TWICE)

5. Eyes Gleem Eerily: Puts one character to sleep (SINGLE)

6. Thousands of Whips: 40~ Damage (ALL)

7. Thin Air Attack: 40~ Damage (ALL)

8. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

9. Multiheal: Restores 80~ HP (SELF/ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

DHOULMAGUS CLONES

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

570 | 255 | 450 | 0 | 176 | 128 | 86 | 20 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 29 or (preferably) 30 before approaching this

battle. And no, that is not a typo. If you want to be able to beat Dhoulmagus

without tearing your hair out, you're going to need Hero to be at least level

30. But more important than Hero's level is Angelo's. Once he hits level 30,

he learns Multiheal, which is INCREDIBLY helpful in this fight. Thankfully,

now that you have the boat, there are a few places you can hunt for metal

slimes. Check the Gaining Experience section of this FAQ for help. Another

great place to level up is the area just before you reach Dhoulmagus in the

Dark Ruins. There's a spring there that you can use to completely heal your

party. Whistle, call your Monster Team, heal, repeat. You'll be leveling up

in no time. Put most of your money in a bank, because there's a good chance

that you won't make it past Dhoulmagus the first time you fight him. But

don't fret! If you beat Dhoulmagus's first form and die fighting his second,

you can go back to the Dark Ruins and you'll only have to fight his second

form again. With the Dragon Scale that can be found in the Dark Ruins, plus

the one in from the Royal Hunting Grounds, you can now make a Dragontail Whip

for Jessica, which is a BIG upgrade. Just mix the two Dragon Scales with a

Snakeskin Whip (Leather Whip + Scale Shield). The best sword for Hero at this

point in the game is Zombie Slayer. To make this, you must first buy a

Zombiesbane at the bazaar in Argonia, then mix it with a Holy Talisman (Tough

Guy Tattoo + Holy Water + Gold Rosary). Voila, instant badass weapon! This

sword also works great against most of the enemies in the Dark Ruins. As far

as the rest of your equipment goes, I'd suggest picking up the best of

everything in the bazaar, ESPECIALLY the armour and shields that absorb magic

damage. For example, the Magic Vestment is weaker than a Silk Bustier, but

the magic resistance definitely makes up for it. Also in the bazaar is a

little girl who's selling Yggdrasil leaves. These are great, because they

always revive a character when used (unlike Zing, which only works half of

the time). However, the girl will only sell you a leaf if you don't already

have one, so once she gives you your first, she'll stop selling them to you.

You can get around this by "hiding" one of your leaves in the alchemy pot.

Put a Yggdrasil leaf and some Magic Water into the pot, then buy another leaf

from the girl. Immediately cancel the alchemy pot, and now you've got two

Yggdrasil leaves. If you've done the Chateau Felix sidequest, there's a less

costly method of doing this. While helping Felix, you encounter a tree that

appears only at dawn. Here you will find a Yggdrasil Leaf if you currently

have none in your inventory. If you already have one, use the aforementioned

alchemy pot trick to "hide" the first and pick up the second, then interrupt

the pot to regain the first. Make sure to put at least one or two Magic

Waters into Jessica and/or Yangus's inventory, because there's a good chance

that you'll need to use them on Angelo if you're trying to make it through

both of Dhoulmagus's forms in one run (especially if you're casting Multiheal

almost every turn, or even if you don't have Multiheal at all).



STRATEGY

Believe it or not, but this is the easy half of our epic battle with

Dhoulmagus. He always starts off by splitting himself into three entities.

The real Dhoulmagus is in the center; the two flanking him are clones. They

only attack once per turn, but they can deal almost as much damage as the

real Dhoulmagus, so you'll want to take them out first. Thankfully, they only

have 570 HP, so they'll go down quick, plus Dhoulmagus won't regenerate them

once they're gone. In this battle, you really only have two priorities;

attacking and healing. Hero and Yangus should be attacking almost every turn,

unless Hero needs to cast Fullheal to help Angelo out. Make sure that Hero is

using Falcon Slash, too, as it's much more effective than his normal attack.

Jessica casts Oomph on those two, then attacks every turn with Twin Dragon

Lash until Dhoulmagus uses his Wave of Ice ability or the Oomph runs out. Sap

rarely, if ever, works here, so I wouldn't suggest that you bother with that.

You also don't want to psych up or use any stat buffs other than Oomph,

because you'll only end up wasting turns once Dhoulmagus wipes them all out

with his Wave of Ice. In the beginning, Angelo should attack with Falcon

Slash, but once Dhoulmagus starts attacking, he needs to be kept busy casting

either Multiheal or Fullheal until Dhoulmagus is finished. The moves you want

to look out for are when he throws debris at one of your characters, plus any

of the attacks that damage everyone in your party (specifically, Thin Air and

Thousands of Whips). This is why it's suggested that you have Angelo learn

Multiheal before this battle, but you can make it just fine without. Whenever

Dhoulmagus puts someone to sleep, don't bother having Angelo use Tingle on

them, because one of his next attacks is sure to wake them up. You can call

your Monster Team at any time during the battle, but I'd suggest waiting

until the clones have been taken out first so that they can focus their

attacks on the real Dhoulmagus.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

h) DHOULMAGUS (SECOND FORM) - G0308

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

2640 | 255 | 12000 | 0 | 210 | 135 | 74 | 15 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 70~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Combo Attack: 25~ Damage x 5 [125~ Damage] (SINGLE)

3. Kasizzle: 40~ Damage (ALL)

4. Kacrackle: 40~ Damage (ALL)

5. Blazing Fire: 60~ Damage (ALL)

6. Feather Arrows: 80~ Damage (ALL)

7. Intimidating Scream: Knocks out a character for one turn (ALL)

8. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 30 or 31 before approaching this battle. See

the Preparations section for Dhoulamgus' first form. If you manage to beat

his first form, but die fighting his second, you can go back to the Dark

Ruins and you'll only have to fight his second form again.



STRATEGY

Oh, here's where things start to get nasty. Once again, Dhoulmagus will be

able to attack twice per turn, nullify all of your stat buffs, and attack all

of your characters at once for big damage (especially once his HP starts

running low). If you have Multiheal, good for you. If not, you'd better have

Hero and Angelo be ready to cast Fullheal almost every turn. If there's one

character that desperately needs to be healed, make sure to have Angelo cast

Fullheal on them instead of Hero, because there's a greater chance that he'll

be able to use it before Dhoulmagus attacks again. Have Jessica focus on

casting Oomph on Hero and Yangus, then attack with Twin Dragon Lash.

Dhoulmagus loves to cast Kasizzle and Kacrackle, so it may be in your best

interest to use Insulate or Magic Barrier as well during this battle. Once

again, though, only these two spells and Oomph should be used as stat buffs.

If one of your characters dies, I'd suggest using a Yggdrasil leaf instead of

Zing, because it'll save you from a lot of frustration if Zing fails. Nearly

every turn, Yangus should be using his normal attack. Only have Hero use

Falcon Slash, and that's only when no more than one person really needs to be

healed. Again, Jessica's casting Oomph, Insulate/Magic Barrier, and Twin

Dragon Lash while Angelo constantly uses Multiheal and Fullheal. Don't let

anyone's HP drop too far down; play conservatively and you won't have too

much to worry about. Dhoulmagus' combo attack is capable of taking out any

one of your characters if their HP is too low, and the combination of his

fire/ice spells and the feather arrows attack can be just as deadly. Feel

free to call your Monster Team into battle again at any time, and let them

absorb some damage while they deal their own. This battle can be ridiculously

challenging, but keep trying! Like they say, don't give up before you LEVEL

up!



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

i) EVIL JESSICA - G0309

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1970 | 255 | 7800 | 0 | 180 | 138 | 82 | 40 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 35~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Kafrizzle: 70~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Kasizzle: 40~ Damage (ALL)

4. Kacrackle: 40~ Damage (ALL)

5. Kasnooze: Puts your party to sleep (ALL)

6. Tears the Dimension: Calls 3 Shadows into battle (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 32 before approaching this battle. If you

picked up the best of everything at the bazaar in Argonia, you shouldn't need

anything in Arcadia. If you didn't, feel free to upgrade whatever you like.

For many, the Magic Bikini is a "must-have," but I found that it was phased

out fairly quickly by better equipment, making its 13,800 gold price tag a

big mistake. If you just CAN'T live without it, go ahead and buy it, but

don't say that I didn't warn you. Dominico will heal your party before this

battle.



STRATEGY

After that hellacious duel with Dhoulmagus, poor Jessica doesn't pose much of

a threat anymore. And since she's obviously not in your party at the moment,

this strategy is going to be much more straight-forward than the last couple

of boss battles. Evil Jessica doesn't have any spells that can nullify your

stat buffs, so have Angelo cast Kabuff a couple of times at the beginning of

the battle. Her only annoying spell is Kasnooze, which has the ability to put

all three of your characters to sleep. However, her other favorite ability

(calling Shadows from another dimension into battle) actually works in your

favor. Since these Shadows only deal around 5 damage with their normal

attacks, and roughly 15 with their one ability (Cool Breath), it's in your

best interest not to waste your time killing them. When Jessica puts your

characters to sleep, the Shadows will attack them, usually waking everyone

up. If you just can't stand having the Shadows around, have Hero cast Zap or

Kasizzle. Other than that, she'll use a couple of spells that hit everyone in

your party, plus her normal attack and Kafrizzle (which deals around 70

damage to whoever it hits). Hero should be preoccupied with attacking every

turn. There's no reason to have him psych up, because you'll need to be able

to cast his spells whenever you want to get rid of Jessica's Shadows. Yangus,

on the other hand, is free to psych up as much as possible until he's ready

to attack. Have Angelo cast Kabuff when he's not busy using Multiheal,

Fullheal, or attacking with Falcon Slash. As always, your Monster Team works

wonderfully in this battle. Just make sure not to call them into battle until

right after you've taken out all of the Shadows.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

j) CAPTAIN CROW - G0310

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

3680 | 255 | 9750 | 2675 | 256 | 152 | 90 | 12 | Pirate's Hat

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 80~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Thin Air Attack: 40-50~ Damage (ALL)

3. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 35 before approaching this battle. In Orkutsk,

buy a King Axe for Yangus. If you're a tight wad like I am, this'll be a HUGE

upgrade for him. At this point in the game, you can get two very powerful

weapons for Hero. The first is the Miracle Sword, given to you by Princess

Minnie in exchange for 68 mini medals. The other is the Hero Spear, which is

the prize for clearing Rank A of the Monster Arena. The best weapon for you

is dependent on which skill set you've been focusing on. You may also want to

invest in some of the armour that is available in Orkutsk, though there will

be better armour in the next two towns that you visit. Captain Crow's attacks

are much more physical than magical, which means that the defense rating on

your equipment is more important than any secondary magic-resistant effects

it may have. Also, if, for some reason, you haven't gone through the Monster

Arena and put together a good Monster Team yet, NOW is the time to do so.

Check the Monster Teams section of this FAQ for more details.



STRATEGY

This is one of those bosses that you expect to be fairly easy, but turns out

to be quite difficult. That's right; this ol' Cap'n can still give you one

hell of a fight. He loves to psych up. A lot. And by "a lot," I mean that he

likes to psych up all the way to 100. Needless to say, when he hits you with

one of his high-tension attacks, it's going to hurt. A lot. Oh, and did I

mention that he has two moves every turn? That's right, he can go to 100 in

two turns. But don't fret; with the right combination of Sap, Call Team, and

abilities like Puff Puff and Underpants Dance, Crow isn't nearly as dangerous

as he seems. Start off the battle by having Hero and Yangus psych up while

Jessica casts Sap and Angelo either attacks or uses Kabuff. Now, these first

few turns are going to be the only time that you should psych up this entire

battle, due to Crow's Wave of Ice ability and the unpredictable times that

you'll need to defend against his big attacks. Once Jessica's cast Sap once

or twice, try to have her use Oomph on Hero or Yangus before they attack.

They should only be psyching up to around 50, because you're running the risk

of having your tension negated by the Wave of Ice if you try to go to 100.

Have Hero and Angelo attack with Miracle Slash when they're damaged and

Falcon Slash when they're not. If you've got a Monster Team or two, don't

call them into battle until Crow's ready to unleash his high-tension attack.

Remember that Call Team will always be used before anything else the turn

that you use it, so don't worry about Crow attacking before you call your

team into battle. If Crow hits one of your characters with a normal attack

when his tension is 100, it's almost guaranteed to kill that character,

regardless of who it is. If he uses his Thin Air attack when he's fully

psyched up, it will seriously damage your entire party, potentially taking

out Jessica and/or Angelo at the same time. If you've learned Jessica's Puff

Puff ability or Angelo's Sarcastic S******, use them to knock Crow's tension

down and buy yourself some time for healing or attacking. Even better than

Sarcastic S****** is Yangus' Warcry and Underpants Dance abilities, as they

could, in theory, keep Crow knocked out the entire time (granted, these

probably won't work every time, but they'll work enough to make the battle

MUCH easier). You may also want to cast Kabuff once or twice before he

attacks and hope that he doesn't use Wave of Ice. Once he's either psyched up

to 100 or is set to psych up and then attack next turn, call your Monster

Team immediately, or have everyone defend except for Hero, who should use

Defending Champion if he has it. Once the damage has been dealt, have Hero

and Angelo use Fullheal and Multiheal while Yangus attacks and Jessica uses

Twin Dragon Lash or her most powerful spell (or Sap, if Crow's defense has

returned to normal by now).



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

k) EMPYREA - G0311

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1785 | 255 | 10150 | 0 | 386 | 308 | 101 | 42 | Seed of Magic

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 150~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Zap: 70~ Damage (ALL)

3. Body Flashes Brightly: Dazzles your party (ALL)

4. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

5. Midheal: Restores 75~ HP (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 36 or 37 before approaching this battle. For

many, this battle will come as a complete surprise, meaning that any sort

preparation is going to be out of the question (the first time you fight her,

at least). That is, of course, unless you're reading this in advance, in

which case, I congratulate you. Anyway, whether or not you're reading this

before you fight Empyrea or after she's whipped you, there are a few things

you can do to make sure that this Godbird doesn't ruffle your feather

(*cough*). First of all, stock up on some good equipment in Empycchu. If you

haven't opened the casino in Baccarat yet, I'd suggest that you take the time

to do that (see: Acquiring Gold section of this FAQ). In the casino, you

can make an unlimited amount of cash and/or win some great items (a Gringham

Whip, Falcon Blades, Liquid Metal Armours, and some Saint's Ashes for the

alchemy pot). Make sure that Angelo has the best possible equipment you can

give him, because you don't want him to die at any point during this battle.

Don't forget to cash in your mini medals, too.



STRATEGY

And you thought Captain Crow was tough. Empyrea attacks twice per turn, hits

for around 150 damage with her normal attack, uses the Wave of Ice ability to

nullify your stat buffs, dazzles your party to make physical attacks useless,

and heals herself all the time. Oh boy. If she hits one of your weaker

characters twice in a row, expect to be using Fullheal or Kazing the next

turn. And regardless of which attacks she uses, Multiheal is going to be very

useful. Start off by calling your Monster Team(s). If you have two, call your

weakest one first and hope that she only dazzles that team. Once they've used

up their three turns, the real battle begins. Have Hero and Yangus attack

while Jessica casts Oomph on both of them and attacks with a powerful spell

(Twin Dragon Lash doesn't seem to work very well against Empyrea, so use

Kafrizzle or something similar instead, especially when Jessica's dazzled).

Angelo can cast Kabuff in the beginning or when no one is damaged, but for

the most party, he should be preoccupied casting Fullheal and Multiheal. If

you've learned Divine Intervention with him, cast that as well to increase

the damage caused by your spells. When Empyrea's body flashes brightly,

she'll dazzle most of your party, causing most of your physical attacks to do

no damage to her. While your characters are dazzled, have them either use an

offensive spell (Zap or Kafrizzle) or psych up. If Angelo becomes dazzled,

that won't affect his job as healer, so don't worry about him. This battle

can drag on for a while, due to Empyrea's high defense and her ability to

cast Midheal. Stick to healing and attacking, and avoid using any stat buffs

outside of Oomph and Kabuff. Even though her defense is high, she's doesn't

have very much HP, so even your weakest attacks will add up over time.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

l) GEMON - G0312

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

3960 | 8 | 8600 | 0 | 328 | 152 | 99 | 42 | Seed of Skill

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 100-150~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Desperate Attack: 300~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Belches Blazing Fire: 50~ Damage (ALL)

4. Call for Back-Up: Calls a Dark Condor and Dark Turkey (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 37 before approaching this battle. Check the

Preparations section for the battle with Empyrea. Remember to heal before

engaging Gemon.



STRATEGY

After that nasty fight with Empyrea, this battle is nothing. He can still

attack twice per turn for a decent amount of damage, but the most important

thing to note is that he DOES NOT have the Wave of Ice ability. This means

that you can use any stat buffs you like and never have to worry about him

nullifying them. Psych up, Kabuff, Acceleratle, Oomph, etc. Use 'em all. You

can also have Jessica use Sap on Gemon at least twice. Have Hero and Yangus

psych up to 50 or 100 right from the start. Jessica casts Acceleratle, Oomph

on both of them, then Sap on Gemon. Angelo can start by casting Kabuff, but

after that, he should be occupied with Multiheals and the occasional

Fullheal. Gemon starts off with two allies: a Dark Turkey and a Dark Condor.

The Dark Turkey hits for around 40 damage with its normal attack and 100 with

Wind Sickles. It also has the ability to intimidate your party and cast

Kasap. The Dark Condor is less versatile; usually, it will only attack you

for around 50 damage. But if you call your monster team into battle, the Dark

Condor can force them to leave with one of its ability. However, your monster

team is usually faster than your opponents, which means that they will most

likely kill the Dark Condor before it even has the chance to attack (no

guarantees, though). Once you've attacked with your psyched up and Oomphed

Hero and Yangus, continue to psych up or hit Gemon with your best attacks.

Since you've got Oomph and Sap on your side, even your normal attacks will

hit hard. When Jessica runs out of things to do, have her either attack Gemon

with Twin Dragon Lash or use a spell like Kaboom to hit all of your enemies.

If you kill both the Condor and the Turkey, Gemon will call for back-up and

bring in two new ones. However, if you only kill one, he won't bother, so

it's in your best interest to only take out the Dark Turkey.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

m) EVIL SIR LEOPOLD - G0313

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

4260 | 0 | 10200 | 0 | 299 | 152 | 94 | 45 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 80~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Cold Breath: 100~ Damage (ALL)

3. Intimidating Scream: Knocks out a character for one turn (ALL)

4. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 38 before approaching this battle. Now that you

can fly, there are plenty of places for you to explore and new equipment to

find. Yangus's best axe is located at the bottom of Howlind Hill, a tall

plateau north of Rydon's Tower. Land there and follow the paths leading

downward until you reach the chest with the axe. His best scythe can now be

purchased in Tryan Gully, where you were given the Darktree Leaf. At the

south end of the desert, there's a ledge with an Orge Shield. If you're too

lazy to win the Gringham Whip for Jessica in Baccarat Casino, you can mix

some Saint's Ashes with a Demon Whip (Godbird's Eyrie, Dark World) to create

Jessica's second best whip, the Scourge Whip. There are too many good recipes

to list here, so you can either find the rest out for yourself or check

another FAQ. And don't forget about all of the great items that are now

available in Tryan Gully, including Power Shields, Great Helms, Thinking

Caps, Gigant Armour (great for Yangus), and Magic Waters. Plus, you can buy a

Great Bow to mix with an Eros' Bow (Hunter's Bow + Garter Belt) and a

Cheiron's Bow (Eros' Bow + Power Shield) to create Odin's Bow, Angelo's best

bow. If you need to gain some more experience, check the Gaining Experience

section for info on new places that you can level up with the Soulstone.



STRATEGY

We meet again, Sir Leopold. Only this time, we actually get to fight.

Leopold's nothing special. He attacks twice per turn and uses the Wave of Ice

ability, but other than that, there's nothing to worry about. His strongest

attack is Cold Breath, which hits all of your characters for roughly 100

damage each, but that's what Multiheal is for, right? Leopold always starts

off by using his Intimidating Scream. You can combat this by calling one of

your Monster Teams in the first turn. Once they're finished, have Hero and

Yangus attack and Jessica cast Sap at least once. From then on, Jessica

should be attacking and/or using Oomph on Hero and Yangus. Twin Dragon Lash

works GREAT in this battle, so use that whenever you get the chance. As

always, Angelo can start out using Kabuff, but he'll need to be ready to cast

Multiheal the rest of the time. Leopold has a surprisingly low agility

rating, which means that you'll often have your entire party take their turn

before he does. For the most part, you should be attacking and healing,

nothing else. After the first turn, the only stat buff you should ever

consider using is Oomph, and possibly Insulate or Magic Barrier if you'd like

to cut down on the damage caused by Cold Breath. Keep chipping away at

Leopold's HP and he'll go down in no time.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

n) MARCELLO - G0314

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

3120 | 255 | 11020 | 0 | 320 | 178 | 108 | 42 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 100~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Wind Sickles: 100~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Kafrizzle: 110~ Damage (SINGLE)

4. Pray to the Heavens: 130~ Damage (ALL)

5. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

6. Midheal: Restores 75~ HP (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 39 before approaching this battle. Check the

Preparations section for Evil Sir Leopold. Heal, save, etc. And don't forget

to cash in those mini medals!



STRATEGY

Oh, so Marcello thinks that he can just sic his guards on you and let THEM

handle the dirty work? Not quite. This battle is no more difficult than the

last boss battle. He'll attack twice per turn, but none of his attacks have

the ability to wipe out one of your characters (or your party, for that

matter). Hero and Yangus should be non-stop attacking, only pausing if Hero

needs to help Angelo by casting Fullheal. Marcello is susceptible to Sap, so

have Jessica cast that when she's got nothing better to do (especially before

Hero and Yangus use their high tension attacks). He does, in fact, have the

ability to cast Wave of Ice, though, so try not to psych up past 50 or use

any stat buffs outside of the basics (Oomph and Kabuff). If you have the

Timbrel of Tension, let Jessica use it at the beginning of the battle. If

not, have her cast Acceleratle instead, followed by Oomph for Hero and

Yangus. Those two should psych up while Angelo casts Kabuff and whichever

healing spells are necessary. If Marcello uses his "pray to the heavens"

attack, be sure to have Angelo cast Multiheal the following turn. I also

noticed that he uses Midheal even when he's not damaged, so that could mean

that his attacks follow some sort of pattern. If you figure it out, you may

want to defend before the prayer attack comes (unless, of course, you've been

psyching up, in which case you should just continue to psych up or attack).



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

o) RAPTHORNE - G0315

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

4850 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 346 | 186 | 115 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 100~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Desperate Attack: 300~ Damage (SINGLE)

3. Kafrizzle: 100~ (SINGLE)

4. Kaboom: 50~ Damage (ALL)

5. Cold Breath: 100~ Damage (ALL)

6. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

7. Dazzle: Causes physical attacks to do no damage (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 40 before approaching this battle. The Black

Citadel. Rapthorne is so close. Before you fly up to that castle in the sky

though, you've got to be prepared. If you want to see a list of equipment

and items that I had before I decided to take him on, hit Ctrl+F and type

"G0506" to jump to the End-Game Equipment section of this FAQ. I also had 31

Magic Waters stashed away in my bag, along with the ones I put in every

character's inventory. There's absolutely no need for that many Magic Waters,

I just didn't have anything else to spend my gold on at that point (thanks to

the copious amount I had made on Prayer Rings in the casino). I do, however,

highly recommend that you pick up at least 15 or so Magic Waters before going

into the Citadel, just to be on the safe side. Essentially, your party is

only going to be as good as you make it. If you spend some extra time

crafting better equipment and leveling up, then you're not going to have any

trouble with Rapthorne. Also, don't forget to put that Sage's Stone you pick

up in the Citadel into Yangus or Jessica's inventory (preferably Jessica's,

because we want Yangus attacking or psyching up as often as possible).



STRATEGY

Is there anyone sillier looking than Rapthorne? Honestly, the guy looks like

a giant grapefruit floating on top of a gumdrop. Nevertheless, he's still a

force to be reckoned with. In fact, he's probably the hardest boss since

Dhoulmagus, which is only fitting. Is he harder than Dhoulmagus? No. But he

DOES attack twice, use the "Wave of Ice" ability that nullifies your stat

buffs, and have a large range of attacks at his disposal. He won't, however,

change into a second form, nor will he heal himself. What you have to look

out for in this battle is his desperate attack. Out of nowhere, he'll land

around 300 damage on any one of your characters, which is why you need to

keep your HP high at all times and be properly equipped. Hopefully, you've

learned Kazing with Jessica by now (Staves 100), so you won't have to worry

too much about someone getting knocked out. First thing's first. Hero and

Yangus psych up, Jessica uses the Timbrel of Tension (you DO have that by

now, right?), and Angelo casts Kabuff. Early in the battle is the best time

to psych up, as the odds of Rapthorne using the "Wave of Ice" ability are at

their lowest. Don't push your luck, though. Once you hit 50, it's time to

send out your first attacks. Hero should be using Gigaslash, Falcon Slash, or

Miracle Slash when he's psyched up and only Falcon Slash and Miracle Slash

when he's not. Have Yangus hit Rapthorne with normal attacks the entire time.

Jessica should be using her standard array of moves (Acceleratle, Oomph, and

the occasional offensive spell). She can also use the Sage's Stone every once

in a while, letting Angelo cast Kabuff again or attack instead of having to

use Multiheal. I used Sap three times and only had it work once, so it's up

to you whether or not you want to take that chance. Insulate and Magic

Barrier are both good choices against Rapthorne, based on the fact that he

loves to cast Kaboom and Cold Breath far more than any other spell or

ability. And, if you feel like taking a chance, you can cast Bounce and try

to reflect most of his spells back at him. However, that also means that you

won't be able to use most of your healing spells without having them reflect

back on the caster (the Sage's Stone can still get around this, because it's

technically an item). Call your monster teams and let them chip away at him

if you want. Remember that if one of your monsters dies, it won't be able to

fight for you in any of the upcoming battles, so be wise and call them back

if they're in danger.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

p) SERVANT OF DARKNESS - G0316

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

432 | 255 | 1600 | 301 | 369 | 237 | 156 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRATEGY

Incredibly simple mini-boss. All you need to do is call your Monster Team and

let them handle the Servant. If you don't have a Monster Team, just attack

with everything you've got. Falcon Slashes, Twin Dragon Lashes, etc. This

battle should be over in 30 seconds, tops.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

q) HERO STATUE - G0317

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

545 | 50 | 800 | 0 | 242 | 177 | 110 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

YANGUS STATUE

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

505 | 50 | 730 | 0 | 256 | 166 | 105 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

JESSICA STATUE

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

385 | 100 | 460 | 0 | 163 | 179 | 130 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

ANGELO STATUE

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

385 | 100 | 460 | 0 | 163 | 179 | 130 | 55 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRATEGY

Again, these statues hardly even qualify as bosses. Same as above, all you

need to do is call your Monster Team and let them handle everything. If you

don't have a Monster Team, just attack with everything you've got. Falcon

Slashes, Twin Dragon Lashes, etc. This battle should be over in 30 seconds,

tops.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

r) MEGALODON - G0318

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

528 | 32 | 1350 | 301 | 288 | 145 | 115 | 55 | Yggdrasil Dew

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRATEGY

One more mini-boss before we make it out of the Citadel and get to fight a

real boss again. Same as above, all you need to do is call your Monster Team

and let them handle everything. If you don't have a Monster Team, just attack

with everything you've got. Falcon Slashes, Twin Dragon Lashes, etc. This

battle should be over in 30 seconds, tops.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

s) RUIN - G0319

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

3800 | 0 | 2480 | 0 | 513 | 120 | 100 | 57 | Orichalcum

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 200~ Damage (SINGLE)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 40 before approaching this battle. Make sure to

touch that red jewel at the bottom of the stairs before you leave the

circular town area (it restores your party's HP and MP).



STRATEGY

This battle is very straightforward. Ruin will only attack once per turn, and

every attack hits one of your characters for somewhere between 200 and 250

damage. This makes for a very simple formula. Ruin attacks, Angelo casts

Fullheal. Rinse and repeat. You can start out by casting Kabuff and

Acceleratle, then attack, attack, attack. Sap works well here, so use that to

speed up the process. If you want to call your monster team, feel free to do

so, as this is the last battle you'll have to fight before you can save and

see Morrie again.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

t) RAPTHORNE (PHASE ONE) - G0320

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 60 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Kafrizzle: 100~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Kaboom: 70~ Damage (ALL)

3. Anger of the Gods: 70~ Damage (HITS 4X ON RANDOM CHARACTERS)

4. Flings Ball From Staff: 130~ Damage (HITS 2 RANDOM CHARACTERS)

5. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 41 or 42 before approaching this battle. If you

want to see a list of equipment and items that I had before I decided to take

him on, hit Ctrl+F and type "G0506" to jump to the End-Game Equipment section

of this FAQ. You don't have to rest at an inn before this final battle,

because Empyrea will heal your entire party for you. Don't forget to save,

though. Also, I would suggest that you throw some Yggdrasil Dew into at LEAST

one your characters' inventories. It will come in handy during Phase Two of

this battle.



STRATEGY

Ready to fight the final boss? That's too bad, because first, you've got to

take down his ORB OF INVINCIBILITY! I hope you were paying attention while

Empyrea explained how to do so. If not, this is what you're supposed to do.

Empyrea gave your entire party the ability to Pray to the Godbird Sceptre.

All you have to do is go into everyone's inventory during the fight and

choose the Sceptre (doesn't matter if your inventory was full before she gave

it to you, it's still going to be there). Have all four members of your party

Pray to the Sceptre in one turn, and you'll awaken a Sage who will fuse with

one of the orbs you found. If only two or three of your characters try to

Pray while the others do something else, you won't be able to summon a Sage,

so don't even bother (Praying doesn't carry over from turn to turn). Once

your entire party has Prayed to the Sceptre seven times (i.e. seven turns of

nothing but Praying), you'll be finished with the first phase of this final

battle. Sounds easy, right? For the most part, it is, but Rapthorne isn't

going to sit back and let you fly around him while you try to destroy his

barrier. Every turn, he has two opportunities to lay the hurt down on your

party, which is why you can't Pray seven times in a row and be done with it.

Of course, he may choose to "laugh defiantly" at your party, in which case,

you should probably heal and be thankful. Between Praying, Angelo should be

casting Multiheal when needed. Now is also a good time for Jessica to use the

Sage's Stone and for Hero to cast Fullheal on whoever's in the worst shape.

Since poor Yangus is useless when it comes to healing, have him psych up

instead. This'll give Rapthorne a reason to use his Wave of Ice ability

instead of another attack, which is always nice. Don't hold back on casting

healing spells, because once you've completed this first phase, the Sages

will heal your party's HP and MP for you.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

u) RAPTHORNE (PHASE TWO) - G0321

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

5640 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 428 | 161 | 115 | 60 | None

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Kafrizzle: 75~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Eyes Glow Eerily: Puts a character to sleep (SINGLE)

3. Blazing Fire: 75~ Damage (ALL)

4. Cold Breath: 130~ Damage (ALL)

5. Chants for Meteors: 100~ Damage (ALL)

6. Smashes Party with Arm: 120~ Damage (ALL)

7. Flings Ball From Staff: 130~ Damage (HITS 2 RANDOM CHARACTERS)

8. All Magical Energy: 250~ Damage (ALL)

9. Wave of Ice: Nullifies stat buffs on your party (ALL)

10. Meditate: Restores 500 HP (SELF)

11. Malevolent Prayer: Restores ??? MP (SELF)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



PREPARATIONS

Check the Preparations section for the first phase of this fight (above). The

Sages will heal you before the battle.



STRATEGY

And you thought Dhoulmagus had a lot of moves! Check out that Attack list!

Yes, this battle's going to be a doozy. You have to approach this fight the

same way you did with Dhoulmagus. Apart from the beginning of the battle, you

should never waste your time (or turns) with any stat buffs unless you have

absolutely nothing else to do (which is a very rare occurrence). Having

Jessica cast Oomph on Hero and Yangus is the one exception to the rule. Other

than that, it should be nothing but pure physical attacks and healing spells.

Right from the start, Hero has to come out swinging with either Falcon Slash

or Miracle Slash. I chose Falcon Slash, but you can use Miracle Slash if you

desperately need some HP. Yangus can use Helm Splitter to lower Rapthorne's

defense, but since Jessica has Sap at her disposal, you might as well just

use normal attacks (or uber-powerful moves such as Big Banga, if you have

them at your disposal). As I mentioned, Jessica has a variety of moves in her

arsenal that can be helpful in this battle. Your first priority is always

making sure that everyone's HP is high. Besides that, she should be casting

Oomph on at least your strongest character. When your health is high and Hero

and Yangus are Oomphed, cast Sap to help out your attackers. As always,

Angelo will be preoccupied with casting Multiheal and Fullheal when

necessary. An alternate strategy involves using Jessica as an attacker

instead Yangus. This only works if you've got the Gringham Whip for Jessica

and have spent a fair amount of your skill points on Whips. If all goes to

plan, Jessica should be able to deal more damage than Yangus. Put the Sage's

Stone and Timbrel of Tension into Yangus' inventory (also, make sure once

again that he's equipped with the Meteorite Bracer). Once you've begun the

battle, have him use the Timbrel and make Jessica cast Oomph on Hero and

herself. Hero uses Falcon Slash every turn, while Jessica uses her Twin

Dragon Lash ability. Have Yangus help Angelo with healing, just as you would

if it were Jessica who had the Sage's Stone. If he's got a free turn, let him

join Hero and Jessica in their assault. If (and when) Rapthorne uses his

ability to focus all of his "magical energy" into one attack, I suggest that

you have Angelo use the Yggdrasil Dew immediately. In my experience, he only

had the opportunity to cast that spell once, but it seriously damaged my

party when he did. He always seems to use Meditate, his only healing move,

right before this spell, so if you see him use Meditate on his second turn,

get ready to heal a LOT the next round. He also has an ability that can put

one of your characters to sleep. When this happens, don't bother casting

Tingle, because his next attack is almost guaranteed to wake them up.

Basically, what you need to focus on are the attacks that hit your entire

party for big damage. Always keep your HP levels high, and don't be afraid to

let Hero cast Fullheal if necessary. And since this is the final battle, it's

time to let your monster team(s) run wild on Rapthorne. Both of my teams were

attack-based, and they dealt at least 1,500 damage to him while absorbing all

of his attacks, so there's absolutely no downside to letting them come into

battle.



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

04) OPTIONAL BOSSES - G0400

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



In Dragon Quest VIII, there are only two optional boss battles, not counting

the post-game enemies in the Heavenly Dais. One of these battles can be quite

difficult; the other is a walk in the park. Here are my strategies for both.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

a) RED HORN - G0401

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

3100 | 0 | 4200 | 1500 | 278 | 144 | 93 | 40 | Strong Medicine

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

BLUE FANG

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

2630 | 16 | 3990 | 1200 | 243 | 173 | 97 | 40 | Strong Antidote

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Join Forces: 180~ Damage (SINGLE) [Red & Blue]

2. Normal Attack: 100~ Damage (SINGLE) [Red or Blue]

3. Desperate Attack: 250~ Damage (SINGLE) [Red]

4. Kasap: Drains your party's defense (ALL) [Blue]

5. Kabuff: Raises Red & Blue's defense (SELF) [Blue]

6. Intimidating Scream: Characters lose 1 turn (ALL) [Blue]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



DESCRIPTION

As soon as Jessica rejoins your party in Arcadia, you have the option to head

back to Baccarat and help either Cash or Carrie in their way to reach the end

of the Dragon Graveyard. Before you finish, you must defeat both Red Horn and

Blue Fang in one battle. Once you've beaten them, the Casino in Baccarat will

reopen. (NOTE: The casino will eventually open on its own if you choose not

to complete this quest.)



PREPARATIONS

Recommended level for Hero is 34 before approaching this battle. Depending on

when you attempt this optional quest, the best weapons and armour available

to you may vary. Basically, I'd suggest buying the best of everything from

the last town you were in (probably Orkutsk). You may also want to pick up a

Yggdrasil leaf or two in Argonia if Angelo hasn't learned Kazing yet (and

even if he has, it's smart to have one leaf in Hero's inventory if Angelo

falls).



STRATEGY

As if helping Cash and Carrie make it to the end of the Graveyard wasn't

annoying enough, now you've got to face these two. If they join forces and

attack one of your characters, it could easily take out someone like Angelo

or Jessica, even if they're fully healed (Red Horn has a bad habit of

psyching up the turn before they use this ability, too). Only focus on one of

these two at a time. Once you've taken one down, this battle becomes MUCH

easier. Red Horn loves to psych up, especially if you kill Blue Horn first.

This gives you time to heal between attacks, but just like their tag-team

attack, Red's high tension attack can easily take down Angelo or Jessica in

one shot. Therefore, it is in your best interest to finish off Red Horn first

in this battle. Start the battle by either calling your Monster Team(s) or

having Hero and Yangus attack while Jessica casts Acceleratle and Angelo uses

Kabuff. After this, have Jessica cast Oomph on Hero and Yangus, then use Sap

on whichever foe you're focusing your attacks on. Sap works on both of these

enemies, but not 100% of the time. Beyond that, feel free to have Jessica

cast Oomph on herself and use Twin Dragon Lash (though don't expect that

Oomph to last too long, because she could be knocked out at any time).

Angelo's greatest task will be using Fullheal and Zing when necessary. If

Hero's got a Yggdrasil leaf, use that on Angelo instead of Zing, because one

or two failed Zings could lead to Hero's (and the party's) demise. I wouldn't

recommend that you psych up with anyone until Blue Fang has been taken care

of, because his Intimidating Scream could easily destroy all of the tension

you've been building. And if you've got any skills like Jessica's Puff-Puff

or Angelo's Sarcastic S******, use them on Red Horn once he's psyched up more

than once to try and bring his tension down.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

b) BOSS TROLLS - G0402

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

HP | MP | EXP | GOLD | ATK | DEF | AGI | LVL | ITEM

1580 | 0 | 981 | 230 | 286 | 32 | 82 | 41 | Medicinal Herb

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Normal Attack: 100~ Damage (SINGLE)

2. Desperate Attack: 200~ Damage (SINGLE)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



DESCRIPTION

Once the bazaar in Argonia has moved inside the building between the Church

and the Castle, this optional dungeon will become available. In Argonia, go

to the second floor of the Chancellor's house at night and examine the

glowing mirror. You'll be instantly transported to Troll's Maze, a small

dungeon with some nice treasure and a couple of trolls who hardly qualify as

bosses.



STRATEGY

Recommended level for Hero is 38 or 39 before approaching this battle. Easy

battle here. Both of the trolls are essentially the same as any other Boss

Troll, only with more HP. Their only two moves are a normal attack that deals

around 100 damage and a desperate attack that can deal upwards of 200. If

you've got a Monster Team, you can let them do most of the work for you. If

not, you can either go completely agro on them and have everyone in your

party attack, or go for the finesse victory (Hero and Yangus psych up,

Jessica casts Acceleratle and Oomph, and Angelo uses Kabuff on everyone).

Either way, you shouldn't have any trouble with these two.



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

05) TIPS & TRICKS - G0500

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



If you're having trouble with more than just the bosses in this game, these

tips will help you learn how to prepare yourself more effectively.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

a) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - G0501

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



The following is a list of questions and answers, all gathered from months of

experience both in the game and on various DQVIII message boards. I highly

recommend that you read this section, as it could save you a lot of time and

effort later on.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENERAL INFORMATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Q. What's the relationship between this game and the Dragon Warrior series?

A. When the original Dragon Quest game was set to be released in North

America, Enix was forced to change the name of the game to Dragon Warrior

due to a trademark conflict with the role-playing game DragonQuest. Up

until Dragon Quest VIII, every DQ title released in America used the

Dragon Warrior moniker. In 2003, Square Enix registered the Dragon Quest

trademark in the US, signaling the end of the "Dragon Warrior" titles.



Q. How long is this game?

A. As with any game, this depends on a number of different things, such as

your style of play and experience with RPGs (especially old-school RPGs).

Some people have finished the game in under 50 hours, while others have

played the game upward of 100. On average, 60-80 hours seems to be the

best estimate of total playtime, not including post-game play. This is not

a game you'll beat in a weekend.



Q. Why does this game look like Dragon Ball Z?

A. Akira Toriyama, the creator of DBZ, drew most of the character and monster

designs for Dragon Quest VIII. He has also been responsible for the art

design in many other Dragon Quest games.



Q. Why didn't my copy of Dragon Quest VIII come with the Final Fantasy XII

demo?

A. If you bought the European release of DQVIII, your game will not come with

FFXII demo. Sorry, blame Square Enix for this. Additionally, the Greatest

Hits copy of this game may no longer be packaged with the demo, since

FFXII has already been released.



Q. Once I finish the game, can I continue to explore the world, level up,

etc. with my characters? Is there a New Game Plus feature?

A. After beating the final boss, you will be able to continue playing. What

the game does is it gives you a new save just before you fight the final

boss, so you can never technically play after beating him. However, there

will be a new dungeon and town open for you to explore. Additionally,

there is no New Game Plus feature in this game. When you start a new game,

none of your skills points, items, or anything will transfer over. And

contrary to popular belief, you will not have increased drop or steal

rates. This is nothing but wishful thinking.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BASIC QUESTIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Q. Help, I don't know where to go next!

A. 95% of the time, you can figure out where to go by doing one of these

three things: 1) Talk to the people in town. 2) Talk to your party (press

Start). 3) Talk to Kalderasha (Farebury) or Brains (Pickham). If you still

don't know what to do, consult a full FAQ/Walkthrough.



Q. What's the best place to level up/earn some gold before [INSERT AREA]?

A. I've devoted two sections to leveling up and finding gold in this FAQ.

If this is all you care to know, skip ahead to the Acquiring Gold section.



Q. Why can't I Zoom anywhere past the Ruined Abbey?!

A. You can. Press right or left on the d-pad when you're in the Zoom menu.



Q. What happened to the Bazaar in Argonia? Will it ever come back?

A. The bazaar never leaves. Check the tall building between the church and

castle.



Q. Crap, I equipped a cursed item! How do I take it off?

A. Go to a church and ask the Priest for a Benediction. For future reference,

any time an item's description mentions something about an "air of

danger," it's cursed. You need to mix the item with some Saint's Ashes

and, occasionally, another item to remove the curse. Many of the cursed

items in game can be turned into excellent items with the alchemy pot, so

don't disregard them just because you can't initially equip them.



Q. What's up with the monsters walking around on the overworld?

A. Those are referred to as the Infamous Monsters. They're like mini-bosses

that you can fight anytime. However, once you find the Monster Arena, you

can have these monsters fight for you as part of your Monster Team.



Q. What happens if I kill an Infamous Monster before I start the Monster

Arena side quest?

A. Nothing. The monster will respawn once you've left the area.



Q. If I accidentally let a monster go free, can I find it again?

A. Yes. Go back to the area where you found it and it should be there once

again.



Q. What's the use of Monster Coins?

A. You can either sell them or hold on to them to keep track off how many

Infamous Monsters you've defeated. Other than that, they serve no purpose.



Q. What are the prizes for giving mini medals to Princess Minnie?

A. Here is a complete list of prizes, courtesy of Red Scarlet's FAQ.



28 Medals: Fishnet Stockings

36 Medals: Posh Waistcoat

45 Medals: Staff of Divine Wrath

52 Medals: Gold Nugget

60 Medals: Meteorite Bracer

68 Medals: Miracle Sword

75 Medals: Sacred Armour

83 Medals: Orichalcum

90 Medals: Metal King Helm

99 Medals: Dangerous Bustier

110 Medals: Flail of Destruction



Also, it’s important to note that these numbers are in reference to the

total amount of medals you must give to Princess Minnie. This means that

if you want the Posh Waistcoat, you only need to give her 36 medals total,

not 28 for the Stockings and another 36 for the Waistcoat.



Q. How can I get my characters to raise their tension to 100?

A. After a heated debate on this message board, it's been decided that

reaching the fourth level of tension for the first time is actually a

random occurrence, which is why some have done it on their first attempt

while others couldn't do it until much later in the game. Keep Psyching Up

to 50 in battle and eventually, you'll be able to go to 100. You could

raise your tension over and over again as soon as you've left Farebury for

the first time, and eventually, you will reach 100.



Q. Why doesn't it show that cool animation anymore when I Psych Up to 100?

A. After the first time that you Psych Up to 100, the game will only show the

animation during boss battles.



Q. What do I do with this Lady's Ring?

A. The Lady's Ring is an item you find in the well in Ascantha. Give it to

the man walking around outside of the church in Farebury. If he's not

there, check the inn. You will receive a Seed of Wisdom for returning the

ring to him.



Q. How do I open that purple door near Argonia?

A. You need the Ultimate Key, which opens every door and chest in the game.

It's given to you during the main quest (around 3/4ths of the way into the

game), so don't worry about finding it.



Q. When does the casino in Baccarat open?

A. You can open it yourself as soon as the events in Arcadia are complete.

Head back to Baccarat and go into Golding's Mansion. From there, talk to

Cash and Carrie, then complete their little quest in the Dragon Graveyard.

Once that's finished, the Casino is open again, and you'll be rewarded

with 600 tokens. If you go far enough past Arcadia in the main quest, the

casino will eventually open on its own and the Dragon Graveyard sidequest

will no longer be available.



Q. What are the Dragovian Trials? What level should I reach before attempting

them?

A. The Dragovian Trials are, as the name suggests, a set of trials that

become available for you to complete once you've defeated the final boss.

To reach them, you must use the Godbird's Soulstone to fly northwest of

Argonia (or southeast of Baccarat). There will be a dome-shaped structure

on a raised plateau for you to land on. Examine the structure and continue

your quest. The levels of your characters are not as important as their

equipment in the Trials, but it is generally agreed upon that Hero should

be at least LV45 when you first begin. To defeat every boss in the Trials,

it is recommended that you reach LV50 with most of your party. For more

information, read AkaMajeh's Dragovian Trials Guide on GameFAQs.



Q. What is Dragon Soul?

A. Dragon Soul is an ability that Hero automatically learns when he reaches

LV65. It is an incredibly powerful attack that can be made even more

powerful using tension, plus it ignores the target's defense rating, so it

will cause the same large amount of damage on any enemy that you use it on

(bosses included).



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ADVANCED QUESTIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Q. Is there any way to increase drop/steal rates?

A. Unfortunately, no. The only way to steal an item from a monster is to use

Yangus' Steal Sickle ability, and the odds of successfully stealing

anything with that are incredibly low. You COULD equip Yangus with the

Skull Helm, which is a cursed item that makes it impossible to inflict any

physical damage. Usually, this is a bad thing, but if you want to attempt

to steal from a monster multiple times without accidentally killing it,

this is your best bet. Drop rates are also painfully low, and the only way

to increase your odds of getting a drop is to Intimidate the same type of

monster over and over again. This doesn't actually increase the odds of a

monster dropping an item, though; it simply gives you more opportunities,

since Intimidating a group of monsters is faster than battling them (and

enemies will still drop items, whether you've killed or intimidated them).



Q. What's the best sword in the game?

A. Many players automatically assume that the correct answer to this question

is the Liquid Metal Sword (or a certain sword which can only be obtained

by mixing the LMS with another sword that is found in the post-game

dungeon). However, most players ALSO assume that higher attack power means

higher damage. This is not always the case. The Uber Falcon Blade, made by

mixing a Falcon Blade with a Meteorite Bracer, has less attack power than

the Liquid Metal Sword, but it allows you to attack twice per turn,

meaning that if you use Falcon Slash, you have a chance of hitting four

times! It has been proven, more or less, that the Uber Falcon Sword will

cause a significant amount more damage than the LMS in almost every

situation. The only time that the LMS would do more damage than the Uber

Falcon Blade is if it were used much earlier in the game, when the power

of the weapon has more influence on the amount of damage caused. However,

since you can only acquire/create these swords late in the game, this is

not an issue.



Q. What’s this I’ve heard about being able to Psych Up to 50 in one turn? Is

this possible?

A. This is a rumor that was brought to light by an early promotional video on

the official DQVIII website. The video showed Hero Psyching Up to 50 in

only one turn. It is not possible to do this in the final version of the

game without using a cheat device such as a GameShark. It IS, however,

possible to use different items, such as the Timbrel of Tension and Highly

Strung Cheese, to increase your party’s tension to its max in one turn.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to make or find these items until much

later in the game, so for the most part, you will be stuck Psyching Up the

old fashioned way if you want to reach 50 or 100.



Q. Why do some people refer to the highest level of tension as 175 instead of

100 (or vice versa)?

A. Turn on the game and Psych Up once with, let's say, Yangus. What does the

message say? "Yangus's tension increases by 5!" Notice how it says "by" 5

instead of "to" 5. It is a common misconception that when a character

raises his or her tension, they are raising it to the level shown on the

screen. This is incorrect. The first time you Psych Up, you raise your

tension by 5. The second time, you raise it by 20 (25 total). The third

time, it goes up by 50 (75). And the fourth and final time, it raises your

tension by 100 (175).



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

b) SKILL SETS - G0502

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



One of the most daunting aspects of DQVIII is the skill system. If you're

worried about where to place those points, you've come to the right place.



NOTE: For every character except Hero, I would suggest that you basically

ignore Fisticuffs. In my opinion, the only skill worth learning is Defending

Champion, and even that isn't essential (except for the post-game dungeon).

Unless you truly want to devote many of your skill points to Fisticuffs,

there's not enough of an incentive to bother.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Swords or Spears, that is the question. Why no love for the Boomerang?

Because not only does it become sadly underpowered as you progress throughout

the game, but the skills you learn aren't nearly as useful as the skills

learned from leveling Swords and/or Spears. Opinions are often divided on

this subject, but a consensus has been reached on a few points. For the most

part, Spears are going to be more powerful than Swords throughout the first

half of the game. Not only this, but there is at least one Spear skill that's

great for metal slime hunting (Thunder Thrust).



If you take the Sword route, you'll learn some VERY useful skills, including

Falcon Slash and Miracle Slash. If you put 100 points into Swords, Hero

learns Gigagash, which is a powerful, but costly, attack. In my opinion,

it's not worth it to put that many points into Swords. Of course, if you max

out both Swords AND Courage, Hero learns Gigaslash, which is even MORE

powerful, but comes at a higher cost (in terms of both MP and skill points).



This brings me to my next point: Courage. Regardless of whether you go with

Swords or Spears, you must spend some time boosting up your Courage. By the

time you reach 100, you'll have learned Zoom, Holy Protection, Omniheal, the

best healing spell in the game. So, in summary, your three most important

skills for Hero are going to be Swords, Spears, and Courage. I prefer to

focus on Courage first (until I've at least learned Zoom), then Swords (or

Spears).



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YANGUS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Since you're ignoring Boomerangs with Hero, you might as well disregard Clubs

for Yangus as well. The skills learned from leveling Clubs are pathetic, plus

to make the strongest Club, you've got to throw the best Axe in the game

(Conqueror Axe) into the alchemy pot. Trust me, it's not worth it. Besides,

if you plan on metal slime hunting (which you should), you're going to need

the most important Axe skill, Executioner. If you want, you can choose to

level Scythes instead of Axes, but my personal opinion is that you should

work on Axes first, then Humanity, and then Scythes.



Humanity is quite useful for the first two skills you learn from it. Heal's

nice to have early on when all you've got is Hero and Yangus, and Whistle can

save a lot of time if you just want to fight some battles rather than run

around and wait for enemies to attack you. After that, there are a few other

decent skills learned from Humanity (Nose for Treasure, Kabuff, and even

Kerplunk), which is why it's better to focus on that instead of another

weapon set.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JESSICA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



In my opinion, the two main points of interest for Jessica should always be

Whips and Staves. There's a sizable gap between the second important Staff

skill and the third. A 69-point gap, to be exact. So, this leads one to

believe that the most effective way to allocate Jessica's skills points would

be to focus on Whips first (until you've at least learned Twin Dragon Lash),

or split the points semi-equally between both Whips and Staves as you

progress.



Which ever way you choose, make sure to get Acceleratle (3 Staves) as soon as

possible, as it is invaluable in most boss battles. From there, you're left

with Knives and Sex Appeal. Between the two, Sex Appeal is going to give you

the better skill set, plus there's no reason to level Knives if you're

focusing on Whips. The only thing notable about Knives is that if you put

enough skill points into them, you'll be able to use Swords with Jessica. So

there you go; your call.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ANGELO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Oh Angelo, why must you give us another split skill choice? I am referring,

of course, to Swords and Bows. Much like Yangus's Axe/Scythe situation, this

a choice between skills/metal slime hunting potential and overall power. By

the end of the game, Angelo's strongest "exclusive" weapon will be a Bow.

However, Swords are no slouch in the attack department, and the skills are

much more useful than the Bows'. In fact, with a weapon like the Uber Falcon

Blade and a skill like Falcon Slash, Angelo will do far more even more damage

than he would have with even Odin's Bow.



In my game, I started off by focusing on Swords until they were maxed, then

moved onto Staves and Bows. The skills learned from Staves are essentially

useless, but the MP boosts he gains while using a Staff can quite helpful

late in the game. Overall, the most useful spells you'll learn with Angelo

are learned automatically, so it's best if you focus on his physical skills

instead.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

c) GAINING EXPERIENCE - G0503

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



As you already know, this is an RPG, and RPGs require you to level up. If you

aren't willing to put some time into leveling up, you're going to have

trouble with many of the enemies in this game (especially the bosses). So

here are some tips on how to maximize your efforts.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLD-FASHIONED LEVEL GRINDING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



First of all, here's a good rule of thumb: If you’ve just arrived in a new

area of the map, chances are high that the new enemies will be stronger than

the enemies in the previous area, and will therefore give you more experience

points. So it benefits you to spend a little time running around outside of

town before attempting to advance the plot.



Fighting these new enemies until you can make it through multiple random

battles without having too much trouble is always a good plan. Not only will

you be ready for whatever dungeon or boss is ahead of you, but you will have

also gained a substantial amount of gold in the process. In fact, if you make

it your goal to buy the best of everything in town, you're almost guaranteed

to have enough experience for whatever the game throws at you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE DINGALING METHOD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Outside of Perequin Quay, your party can encounter bell-shaped Dingalings.

Among their abilities, they can call for back-up, bringing a Jargon monster

into the battle. First, eliminate all but one Dingalong to prevent being

overwhelmed. It may also help to Fizzle or use Drain Magic to keep the

Dingaling from casting KaBuff. As you wait for the Dingaling to call for

back-up, Psyche Up or buff your party. When the Jargon arrives, take him

down. Wait for the Dingaling to call for back-up once again, repeat.



When you've gotten tired of this or if your party is in critical condition,

end the battle by killing the Dingaling and then knocking out the Jargon. For

every Jargon you knock down, you earn 64 exp and 32 gold - and perhaps some

Fresh Milk/Rennet Powder. It does take some strength to do this effectively

- optimally, you'll want to be LV13 or 14, but it's slightly easier than

chasing down metal slimes and hoping to defeat them, which will be explained

in the next section.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HUNTING METAL SLIMES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Now, at some point, you may come to realize that you need to level up more

than before, and FAST. Because who wants to be stuck on the Dark Ruins for

another 5 hours? If this is the case, then it sounds like it's time to begin

hunting metal slimes. At some point in this game, you are bound to run across

a metal slime, maybe even a large pack of them. And odds are that they ran

away before you killed them (maybe even before you had a chance to attack!).

If you DID manage to kill one, then you may have been surprised to find that

one metal slime nets you over 1,000 EXP points alone. As if that weren't

enough, Liquid Metal Slimes are worth over 10,000 EXP, and Metal King Slimes

are worth over 30,000 EXP! Let's take a deeper look at this, shall we?



Metal Slimes have 4 HP, Liquid Metal Slimes have 8 HP, and Metal King Slimes

have 20 HP. If you're looking at those amounts and laughing, you haven't

fought a metal slime yet. They have such an incredibly high defense rate that

your regular attacks will do no more than 1 point of damage, and that's if

they don't miss completely (which they probably will). How do you get around

this? First, learning Metal Slash with both Hero and Angelo can be very

helpful. When fighting metal slimes, this ability has a higher chance of

hitting than your normal attacks, and it usually does 2 damage rather than 1.

In battle, both of them should use this attack while Yangus and Jessica swing

away with normal attacks and hope for the best. This will work well for your

standard Metal Slimes and the MAYBE occasional Liquid Metal Slime encounter,

but not for Metal King Slimes. For them, you'll need a combination of luck

and patience, because you're bound to become frustrated.



LOCATIONS



BEFORE THE SHIP

-Ruined Abbey

-Riverbank Leading to Wisher's Peak (Near the Riverside Chapel)



AFTER THE SHIP

-Trodain Castle

-West of the Royal Hunting Grounds (Grassy area by the waterfall)

-Dragon Graveyard

-Uncharted Southwest Island

-Small Island North of Farebury



AFTER THE GODBIRD

-Hill Near the Mystical Spring

-Northern Plateau on Neos

-Howlwind Hill (Tall plateau north of Rydon's Tower, aka "Slime Hill")

-Tryan Gully (Day only)

-Ledge by the Godbird's Eyrie (Light World only)

-Black Citadel

-Heavenly Dais (Post-Game Dungeon)



Note: All of the locations listed as being available once you've attained the

Godbird are easily spotted by a large cloud formation hovering over them.



PREPARATIONS



Here's the lowdown on Metal King Slimes (and most LMS as well). They WILL run

away before you have the chance to chip away at their HP with normal attacks

and Metal Slash. Many different theories have been made to combat this from

happening, but none have been proven successful thus far. And so, we must use

what we are given to work with. This method requires Hero to equip a Spear

and Yangus to equip an Axe. If possible, both of them should also equip

Meteorite Bracers (one is given to you by Princess Minnie in exchange for 60

mini medals). This is optional, but highly recommended. If you only have one,

give it to Yangus.



It is VERY important for you to have learned Thunder Thrust and Executioner

with Hero and Yangus (respectively). Jessica should be equipped with her best

whip or staff. As for Angelo, his best option is to equip a Falcon Blade

(purchased in the Baccarat Casino for 10,000 tokens) and psych up from the

beginning of the battle. Now, the odds of an MKS (or LMS) staying long enough

for Angelo to be able to kill it with a high-tension attack are slim to none,

but there's really nothing left for Angelo to do. If you're fighting a Liquid

Metal Slime, you can try to work its HP down with Metal Slash, but your

attempts will most likely be futile. Our focus is on Hero and Yangus, anyway,

so don't worry too much about Angelo.



BATTLE STRATEGY



Now, as soon as you enter a battle with an MKS (or LMS), have Hero use

Thunder Thrust, Yangus use Executioner, Jessica use Acceleratle, and Angelo

psych up. God willing, the MKS won't run before Jessica raises the party's

agility, and the Meteorite Bracers should give Hero and Yangus a chance to

get at least one attack in. Here's where Lady Luck comes into play. Both

Thunder Thrust and Executioner are capable of taking out an MKS (or any other

metal slime) in one turn, but neither of these attacks are very reliable.

Once you've cast Acceleratle with Jessica, use the Timbrel of Tension (Sun

Crown + Magic Beast Hide + Tough Guy Tattoo) every turn to speed up Angelo's

psyching.



If, by some stroke of luck, the MKS has stayed long enough for Angelo's

tension level to reach 50 or 100, and both Hero and Yangus have failed to

kill it by then, use Metal Slash to finish it off. Overall, you have maybe a

30-50% chance of taking down a Metal King Slime with this method, so prepare

to be disappointed quite frequently. You could, potentially, spend thirty

minutes waiting for metal slimes to show up, only to watch them flee in the

first turn. Patience is the key to hunting metal slimes and leveling up in

general.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

d) ACQUIRING GOLD - G0504

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Want to buy that kickass sword, but you're running short on funds? No

problem. Take a look at the options below and find one that suits your

current situation.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERBS AND EARLY ENEMIES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Before you acquire your ship, there aren't many effective ways to rack up the

gold. You could mix medicinal herbs together in the alchemy pot and sell

those for a great profit margin, but that is a painfully slow process. Once

you reach the Swordsman's Labyrinth, the Goodybags inside net you 106 gold

every time you defeat one. This is a decent way to accumulate enough gold to

buy a lot of the better weapons and equipment in Pickham. Other than this,

your only option is to fight any enemy you can find until you’ve accumulated

enough gold. It ain’t pretty, and it ain’t fun, but it’s all we’ve got.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE GOLD GOLEM METHOD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Once you've acquired the Ancient Ship, you have access to the Holy Isle of

Neos. Why is this important? Well, there's an enemy called the Gold Golem on

Neos that gives you 726 gold every time you defeat one! Regardless of where

you look for them, they're only going to appear in the daytime, so keep that

in mind.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRAYER RINGS IN BACCARAT CASINO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Beyond Gold Golems, there are a few other options later in the game. The most

successful and widely accepted choice is the famous Prayer Ring method. Our

first step toward acquiring these Prayer Rings is reopening the casino in

Baccarat. This can be done as soon as the events in Arcadia are complete.

Head back to Baccarat and go into Golding's Mansion. From there, talk to Cash

and Carrie, then complete their little quest in the Dragon Graveyard. Once

that's finished, the Casino is open again, and you've been rewarded with 600

tokens, which we will now turn into a fortune. Always save before heading

into the casino. In the casino, talk to the man standing in front of one of

the 10-token slot machines and agree to pay him 5 tokens to move elsewhere.

Anytime you come into the casino, the slot machine that he is standing in

front of will give you the best odds for winning, so always pay him off. Just

keep betting 50 tokens every time and you should come out on top eventually.



If you hit a bad streak and start to lose a lot of tokens, restart the game

and try again. When you win big, save. Play the slots until you've

accumulated around 5,000 tokens, then move onto the red 100-token slot

machine. Here's where things really start to roll. Once you've won around

20,000 tokens, it's time to test your luck on the roulette table. Save, then

place a 15,500 token bet by completely filling one of the three 3x3 grids (I

have the most luck with the 1-9 set). Save if you win, re-load if you lose.

You should have over 100,000 tokens in no time. Cash in as many tokens as you

like for Prayer Rings (just keep at least 15,500 so you can play roulette

later) and sell them off to the nearest merchant. You'll never have to worry

about money in this game again.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

e) MONSTER TEAMS - G0505

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Once you reach Ascantha (or Pickham), you've made it far enough to begin

working on your monster team. South of Ascantha and southeast of Pickham,

you'll find a colorfully-decorated building alongside one of the trails. The

door is locked, but if you run alongside the building, you'll find a walkway

leading to the roof. On top of this building stands Morrie, the eccentric,

quasi-Italian owner of the Monster Arena. At first, he'll be vague about what

he wants you to do for him. He gives you three memos and asks you to find and

return the monsters described in them.



Now, at some point in the game, you're sure to have seen at least one monster

walking around in the overworld. If you were curious enough to have fought

the monster, then you know that they are far from ordinary. These things are

called Infamous Monsters, and they are much more challenging than any

creature you'll run across in a random battle (they're sort of like mini-

bosses that you can fight anytime).



Up until now, defeating them only netted you a "monster coin" that you could

sell for some gold. But once you've sent the three creatures on the memos

back to Morrie, you'll be able to recruit these monsters to fight alongside

you as part of your Monster Team. Morrie will open the Monster Arena and give

you the opportunity to fight for prizes.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TEAMS FOR THE ARENA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



First of all, I must remind you that the best source of information on the

Monster Arena is BNii's Monster Arena FAQ here on GameFAQs. He's got

information on every Infamous Monster in the game, as well as how to beat

each Rank in the Arena. Now, if you want my opinion on the matter, here are a

few teams that will help anyone trying to beat their respective Ranks.



RANKS G-C



-Potbelly (Peninsula southwest of Trodain)

-Hackzilla (Behind/West of Farebury)

-Snap Case (Southwest of Trodain Castle) or Capers (Path to Wisher's Peak

[Night only]: Must clear Rank F)



Once you've cleared Rank F, immediately Zoom back to the Riverside Chapel and

find Capers on the path to Wisher's Peak at night. He's a much stronger ally

who dodges attacks quite often. He's also great in the field until you have

access to stronger monsters.



RANK B



-Talos (Outside of Neos)

-Cybot (West of Orkutsk)

-Capers (Path to Wisher's Peak [Night only])



Talos can be tough to take down if your party is at a low-level, but he's

definitely worth obtaining as soon you're strong enough.



RANKS A-S



With Ranks A and S, you've got a few options. A lot of people like to try and

just power their way through it with My Three Golems, which is...



-Brickman (Southeast of Peregrin Quay)

-Goldman (Outside of Neos)

-Stoneman (Outside of the Dark Ruins: Requires Godbird)



However, this is NOT what I would recommend. You have a much better chance of

clearing these Ranks, especially Rank S, if you use a more balanced team with

a healer and a monster who can use desperate attacks.



-Talos (Outside of Neos) or Steropes (West side of Princess Minnie's Castle)

-Skeledoid (Outside of the Dark Ruins)

-Curer (North of Arcadia) or Octurion (South of Argonia Castle)



I've always preferred Curer over Octurion, because he seems to cast Fullheal

much more often, whereas Octurion gets in the habit of attacking rather than

healing when you need him.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TEAMS FOR THE FIELD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Once you clear Rank E in the Arena, Morrie rewards you with the Call Team

ability. This allows you to use your Monster Team in battles outside of the

Arena. Your team in the field is going to be different than the team you use

in the Arena. For one thing, you hardly need to worry about strategy in the

field. Most of the teams you piece together will only be able to stay in

battle for three turns at the most. This means that in the beginning, all you

need to focus on is what three monsters will deal the most damage in a short

amount of time. Once you gain a second team from Morrie, you can have one

team be your attack force and the other be a pure healing squad (if your

monsters heal themselves in battle, it will also heal your party, whereas

damage dealt to your team won't affect your party at all).



Remember, you don't have any control over what your team does in battle, so

ALWAYS test them out before you call them into a boss battle. You could

easily end up wasting 10MP while you watch your team do all sorts of silly

things that you never anticipated. The following is a list of recommendations

for teams to use in the field.



BEFORE THE SHIP



-Potbelly (Peninsula southwest of Trodain)

-Hackzilla (Behind/West of Farebury)

-Capers (Path to Wisher's Peak [Night only]: Must clear Rank F)



After you acquire the Ancient Ship and clear Rank D, find Talos outside of

Neos and have him take Potbelly's place on the team. Also, once you reach

Orkutsk, find Cybot west of town and have him replace Hackzilla. His ability

to attack twice per turn makes him a great addition to any offensive team.



AFTER YOU CLEAR RANK B



-Talos (Outside of Neos)

-Skeledoid (Outside of the Dark Ruins)

-Cybot (West of Orkutsk)



"My Three Golems" (Attack Team)

-Brickman (Southeast of Peregrin Quay)

-Goldman (Outside of Neos)

-Stoneman (Outside of the Dark Ruins: Requires Godbird)



"Wizards o' Z" (Healing Team)

-Metabble (Multiple locations, consult the Monster Arena FAQ)

-Curer (North of Arcadia)

-Healer (Between the Tower of Alexandria and Port Prospect)



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

f) END-GAME EQUIPMENT - G0506

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



The following are recommended sets of equipment for each character, meant to

be used as a guideline for equipment to acquire and use by the end of the

game. This list should not be read as the ultimate set-up. It worked for me,

and it has a lot of very good items, but it's not perfect.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Weapon: Liquid Metal Sword

Armor: Liquid Metal Armor (Baccarat Casino, 50k Tokens)

Shield: Ogre Shield (Desert)

Helmet: Great Helm (Tryan Gully)

Accessory: Mighty Armlet (Monster Arena)

Inventory: Hero Spear, Magic Water



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YANGUS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Weapon: Conqueror's Axe (Howlwind Hill)

Armor: Gigant Armor (Tryan Gully)

Shield: Power Shield (Tryan Gully)

Helmet: Great Helm (Tryan Gully

Accessory: Meteorite Bracer (Princess Minnie)

Inventory: Magic Water



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JESSICA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Weapon: Gringham Whip (Baccarat Casino, 200k Tokens)

Armor: Dragon Robe (Princess Minnie)

Shield: Light Shield (Argonia)

Helmet: Thinking Cap (Tryan Gully)

Accessory: Scholar's Specs (Holy Isle of Neos)

Inventory: Timbrel of Tension, Magic Water



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ANGELO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Weapon: Shamshir of Light

Armor: Liquid Metal Armor (Baccarat Casino, 50k Tokens)

Shield: Power Shield (Tryan Gully)

Helmet: Thinking Cap (Tryan Gully)

Accessory: Agility Ring (Monster Arena)

Inventory: Odin's Bow, Magic Water





To make a Liquid Metal Sword, mix the Rusty Old Sword (Trodain Castle) with a

Slime Crown (Hilltop Hut) and a piece of Orichalcum. The Timbrel of Tension

is created by mixing a Sun Crown (Skull Helm + Saint's Ashes), a Magic Beast

Hide, and a Tough Guy Tattoo. And to make the Shamshir of Light, mix a Rune

Staff (Pickham Casino), a Light Shield (Argonia), and a Shimmering Dress

(Gold Bracer + Ruby of Protection + Spangled Dress).



As stated above, this list should NOT be read as the ultimate equipment set-

up. In fact, it's fairly skill set-specific, so the ideal weapons for your

party will most likely vary. Like I said, this set-up worked for me, and it

has a lot of very good items, but it's not perfect. For example, you'll note

that I chose to use the Liquid Metal Sword with Hero instead of something

else. Why is that a problem? Well, it's not. The Liquid Metal Sword is a very

powerful weapon. But another excellent sword I could have created is the Uber

Falcon Blade, which is made by mixing a Falcon Blade (Baccarat Casino) with a

Meteorite Bracer (Princess Minnie). This sword has less attack power than the

Liquid Metal Sword, but it allows you to attack twice per turn, meaning that

if you use Falcon Slash, you have a chance of hitting four times! If you

connect with all four hits, you'll easily do more damage than you would have

with the Liquid Metal Sword.



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

06) CONTACT INFO - G0600

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



If you really need help with something and this FAQ just isn't enough, feel

free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns. Also, if you have a unique

(and USEFUL) strategy, tip, or omission that you think would be a good

addition to this FAQ, drop me a line. And, of course, positive feedback is

always appreciated. If this FAQ was helpful to you in any way, I would love

to hear about it.



You may reach me at: ander1dw[at]gmail[dot]com



For faster access, try messaging me on AIM: ander1dw



I have only ONE request for if you wish to send me an e-mail or IM; please

put the name of the game somewhere in the title of the e-mail or the first

line of your IM, so that I know which FAQ you are talking to me about. Mail

without the title of the game will most likely be mistakenly deleted as spam

and instant messages without any indication may be ignored.



And please, check GameFAQs to verify that you're reading the latest version

of this guide. The URL for my contributor page is below:



http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/64544.html



Give me at least a few days to respond before you send another urgent e-mail

(believe it or not, but filling up my inbox isn't going to help me help you

any sooner!). More often than not, I will reply within 24 hours, but if this

isn't the case with your message, please be patient. I will always respond if

you are polite and your message can be deciphered, so don't fret. Please

don't waste my time with any questions that have nothing to do with me or

this FAQ, though. Remember, ALWAYS read the FAQ before sending me an e-mail

or IM. If your question isn't related to anything written here, odds are I

won't have a good answer.



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

07) VERSION HISTORY - G0700

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



Version Final - July 9-12 2007

- Final formatting update

- Content errors fixed

- Metal slime locations added to Experience section

- Contact information updated



Version 1.5 - January 6-14 2007

- Total formatting overhaul

- Copyright updated



Version 1.4 - October 27 2006

- Final major update

- Tweaked and expanded the Table of Contents

- Fixed minor errors strewn about the FAQ

- Added a few sites to the authorized host list



Version 1.3 - September 21 2006

- Questions added to the FAQ section

- Fixed my e-mail address in the Contact section



Version 1.2 - September 7 2006

- Version History section moved to the bottom of the FAQ

- One more Q&A added to the FAQ section



Version 1.1 - September 4 2006

- Minor tweaks made to the layout

- Spelling errors fixed

- Strategies (and FAQ in general) expanded upon



Version 1.0 - August 8 2006

- Initial release

- All storyline bosses finished

- Optional bosses also completed



Version 0.7 - July 21 2006

- Finished through the Dark Ruins

- The final boss and a few other bosses completed



Version 0.0 - July 3 2006

- FAQ started



=============================================================================

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

08) CREDITS - G0800

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=============================================================================



-Carlos Eduardo Cruz Cunha, who reminded me that reaching the fourth level of

tension is a random occurrence.



-CJayC and the rest of the crew at GameFAQs, who have kept this guide and

many others posted for years.



-The Eternal Evil, who created an amazing Low-Level Challenge topic on the

DQVIII message board that gave me some great insight into a few boss

battles.



-Adam G. (Hug Daddy), author of the DQVIII Side Quest FAQ, who submitted a

less-costly method for acquiring Yggdrasil Leaves.



-Kotetsu534, who helped with the Monster Arena section while I was working on

an (ill-fated) FAQ for the message board.



-moomoomashoo, who supplied me with statistics from the DQVIII Piggyback

Guide.



-Praiser of Itacgi, who revealed the effectiveness of Yangus's Warcry &

Underpants Dance in the battle with Captain Crow.



-Rising2Fenix, who supplied info on the Lady's Ring sidequest for the Board

FAQ.



-Calvin Spealman, who reminded me to mention the "wave of ice" attack in

Marcello's strategy section.



-Split Infinity, whose excellent formatting style I cribbed and modified.



In general, the DQVIII message board on GameFAQs has been incredibly helpful

and informative, as well as a great source of entertainment. Thanks to

everyone there, and thanks to anyone and everyone who read this FAQ. Later!
Upcoming Releases
No content yet. Check back later!

Reviews