Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 10:19 pm
Illusion of L'Phalcia isn't especially hard; there were only two difficulty settings on the PS4 version, "Easy" and "Normal". I played through the game on Normal and beat all the optional bosses, so I figured I'd post some spoiler-free battle tips.
The most important thing to pay attention to is each character's gem grid. Gems can be rotated before being set in the grid, and blocked-off slots in the grids eventually open up as the characters gain levels.
Setting a white gem in the grid is the ONLY way to level up white magic skill, and learn white magic spells. Setting a black magic gem in the grid is the ONLY way to level up black magic skill, and learn black magic spells. Leveling up both white magic skill and black magic skill is the ONLY way a character can learn the extra-powerful "mix magic" spells.
ONLY mix magic can buff all party members, or heal all party members! All other spells or items that heal/buff are single-target! Because of this, at least three characters should have both a black magic gem and a white magic gem set for all regular encounters. Having at least three characters who can heal/buff the whole party at once is literally a lifesaver.
It is possible to cast previously learned black spells with a white gem, or vice versa. Having only one color gem set means that the character won't gain skill in the other magic, though.
It's also important to pay attention to the type of black gem or white gem set. The smallest black and white gems only raise skill up to a certain cutoff; the medium black and white gems raise skill up to maximum; and the biggest black and white gems do not raise skill at all. Instead the biggest black and white gems offer other bonuses - they're intended for characters with maximum skill, or for boss fights.
Other than the gems to learn black and white magic, the most broken overpowered gems in the game are the ones that reduce damage taken by 50%. I found four of these. Equip every one of them before any tough boss fight!
The PS4 version has paid DLC to power up the party, but it's completely unnecessary. Grinding is not required for the main game, assuming that the player doesn't run from most fights. The PS4 DLC to control the encounter rate is also unnecessary. There are cheap consumables to repel weak enemies, and two midgame pieces of equipment that force enemy encounters or turn all random encounters completely off.
A little grinding is needed for the postgame optional bosses, especially the level 99 boss. There is no postgame dungeon (the postgame takes place in previously cleared dungeons), so the best place to grind levels or magic skill is the island of metal monsters right next to Narke Lodge.
Ferio learns a skill that can destroy strong metal monsters, like flowers and manticores. Caldina gets an early-game weapon that can one-shot weak metal monsters like slugs and fish with her normal attack. Equipping the gem that increases the chance of surprise attacks speeds up metal monster grinding.
Ryser's ability to steal items is mostly worthless - except on Jar enemies. Ryser can steal permanent stat-boosting "materia" from them, with a high success rate. Stealing items will also speed up sidequests to collect a certain number of drops from a specific enemy (this is true of every Exe-Create game I've played).
As far as I can tell, no enemy or boss has equipment to steal. All equipment comes from stores, treasure chests, or as drops from certain optional bosses. Optional boss equipment drops don't seem to be completely random; I got all the ultimate weapons from fighting the required optional bosses the minimum number of times.
Spells that buff the party's stats and debuff the enemy's stats are extremely important. Buffing/debuffing intelligence helps the party survive magic attacks. Buffing the party's defense and debuffing the enemy's attack helps the party survive physical attacks. The party can be buffed up to 2 ranks in each stat, but enemies usually resist being debuffed more than 1 rank. Caldina's Dragon attack is an exception; it can sometimes debuff enemy Defense by 2 ranks.
Speed is not as critical as in other Exe-Create games. It helps, but it's less important than the party's Intelligence (versus spellcasters) or Defense (versus physical attackers). Cougars' attacks that debuff enemy speed are still useful.
Long combos are powerful! Landing more combo hits increases damage, and even gives back a little MP. The easiest way to do long combos is to chain multi-hit phantom skills.
Don't worry too much about HP materia and MP materia. All party members naturally obtain enough MP as they level up, and MP-restoring items are easy to get. Most party members have close to the maximum of 9999 HP at level 99. Cougar's natural max HP is lower, but his ultimate weapon boosts it by 30%. The best party member to use HP materia on is Tiana.
The best things to spend "shop points" on are stat-boosting materia. The point-shop accessories are okay - I used points to buy two speed-boosting accessories - but they are inferior to the accessories that reduce the chance of bad status by 50%.
I found three bad-status-protection accessories, and kept all three of them on my party at all times, because bad status (other than poison) is absolutely devastating in this game. There is one late-game gem that makes a party member immune to all bad status, and I recommend using this gem for the toughest boss fights.
Keep your party formation balanced for difficult battles - three in one row and two in another row. Don't go four-and-one, or worse, all five in one row. Many enemies have attacks that hit an entire row, and splitting your rows reduces in the incoming damage. Any party member's row position can be changed in combat, without costing a turn.
Consumable items are absurdly powerful! A big stock of full cures to heal bad status, strong "Blend" items to restore both HP and MP, and full-health revival items is vital for the most powerful optional bosses. Bombs are also absurdly, ridiculously powerful - they might even make certain parts of the game too easy.
The most important thing to pay attention to is each character's gem grid. Gems can be rotated before being set in the grid, and blocked-off slots in the grids eventually open up as the characters gain levels.
Setting a white gem in the grid is the ONLY way to level up white magic skill, and learn white magic spells. Setting a black magic gem in the grid is the ONLY way to level up black magic skill, and learn black magic spells. Leveling up both white magic skill and black magic skill is the ONLY way a character can learn the extra-powerful "mix magic" spells.
ONLY mix magic can buff all party members, or heal all party members! All other spells or items that heal/buff are single-target! Because of this, at least three characters should have both a black magic gem and a white magic gem set for all regular encounters. Having at least three characters who can heal/buff the whole party at once is literally a lifesaver.
It is possible to cast previously learned black spells with a white gem, or vice versa. Having only one color gem set means that the character won't gain skill in the other magic, though.
It's also important to pay attention to the type of black gem or white gem set. The smallest black and white gems only raise skill up to a certain cutoff; the medium black and white gems raise skill up to maximum; and the biggest black and white gems do not raise skill at all. Instead the biggest black and white gems offer other bonuses - they're intended for characters with maximum skill, or for boss fights.
Other than the gems to learn black and white magic, the most broken overpowered gems in the game are the ones that reduce damage taken by 50%. I found four of these. Equip every one of them before any tough boss fight!
The PS4 version has paid DLC to power up the party, but it's completely unnecessary. Grinding is not required for the main game, assuming that the player doesn't run from most fights. The PS4 DLC to control the encounter rate is also unnecessary. There are cheap consumables to repel weak enemies, and two midgame pieces of equipment that force enemy encounters or turn all random encounters completely off.
A little grinding is needed for the postgame optional bosses, especially the level 99 boss. There is no postgame dungeon (the postgame takes place in previously cleared dungeons), so the best place to grind levels or magic skill is the island of metal monsters right next to Narke Lodge.
Ferio learns a skill that can destroy strong metal monsters, like flowers and manticores. Caldina gets an early-game weapon that can one-shot weak metal monsters like slugs and fish with her normal attack. Equipping the gem that increases the chance of surprise attacks speeds up metal monster grinding.
Ryser's ability to steal items is mostly worthless - except on Jar enemies. Ryser can steal permanent stat-boosting "materia" from them, with a high success rate. Stealing items will also speed up sidequests to collect a certain number of drops from a specific enemy (this is true of every Exe-Create game I've played).
As far as I can tell, no enemy or boss has equipment to steal. All equipment comes from stores, treasure chests, or as drops from certain optional bosses. Optional boss equipment drops don't seem to be completely random; I got all the ultimate weapons from fighting the required optional bosses the minimum number of times.
Spells that buff the party's stats and debuff the enemy's stats are extremely important. Buffing/debuffing intelligence helps the party survive magic attacks. Buffing the party's defense and debuffing the enemy's attack helps the party survive physical attacks. The party can be buffed up to 2 ranks in each stat, but enemies usually resist being debuffed more than 1 rank. Caldina's Dragon attack is an exception; it can sometimes debuff enemy Defense by 2 ranks.
Speed is not as critical as in other Exe-Create games. It helps, but it's less important than the party's Intelligence (versus spellcasters) or Defense (versus physical attackers). Cougars' attacks that debuff enemy speed are still useful.
Long combos are powerful! Landing more combo hits increases damage, and even gives back a little MP. The easiest way to do long combos is to chain multi-hit phantom skills.
Don't worry too much about HP materia and MP materia. All party members naturally obtain enough MP as they level up, and MP-restoring items are easy to get. Most party members have close to the maximum of 9999 HP at level 99. Cougar's natural max HP is lower, but his ultimate weapon boosts it by 30%. The best party member to use HP materia on is Tiana.
The best things to spend "shop points" on are stat-boosting materia. The point-shop accessories are okay - I used points to buy two speed-boosting accessories - but they are inferior to the accessories that reduce the chance of bad status by 50%.
I found three bad-status-protection accessories, and kept all three of them on my party at all times, because bad status (other than poison) is absolutely devastating in this game. There is one late-game gem that makes a party member immune to all bad status, and I recommend using this gem for the toughest boss fights.
Keep your party formation balanced for difficult battles - three in one row and two in another row. Don't go four-and-one, or worse, all five in one row. Many enemies have attacks that hit an entire row, and splitting your rows reduces in the incoming damage. Any party member's row position can be changed in combat, without costing a turn.
Consumable items are absurdly powerful! A big stock of full cures to heal bad status, strong "Blend" items to restore both HP and MP, and full-health revival items is vital for the most powerful optional bosses. Bombs are also absurdly, ridiculously powerful - they might even make certain parts of the game too easy.