FFV - Low Level Game Part 5: Ifrit & Byblos
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Two boss battles fought at The Library of the Ancients, again conveniently adding up to a video length of about 5 minutes.
Ifrit can get fairly unruly if not paralysed, so as many as three whip users are busy trying to inflict the status. Equip Whips is chosen as a secondary ability to enable the mages focus on casting Time and Black Magick whenever the status has been successfully inflicted, helping with keeping Ifrit slowed and Faris hasted and the damage output. Faris, equipped with an Ice Rod, deals the most damage and can cast Blizzara twice before running out of MP. With the damage the other two Black Mages add, she needs one Elixir to finish the job.
Ifrit's Blaze cannot kill anything, but Fira and the physical abilities can OHKO one character at a time. This is a nuisance, but little more than that - the fallen can always be revived. Ifrit not getting (m)any turns is a good way to prevent said attacks from taking place.
Byblos, the second boss, is more dangerous than that. Every other turn it has a chance of using Wind Slash for 3-digit wind-elemental damage to everybody. Naturally, it leads to the game over screen each time. Paralysing (and again, slowing) the boss is immensely helpful for not seeing Wind Slash a single time during the fight, but whip attacks can whiff, and it won't always proc the paralysis, either.
Again, I have three whip users to accomplish the goals set, two actual Beastmasters with Learning as secondary. The first turn has a 33% chance of being Magic Hammer, and while I cannot think of any immediate application for this Blue Magick anywhere in the run, it might at least help with some random battles I may or may not be fighting in the future. It's a rare Blue Magick we can add to our arsenal without engaging in random encounters, anyhow.
In contrast to Ifrit, Byblos is fire-weak, taking heavy damage from Flame Rod-bolstered Firas from Faris. Though the game insists on the Ifrit summon helping out in the battle, the early world 1 summons are weaker in damage to level 2 elemental black magic when used against single-target opponents. Faris is hasted to act considerably more often, Lenna being the other Haste recipient to use Elixirs on Faris or re-set paralysis with more frequent whip pokes.
Even when Byblos doesn't get a turn, he can still be dangerous on counter, casting Drain or Toad on the protagonists (Protect is nowhere as frustrating to see). Keeping him paralysed throughout the fight is the only way to not have to face any of said risks.
Status magic constantly failing seems like an indication we'll have to resort to the Mystic Knight class and/or skill set soon enough, though unfortunately Time Magic spells like Slow and Gravity cannot be Spellbladed.
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