DFFOO [JP][New Year Campaign MQ Series 3 Part 4] Gau shall counter your counters
8I remember wanting to bring Gau to a swarm fly stage earlier but that wasn't working too efficiently. This time though, he worked really well.
NYC Mission Quest Series 3 Part 4:
Game series involved: 6/14/15/CC*
Dominant series: 15
*Game notice specifically tells players to ignore the CB (Crystal Bearer) label. Any Crystal Chronicle character counts.
Chaos | Kimahri LC | 6/14/15
Lufenia | Cid Raines LC | 14/15/CC
Shinryu | Mog IW | 6/15/CC
Curiously despite all those characters getting FR/BT and the sheer number of included characters from 6, 15 is the dominant series here.
Notes on Mog IW:
They are not particularly dangerous, nor do they get additional charge speed. Though addressing some of the following points would smooth out your run:
1. Boss has HP poison as perma aura due to FG effect
2. Boss inflicts off-turn debuffs at 30/80% FG. Those debuffs are largely harmless, but they are framed and lasts for 5T. They can impede you from buffing or, as they run out, they leave space for slipping in nastier debuffs.
3. Blizzard field effect starts to happen at 70% HP (30% as well if it has been stopped by a range FA).
3A.This makes it so that you would have a harder time to cap dmg and have a much reduced BRV gain.
3B. They counter any attack that has BRV dmg. It comes with the "ice resist down" and "freeze" debuff.
4. All debuff inflicting moves and mechanics are guaranteed hits. Yes, even the off-turn ones.
5. Unlikely to happen, but if you let them have a turn while they are in FT, and you have 2 or more debuffs, party wipes.
Generally speaking, there is like 1 HP attack that they can do outside of FA. This stage is mostly just about debuff management. (That's why it was Mog IW)
Avoiding the 30% FG debuffs is probably more critical than one may think. They come suddenly, they occupy space and they last for quite a bit. It is usually when you get the blizzard and counters started than the duration runs out. Then they feed you with freeze in those freed up buff slots.
Do note that all of the debuff cannot be dodged. Therefore cleanse them, prevent them from putting them onto you via Raijin LDCA or stuffing yourself with buffs are some of the ways to resolve this.
Bosses that counter are always a gold mine for off-turn FR procs. Since there are two of them, and Gau has a 2-fold counter, Gau contribute to 4 procs each time someone moves or the boss moves.
The wonderful thing about Gau still reacts even though someone else is hit and his counter heals. His enchant helps with the blizzard and reaching cap for Cor's FR requirements.
In contrast, Cor does not react to off-turn events because they don't have a target. Even so, his FR is very good in this situation.
I originally wanted to use Yuri, but then I remembered that this stage just guarantees hits. That's why I put Sherlotta in instead.
At least he is working well with Papalymo in the Lufenia stage. As the boss orb would always tick down and fire, I could just keep blasting with Papalymo while Yuri BT was on.
I am both happy and sad that XIV is used here. I think I could have a go with a XIV character in this Shinryu stage, but that didn't happen. So that's sad. At the same time, since we know it is the hell house from VII next time, and that one actually is a problem, I am kind of glad that XIV does not appear there.
On a side note, I really like Cor in the blizzard in this stage.