FF5 Solos vs. Omega Part II
Feb. 24th, 2018 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sirsystemerrorThe Dragoon
He betrayed the Irregular Hunters and hid himself in a volcano.
Jump always hits, Trident is lightning-elemental. These two things allow the Dragoon to do actual respectable damage to Omega. Besides the usual Aegis for a shield-wielding class and Hermes Sandals, along with Genji Armor to guaranteed stop Rocket Punch confusion, I found the best head equipment was actually Thornlet of all things.
It's possible to be constantly in the air and avoid most of the Wave Cannons, but its big perk is a pleasant 10% magic evade all other heavy headware doesn't offer. If the HP Leak is an issue (Maelstrom trolling?), Hypno Crown is a viable alternative - though it's heavier and only offers 5% magic evade. Royal Crown as well if you're dipping into GBA equipment: the same 10% as Thornlet, but the same weight as Royal Crown. If you're using the status bug, Mirage Vest as bodywear gives an additional 3% - otherwise it needs to be Genji.
This aside, it's the usual affair for a Dragoon. Jump over things, come down hard. Aside, though I did fight it at 99, that shouldn't be strictly necessary for this one. A Dragoon will in any case need to grind out more than it'd naturally have to win out, mostly so the likes of Mustard Bomb and Atomic Ray aren't taking off half its health.
__________
The Gladiator
Just because these jobs don't have it as easy doesn't mean it's by no means implausible. Like with this one. It has all the tools, all it needs is the luck.
Just like with Gil Turtle, no !Finisher elements from any character will function on Omega. Good news: Bows also halve a target's evasion like knives do, so they can be used to hit Omega! That means Thunder Bow. Bad news: that also means no Aegis Shield and its handy blocks, but at least there's the status bug to get petrify immunity. And just like with Dragoon, Thornlet may well be the headwear of choice just for its magic evade.
There's not much to say here. Fight when it won't kill you with a follow-up Wave Cannon (one of the best times is, as usual, right before Search), hope it lands and you don't get Encircled, repeat. When stalling/waiting for an opportunity to attack, Aegis Shield should be equipped instead of Thunder Bow.
Unlike the other jobs in this class, it isn't always guaranteed that an attack will land. The battle can end up pointlessly drawn out just because you kept on missing shots, or you could luck out and land several successful arrows in a row. It's possible that you just end up running out of Elixirs by the end in the worst case scenario. I realized this after I'd used about 30-40 of them when it was only half-dead on one run.
An important Elixir-saving technique is to use a Hi-Potion after a Wave Cannon at full health. If the next attack from Omega deals no damage due to Aegis or just not dealing enough if any, that's a Elixir saved. This mentality works for any other job class of course, but it especially applies to one that could takes quite some time. Gladiator is also speedy enough to not have to worry about Omega outspeeding it, short of poor ATB management. It can even Elixir immediately after a Wave Cannon and get another turn before Omega.
Like Dragoon, max levels aren't necessary, but high in general is usual are useful for more HP (especially in a job with lower vitality like this one) and protecting against Encircle. Though that won't save you from stuff like Maelstrom HP leak - I lost a fight that was 5000HP away from winning because of it once. Ugh.
__________
The Freelancer
All the tricks and equipment in the world against the baddest motherfucker vanilla FF5 has to offer. Just goes to show by it being here just how versatile the job is.
Today's list of equipment...
- Ribbon: Gives immunity to Rainbow Wind, Blaster death, Delta Attack. Good for its stat boosts anyway, so don't status bug it.
- Rainbow Dress: Protects against Rocket Punch confusion.
- Black Robe: Alternate to the above if using status bug for its 20% magic evade.
- Robe of Lords: Same as above, but GBA postgame and has 24% magic evade.
- Flame Ring: This can be used with status bug Hermes Sandals for Fire absorption and paralysis immunity.
- Reflect Ring: Or this instead for something a bit more kosher, though it can cause Omega to heal itself with reflected Atomic Rays or Flamethrowers after bounced Search.
- Sorceror's Mantle: One last option, this one from GBA postgame. Only halves fire attacks, but 20% magic evade.
- Masamune: Offers up Haste.
- Wonder Wand: Offers up Shell.
- Aegis Shield: Switch it in when healing/waiting.
- Thunder Bow: The weapon of choice.
This is otherwise similar to the Gladiator, just with more equipment and status benefits in exchange for no natural stats and slightly less damage. Fair trade, I say. You still need to put up with Thunder Bow missing, and you still need to watch your Elixir count - fire-based healing hardly helps here excepting maybe lower levels. Because Freelancer also doesn't have the high natural agility, it also doesn't have as much flexibility with turns.
Everything else applies. Can still get it done - probably in the 80s too thanks to all the defensive equipment and statuses. Slipped my mind to try it that way and I didn't feel like going back, though.
__________
The Summoner
I watched a friend take down Omega with only Ramuh casts for offense during a four job fiesta. You can do more than you think to kill this thing in a party setting. But a solo Summoner is on another level of crazy.
I've labeled some superboss fights with certain classes as super-technical before - and Summoner is the embodiment of it for Omega. It has all it needs: viable damaging options that go through Reflect, Shell status from the Wonder Wand...and what makes this super-technical while giving it a chance, the ability to protect against Blaster and Delta Attack via Carbuncle.
Because of the latter, Sage's Surplice for Silence protection or status bugging it is absolutely required. Summoner is just too slow a killer to try to go without, and needs to not have Delta Attack catch up with it. Note that Summoner can and should refresh Carbuncle even when it's active. It absolutely does not want it running out at an inopportune moment.
The best times to do this is after the third attack of its script (Atomic Ray/Flamethrower/Rainbow Wind) and after the no-interrupt combo. It's a bit weird on paper to use it so close together, but using it after the no-interrupt guarantees it'll be up for the potential Delta Attack/Blaster at the start, and using it after the third attack refreshes it for the potential shot during the no-interrupt sequence, while keeping it down to avoid bouncing Atomic Ray. This doesn't stop Maelstrom of course, only need to hope it doesn't land and if it does you can heal in time.
Because of Elixir limitations, it might be better to play a bit more aggressively, though - namely earlier on if John Connor was at full health after the no-interrupt (no Wave Cannon used), I'd try to get in two attacks, then heal before the next Wave Cannon. The only problem with this is that there's barely to literally not enough time to refresh Reflect depending on ATB. Needed a very good sense of what I could get away with in this fight.
Odin (!) and boosted Ramuh are both viable choices for attack. Odin's damage is more variable, but Ramuh is consistent. I stuck with Odin due to being able to equip the Chicken Knife and turning up more damage on average.
Some luck, some perseverence, some masochism, and 78 Elixirs saw John Connor through this mess.
__________
The Blue Mage
A Blue Mage has a wide variety of spells. Too bad few of them work here.
In fact, Blue Mage really shines with its equipment, especially with the status bug, and even without it has Aegis at least. It is otherwise reduced to exactly five spells against Omega: Mighty Guard as a defensive option, White Wind as a healing option to avoid using too many Elixirs, 1000 Needles to do damage, and Dark Spark and Off-Guard but only if they're bounced and a miracle allows them to land. Everything else is useless to actively detrimental, gets bounced back if directly cast, or both. Note that if you're wearing Bone Mail and get to level 95, it's possible to heal with Lv5 Death. Just makes restoring MP awkward.
But if you believe in miracles, particularly with Dark Spark, oh boy. Especially if Blue Mage is ridiculously high level. If it lands that at like 1% odds, suddenly it's the one with the level advantage, crippling the likes of Encircle, Maelstrom, and Rocket Punch as well as Omega's damage output. Because Omega has Reflect because it's overdesigned it has only a few shots per battle - able to get Reflect from the Magic Lamp and Wonder Wand. If you can lower its defense a bit after that...
...well. 1000 Needles is still the best option unless you land multiple - Reflect is still required though, but it won't be as unlikely to land. After one Chicken Knife slices beat it, but add up to less damage overall due to missing and flee attempts. Aqua Breath and Goblin Punches with strong weapons do damage after one, but very little. So better if you get the chance is another Dark Spark attempt.
Actually, there's one more spell Blue Mage can try, after the level lowering - after an Ether to cut it to 9999 of course. That said its only real point is taking Encircle out of the picture completely. With equipment/status bug the only remaining threat is that and Maelstrom.
As long as Blue Mage plays well and isn't horribly unlucky afterwards (try to line its turn up to always be able to recover from Maelstrom if possible?), or just stubbornly pushes through, it can eventually get this done. With simulated success after my first go at it failed due to an insanely unlucky Encircle towards the end (I decided to try Magic Hammer at that point), I got this on the third try I "landed" it.
__________
The Ninja
Hoo boy...this one is pretty dumb.
Throw ignores defense, so don't bother with Lightning Scrolls. Just throw Fuma Shuriken. They outclass anything else unless you completely lose your mind and farm up Dragoon Lances anyway, and even then it's only two extra points of attack. If you're flexing GBA postgame, then the strongest (and equally insane to get) is Ragnarok - they're a rare steal from the back part of Neo ExDeath usually destroyed instantly by Magic Lamp. I guess given my definition of "no mercy" I could use this...as dumb as it is...
Speaking of dumb, it needs status bug Bone Mail or otherwise daring to play with Assassin's Dagger self-stabs. There's no other way to protect against Rocket Punch and Blaster. Unlike Ranger, it doesn't have !Aim to hit Omega and bounce the death spell off it, so gambling is far more dangerous.
Of course even with the status bug, Delta Attack is running amok. Encircle too and it can't get Shell to mitigate it - just has to hope it doesn't land, with no protection other than levels and magic efvasion. Its damage output is also kind of disappointing unless it gets those Ragnaroks. Facing potential Delta Attacks to face less potential Delta Attacks. It can also get one free pass if it sets up the Lamp to bounce a Search.
It's doable, though. Very painful, but doable. Delta Attack is definitely the big obstruction with this boss. It's worse that there's only two ways to protect against petrification - Aegis and Ribbon. The game definitely could've used with at least one more.
__________
The Time Mage
This one is also a contender for dumbest thing ever.
Meteor is just barely able to do damage to Omega. The most important thing to note here is what may be a GBA oddity, I dunno. If the first or fourth hit of Meteor (or Comet, or anything else) hits Omega, it will literally transcend time itself to make a counterattack. Confuse immunity through the Lamia's Tiara is required here - the status trick will let you have it while still putting on the Gold Hairpin. Same for Sage's Surplice/silence immunity.
Aside, it's because of this one that I looked into and found out about the status bug's true nature. I was able to inflict Regen just fine on my first attempt, but after I couldn't on my second after refining my strategy, I got an inkling of the cause, and sure enough.
Time Mage has an important benefit - it's able to use the Reflect Ring to protect against several dangerous attacks of Omega. Of course, it will also bounce Atomic Ray too, and that heals Omega for 1500 each time. A little less for Flamethrowers after a bounced Search. It can still use Haste by bouncing it off Omega, as well as getting Shell and inflicting Slow (though it may take several attempts). Quick lets it lock down the fight of course, and with Regen, any damage taken can be healed without using Elixirs which will have to go into restoring MP. This takes a long time, so better get ready to wait a lot.
Or...just wait. Literally just wait, I mean. When watching HP values, I noticed that for whatever reason, Omega's HP leak just wasn't stopping. Might been an oddity of Quick or something - John Connor's was running out. My suspicion is that, since it eventually did stop as I continued the fight, ATB time needs to pass on a target for a status to wear off. You can have it hit itself with Rainbow Wind or Mustard Bomb after a bounced Search (or self-bounced Venom Rod break) and just sit there waiting for hours (about two and a half) for it to die. Hey, I said no mercy. And if you do it that way Time Mage can do it at any level.
At least it doesn't HAVE to do this - just needs to get lucky with Encircle never getting it and Omega self-healing not showing up too often. Which...is pretty high demand, given this boss.
__________
The Necromancer
Ready for what is probably actually the dumbest thing ever? You bet you are.
Offense is no problem for Necromancer. Boosted Chaos Drive does as much damage as you can ask for. It has as much defense as a magical job can really ask for in equipment and Shell from the Wonder Rod. It's healing that's the problem, and there is an answer at least: Death from the Assassin's Dagger. Oh boy, here we go again, only much worse and mandatory.
Aside from the oddball one-two Wave Cannon, the Necromancer has up to two chances to pull it out each time, and will get at least one each time. All the while, it can't see Delta Attack ever or a death Blaster. Rainbow Wind is also a nuisance that will mostly delay things, though you get a free shot of Esuna to get rid of it from the Wonder Wand. Further times require Eye Drops and waiting out the silence because this game doesn't have Echo Herbs. Or status bugging Sage's Surplice and Glasses. That said going without is more than possible with this job/does not affect it unlike its magical partners in crime.
The good part about this is that after Omega's no interrupt turn, assuming you don't need to heal right away (Maelstrom, also annoying but not as big as factor with magic defense and Shell), you have quite a bit of time to wail on the thing. Mustard Bomb won't hurt that much, and Rocket Punch deals percent-based damage. Necromancer can do this on its own, even if it takes copious amounts of good luck from Assassin's Dagger. At least it's not a true hail mary like with Shinryu.
That said, holy hell. I got some insane luck the first time around - I think I may have accidentally had the status bug active too. I was trying to replicate it to show off some of the suffering I went through as an example to T-Hawk, and jesus christ I couldn't even get to the second phase. You need some pretty insane luck with the Assassin Dagger self-stabs to make it through here. Though it didn't help my attempts when Delta Attack was getting really out of control.
__________
- The Oracle
Despite this being here, it's only here in the absolute technical sense. A cut above other jobs because it's possible, but it's still really damn impossible.
Unlike its fellow magically inclined solo jobs, Oracle has a serious issue - no way to deal with Delta Attack. Blue Mage has Aegis, Time Mage has Reflect Ring, Summoner has Carbuncle, and Necromancer has killing it quickly before it has too many chances to show up. It also can't get Shell like those can.
It's not all that bad, though. Oracle's usual perk of not triggering counterattacks with its !Predict moves is in-play here, and at level 99 John Connor would use the useful and powerful Cleansing every time at full MP. It isn't listed in the GBA Algorithms guide, but Cleansing can occasionally inflict Stop. If this happens Oracle can add a bit of damage with a Morning Star bonk, or Mace of Zeus if using postgame content. The big question is if the Elixirs will even outlast it - Rejuvenation is quick healing but also very weak, nowhere near enough to heal away Wave Cannon damage.
More alarming is the inconsistent damage of !Predict, and how Omega's magic defense does affect the damage, and seemingly its Shell too. Due to its nature, the damage is naturally wildly inconsistent. This is from when its HP ended in 5, it's for example a tenth of that when it ended in 0.
Other than that? Have fun with it. Probably possible to TAS piledrive it into the ground - or if you really want to show no mercy and bend the rules, status bug Aegis and Death protection. But humanwise, it's definitely one of the worst jobs at fighting superbosses. Least it's not Geomancer...
__________
Some surprising omissions. Some of which could get it done if this thing wasn't so overdesigned. I'll finish up next time by briefly talking about them.
Next | Index
He betrayed the Irregular Hunters and hid himself in a volcano.
Jump always hits, Trident is lightning-elemental. These two things allow the Dragoon to do actual respectable damage to Omega. Besides the usual Aegis for a shield-wielding class and Hermes Sandals, along with Genji Armor to guaranteed stop Rocket Punch confusion, I found the best head equipment was actually Thornlet of all things.
It's possible to be constantly in the air and avoid most of the Wave Cannons, but its big perk is a pleasant 10% magic evade all other heavy headware doesn't offer. If the HP Leak is an issue (Maelstrom trolling?), Hypno Crown is a viable alternative - though it's heavier and only offers 5% magic evade. Royal Crown as well if you're dipping into GBA equipment: the same 10% as Thornlet, but the same weight as Royal Crown. If you're using the status bug, Mirage Vest as bodywear gives an additional 3% - otherwise it needs to be Genji.
This aside, it's the usual affair for a Dragoon. Jump over things, come down hard. Aside, though I did fight it at 99, that shouldn't be strictly necessary for this one. A Dragoon will in any case need to grind out more than it'd naturally have to win out, mostly so the likes of Mustard Bomb and Atomic Ray aren't taking off half its health.
__________
The Gladiator
Just because these jobs don't have it as easy doesn't mean it's by no means implausible. Like with this one. It has all the tools, all it needs is the luck.
Just like with Gil Turtle, no !Finisher elements from any character will function on Omega. Good news: Bows also halve a target's evasion like knives do, so they can be used to hit Omega! That means Thunder Bow. Bad news: that also means no Aegis Shield and its handy blocks, but at least there's the status bug to get petrify immunity. And just like with Dragoon, Thornlet may well be the headwear of choice just for its magic evade.
There's not much to say here. Fight when it won't kill you with a follow-up Wave Cannon (one of the best times is, as usual, right before Search), hope it lands and you don't get Encircled, repeat. When stalling/waiting for an opportunity to attack, Aegis Shield should be equipped instead of Thunder Bow.
Unlike the other jobs in this class, it isn't always guaranteed that an attack will land. The battle can end up pointlessly drawn out just because you kept on missing shots, or you could luck out and land several successful arrows in a row. It's possible that you just end up running out of Elixirs by the end in the worst case scenario. I realized this after I'd used about 30-40 of them when it was only half-dead on one run.
An important Elixir-saving technique is to use a Hi-Potion after a Wave Cannon at full health. If the next attack from Omega deals no damage due to Aegis or just not dealing enough if any, that's a Elixir saved. This mentality works for any other job class of course, but it especially applies to one that could takes quite some time. Gladiator is also speedy enough to not have to worry about Omega outspeeding it, short of poor ATB management. It can even Elixir immediately after a Wave Cannon and get another turn before Omega.
Like Dragoon, max levels aren't necessary, but high in general is usual are useful for more HP (especially in a job with lower vitality like this one) and protecting against Encircle. Though that won't save you from stuff like Maelstrom HP leak - I lost a fight that was 5000HP away from winning because of it once. Ugh.
__________
The Freelancer
All the tricks and equipment in the world against the baddest motherfucker vanilla FF5 has to offer. Just goes to show by it being here just how versatile the job is.
Today's list of equipment...
- Ribbon: Gives immunity to Rainbow Wind, Blaster death, Delta Attack. Good for its stat boosts anyway, so don't status bug it.
- Rainbow Dress: Protects against Rocket Punch confusion.
- Black Robe: Alternate to the above if using status bug for its 20% magic evade.
- Robe of Lords: Same as above, but GBA postgame and has 24% magic evade.
- Flame Ring: This can be used with status bug Hermes Sandals for Fire absorption and paralysis immunity.
- Reflect Ring: Or this instead for something a bit more kosher, though it can cause Omega to heal itself with reflected Atomic Rays or Flamethrowers after bounced Search.
- Sorceror's Mantle: One last option, this one from GBA postgame. Only halves fire attacks, but 20% magic evade.
- Masamune: Offers up Haste.
- Wonder Wand: Offers up Shell.
- Aegis Shield: Switch it in when healing/waiting.
- Thunder Bow: The weapon of choice.
This is otherwise similar to the Gladiator, just with more equipment and status benefits in exchange for no natural stats and slightly less damage. Fair trade, I say. You still need to put up with Thunder Bow missing, and you still need to watch your Elixir count - fire-based healing hardly helps here excepting maybe lower levels. Because Freelancer also doesn't have the high natural agility, it also doesn't have as much flexibility with turns.
Everything else applies. Can still get it done - probably in the 80s too thanks to all the defensive equipment and statuses. Slipped my mind to try it that way and I didn't feel like going back, though.
__________
The Summoner
I watched a friend take down Omega with only Ramuh casts for offense during a four job fiesta. You can do more than you think to kill this thing in a party setting. But a solo Summoner is on another level of crazy.
I've labeled some superboss fights with certain classes as super-technical before - and Summoner is the embodiment of it for Omega. It has all it needs: viable damaging options that go through Reflect, Shell status from the Wonder Wand...and what makes this super-technical while giving it a chance, the ability to protect against Blaster and Delta Attack via Carbuncle.
Because of the latter, Sage's Surplice for Silence protection or status bugging it is absolutely required. Summoner is just too slow a killer to try to go without, and needs to not have Delta Attack catch up with it. Note that Summoner can and should refresh Carbuncle even when it's active. It absolutely does not want it running out at an inopportune moment.
The best times to do this is after the third attack of its script (Atomic Ray/Flamethrower/Rainbow Wind) and after the no-interrupt combo. It's a bit weird on paper to use it so close together, but using it after the no-interrupt guarantees it'll be up for the potential Delta Attack/Blaster at the start, and using it after the third attack refreshes it for the potential shot during the no-interrupt sequence, while keeping it down to avoid bouncing Atomic Ray. This doesn't stop Maelstrom of course, only need to hope it doesn't land and if it does you can heal in time.
Because of Elixir limitations, it might be better to play a bit more aggressively, though - namely earlier on if John Connor was at full health after the no-interrupt (no Wave Cannon used), I'd try to get in two attacks, then heal before the next Wave Cannon. The only problem with this is that there's barely to literally not enough time to refresh Reflect depending on ATB. Needed a very good sense of what I could get away with in this fight.
Odin (!) and boosted Ramuh are both viable choices for attack. Odin's damage is more variable, but Ramuh is consistent. I stuck with Odin due to being able to equip the Chicken Knife and turning up more damage on average.
Some luck, some perseverence, some masochism, and 78 Elixirs saw John Connor through this mess.
__________
The Blue Mage
A Blue Mage has a wide variety of spells. Too bad few of them work here.
In fact, Blue Mage really shines with its equipment, especially with the status bug, and even without it has Aegis at least. It is otherwise reduced to exactly five spells against Omega: Mighty Guard as a defensive option, White Wind as a healing option to avoid using too many Elixirs, 1000 Needles to do damage, and Dark Spark and Off-Guard but only if they're bounced and a miracle allows them to land. Everything else is useless to actively detrimental, gets bounced back if directly cast, or both. Note that if you're wearing Bone Mail and get to level 95, it's possible to heal with Lv5 Death. Just makes restoring MP awkward.
But if you believe in miracles, particularly with Dark Spark, oh boy. Especially if Blue Mage is ridiculously high level. If it lands that at like 1% odds, suddenly it's the one with the level advantage, crippling the likes of Encircle, Maelstrom, and Rocket Punch as well as Omega's damage output. Because Omega has Reflect because it's overdesigned it has only a few shots per battle - able to get Reflect from the Magic Lamp and Wonder Wand. If you can lower its defense a bit after that...
...well. 1000 Needles is still the best option unless you land multiple - Reflect is still required though, but it won't be as unlikely to land. After one Chicken Knife slices beat it, but add up to less damage overall due to missing and flee attempts. Aqua Breath and Goblin Punches with strong weapons do damage after one, but very little. So better if you get the chance is another Dark Spark attempt.
Actually, there's one more spell Blue Mage can try, after the level lowering - after an Ether to cut it to 9999 of course. That said its only real point is taking Encircle out of the picture completely. With equipment/status bug the only remaining threat is that and Maelstrom.
As long as Blue Mage plays well and isn't horribly unlucky afterwards (try to line its turn up to always be able to recover from Maelstrom if possible?), or just stubbornly pushes through, it can eventually get this done. With simulated success after my first go at it failed due to an insanely unlucky Encircle towards the end (I decided to try Magic Hammer at that point), I got this on the third try I "landed" it.
__________
The Ninja
Hoo boy...this one is pretty dumb.
Throw ignores defense, so don't bother with Lightning Scrolls. Just throw Fuma Shuriken. They outclass anything else unless you completely lose your mind and farm up Dragoon Lances anyway, and even then it's only two extra points of attack. If you're flexing GBA postgame, then the strongest (and equally insane to get) is Ragnarok - they're a rare steal from the back part of Neo ExDeath usually destroyed instantly by Magic Lamp. I guess given my definition of "no mercy" I could use this...as dumb as it is...
Speaking of dumb, it needs status bug Bone Mail or otherwise daring to play with Assassin's Dagger self-stabs. There's no other way to protect against Rocket Punch and Blaster. Unlike Ranger, it doesn't have !Aim to hit Omega and bounce the death spell off it, so gambling is far more dangerous.
Of course even with the status bug, Delta Attack is running amok. Encircle too and it can't get Shell to mitigate it - just has to hope it doesn't land, with no protection other than levels and magic efvasion. Its damage output is also kind of disappointing unless it gets those Ragnaroks. Facing potential Delta Attacks to face less potential Delta Attacks. It can also get one free pass if it sets up the Lamp to bounce a Search.
It's doable, though. Very painful, but doable. Delta Attack is definitely the big obstruction with this boss. It's worse that there's only two ways to protect against petrification - Aegis and Ribbon. The game definitely could've used with at least one more.
__________
The Time Mage
This one is also a contender for dumbest thing ever.
Meteor is just barely able to do damage to Omega. The most important thing to note here is what may be a GBA oddity, I dunno. If the first or fourth hit of Meteor (or Comet, or anything else) hits Omega, it will literally transcend time itself to make a counterattack. Confuse immunity through the Lamia's Tiara is required here - the status trick will let you have it while still putting on the Gold Hairpin. Same for Sage's Surplice/silence immunity.
Aside, it's because of this one that I looked into and found out about the status bug's true nature. I was able to inflict Regen just fine on my first attempt, but after I couldn't on my second after refining my strategy, I got an inkling of the cause, and sure enough.
Time Mage has an important benefit - it's able to use the Reflect Ring to protect against several dangerous attacks of Omega. Of course, it will also bounce Atomic Ray too, and that heals Omega for 1500 each time. A little less for Flamethrowers after a bounced Search. It can still use Haste by bouncing it off Omega, as well as getting Shell and inflicting Slow (though it may take several attempts). Quick lets it lock down the fight of course, and with Regen, any damage taken can be healed without using Elixirs which will have to go into restoring MP. This takes a long time, so better get ready to wait a lot.
Or...just wait. Literally just wait, I mean. When watching HP values, I noticed that for whatever reason, Omega's HP leak just wasn't stopping. Might been an oddity of Quick or something - John Connor's was running out. My suspicion is that, since it eventually did stop as I continued the fight, ATB time needs to pass on a target for a status to wear off. You can have it hit itself with Rainbow Wind or Mustard Bomb after a bounced Search (or self-bounced Venom Rod break) and just sit there waiting for hours (about two and a half) for it to die. Hey, I said no mercy. And if you do it that way Time Mage can do it at any level.
At least it doesn't HAVE to do this - just needs to get lucky with Encircle never getting it and Omega self-healing not showing up too often. Which...is pretty high demand, given this boss.
__________
The Necromancer
Ready for what is probably actually the dumbest thing ever? You bet you are.
Offense is no problem for Necromancer. Boosted Chaos Drive does as much damage as you can ask for. It has as much defense as a magical job can really ask for in equipment and Shell from the Wonder Rod. It's healing that's the problem, and there is an answer at least: Death from the Assassin's Dagger. Oh boy, here we go again, only much worse and mandatory.
Aside from the oddball one-two Wave Cannon, the Necromancer has up to two chances to pull it out each time, and will get at least one each time. All the while, it can't see Delta Attack ever or a death Blaster. Rainbow Wind is also a nuisance that will mostly delay things, though you get a free shot of Esuna to get rid of it from the Wonder Wand. Further times require Eye Drops and waiting out the silence because this game doesn't have Echo Herbs. Or status bugging Sage's Surplice and Glasses. That said going without is more than possible with this job/does not affect it unlike its magical partners in crime.
The good part about this is that after Omega's no interrupt turn, assuming you don't need to heal right away (Maelstrom, also annoying but not as big as factor with magic defense and Shell), you have quite a bit of time to wail on the thing. Mustard Bomb won't hurt that much, and Rocket Punch deals percent-based damage. Necromancer can do this on its own, even if it takes copious amounts of good luck from Assassin's Dagger. At least it's not a true hail mary like with Shinryu.
That said, holy hell. I got some insane luck the first time around - I think I may have accidentally had the status bug active too. I was trying to replicate it to show off some of the suffering I went through as an example to T-Hawk, and jesus christ I couldn't even get to the second phase. You need some pretty insane luck with the Assassin Dagger self-stabs to make it through here. Though it didn't help my attempts when Delta Attack was getting really out of control.
__________
- The Oracle
Despite this being here, it's only here in the absolute technical sense. A cut above other jobs because it's possible, but it's still really damn impossible.
Unlike its fellow magically inclined solo jobs, Oracle has a serious issue - no way to deal with Delta Attack. Blue Mage has Aegis, Time Mage has Reflect Ring, Summoner has Carbuncle, and Necromancer has killing it quickly before it has too many chances to show up. It also can't get Shell like those can.
It's not all that bad, though. Oracle's usual perk of not triggering counterattacks with its !Predict moves is in-play here, and at level 99 John Connor would use the useful and powerful Cleansing every time at full MP. It isn't listed in the GBA Algorithms guide, but Cleansing can occasionally inflict Stop. If this happens Oracle can add a bit of damage with a Morning Star bonk, or Mace of Zeus if using postgame content. The big question is if the Elixirs will even outlast it - Rejuvenation is quick healing but also very weak, nowhere near enough to heal away Wave Cannon damage.
More alarming is the inconsistent damage of !Predict, and how Omega's magic defense does affect the damage, and seemingly its Shell too. Due to its nature, the damage is naturally wildly inconsistent. This is from when its HP ended in 5, it's for example a tenth of that when it ended in 0.
Other than that? Have fun with it. Probably possible to TAS piledrive it into the ground - or if you really want to show no mercy and bend the rules, status bug Aegis and Death protection. But humanwise, it's definitely one of the worst jobs at fighting superbosses. Least it's not Geomancer...
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Some surprising omissions. Some of which could get it done if this thing wasn't so overdesigned. I'll finish up next time by briefly talking about them.
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