Heading into Chapter 2, I was feeling good. But with the looming shadow of Battle 5 in the Manarina desert and the Circus battle hot on its heels - it became clear that I'd need to squeeze every ounce of XP possible out of this chapter. I hit Rindo for some upgrades and then it was time to face the heat.
Battle 5 – Rindo to Manarina Desert
This one begins innocently enough. The first wave of enemies? Handled cleanly. Standard tactics, good formation, no surprises. But then we reach the true challenge of Battle 5: the infamous gauntlet of Zombies and Dark Mages waiting like statues near the end. They don’t move until you're close - and then it's time to fack you up.
My strategy: draw the zombies in with high HP/DEF characters to bait their attacks. I knew one or two bad RNG rolls (crits, doubles) could end a run, but I had healers in position and my force formation tight. What followed was a beautiful dance - ranged damage pecking, physical pressure, and lots of prayers to the RNG gods.
The scariest moment? A Dark Mage slipped through a Zombie and blasted Tao and Ken with Blaze 2 - almost killing Tao on the spot. But we rallied. The tanks - Luke, Gort, and Max - anchored the line and with smart spacing and some lucky breaks, I emerged from the fight without a single casualty. A relief. This battle is no joke, especially with a conservative grind.
Battle 6 – Cavern of Darkness
Arriving in Manarina brought a welcome addition to the force: Princess Anri. She’s one of the game’s best casters, no question. But at this point? She's squishy. One-shot material. Lucky for me, Battle 6 is a playground for grinding, and grind I did.
This is one of my favorite battles. Zombies at the start, Mages and Snipers in the mid, and Giant Bats flitting in just to add pressure. The design is deceptively intimidating. But with proper spacing, the casters and snipers barely matter. The Giant Bats at this point are just a minor nuisance. The final leg features a Skeleton guarding the Orb of Light and more mages - but a calm, surgical strategy cut through them with barely a scratch.
I grinded this battle twice, then on the third run, I pushed forward for real. It was a total breeze thanks to the prep. Anri got her levels, my squad toughened up, and we were ready for the Circus. This run has been a lot of fun, because it's been teaching me more about some of the battles. Learning them inside & out.
Battle 7 – The Circus Battle
The first true boss fight of the game and it delivers. Giant Bats, Evil Puppets, Dire Clowns, and the terrifying Marionette with its brutal Freeze 3. The first half of the battle went clean. The Evil Puppets are nasty with their spells, but manageable with spacing. The clowns? Easy pickings.
But then came The Mistake (I should trademark this).
Instead of having Ken strike a Dire Clown from range, I used Mae. Her overall HP is still fairly low. The Marionette's turn came quicker than expected, Freeze 3'd, and Mae couldn't tank it. She went down. I could've reset. But I made the call to move forward. Mae's high defense makes her solid against physicals, but her lack of HP and stunted growth sealed her fate. It was a tactical misstep that cost me dearly... but such is permadeath.
From there, it was a frantic offensive push. The Marionette was at 2 HP and Max was dangerously low. I had forgotten to heal him (how, I don't know), so if the Marionette outturned me - it was a wipe. But Max clutched it out. He outsped the boss and landed the final hit. We survived… but not all of us did.
Battle 8 – Shade Abbey
Shade Abbey - one of my favorite areas and battles in the game. Fun fact: I actually used to run a Shining Force fan site called Shade Abbey back in the day. This map's undead theme and tight corridors bring great vibes, but the danger is very real. It's Zombies and Skeletons galore.
Magic users shine here, and so do ranged attackers. Physical tanks must hold the line while healers hover just behind. With smart spacing and a good bit of luck (no crits, no doubles, only one dodge from the enemy), I carved through the undead methodically.
The final boss, a Ghoul, can be rough if you're unprepared. But with clean positioning and a force firing on all cylinders, he never stood a chance. Amon and Balbaroy joined the team, and just like that, Chapter 2 was in the books.
Closing Thoughts
Before we set foot into Chapter 3, I'd like to give Mae a shout out. Her leveling was mediocre, and my tactical decision sealed her fate. If I'd just used Ken? She'd still be here. But mistakes happen. That's permadeath. Sometimes, all it takes is one misclick, one bad read… and a teammate is gone.
RIP in Piece, Mae. You did your job.
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