=============================================================================== Dissidia: Final Fantasy Character Build FAQ Author: Bradley Stone (BMSirius) Contact Information: [email protected] Submission Date: =============================================================================== This is my first FAQ. Please feel free to submit any comments you may have. :) Table of Contents 1. Purpose (001) 2. Introduction to Important Equipment, Accessories and Abilities (002) - 2.1. Abilities (002a) - 2.2. Weapons (002b) - 2.3. Armor (002c) - 2.4. Armor Sets (002d) - 2.5. Basic Accessories (002e) - 2.6. Booster Accessories (002f) - 2.7. Special Accessories (002g) 3. Partial Builds (003) - 3.1. EX Builds (003a) - 3.2. ATK+ Builds (003b) - 3.3. EXP-> Builds (003c) 4. Complete Builds (004) - 4.1. Beans4Brains' Builds (004a) - - 4.1.1. Exp > BRV Builds (004a/010) - - - 4.1.1.1. The Emperor - Pure Exp > Brv (004a/011) - - - 4.1.1.2. Golbez - Wall Rush, Exp > Brv (004a/012) - - - 4.1.1.3. Zidane - Sustained EX, Exp > Brv (004a/013) - - - 4.1.1.4. Firion - Hybrid, Exp > Brv (004a/014) - - 4.1.2. Sustained EX Builds (004a/020) - - - 4.1.2.1. Gabranth - Pure Sustained EX (004a/021) - - - 4.1.2.2. Cloud - Wall Rush, Sustained EX (004a/022) - - - 4.1.2.3. Kefka - EX Core, Sustained EX (004a/023) - - 4.1.3. Wall Rush Builds (004a/030) - - - 4.1.3.1. Cecil - Pure Wall Rush (004a/031) - - 4.1.4. Iai Strike Builds (004a/040) - - - 4.1.4.1. Sephiroth - Iai Strike (004a/041) - - 4.1.5. Force Begets Courage Builds (004a/050) - - - 4.1.5.1. Squall - Force Begets Courage (004a/051) - - 4.1.6. Critical Builds (004a/060) - - - 4.1.6.1. Jecht - Critical Rush (004a/061) - - - 4.1.6.2. Onion Knight - Critical Strike (004a/062) - - 4.1.7. Character Exclusive Builds (004a/070) - - - 4.1.7.1. Bartz - Goblin Punch, Exp > Brv (004a/071) - - - 4.1.7.2. ExDeath - Guard and Iai Counter (004a/072) - - - 4.1.7.3. Tidus - Dodge and Iai Counter (004a/073) - - - 4.1.7.4. Shantotto - Critical Manafont (004a/074) - - 4.1.8. Efficiency Builds (004a/080) - - - 4.1.8.1. Optimum Farming (004a/081) - - - 4.1.8.2. Rare Battlegen (Break Required) (004a/082) - - - 4.1.8.3. Rare Battlegen (EX Burst Hit) (004a/083) - - - 4.1.8.4. 108 AP Chaos (004a/084) - - - 4.1.8.5. Power Leveling (004a/085) - 4.2. spweasel's Builds (004b) - - 4.2.0. Introduction (004b0) - - 4.2.1. Bartz Battlegen (004b1) - - 4.2.2. Chaos 1-Shot (004b2) - - 4.2.3. Dodge for BRV (004b3) - - 4.2.4. EXP to BRV with Machines and EX (004b4) - - 4.2.5. EXP to BRV with Machines and Wall Rush (004b5) - - 4.2.6. Utility EXP to BRV (004b6) - - 4.2.7. Force Begets Courage - EX Core Build (004b7) - - 4.2.8. Force Begets Courage - EX Force Builds (004b8) - - 4.2.9. Gabranth EX Mode (004b9) - - 4.2.10. Iai Strike (004b10) - - 4.2.11. Wall Rush (with Easy Come, Easy Go) (004b11) - 4.3. User-Submitted Builds (004c) 5. Advice and Miscellaneous (005) - 5.1. Accessory Breakability - Machine Set and Super Ribbon (005a) - 5.2. Play Plans - Stick to the Grind Lover Play Plan (005b) - 5.3. Equipment and HP Values (005c) - 5.4. Beans4Brains' Miscellanious Tips (005d) 6. Thank Yous (006) 7. Legal Business (007) ================ 1. Purpose (001) The purpose of this guide is to provide builds for the various characters available in Dissidia: Final Fantasy. For the purposes of this guide, a "build" is defined as "a combination of equipment, accessory, and sometimes ability choices designed to accomplish a specific goal for a level 100 character". Most often builds are just equipment and accessory choices that apply to multiple characters, sometimes requiring certain ability choices (most often "Free Air Dash", "Omni Air Dash", and "EXP -> BRV"). ================ 2. Introduction to Important Equipment, Accessories, and Abilities (002) In this section, I will discuss the effects of many of the weapons, armor, accessories, and abilities you will often see recommended in this guide. The format for this section is: Name: The name of the equipment/accessory/ability. Type: The type of equipment it is (Sword, Bangle, etc.) or the type of ability it is (Actions, Support, Extra). Written Effect: The description given to the ability as written in the game. Description: A more detailed explanation of the item's effects and uses. This guide will NOT tell you how to locate these items, there are other sources for that. Please do not e-mail me asking how to get these. In addition, this FAQ is NOT an equipment FAQ, and it does NOT contain every single item in the game. Again, there are other sources for that. Instead, I have chosen to detail things that you should expect to see in the Builds sections of this FAQ, as well as other items that might be useful in making your own builds. ---------------- 2.1. Abilities (002a) Most submitted builds will not include a complete list of abilities to equip. Important abilities that need to be equipped for the build to work are usually mentioned, but many others are left out that are still commonly used, like: Ground/Midair Evasions Ground/Midair Block Aerial Recovery Recovery Attack Controlled Recovery Evasion Time Boost It is up to you to choose which abilities to use, but these common abilities will not be covered in this FAQ. Also, if the CP resources are available, it's generally recommended that you equip the appropriate ____ Adept abilities to boost your stats (if there is a reason NOT to do this, it will be mentioned in the individual builds). Now, on to the other abilities: Name: Omni Air Dash Type: Actions Written Effect: Press R+Triangle to dash in any direction. Hold button to extend range. Description: This dash is extremely fast and rushes horizontally in any direction. It is sometimes hard to control - you will go in the direction you are facing, not necessarily the direction you are holding down. Because this dash is completely horizontal, it is sometimes difficult when there is a vertical range difference between you and the enemy, like on maps like Planet's Core. However, it is very quick, and if you lock on to an EX Core this dash can go vertical in order to reach it. Name: Free Air Dash Type: Actions Written Effect: Press R+Triangle to dash toward opponent. Hold button to extend range. Description: This dash allows you to head straight toward the enemy, regardless whether or not the opponent is in front of, below, or above you. This dash, however, is slower than Multi Air Slide or Omni Air Dash. This is most useful on melee fighters, and is often accompanied by... Name: Multi Air Slide Type: Actions Written Effect: Press X to dash in any direction. Hold button to extend range. Description: After you have expended all of your jumps, your character can dash in any direction. This dash is completely horizontal - it cannot go up or down. However, like Omni Air Dash, if you lock on to an EX Core and use this dash, it will dash straight for the Core, moving vertically if necessary. This is usually used as a supplement to Free Air Dash, allowing fighters to dash in any direction. Name: Concentration ++ Type: Extra Written Effect: Bravery increases after not attacking for a length of time. Description: If you stand utterly still and don't move or attack, your BRV will begin to skyrocket. This move is only recommended on Exdeath and it is used in order to coax an enemy into attacking him. Name: Bravery Regen Type: Extra Written Effect: In EX Mode, gain bravery instead of regenerating HP. Description: In EX Mode, instead of occasionally getting a tick of HP via the "Regen" ability, you instead get a small tick of BRV. This ability is usually only useful for Firion and The Emperor, who absorb HP with HP attacks while they're in EX Mode. It is also helpful in Ensanguined Shield+Back to the Wall builds, so that you don't regain HP in EX Mode and stay at 1 HP. Name: Snooze and Lose Type: Extra Written Effect: When foe doesn't attack for a certain length of time, their bravery begins to fall. Description: A wonderful skill to use for characters like The Emperor and Exdeath, this forces the opponent to make an attack action in order to not lose BRV. Sometimes, if the AI can't reach you, they will choose to keep trying and not attack, losing massive amounts of BRV. Name: Counterattack Type: Extra Written Effect: Critical hit rate rises when opponent is attacking. Description: An essential for most characters, if you hit an enemy during their attack (or during the cooldown of their attack), your entire combo will have a higher crit chance. The window for counterattack is usually huge, so this is very exploitable. Enemy AI also tends to have this technique almost always. Name: Sneak Attack Type: Extra Written Effect: Critical hit rate rises when attacking from behind. Description: Exactly as it sounds. Any BRV hit that hits the enemy's back will have an increased critical chance. Some characters are better at activating this than others. Regardless, this is considered an essential. Name: EX Critical Boost Type: Extra Written Effect: Further boosts critical hit rate during EX Mode. Description: Gives you 100% critical hit chance in EX Mode. In a dedicated EX build, like Gabranth's or Terra's, you could essentially equip ONLY this for a critical booster. Name: Riposte Type: Extra Written Effect: Boosts critical hit rate when attacking staggering opponent. Description: 100% chance of critical hits when attacking an opponent who is staggering after your block. This is considered another essential, although it is expendable if you have to if you don't block much. Name: Back to the Wall Type: Extra Written Effect: Boosts critical hit rate when near death. Description: Although sometimes combined with Achy+ so that it activates more often, you're more likely to see this in Ensanguined Shield/Back to the Wall builds, which intentionally start you with low HP in order to activate a slew of effects. Name: Disable Counterattack Type: Extra Written Effect: Counterattack ability effect disabled. Description: Rids the opponent of the Counterattack skill, which most AI -and- humans equip. Name: Disable Anti-EX Type: Extra Written Effect: Anti-EX ability effect disabled. Description: Sometimes a better choice than Disable Counterattack for sustained EX builds. Name: EXP->HP Type: Extra Written Effect: Instead of gaining EXP, recover an equivalent amount of HP. Description: As it sounds, HP damage turns into healing for yourself (based off of experience gained, not a direct damage->healing conversion). Generally used to survive Duel Colosseum, although it's useful in nearly any situation. Name: EXP->BRV Type: Extra Written Effect: Instead of obtaining EXP, recover an equivalent amount of bravery. Description: An ability with many builds made around it. With Excalibur II, Super Ribbon, Chocobo items, and possibly Growth Eggs, you can turn 1 HP attack into 5000-9999 BRV! Name: EXP->EX Force Type: Extra Written Effect: Instead of obtaining EXP, the EX Gauge rises by an equivalent amount. Description: As it sounds, this increases your EX Force with each successful HP attack. This can be useful in a variety of situations, but be careful that this doesn't end up putting your experience to waste by increasing your EX Gauge when it's already full. Name: Equip _____ Type: Extra Written Effect: _____ can be equipped. Description: These abilities allow anybody to equip anything for 10 CP each, which greatly assists in build making. The most commonly seen are Equip Katana, Equip Ribbons, and Equip Heavy Armor. Name: _____ Adept (Weapons) Type: Extra Written Effect: Small attack boost when equipping _____. Description: This gives you +2 ATK when equipped with the weapon of your choice. Do not underestimate this bonus - it translates into more damage than you might think. There is no Adept ability for "Exclusive" weapons. You can only equip 1 weapon adept at a time. Name: _____ Adept (Arm) Type: Extra Written Effect: Small defense boost when equipping _____. Description: This gives you a +2 DEF bonus when equipped with the arm equipment of your choice. Again, don't underestimate this bonus. There is no Adept ability for "Exclusive" armors. You can only equip 1 arm adept at a time. Name: _____ Adept (Headgear, Ribbon, Machine) Type: Extra Written Effect: Small bravery boost when equipping _____. Description: This gives you +200 Base BRV, and is another awesome bonus. Note that you cannot equip a Headgear Adept and a Machine adept at the same time, even though Machines can go in different places. There is no Adept ability for "Exclusive" headgear. You can only equip 1 headgear, ribbon, or machine adept at a time. Name: _____ Adept (Armor) Type: Extra Written Effect: Small HP boost when equipping heavy armor Description: This gives you +500 HP when equipped with the armor of your choice. Make sure you aren't wasting CP on this if you already have 9999 HP or close to it! There is no Adept ability for "Exclusive" armor. You can only equip 1 armor adept at a time. ---------------- 2.2. Weapons (002b) Name: Excalibur Type: Sword Written Effect: ATK+67, Initial Bravery+50% Description: Initial bravery increases are very useful for EXP-> builds (especially EXP->BRV) and also for builds attempting to start the battle with as much bravery as possible. This is especially useful if you are attempting an EXP->BRV build but simply cannot seem to get the Excalibur II, as this sword is a decent substitute. Name: Excalibur II Type: Sword Written Effect: ATK+67, EXP+100% Description: The king of weapons for EXP -> BRV builds. It doubles your EXP and, thus, your total BRV gained from an HP attack. Name: Zwill Crossblade (Adamant Knife has the same effect) Type: Dagger Written Effect: ATK+66, Initial EX Force+30% Description: A weapon most often equipped for characters who need to get into EX Mode very often. It is especially useful in the Duel Colosseum, as it helps to ensure that you can enter EX Mode in every battle. Some Gabranth builds wear this even over the Chaos Blade. It is also useful to switch into if you need a quick EX boost in Duel Colosseum, and then you can switch back to your normal weapon in the next battle. Name: Ragnarok Type: Greatsword Written Effect: ATK+68, Physical Damage+25% Description: Damage+% effects are not very effective against heavily-equipped or high-level enemies, but they do show a very large effect against poorly equipped or lower-level enemies. Name: Heaven's Cloud Type: Katana Written Effect: ATK+68, EX Intake Range+6m Description: If a character does not need a certain weapon to support their build, this is the default. EX Intake range +6m is the greatest single-source range intake in the game, and is all you'll ever really need to absorb EX Force. It also saves two accessory spaces because it allows you to remove Gravitorb and Center of the World. Name: Earthbreaker Type: Axe Written Effect: ATK+69, DEF-2, Wall Rush HP damage+30% Description: A good weapon choice for an exclusive Wall Rush HP damage build. For Cloud, however, the Fenrir (his ultimate weapon) is a superior choice. Name: Stardust Rod Type: Rod Written Effect: HP+307, ATK+66, DEF+1, Magic Damage+25% Description: See the "Ragnarok". Name: Nirvana Type: Staff Written Effect: BRV+40, ATK+66, EX Mode Duration+40% Description: A weapon sometimes used to supplement sustained EX builds for characters like Terra and Kefka. Name: Cleaver Type: Thrown Written Effect: BRV-40, ATK+68, EX Force Absorption+30% Description: I'm mentioning this item because it does have a good effect, but in reality, it's hard to think of a reason to equip it. It does the same thing as a Pearl Necklace except it's not boostable. A more efficient choice would be to stick with the Pearl Necklace instead and just equip the Heaven's Cloud. Name: Loki's Lute Type: Instrument Written Effect: ATK+65, DEF+2, EX Core Absorption+30% Description: A weapon used for long-range characters who have difficulty absorbing EX Force because they stay at a range. Useful for characters like Terra and Ultimecia. Name: Machine Gun Type: Machine Written Effect: HP-307, BRV+81, ATK+67, Accessory Breakability+5%, Wall Rush BRV Damage+30% Description: The least useful of the Machine set, because the BRV boost is negligible and the bonus effect is useless (or, in the very least, not nearly as good as what other weapons can provide). Like all Machines, though, it does add more BRV than any other weapon. ---------------- 2.3. Armor (002c) Name: Ensanguined Shield Type: Shield (Arm) Written Effect: DEF+73, Initial HP-95%, Initial Bravery-100% Description: By itself, this shield activates the Back to the Wall critical ability, the Near Death booster accessory, the Rebellious Soul accessory's Bonecrusher ability as well as any other ability that activates when "near death". When combined with the Back to the Wall accessory, you will start the battle with only 1 HP, which activates the additional effects of the HP=1 booster and the Strong Against Adversity booster. Name: Chainsaw Type: Machine (Arm) Written Effect: HP-307, BRV+81, DEF+73, Accessory Breakability+5%, Wall Rush HP Damage+20% Description: A fine choice for a dedicated Wall Rush HP Damage build. Coupled with the Earthbreaker/Fenrir, this is Wall Rush HP damage+50% before even getting to the accessories! In addition, it provides a good BRV boost even for non-Wall Rush builds. Name: Circlet Type: Hairpin Written Effect: HP-290, BRV+348, BRV Recovery+75% Description: One of the only headpieces that actually provides a good effect, Circlet is often a decent choice if there's no particular headpiece you need. The effect makes it so that if you use an HP attack, your BRV will recover back to normal nearly twice as fast. It is also essential to a certain Cloud of Darkness build listed later in this guide. Name: Super Ribbon Type: Ribbon Written Effect: HP-307, BRV+370, Accessory Breakability-30% Description: Along with the Excalibur II, this is the other staple of an EXP-> BRV build. As described above, it causes the Chocobo Down, Chocobo Wing, and Chocobo Feather to have a 0% chance to break, leading to infinite uses. It also reduces Incense/Resin and Diamond Ring break chance, but does NOT lessen the chance of break of Phoenix Down, Phoenix Pinion, and Dangerously Lucky (which will only break in order to save you from dying). Name: Drill Type: Machine (Head) Written Effect: HP-307, BRV+411, Accessory Breakability+5%, Chase BRV Damage+30% Description: Another sub par, but acceptable machine. It's effect is irrelevant, but it does provide a superior amount of BRV. Name: Rainbow Robes Type: Robe Written Effect: HP+2308, BRV+81, Magic Defense+20% Description: Although the Magic Defense is a nice bonus, there's something special to note - these Robes, along with two Machine pieces of equipment, will grant you an HP value that is a prime number, activating the 1.5x booster accessory "HP is a Prime Number". This is, of course, assuming that the fourth piece of equipment doesn't further modify your HP. Name: Maximillian Type: Heavy Armor Written Effect: HP+2973, Physical Defense+20% Description: The lord of all body pieces, worn on almost every character who does not need a specific armor piece. It provides the highest HP boost and gives the most consistently useful effect. Name: Auto Crossbow Type: Machine (Body) Written Effect: HP+2666, BRV+81, Accessory Breakability+5%, Physical Damage+15% Description: One of two good machines, characters with the Chainsaw on might also choose to wear this on their body (if they are melee fighters, of course). Like the other Machines, it offers a BRV boost superior to any other armor. ---------------- 2.4. Armor Sets (002d) This section of the FAQ lists armor sets, their effects when together, and the abilities of the individual pieces. This is the format: Set Name: The name of the armor set. # of Pieces: The number of different pieces of the set you need to equip to get the effect. Equipping less than this number has no effect, and equipping more than this number confers no extra benefit. Set Effect: The bonus you get if you are equipped with enough set pieces. Set Pieces: A brief description of each piece in the set Name - Equipment Type Notes: Extra information on the usefulness of the set. Let's begin. Set Name: Adamant Chains # of Pieces: 3 Set Effect: BRV Boost on Dodge +30%, Midair Evasion Boost Set Pieces: Adamant Knife - Knife Adamant Helm - Helm Adamant Shield - Shield Adamant Vest - Light Armor Notes: The perfect set for Tidus and Zidane, especially in a focused BRV Boost on Dodge build. This set is also useful on pretty much anybody whose combos aren't disrupted by Midair Evasion Boost. Set Name: All Glories Must Fade # of Pieces: 4 Set Effect: Initial EX Force +100%, EX Mode Duration -50% Set Pieces: Heike's Blade - Katana Heike's Helm - Helm Heike's Shield - Shield Heike's Armor - Heavy Armor Notes: Because it is a lower-level armor set, and thus has inferior stats, this isn't terribly practical for very many endgame builds. However, it has its uses for EX lovers who need the bonuses of the armor without being crippled by the duration cut. You could also attempt to balance the duration cut by using accessories. Set Name: Soul of Yamato # of Pieces: 3 Set Effect: LUK+3, Regen+20%, HP to BRV, EX Core Appearance Boost Set Pieces: Genji Blade - Katana Genji Shield - Shield Genji Helm - Helm Genji Armor - Armor Notes: A support set for sustained EX builds. It increases your LUK and EX Core Appearance Boost, so EX Cores appear more often and closer to you. It also increases your Regen and gives HP to BRV (which makes it so that if you Regen HP in EX Mode when you have full HP already, you'll instead increase your BRV). It's worth noting that Extra HP to BRV effects like this one only effect a certain percentage of the Extra HP you get (I am unaware of the exact number, e-mail me if you know), but they do stack with other items that provide the same effect (like Strength Begets Courage and Firion's Wild Rose), although it has been decided that a build based around this effect is sadly underwhelming. However, it is worth noting that the BRV gained by this armor set DOES work even when inflicted with the Shiva summon, which normally causes you to gain no BRV from any effect. Set Name: Snowpetal # of Pieces: 3 Set Effect: Magic Counter Strength +300%, BRV Boost on Block+30% Set Pieces: Blue Moon - Bangle Lunate Armlet - Gauntlet Chaplet - Hat Snowflake Sweater - Clothes Notes: A set that's good for anybody, since tripling the power of blocked magic and getting a BRV boost on block is pretty nice. However, this is the absolute IDEAL set for Exdeath, even outside of a dedicated Spirit Stanchion accessory build. Unfortunately he requires Equip Hats and Equip Clothing to be able to wear it. Set Name: Wisdom of Lufenia # of Pieces: 3 Set Effect: EX Gauge Depletion +15% Set Pieces: Lufenian Saber - Sword Lufenian Dagger - Dagger Lufenia's Edge - Greatsword Lufenian Katana - Katana Lufenian Lance - Spear Lufenian Axe - Axe Lufenian Rod - Rod Lufenian Staff - Staff Star of Lufenia - Thrown Lufenian Claw - Grappling Lufenian Lute - Instrument Lufenian Dirk - Parrying Lufenian Shield - Shield Lufenian Bangle - Bangle Lufenian Gauntlets - Gauntlets Lufenian Cap - Hat Lufenian Hairpin - Hairpin Lufenian Helm - Helm Lufenian Jacket - Clothing Lufenian Robes - Robe Lufenian Vest - Best Lufenian Armor - Armor Notes: A set that anybody can use because there is a piece for literally every type of equipment. The effect means that with each successful HP attack, you'll lower the opponent's EX Gauge by 15%. This set is a viable choice for anyone who has an easy time landing HP attacks often (as opposed to a character who builds up BRV for one massive HP attack). ---------------- 2.5. Basic Accessories (002e) Name: Gaia Ring/Champion Belt/Star Earring Written Effect: Damage+15%(Ring)/Physical Damage+25%(Belt)/Magical Damage+25% (Earring) Description: The most overused and overrated accessories in the game. All sorts of people, myself included for a very long time, were dedicated to these items, possibly also choosing to boost them. As discussed in the Partial Builds->ATK+ builds section, these boosters also show significant results for non-critical damage, and an effective build is doing as much critical damage as possible (and critical damage is best boosted by ATK+ accessories). So, overall, avoid these, although they won't kill you. In some builds with only 1 or 2 basic accessories and 8-9 boosters, though, some people will opt to throw in one of these items in place of a single booster hoping for greater damage return. I have not tested if this is worth it or not. Name: Gravitorb Written Effect: EX Intake Range+3m Description: A basic accessory useful for those who are not equipped with the Heaven's Cloud katana. You can approach this accessory in two ways - either use Booster Accessories to increase it's effectiveness, or simply equip Center of the World alongside it for a total Intake Range of +5m, which should be enough. Name: Pearl Necklace Written Effect: EX Force Absorption+30% Description: Another very common accessory, equipped by most characters. Like Gravitorb, you can either use it standalone with Heaven's Cloud, boost it with Booster Accessories, or pair it up with Gravitorb and Center of the World. Name: Dragonfly Orb Written Effect: EX Core Absorption+30% Description: Generally this should be used as an "alternative" to an EX Force build, not an addendum. For characters like Terra and Ultimecia, who are usually not close to EX Force, a build using this and the Victory Pendant is more useful than an EX Force build (but be sure not to forget Omni Air Dash!). Name: Gold Hourglass Written Effect: EX Mode Duration+20% Description: Absolutely essential for anybody who wants to get into EX Mode and then never leave it. Characters like Gabranth, Terra, and Kefka need to get this accessory and boost it like crazy, along with the other basic accessories they need to get into EX mode. Name: Victory Pendant Written Effect: Big EX Core Appearance Boost Description: Sometimes coupled with the Dragonfly Orb and boosted for EX Core chasers (again, don't forget Omni Air Dash!). If you don't plan to boost this, equip the Fake Mustache accessory instead, as it will also increase your LUK by 10 so cores appear closer to you. Name: Elven Mantle Written Effect: BRV Boost on Dodge+6% Description: Only useful for a dedicated build on Tidus and Zidane. This accessory gives you extra BRV every time you successfully dodge a attack (when the word "Dodge" appears on screen in green). It is calculated from your unmodified base BRV, which for a level 100 character is always 667. With this accessory equipped raw, every time you dodge, you will receive a bonus 40 BRV (which is 6% of 667). You can boost this, as well as equip Tidus' World Champion/Zidane's Ozma Splinter to get a pretty nice sum of BRV on dodge. Name: Spirit Stanchion Written Effect: BRV Boost on Block+10% Description: Follows exactly the same rules as the Elven Mantle, but for Block. Pretty much only useful when it's heavily boosted with Exdeath equipped with his Enuo's Scourge weapon and the Snowpetal Set of armor. Name: Bravery Elemental Written Effect: BRV Recovery+40% Description: Like the Circlet, this lets your BRV restore to normal faster after a successful HP attack. I've only seen this in a BRV Recovery build for Cloud of Darkness. Name: Sniper Eye/Sniper Soul Written Effect: Wall Rush HP Damage+10%(Eye)/+20%(Soul) Description: The key accessories for a Wall Rush HP damage build. Boost this and equip the Earthbreaker/Fenrir and maybe the Chainsaw and watch your Wall Rush HP damage soar. Name: Despair Shock Written Effect: EX Gauge Depletion+4% Description: When you hit with an HP attack, it reduces the enemy's EX gauge equal to the percentage. 4% isn't much, but you can boost this, and the Lufenian Armor Set increases it by an addition 15%. This can be used to cripple Gabranth, Terra, and other EX lovers. Name: Smiting Soul Written Effect: Iai Strike+2% Description: Iai Strike is auto-break. A dedicated build to this accessory can break an opponent 50% of the time they hit them. Note that this effect only happens per BRV attack, NOT per BRV hit. In other words, even though Ultimecia's Knight Blade attack hits a large number of times, only the first hit has an Iai Strike chance. ---------------- 2.6. Booster Accessories (002f) This section written by Beans4Brains with help from spweasel Legend Name: Name of the accessory, obviously Effect: Rate that Multiplier is increased (stacks multiplicatively) -- Condition to maintain Acquired: Where you get it B4B's Comments: Comments as provided by Beans4Brains spw's Comments: Comments as provided by spweasel Name: HP = 100% (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When your HP is 100% Acquired: Accomplishment 002 -- Clear Destiny Odyssey with Warrior of Light B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for majority of builds. Essential! spw's Comments: I'm slightly less enthusiastic, but it is one of the best 1.5 Boosters. Not too hard to keep up if you use EXP to HP, and should be always up for the beginning of most non-DC fights, which makes it good for 1-Hit KO builds (like Iai strike and Wall Rush) Name: HP = 1 (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you have 1 HP Acquired: Accomplishment 013 -- Clear Destiny Odyssey at least 30 times B4B's Comments: Equip both Ensanguined Shield and Back to the Wall accessory to stack and give you 1 HP at the start of battle. spw's Comments: Too dangerous for my tastes. Generally speaking, I'll just run Empty EX Gauge and either Force Begets Courage or Bone Mail instead, which gives you the same boost at a smaller price. It only shines when stacked with the below accessories and Strong Against Adversity. In Strong Against Adversity Builds, though, this really shines. Name: Near Death (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you are near death Acquired: Accomplishment 003 -- Clear Destiny Odyssey with Firion B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier for Ensanguined builds. Name: Near Loss (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you are in danger of losing in 1 hit (i.e. their BRV >= your HP) Acquired: Accomplishment 005 -- Clear Destiny Odyssey with Cecil B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for Ensanguined builds. spw's Comments: This seems to work even if your foe is in break (i.e. they couldn't actually kill you), just so you know. Name: Large Gap in HP Effect: 1.5 times -- When HP gap between you and foe is at least 2000 points Acquired: Accomplishment 044 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Warrior of Light B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for Ensanguined builds and vs high level opponents if you can afford to downgrade armor to drop your HP (credit MajinUltima). spw's Comments: Outside of 1 HP builds, this one is pretty mediocre. Either you're already winning and it's a win-more accessory, or you're losing - and building for when you are losing isn't a sound practice. Actually, I'd say Back to the Wall builds don't really need this, either. Name: Small Gap in HP Effect: 1.5 times -- When HP gap between you and foe is under 200 points Acquired: Accomplishment 045 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Firion B4B's Comments: Maintainable multiplier for 1-Hit KO builds vs higher level opponents(110+) where enemies' HP values are 9999. spw's Comments: Even harder to maintain than the above. If you are using Machines, Robes, or a number of other equipment combinations, you won't have 9799-9999 HP to start the fight out with. Not to mention a lot of foes at level 100 just won't have 9999 HP. I'd avoid this, personally. Name: HP is a Multiple of 5 Effect: 1.4 times -- When your HP is a multiple of 5 Acquired: Accomplishment 073 -- Earn at least 5000 PP B4B's Comments: Useful for Exp > BRV Builds. Super Ribbon + Level 100 Armor gives HP multiple of 5. Snowpetal with Blue Moon also does the same. spw's Comments: It's like HP = 100%, only you need to build around it. I'm not a fan. Name: HP is a Prime Number Effect: 1.5 times -- When your HP is a prime number Acquired: Accomplishment 075 -- Have a sum of 22 characters appear B4B's Comments: Useful for builds which are not reliant on specific equipment. Chainsaw + Drill + Rainbow Robes gives prime number value for HP. spw's Comments: You want these links (1 HP isn't prime, if you were wondering): http://www.numberempire.com/primenumbers.php http://primes.utm.edu/lists/small/10000.txt Name: Near Break (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you are in danger of Break Acquired: Accomplishment 009 -- Clear Destiny Odyssey with Squall B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier for wall rush (credit pinkanemone). spw's Comments: This, along with BRV = 0, are what make Wall Rush Builds viable. Name: Large Gap in BRV Effect: 1.5 times -- When BRV gap between you and foe is at least 1000 points Acquired: Accomplishment 046 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Onion Knight B4B's Comments: Maintainable multiplier for 1-Hit KO builds or vs level 130+ opponents with large bravery bonuses. spw's Comments: This is another one that feels a little too conditional to me. Enemies in Blackjack come with all sorts of different starting bravery, and how much either character has at any given time fluctuates. I personally don't generally like boosters that require your foe to cooperate. Name: No BRV Damage (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you haven't taken BRV damage Acquired: Accomplishment 092 -- Play for at least 5 days straight B4B's Comments: Maintainable multiplier for highly-skilled players. spw's Comments: Unusable outside of builds where only the first hit matters (Iai, Battlegen, etc.). You should expect to sustain at least a little bit of BRV damage before too long each fight. Name: BRV = 0 (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When your BRV is 0 Acquired: Accomplishment 086 -- Break at least 10 accessories B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier for wall rush (credit pinkanemone). spw's Comments: Good times. Name: Full EX Gauge (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When your EX Gauge is full Acquired: Accomplishment 041 -- Finish a match with an EX Burst at least 30 times B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for non-EX orientated builds. spw's Comments: Not perfect, but one of the more easily maintained multipliers for the Duel Coliseum. You are still welcome to use EX Mode for emergency EX Guards and whatnot, but avoid doing EX Bursts. This is pretty good with First to Victory. Name: Empty EX Gauge (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When your EX Gauge is empty Acquired: Accomplishment 017 -- Fight on every stage B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for Force Begets Courage builds. spw's Comments: It's not bad if you don't mind using Bone Mail, either. Name: After Summon (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- Once you have used a summon Acquired: Accomplishment 020 -- Play for at least 15 hours B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier at user's will. Depends on user play style. Essential! spw's Comments: I like this better for Blackjack, where you need every edge you can get. Just use always positive manual summons like Ifrit or Cactuar as soon as the fight starts. Name: Summon Unused (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you have not used a summon Acquired: Accomplishment 021 -- Battle for at least 10 hours B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier at user's will. Depends on play style. Essential! spw's Comments: I generally use this for Lunar Whale builds, since it lets you save more situational summons (Carbuncle, Magic Pot) for when they do the most good. Also, since you don't need to watch the summoning animations, it shortens the fights even more. Good for the lazy. Name: EX Mode (User) Effect: 1.3 times -- While you are in EX Mode Acquired: Accomplishment 039 -- Regenerate at least 10000 HP. Terra's Destiny Odyssey. B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier for Sustained EX builds. spw's Comments: While it won't help you hit EX, it is great for maintaining EX via Gold Hourglass and Pearl Necklace. Only being 1.3x instead of 1.5x hurts its usefulness somewhat. Name: Pre-Bravery Attack (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you haven't performed a BRV attack Acquired: Accomplishment 050 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Cloud B4B's Comments: Useful for character's who require no brave attacks to finish off battles e.g. The Emperor, Gabranth Innocence spam. spw's Comments: Another gem for 1-Hit KO builds, but otherwise pretty mediocre. Turns off if you try to use a BRV -> HP chain, though, which makes it near worthless for a bunch of characters. Name: Pre-HP Attack (User) Effect: 1.5 times -- When you haven't yet performed an HP attack Acquired: Accomplishment 052 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Zidane B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for 1-Hit KO builds. spw's Comments: Unless I'm mistaken, this turns off before HP attacks do their damage, making this Iai only, and even then only for BRV to HP chains (and not stuff like Paladin Force or Goblin Punch you could otherwise use). Name: Large Gap in Level Effect: 1.5 times -- When at least a 20 level gap with opponent Acquired: Accomplishment 048 -- Clear Shade Impulse with Bartz B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier in higher/lower level Coliseums. spw's Comments: Be ready to change your accessories a lot if you want to use this, since even at luck level 5 in Blackjack you'll still have level 100s show up (especially as the x2 cards) - only they'll be tricked out with Resins, making them every bit as deadly as much higher level foes. Name: Level 100 (User) Effect: 1.2 times -- When your level is 100 Acquired: Accomplishment 066 -- Have one character who's at least level 100 B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier. Use if you have no alternative. spw's Comments: Personally, I'd rather use this than a conditional booster like HP = 100% in most situations. A lot of builds won't need to resort to these, fortunately. Name: Level = Multiple of 4 (User) Effect: 1.2 times -- When your level is a multiple of 4 Acquired: Accomplishment 062 -- Win at least 100 medals B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier. Use if you have no alternative. spw's Comments: See above. Name: Level = Multiple of 5 (User) Effect: 1.2 times -- When your level is a multiple of 5 Acquired: Accomplishment 063 -- Gain at least 20 awards in one Duel Coliseum play-through B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier. Use if you have no alternative. spw's Comments: See above. Name: HP = 100% (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- When your opponent's HP is 100% Acquired: Accomplishment 069 -- Receive at least 5000000 gil B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for 1-Hit KO builds. spw's Comments: And unplayable elsewhere. I'm not a fan. If something goes wrong and your 1-Hit KO requires more than one hit, this is a liability. An Ensanguined Shield will keep you from getting the bonus as well, which could be an issue if they manage to heal some HP. Name: Break (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- When opponent is suffering from Break Acquired: Accomplishment 028 -- Deliver at least 300 HP attacks B4B's Comments: Useful multiplier for constant high damage output builds e.g. Squall sustained EX build. spw's Comments: Not a fan. I'll admit I haven't really played with it, though. Name: Victory Chance (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- When opponent has a chance to win Acquired: Accomplishment 069 -- Receive at least 5000000 gil B4B's Comments: Guaranteed multiplier for critical builds. spw's Comments: It is active so long as they have more BRV than you have HP (even in break). Perfect for Ensanguined Shield builds. Name: After Summon (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- Once opponent has used a summon Acquired: Accomplishment 100 -- Spend at least 100000 gil at the shop B4B's Comments: Conditional multiplier. Useful for longer drawn out battles. spw's Comments: No. Just no. The AI is really picky about when it uses its summons sometimes, which leaves you completely at its mercy. You aren't that desperate. Name: Summon Unused (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- When opponent hasn't used a summon Acquired: Accomplishment 102 -- Spend at least 3000 PP in the PP Catalog B4B's Comments: Conditional multiplier. Useful for builds which aim to finish battle off quicker e.g. Iai Strike builds. spw's Comments: Murphy's Law dictates that as soon as you use this, your foe will use their summon immediately at the start of battle. Human opponents will often do that even if they don't know you have this equipped. I don't think Iai has enough of a shortage of 1.5x boosters to run this. Name: Pre-Bravery Damage (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- While your opponent hasn't connected with a BRV attack Acquired: Accomplishment 089 -- Have a trade accessory surplus of at least 100000 gil B4B's Comments: Maintainable multiplier for highly-skilled players. spw's Comments: 1-Hit KO builds only. If someone tells you they never get hit, they are probably lying. And once this is off, it's off for good. Name: Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- While opponent hasn't connected with an HP attack Acquired: Accomplishment 091 -- Receive at least 100 letters from Moogles B4B's Comments: Easily maintainable multiplier for every build. Essential! - Not to be confused with Pre-HP Damage (user) - spw's Comments: Pretty much strictly worse than HP = 100%. B4B's idea of "easily maintainable" is vastly different than mine, if you hadn't noticed. Might as well use it for Ensanguined Shield Builds, though, since you're screwed if you're hit anyways. Name: No BRV Damage (Opp) Effect: 1.5 times -- When opponent hasn't taken BRV damage Acquired: Accomplishment 031 -- Travel at least 150 kilometers B4B's Comments: Useful for character's who require no brave attacks to finish off battles e.g. The Emperor, Gabranth Innocence spam. spw's Comments: This turns off from attacks with a BRV component such as Paladin Force. Characters who depend on those attacks should avoid this at all costs. Name: Easy Come, Easy Go Effect: 2.5 times [After 30 seconds, 0.5 times] -- Right after battle starts Synthesized: Sagittarius Recipe, Carnelian Signet, Shinra Card Key B4B's Comments: A supremely high risk, high reward accessory. Recommended only for Wall Rush and Iai Strike builds. spw's Comments: So long as you make sure you still have a plan B for the fight after this falls off (or enough boosters that having your multiplier divided by 2 isn't crippling), this is amazing. It's worth at least trying in a lot of builds that aim to win quickly. If you don't like it, don't use it. Name: Strong Against Adversity Effect: 3 times [When over 1% HP, 0.5 times] -- HP is 1 Synthesized: Virgo Recipe, Warp Cube, Occult Fan B4B's Comments: Equip both Ensanguined Shield and Back to the Wall accessory to stack and give you 1 HP at the start of battle. spw's Comments: Risky. Very risky. You need to sacrifice a lot to keep this up (your hand slot, 100% of your initial BRV), but if you don't mind dying whenever someone sneezes on you, this gives a much more stable Iai build. For kicks, you can use this with any Basic accessory for an overall boost of over 51x. Remember that Safety Bit/Ring doesn't work when you are at 1 HP, though (before you get any funny ideas). ---------------- 2.7. Special Accessories (002g) Name: Rabbit's Foot Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: LUK+8, Summon Recharge+2 Description: Used to Duel Colosseum with characters who consider Summons essential to their strategy. This allows you to cycle through them quicker. The LUK bonus is nice to get EX Cores to appear closer to you, but that's not why this item is equipped. Name: Red Drop/Red Gem Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: ATK+1(Drop)/ATK+2(Gem) Description: Used in raw damage-dealing builds. ATK boosters show a much higher return on Critical damage than do items like the Star Earring or Champion's Belt. The Strength items (Power, Shard, Crystal, Orb) have an ATK+1 effect as well. Name: Cyan Gem Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Initial EX Force+20% Description: Good friends with First to Victory and sometimes the Zwill Crossblade, this accessory ensures that you enter EX Mode faster, and it also helps to maintain your EX gauge throughout Duel Colosseum. Name: Back to the Wall Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Initial HP-90% Description: Along with the Ensanguined Shield, this will start you with exactly 1 HP. See "Ensanguined Shield" in the Armor section (002c) in order to see all of the benefits of this. Name: Growth Egg Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Experience Value+20% Description: Identical to the Chocobo Down, except you can equip two of these and they don't break. These are used to augment EXP->BRV builds, if there's any room. Name: Blazing Totema Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Absorb EX Force after summoning, Summon Recharge+2 Description: Like the Rabbit's Foot, this accessory is equipped for the Summon Recharge. However, its special effect is that when you Summon, all EX Force on the ENTIRE MAP flies into you. This can be helpful too. Name: Force Begets Courage Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: EX Core and EX Force to BRV Description: When you take in EX Core or EX Force, instead of filling your EX Gauge, it provides you with BRV. This accessory can have whole builds made for it with great effect, but you lose the ability to enter EX Mode without using the EXP->EX ability. Name: Close to You Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Absorb EX Force during attacks, when damaged, and after summoning Description: This accessory is VERY high priority for ANYONE who wants to absorb EX Force. It causes EX Force within your Intake Range to come into you under any of the listed conditions. For the After Summoning effect, like Blazing Totema, it draws in EX Force across the entire map (thanks to DecoyCharacter of GameFAQs for confirmation). Only ignore this if you're running an EX Core build or a build with no EX support at all. Name: Center of the World Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: EX Intake Range+3m, EX Force Absoption+15%, EX Core Absorption +15% Description: A mini version of several accessories, this is of great use to augment an UNBOOSTED Gravitorb and Pearl Necklace. See the "Partial Builds" section for a greater description. Name: First to Victory Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Initial EX Force+25%, Initial Bravery+25% Description: A multipurpose accessory used for both EX builds and EXP->BRV builds. It provides a greater effect than Cyan Gem, but is often paired with it. Name: Hero's Seal Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Initial Bravery+50% Description: An accessory for EXP->BRV builds. The higher BRV you begin with, the more damage your HP attack deals, which means higher EXP, which means a higher BRV return. Name: Fake Mustache Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: LUK+10, EX Core Appearance Boost Description: Used in EX Core builds. The LUK boost also causes the Core to appear closer to you than to the enemy. Names: Chocobo Down/Wing/Feather Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: Experience Value+20%(Down)/+50%(Wing)/+100%(Feather), Accessory Breakability: 30% Description: Along with the Excalibur II (EXP+100%) and the Super Ribbon (which renders them unbreakable), these are the key source of experience for an EXP-> BRV build. Name: Miracle Shoes Type: Special Accessory Written Effect: ATK+1, DEF+1, LUK+1 Description: Used for basic BRV damage builds. Coupled with the Red Gem, and often accompanied by Red Drops and Strength Powder/Shard/Crystals. ================ 3. Partial Builds (003) This section contains partial builds - in other words, miniature formulas that you can tweak and edit to your own tastes. The more detailed, full builds will be discussed in section 4, Complete Builds. ---------------- 3.1. EX Builds (003a) BUILD 1 - Simple EX Force Build Weapon: Heaven's Cloud Accessories: Pearl Necklace Close to You Notes: Although it takes your weapon slot, this build is very undemanding on your accessories, allowing you to build your character as you see fit. (credit Pinkanemone) BUILD 2 - Simple EX Force Build w/o Heaven's Cloud Accessories: Pearl Necklace Gravitorb Center of the World Close to You Notes: This is a modification of Build 1 for those who don't want to give up their weapon slot. In order to cover for the loss of Intake Range from losing the Heaven's Cloud, Gravitorb and Center of the World are added. This still only uses up 4 slots while producing some significant results. (credit Pinkanemone) BUILD 3 - Sustained EX Force Build (Boostable) Weapon: Nirvana (Optional) Accessories: Pearl Necklace Gravitorb Gold Hourglass Close to You (Booster Accessories) Abilities: EX Critical Boost Disable Anti-EX Notes: A very common build for those who wish to sustain EX mode like Gabranth. It is identical to Build 2, except the Center of the World is dropped (because it is not as significant as a booster accessory would be) and a Gold Hourglass is added to keep the character in EX Mode for as long as possible. The rest of the slots should be saved for the best Booster Accessories possible. It's also very important to realize that if you have EX Critical Boost on, every single attack you do will be a critical in EX Mode, so no other critical boosters will be required (unless you want some for back-up, in case things go wrong). BUILD 4 - High Starting EX Template Weapon: Zwill Crossblade/Adamant Knife Accessories: First to Victory Cyan Gem Notes: This is not so much a build as it is a list of things that give you high Initial EX Force. It would not be uncommon to see these items on Terra, Kefka, or Gabranth, for example. BUILD 5 - EX Core Build Weapon: Loki's Lute (Optional) Accessories: Dragonfly Orb Fake Mustache Abilities: Omni Air Dash Notes: Characters like Terra, Kefka, and Ultimecia aren't always very close to the action. This means that it could be very hard for such characters to absorb EX Force, no matter what their Intake Range is. That is why this build exists - this build focuses on EX Cores instead of Force. Omni Air Dash is required because it is by far the fastest dash and thus the best capable to retrieve EX Cores right as they appear. BUILD 6 - EX Core Build (Boostable) Weapon: Loki's Lute (Optional) Accessories: Dragonfly Orb Victory Pendant (Booster Accessories) Notes: This build does not require a lot of accessory slots and you don't need to fill all of the remaining slots with boosters (you don't need 8 boosters in order to get the required effect), so if you use this build, try mixing it with some of the others before adding the boosters to it. BUILD 7 - Sustained EX Core Build (Boostable) Weapon: Loki's Lute/Nirvana (Optional) Accessories: Dragonfly Orb Victory Pendant Gold Hourglass (Booster Accessories) Abilities: EX Critical Boost Disable Anti-EX Notes: Real creative, huh? Yes, this is the same as Build 7 but with a Gold Hourglass and with Nirvana as a weapon option. It would also change your choice of abilities, since EX Critical Boost overrides the need for most critical boosters. Just as an example as to how to use this section, let's create a simple build for Terra. Since she's a long range character who wants to get in, and stay in, EX Mode as long as possible, let's combine Builds 4 and 7. What we get is: Weapon: Zwill Crossblade Arm: Genji Shield (requires Equip Shield) Head: Genji Helm (requires Equip Helm) Armor: Genji Armor (requires Equip Armor) Accessories: First to Victory Cyan Gem Dragonfly Orb Victory Pendant Gold Hourglass (5 Booster Accessories) Abilities: Omni Air Dash EX Critical Boost Disable Anti-EX If you pick the right accessories, this build should do just fine. That was just one example as to how to use a partial build. You can also take one of the builds and add your own personal touches that aren't listed here. Go on, try it! ---------------- 3.2. ATK+ Builds (003b) Accessories: Red Gem Miracle Shoes Red Drop x3 Strength Crystal x3 There was a long running debate as to which was best: Damage +% accessories, or ATK+ accessories. Although I do not have any of the tests run available to me any longer (please submit any experiments you may have run and include all data please), the results we had were conclusive: Damage +% accessories work best against low-level enemies and non-Critical damage, while ATK+ accessories work best vs. equal/high-level enemies and for Critical damage. The exact way that the game calculates brave damage is yet unknown, but the results were consistent. Thus, if your goal was to challenge and defeat high-level enemies (such as Inward Chaos, Blackjack, or PvP), you would pick ATK+ over Damage +%. It's worth pointing out, though, that no matter how high you raise your ATK to, it'll never be good enough to inflict REALLY good damage against the high level Blackjack opponents - other, non-ATK builds are best for them. That said, if you want to create a basic ATK+ build, simply add on the best ATK+ accessories you have! The best is the Red Gem, followed by the Miracle Shoes. From then on, add Red Drops and then Strength Powder/Shard/Crystal/Orbs. Needless to say, you don't have to use all 8 of these items to have a good boost. The more you have, the better your BRV damage though! Credit for starting getting the GameFAQs community thinking about this goes to Pinkanemone. ---------------- 3.3. EXP-> Builds (003c) BUILD 1 - EXP->anything Build Weapon: Excalibur II Headgear: Super Ribbon Accessories: Growth Egg x2 Chocobo Down Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather Notes: This is the basic layout for any EXP-> build. It can be used to get EX using EXP->EX, or use for BRV with EXP->BRV, or even used for HP using EXP->HP (although I don't know why you'd dedicate so many slots to that purpose). You can, and often will, replace some of these (usually the Growth Eggs) with other items. Just remember, the less EXP items you have, the lower your return. It's also worth noting that this build works better on your special day, or if the Chocobo is giving you any EXP bonuses (the Grind Lover plan has the best results). BUILD 2 - EXP->BRV Build Weapon: Excalibur II Headgear: Super Ribbon Accessories: Growth Egg x2 Chocobo Down Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather First to Victory Hero's Seal Notes: The same as the template above, but for EXP->BRV, you want to include First to Victory and Hero's Seal, which increase your starting BRV. Why? Because the more damage you deal, the more EXP you get, and thus the more BRV you get in return. So if you start with more BRV, you'll get more. Technically adding these two items increases your EXP for any EXP-> build, but it is not nearly as important for the other two than it is for EXP->BRV. ================ 4. Complete Builds (004) This section houses the bulk of the FAQ - "complete builds", builds that encompass large amounts of strategy and synergy between character choice, equipment, accessories, movesets, and everything. Look here if you're looking for the complete package. The following sections are written by and FULLY accredited to (and copyrighted by) the name of the author of the section - Beans4Brains and spweasel respectively. Note that due to individual authors' preferences, formatting may differ from the rest of the FAQ in this section. I have tried to keep it as uniform as possible, however. ---------------- 4.1. Beans4Brains' Builds (004a) A little bit about my own playstyle. I main The Emperor and Cloud using Pure Exp > BRV and Wall Rush, Sustained EX builds respectively. I play a punishing and aggressive style of gameplay. I remain on the offensive due to The Emperor's pressuring HP attacks and EX Cloud's guard break capabilities, but I also look for optimal moments to punish an opponent when he uses HP attacks. Playing this way has made me rely more on HP/Damage orientated multipliers as I have become accustomed to avoiding and countering HP attacks. Onto my builds, I use a large variety of builds which I test mainly in Blackjack Colosseum Course (Level 100-150) and it's because of this that my favorite build is the Exp > BRV build, due to the truckloads of experience opponents give in this course. Wall Rush and Iai Strike builds are also very effective in this course. I also prefer EX builds with characters with fun and powerful EX Modes like Cloud and Kefka. For my builds I will use a character who I believe would be suitable for that build and an accompanying moveset (For CP Heavy Builds downgrade/remove abilities which you don't feel comfortable with your playstyle. Alternatively downgrade the speed and jump bonuses). However the builds can also be used by the other recommended characters. Although this does completely depend on your playstyle, some movesets and multipliers are necessary for certain builds, but others are to suit whatever playstyle you have. Read the accessory section on an idea of what multipliers can be used for what situation. Feel free to replace them if you believe the circumstances prove them to be more useful, specifically Large Gaps ____ accessories when fighting certain enemies. Please make use of this section, as I will not always recommend replacement accessories that you may use for a build. Regarding Summons, I have selected "After Summon (User)" multiplier in majority of builds to be able to list the summons which I would recommend you could use. Otherwise stick with "Summon Unused (User)" if it fits your playstyle better. My own personal view is that I like to take advantage of every gaming mechanic Dissidia has to offer to my advantage. This includes chase, ex cores, quickmoving etc. I don't handicap myself for the sake of not being bothered. Summons are extremely powerful and I always utilize them if need be. Don't equip Summon with Summon Unused (User) for sake of the multiplier. Always be tactical with your summon selections, especially when equipping yourself with Summon Unused (User) and select summons you could use in a pinch, such as Magic Pot or Omega. Also when I refer to a summon, I'm always referring to the Manual version, unless stated (Auto). To see all my builds in action, go to my YouTube channel. They are against level 105 AI, Maximum Difficulty, Vicious Behaviour. Large Gap in Level will be switched due to the fact that the build is probably designed for Blackjack enemies. Also take note of the fact that Initial EX items and Full EX Gauge (User) multiplier does not take full effect in Quick Battle due to their cumulative nature. http://www.youtube.com/user/SirLeoDaniels Credit BMSirius, spweasel and Big_Isaac for their contributions. (004a/010) ~ Exp > BRV Builds ~ Exp > BRV builds focus on high return of BRV for every time you connect with an HP attack. To ensure higher returns of BRV we increase our experience amount through Excalibur II and Chocobo Items in conjunction with Super Ribbon so they don't break. We also use high Initial BRV boosting accessories such as Hero's Seal and First to Victory to net a higher return of BRV, as the initial HP attack will be higher, resulting in more experience. The higher level the opponent, the more experience they will give. This build is recommended against opponents level 100 and over and for users who find it easy to connect with an HP attack. One thing to note is that Wall Rush deals half the damage of the initial attack (before taking into account any multipliers). This is a problem with Exp > BRV as it only accounts for the latest damage dealt meaning any HP attack with wall rush effects has diminishing returns. Needless to say, avoid wall rush HP attacks, unless you have accounted for them with Sniper Soul and multipliers. For Exp > BRV builds it is recommended that you only equip HP and BRV > HP attacks as the aim is to connect with HP attacks to net a return on BRV. Whittling down BRV with bravery attacks is a waste of time. There are exceptions such as Firion's Fire which can be reflected and Shield Bashed. (004a/011) -- The Emperor -- Pure Exp > BRV -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Bombard <O - <Empty> O> - Thunder Crest AIR BRAVE O - Mine ^O - <Empty> vO - Light Crest GROUND HP O - Flare <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Flare ^O - <Empty> vO - Starfall -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Bravery Regen Snooze and Lose Sneak Attack disable Cat Nip EXP to Bravery -Equipment- Excalibur II Borghertz's Hands Super Ribbon Maximillian (Sword, Gauntlet, Ribbon and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Blazing Totema Center of the World Destroyer First to Victory Hero's Seal Growth Egg Growth Egg Chocobo Down Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather -Summons- Alexander > Demon Wall > Ifrit = Other Recommended Characters = Garland, Onion Knight, ExDeath, Zidane, Shantotto. -Comments- The build is independent of multipliers and therefore does not compromise any tactical decisions made to use summons or ex modes. You get an amazing total of +310% experience and +75% initial BRV +40 from Gloves. Blazing Totema and Center of the World are simply to support summons and gain full ex gauge faster to allow you extra protection and cheap hits if you need an ex guard and burst. You may replace these with Moogle's Amulet and Dangerously Lucky, as well as Borghertz's Hands with Thief Gloves and Destroyer with Rabbit's Foot for great item drops. Also consider Phoenix Down for security, especially vs Chaos. Brutal setup for Blackjack Course. An initial attack to a level 150 opponent will net you 9999 BRV return. The Emperor with this setup is one of, if not the most effective marathon fighter with it. Snooze and Lose is highly recommended for the Emperor as it is his main bravery damage dealer and it's free damage and cheap. Keep him on the offensive with both flares out constantly to make full use of it. Also you can camp underneath the aerial flare and cast Starfall to lure in opponents for an easy hit. Does not work on everyone, but Chaos is a sucker for this. Bombard to reflect back a reflected flare if need be. You can set additional traps like Light Crest in enclosed maps to score extra brave or to lull opponents into a HP attack. Alexander and Demon Wall are great for protecting your brave and Ifrit for free brave boost. Alexander specifically is a great counter to Omega vs Chaos. (004a/012) -- Golbez -- Wall Rush, Exp > BRV -- CP Heavy -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Rising Wave > Cosmic Ray <O - <Empty> O> - Glare Hand > Cosmic Ray AIR BRAVE O - Float System > Cosmic Ray ^O - <Empty> vO - Gravity System > Cosmic Ray GROUND HP O - Nightglow <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Genesis Rock ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Counterattack Sneak Attack disable Counterattack EXP to Bravery -Equipment- Excalibur II Borghertz's Hands Super Ribbon Maximillian (Sword, Gauntlet, Ribbon and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped.) -Accessories- Sniper Soul Sniper Eye HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) After Summon (User) BRV = 0 (User) Near Break (User) Hero's Seal Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Ifrit > Odin > Tiamat = Other Recommended Characters = Warrior of Light, Cecil, Cloud, Jecht. -Comments- This is a very useful variation for those who would suffer from diminishing returns of wall rush. Although it sacrifices +60% experience, it is more than made up for it by +227~% wall rush damage under the full multiplier. You can of course replace with Large Gaps ___ or Level = ___ if you feel more comfortable that way. The multipliers are relatively easy to maintain and contain 3 guaranteed multipliers. If EX Mode is not important to you, replace Maximillian with Bone Mail and equip Empty EX Gauge (User) for another guaranteed multiplier. You should look to only use HP attacks with wall rush capabilities as with this setup wall rush has increasing returns. As there is no Rabbit's Foot or Blazing Totema it is better to use a large pool of summons plus an auto to ensure you can cycle through each every battle. They can all be used at battle start and Carbuncle (Auto) will activate in time to aid wall rush. This cycle of summons is useful for all variations of Exp > BRV builds. Golbez has an excellent range of HP and Brv > HP attacks, all with great wall rush capabilities. Even a semi-competent player should not find it difficult to land an HP attack with him. Stick to dealing outright HP and BRV > HP attacks and don't waste time with attacks like gravity force and/or attack force. However if these attacks genuinely help you combo into an HP attack then go for it. But the general gameplan is to damage HP as soon as and try and attain wall rush. In my experience, Nightglow is a guaranteed wall rush (except in Planet's Core) and is very effective when used right in front of the opponent. (004a/013) -- Zidane -- Sustained EX (Melee), Exp > BRV -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Swift Attack > Meo Twister <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR BRAVE O - Swift Attack > Meo Twister ^O - <Empty> vO - Tempest > Meo Twister GROUND HP O - Stellar Circle <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Free Energy ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash EX Critical Boost Sneak Attack disable Counterattack EXP to Bravery -Equipment- Excalibur II Borghertz's Hands Super Ribbon Maximillian (Sword, Gauntlet and Ribbon Adepts equipped. Do not equip Heavy Armor Adept) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Gravitorb HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) HP is a Multiplier of 5 (User) After Summon (User) Close to You First to Victory Cyan Gem Chocobo Feather -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Ifrit > Odin > Tiamat For ranged fighters, replace Pearl Necklace, Gravitorb and Close to You with Dragonfly Orb, Gold Hourglass and Victory Pendant. Equip Omni Air Dash. = Other Recommended Characters = Terra, Kefka. -Comments- This is a very situational build and should only be used for character's who would benefit from a sustained ex build, which enables them to be able to connect with HP attacks with more ease, whilst avoiding wall rush damage. The experience return is 110% lower than pure Exp > BRV but has a solid foundation for maintaining ex. +45% initial ex is great for Colosseum runs, otherwise it can be replaced with multipliers or chocobo items. The multiplier is 4.7~, which is all you will be needing for maintaining ex. I used Zidane in this example to show the differences in being able to maintain ex from melee to ranged fighters, although this build would suit Terra more. Close to You + Pearl Necklace + Gravitorb is enough to maintain ex for melee fighters under any multiplier larger than 3 for an aggressive playstyle. However, for ranged fighters, EX Cores are a better alternative as you can Omni-Air Dash to them as they spawn. Close to You and Gravitorb are near useless for ranged fighters as you will never be taking full advantage of them. Zidane's ex mode is very underrated as it enables him to become a very capable fighter on the ground. He remains completely immune whilst dodging on the ground and forward dodge has the longest animation. You can take advantage of this by continuously forward dodging and waiting for an opening to attack. This ability is especially useful vs Chaos, who is generally easier to fight if you keep him grounded. Zidane already has an easy time landing attacks with Free Energy and his quick attacks. Another positive is that they don't wall rush. For experienced Zidane users, feel free to add Vortex or Storm Impulse if you can consistently combo with them to deal HP damage. (004a/014) -- Firion -- Hybrid (Melee) Exp > BRV -- CP Heavy -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Lance Combo > Double Trouble <O - Rope Knife > Double Trouble O> - Reel Axe > Double Trouble AIR BRAVE O - Fire ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> GROUND HP O - Shield Bash <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Straight Arrow ^O - <Empty> vO - Weaponsmaster -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Counterattack disable Counterattack EXP to Bravery -Equipment- Excalibur II Borghertz's Hands Super Ribbon Maximillian (Sword, Gauntlet and Ribbon Adepts equipped. Do not equip Heavy Armor Adept) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Gravitorb Sniper Soul HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) After Summon (User) HP is a Multiplier of 5 (User) Close to You Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Ifrit > Odin > Tiamat For ranged fighters, replace Pearl Necklace, Gravitorb and Close to You with Dragonfly Orb, Gold Hourglass* and Victory Pendant. Equip Omni Air Dash. = Other Recommended Characters = Cloud of Darkness, Cecil, Cloud, Kuja, Tidus, Jecht. -Comments- This build accounts for a bit of both wall rush and ex build whilst sacrificing +60% experience as well as Initial BRV boosting accessories. It is however a greatly versatile build. A 4.7~ multiplier is enough to maintain ex, however without initial ex it is more difficult to maintain it for consecutive battles. Although it does gain ex reliably fast so you can choose to use ex guard + burst instead for defensive measures. +94.5% makes the wall rush risk so miniscule that it's not even worth worrying about.*For ranged fighters you can choose to add Golden Hourglass for sustaining ex, go with another multiplier to gain ex faster and boost wall rush or add Hero's Seal or First to Victory. Firion's selection of attacks do not always cause wall rush, which is why this variation of Exp > BRV is more ideal for him. It accounts for those attacks that do, giving similar return on BRV and is great for gaining ex to ex guard and burst to regain most, if not all his health back from blood weapon. Don't try to be intricate and attempt Reel Axe combo's of any sort, just stick to damaging HP outright. Fire is one exception of BRV attack which is useful in Exp > BRV builds as it can score easy hits with Shield Bash. Try and always keep out two fires vs ranged/aerial opponents otherwise you will find it harder to compete. (004a/020) ~ Sustained EX Builds ~ Sustained EX Builds aim to maintain ex mode for the user. This build is recommended for users who greatly benefit from their ex mode bonuses. In my opinion, users which greatly benefit from maintaining ex are: Gabranth, Terra, Cloud and Kefka. Users which would benefit from sustaining ex, depending on level of skill with said character, are: Shantotto, Cloud of Darkness, Bartz and Jecht. The rest I believe are better of sticking with ex guard and burst build, or another build all together. A great benefit of sustained ex builds is that with EX Critical Boost equipped, you are guaranteed critical hits at a 100% rate. In addition, you should have disable Anti-EX equipped, as you will be aiming to be in ex mode infinitely and opponents come with several critical abilities equipped. In terms of equipment, Genji is the way to go. It helps raise appearance of ex cores and boosts luck which gives user a free alternative of boosting ex. It also grants a small excess regen to brave bonus, which is better than having nothing. I maintain EX using two different methods, depending on if you are a melee or ranged fighter. For melee fighters I combine Close to You with Pearl Necklace and Gravitorb or Heaven's Cloud. One thing to note is that as long as you stay on the offensive, a multiplier of ~4 is all that is necessary in order to sustain EX with the aforementioned accessories. However as some opponents can be difficult, we can also add Gold Hourglass for extra insurance of sustaining ex as well as equipping the Exp to EX ability. For Colosseum runs, we add initial ex force items so that ex mode becomes available for consecutive battles. Also, be sure not to end battles with an ex burst unless absolutely neccessary. For ranged fighters it's a little more tricky as it depends solely on playstyle. Close to You has very limited use for a ranged fighter and a method of maintaining ex using Pearl Necklace and Gravitorb would need a larger, maintainable multiplier. My own method is scrapping these accessories, as a ranged fighter would not benefit from this setup as much as a melee fighter and you will spend a lot of time chasing, hopping up and down collecting ex force. You will also be undone if the opponent has Close to You equipped. Instead I utilize ex cores by equipping Victory Pendant, Dragonfly Orb in conjunction with Rabbit's Foot or Fake Mustache. Exp to EX is a must and so is Omni Air Dash to ensure you get the ex cores. (004a/021) -- Gabranth -- Pure Sustained EX -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE EX GROUND BRAVE O - Sentence Enrage <O - <Empty> <Empty> O> - <Empty> Aero AIR BRAVE EX AIR BRAVE O - Sentence Rupture ^O - <Empty> Dual Rend vO - <Empty> Vortex of Judgement GROUND HP EX GROUND HP O - EX Charge Guilt <O - <Empty> <Empty> O> - <Empty> <Empty> AIR HP EX AIR HP O - EX Charge Innocence ^O - <Empty> <Empty> vO - <Empty> Hatred -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash EX Critical Boost disable Anti-EX EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Zwill Crossblade Genji Shield Genji Helm Genji Armor (Dagger, Shield, Helm and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Gravitorb Gold Hourglass HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) After Summon (User) EX Mode (User) EX Mode (User) Close to You First to Victory -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Carbuncle > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Cloud of Darkness, Bartz, Cloud, Squall, Jecht. -Comments- This builds offers many variations of support for maintaining ex. Close to You with Pearl Necklace and Gravitorb powered by a x5.7~ multiplier is more than sufficient to maintain ex for melee fighters. Duration of ex mode is +114% and a heavy initial ex boost of +45% for Colosseum runs. Multipliers are very simple with 3 guaranteed under ex mode. Genji will aid in boosting luck and ex cores for additional measures as well as Exp to EX which should top up most of your ex vs higher level opponents anyway. Zwill Crossblade can be replaced with Heaven's Cloud and Gravitorb with another multiplier or Dragonfly Orb if you can consistently maintain ex for consecutive battles with just +25% initial ex. Of course you can replace the EX Mode (User) multipliers with other stronger ones like Large Gap in ___ if the circumstances prove them to be more useful. However do not overly work the multiplier as it is not necessary to require a larger value than it is for maintaining ex. Well who better to make a pure ex build for other than Gabranth. He has a very powerful brave game with Duel Rend and Rupture as well as one of the best HP attacks in Innocence. He also has the ability to charge his ex in normal mode meaning you can afford to replace Zwill Crossblade with Heaven's Cloud and Gravitorb for another multiplier. Gabranth has very reliable melee attacks which would also ensure he remains in ex with Close to You and Pearl Necklace combo. If you do get caught out of ex mode it shouldn't be a problem with Gabranth as he can charge back in it. However for other melee characters you will have to rely more on attacking and farming ex force and initial ex to quickly get back into ex mode. Especially for Colosseum runs, make sure to finish of the battle with your ex gauge more than 55% complete. (004a/022) -- Cloud -- Wall Rush, Sustained EX -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Sonic Break > Finishing Touch <O - <Empty> O> - Climhazzard AIR BRAVE O - Slash Blow > Omnislash version 5 ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> GROUND HP O - Meteorain <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Braver ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Riposte EX Critical Boost disable Anti-EX EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Heaven's Cloud Genji Shield Genji Helm Genji Armor (Katana, Shield, Helm and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Gold Hourglass Sniper Soul HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) After Summon (User) EX Mode (User) EX Mode (User) Close to You First to Victory -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Carbuncle > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Cloud of Darkness, Jecht, Gabranth. -Comments- This is essentially the same build as pure sustained ex with the addition of Sniper Soul, which replaces Gravitorb. This is well compensated with Heaven's Cloud which gives +6m ex force intake range. This is more than you will ever need for melee fighters. The multipliers remain the same giving a total of +114% wall rush. Once again replace Ex Mode (User) multipliers with more powerful multipliers if necessary. Multiplier without the Ex Mode (User) accessories sum up to x3.3~. If you are confident of maintaining ex with that amount then you may well replace them with Near Break (User) and BRV = 0 (User) for two guaranteed x1.5 wall rush multipliers for +151% wall rush. This is an ideal build for Cloud as all of his attacks guard crush in ex mode and all but one of his HP attacks have great wall rushing capabilities. Guard crush is completely brutal vs the A.I. and allows you to keep on the offensive as there is relatively less risk with him in his ex mode. Not to mention Cloud's extremely high damage output in ex mode. With Cloud you can afford to replace EX Mode (User) accessories for the aforementioned wall rushing ones. Due to his aggressive playstyle in his ex mode, he does not require a large multiplier to maintain ex. You will probably end up using Slash Blow > Omnislash v5 majority of the time but don't hesitate to use Meteorain in large maps with Chaos Rule set or to draw in far away opponents. Braver is also very useful vs mages, and especially vs Ultimecia when she charges her arrows. Also take off Midair Evasion Boost to combo Climhazard > Slash Blow. (004a/023) -- Kefka -- EX Core, Sustained EX -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Extra-Crispy Firaga <O - Waggle-Wobbly Firaga O> - Scatter Spray Blizzaga AIR BRAVE O - Ultima ^O - Waggle-Wobbly Firaga vO - Scatter Spray Blizzaga GROUND HP O - Trine <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Havoc Wing ^O - <Empty> vO - Trine -Notable Abilities- Omni Air Dash Glide Boost EX Critical Boost Cat Nip disable Anti-EX EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Zwill Crossblade Genji Shield Genji Helm Genji Armor (Dagger, Shield, Helm and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Dragonfly Orb Victory Pendant Gold Hourglass HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) After Summon (User) EX Mode (User) EX Mode (User) Rabbit's Foot First to Victory -Summons- Omega > Lich > Tiamat > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Terra, Ultimecia, Shantotto. -Comments- This is an alternate method of maintaining ex and is specifically for ranged fighters. The multiplier is the same x5.7~ except that this time it is aiding the use of ex cores. Massive ex core appearance boost, which stacks with Genji and if you choose not to use summons, replace Rabbit's Foot with Fake Mustache for a larger boost. This coupled with +171% ex core absorption allows you to refill 3/4 of your ex gauge upon absorbing an ex core with 1 wing. Omni Air Dash is necessary to ensure you obtain most, if not all, the ex cores. Again, Exp to EX is mandatory and +45% initial EX for Colosseum runs, otherwise these can be exchanged for Nirvana and another multiplier. Selection of summons will help you to break the enemy for large brave boosts as well as Tiamat, who will give a x3 boost, in which time you should aim to rack up brave. Kefka is extremely brutal in ex mode and can maintain seriously high levels of pressure on the opponent and deal massive damage output, even vs level 150 foes. Your aim is to stay aerial and bombard the opponent with 4 WW-Firagas. If the distance between you and the opponent is medium to long, then combo with SS-Blizzaga for BRV racking, or Trine for HP damage. You will be dumbfounded at the ease at which to connect EX Trine with 2-4 WW-Firagas pressuring the opponent. At short range combo with Ultima for massive Brv damage or Havoc Wing for HP damage. If your ex gauge is running low and you did not collect the ex core, aim to HP damage to top up your ex with Exp to EX. If you find yourself outside of ex mode, keep pressure with WW-Firagas from a distance and aim to HP damage to regain ex quicker. (004a/030) ~ Wall Rush Builds ~ Wall Rush builds focus on increasing the subsequent damage dealt from HP attacks which result in wall rush damage. Essentially this build is only recommended for characters who primarily utilise HP attacks with great wall rushing capabilities. The downside of this build is that it will not work great on some stages such as The Rift and Planet's Core which do not have many platforms for the opponent to crash into or will end up sending the opponent into the "void". The advantages of this build is that you will require fewer HP attacks to finish off an opponent, regardless of level. Therefore this build is ideal for Lunar Whale and Blackjack Colosseum course. Another great thing about wall rush builds is that it allows us to be completely flexible about what Exp to ___ ability to use. I normally go with Exp to HP to keep HP and multipliers topped up, or Exp to EX for ex guarding and critical builds. The main components of wall rush builds are the Earthbreaker (Fenrir for Cloud), which gives +30% wall rush HP damage, Chainsaw, which gives an additional +20% and Sniper Soul accessory plus multipliers to multiply the basic +20% rate. One thing to note about wall rush is that right after an HP attack your brave becomes 0 for a moment, which puts you at near break. This essentially guarantees two x1.5 multipliers in BRV = 0 (User) and Near Break (User). We can treat one Sniper Eye as a x1.5 multiplier and the second as a x1.33. The rest of the multipliers are your choice. You can choose to go for guaranteed low multiplier options such as Level = 100 or you can utiilse one of the Exp to ___ abilities to guarantee another multiplier such as Full EX Gauge (User) with Exp to EX. Alternatively you can combine your wall rush with other builds for greater effect. As you may have noticed, I combined wall rush with both Exp > BRV and Sustained EX builds as they allow a lot of room for further customisation. Feel free to experiment with any other partial build in conjunction with wall rush. (004a/031) -- Cecil -- Pure Wall Rush -- CP Heavy -Offensive Abilities- DARK KNIGHT GROUND BRAVE PALADIN GROUND BRAVE O - Shadow Lance Dark Step <O - <Empty> <Empty> O> - Dark Cannon <Empty> DARK KNIGHT AIR BRAVE PALADIN AIR BRAVE O - Paladin Arts Radiant Wings ^O - <Empty> <Empty> vO - <Empty> Searchlight GROUND HP O - Soul Eater <O - <Empty> O> - Dark Flame AIR HP O - Saint's Fall ^O - <Empty> vO - Paladin Force -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Counterattack Sneak Attack Risposte disable Counterattack EXP to HP -Equipment- Earthbreaker Chainsaw Drill Rainbow Robes (Axe and Machine Adepts equipped. Do not equip Robe Adept) -Accessories- Sniper Soul Sniper Eye Sniper Eye HP = 100% (User) HP is a Prime Number (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Near Break (User) BRV = 0 (User) After Summon (User) Rabbit's Foot -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Carbuncle = Other Recommended Characters = Warrior of Light, Cloud of Darkness, Golbez, Cloud, Squall, Jecht. -Comments- This setup gives a multiplier value of x11.3~ giving a total increase of +455% wall rush HP damage and an additional +50% from equipment. To give you an idea of total damage dealt, a base HP damage of 1590 will result in 4801 wall rush damage, for a total amount of 6391 damage. I used Rabbit's Foot in conjunction with Carbuncle, Auto and Manual, and Omega to make it easier to essentially 2/3-hit any opponent as it should result in an easy chance to break the enemy upon the second strike. However be switched on and make sure to use the manual Carbuncle right after you connect with the first HP attack. You can replace Rabbit's Foot with another accessory/multiplier of your choice if you don't wish to utilise summons in this way. Also this is one of the few builds in which I utilize the Chainsaw + Drill + Rainbow Robes combo in order to use HP is a Prime Number (User) multiplier. By having Exp to HP, it allows me to use this and HP = 100% (User) more effectively and generally for more endurance vs higher level opponents. Cecil has great wall rushing attacks, specifically Paladin Force. HP attacks which cause opponents to wall rush straight down are normally more reliable so utilize Cecil's Paladin form more often. Use Dark Flame sparingly as it will turn out to be considerably weaker without the wall rush element attached. Use Paladin Arts and Dark Step from a safe distance if need be to easily change class system. In my experience I found Searchlight > Paladin Force more effective than Dark Cannon > Soul Eater. Dark Cannon also leaves you more vulnerable, whereas Searchlight > Paladin Force has considerable range and is safer and spammable. (004a/040) ~ Iai Strike Builds ~ Iai Strike builds is revolved around one accessory: Smiting Soul, which gives a 2% chance to inflict instant break on the enemy, regardless of how much brave the opponent has. As this is a basic accessory, we can boost this chance by pumping high multipliers to have a very reliable chance to break the enemy. This build is recommended for characters who can connect with brave attacks with ease and is ideal for characters with weak a HP game. Iai Strike normally only takes effect on the first hit of a combo (note: chain attacks count as a seperate combo). When you inflict Iai Strike, you essentially steal the opponent's brave as well as gaining the brave pool. This is ideal for Blackjack course as opponent's with high bravery amounts will only benefit you more when you inflict an Iai Strike on them. It is also flexible in what Exp to ___ ability you can use, however I would strongly advise you choose either Exp to EX or Exp to HP in order to aid maintaining multipliers as there are limited x1.5 sustainable multipliers. Moving onto multiplier choices, I choose a 1-Hit KO playstyle with Iai Strike as it allows the use of HP = 100% (Opp), Pre-HP Attack (User) and Exp to EX to utilize Full EX Gauge (User) and using it to ex guard when need be. HP = 100 (User) and Pre-HP Damage (Opp) are my choice of x1.5 multipliers to suit my own gameplay and I consider them to be very useful. Summon tactics should guarantee another x1.5 multiplier, which leaves 3 more spaces left to be filled for multipliers. As I usually use this build for Blackjack course I go with Large Gap in BRV and Large Gap in Level for two of them. However do not get bogged down in trying to achieve the highest multiplier possible when it's clearly unsustainable. You can go with easily sustainable multipliers such as Level = 100 (User). This in conjunction with other multipliers should be enough to give you a reliable multiplier to pull of Iai Strike at a reasonable rate. I would heavily recommend going over the accessory section as this build is all about attaining the highest sustainable multiplier possible and nothing else I feel I should mention Easy Come, Easy Go for this build even though I am not the biggest fan of this accessory. With this in conjunction with 8 other x1.5 multipliers, it grants you a 100% chance to inflict Iai Strike. However I must warn you that you have 30 seconds in order to do so otherwise you are effectively left with a gimped setup for the rest of the battle. I would only recommend this in Blackjack course when fighting opponents level 130 and over. Reason being is that they have high initial brave for you to steal and probably only require one break to have enough brave for KO. Any lower and you will most probably require to break the enemy twice in order to have enough brave to kill them. Easy Come, Easy Go will give you a very small window of opportunity to deal break twice whilst maintaining all multipliers. The advantage of this is however that you only require to maintain all other multipliers for a shorter period of time vs higher level opponents. (004a/041) -- Sephiroth -- Iai Strike -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Reaper <O - Fervent Blow O> - Shadow Flare AIR BRAVE O - Oblivion ^O - Sudden Cruelty vO - Godspeed GROUND HP O - Scintilla <O - <Empty> O> - Black Materia AIR HP O - Octoslash ^O - <Empty> vO - Hell's Gate -Notable Abilities- disable Cat Nip EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Excalibur II Chainsaw Drill Rainbow Robes (Sword and Machine Adepts equipped. Do not equip Robe Adept) -Accessories- Smiting Soul HP = 100% (User) HP is a Prime Number (User) HP = 100% (Opp) Summon Unused (User) Full EX Gauge (User) Pre-HP Attack (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Large Gap in BRV Large Gap in Level -Summons- Omega > Magic Pot > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Onion Knight, Squall, Ultimecia, Zidane, Kuja, Tidus. -Comments- For this build I once again chose the Chainsaw + Drill + Rainbow Robes combo to utilise another x1.5 multiplier HP is a Prime Number (User). Full EX Gauge (User) kicks in from the second battle and onwards and should be maintained through Exp to EX. I alternate between Exp to HP if need be but switch back to Exp to EX every now and then if I don't have full ex gauge anymore. Large Gap in BRV and Large Gap in Level are very conditional but are pretty much guaranteed vs opponents level 120+. The full multiplier is x38.4~ which translates to a 76% chance of inflicting break. You can replace Large Gap in BRV and Large Gap in Level with Level = 100 and Level = Multiple of 5 for easier sustainability. This will give you a x24.6~ multiplier value giving you a very respectable Iai Strike chance of 49%. You can choose any weapon of your choice for this build. I chose Excalibur II to aid in Exp to EX and to recover twice as much HP from Exp to HP. If using the HP is a Prime Number (User) multiplier, be sure not to equip a weapon which alters your HP value. Sephiroth is an ideal candidate for Iai Strike build as his HP game is relatively poor, whereas his brave game is very strong. He has a good range of close to mid-range attacks and being able to combo different moves together only helps his cause in inflicting Iai Strike. Shadow Flare is a very cheap way of inflicting Iai Strike and combos nicely to have another crack at breaking the opponent. Shadow Flare > Sudden Cruelty > Oblivion will give you three chances to inflct break from one combo. Be sure to leave off Midair Evasion Boost to be able to consistently pull off Sudden Cruelty > Oblivion. His aerial HP moveset is based on how you play as him personally. You can add Heaven's Light in there as well or Scintilla if you find it useful, although I personally don't. (004a/050) ~ Force Begets Courage Builds ~ This build focuses on converting all ex force and ex cores gained into brave. It is recommended for melee characters who have strong brave, but weak HP game or for those who whittle down the opponent's HP bit by bit. It is only practical vs opponents with a high defense stat such that the user's own brave attacks become redundant in racking up brave. It is also best used for characters who can generate a lot of ex force from their attacks, as the more ex force you absorb, the more brave you generate in return. As obvious as it sounds, you will need the Force Begets Courage accessory, which allows you to convert all ex force and ex core to brave. To increase the return of brave we increase our ex force absorption amount using Pearl Necklace and Ivory Choker. The first Ivory Choker is a x1.5 multiplier, where as the second is a x1.33. Heaven's Cloud is the essential weapon for this build as it frees up a valuable accessory slot. I use the Snowpetal combo due to it's bonuses as well as allowing me to use the HP = Multiple of 5 (User) multiplier if need be. You can replace with any set that you would like or Chainsaw + Drill + Rainbow Robes to utilise HP is a Prime Number (User). If you are aiming for 1-Hit KO gameplan, then you can utilise all the associated multipliers, such as Pre-HP Attack (User), HP = 100% (Opp) or Large Gap in Brv. Whittling down HP has less options so you may want to utilise a set which allows you to use a HP multiplier and equip Large Gap in HP. Refer to the accessories section for possibilities. Exp to HP is used to keep HP topped up to make HP orientated multipliers more reliable. Learn to Chase! As this build revolves around ex force, you should aim to enter chase whenever it is possible. Chase creates an obscene amount of ex force. Only use brave attacks during chase to prolong it, unless you have enough brave to kill the opponent. Even if your chase game is poor, use this as your aid in becoming better at it. A chase sequence with three failed brave hits will net you over 1000+ brave from the ex force created when majority of the multiplier is active. Also note, if you get Cosmos Judgment, make sure to finish the battle of with an ex burst or replace Empty EX Gauge (User) with Full EX Gauge (User) the following battle. (004a/051) -- Squall -- Force Begets Courage -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Solid Barrel <O - Upper Blues O> - Thunder Barret AIR BRAVE O - Beat Fang ^O - <Empty> vO - Heel Crush GROUND HP O - Blasting Zone <O - <Empty> O> - Revolver Drive AIR HP O - Aerial Circle ^O - <Empty> vO - Rough Divide -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Counterattack Sneak Attack Riposte disable Counterattack EXP to HP -Equipment- Heaven's Cloud Blue Moon Chaplet Snowflake Sweater (Katana, Bangle, Hat and Clothing Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Ivory Choker HP = 100% (User) HP = 100% (Opp) Large Gap in BRV Empty EX Gauge (User) Summon Unused (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Close to You Force Begets Courage -Summons- Magic Pot > Omega > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Onion Knight, Sephiroth, Zidane, Tidus. -Comments- The multiplier is x11.3~ which translates to a total of +341% ex force absorption with the added bonus of Snowpetal. Close to You in conjunction with Heaven's Cloud +6m intake range is more than enough for any melee character to absorb the surrounding ex force. Equip as many critical abilities as you can afford as a general aid in gaining brave. For this build I used Summon Unused (User) with Magic Pot, Omega and Odin in reserve if I am broken and in danger of a loss. If circumstances change, e.g. near death, you can afford to whittle down the opponent's HP even with 1-Hit KO playstyle as dealing upwards 3000 damage is enough to restore you to full health vs high level opponent, leaving the multiplier in good health. You can also remove Clothing Adept to utilize HP = Multiple of 5 (User) or you can change to the Adamant set if you dodge more often. An added option is to replace an accessory with Smiting Soul to create a hybrid Force and Iai Strike build. For example if I replace Ivory Choker with Smiting Soul, I sacrifice 114% ex force for a 22% chance to inflict break. Squall is better suited for 1-Hit KO gameplan using this build as his HP attacks are a little more difficult to connect with. It is not as impossible as people make out, it just requires more tactical use vs different types of opponents. A single Beat Fang will generate approx 1000 brave under the full multiplier, without taking into account actual damage done by the attack. In air, vs melee fighters use Heel Crush sparingly or at a safe distance where only the final strike can hit them. Against magic casters like Kefka and Terra, use this frequently. Great to combo right after Beat Fang if near ground. Mix them up as Beat Fang spamming will have you severely punished by AI's inhuman reflexes. After a successful block on ground, combo Thunder Bullet with Solid Barrel, wait a second to absorb any ex force possible before entering chase. For HP damage, use Aerial Circle vs mage fighters but avoid using it at all vs fast melee fighters. Rough Divide for long animation and cool down moves. You can abuse Revolver Drive glitch at the edge of the platform, otherwise it's best to use after a block for maximum damage. (004a/060) ~ Critical Builds ~ If you are poor at avoiding HP damage, read no further about Critical builds. Critical builds puts you within one HP attack of defeat (unless the opponent is broken). It is only useful in conjunction with other builds as it is a useless partial build on it's own. The main component's of this build is the Ensanguined Shield and Back to the Wall accessory. With both these equipped, you will start any battle with 1 HP. You may think this is suicide of course and is very risky, however it opens up dozens of possibilities of powerful multipliers. The most important of which is Strong Against Adversity, the strongest legal multiplier in Dissidia worth x3 when user's HP = 1. Critical builds is not worth it if you do not have this accessory! The disadvantages of critical builds are obvious, so let's move onto the advantages. You have a truckload of powerful x1.5 guaranteed multipliers other than summon or ex gauge orientated multipliers. This essentially frees up any tactical compromises made from the use of summons and how you wish to utilise your ex mode. Guaranteed multipliers include: Near Death (User), Near Loss (User), HP = 1 (User), Large Gap in HP, Large Gap in BRV, Victory Chance (Opp). Pre-HP Damage (Opp) is a dead on to equip as you will most likely be dead if you take HP damage anyway. The only time some of these are not guaranteed is if the opponent has Ensanguined Shield and/or Back to the Wall accessory equipped. In which case it shouldn't really bother you as it leaves them in as much vulnerable position of defeat as you are. The benefit from having a large pool of multipliers such as this is that you do not restrict your gameplay. For example having Pre-HP Attack (User) and HP = 100% (Opp) restricts you to playing a 1-Hit KO gamestyle whereas with critical builds you are free to battle as you like, but with 1 HP obviously. Also at 1 HP, you can make permanent use of Physical Shield and Magical Shield as well as Cat Nip and Back to the Wall critical abilities. Equipping Rebellious Soul will give you initial brave boost of +30% of max HP at battle start, so equip an armor which gives high HP amount and the armor adept. Also look out for match-ups with Cosmos/Double Judgment as you will always start these battles with a full ex gauge. Finally, some anti-kamikaze tips to critical builds: Do not use the Exp to HP ability at any time. This goes against almost every multiplier accompanied with this build. Also if you plan on utilising ex mode in anyway, equip Bravery Regen ability so that you regen brave instead of HP. (004a/061) -- Jecht -- Critical Rush -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Jecht Rush <O - <Empty> O> - Jecht Block AIR BRAVE O - Jecht Stream ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> GROUND HP O - Jecht Blade <O - <Empty> O> - Ultimate Jecht Shot AIR HP O - Jecht Blade ^O - <Empty> vO - Triumphant Grasp -Notable Abilities- Physical Shield Magical Shield Bravery Regen Cat Nip Back to the Wall disable Counterattack EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Earthbreaker Ensanguined Shield Circlet Maximillian (Axe, Shield, Hairpin and Heavy Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Sniper Soul Sniper Eye Near Death (User) Near Loss (User) HP = 1 (User) Near Break (User) BRV = 0 (User) Strong Against Adversity Rebellious Soul Back to the Wall -Summons- Alexander > Demon Wall > PuPu = Other Recommended Characters = Warrior of Light, Cloud of Darkness, Cecil, Golbez, Cloud, Squall. -Comments- Wall rush builds already has two guaranteed multipliers which gives even more options for you to choose from. Completely flexible in using summons, although you will rarely ever need them. Exp to EX allows you to utilize ex mode and/or guard when need be and Maximillian with Heavy Armor adept coupled with Rebellious Soul will give you initial brave of 2999. The total multiplier value is x22.7~ giving you a total +683% Wall Rush HP Damage +30% from Earthbreaker. This is a ridiculous amount and will guarantee your initial hit will leave your opponent with 1 HP if they wall rush. Circlet is there to ensure a quicker recovery to base so you don't get broken easily. Physical Damage will be cut by a total of 40% and Magical Damage by 20% to safeguard your initial brave. Demon Wall and Alexander will also safeguard initial brave to ensure opponent is left with 1 HP upon wall rush. Jecht's HP attacks all have wall rush capabilities but be aware that none of them wall rush straight down. You will have to rely mostly on wall rushing against the side walls. Jecht Stream into Jecht Blade being the most reliable as it covers the most distance. I won't comment on Jecht's combos as this was my first experience in using him and I have had little training with him. How I practiced was Quick Battle, lvl 1 Cloud, minimum difficulty, conservative behaviour. Equipped the Imp set, Pearl Necklace, Gold Hourglass and the rest multipliers. Use the Cosmos Stage then hit Cloud a bit to gain ex mode then jump to the top of the arena and practice your aerial combos. Then fall down and practice ground combos, but without executing HP attacks. I did this for two hours and I was able to pull of combos at a decent rate. Of course there are also YouTube tutorials if you wish. (004a/062) -- Onion Knight -- Critical Strike -- CP Heavy -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Multi-Hit >> Extra Slice >> Swordshower <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR BRAVE O - Turbo-Hit >> Extra Lunge >> Guiding Swipe ^O - <Empty> vO - Thunder > Flare GROUND HP O - Firaga <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Wind Shear ^O - <Empty> vO - Comet -Notable Abilities- Physical Shield Magical Shield Bravery Regen Cat Nip Back to the Wall disable Counterattack EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Excalibur II Ensanguined Shield Circlet Maximillian (Sword, Shield and Hairpin Adepts equipped. No need to equip Heavy Armor Adept) -Accessories- Smiting Soul Near Death (User) Near Loss (User) HP = 1 (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Large Gap in HP Large Gap in BRV Victory Chance (Opp) Strong Against Adversity Back to the Wall -Summons- Magic Pot > Omega > Odin = Other Recommended Characters = Sephiroth, Squall, Ultimecia, Zidane, Kuja, Tidus. -Comments- All multipliers are guaranteed from battle start combining for a total value of x51.2~. This will guarantee Iai Strike upon hit, which can only otherwise be guaranteed with Easy Come, Easy Go. However the advantage over using Critical Strike build is that the multiplier is permanently sustainable and does not restrict you to a 1-Hit KO playstyle. The only way you may be buggered is if the opponent has Ensanguined Shield and/or Back to the Wall accessory. However this shouldn't pose much of a problem as they become just as vulnerable as you are. Exp to EX once again for ex guarding and summons to use if you are broken. You can replace Large Gap in BRV and Large Gap in HP with Summon Unused (User) and Full EX Gauge (User) or 1-Hit KO playstyle multipliers if need be. Onion Knight is a prime candidate for Iai Strike builds as he has two opportunities to inflict break due to his branching attacks. Although with this build only one is needed for the first strike, you can just chain straight into an HP attack after breaking the opponent. You do not have to include the second brave chains in this example if it is costing too much CP. Onion Knight is also a very fast character so make sure to equip Speed Boost++, as while being in critical, his speed may save you from time to time in dodging HP attacks. Multi-Hit and Turbo-Hit will probably be your two most used abilities. However both Wind Shear and Comet have brave elements attached to them and are not difficult to connect with. Be sure to use them as well as they will also inflict break. (004a/070) ~ Character Exclusive Builds ~ As the name suggests, these builds can only be carried out by one character alone. A majority of character exclusive builds use Bartz, due to the fact that his movesets grant him unique bonuses and stack (credit BMSirius for testing and confirming). You can mix it up and use whichever bonuses you find useful or fun, however I have only created the one which I find most useful. Other character exclusive builds would include Cloud of Darkness, Brave Recovery build, Gabranth Excess Regen to HP build using EX Charge ability and any builds which will only operate under maximum potential through the use of character exclusive weapons, such as ExDeath's Enuo's Scourge. {xxx/071} -- Bartz -- Goblin Punch, Exp > BRV -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Reel Impulse <O - Reel Impulse O> - Reel Impulse AIR BRAVE O - Slidehazzard ^O - <Empty> vO - Holy > Flare GROUND HP O - Soul Eater <O - Soul Eater O> - Flood AIR HP O - Wind Shear ^O - <Empty> vO - Paladin Force -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash EX Critical Boost disable Anti-EX EXP to Bravery -Equipment- Excalibur II Borghertz's Hands Super Ribbon Maximillian (Sword, Gauntlet and Ribbon Adepts equipped. Do not equip Heavy Armor Adept) -Accessories- Pearl Necklace Gold Hourglass HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) HP is a Multiplier of 5 (User) After Summon (User) Close to You First to Victory Cyan Gem Chocobo Feather -Summons- Carbuncle (Auto) > Omega > Ifrit > Odin > Iron Giant -Comments- Essentially a Sustained EX, Exp > BRV build with the added advantage that Goblin Punch is laughably easy to hit A.I. with. What also makes this build unique is the x3 Reel Impulse equipped which give a combined ex intake range of 3m. This is sufficient enough to absorb ex force using a close range attack such as Goblin Punch. This allows us to replace Gravitorb from the original Sustained EX, Exp > BRV build with Gold Hourglass for extra insurance of sustaining ex. Needless to say the gameplan of this build is to spam Goblin Punch. Yes this may get boring, but it is the fastest method of racking up kills in Blackjack course. If you find yourself outside of ex mode, utilize Flood at a safe distance. You also have the option of using Holy > Flare from a height as well as other HP attacks. Goblin Punch, as well as Soul Eater and Paladin's Force can wall rush, which is why I equipped x2 Soul Eaters giving +20% Wall Rush HP Damage to reduce the risk of wall rush. Your hardest task will be the first battle, as you will have to gain 55% ex gauge before this build really kicks in. You may choose to replace Gold Hourglass with Ivory Choker to make this easier. If you find you are finishing battles very quickly (as you should be), then replace Gold Hourglass or Cyan Gem with Chocobo Wing for better brave returns. -Bartz Exclusive- You can create other Bartz Exclusive builds using the bonuses gained from his movesets. The best of them are: x3 Reel Impulse in a Sustained EX build, allowing you to equip another weapon of your choice besides Heaven's Cloud. x3 Soul Eater in a Pure Wall Rush build or in conjunction with Reel Impulse for Wall Rush, Sustained EX. x3 Wind Shear combined with Speed Boost++ for Onion Knight-esque speed. x3 Jump Times Boost combined with Jump Times Boost++ for as many jumps which I haven't even bothered to count. Solid Ascension gives Minor Counterattack, potentially saving CP. (004a/072) -- ExDeath -- Guard and Iai Counter -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Black Hole <O - High Block O> - Omni Block AIR BRAVE O - Reverse Polarity ^O - High Block vO - Omni Block GROUND HP O - Delta Attack <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Delta Attack ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> -Notable Abilities- Omni Air Dash Concentration++ Snooze and Lose disable Counterattack EXP to EX Force -Equipment- Enuo's Scourge Lunate Armlet Chaplet Snowflake Sweater (Gauntlet, Hat and Clothing Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Spirit Stanchion Smiting Soul HP = 100% (User) HP = 100% (Opp) After Summon (User) Full EX Gauge (User) Pre-HP Attack (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Large Gap in BRV Large Gap in Level -Summons- Omega > Lich > Tiamat > Odin > Demon Wall -Comments- Made for brave racking for 1-Hit KO in Blackjack course. A hybrid of Brave Boost on Guard and Iai Strike work extremely well on ExDeath due to his guard and counter playstyle. Once more he can counter up to two times meaning he has two chances to inflict Iai Strike. All multipliers are relatively easy to maintain given the playstyle of the build, save for Large Gap in Level, which should be used for high level Blackjack opponents. Alternatively you can use Equip Bangle ability to replace Lunate Armlet with Blue Moon and drop Clothing Adept to allow you to use HP = Multiple of 5 (User) multiplier. Under the full multiplier value of x25.6~ you gain 256% Brave Boost on Guard and a 51% chance of Iai Strike per counter. Snowpetal and Enuo's Scourge itself grants you +50% Brave Boost on Guard and +300% Magic Counter. With Enuo's Scourge awesome Riposte ability, you are guaranteed critical hits when you block a close range physical attack. Concentration++ is yet another cheap alternative to rack up brave as sometimes you require to wait for the opponent's action before you make yours. Snooze and Lose is great for luring an attack out of your opponent for a possible guard and Reverse Polarity is a very good defensive and offensive move if you know how to utilize it properly. Use Black Hole sparingly, as it has short range, but it can be used to confuse the AI or combo with other attacks. Delta Attack is the only good HP attack outside of counters and only to be used once enough brave has been gained to kill the opponent. Exp to EX should ensure Full EX Gauge (User) multiplier, but do not hesitate to ex guard and burst. Use another Exp to ___ ability if you have your ex gauge full and are confident of keeping it that way. Whilst this build is extremely beneficial to ExDeath, I must say that you have to be at least a competent user of ExDeath to get anything out of this. (004a/073) -- Tidus -- Dodge and Iai Counter -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - Stick & Move > Quick Hit <O - <Empty> O> - Cut & Run > Quick Hit AIR BRAVE O - Stick & Move > Quick Hit ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> GROUND HP O - <Empty> <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR HP O - Jecht Shot ^O - <Empty> vO - <Empty> -Notable Abilities- Free Air Dash Snooze and Lose Counterattack Sneak Attack disable Counterattack EXP to EX Force -Equipment- World Champion Adamant Shield Adamant Helm Adamant Vest (Shield, Helm and Light Armor Adepts equipped) -Accessories- Elven Mantle Zephyr Cloak Zephyr Cloak Smiting Soul HP = 100% (User) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) Summon Unused (User) Full EX Gauge (User) Large Gap in HP Large Gap in Level -Summons- Magic Pot > Omega > Odin -Comments- Simlar to ExDeath's exclusive build, Tidus focuses more on dodging and countering. His gamestyle is better suited at whittling down the opponent's HP so it limits the use of available multipliers, but allows us to utilize Large Gap in HP. Large Gap in Level can be replaced with another multiplier until it becomes valid. The full multiplier of x11.3~ gives 136% Brave Boost on Dodge plus an additional 50% from equipment. It also gives a 22% chance to inflict Iai Strike, which is not the highest but still very respectable. Exp to EX allows the use of Full EX Gauge (User) and summons to be used if broken and in danger of loss. A very good method of accumalating dodges is to Free Air Dash towards the opponent and dodge away just as you near them. This combined with Snooze and Lose makes this tactic extremely useful. This build suits Tidus' gamestyle completely as his HP chains all have inherent dodging elements attached to them. Personally I find Stick & Move and Cut & Run more effective, however you can choose whichever ones you find the most useful. I would advise you not to pack up the Offensive Abilities list, specifically if using Stick & Move in the air. This heavily limits the direction you can dodge in when using it. Jecht Shot is the only HP attack I find useful on Tidus outside of his HP chains, however Spiral Cut is extremely effective on Chaos. Using Tidus to full efficiency really requires you to have excellent knowledge of opponents' attacks, range and recovery times in order to dodge and counter effectively. Also note that Zidane's Ozma's Splinter has the same effect as Tidus' World Champion and so theoretically he can also go for this build with the same effect. However I would still consider this exclusive to Tidus as his moveset and gamestyle is more fitting to this build than Zidane's. (004a/074) -- Shantotto -- Critical Manafont -- -Offensive Abilities- GROUND BRAVE O - <Empty> <O - <Empty> O> - <Empty> AIR BRAVE O - Bio ^O - <Empty> vO - Bind GROUND HP O - Spirit Magic: Fire <O - Spirit Magic: Earth O> - Spirit Magic: Thunder AIR HP O - Spirit Magic: Ice ^O - Spirit Magic: Air vO - Spirit Magic: Water -Notable Abilities- Omni Air Dash Magic Shield Physical Shield Bravery Regen Back to the Wall disable Counterattack EXP to HP -Equipment [Set A]- -Equipment [Set B]- Zwill Crossblade Excalibur Chainsaw Chainsaw Drill Drill Maximillian Maximillian (Dagger[Set A], Sword[Set B] Adept equipped. You must equip Machine and Heavy Armor Adepts) -Accessories [Set A]- -Equipment [Set B]- First to Victory First to Victory Cyan Gem Blue Gem Cyan Drop Blue Drop Cyan Drop Blue Drop Cyan Drop Blue Drop Red Gem Red Gem Destroyer Destroyer Hero's Seal Hero's Seal Rebellious Soul Rebellious Soul Back to the Wall Back to the Wall -Summons- Ifrit > Behemoth > Demon Wall > Alexander -Comments- Firstly, I'll comment on Shantotto's ex mode ability: Manafont. This allows you to keep your Brv meter even after dealing HP damage. We can use this to our advantage by gaining Brv equal to half the opponent's HP and dealing HP damage as well as ex burst to insure victory. This doesn't include the damage from ex burst itself, so you will be able to get away with dealing HP damage when your Brv is short of half the opponent's HP. Use Bio and Bind to pressure and help to score a HP hit. [Set A] You will start out with 900~ HP, but with a full ex gauge as well as initial Brv of 5300~. The aim of the game is to simply connect with an HP attack and then go into ex mode and ex burst for an instant win. Try and deal as much damage as possible from Shantotto's HP chain attacks if your Brv drops below 5000. Versus some characters you can simply walk into them and wait for them to attack. Ex guard for a guaranteed HP hit and burst for an easy win. Be careful vs opponents with high attack however as it may lower your brave too much. 40% physical damage decrease should help cut the danger of this happening. Bravery Regen, Red Gem and Back to the Wall will aid in accumulating any more Brv which may be needed. It may be wise to replace Red Gem with Phoenix Down for security, if need be. [Set B] Optional and only to be used for matches which have Cosmos/Double Judgment. You won't require any Initial EX boosting equipment as Back to the Wall has you in critical, which will activate Cosmos Judgment. We can replace these with Brv boosting equipment instead to have Shantotto start the battle with 6200~ Brv. This effectively upgrade's all of Shantotto's HP attacks allowing for easier successful HP hits. Ifrit and Behemoth will also guarantee easier hits as long as you connect quickly enough. (004a/080) ~ Efficiency Builds ~ Miscellaneous builds which aid in the acquisition of equipment, accessories, experience (power leveling) and AP. (004a/081) -- Optimum Farming -- -Equipment- < Weapon > Thief Gloves Super Ribbon < Armor > -Accessories- Sunrise Moonrise ( 5 Booster Accessories ) Mog's Amulet Dangerously Lucky Fake Mustache -Comments- This is just to show what would be the best setup for both Item and Battlegen drops. You can of course seperate the Battlegen boosters if your only interested in item drops. It is probably more beneficial to split them up as the build is not ideal for higher level opponents because Thief Gloves will have you broken due to its low defense majority of the time. Treat this as two partial builds into one: Item Drop and Battlegen. I would recommend you use one or the other in conjunction with a build you can battle with for good results with less stress. They combine best with pure builds, such as Pure Exp > BRV, as pure builds have more leeway to adjustments than hybrid builds, which are made specific situations. (004a/082) -- Rare Battlegen [Break Required] -- -Accessories- Sunrise Moonrise ( 6 Booster Accessories ) Easy Come, Easy Go Fake Mustache -Summons- Odin -Viable x1.5 Boosters- HP = 100% (User) No BRV Damage (User) Empty EX Gauge (User) After Summon (User) Pre-Bravery Attack (User) Pre-HP Attack (User) HP = 100% (Opp) Summon Unused (Opp) Pre-Bravery Damage (Opp) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) No BRV Damage (Opp) -Comments- This build is specifically for obtaining rare Battlegen orbs (except Gabranth's) which require you to break the opponent. Very useful for farming orbs for level 100 exclusive weapons. You may use any combination of the accessories above for a guaranteed multiplier for this method. Here it is: 1 - Quick battle vs opponent whose orb Battlegen you require. 2 - Set opponent to level 100, minimal difficulty and any random behavior. 3 - Choose a favorable stage like Order's Sanctuary - no gimmick, for a favorable BRV pool. 4 - At battle start summon Odin. If it doesn't break the enemy, press Start and Retry battle. This resets all actions taken within the battle, including the use of Odin. 5 - If it breaks the enemy, check to see if a gold rank accessory has been Battlegened. This can be done by checking the top left corner where it will say "Accessory Created". It it doesn't create a gold rank accessory, Retry battle. 6 - There are normally two accessories which require break, which are the D rank and gold rank. It is random as to which one you will acquire. 7 - The gold rank accessory is your orb Battlegen. Now simply finish the battle vs a minimum difficulty opponent with 3000+ BRV already at your disposal. 8 - Odin has two uses, meaning this can be done twice before he needs to recover. -- Odin and Magic Pot Recovery -- -Accessories- Rabbit's Foot Blazing Totema Lucky Ring -Comments- This build is to supplement the recovery of Odin for orb farming. It can also be used for Magic Pot (or majority of manual summons) for when using the Magic Pot trick whilst power leveling. Odin and Magic Pot require 6 battles to recover and Rabbit's Foot + Blazing Totema + Luck Ring account for +5 summon recovery whilst the other +1 is gained from the battle itself. Fight one random battle vs level 1 easy A.I. to have them at your disposal for two more uses. (004a/083) -- Rare Battlegen [EX Burst Hit] -- -Equipment- -Equipment- Heike's Blade < Weapon > Heike's Shield Ensanguined Shield Heike's Helm < Headgear > Heike's Armor < Armor > -Accessories- -Accessories- Sunrise Sunrise Moonrise Moonrise ( 6 Booster Accessories ) ( 4 Booster Accessories ) Easy Come, Easy Go Easy Come, Easy Go Fake Mustache Strong Against Adversity Fake Mustache Back to the Wall -- Cosmos/Double Judgment Rule Set -- -Viable x1.5 Boosters- HP = 100% (User) Large Gap in HP No BRV Damage (User) Summon Unused (User) Pre-Bravery Attack (User) Break (Opp) Summon Unused (Opp) Pre-Bravery Damage (Opp) Pre-HP Damage (Opp) No BRV Damage (Opp) -Comments- Similar to Break Required, this is for obtaining Gabranth's rare Battlegen orb. It also works for crystals which require ex burst hits. It's the same process as the other rare Battlegen, except this time you do not require any summons or restarts. At battle start simply go into EX Mode (Heike set gives full ex gauge at battle start) and perform an HP attack followed by ex burst. If you do not see the gold rank Battlegen then restart battle and try again. Alternatively you can use the second setup with either Ensanguined Shield and/or Back to the Wall accessory to activate Cosmos Judgment and give you full ex gauge at battle start (credit ujhbn). You should be able to guess what multipliers apply for this setup. Be careful not to get hit however, even vs a weak difficulty A.I. Equip Phoenix Pinion for insurance, if need be. (004a/084) -- 108 AP Chaos -- -Equipment- ( 3 Diamond Equipments ) Include: Diamond Sword (+ version has the same effect, you can use either) Diamond Shield (+ ok) Diamond Cuff (+ ok) Diamond Helm (+ ok) Diamond Hairpin Diamond Vest Diamond Armor (+ ok) -Accessories- Hero's Spirit Hero's Essence Hero's Essence Beckoning Cat Diamond Ring -Bonuses- AP Bonus vs Chaos -- All Rounds Special Day -- Level 3 AP Bonus -Comments- You may need Heavy Armor Lore for some characters (do not hesitate to use them, it'll save you tons of time in the long run). This setup is pretty self- explanatory however. Quick battle Chaos level 1 and gain all the bonuses. Make sure to check what the AP bonus is. If it's something lame like HP attack < 1000 then simply keep retrying battle until you get a more favorable AP chance. Retrying will not break your Diamond Ring. Hero's Spirit and Essence are their to maximize your CP so you can equip more abilities to master. You can save more CP by only equipping neccessary abilities to beat Chaos. For example do not equip any brave attacks which have already been mastered if you have a decent HP attack to connect with. (004a/085) -- Power Leveling -- -Accessories- ( Experience Boosting Accessories ) Include: Growth Egg Growth Egg Chocobo Down Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather -Summons- Magic Pot -Bonuses- Lucky Bonus -- Exp x5 Special Day -- Level 10 Exp Bonus -Comments- I'll explain in simple steps. PRE-BATTLE - Obtain the necessary exp boosting accessories through various party play plans, except Grind Lover. - Essentially you want enough Chocobo Feathers to last long enough for all characters you wish to power level. - You can still go ahead without Chocobo Feathers, however it will take much longer if you don't have replacements. - Once you think you have obtained enough exp boosting accessories, switch to Grin Lover play plan. - Keep fighting low level npcs until you get the x5 lucky exp bonus. - Now take your character you wish to power level, equipped with Magic Pot, to quick battle vs any level 100, maximum difficulty, conservative or cautious behavior (preferably ExDeath or Gabranth). - Choose a simple stage with a large brave pool. I would recommend Cosmos' Stage. IN BATTLE - Let the opponent break you, whilst ensuring to dodge all HP attacks, so that their brave reaches 9999. - Wait until your break status is lifted and activate Magic Pot. - Connect with HP attack to win battle. Finish with ex burst if available for bonus exp. - If you die during battle at any time, press the Home button and restart game. - If you lose brave once Magic Pot is activated, retry battle. POST-BATTLE - Wait for your data to be saved and your accessories may or may not break. DO NOT SPAM X BUTTON. - You'll be presented with the options: Return to Battle Setup, Rematch etc. Do not select anything. - Instead press the Home button and quit to PSP menu and reload Dissidia. - You're Exp x5 Lucky Bonus will still be active as you prevented the chocobo from taking any step. - However the data has been saved. DO NOT SELECT HOME THEN QUIT WHILST GAME IS SAVING. - Magic Pot has two uses, therefore select another character to power level through the same process. - Use the same method of restoring Odin to restore Magic Pot. But beware you still need to press Home button after every battle to maintain the Lucky x5 Exp Bonus. ---------------- 4.2. spweasel's Builds (004b) This section courtesy of spweasel 4.2.0. ~Introduction~ Hello! I'm known around these parts as spweasel (not capitalized). I generally like leaving out the small details like movesets and ability choices, since they will vary a lot based on your playstyle (and omitting them cuts down the page count). I tend to play a defensive, hit-and-run game, so I stay airborne and dodge a lot. I like the Adamant Set, but dislike the Genji and Snowpetal sets. For Summons, I tend to favor ones I can use immediately such as Ifrit or Cactuar. Here are some general guidelines: 1) I don't like booster accessories that are conditional due to the randomness they insert. I avoid anything more conditional than Full EX Gauge and Easy Come, Easy Go. I added comments to the Booster section if you want my opinions. Any Booster I mention is the Self Version unless otherwise noted. 2) I'll let you figure out your own movesets and characters (for the most part). Just try to follow these guidelines: - If you need CP, you can remove some lesser-used attacks. - Some builds don't need BRV attacks at all. - EXP to BRV builds: avoid Wall Rush attacks. - Wall Rush builds: try to use attacks that Wall Rush straight down. - Iai builds: use HP attacks with a BRV component or BRV to HP chains. - When in doubt, use Bartz. He has good Wall Rush and non-WR attacks, a good (but non-essential) EX Mode, and gets Exdeath more often as a boss card in the Duel Colosseum than any other character. 3) I'll let you choose your own abilities as well. I will normally only mention EXP to Whatever and other build-necessary abilities. Beyond those, just remember: - Critical chance increases (Riposte & co.) aren't as good in Blackjack, since BRV damage isn't very good there. - EX Critical Boost is good for EX builds, Cat Nip + Back to the Wall for low HP builds. - Adept abilities are worth the cost. Use them whenever possible (especially for your head slot). - Auto EX Command Omega gives your thumbs a rest for a couple seconds, even if you are comfortable with the EX Burst. It reduces the effects of human error and lowers the stress on your buttons (for the button-mashers) as well. Legend 4.2.x. ~Build Name~ Weapon Hands Head Body Accessory Abilities (if applicable) Other (Summons, AI settings, etc.; usually omitted) Pros: - What's good about the build in a nutshell Cons: - Weaknesses Playing the Build: How to play, why I chose the equipment I did, etc.. This is the catch-all. Customizations: Some advice if you want to change the build around a little. ---------------- 4.2.1. ~Bartz Battlegen~ (004b1) Nirvana Ensanguined Shield Thornlet Maximilian Star Earring Moonrise HP = 1 Near Death No BRV Damage After Summon Pre-HP Damage (Opponent) Strong Against Adversity Back to the Wall Speed Boost++ Auto EX Command Omega Bravery Regen EX Critical Boost Staff Adept Heavy Armor Adept Odin (Auto) Carbuncle (Auto) Movie at Battle Start: Short Stage: Order's Sanctuary (Regular) Strength (CPU): Minimal Level (CPU): 100 Behavior (CPU): Conservative Rules: Cosmos Judgment Pros: - Extremely fast Battlegen - AI is dumb as a rock Cons: - Optimized for Bartz only - Can't get hit by either HP or BRV attack - Quick Battle only Playing the Build: As soon as the fight starts, your summon will activate. If Odin misses or you don't get the accessory you want, retry the fight. After that, run close to the enemy, switch to EX Mode, hit the enemy with a Goblin Punch (if using Carbuncle, restart if you Battlegen the wrong item), and finally EX Burst. At the end of the fight, you should have 3 Battlegen items. With these settings, your foe is unlikely to attack immediately. Make sure to keep stocked up on Battlegen chance boosters from the PP Catalog. Customizations: If you want to use a different character such as Cloud, you may need to switch to a Champion's Belt instead of the Star Earring. Just make sure your HP attack has a BRV component and that your EX Burst is enough to finish them off. Also, the Weapon, Head, and Body slots really aren't that important, but try to stay at 9999 HP (for the Rebellious Soul). No BRV Damage is the weak link, you can trade it for something else (like Break (opponent)). Easy Come, Easy Go doesn't play well with Odin (Auto), so don't use them together. ---------------- 4.2.2. ~Chaos 1-Shot~ (004b2) Excalibur Chainsaw Thornlet Auto Crossbow Blue Gem Back to the Wall Rebellious Soul Hero's Seal First to Victory Arcane Resin Valor Resin Quickstrike Shard x3 Pros: - 9999 Initial BRV - Start with full EX Cons: - Requires items that break after use - Unlikely to win if something goes wrong - Low Starting HP Playing the build: The main purpose of this build is to beat Blackjack (level 130) Chaos in a single attack. You can, of course, use it against any other foe that is hard enough to justify the Resin investment. I usually use Bartz, so the gameplan is to EX Guard through Chaos's initial attacks and Goblin Punch for the win (note that you'll need to EX Burst if you took any damage or if your foe has a Phoenix Down equipped). Your EXP to X isn't important, so I recommend equipping whichever will be most beneficial for your next fight (HP if your regular build isn't a Strong Against Adversity build, EX Force if it is). Customizations: First and foremost, the Arcane Resin really isn't necessary in a lot of situations. If your EX Gauge is at least 75% full beforehand or you aren't using a character who's HP attacks are easier to land in EX Mode, switch it out for something more worthwhile. If you are willing to use Incenses as well, you can switch two Quickstrike Shards for Valor Incenses and drop Back to the Wall and Rebellious Soul (giving you back your HP and freeing up a couple slots). ---------------- 4.2.3. ~Dodge for BRV~ (004b3) Adamant Knife Ensanguined Shield Adamant Helm Adamant Vest Zephyr Cloak Elven Mantle HP = 1 Near Death Near Loss After Summon Victory Chance (Opponent) Pre-HP Damage (Opponent) Strong Against Adversity Back to the Wall Pros: - Can gain BRV very fast - BRV increase not tied to BRV damage Cons: - 1 HP at all times - Need to keep dodging attacks Playing the build: This is a fun, high risk build. You can equip either EXP to BRV or EXP to EX Force, depending largely on whether or not your EX Mode will help you land hits. Just remember to equip Bravery Regen so you won't have more than 1 HP. Customizations: The Adamant set gives "only" 200 BRV per dodge, so feel free to drop it for whatever you'd like. If you switch in a Heavy Armor (and have 9999 HP), you can use Rebellious Soul in place of one of the multipliers (ideally After Summon). You will gain BRV more slowly, but start with 2999 extra BRV. ---------------- 4.2.4. ~EXP to BRV with Machines and EX~ (004b4) Excalibur II Chainsaw Thornlet Auto Crossbow Silver Hourglass Gold Hourglass After Summon EX Mode x2 Growth Egg x2 Cyan Gem Hero's Seal First to Victory EXP to BRV Pros: - Long EX Duration (roughly +75%) - Start with +45% initial EX - EXP to BRV works wonders in Blackjack Cons: - Poor BRV returns on low level/AI foes - Needs Bonus Day and Grind Lover plan active - Poor EX regeneration Playing the build: This is my non-Chocobo EXP to BRV build for characters who get massively better HP attacks under EX mode (Gabranth, Terra, Kefka, Bartz, and so on). It trades its ability to recover EX for a long EX duration. If you can win while you still have at least 55% EX, you'll start the next fight full and ready to smash face. The Machines and +Initial BRV gives you a huge starting point for BRV (which increases multiplicatively). Customizations: Swapping out the Silver Hourglass and Cyan Gem for a Pearl Necklace and Gravitorb is good if you want to increase your ability to regenerate EX (rather than just the duration). Easy Come, Easy Go can replace one of the EX Mode boosters if you want, but it will make your life harder if the fight goes too long. Melee characters generally have problems not Wall Rushing (which is bad for EXP to BRV), so consider using the Wall Rush EXP Machine build instead. ---------------- 4.2.5. ~EXP to BRV with Machines and Wall Rush~ (004b5) Excalibur II Chainsaw Thornlet Auto Crossbow Sniper Eye x2 Sniper Soul After Summon BRV = 0 Near Break Growth Egg x2 Hero's Seal First to Victory EXP to BRV Pros: - Wall Rush attacks do massive damage (227.5% of your brave) - High initial and base BRV - EXP to BRV works wonders in Blackjack Cons: - Non-Wall Rushing characters can't use - Needs Bonus Day and Grind Lover plan active Playing the build: This is my non-Chocobo EXP to BRV build for characters who Wall Rush easily (Cloud, Bartz, and so on). Since EXP to BRV increases multiplicatively, Wall Rush is normally pretty bad. However, with this build, Wall Rushing attacks should give you more back than a normal attack would. Customizations: Switching a Sniper Eye for another 1.5 booster will increase your Wall Rush damage, but only if you are sure you can keep it up. Easy Come, Easy Go can make your first 30 seconds even more deadly, but after that you are in trouble. ---------------- 4.2.6. ~Utility EXP to BRV~ (004b6) Excalibur II Lufenian Gauntlets Super Ribbon Maximillian Growth Egg x2 Destroyer Center of the World First to Victory Hero's Seal Phoenix Down Chocobo Down Chocobo Wing Chocobo Feather Pros: - Massive BRV returns, even in Lunar Whale - Destroyer and Phoenix Down are huge benefits in the Duel Colosseum. - Largely independent of Grind Lover Plan Cons: - Usually overkill against level 150 foes - Poor EX game Playing the Build: Hopefully your first hit will give you enough BRV to finish the foe off, but even in the worst case scenario Phoenix Down can help you steal a win. I went with Center of the World over Close to You since it increases both absorption range and amount, and Close to You is mediocre without EX Intake range increases. EX mode is more of a bonus for this build than a goal, anyways. Customizations: The hand and body slots are open for whatever you want to use, so I listed my preference. If you are going to change accessories, drop the Destroyer and Phoenix Down first (or the two Growth Eggs if you think you can get away with it). The Excalibur II can be switched for whatever you'd like as long as you have Grind Lover Plan active with a lucky of 100%. If you want to go for a small EX Mode build, you can equip a Pearl Necklace, Close to You, and Heaven's Cloud (melee), or a Dragonfly Orb and Fake Mustache/Victory Pendant (ranged). If you don't mind taking the risk, equipping a Back to the Wall and Rebellious Soul gives you a very high chance to kill in two hits. ---------------- 4.2.7. ~Force Begets Courage - Ex Core Build~ (004b7) Genji Blade Ensanguined Shield Genji Helm Genji Armor Dragonfly Orb Victory Pendant HP = 1 Near Death Near Loss Victory Chance (Opponent) Pre-HP Damage (Opponent) Strong Against Adversity Back to the Wall Force Begets Courage EXP to BRV Omni Air Dash Pros: - Lots of BRV whenever EX Core collected - Does not need to interact with opponent before final HP attack Cons: - Human players will try to cut you off at the Core - 1 HP at all times - Enemy might fill their EX Gauge quickly, too Playing the build: This is another "just for fun" build, mainly aimed at casters (who like being\ far from their foes anyways). Basically, just grab every EX Core you see until you have 9999 BRV or your foe gives you an opening. You might need to fire off quick BRV attacks every now and then to avoid Chaos Judgment and Snooze and Lose. Customizations: Genji set isn't really necessary, but there really isn't much that fills those slots better. Empty EX Gauge and After Summon should be up near 100%, so they can replace any boosters you might be missing. If you don't mind getting less BRV from each Core, you can swap one of the Boosters for a Rebellious Soul for a boost to your starting BRV. ---------------- 4.2.8. ~Force Begets Courage - EX Force Build~ (004b8) Cleaver Chainsaw Thornlet Auto Crossbow Gravitorb Ivory Choker x2 Pearl Necklace Empty EX Gauge Summon Unused Level = Multiple of 4 Level = Multiple of 5 Force Begets Courage Close to You EXP to HP Pros: - Hard to Break - Damage somewhat independent of dealing BRV damage - Low maintenance Cons: - Melee only - No EX Mode - Ill-suited for Blackjack Playing the build: This one is a little more defensive in nature, since you are hard to break and have EXP to HP. Dealing quick melee attacks that give off a lot of EX Forces is the fastest route to victory. Blackjack gives you more damage than you can handle, and your damage isn't on the same level as EXP to BRV, Wall Rush, or even Iai Strike. Customizations: If you must try this for Blackjack, swap Summon Unused for After Summon. The 1.2 boosters are pretty sub-par, so swapping them out with other 1.5 boosters will increase your BRV intake. Similarly, replacing one (or both) of the Ivory Chokers with 1.5 boosters will increase how much BRV you get (or at least your intake range), but it's less reliable. ---------------- 4.2.9. ~Gabranth EX Mode~ (004b9) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44MnR2bH6JM Adamant Knife Chainsaw Adamant Helm Adamant Vest Gravitorb Pearl Necklace Sniper Soul Gold Hourglass Summon Unused EX Mode x2 Level = 100 First to Victory Close to You ~EXP to EX~ Pros: - Usually start Duel Colosseum fights with 100% EX - BRV attacks give sizable EX Boosts - Slight Wall Rush boost (+80%) Cons: - Somewhat low base BRV - Damage largely based on dealing BRV damage, which makes it ill-suited for Blackjack Playing the build: This is how I generally build Gabranth for EX. The duration increase isn't huge, but it's not insignificant, either. You need to stay on their tail with Dual Rend and the like to absorb EX Forces. The Sniper Soul and Chainsaw mean that your Wall Rushes are pretty large, which is good since all of Gabby's attacks have a chance to Wall Rush. Customizations: The first change that you can make is to switch out the Chainsaw and Adamant Helm/Vest for Genji equips. I personally am not a huge fan of the Genji Set bonus, but it's hard to deny that it's good for EX Builds. It's possible to switch the Adamant Knife with a Heaven's Cloud in order to drop the Gravitorb, but I wouldn't recommend it (you lose both range and initial EX that way). The Chaos Blade is nice, but the duration increase is probably overkill. Swapping out the Helm and Vest for Drill/Auto Crossbow works if you want a higher base BRV. Since this is designed for Gabranth, the Highway Star should also be given serious consideration. Finally, swapping out Level = 100 for Easy Come, Easy Go is a possibility, but only if you are fairly certain you can wrap things up in 30 seconds (since you are in trouble if you take any longer). ---------------- 4.2.10. ~Iai Strike~ (004b10) Excalibur II Ensanguined Shield Super Ribbon Bone Mail Smiting Soul HP = 1 Near Death Near Loss Empty EX Gauge After Summon Victory Chance (Opponent) Pre-HP Damage (Opponent) Strong Against Adversity Back to the Wall EXP to BRV Pros: - Guaranteed Iai, even after the first hit - If first HP attack doesn't kill, second hit usually will Cons: - Needs HP attack with BRV component (or an attack chain) to work optimally - 1 HP at all times - Doesn't like Cosmos' Judgment Playing the build: I'm not generally fond of Iai builds, but here's the one I use. This makes Iai 100% likely to happen every time you attack, regardless of what your opponent is doing (and his level, etc.), how long the fight has lasted, and so on. If you are fighting a lower level foe, hopefully Excalibur II with EXP to BRV will give you the Bravery needed to finish things up while your foe is still broken. Customizations: If you are in the Duel Colosseum, you can probably get away with swapping Empty EX Gauge with Full EX Gauge (or whatever else you'd like) and drop the Bone Mail. The Super Ribbon is a throw-away slot, so put in whatever you'd like there, as well. Actually, the Excalibur II isn't a necessity, so if you'd rather equip Genji or Adamant Gear Sets, you are free to do so. Just don't lower your multiplier. ---------------- 4.2.11. ~Wall Rush (with Easy Come, Easy Go):~ (004b11) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvJ0sVbtFjE Excalibur Chainsaw Thornlet Auto Crossbow Sniper Eye x2 Sniper Soul BRV = 0 Near Break Full EX Gauge After Summon Easy Come, Easy Go Hero Seal First to Victory EXP to HP Pros: - High base and initial BRV - Devastating Wall Rush attacks - Can use EXP to HP or EX Cons: - Requires Wall Rush attacks - Damage doesn't grow like EXP to BRV - BRV regeneration takes forever - Wall Rush defense might cause problems - Foes often left with 1 HP Playing the build: If at all possible, hit with an early Wall Rush, which can potentially reduce them to 1 HP in one go. After that, EX Mode might help to finish them off (especially for Bartz), but if you fall under 75% you're in trouble (don't EX Burst, obviously). Even when your boosters start falling off, your damage remains fairly high, since After Summon, BRV = 0, and Near Break are unconditional for this build. Customizations: Swapping Excalibur for Earthbreaker gives you a smaller initial BRV (i.e. you can't take as much damage before you lose the ability to reduce them to 1 HP in a single hit), but future attacks hit harder. Full EX Gauge is the weak link, so if you think you can keep up a different 1.5 booster better, use that instead (you can use a 1.2 booster instead, but it makes it harder to 2-shot enemies). Alternately, Use EXP to EX instead of EXP to HP, which might help. Swapping out one of the Sniper Eyes for another 1.5 booster increases your Wall Rush damage overall, but only if you can maintain it. If your fights regularly go significantly over 30 seconds, swapping out Easy Come, Easy Go for another 1.5 Booster might give you better results. ---------------- 4.3. User-Submitted Builds (004c) Here is where I'll include builds e-mailed to me by readers of this FAQ. All submissions must include the following information in order to be considered for this FAQ: Build Name (doesn't need to be creative) Author Name Equipment - Weapon, Arm, Head, and Body (You can omit non-important pieces) Accessories Notable Abilities (this can include just bare bones important abilities, or your entire list that you use - your choice) Description of the build, including what character(s) it's compatible with You may also include a YouTube link to a video of you using your build, and any other relevant information you'd like to include. Please send the submission in a .txt file using WordPad or NotePad (or a similar program that generates .txts). ================ 5. Advice and Miscellaneous (005) This section contains information that doesn't quite belong in other parts of the FAQ. It can be considered an "appendix" of sorts and is a recommended read. ---------------- 5.1. Accessory Breakability - Machine Set and Super Ribbon (005a) Each Machine type item (there is one for each equip slot) comes with a significant BRV boost as well as an additional damage-increasing effect. However, many are scared of them because they also includes Accessory Breakability+5%, and nobody wants their accessories to break. This effect, however, is largely misunderstood, and this section is here to debunk that myth. Certain accessories have a "breakability chance". For example, the Chocobo Down, Wing, and Feather items have a 30% breakability chance, and the Incense/ Resin items and the Diamond Ring have a 100% breakability chance. This chance can be modified by any of the Machine equipment set or the Super Ribbon. Each Machine (Weapon - Machine Gun, Arm - Chainsaw, Head - Drill, Body - Auto Crossbow) has a +5% breakability chance effect. This means that if you are, for example, equipped with a Chocobo Down as well as a Chainsaw, your Chocobo Down has a 30% + 5% = 35% chance of breaking, which is higher than normal. In other words, if you wear breakable items that you don't want to break, do NOT equip any "Machine". VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Machines do NOT cause all of your accessories to break. Your average accessory, like a Gravitorb, Close to You, Fake Mustache, etc. will NOT have a chance to break if you're wearing Machines. Instead, Machines only break items that ~already have a chance to break~. Note that pebbles have hidden breakability stat. In other words, Machines are safe to wear for the average build. The Super Ribbon, on the other hand, LOWERS breakability chance by 30%. Let's look at the Chocobo Down once more - if you're equipped with a Chocobo Down (30% chance to break) and a Super Ribbon (-30% chance to break), you have 30% - 30% = 0% chance to break it! Another words, the Super Ribbon makes it so you can keep your Chocobo items forever. This is crucial to EXP -> BRV builds. It's also worth noting that the Super Ribbon lowers your chance of Break for any Incense/Resin item and the Diamond Ring. They have a "100% chance to break" which means that with the Super Ribbon, they have 100% - 30% = 70% chance to break. Still high, but you have a chance of keeping your item. Do not mix Machines and Ribbons. They do counteract each other. ---------------- 5.2. Play Plans - Stick to the Grind Lover Play Plan (005b) The Grind Lover play plan has Experience bonuses much more frequently than the other plans, and thus is the perfect choice for any EXP->____ build, especially EXP->BRV. Only use the other plans to get Chocobo items - once you have the Super Ribbon and one copy each of Chocobo Down, Wing, and Feather, you should just stick to Grind Lover for the rest of the game. ---------------- 5.3. Equipment and HP Values (005c) At max level, all characters have the same HP value. In addition, there are two booster accessories ("HP is a Prime Number (User)" and "HP = Multiple of 5 (User)") that work under the condition that you have a very particular amount of HP. Beans4Brains has done some research and discovered which combinations of commonly-seen equipment can put a character's HP at one of these useful HP values. How to read this section: Equip the listed pieces of equipment. You may equip other armors in the leftover slots, but make sure they DO NOT modify your HP. If the HP formula listed below is written as a number in parenthesis, e.x. (-307), it means you can equip any piece of armor that modifies your HP by that value. Here is a list of the armors that offer particular values: [-307] (armors that lower your HP by 307): Drill Royal Crown Super Ribbon Lufenian Hairpin [+307]: Seydiltz Blue Moon Lufenian Bangle [+2308]: Rainbow Robes Lufenian Robes [+2564]: Snowflake Sweater Brave Suit Lufenian Jacket [+2717]: Brigandine Adamant Vest Lufenian Vest [+2973]: Genji Armor Maximillian Bone Mail Lufenian Armor In addition, if an HP formula includes "+ Adept", it means that you need to include the appropriate HP-increasing Adept skill (e.g. if it says "Rainbow Robes + Adept", then you should equip the "Robe Adept" skill). Here are the HP formulas - HP is a Prime Number (User): Circlet = 6709 HP Chainsaw + (-307) + (2308) = 8693 HP Chainsaw + Circlet + (2717) + Adept = 9619 HP (+307) + Circlet + (2717) = 9733 HP (+307) + Lordly Robes /+ Adept = 9467 / 9967 HP (-307) + Vishnu Vest = 9241 HP Chainsaw + (-307) + Flame Armor = 7177 HP (+307) + (-307) + Shell Armor + Adept = 7927 HP HP = Multiple of 5 (User): Auto Crossbow = 9665 HP Circlet + Auto Crossbow = 9375 HP Circlet + Mirror Mail /+ Adept = 8955 / 9455 HP Chainsaw + Circlet + (2973) = 9875 HP Chainsaw + Circlet + (2308) /+ Adept = 8710 / 9210 HP (+307) + (2564) = 9870 HP (-307) + (+2973) = 9665 HP (-307) + (+2308) /+ Adept = 9000 / 9500 HP ---------------- 5.4. Beans4Brains' Miscellanious Tips (005d) Credit to these tips goes to Beans4Brains, some of the wording accredited to me, BMSirius. [] EX Cores are more commonly useful for ranged fighters. As they fight from a distance, if they have more luck than the opponent, this enables the EX Core to spawn near them majority of the time, giving no chance to the opponent of getting them. In addition to this, Ranged Fighters are often not nearby the EX Force that is released from a damaged opponent, leaving EX Cores as the best option for getting EX. Regarding Omni Air Dash - When EX Core appears, switch target and dash without touching the D-Pad (without pressing a direction). You will dash straight for the EX Core. Omni Air Dash and Multi Air Dash are both faster than Free Air Dash. [] Chase - generates vast amount of EX Force. Useful for any EX orientated build and especially Force Begets Courage builds. [] Quickmoving practice. - If you quickmove and make the opponent quickmove towards you on the same platform, then press guard just as they are closing in, you will block them for an easy riposte-ridden strike. If you want a preview of this tactic have a look at Jecth's Critical Rush and Sephiroth's Iai Strike video's on my (Beans4Brains') YouTube channel. [] You can temporarily use Summon Unused (Opp) as a guaranteed multiplier for two battles using Manual Ramuh (credit random GameFaq's member whose username I forgot). Useful for Iai Strike and Wall Rush builds where the initial strike/damage is most important. Combines well with Easy Come, Easy Go where everything is done in the first 30 seconds phase of battle. This can be useful for first stages of Blackjack course while you wait for higher level enemy cards to appear to be able to use Large Gaps ___ multipliers. ================ 6. Thank Yous (006) - GameFAQs, for having the forum that inspired this and accepting my FAQ - Square Enix, for creating such an entertaining game - Beans4Brains, for his unending creativity and kindness in regards to build- making and helping players who wished to learn - spweasel, for his insightful builds and kind help - illusionturtle, for helping me get started at really thinking about how to build my characters - pinkanemone, for his builds and accompanying YouTube videos - Anyone who offered me their work and has not been listed here - please e-mail me and I'll be sure to include you! - All of GameFAQs for their generally helpful comments and support ================ 7. Legal Business (007) This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Copyright 2009 Bradley Stone
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