Dissidia Final Fantasy Ultimecia Character Guide Version 3.0 Author - Zhang_He I have made this guide easily navigatable by using the Control+F feature. If you're searching for something in particular type the chapter into the control+F feature, press enter twice, and it'll jump right where you need it to! ----Updates!---- 4/15/09 � Uploaded to GameFAQ�s yay! 9/25/09 � Changes made for English version! 1/20/10 - Made some more minor changes to wording and strategies. Fixed a few grammar problems and typos! Overhaul on the VS. section for changes in the American version! Some terminology changed to American translation. Changed accessories in the �I recommend� section. Updated Ability List for the �I recommend� section. Table of Contents I. Legal Stuff and Contact Info II. About Zhang_He III. Ultimecia, The Sorceress from the Future IV. Ultimecia's Arsenal IVa) Brave Attacks IVb) HP Attacks IVc) EX Mode Breakdown V. General Tips on Playing with Ultimecia VI. Who Dares Face the Sorceress? 6W) Warrior of Light 6G) Garland 6F) Frioniel(Firion) 6E) The Emperor 6O) Onion Knight 6CD) Cloud of Darkness 6CH) Cecil Harvey 6GA) Golbeza(Golbez) 6B) Butz Klauser(Bartz Klauser) 6EX) ExDeath 6TB) Tina Branford (Terra Branford) 6KP) Cefca Palazzo (Kefka Palazzo) 6CS) Cloud Strife 6S) Sephiroth 6SL) Squall Leonheart 6U) Ultimecia 6Z) Zidane Tribal 6K) Kuja 6T) Tidus 6J) Jecht 6SH) Shantotto 6JG) Judge Gabranth 6C) Chaos VII. Breakdown of Stages - Where the Sorceress Shines 7a) Chaos Shrine (FF1) 7b) Pandemonium (FF2) 7c) World of Darkness (FF3) 7d) The Moon (FF4) 7e) Dimensional Fortress (FF5) 7f) Magicite Factory (FF6) 7g) Northern Crater (FF7) 7h) Ultimecia's Castle (FF8) 7i) Crystal World (FF9) 7j) Dream Zanarkand (FF10) 7k) Cosmos' Throne 7L) Chaos' Throne VIII. Abilities to Maximize Your Sorcerous Powers IX. Questions and Answers IX. Credit to Where it's Due and Thank You's <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | I. Legal Stuff and Contact Info | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv This guide shall not be published anywhere outside Gamefaqs.com without my permission. For any inquiries, legal-related or dissidia-related questions, as well as any suggestions for the improvement of the FAQ, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I'll try to respond to your emails in a timely and efficient manner. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | II. About Zhang_He | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv I'm a simple 19 year old guy from Texas who's very much into games especially the Final Fantasy series as well as most other Playstation RPG series'. I decided to do this guide on Ultimecia because she is my favorite Final Fantasy villain overall and there wasn't one posted yet anyways also she is my second main next to Cloud of Darkness. :) <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | III. Ultimcia - The Sorceress from the Future | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Ultimecia is the main antagonist and final boss from Final Fantasy VIII. Ultimecia doesn't make a physical appearance until Disc 4 however she does manifest herself through other characters throughout the game (I wont say who because that would be spoiler worthy). She has possibly, in my opinion, one of the longest boss battles in all of Final Fantasy with 3 forms and 1 Summon to fight with no rests in between. In Dissidia, Ultimecia comes to the table representing Final Fantasy VIII as the antagonist opposed by Squall Leonheart. She is a key player in Chaos' side and is often seen with The Emperor plotting against the other villains and Chaos Himself. In Dissidia, Ultimecia is known as the "Sorcerous Fusileer". She is more of a defensive minded character, as she needs to stay a fair distance from her foes in order to execute many of her attacks. Ultimecia's strongest point is by far her long range and rapid fire attacks. She has one of the longest brave attack ranges in the game and her brave attacks fire off multiple projectiles making it easy to hit aerial or grounded opponents. But Why would anyone play Ultimecia? ----------------------------------- Well, to put it simply Ultimecia is a slippery snake of a woman, all of her attacks can and will drain an opponent quickly of their brave points all while keeping an opponent a safe distance away. To be honest, just like her protagonist Squall Leonheart, her HP game is rather mediocre at the very least. Ultimecia is great at prolonging fights and turning the tables against her enemies, and usually is never on the ground for too long, as a single use of her EX ability "Time Crush" will allow for free hits against the target uninterrupted. Simply put, if you like being a long ranged, multi- hit, spell spammer then Ultimecia is very much for you! <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | IV. Ultimecia's Arsenal | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv The Sorceress' arsenal of attacks isn't quite as robust as many of the other characters, none of her brave attacks chain to HP attacks, she has 3 HP attacks and 3 Brave Attacks. However, what I like to say about her attacks is that they are like novacaine for enemies, everyone knows what happens, but they work every time. Her brave attacks however do have two forms of each dependant on whether the button is pressed or held down. Let's start with her brave attacks... IVa)Brave Attacks Name: Knight's Blade Level Obtained: Starts With This Type: Ground and Air CP: 20 (10 when mastered) AP to Master: 120 for Ground and 90 for Air Description: Pressing circle many times will result in Ultimecia holding out her hand and firing off around 12 quick, medium damage daggers. Stop pressing the button and Ultimecia will keep her hand held out until the animation is over you may fire anytime while her hand is held out, this move may be dodged out of should an opponent block it. Holding the button down will cause Ultimecia to do this cool spinning motion similar to a clock, and fire about 24 rapid fire, low damage daggers. This variation of the attack may be ended early by letting go of the button. Rating: 3 out of 5, this attack is one of Ultimecia's only quick melee range attacksthe reason this doesn't get a score of 5 is because it lacks range, the quick button press variation hits the opponent and pushes them away, so unless you move with the opponent after the 5th or 6th dagger the opponent will be out of range of the rest of the attack. The button hold variation basically has a slower startup time. It's good to use these attacks should you ever have your opponent against a wall or in a corner to ensure maximum efficiency and damage. Name: Knight's Arrow Level Obtained: Initial Attack/LVL 13 Type: Ground(Initial) and Air (LVL 13) CP: 30 (15 when mastered) AP to Master: 180 for Ground and 140 for Air Description: Pressing the circle button many times will cause Ultimecia to release about 24 low accuracy, high damage arrows into the air which will rain down on your enemy. This attack can be stopped early and dodged out of. Holding the button down will cause Ultimecia to set up 6 pairs of 2 bolts (that's 12 for those of us not good at math.) which hang in the air for about 6 seconds before firing off in the order in which they were set up, they have higher accuracy than the other variation of this attack but have lower damage output. This variation can also be ended early and dodged out of. Rating: 5 out of 5, this is the attack you should be using most often against opponents. The button press variation is a great long range attack to keep your enemy on their toes, and away from you, while the button hold variation is a great trap set up as you lead the opponent around the stage. Be careful however, the button press variation can be reflected back to you and your opponents attacks can dissipate the button hold variation should they hit it. You'll want to use the air variation of this attack most when in battles. However, the ground variation is more useful in some stages. Name: Knight's Axe Level Obtained: 33 and 23 Type: Ground(LVL 33) and Air(LVL 23) CP: 30 (15 when mastered) AP to Master: 180 for Ground and 140 for Air Description: Press the circle button once to fire off 3 small, medium damage, high speed axes, contact with the axes will initiate a chase sequence. Holding the button will cause Ultimecia to spin gracefully around, when the button is released she releases one large, high damage high knock-back, slow speed axe which will ricochet off of the floor or walls up to 3 times. Neither variation of the attack can be dodged out of you must release the attack before you may dodge again. Also be VERY careful the button press variation of this attack can be reflected back at you and frequently is by the CPU. Rating: 4 out of 5, This will be either your second most used attack or your least, it depends on your personal play style and how good you are at chase battles. Personally, I'm very good at them so I use it quite often. Regardless of chase battles the button hold variation of this attack is always useful for getting a melee character or anyone in general out of your face (and with any luck) against a wall. Remember the small axes can be reflected back at you so I only recommend using them if the enemy is already staggered from another hit (the best way to use it is after Knight's Arrow lands on them). Another important thing to keep in mind is that the large axe DOES break guard, so if you find yourself against a guard happy opponent, become as I like to say "Axe happy". ----------------------- IVb) HP Attacks Name: Shockwave Pulsar Level Obtained: Initial Type: Ground and Air CP: 40 (20 when mastered) AP to Master: 180 Description: Ultimecia's hand will begin to glow as she charges this move, the longer the button is held the longer the distance the orb will go. Upon releasing the button she throws a blue orb that explodes with a small shockwave and cloud, either upon enemy contact or when it comes in contact with any surface. Hold square long enough and her hand will flash signaling that the orb will explode in mid-air with the same arc trajectory as the other variations of this attack. Rating: 4 out of 5, now before experienced Ultimecia players freak out, hear me out, this attack is her fastest executing HP attack. It's what I like to call "the grenade", it's a great counter if you dodge an attack you can fire this off point blank to punish the opponent. It's also great if you're in the air and your opponent is on the ground, it helps with seeing the trajectory of the attack and plan your attacks ahead. The reason this isn't a perfect score is simply because the trajectory and arc of the orb are sometimes hard to gauge the distance, you will find yourself often under or over shooting your target. Practice with it, it's a wonderful punishment, also keep in mind it can hit an opponent who dodges if the orb hits their exact location, the orb counts as a hit and so does the shockwave! Name: Great Attractor Level Obtained: Initial Type: Air CP: 40 (20 when mastered) AP to Master: 180 Description: Holding square will cause blue orbs to circle Ultimecia, eventually forming one large orb which if held still will become very large. The orb itself after being formed tends to fly downward but always straight ahead of Ultimecia. Releasing square too early will cause the orb to break. After the first flash the orb becomes an low damage source able to ram into the enemy as well as block projectiles from harming Ultimecia from the front. After the second flash the orb will not grow anymore and will fire off by itself if not released. Rating: 2.5 out of 5, I'll be honest unless you're fighting a computer player or a player who is brand new at this game there's really no reason to use this attack. The attack simply takes FOREVER to start up and actually form the first phase of the orb then entire time which you are defenseless! The computer doesn't recognize this attack and simply stops attacking once the orb is formed and let's you ram into them to fire it off point blank. I will admit if you're a fair distance away, other players have a hard time seeing the orb until it's actually formed but 8 times out of 10 against a human player you'll be hit in the charging phase of this attack. This attack when fired off has very high speed, and is nearly impossible to dodge at closer range. Use with caution. Name: Apocalypse Level Obtained: Around or after 30 Type: Ground and Air CP: 40 (20 when mastered) AP to Master: 300 Description: By holding square Ultimecia will create a large runic/arcane circle. And send it towards the opponent. The circle will attempt to home on \the enemy as long as the button is pressed down. Release the button to make the circle activate and explode upwards and outwards. This attack has a VERY large (we're talking near top to bottom) vertical range. Rating: 4 out of 5, This attack is by far one of the best anti-air attacks in the whole game. The vertical range it has is almost unfair. The start up time however, as with most her HP attacks, is a bit lacking, and should the opponent dodge the circle you're left helplessly posing in the air or on the ground until you release it. This is another great point blank HP attack as \just simply pressing the button instead of holding it makes the circle form \and explode directly underneath and around Ultimecia, making it a great attack to execute immediately after an air dodge. This attack is also great if you decide to fight Chaos with Ultimecia, being so large he easily gets caught in this attack. ------------------- IVc) EX Mode Breakdown When Ultimecia enters EX-Mode, her costume changes so that she combines with Griever(reminiscent of FFVIII's 3rd phase of her boss fight) and just as everyone does, she gains an HP regen effect. Her special ability however is very unique and out of the three characters that have charge up EX abilities (Ultimecia, Sephiroth, and Golbez) her's is the fastest and the easiest to pull off. Her ability is called "Time Crush" in which as the name implies, after charging a bit she stops the enemy in their tracks leaving them open for one attack. The Time Crush effect will last about long enough to hit the enemy with either your Shockwave Pulsar or Apocalypse attack. Breaking the effect for a brave attack is fairly pointless unless you're in dire need of brave points. Which leads into her EX-Burst, Time Compression, it is slightly difficult to get a perfect on her EX-Burst due to the timing. The method is, you press the circle button, as the marks pass through the trigger zone there's about 13 marks in all and they go by fairly quickly so as just mashing circle will not get you a perfect. The attack is powerful as with all EX-Bursts, and very cool to look at regardless! <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | V. General Tips for Playing with Ultimecia | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv I will probably be adding more to this later but for now let's just get some bare basics. Your main objective is too keep the opponent far enough away that your Knight's Arrow and Knight's Axe can easily reach while being able to hit the enemy with an Apocalypse or Shockwave Pulsar when necessary. Against computer players, this objective is fairly simple, spamming the Knight's Arrow will keep the CPU dodging or getting hit while you can charge your HP attack or launch your next wave of Arrows, Axes, or Blades. Against a human opponent however the game of "keep away from the sorceress" is quite a bit more difficult, launching a Knight's Arrow when possible, and keeping them on their toes with axes. The knock-back from the charged Knight's Axe give you plenty of time to, either set up a charged Knight's Arrow, or an attempt at Great Attractor. Remember, with Ultimecia it's OK to be spamming attacks, after all, she only has 3 right? In combination with each other her attacks can easily achieve the above mentioned objective. Remember, you know you're doing it right when a melee character such as Zidane or Tidus is having trouble keeping up with your attacks, the arrows, axes, and other attacks shouldn't stop unless you need to escape and even then Ultimecia can move slowly while attacking. On that note, make sure you stay away, FAR away, from your opponent, should someone get in your face for an attack or lauch a spell at you the best thing is to quickly dodge and fire off either a Knight's Arrow or Knight's Blade, depending on how far away the opponent is. Someone who decides to play with Ultimecia more offensively might decide also to guard the attack and counter with either a Knight's Blade or point blank Shockwave Pulsar or Apocalypse depending on the range and if in the air or on the ground, usually you should keep Shockwave Pulsar counters to ground tactics and Apocalypse counters to the air. Ultimecia players have basically two choices when playing as the sorceress, which may be switched interchangeably. First you have the defensive play style,in which Knight's Arrow and Knight's Axe are your best friends and your enemy will always be more than an arms length away from you. The second playstyle is an offensive playstyle, in which Knight's Axe and Knight's Blade will be what you'd want to use more often, this playstyle will have you about mid range from the opponent assailing them with the button hold Knight's Blade and entering in chase battles with Knight's Axe. It is important to try to balance the two out to keep the enemy guessing. If you want to practice with some of the harder opponents listed here (Onion Knight, Zidane, Tidus, etc.) I will list the friend codes for the respective lvl 90-100 ghosts, they are all very challenging even if you are fully mastered, and are great practice if you don't have a friend to play with readily available (I'll post those codes with the respective characters over a 4 rating should there be a code for one, in the character match-ups). Just remember what your strengths and weaknesses are. Strengths --------- Long Range Multi-hit Drains BP very quickly Time Crush in EX-Mode Movement while attacking Weaknesses ---------- Very weak melee range Hard to get away from combo or HP combo heavy fighters once they get you Slow movement Slow start up times for HP attacks Few combos <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | VI. Who Dares Challenge the Sorceress? | | Character Match-ups | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv 6W.) Warrior of Light (Paragon) "Is a momentary gleam...all you need?" Let's be honest here folks, if you get hit with any of this guy's attacks you're doing something wrong. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to win against him, his attacks are very strongly linear, his aerial game is a bit stronger though. It's very easy to dodge and counter with against the warrior, most often with apocalypse or a quick Knight's Blade. If he does manage to get you, try to push him away with a quick Knight's Blade, or a charged Knight's Axe then continue your assault of arrows both charged and not Be vary wary of his brave to HP branching moves players and computers alike like to spam these a lot should they catch you in the air. Also be wary of his blizzard magic it can catch you in the air and will stop an attack if not dodged. Keep him out from underneath as his Rising Buckler will grab you into a chained HP attack if you aren't careful! An aggressive player will be VERY annoying but no where near as difficult as what some of the other characters do. Difficulty level: 2.5 out of 5 ------------------------------- 6G.) Garland (Nemesis) "We both know, you're a slave to time." The knockdown king, Garland players and computer opponents tend be a lot more aggressive that his hero counterpart. You'll be playing a defensive game against this character. His Twist Drill attack (the air attack that lengthens his sword for a longer ranged attack) will be your worst enemy in matches against him. Most of his HP attacks are easy enough to dodge the only one worth mentioning as a possible problem would be his Blaze HP attack in which he fires several homing flares at you, the flares are fairly quick so just be aware and watch your enemy and you should be able to dodge them with little problem. Although his attack reach is rather average it's a good idea to keep Garland at mid to long range, busy with arrows and axes until you're ready to make your move. Difficulty level: 2.5 out of 5 -------------------------------- 6F.) Frioniel/Firion (Weapons Specialist) "A simple minded young man." Weapon Master indeed, depending on how the opponent fights this battle can go one of two ways. All of Ultimecia's attacks can be caught by Frioniel's Shield Bash counter HP attack, if you're fast enough, you should be able to dodge his magic variation of the counter, it shoots fire, ice, and then thunder the thunder does the HP hit, so if you can dodge the first two, dodge the third and continue your assault. A charged Knight's Axe will break through the shield. Also be careful of his attacks which draw you into him (Seize Knife, Lead Axe, and Lance Combo) ecxept Lance, those attacks chain to an HP attack. It's better to just stay at a long range raining arrows on him and moving in with a Shockwave Pulsar or well timed Apocalypse. Difficulty level: 1.5/4 out of 5 ----------------------------------- 6E.) The Emperor (Trap Master) "Time reigns over all." The Emperor got 1 new HP attack in the American version, an aerial, stationary Flare. Why is this a threat if it doesn�t move? Because his majesty The Emperor can now hide in its confines and spam other spells such as Starfall. If he does this you should quickly punish his folly with an HP attack preferably Apocalypse. Other than this new addition The Emperor is still a fairly ground based player, and is most deadly in a confined, walled area. Stay off the ground and watch out for his long winded blue Flare. If forced to fight in an enclosed area watch out Light Crest and Dynamite attacks. Difficulty Level: 1.5 out of 5 ---------------------------------- 6O.) Onion Knight (Mystic Fencer) "*scoff* My foe, a child?" This fast little bugger is one of THE hardest people to keep your distance from, it's best to take on a totally defensive style against him and punish him severely for his mistakes. Human and high level CPU players will attempt to hit you with branching brave to HP attacks, it's best to just to stay FAR away as almost ALL of his attacks can branch to an HP attack. Remember the novacaine theory, Knight's Axe and Blade to push him back, and Knight's Arrow to keep him busy. From personal experience a human player of this character tends to think as fast as his character is going, so setting up a charged Knight's Arrow could very well get you out of a sticky situation, or the other player could just as easily forget about it. If you MUST approach Onion Knight with extreme caution, because of his short stature a charged Knight's Blade doesn't connect with all the hits until the end of the attack or against a wall. The only time you should be close to him is when executing a quick Apocalypse or a Shockwave Pulsar punishment on the ground. Difficulty Level: 4 out of 5 Friend Code for Practice: 2748173856 (will have an 8 bit ninja picture) --------------------------------- 6CD.) Cloud of Darkness (Bane of Life) "You would fight against me?" Cloud of Darkness tends to be one of the biggest "Magic User Eaters" in the game. She is the bane of all magic users, except Ultimecia. Here's why, unlike Kuja, Terra, Shantotto and the lot. Ultimecia has the element of range against Cloud of Darkness. While CoD has a very long melee range, you have longer, and although she has guard and counter HP attacks, since you're attacks hit multiple times and are easily dodged out of, her Retaliation Wave is useless if you just dodge out of the attack you're doing. Since you will outclass her in every other aspect most CoD players will try to rush you, exploiting Ultimecia's long startup times for attacks, a quick Knight's Blade (or possibly a held one if you practice your timing) will send her away. The biggest threat from CoD is easily her 360 degree tentacle attack which will block or deflect all projectiles except a charged Knight's Axe, and her HP attack called [Fusillade], an aerial HP attack in which CoD charges for a brief moment and lets out several Dark Orbs which home in on your location, these orbs can be difficult to dodge, but an easier solution is air dashing towards her during the charge and letting a quick Knight's Blade or even Apocalypse punish her this attack is also countered by fighting in an enclosed area but do so at your own risk. Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5 ------------------------------- 6CH.) Cecil Harvey (Split Soul) "Do not resist temptation." Cecil is very well rounded character both on ground and in the air, his Dark Knight form has great knock back moves and a few aerial moves to plummet you back to the ground. Paladin Cecil is quick aerial combatant that rivals Zidane in aerial combat, be wary of his quick dashing and thrusting BRV attacks and his sweeping HP attacks, they all cover a good amount of distance. I've found that Knight's Arrow unless charged doesn't do a whole lot against paladin Cecil because of how fast he is in the air, you'll be relying more on Knight's Blade and Axe, as well as chase battles from the quick Knight's Axe to keep him out of your face. The best strategies against a good Cecil player or high level CPU would be to attempt punishing him with Apocalypse after dodging attacks, such Ray Wings or Paladin Force(a favorite for player and CPU alike against you because it will knock you to the ground.) as well as EX-Mode. If you can initiate a chase sequence and hit him with your HP attack while in EX-Mode, or even attempt a Time Stop while he is away, you can rush him with an Apocalypse and end the match quickly with an EX-Burst. Cecil can be a VERY difficult opponent against an inexperienced Ultimecia player be sure to stay on your toes and try to stay below him so Apocalypse's infinite vertical range can do him in. Difficulty Level: 4.5 out of 5 Friend Code for Practice (not lvl 100, 94 IIRC): 6A3K2A538TS (will have an airship pic) -------------------------------- 6GA.) Golbeza/Golbez (Thaumaturge) "You should be honest with yourself." Golbez, he's very tricky and very hard to read. His attacks come out very quickly and hit multiple times it's best to be on the cautious side with him. Luckily should he get into EX-Mode it's VERY easy to stop his special attack Black Fang, it takes almost a ridiculous amount of time to start up, there should be no reason at all a quick Knight's Axe or Blade (depending on distance) shouldn't be able to reach him before he executes it.As I previously stated he is a very tricky character, appearing here and there for several attacks, it's best to keep distance. During one of his attacks he'll charge a small gravity ball and attempt to then appear behind you and knock you into it, when you see him disappear get ready to GUARD, it works everytime and leaves him open for a Knight's Blade attack! His HP attacks ARE however, fairly troublesome, especially Genesis Rock (the one in which he swirls 4 rocks around him and then fires them off at high speed). If you can get below him when he releases the rocks the animation for the attack gives you just enough time to charge a Knight's Axe and send him across the stage for further pummeling from arrows, OR if you can get above him your Shockwave Pulsar attack has a higher priority so feel free to drop one on his head. Just be careful he doesn't get to close to you all of his aerial attacks with the exception of the one with Gravity Force (the ball of gravity), chain to an HP attacks. It's best not to be too aggressive with him and wait for him to make a mistake. Ultimecia and Golbez are a great match for eachother it's always a challenging and fun fight. Difficulty Level: 4 out of 5 Friend Code for Practice: 29432971 (Will have a picture of Fu-So-Ya) ----------------------------- 6B.) Butz/Bartz Klauser (Mimic) "Is his head empty?" I'll be honest about Butz, he's very, VERY annoying to play against as Ultimecia. All his attacks save for the two in chase battles are direct copies from other characters. Most notable are his HP attacks, he's taken 5 of the best HP attacks (in terms of range and homing ability) and will use them against you often. Only one of his brave attacks will chain to an HP attack and that's Holy (the 5 little white balls he shoots at you), easily blocked and reflected. His brave attacks do close a lot of distance in the air, as well as his whirlwind HP attack also draws you in. Butz will be a challege for Ultimecia players if they aren't prepared. One good punishment strategy is using his Whirlwind attack's homing ability against him, it takes practice, so make sure you try it out before fighting your friend! When he executes Whirlwind, let it pull you in but NOT into range so that it actually hits you, he should be right in front of your face when the attack ends, being that there's a window of cooldown for the attack just do a quick Apocalypse and follow with some arrows. Butz is a very strong melee character so be on your toes and ready to guard when you see that little flash of golden light (means he's forming a weapon in hand to attack). Also, be careful when he's on the ground and you are airborne, he also copies Tina's Flood attack, which is very quick executing, and hard to get out of when charging an HP attack or firing arrows. He also has, Paladin Force (obviously a Cecil copy) in which he shoots a bullet of light and hits you 3 times and you end up on the ground. That bullet of light has a deceptive range so when fighting him aerially, keep your distance and dodge often. If Bartz gets into EX-Mode most players will become very aggressive to hit you with his EX-ability "Goblin Punch" an instant HP attack (no startup, little cooldown), just play keep away and you should be fine. Difficulty Level: 4 out of 5 JPN Friend Code for Practice: GU3RK3UG4AMP (will have a picture of Gilgamesh) No NA fried code yet! ------------------------------ 6EX.) ExDeath (Entropic Adversary) "The Void is part of time and space." This is the one character where CPU players and Human player playstyles differ GREATLY. ExDeath is on of the most pathetic excuses for a CPU opponent and is often used as a punching bag or target practice. However, in the hands of a human player, ExDeath is probably THE hardest person to fight against as Ultimecia be very, very careful with him. As noted above ExDeath is a guard and counter type player, his normal brave attacks, HP attacks, and movement are all VERY slow. However, his guard abilites (short, middle, high, and all guard) change that dramatically. Should ExDeath guard one of your brave attacks (and we all know Ultimecia is BP rape) his normal brave attacks AND HP attacks, counter your movement, quickly move to right in front of you, and execute. So example, Ultimecia uses a Knight's Arrow move, ExDeath player uses High Guard the arrow is absorbed and Exdeath moves insanely fast to Ultimecia's location, and (to the ExDeath players' discretion) uses either an HP or Brave attack which executes immediately as opposed to the long start up time! It's quite unfair for our poor sorceress, but there's always a way right? Due to ExDeath's slow movement, the player will usually be either air dashing or using his teleportation attack to get close to you quickly, this is a punishable mistake, use Apocalypse when he teleports near you. Also another one of his attacks is punishable but requires you to be on or near the ground. His Delta Attack which looks like a large seal that a beam of light attacks directly forward. If he should execute this attack get above him and do a quick Shockwave Pulsar. As for Brave attacks you should really focus on unblockables like charged Knight's Axe, or very fast hitting multi hit attacks in which he would get hit if he gaurded like a charged Knight's Blade. Setting a trap like charged Knight's Arrow also works well if occupy him with other attacks. Good Luck with this one against a human player I usually only have about a 20% win ratio with Ultimecia. Remember during his guards except Omni Guard he�s vulnerable from behind use it to your advantage! Difficulty Level: CPU = 1/ Human = 6 out of 5 ------------------------------- 6TB.) Tina/Terra Branford (Esperkin) "Perhaps, your gears are stuck." Finally, hot mage on mage action! Terra is a bigger threat in the American version of Dissidia than she was in the Japanese counterpart. Most of her spells have more range or homing capability, though her damage output has been slightly downgraded. Terra�s Bilzzara has a �much- longer range and can sometimes ruin your attack patterns because of it�s deceptive range. Terra�s HP attacks are still very deadly and versatile. Flood, Tornado and especially Meltdown have great properties and are hard to avoid against an aggressive Terra player. Her Holy also has gotten a big buff in its tracking capabilities, so that means you�ll need to block it more instead of dodging in fear of the Holy Combo -> Ultima HP chain. Most Terra players like to give her an EX based build to accentuate her amazing EX mode, since she double casts every spell. When in EX Mode it�s best to stay far away from Terra out of the reach of both Meteor and Graviga as when coupled together they will eat your brave like a delcious cake. In EX-Mode as said before, Terra casts ALL spells (including HP attacks) twice, sometimes faster, sometimes just twice. Meltdown is ESPECIALLY deadly. Terra's Meltdown has 3 phases, a short range very fast phase, a mid range phase with heavy homing, and a long range, high speed ball with no homing but it bounces multiple times. Terra can cast this twice and choose between any of the three phases during EX-Mode, so for instance she'll case a Phase 3 Meltdown and then immediately cast a Phase 2 Meltdown to home in while you dodge the first. Be cautious, and keep your distance. Difficulty Level: 3.5 out of 5 ------------------------------ 6KP.) Cefka/Kefka Palazzo (Mad Mage) "How do I know if you're serious?" How appropriate that Kefka is a clown, because fighting against him is LAUGHABLE over how boring it is. Unlike Terra there are 3 HP attacks worth mentioning as a real threat, one is his basic air HP attack Trine, which summons 3 Triangular energies which have SLIGHT homing capabilities while these ARE easily dodgeable, if he catches you with them in the middle of an attack it is VERY hard to dodge out of. The other attack to mention is called Forsaken, in which Kefka remains stationary and creates a homing "portal" like thing which drops energy balls (looks more like static than anything) on your head, this one is a little trickier to dodge since the portal follows you around as long as kefka is stationary. The two best ways to counter this is to hit him before he even starts. The second is time an air dash towards him and Knight's Blade him out of it. The third is Overdrive which was modified for the NA version, when fully charged it will follow the enemy into the air and the blast radius also covers a large range both horizontal and vertical. None of his other attacks have the range or capabilities that yours do, and EVERY brave attack is blockable and reflectable. If your opponent uses Kefka you should pretty much have this in the bag. Be aware however, should Kefka get into EX-Mode his attacks are extremely deadly and barely blockable most times, in EX-Mode his attacks will change trajectories and have different ways of homing, attacking more than once, or delaying the attack. Keep in mind a Kefka has a lot of combos, especially in EX-Mode, if you get caught in a spell an experienced player will most likely break you or get close to it, in one spell combo. Keep an eye out for his Ultima, it hurts and has the ability to penetrate guard before it explodes. Difficulty Level: 2.5 out of 5 Code for practice - 20151231 (will have a picture of Seigfried) ------------------------------ 6CS.) Cloud Strife (Buster Basher) "No use trying to erase the past." Cloud is one of those characters Ultimecia either has extreme trouble with or is pathetically easy to kill, it's all dependant on the other player. Don't be fooled, Cloud is VERY dangerous up close, and players and CPU alike will be relentless in closing distance between the two of you. Always be ready for an Omnislash v.5 spammer both CPU and Humans do it, A LOT. Easy solution stay the hell away, at all costs! Knight's Blade and Axe are your best friends in fights against Cloud, forget the Arrows unless using the charged variation those seem to work best. Use Apocalypse when you see him dashing towards you, about 75% it will connect with a careless player and about 40% will connect with a CPU. The easiest way I've found to get his HP down is chase battles, using a quick Knight's Axe to execute the chase, and using HP attacks (against human players mix it up between brave and HP to keep them guessing.) Ultimecia's chase HP attack sends enemies FAR away, perfect time for arrows. If Cloud should get into Ex-Mode stay the hell away more so than you were before, there's no blocking during this time, keep him at bay by pressuring him with Apocalypse and Shockwave Pulsar. Cloud's attacks in general ARE slow to execute and are easy to see coming, guarding them is the best way to get back at him. Stay alert, stay cautious, and win. Difficulty Level: 3.5 out of 5 -------------------------------- 6S.) Sephiroth (Focused Blade) "Go back, to the time of your memory." The North American version of Dissidia has beefed up Sephiroth considerably. Most of his attacks come out faster, and he�s got a new aerial HP attack to boot! His Fervent Blow/Godspeed (the sword shockwave attack) is nigh instantaneous now. His HP attack, Hell�s Gate (the Aeris Stab) can now be stopped in mid air so don�t assume he has to hit the ground! His new HP attack, Heaven�s Light, is a diagonal upward slash, be sure to be wary if he hangs underneath you for a bit. However, even with all his new additions Sephiroth�s attacks remain blockable and his playstyle is fairly readable. He is fast and his EX attack Heartless Angel now allows him to move around while casting. Just stay on the defensive and keep to normal tactics and you�ll be just fine against �the legend�. On a side note, keep in mind with his considerable beef up in the NA version this opened up a lot of combos and a semi-infinite for Sephy that weren't there before so make sure if he slams you to the ground be pounding the block button to stop any endless combos. Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5 ------------------------------ 6SL.) Squall Leonheart (Relentless Revolver) "You do not have a place here." The sorceress' fated enemy, Squall plays a lot like Ultimecia only at short range. He IS the melee champ of BP rape however his HP attacks are either easy to avoid, or you can see coming a mile away. A great and easy strategy to beat him is simply stay above him, rain on him with arrows and axes (if you so choose). When you're done toying with him and his BP, comes the challenge, killing him. Even though you have the advantage over Squall in terms of range you two are in the same boat when it comes to HP attacks. I'd say if you're fighting an aerial Squall user, the tried and true Apocalypse would be most efficient, where as a more ground based player would be more easily dispatched with Shockwave Pulsar and Great Attractor(should he stay away long enough). Attacks to be wary of when against Squall, ALL of his ground based BP attacks, as his title implies they all combo well together and if up against a skilled player is easily stringed into a near endless combo. If you're aerial, be aware of his magic BP attacks as they do have slight homing and are fairly fast to come out. HP attacks to watch out for are Rough Divide (should you be on the air or ground this attack is extremely fast and closes distance like nobody's business) as well as Blasting Zone (the large pillar of light), Blasting Zone will knock you out of the air if you're mid range from Squall, good news is that it's very linear one side dodge and you're free to punish him as you see fit. A lot of Squall's attacks link to a chase so be prepared should you get caught in one of his combos! A good exploit against Squall is that his cooldown animations for his HP moves are very show-off poses, Perfect to hit him in the face with an axe/blade no? Difficulty Level: 3.5 out of 5 ------------------------------- 6U.) Ultimecia (Sorcerous Fusileer) "Either you or I is an imposter" The mirror match that takes AGES. As we all know by now, Ultimecia is great at prolonging fights so there's one against the other now. This battle plays out a lot like a thumb war, it flip flops between who's in control and who isn't. Be prepared for a long battle. On the bright side, you already know what she's got to throw at you! I'll be basing this character match up off of my experience with computer players (usually the Seifer friend card since that one has higher level of difficulty) as I've not found another skilled Ultimecia player. The CPU player tends not to use the quick Knight's Arrow so this gives you free range in the air. Remember to block the quick Knight's Axe, and dodge the charged one. I wont go into too much depth against yourself, just play like you would against someone like Tina or Kefka and you should be just fine. Difficulty Level: (based on CPU) 3 out of 5 Friend Code for Practice: 6764925796 (will have Seifer's picture) --------------------------------- 6Z.) Zidane Tribal (Aerial Ace) "I wonder if you can dance with me?" Imagine if Onion Knight grew up into some kind of preteen form, sacrificed magic for thief skills and multiplied his annoyance level to Ultimecia by 40 and you have Zidane. Probably one of your harder fights out of everyone, be very careful when in enclosed spaces or near walls with Zidane, most of his attacks chain to HP attacks. Those HP attacks are also impossible to dodge when they've been chained from brave attacks. To be more concise, stay the hell away from Zidane, ESPECIALLY in the air. I know as Ultimecia you'll be in the air most of the battle, be prepared to guard whenever he's near you, a staggered Zidane is the best kind. Zidane has few projectile attacks all of which are guardable as well as reflectable. Knight's Axe should be your attack of choice besides Knight's Blade when he's staggered. Again, and I can't tell you this enough, when fighting Zidane stay AWAY from the walls! Zidane's attacks have a good knockback if you're hit against a wall a lot of his chained HP attacks will hit you as Ultimecia is peeling herself off the wall, it's cheap and very abusable for Zidane players so don't let them do it to you! In short, stay away from him, stay away from walls, and guard OFTEN. Difficulty Level: 5 out of 5 JPN Friend Code for Practice: A3NASX6UXT7 (will have Steiner's picture) Sorry no NA friend code just yet. ------------------------------ 6K.) Kuja (Graceful Glider) "There are manners even in battle." Kuja is indeed a range free magic user, however, not in the sense that Ultimecia is. Only a select few of his attacks will hit at the range that almost all of Ultimecia's attacks do. Most notably of these two are 2 Brave attacks, Holy Ring and Remote Flare, and one HP attack, Ultima. We'll get to these later. Kuja could be possibly one of the most dangerous characters to Ultimecia from afar. Kuja is deadly at melee, mid and long range, his attacks come out very quickly and with great accuracy (most have homing capabilities). Many Kuja players like using Snatch Shots (two homing fireballs which pull you into him) and then following up with either a holy ring or flare spheres. The fireballs move fairly quickly so guarding them is difficult but dodging them is not however. A good strategy against Kuja is to stay a fair distance directly above or below him many of his attacks don�t reach at that angle, but yours do! Knight's Arrow, and Axe again are going to be great for this battle. About those "range free" attacks, let's start with the basic and easiest to get rid of, Holy Ring, Kuja will fire 3 rings at you that make a very distinct sound, they move at a steady pace until they get to you, just guard and reflect them back very easy, due to their speed. Next is the Remote Flare in which Kuja will spawn about 5-7 flares around you which have a slight draw in effect and will explode, these cannot be blocked so just jump or air dash out of them. The last is Ultima, the range free HP attack, Kuja players like to use this when you're in the middle of an attack. He'll summon an orb above you and drop many magic bullets on you and then the final one will do the HP damage, if this attack slams you into the ground it's possible to chain into ANOTHER Ultima where you can't do anything about it. So what�s the strategy? Dash towards him when he�s casting it and use a quick blade or shockwave to knock him out of it, Kuja can move fairly quickly while casting and during Ultima, some players like to sit inside the spell as a defense, if they do this then get back and assail with arrows while they enjoy the cooldown animation. The biggest disadvantage you have against Kuja is that he's VERY fast for a mage character and will DECIMATE you if you aren't on your toes at all times! Difficulty Level: 4.5 out of 5 Friend Code for Practice: 3784227940 (Will have Vivi's face) ------------------------------- 6T.) Tidus (Spry Striker) "Your mouth will get you in trouble." If Squall and Zidane had a strange lovechild, you'd get Tidus. 50% speed, 50% HP chain attacks, 100% annoying for you. Tidus is a relentless attacker, his attacks hit fast and hard. You can block most of his attacks and dodge most of the others, but he has almost zero cooldown time meaning he just keeps coming. These battles will be HARD. But where there's a will there's always a way. The strategy against Tidus will be very much like the one against Zidane, guard and guard frequently! A staggered Tidus is vulnerable to all kinds of punishment. Just about every attack Tidus does either leads into a chase sequence or chains into an HP attack. More than likely you'll be broken several times in this fight, and if you play well so will he. Battles against Tidus are NOT ones that you want to drag on, so if you get into a chase sequence (or initiate one with a quick Knight's Axe) try getting him away from you with the chase sequence's HP attack, then hail him with arrows and more axes, Knight's Blade would be best used sparingly in this fight, as the range is lacking and Tidus can initiate an attack from out of it's range and still hit you. A fairly good strategy is to flip flop between being on the ground and in the air. If you're fighting in the air, wait for him to attack and just let yourself drop and use a quick Apocalypse (it's easier said than done so be sure to practice). If on the ground jump over one of his brave or HP attacks and punish him with arrows or a quick Shockwave Pulsar (this one is little bit easier to execute than the previous). To sum up a Tidus battle, guard often, dodge often, and be one tricky little sorceress. Difficulty Level: 5 out of 5 Friend Code for practice against: 812417748 (will have Wakka's picture) --------------------------------- 6J.) Jecht (Brutal Blitzer) "Would you like to escape from infinity?" 100% Man vs. 100% Woman. Suprisingly, Jecht is MUCH easier than his son! Jecht has easily the shortest attack range in the game, however his combos are extremely deadly should they connect with you, every single attack of his CAN chain to an HP attack, not just that, but he can charge his BRV attacks to make them unblockable! Jecht sounds hard on paper but in reality isn�t that hard for Ultimecia, his lack of range is his downfall. His Jecht Block can still block every BRV attack except a charged axe or blade. Keep your distance, Jecht mainers will likely try to get and stay in your face, easily remedied with an uncharged blade attack. His HP attacks by themselves aren�t too worrisome aside from Jecht Blade which just has fairly good tracking and deceptive range. Jecht isn�t hard but has the potential to be if you don�t pay attention. Difficulty Level: 2.5 out of 5 Friend Code for practice: 1298228499 (Will have Auron�s picture) --------------------------------- 6SH.) Shantotto (Chainspeller) "I, am more powerful, than you." The biggest difficulty with the Taru Taru Sorceress is her small size, arrows will hit her less unless she's standing still, charged up Knight's Blade only half of the blades hit. The main problem with this battle is her in general, the best strategy against a Shantotto user is to keep her either in or around break state the entire battle, fairly simple, be wary of her Aero HP attack as it does draw you in and has a fairly long range. Her BP game however is a joke in itself, don't expect to be near break mode in this battle unless you're letting shantotto get too close, her attacks are blockable and interruptable. Her bio (green cloud) attack does stick to you for some time and would be best to be blocked or just send some bladess through the cloud to dissipate it. Should Shantotto get over 3000 brave points you'll have to start fighting a lot harder, her HP attacks get bigger at 3000 and then bigger again at 6000 brave points be sure not to let her have her taru taru way with you, be relentless, there's only room for one sorceress in this game! Keep in mind her HP attacks have GIGANTIC cooldowns should they miss, a charged Axe to the face is always the best policy against slow cooldown times! Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5 -------------------------------- 6JG.) Judge Gabranth (EXecutioner) "Have you lost something in the past?" To put this simply, out of his EX mode, the good judge is garbage. Slow, nothing to really hurt you with so have fun kicking his armored butt across the stage. He'll try to keep you far enough away so he can charge his EX gauge, good luck to him with that. Non stop arrows and charged axes will keep him on the ropes and make the player regret choosing him. Should for some reason, Gabranth get into EX-Mode you�ll have a lot more trouble pushing him around, his HP attacks are deadly and some have suction to them. He�s a relentless BRV attacker and is great in the air and on the ground. Keep your distance and you should be fine. Many players choose to give Gabranth a EX build so he can stay in EX Mode longer or activate it faster. Do your best to keep him away from EX Cores. Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5 -------------------------------- 6C.) Chaos (God of Discord) "You, are another victim of time." The big man on campus, right at the get go Ultimecia is at a disadvantage small stage, with a large guy who's attacks are largely unblockable. This battle is the hardest out of any other character. And to be honest I've only beaten him using the CPU exploit of Great Attractor. As I stated earlier in the FAQ the CPU opponents do not recognize the Great Attractor attack one the orb has been formed, this will allow you to stop his attacks and simply just destroy him that way. Another good trick to beating Chaos is equipping (if you have it) the accessory which increases your base Brave Points by 2000%, yes 3 zeroes (be careful with these they break after the battle is over). All conventional methods of dispatching enemies will be too slow to hit Chaos. Chaos is fast and cheap to say the least, his summons add even more difficulty to the fight. Most of Chaos' attacks can be guarded however, only few of those attacks actually cause him to stagger. If you get him staggered throw a charged axe in his face, and throw some arrows, get as much in control as you can. This battle is the toughest yet, and Ultimecia has it probably the hardest. The stage, the enemy, and the summons, are all gunning against her. When you aren't setting charged arrows or throwing axes you should be guarding or keeping away from him. Chaos' HP attacks may seem unavoidable but all of them require careful timing of dodges since his HP attacks usually hit more than once. The funny part though is that his "Limit Break" attack where he grows huge is actually very simple to dodge, the swords are slow, and the final explosion shows the area of effect and gives you time to move before it explodes! Be very careful and kill him as fast as possible. If all else fails be cheap and use the Great Attractor trick! :) Difficulty Level: 10 out of 5 ------------------------------------ <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | VII. Breakdown of the Stages - Where the Sorceress Shines | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv 7A.) Chaos Shrine This stage is actually very good to play with Ultimecia on, your first objective should be to break the roof, that way your arrows will hit in the main area, however if trapped in the wings of the main area blades and axes are the way to go, when on the top of the arena regular rules apply, stay aerial, rain arrows and be devious in general. Overall advantage = B+ ------------------------ 7B.) Pandemonium Oh the HORROR!! This stage was built with The Emperor in mind. The narrow halls, and enclosed spaces put Ultimecia at a giant disadvantage. The best things here are CHARGED arrows, if you use the regular ones you'll be lucky if all of them dont hit the wall or ceiling. One good (and bad) thing about this stage is that it's very easy to corner an enemy and punish them with arrows(or be punished). Also be careful when playing on the gimmicked stage there's spikes that come out randomly of the floor, be careful and stay off the ground! Not recommended against characters with heavy knock back (Zidane, Cloud, Tidus, Onion Knight etc.). Stick to Axes and blades you should be just fine. Overall Advantage = D- ------------------------- 7C.) World of Darkness Ah, wide open spaces, this is where Ultimecia truly shines, when the battle starts it's better to play a little bit aggressively to knock down those pillars, then go back to defensive tactics. You need to be somewhat careful when the stage is gimmicked, one of the forms is a confined room, when the stage changes to that just run like hell and use your blade and Shockwave until the stage changes again. If the stage isn't gimmicked, then you should have free reign over the battle. Overall Advantage = B -------------------------- 7D.) The Moon Another GREAT stage for Ultimecia to rain death on her enemies, it's wide open and when gimmicked somewhat destructable. Nothing really exciting about the stage, keep in mind EX-Cores usually appear along the grindable track and grinding is faster than air dashing in most cases! Overall Advantage = A -------------------------- 7E.) Dimmensional Fortress The biggest stage in the game! Somewhat too big for my personal tastes, even with Ultimecia's long range you wont be able to hit the enemy from just anywhere. This wide open area gives you a great space to set your charged arrows up for traps. When gimmicked, pieces of the castle disappear and reappear in random spots around the stage, nothing special be careful you don't land yourself in bottomless pits, those do steal brave! The only person I don't recommend Ultimecia fighting here is Kuja. Overall Advantage = B+ -------------------------- 7F.) Magicite Factory Definately made with both Tina and Kefka in mind. Another yucky, enclosed space. Arrows, unless charged are all but useless here. Shockwave Pulsar does seem very effective in this confined space so make use of it. Also it's very easy to corner and be cornered in this stage so be very careful and have those Knight's Blades ready! Highly recommended not to fight characters with strong knockback in this stage. (Zidane, Tidus, Cecil, Cloud, Golbez, Butz, etc) Overall Advantage = D -------------------------- 7G.) Northern Crater A pretty good stage for the sorceress, her arrows are occasionally blocked by the many platforms that dot the upper portions of the stage. It's good to stay airborne in this stage. The gimmicked stage replaces those platforms and seems to bring the walls in closer which makes it easier in turn for your arrows to hit. Overall Advantage = B- -------------------------- 7H.) Ultimecia's Castle For being her own castle it was definately not made with her playstyle in mind. Cramped Spaces, the spiral in the middle blocks arrows and other projectiles. I'd say don't play here unless you have to. The Ceiling is too low so you'll get teleported back to the ground should you jump too high. When the stage is gimmickedit speeds up the gears in the lower portions of the stage and randomizes the brave pool. Careful not to touch the gears they do moderate brave damage, try to axe or blade your opponent into them! Overall Advantage = D+ -------------------------- 7I.) Crystal World Another great wide open space, made for aerial battles! Great stage to play Ultimecia on against just about anyone. When gimmicked this stage creates easily destructable platforms to stand on or to help other more land friendly characters. These can be destroyed by an air dash or from knocking a character in them. Overall Advantage = A -------------------------- 7J.) Dream Zanarkand Another HUGE stage, it's wide open so it's Ultimecia approved. The only bad things I've noticed this stage is that it makes Ultimecia's HP attacks a little harder to hit with because there will be so much going on and there are many ways to escape from an area. When gimmicked, every brave hit adds points to the brave pool for when you break the other character. Overall Advantage = B+ -------------------------- 7K.) Cosmos' Throne Aahhh... one word describes this stage, Heaven. This stage is perfect in all senses of the word for Ultimecia It's big and wide open, but not too big that her attacks can't hit. This should be the stage you opt for as Ultimecia every time. It's got a high ceiling for aerial battles. Keep in mind though there's barely anything to hide behind to block incoming attacks should you misjudge the distance or something like that. This is a great "proving ground" stage since there are no distractions or places to hide. Overall Advantage = A+ --------------------------- 7L.) Chaos' Throne Think of Cosmos' Throne but miniturized. The ceiling is deceptively high so don't be afraid to take the fight to the air. Shockwave Pulsar is excellent here the explosion takes up about 35% of the ground on the stage. This stage is NOT recommended against characters with high knockback since it's so enclosed. It's a good "proving ground" stage along with Cosmos' Throne since there are no distractions or places to hide. Because of the stages small size, you'll have to play a little more defensively than on larger stages. Overall Advantage = B+ ---------------------------- <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | VIII. Abilities to Maximize your Sorcerous Powers | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv This is how I have my Ultimecia set up, I'll also give you recommendations on other abilities that may also give you a good result! I have 10 accesory slots which I�ve gotten by exchanging Rosetta Stones in the shop. Equipment Weapon � Shooting Star (Ultimecia Exclusive) Gloves � Blue Moon Head � Chaplet Chest � Snowflake Sweater Equipment Bonus � �Snowpetal� Magic Counter Strength +300% BRV Boost on Block +30% Accessories Gaia Ring � Damage +15% Hyper Ring � Damage +10% Star Earring � Magic Damage +25% Earring � Magic Damage +15% Pearl Necklace � EX Force Absorption +30% Dragonfly Orb � EX Core Absorption +30% Hero�s Essence � CP+40 Hero�s Spirit � CP+20 Soul of Thamasa � Magic Damage +20% Wall Rush BRV Damage + 10% Chase BRV Damage +10% Center of the World � EX Intake Range +2m EX Force Absorption +15% EX Core Absorption +15% The build above is a good starter build. There are many more builds you can try, an Iai Strike build is common, as well as an ATK+ build, try them all and see which one works for your playstyle! ----------------------- Here are the Abilities I've got on my Ultimecia. Keep in mind that my Ultimecia is lvl 100 and fully mastered so someone who's never played Ultimecia before will need to equip the abilities that they unlock as they unlock them. Action Abilities I've Equipped: Ground Evasion Midair Evasion Ground Block Air Block Free Air Dash Speed Boost ++ Controlled Recovery Midair Evasion Boost Support Abilities I've Equipped: Always Target Indicator EX Core Lock On Auto Recovery Auto EX Command Omega Auto EX Defense Omega Evasion Time Boost Extra Abilities I've Equipped: Counter Attack EX Critical Boost Riposte Anti-EX Disable Counterattack EXP to EX Force (this or EXP to HP is also viable) <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | IX. Questions and Answers | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Q: �I don�t agree with your section about (insert character) I happen to play like (insert obscure fighting strategy here) you should change it to include that� A: I�m sorry you don�t agree with it but if I was to include all the obscure techniques with each character this would be a general FAQ and not an Ulti FAQ, I�m only putting general strategies against characters that I�ve found work well gaining the experience to create a play style all their own is up to each player. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | X. Credit to Where it's Due and Thank You's | <vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv First off thanks to Gamefaqs for having such a great site. Thanks to all the gamers and people on the Dissidia message board for all help they provided. I'd like to give credit for attack information and the information on attacks of other characters as well as accessory and ability information to DISSIDIA.WIKIA.COM And thanks to my friends for being patient with me when I said I have to make my FAQ instead of playing WoW with you! :P