Showing posts with label Legend of Dragoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legend of Dragoon. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Legend of Dragoon - Chapter Selection

  
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Legend of Dragoon - Chapter 16: Setups & Completion Notes

In this chapter, I'll go over recommendations for setting up your party members and ways to maximize your save file. Then, in the following chapter, I'll provide an item checklist for inventory reference.
 
General Recommendations

When it comes to optimum equipment in Legend of Dragoon, the acquisition of the Legend Casque and Armor of Legend, completely changes the perspective on character setups. Afterwards, with these overpowered pieces, defense of both types, combined with a 50/50 chance of evasion of each, plus status evasion, shifts the entire focus to offense and/or support. Needless to say, there's little to debate as to the best helmet and armor in the game for each character. For a more focused look on these two pieces of equipment, see the last section of Chapter 14.

Because of the addition of the Legend equipment, footwear for your characters changes direction from defense and evasion, purely to speed; the latter of which can only be raised through equipment. Early in disc 4, you can purchase the Magical Greaves in Ulara, with a +5% increase to both physical and magical evasion, with the excellent bonus of +10 speed. Normally, with the exception of Kongol or Albert/Lavitz, this would be your optimum footwear. However, because of the 50% evasion provided by the Legend equipment, this makes the evasion bonus of the Magical Greaves a moot point, for the most part. This leaves the +20 Speed Bandit's Shoes, for males, and Dancer's Shoes, for females, your best choice. Of course, there is only one Bandit's Shoes to be had, so you will need to make a tough decision as to whom this will be placed upon, with the others outfitted with Magical Greaves. My opinion: the Bandit's Shoes for Kongol, freeing his accessory slot, while the +10 speed from the Magical Greaves I think is sufficient for Albert/Lavitz, but you decide for yourself.

Accessories will be talked about on a character-by-character basis, but I'll just make a note that I have excluded the Phantom Shield from consideration. If your goal is to make your character indestructible, then the Legend equipment + Phantom Shield will surely get the job done, but honestly, usage of the Phantom Shield in conjuction is kind of like putting an immovable object in front of a indestructible force.

One last thing before getting into character specifics: when characters begin to acquire high-damage additions, such as Moon Strike, Hex Hammer, and of course, their ultimate additions, Dragoon form additions quickly get left behind in terms of damage. This is because of the damage multiplier provided by human additions that greatly outclasses the bonus in Attack from the Dragoon form; even with a perfectly timed Dragoon addition. With each character's ultimate additions, this continues to be the case even if using a "Special" Dragoon field aura versus an enemy of the opposite element. I'm noting this for those that want to get the most out of their offense. Basically, later in the game, if you're not interested in the extra defense and magical abilities of the Dragoon, exploiting a weakness through aura fields, or evading status effects, your best physical offense will come from human form.

Dart
Perception of Dart is a bit skewed because he is, generally, several levels higher than your other characters, the early availability of his best weapon, and because of his constant presence in battle, his additions max their levels quickly. That said, by endgame, with the need to combo his Soul Eater weapon with a Therapy Ring, he really begins to lag behind some of the other characters and it becomes apparent. However, Dart is a middle-of-the-road character, but more above average in all aspects than not. You could opt to free him of the Therapy Ring and deal with the 10% HP drain each turn (Which I find highly annoying), and equip him with an Attack Badge, Magical Ring, Bandit's Ring, or Amulet (Once he becomes the Divine Dragoon), or use his second-best weapon, the Claymore, instead. Doing the latter, however, will make Dart dependent on his Dragoon magic for big damage because of the -31 attack deference between it and the Soul Eater. Once he assumes the role of the Divine Dragoon, Dart becomes a magical powerhouse; not that Final Burst wasn't already powerful enough, with the addition of the strongest magic attack in the game: Divine Dragon Cannon, but at the expense of 50 MP. If you'd like to return Dart to the Flame Dragoon at the end of the game, see the very last section of Chapter 15.
 
Before Legend Equipment:
 
Dart has naturally high, or average, statistics in all areas, so choices of equipment is very subjective and dependent on the situation. For accessories, I generally start with the Wargod's Amulet, just as a default accessory, then move him to the Power Wrist and Attack Badge through the Madness Hero additions, before using the Holy Ankh with Moon Strike, and ending with the Therapy Ring once the Soul Eater is found.

After Legend Equipment:

Basically the same: Soul Eater combo'd with the Therapy Ring. If you prefer not to use the Soul Eater, with the Flame Dragoon, Bandit's Ring for additional Speed or Attack Badge. As the Divine Dragoon, if not using the Soul Eater, or deciding against the Therapy Ring; the Amulet, or Magical Ring, is recommended to put the focus on Divine Dragon Cannon. Just keep MP restoration items on hand.
 
Albert/Lavitz
Albert and Lavitz are basically your typical high attack/defense, low speed/magic, character and should be treated as such. They also have a huge advantage in being able to obtain all of their additions at low levels, allowing access to their ultimate addition early in the game if you put in the work. However, the tradeoff is their additions are generally hard to handle, and take some practice to maneuver. Dragoon-wise, they have one of the best spells in the entire game: Rose/Blossom Storm, that halves all damage to the party for three turns. Also, don't sleep on Gaspless, even though their magic attack is relatively low, this spell can still cause some very nice damage. Despite saying otherwise in the game, Albert and Lavitz's Gaspless spell is equal in terms of power, just to note. In terms of damage % and SP gain, their Flower Storm final addition is, perhaps, the best all-around addition in the game. If you'd like to add Lavitz back to your party, see the section in Chapter 5.
 
 
Before Legend Equipment:
 
Magic defense is easily the bane of our spear-users here, however, if you can get the Bandit's Ring from the Drake the Bandit battle early in the game, it is not a bad option, either. Once I pick up the Chain Mail from the Nest of Dragon, due to the increase in magic defense, I keep this equipped on them all the way through disc 3 when you can pick up the Saint Armor at Kashua Glacier, then soon after, the Armor of Yore. In terms of accessories, I only use three: the Spirit Cloak, which I highly recommend you get one dropped by the Fire Spirit in Volcano Villude, or the before-mentioned Bandit's Ring, then on disc 3, the Spiritual Ring. Additional options: if you aren't using Miranda/Shana, or Meru, the Amulet for more MP to cast Rose/Blossom Storm during boss battles, or the Angel Scarf once you have 5000G to buy it in Lohan.
 
After Legend Equipment:

With no need to worry about magic defense anymore, this becomes pretty bare-bones. If you decide to use the Bandit's Shoes for them instead of Kongol, I would suggest the Attack Badge for their accessory, otherwise, the Bandit's Ring is still a solid choice.

Miranda/Shana
Miranda and Shana are your stereotypical healer characters, with low physical defense, high magical, and your best source of throwing your magic attack items. They do, however, have the largest max HP of the females and very good speed. Having no additions, they are absolutely abysmal offensively, and little-to-no help in random battles, but Godsends against bosses. Unfortunately, in Dragoon form they were provided very little offensive spells, until you obtain their summon magic, at a whopping 80 MP cost, and, despite saying otherwise, Gates of Heaven only heals the same amount of damage as Rainbow Breath (50%), with the addition of being able to revive fallen allies. The White Silver Dragon summon is the only spell that will completely restore the party's HP, but will not provide resurrection. Also, to note, Miranda/Shana come with an innate increase in physical accuracy. To add Shana back to your active party, see the section in Chapter 9.

Before Legend Equipment:
 
Physical defense and HP should be your priorities here, but myself, I actually prefer to use the Power Wrist to make their attacks a little bit more effective, then switch to the Attack Badge once available. That is me, however, and most players would be best served starting with the Knight Shield accessory, Elude Cloak, Physical Ring, or Amulet, and towards the end of disc 3, the very nice Giganto Ring.
 
After Legend Equipment:

When the Legend equipment is obtained, physical defense and HP no longer becomes an issue for our archers. Your focus should shift entirely to MP, with either the Amulet or Mage Ring, however, I still prefer the Attack Badge, personally. I would recommend the Amulet for Miranda/Shana, with the Mage Ring given to Meru. The reason being: The Mage Ring does not activate in Dragoon form, and with Meru's best addition only providing 100 SP, she'll spend much-more time in human form, allowing her to make the most of the Mage Ring's regen effect. Lastly, Miranda and Shana are the only ones with a debate as to what their best weapon may be. Their Detonate Arrow has a +10 attack over the Arrow of Force, along with being able to target all enemies, but the latter gives an additional 50% SP per attack. The increase in SP gives two+ Dragoon turns with each attack, opposed to one and a half from the Detonate Arrow. In overall usefulness, I think the Arrow of Force is the better choice, but you decide for yourself.

Rose
The enigmatic Rose is a bit of a mixed-bag of things. She's a lot like Dart; very average, but with the second-lowest HP of all the characters, her physical defense also hindered by the female equipment choices, but possesses surprisingly high attack. In fact, at the very end of the game, with her final addition, and the Dragon Buster, she will outclass every character in terms of attacking power. Her Dragoon form, which excels very early in the game, becomes a bit of an albatross later on, and she works best in human form with her additions and item usage. However, Astral Drain, especially against light-based foes, can still be useful throughout the game, and Dark Dragon isn't a bad choice for the MP considering her other options.

Before Legend Equipment:

I get the Elude Cloak from the Yellow Bird outside of Bale very early in the game and keep it equipped to her until I obtain the Dragon Shield from the Divine Dragon on disc 3. The Physical Ring is also a very smart idea for Rose, too.

After Legend Equipment:

Several directions you can go in. My preferred is the Magical Ring to add effectiveness to Astral Drain and Dark Dragon, but the Attack Badge is a nice choice too, even though she hardly needs the attack boost. The Dancer's Ring combined with the Dancer's Shoes is also a very strong candidate for speed. Alternately, the Therapy Ring could be considered, but not really necessary.

Haschel
Haschel is the hidden gem of the party, in my opinion. Although unable to exploit elemental weaknesses, his magic is very underrated, and if focused on, can easily match Dart's. Unfortunately, until we can obtain the Legend equipment, other areas need to be centered on. His attack power, helped with the generally-high damage multiplier of his additions, makes for a very strong attacker and his speed provides him more chances to attack than the other male characters. When he obtains his best weapon, Destroyer Mace, final addition, and his HP falls into either yellow, or red state, he is the only one that can outclass Rose in terms of physical damage. The remainder of his statistics tend to fall on the lower-scale of things, and his low HP tends to get in him trouble, but if you're willing to work at it, early in the game, Haschel can get some very nice equipment (Beast Fang, Diamond Claw, Energy Girdle), and then once he gets a Phoenix Plume, his defenses become much-less of a problem.

Before Legend Equipment:
 
I start Haschel with the first Therapy Ring you find in Helena Prison, up until Meru joins the party, then switching to the Physical Ring, and the Attack Badge on disc 3. Later on, before the Legend equipment, I give him the Sage's Cloak from Ulara. Like previously-stated, Haschel can keep a constant edge on the other characters in terms of equipment if you take advantage of rare drops.

After Legend Equipment:

You could make the argument, in terms of offense, not to give Haschel the Legend equipment at all due to the huge increase in attack power he gets from half, or critical, HP which he will rarely achieve with it. However, having the second-highest damaging ultimate edition, Omni-Sweep, this really isn't that necessary for him to be a physical threat. To that point, I give him a Magical Ring to complement his Dragoon magic, but the Attack Badge is a nice half-way choice, too. Alternately, a Bandit's Ring is not a bad option for Haschel, either.

Meru
Despite her magic stat being lower than Miranda/Shana's, Meru will be your go-to for magical offense; in Dragoon form, anyway. Taking into account the MP cost, Freezing Ring is perhaps the best magic spell in the game, and with the HP and status healing Rainbow Breath, Meru is easily one of the best characters in the game coupled with her party-high speed. However, her HP and physical defense is significantly lower than the other characters, and she must be treated with kid gloves. In the beginning of the game, Meru will just barely be above Miranda/Shana in terms of offense, but once she obtains Cat's Cradle, and then finally, the 600% damage-increasing Perky Step addition, she makes for a very nice physical threat outside of Dragoon form, as well.

Before Legend Equipment:
 
Therapy Ring for the vast-majority of the game, giving her the Dragon Helm for a HP boost once you get it on the Mountain of Mortal Dragon. Honestly, I use nothing else. Toward the end of disc 3, a Giganto Ring could be considered, though.

After Legend Equipment:

With the physical threat gone, Meru can focus entirely on her magic offense. Mage Ring, Amulet, or Attack Badge are recommended, or a Wargod's Sash for increased SP gain, or Dancer's Ring to compliment her already high speed. Like talked about in the Miranda/Shana section, I prefer the Mage Ring over the Amulet for Meru due to the Mage Ring not activating in Dragoon form, and with Meru's best addition only providing her 100 SP, she'll spend much-more time in human form, allowing her to make the most of the Mage Ring's regen effect than Miranda/Shana would.

Kongol
Kongol is very similar to Albert and Lavitz, only his physical attack and defense is way higher, and his magic attack, defense, and speed are crippling low. His magic defense is so low that, without proper equipment selection, he can't stand against many of the bosses. Unfortunately, the game creators did him no favors by providing him with a lesser Dragoon addition, three magic spells, and only three, with his ultimate being the worst, additions in the game. Even with his physical might far-exceeding that of the other characters, and his final weapon, Indora's Axe, being the second-strongest weapon, his final addition's 300% multiplier prevents him from being the powerhouse he should be when compared to the rest of the characters.

Before Legend Equipment:

Bandit's Ring for the increase in speed, then, once you snag the Bandit's Shoes from the Death Frontier, either the Angel Scarf or Spiritual Ring to help with his magical defense woes. Also, keep him equipped with his initial Lion Fur until you find the Giganto Armor on the Mountain of Mortal Dragon to help, again, with his magic defense. If you can get a Magical Hat early as a rare drop on the Phantom Ship, or Angel Scarf from Lohan, this will make Kongol significantly more useful against bosses.

After Legend Equipment:

If you gave the Bandit's Shoes to Albert/Lavitz, he's going to need to keep the Bandit's Ring equipped, unfortunately. Otherwise, the Attack Badge and Wargod's Sash are my recommendations. The latter is my choice due to his final addition only providing 100 SP and lower speed limits his attack chances to build Dragoon forms.

Level 60 (Max Level)
 
Surprisingly, the maximum level you can achieve in Legend of Dragoon is 60. Doing so outside of the final dungeon would be hellish, but thankfully, they provide us with the perfect enemy within the Moon That Never Sets. In the Dragon section, best found on the very first screen that exits you back toward the Serdian town, you will commonly find the Triceratops monster. While tough, if you have maxed out your party's best additions, he will easily fall after two of them. When defeated, he rewards you with 2000 EXP, the highest for non-bosses, with the exception of the Rainbow Bird, but that's another story and not a viable alternative, in my opinion. Outside of the Moon, if you're looking for EXP, a very good location is the room with the healing spring toward the end of the Death City Mayfil. While not great, the high encounter rate, plus the ability to heal within the room, makes it an ideal location for EXP.

Maximizing Gold
The exact opposite of EXP is the case for farming Gold: it's best done so before you enter the final dungeon. It involves the 00PARTS special monster.

On the world map, on the road between Kazas and the path that use to lead toward Hellena Prison, you may recall the annoying 00PARTS monster that is frequently encounter here. With accuracy and speed boosting equipment, we can make short work of him before he has a chance to blast us with his instant death attack and run away. To best achieve this, form a party of Dart, Miranda/Shana, and Meru with the following equipment:

Dart: Fairy Sword, Sallet, Bandit's Shoes, Wargod's Amulet
Miranda/Shana: Long Bow, Magical Greaves, Dancer's Ring
Meru: Dancer's Shoes, Wargod's Amulet
 
With this setup, after throwing the Magic Signet Stone item, you should have plenty of accuracy to land your attacks, but also enough turns to do so before the items wears off. For additional advantage, you can also use the Speed Down/Up items. 00PARTS will drop the party 600 Gold, and with the frequency of the encounter, this is a quicker method than you would think.

Of course, while the fastest, 00PARTS is not the king of money making: that would be the Red Bird found right outside of Deningrad. They drop 1000 Gold, plus Phoenix Plumes you can sell for an extra 300. However, you may recall the Red Bird is not only immune to physical attacks, but has a crazy high magical evade. You can equip females with the Tiara helmet along with the Wargod's Amulet accessory to increase their magic accuracy, but the chance of your magic missing is still fairly high. Then you have to take into account you either need to purchase magic items or use Dragoon magic, which will require frequent trips to town to rest/restock items and battles to rebuild SP, nonetheless the transformation and magic animations playing. It's for this reason that I recommend 00PARTS for Gold over the Red Bird.
 
Within the Moon That Never Sets, however, you'll have to settle for a less effective method to acquire Gold. You can still find the 00PARTS in the core section of the Moon, but its encounter rate is very low, making it much-less of a target for Gold collection. Instead, in the Giganto section, a duo of Psyche Druids provides 167G each battle, with a Psyche Druid + Mad Skull party providing a little less than that. That's not great, but is your best option, in my opinion.
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Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Legend of Dragoon - Chapter 17: Item Checklist

Unique Items:
  • Magic Signet Stone
  • Pandemonium
  • Power Up
  • Power Down
  • Speed Up
  • Speed Down
  • Smoke Ball
  • Material Shield
  • Magic Shield
  • Psyche Bomb/X
  • Dancing Ray (Limited Buy/Find)
Drop-Only:
  • Pellet (Limited Buy)
  • Detonate Rock
  • Healing Rain
  • Moon Serenade
  • Total Vanishing
  • Spirit Potion
  • Sachet
  • Burning Wave
  • Frozen Jet
  • Down Burst
  • Gravity Grabber
  • Spectral Flash
  • Night Raid
  • Flash Hall
Dart:
  • Broad Sword
  • Bastard Sword/Long Sword (PAL)
  • Heat Blade
  • Falchion
  • Mind Crush
  • Fairy Sword
  • Claymore
  • Soul Eater
Albert/Lavitz:
  • Spear
  • Lance
  • Twister Glaive
  • Glaive
  • Spear of Terror
  • Partisan
  • Halberd
Miranda/Shana:
  • Short Bow
  • Sparkle Arrow
  • Long Bow
  • Bemusing Arrow
  • Virulent Arrow
  • Arrow of Force
  • Detonate Arrow
Rose:
  • Rapier
  • Demon Stiletto
  • Shadow Cutter
  • Dancing Dagger
  • Flamberge
  • Gladius
  • Dragon Buster
Haschel:
  • Iron Knuckle
  • Beast Fang
  • Diamond Claw
  • Brass Knuckle
  • Thunder Fist
  • Destroyer Mace
Meru:
  • Mace
  • Pretty Hammer
  • Morning Star
  • War Hammer
  • Heavy Mace
  • Basher
Kongol:
  • Axe
  • Tomahawk
  • Battle Axe
  • Great Axe
  • Indora's Axe
Helmets:
  • Bandana
  • Sallet
  • Armet
  • Knight Helm
  • Soul Headband
  • Giganto Helm
  • Felt Hat
  • Cape
  • Tiara
  • Jeweled Crown
  • Rose's Hair Band
  • Phoenix Plume
  • Dragon Helm
  • Magical Hat
  • Legend Casque
Armor:
  • Leather Armor
  • Scale Armor
  • Chain Mail
  • Plate Mail
  • Saint Armor
  • Armor of Yore
  • Lion Fur
  • Breast Plate
  • Giganto Armor
  • Disciple Vest
  • Warrior Dress
  • Master's Vest
  • Energy Girdle
  • Satori Vest
  • Red DG Armor
  • Jade DG Armor
  • Gold DG Armor
  • Violet DG Armor
  • Clothes
  • Leather Jacket
  • Angel Robe
  • Silver Vest
  • Sparkle Dress
  • Robe
  • Rainbow Dress
  • Dark DG Armor
  • Blue DG Armor
  • Silver DG Armor
  • Armor of Legend
Footwear:
  • Leather Boots
  • Iron Kneepiece
  • Combat Shoes
  • Leather Shoes
  • Soft Boots
  • Stardust Boots
  • Magical Greaves
  • Bandit's Shoes
  • Dancer's Shoes
Accessories:
  • Poison Guard
  • Active Ring
  • Protector
  • Panic Guard
  • Stun Guard
  • Bravery Amulet
  • Magic Ego Bell
  • Destone Amulet
  • Power Wrist
  • Knight Shield
  • Magical Ring
  • Spiritual Ring
  • Attack Badge
  • Guard Badge
  • Giganto Ring
  • Elude Cloak
  • Spirit Cloak
  • Sage's Cloak
  • Physical Ring
  • Amulet
  • Wargod's Sash
  • Spirit Ring
  • Therapy Ring
  • Mage Ring
  • Wargod's Amulet
  • Talisman
  • Holy Ankh
  • Dancer's Ring
  • Bandit's Ring
  • Red-Eye Stone
  • Jade Stone
  • Silver Stone
  • Darkness Stone
  • Blue Sea Stone
  • Violet Stone
  • Golden Stone
  • Ruby Ring
  • Sapphire Pin
  • Rainbow Earring
  • Emerald Earring
  • Platinum Collar
  • Phantom Shield
  • Dragon Shield
  • Angel Scarf
  • Bracelet
  • Fake Power Wrist
  • Fake Shield
  • Wargod Calling
  • Ultimate Wargod
Goods:
  • Red Dragon DS/Divine Dragon DS
  • Blue Dragon DS
  • Jade Dragon DS
  • Gold Dragon DS
  • Violet Dragon DS
  • Silver Dragon DS
  • Dark Dragon DS
  • War Bulletin
  • Prison Key
  • Axe From the Shack
  • Water Bottle
  • Life Water
  • Magic Oil
  • Letter From Lynn
  • Pass For Valley
  • Kate's Bouquet
  • Key to Ship
  • Boat License
  • Law Maker/Law Output
  • Vanishing Stone
  • Lavitz's Picture
Dummied Items:
  • Razor Armor
  • Cross
  • Magical Leaf
These were the names for Leather Armor, Clothes, and Magical Greaves used in the demo version of the game.
  • Shiny Bag
This was a Goods item given to you by Dabas in the Japanese version and was used in conjunction with the PocketStation for a mini-game. Despite rumors, this does not allow you to carry extra items.
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Sunday, July 25, 2021

Legend of Dragoon - Chapter 15: Moon That Never Sets

Once Dart and Rose have taken the road of souls in the Death City Mayfil, there is no turning back. Pick up the Spectral Flash chest before proceeding into the room holding the Signet Sphere. The Signet appears to be safe, but, as you'd expect, Zieg is just toying with the group. He easily deflects Dart's Dragoon attack and shatters the last Signet with the Moon Gem, before leaving for the Moon That Never Sets with Shana. The party isn't about to give up yet though: as long as they can prevent the God of Destruction's birth, there is still hope. Thankfully (Even though I thought he said he couldn't get near Mayfil?), Coolon will pick the party up to take them to the Moon.
 
Outside, the end of the world has begun. The Divine Tree has once again sprouted and taken root; catching the rapidly falling Moon That Never Sets from the sky in its grasp. Virages, protectors of the God of Destruction, are being birthed by the Moon and sent out against the defenseless world.

Coolon and the party will be intercepted by the horde of Virages, with Coolon taking a fatal wound, but managing to position the party at the base of the Divine Tree. We're going to have climb up the massive Tree in order to reach the Moon.
 
The trek up the Divine Tree, which is a one-time dungeon, is entirely linear, but watch for any encounters with the Cute Cat monster. Once their HP gets low, they'll use Dance of Death to inflict instant death, but they're important for another reason.

Cute Cats VERY rarely drop the best footwear in the game for the ladies, the Dancer's Shoes. Since you already have one pair, you're going to need, at least, two others; or three if you have Shana. Don't expect these to come easily: it took me almost an entire day to get three of them to drop. Also, once you ascend up to the Moon That Never Sets, you cannot return to the Divine Tree, so you need to get these now.
 
On the screen north of the save point, there's an alcove on the left-side of the screen Dart can enter, and if you look closely, there is a slight sparkle on the ground. Search it to obtain a Phoenix Plume helmet. From there, like stated, the Divine Tree is totally linear, with almost no treasures, but on your advance, you can search other "sparkles" along the area to see scenes with new fruit that is being produced by the ancient Tree.

At the end of a long, spiral-like twist in the Tree, the party can use a lifestream from the Divine Tree to the Moon to move further up the area. Note: once you take this stream, you cannot return to the base again. At the top, the group's arrival will disturb a newborn "fruit" that slithers off and you can take the Silver DG Armor, indicated by a sparkle, from the base of the stream's root. Obviously, if you have the Legend equipment, you don't need this, but if not, this is Miranda/Shana's second-best armor. There's also a puddle formed by the lifestream on the right-side of the screen that will instantly heal the party, with a save point two screens to the north, making this the ideal time and place to farm Dancer's Shoes. The southwestern exit from the save point will lead to be a boss, so come prepared.
 
Apparently, this new species born from the Divine Tree is hostile and will evolve into three different forms throughout the battle. If you've got the Legend equipment, this, along with the rest of the bosses, will be no match for your party, but if not, I will provide some tips going forward. Without said equipment, consider equipping the Rainbow Earring on a character, with the others have Phoenix Plumes and/or Rainbow Dresses to prevent status effects that dominate this fight. A Talisman could be nice, also, if you don't have several Angel's Prayers. On the first and second form, the latter of which will have no offense at all, just use your basic additions and hold your Dragoon forms for the third, butterfly-like, transformation. Throw your Power/Speed Down items on the Imago, assume Dragoon forms to escape its status effects, then hopefully avoiding the instant death attack, pummel (Sabin-style) it into submission. You'll receive a Sun Rhapsody, Moon Serenade, and Healing Rain upon victory.

The following screen leads to the lifestream that connects directly to the Moon That Never Sets. Make absolutely sure you've got all of the Dancer's Shoes you want before entering; once inside the Moon, you cannot return to the Divine Tree.
 
Now within the final dungeon itself, each monster you encounter will have a different rare drop, but ones we've already seen before. That said, I'm going to list them, rather than cover them individually like I have been. The first section of the Moon That Never Sets you will find these monsters and their drops:

Swift Dragon: Burning Wave
Unicorn: Healing Rain
Trap Plant (Forest, then found again later): Frozen Jet

Some of the "special" monsters from the world map will appear, also, but rarely, and only on certain screens, but I will make note when we can find them. On the Moon, proceed to the right and the party will see the Virage Embryo in the distance, waiting to be born. They are then swept up in a dazzling light emanating from the Embryo...
 
The party then finds themselves in the middle of a forest, but the veiny-looking terrain, plus the audible heartbeat of the God of Destruction, suggests they are still within the Moon somewhere. Cross the small bridge to the lower-right of the screen to open a Frozen Jet treasure chest, then exit out to a prairie area to the east. Pass through the grassland further to the east and the group finds a wintry forest; of which Miranda finds strangely familiar and will then rush off on her own.

In the middle of a small, dark plot, Miranda finds a solitary rose. This triggers a flashback where Miranda remembers this being the location of where her mother abandoned her and her father. Suddenly, the rose comes to life and throws Miranda into a battle. Like all of the solo battles inside the Moon, this is story-driven and not really a boss fight. Simply keep attacking with Miranda and her mother will slowly regain her senses and attempt to explain why she left her. To end the battle, have Miranda select "I'll forgiven you" and both Miranda and her mother will find peace with one another; you're then awarded 6000 EXP. Note: For those using Lavitz and Shana, you'll lose them at this point, and will continue to lose them up until the end of the dungeon. That said, it's best to just wait until then to add them back to your party.
 
The party back together, open the chest containing a Down Burst in the lower-right corner of the snow-covered area, then exit through the veiny cove to the lower-left. Continue through the passage to enter the human section of the Moon That Never Sets: Serdio of 20 years ago. The group, particularly Haschel, will take notice of a young girl who, when notices your presence, walks away and through a mirror. The reflection of Serdio has everything you need: an inn, clinic, and both item and weapon shops. For scenes, talk to the person by the piano (Who's hands can't reach the keys), who will play a familiar tune to both Dart and Haschel, plus a very old friend of Albert's is in the tavern, Dran.

The item shop has your basic essentials, but also Panic Bells and Poison Needles, which were placed here because of the "special" monsters that are still available. At the weapon shop, you can buy a Claymore for Dart, if you aren't keen on using the Soul Eater, plus a Halberd for Albert/Lavitz, their best weapon, if you didn't get one from Zackwell. Meru's Basher, which is her best weapon, is also for purchase, although is featureless. However, the Destroyer Mace, that is Haschel's strongest weapon, has an excellent addition. When Haschel's HP drops near half (Yellow), his attack power increases by 50%; then when near death (Red), it doubles! Lastly, purchase a Violet DG Armor, that you can't find elsewhere, for your inventory, but leave the Gold DG Armor, we will find one later. Besides the Armor of Legend, these are Haschel and Kongol's second-best armor, respectively. You can also find several of the best accessories for sale here, like the Attack Badge and Magical Ring.
 
Follow the young girl into the mirror to exit out into the Minitos area of the Moon. In the lower-left corner of the cavern, inside a small home, Dart can find 200G, then trail after the girl to the southeast. Here, there's a Spectral Flash item nearby, and Dart can continue further on to the south, then exit to the southeast again. Near the start of the next screen, Haschel will separate from the group, to follow the girl, his daughter Claire, into the Moon's vortex.

Like Miranda, Haschel will be forced to confront a painful memory of his past. Claire's anger at her father's vigorous training of her, and denying her the chance to be a regular girl, has manifested itself in the form of a demon War God that has a tight hold on her. She'll frequently use an attack that drops Haschel's HP to 1, but there is no need to waste an item, instead, just Guard twice, then continue to attack. Once given the choice, select "Mind's eye, Awaken!" to end the battle. Haschel then rejoins the group, having saved both he and Claire's tortured hearts. Note: I'm sure for most, it's obvious, but for those that may not have been paying much attention: Claire was Zieg's wife from Neet and Dart is their son, making Dart, Haschel's grandson, although Dart is completely oblivious to everything, like usual.

If you continue down the linear path beyond the vortex where Haschel fought Claire, you'll be walking a long way to a treasure chest holding a Flash Hall item.
 
However, in the area containing the Flash Hall, you can occasionally encounter the Lucky Jar enemy. Remember, you need either Miranda/Shana's Virulent Arrow weapon or a Poison Needle item to deal poison damage in order to defeat it. A Moon Serenade, 300 Gold, and 1000 EXP is still your reward for defeating them. Now, return to the Serdian town and exit through the southern door that was previously being guarded by a knight. You'll be in the courtyard outside of Emperor Doel's castle, who is away at the Home of Gigantos at the moment, but you can talk to a very young Lavitz before using the western vortex to continue further within the Moon.

In the passageways on either side of the Serdian town, you can still encounter Rainbow Birds. Although, with a much better way to gain EXP coming up, these are only useful if you need to add a Rainbow Dress to your inventory. Without Sachets, though, you'll have to rely on them damaging themselves via a Panic Bell that is hardly reliable, but still doable in theory.
 
Passing through, you'll appear out in the translucent, Wingly area of the Moon. There are two new enemies to encounter here, along with the usual Unicorns. Psyche Druids carry Spectral Flashes to drop, while the annoying Roulette Faces, that like to use an instant death attack when low on HP, you can acquire Night Raids from.

Stick to the left-side of the Wingly area and when the party attempts to pass over a crystalline walkway, they will be separated by an unexpected attack from Rose's former Dragon, Michael. From Albert's perspective, his group will have landed in a Holy Land of the Gigantos. In the distance, the sounds of battle can be heard as, apparently, Crafty Thieves are somehow managing to commit genocide on the Gigantos, before Doel arrives and rescues a frightened, adolescent Kongol.
 
While in control of Albert, even though there are monsters within the Moon's Giganto area, you will not encounter any with him. Once you climb the massive stairs to the north, an emotional Kongol will leave to deal with his own past transgressions with his brother Indora who is awaiting him. Unlike the two previous story battles, Kongol just needs to deplete Indora's HP here. Use the Material Shield, if you want, and just complete your additions to easily defeat him.

Indora leaves behind Indora's Axe, which is the best weapon in the game for Kongol, and also much stronger than Dart's Soul Eater, along with a chance at instant death upon striking an enemy. Also, if for whatever reason you still don't have the Golden Dragon Dragoon Spirit, Indora will give it to Kongol afterward and acknowledge him as the hero of the Gigantos race; freeing a heavy burden on Kongol's heart of finally surpassing his admired brother.
 
Back in control of Albert, just like the Home of Gigantos, use the stairwell to enter an underground area. Pull the level on the left-side of the room to open the jail door and plunder the Gold DG Armor from the cell. If you don't have an Armor of Legend, equip Kongol with this. With the chest opened, exit back out to the central Gigantos area, then pass over to the vortex on the western end of the screen. You'll then be back in the Minitos area, across from where Haschel fought Claire. Return to town and the group will agree to wait there for Dart and the perspective switches to him and Rose.

Dart and Rose landed in the Dragon area of the Moon That Never Sets. There are new monsters here, but I will cover them once our party is back together, so for now, just focus on finishing the section. In control of Dart, pass by the baby pseudo dragons, and exit to the northeast. If you don't have a Legend Casque for Dart, consider equipping him with the Darkness Stone accessory before proceeding. Continue north, grabbing the nearby Night Raid treasure, passing by the exit of the Dragon area, and wrapping around to the southeastern exit above. Follow the narrow path and jump down to a Burning Wave item, then retrace your steps north again, using the northern-most exit this time. Here, you'll see a scene from back during the Dragon Campaign, where Zieg and Rose came to this location to hunt a Dragon for its Darkness Dragoon Spirit and afterwards, how Michael became her vassal Dragon.
 
Unfortunately, the story did not have a happy ending and Michael's savagery led Rose to have no choice but to kill him herself. Back for revenge, Dart and Rose are then thrown into a story battle with Michael. Until we get a special prompt, we cannot damage Michael, so just do nothing but Guard. His darkness-based attacks can deal some moderate damage, but of no consequence with the Legend equipment. However, without, hopefully you equipped Dart with the Darkness Stone to keep from wasting any items. When prompted, have Rose to "Tell Dart the blind spot.", then once Michael uses his black laser attack on the duo once more, the Core portion of the Dragon is exposed and easily defeated in one, or two turns.

Rose's guilt over having killed Michael herself having been lifted, you can now exit the Dragon area via the blue-lit cavern you passed by on the previous screen. This takes you to a T-shaped passage, between the Serdian town to the south and the Mille Seseau forest to the east. The party is reunited inside the town, but it looks as if it is time for Albert to confront his uncle, Doel, now that he is back from the Holy Land of Gigantos. Step back outside to the courtyard and speak with the castle guards, who will let Albert inside. Albert demands to know the truth about why Doel killed his father, but of course, this isn't going to happen without a battle.
 
You can't target Dark Doel without first taking out his two weapons: Light Sword and Shadow Blade. Have Albert throw the Psyche Bomb X to destroy them both easily, otherwise, it may take a bit to land an addition on the evasion-prone weapons. Once both weapons are gone, taking Doel out is easy. Doel didn't have any apparent reasoning for killing Albert's father Carlo, other than for the power, but he is happy to know that Serdio is in Albert's hands, just like Carlo wanted, and with the truth revealed, Albert rejoins Dart and company.

We're inching our way towards the game's finale, but first, let's take a look back at the two previous areas our separate groups visited. First, the Holy Land of Gigantos, with Dart as leader, you can encounter a new monster there. Remember: the entrance to this area is in the Minitos section, across from the area Haschel had his story battle. Trap Plants are encountered here again, along with Psyche Druids, and the new Mad Skull enemy, that drops the Flash Hall item. If you're looking to add to your Gold stash, the duo Psyche Druid battle here is actually the best way to farm Gold inside the final dungeon, with 168 given per battle, along with 1000+ EXP.
 
If you're looking to maximize your EXP, and make it to level 60 (Max), the Dragon section is where you want to be. There are two new monsters in it: Air Combat, that can drop Down Burst items, and the Triceratops, who carry Gravity Grabbers.

The latter also provides the most EXP of non-boss monsters in the game, besides the Rainbow Bird, at 2000 EXP a battle, along with a healthy 120G addition. These are most-frequently encountered on the very first screen of the Dragon section, that leads north to the area Dart and Rose fought Michael. If you're going to make it to max level, you'll be spending a lot of time on this screen, trust me. When ready to continue with the dungeon, make your way back to the Wingly section, past the bridge Michael attacked the party, and follow the linear path to the Wingly castle.
 
As you approach, Meru will be separated from the others and forced to confront the Wingly deity, the Archangel. This is almost entirely story-driven, as it will mouth-off about how Meru broke the Wingly commandments not to leave the Forest, with her defending her actions and the belief that humans and Winglies can coexist together.


Like Claire, Archangel will repeatedly use a summon that drops Meru's HP down to 1. Don't waste your items; just Guard, and eventually Meru will tell the Archangel to get lost and the battle is won. Those Wingly soldiers Archangel summons look an awful lot like Vector soldiers from Final Fantasy VI though, right? I digress...Anyway, once Archangel is defeated, the party will regroup in front of a pillar of light that will take you into the Core of the Moon. For Shana/Lavitz users, there are two upcoming boss fights, so I would recommend you add them back to your party, even though you will have to use the code once more before the final battle takes place.
 
Inside of the core, along with the usual suspects, the party can rarely find the 00PARTS enemy. Still giving a Spirit Potion and 600 Gold upon defeat, at this point, there's not much use in battling with it. If you're looking to maximize your Gold savings, even though it gives the highest amount in the Moon That Never Sets, its low encounter rate makes fighting the Psyche Druid duos in the Giganto area a more reasonable method, in my opinion.
 
The Moon's core is a weird, digital-looking space with flashing panels like computer monitors. On the first screen, follow the fragmented pathway to the doorway in the upper-left. Here, open the Gravity Grabber treasure to the north of the entrance and make your way around to the lower-left exit. There will be a save point and a vision of the burning Neet on the large group of monitors, which will quickly change to a Virage when the party gets near. Sure enough, in the room beyond, a Super Virage is guarding the entrance to the holding place of the Virage Embryo.

If you've got the Legend equipment, obviously, this thing is of no threat to you. However, without it, it can put up a decent enough fight. You can win the battle by either destroying its Head or Body; with the Head having lower HP, but will unleashed a final attack upon the party once defeated, whereas, the Body will not, so I recommend if you don't have the Legend equipment that you put your focus on the Body, but either way, ignore the Arm. Make use of the Power Up, Speed Down items, along with the Psyche Bomb X, paired with your best attacks to bring the final Virage down.
 
After the battle, there is another boss immediately forthcoming, so you may need to return to the Serdian town to rest. Past the guardian Super Virage is the resting place of the God of Destruction. You'll find the final save point in the game and also the last treasure chest, containing the Detonate Arrow weapon for Miranda/Shana. While, power-wise, their best weapon, it's debatable whether it could be considered better than the Arrow of Force. Honestly, the +10 in power of the Detonate Arrow, even with the weapon being able to attack all enemies, doesn't make up for the loss of the +50% increase in SP gain from the Arrow of Force. Per attack, you gain over two Dragoon forms of SP with the Arrow of Force, while only one and a half from the Detonate Arrow, but you decide for yourself which you would prefer. I think they really dropped the ball with the Detonate Arrow being physically based, instead of dealing magical damage, like the Detonate Rock item, in my view. Before continuing, if you don't have the Legend equipment, make sure Dart has the Red DG Armor equipped and another character, especially Meru, has the Red-Eye Stone as their accessory.

Zieg is waiting for the party before the developing Virage Embryo, with Shana at its core. Zieg then swipes the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit (Gone from your inventory) from Dart and uses it to impart the power of the Flame Dragoon against the party.
 
Zieg (Feld?) assaults the party with endless fire magic, so if you made the beforehand preparations without the Legend equipment, you should be fine. Throw the Power/Speed Down items on Zieg, then hammer away at him. Zieg uses the same magic as Dart had, with different animations, which are worth seeing at least once. If you brought Meru, protected by the Red-Eye Stone accessory, use the Power Up item on her and cast Freezing Ring or Sea Dragon to devastate Mr. Feld. Unfortunately, when the battle is won, Dart does not get his Flame Dragoon Spirit back.

Defeated, the exterior of Zieg will finally be shed, revealing him to, in fact, be the ancient Wingly dictator, Melbu Frahma. During the Dragon Campaign, when Melbu used the stone curse spell on Zieg, it actually transferred his consciousness into him, which lay dormant until the Black Monster's attack on Neet, when Melbu was finally able to take control of Zieg. Melbu Frahma will then depose Shana from the God of Destruction's core, and assume it himself, claiming his status as the true God.
 
Unexpectedly, Lloyd will appear and challenge Melbu, who had been manipulating him from the very start. Perhaps ironically, Lloyd meets a similar fate as Lavitz, and before dying, leaves the Divine Dragon DS for Dart and the Dragon Buster for Rose. The Dragon Buster, Rose's best weapon, has a +100 attack power; even higher than Indora's Axe, and combined with a maxed Demon's Dance addition, makes her the highest damage dealer outside of Dragoon form. With the acquisition of these two items, you should now have all of the items in the game!

Dart has become the goofy-looking Divine Dragoon, now. In my opinion, I think taking away the Flame Dragoon after having it for 99% of the game, was a really bad decision, but there's no denying that the Divine Dragoon is significantly stronger than its predecessor. Divine DG Cannon is easily the strongest magic attack in the game, although one could argue that 3x Final Burst + 1x Flameshot is economically better for the MP than two shots of the Cannon. For the upcoming final battle, you could consider giving Dart the Claymore weapon, and then the Amulet for increased MP.
 
The Divine Dragoon, itself, is a non-elemental beast, but Dart, outside of Dragoon form, retains his red-based status. However, the Divine Dragoon's "Special" command employs a unique field aura that has no effect on the monsters or allies, but significantly increases Dart's parameters. All this said, I just don't like the Divine Dragoon, and prefer Dart as the Flame Dragoon. Thankfully, we can use a code to return Dart to his former self, if you'd like:

300BAD64 007F

This will remove the Divine Dragon DS from your inventory, and add the Red Dragon DS back. Unfortunately, you cannot keep both as if you have the Divine Spirit in your inventory, it always overrides the use of the Red Spirit. Speaking of codes, Shana and Lavitz were removed from your party for the last time after the Zieg battle, and can be added back to the group and fully usable during the final battle with zero issues.

The final battle between Melbu Frahma and the Dragoons is now imminent. If you have the Legend equipment, the four upcoming forms of Melbu are a breeze, however, without, he can present a serious challenge if not fully prepared. For those without, a couple of recommendations below:
  • Dart (Divine Dragoon) equipped with the Claymore, Magical Hat, and Amulet.
  • Miranda/Shana/Meru equipped with Dragon Helm and Mage Ring.
  • At least five Healing Rain (Unicorns) and three Moon Serenades (Lucky Jars).
  • Two Depetrifiers and a couple of Mind/Body Purifiers and Angel's Prayers.
  • Have several, of any element, items such as Burning Wave, Flash Hall, ect.
  • Save your Psyche Bomb X, Power/Speed items for Melbu Frahma's last form.
When prepared, switch in your favorite party members, and approach Melbu Frahma to instigate the battle for the future of Endiness.
 
Melbu's first form comes with four Tentacle appendages that function as much as nuances than anything. Save your Dragoon forms and have your physical attackers target Melbu with additions, while your mages throw magic items, like Gravity Grabber, to hopefully dispose of the Tentacles, but make sure to save the Psyche Bomb X for later. Watch for Melbu to take a defensive stance, where he draws the Tentacles around him, and at this point, Guard until he drops the position; attempting to attack during this will result in a counter attack or a miss, however, you can still use magic items. Otherwise, you only need to fend off Melbu's Virage summon attack, that deals a moderate amount of damage, and his ability to potentially petrify a character. If a character gets petrified, and you didn't bring a Depetrifier, or have Miranda/Shana or Meru to cast Moon Light/Rainbow Breath, immediately use your Dragoon "Special" to cancel the petrification, as it will not heal on its own. Once a set amount of damage is dealt, Melbu Frahma will shift to his second form.

Melbu's some kind of space-thing here, and his moveset has entirely changed. Besides a beam-saber attack, he'll capture one of your characters and hold it hostage much like the Windigo boss from disc 3. He'll hold the character for several turns, then blast the character back at you for heavy damage on both the character who is hit and the unfortunate launchee. He'll also use a Divine Dragon Cannon-like magic when he has an ally in his possession. Go ahead and bring out your Dragoons starting here and use your best magic and additions depending on the character, but if you didn't bring a supply of MP restoration items, save your MP; particularly Dart's. Continue to save the rest of your magic items, too, the Psyche Bomb X, and Power/Speed items for the coming forms. Melbu Frahma will then transform yet again, through the generations, when he's taken enough damage.
 
He's a spaceship, now, I guess. Things get a bit nasty from this point. Melbu's got a wide variety of attacks now, some of which are fire-based, and they change depending on whether the backdrop is either night or day. Particularly, during the night phase, Melbu is at his worse. He's still using a similar Cannon shot like the Divine Dragon, and some heavy multi-character magics. If he throws out Bomb Stars to fight alongside him, use any remaining magic items, except for the Psyche Bomb X, to attempt to take them out before they suicide on you and cause damage. Still use your Dragoons, but try to keep your SP and MP gauges high, along with item conservation, for the inevitability of when Melbu transcends to his final form.

This is it: the true final battle; time to pull out all of the stops. Begin with throwing Power/Speed Down on Melbu, then Power/Speed Up on Dart, and unleashing the Divine Dragon Cannon with all of your remaining MP. Be wary, however, and keep a least one character in human form, because this form of Melbu Frahma can use the Dragon Block Staff, then summon two "Monster" minions to his side. As soon as the Monsters enter the battle, throw the Psyche Bomb X to immediately eliminate them; they are potentially just as dangerous as Melbu, himself. The Monsters can inflict instant death, but also have a strange ability to swap places with one of your characters for three turns. When the Monster's turn comes around, you can use a "Special" command to restore your HP, interestingly enough. Despite this, you want to prevent this from happening and eliminate the Monsters as soon as possible. In addition, Melbu casts similar unique magic that was only used by Faust, and as such, make use of the Magic Shield on characters like Kongol and Albert/Lavitz. Since this is the last battle, use any items necessary to survive. When Melbu's HP is gone, Dart will automatically transform, if he isn't already, into the Divine Dragoon (Even if using Flame Dragoon), and blast him one final time with the DG Cannon, ending the battle.
 
Melbu Frahma will then explode, as Dart swoops in to protect a fallen Shana. However, Melbu is hardly finished with the group...

Grown into an even more grotesque form; refusing to be defeated, Zieg and Rose will team up to stop Melbu, while Dart, Shana, and the Dragoons escape from the increasingly-unstable Moon That Never Sets. The duo, saying their goodbyes to an emotional Dart, plunge into Melbu Frahma, eliminating him completely, while Dart and friends battle their way through the mass of Virages attempting to stop their escape. Outside, they watch as the Moon explodes, taking much of the Divine Tree with it.
 
The world now at peace, a montage of scenes will play with the major characters from the story. Including: Haschel and Kongol settled in Rouge Village, Meru and Guaraha exploring the world of Endiness, Miranda rejoining her Mother and Sisters at the Crystal Palace, Albert marrying Emille, and Dart leaving a drink by a portrait of Lavitz at his mother's home in Bale. This is significant since, if you will recall, Dart told Lavitz that he owed him a drink for the advice he gave him about Shana during the Hero's Competition in Lohan.

Lastly, we see a happy Dart and Shana, together, watching the rebuilding of Seles as they prepare to embark on a new journey, with the credits following.
 
After the credits, we see a view of the remnants of the Moon and Divine Tree, where the Dragoon Spirits of Zieg and Rose are nestled together. This brings a conclusion to the Legend of Dragoon and my completionists guide for it. Thank you for reading along with me and viewing my work and I will see you on my next project!
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