Final Fantasy Record Keeper X-2: Gems, Mithril, Salt - In Position!

[Red Fel]

The only thing I'd add is... we should probably nab +element artifact daggers. Yes, sadly, daggers. Everyone (I think *everyone*) can use daggers.

For PHY, yeah, daggers are a pretty safe option. Them and swords, typically, will cover most bases. And for +water, you're probably safe with blitzballs, because your primary source of water PHY users will be X, and everyone in X uses blitzballs.

That said, for MAG, there's some dispute. On the one hand, most MAG users can use daggers, so a +MAG +element dagger makes sense. On the other hand, most use rods as well, so maybe +MAG +element rods. Your call.

That said, you remember how stoked everyone was over that +MND T-0 dagger? The one with 268 MND? Yeah, the new +holy dagger has 300 MND. So, that ended quickly.

I thought we would be able to sell relics for lens, was all pumped up for it. But it was my mistake. Guess I will have to sell things as I get elemental weapons from the Hall.

You get Anima Lenses from completing Event Dungeons, Record Dungeons, and...when you pull up dupes. You should automatically get ALs when you pull the dupe, just like you get the prompt to turn your relics into Rainbow Crystals when you pull anything below 5*.

Yeah, this. Do not sell relics, crystal them.

As for Anima Lenses and relics I'd love to get: not terribly excited for the selection (after all, there are no Chains or Glints, and the two USBs I'd definitely LOVE to have aren't there, which are Paladin!Cecil's Wall and Baschi's RikkUltra clone; do note, though, that Rikku's USB1 is there for your taking), and I'm more attracted to Legend Materia relics than anything else. Note that Legend Materia relics are pretty expensive; they take 3k Anima Lenses lv. 2, a far cry from the 1.5k for Uniques and Supers or the 1k for Ultras. They compete with Bursts, and there's still a handful of good bursts to choose from (namely, Cid Raines' Burst, Maria's Burst, Squall's 2nd Burst, Y'sh's Burst, Vanille's 1st Burst) Also: if for some reason you're either new OR rerolling an account, do note that some of the stuff there is ALSO on the Acolyte's Archives, so choose wisely. If you buy Gems, you might also want to note the Full Throttle selections and the Dream Draw selections in the future.

Well, I won't speak to level 2 and 3 anima lenses; you do you on those. But in my mind, there are really only three reasons to use your level 1 anima lenses:

• The relic is a workhorse SB that doesn't go out of style (e.g. Edge's USB0)
• You want to give the character the stat boost for mastering an SSB
• You want to complete your waifu/husbando and see that satisfying "MASTER!" tag beneath

On the other hand, there's actually a benefit to hoarding level 1 lenses, at least somewhat: When the synchro SBs come out, they will have a second use. Synchro SBs are kind of like BSBs, for various reasons that I don't need to get into here, but the gist is this: 7-star relics (such as synchros) can be upgraded either by getting another copy of that item, or by spending anima lenses to buy an upgrading item. Since you don't want to blow level 2 or 3 anima lenses, you could spend your level 1 lenses there (the item costs 3500 level 1 lenses).

So, yeah. Not that you need to hoard, but if you're not inspired to spend your level 1s, there's a benefit to saving up. Maybe.

Man, trying to get back into this game is weird. I pseudo put down the game around the time magicite was introduced after being frustrated and while I made some very lackluster efforts into coming back or just opening around big events to get some login bonus or whatever, I've been reopening the game every few days or so to get back into the groove.

All i got to say is OOF.

Thankfully my Physical and Mage party are still able to clear most of the weekly content without too much issues. I have no idea what the current end-game is supposed to look like though as i'm still here just stacking my buffs and debuffs, smacking things around without much care in the world.

The current end-game consists of Torments and 5-star Magicites. Clear some Magicites to prepare for a Torment, clear some Torments to gear up for Magicites, repeat.

Welcome back!

[oxybe]

It's both weirdly familiar and very strange. I have no idea what I should be looking for or what some of these new upgrades and dungeons are.

All I know is that the weekly Apocalypse +/++ difficulty bosses are putting up a decent fight, but nothing I found myself banging my head against a wall.

I found the D220 FFXIII Raid boss to hit stupid hard, unceremoniously killing poor Penelo in his first attack. Thankfully, I had picked Eiko Ultra as my RW so I restarted the fight, insta cast it round one after OK used Vessel of Fate, survived the initial attack thanks to it's last stand and after healing back up with my second use I managed to power through the fight with Terra and Raines doing the heavy lifting damage while Yshtola and Penelo ran healing. Will not lie though: boss kept me on edge.

Then tried to solo the Squall/Terra/Ramza raid and did not get too far before my squad was dropping like flies

I also gave a few attempts at magicite dungeons and just gave up, as they're just infuriating as I remember them. even when buffed and under an en-element, I still find that I hit like a soggy napkin and I'm unable to out DPS or sustain the boss long enough to get the kill.

[Red Fel]

I also gave a few attempts at magicite dungeons and just gave up, as they're just infuriating as I remember them. even when buffed and under an en-element, I still find that I hit like a soggy napkin and I'm unable to out DPS or sustain the boss long enough to get the kill.

Yeah, for Magicites you need (1) a lot of the right gear and SBs, and (2) to know the attack pattern. For example, you need to know when to ready Hastega while facing Fenrir.

And the right gear is getting easier now, but for day 1 players who thought they could coast on BSBs (remember when those were a big deal?) it's tough. You basically need a Chain and a bunch of Ultras, as well as a 0CT medica SB on a competent healer. Ideally with W-Cast.

You get all that - all of that - and you can handle 3-star Magicites pretty soundly.

I still haven't cleared a single 4-star.

EDIT: I did, however, pull on the XIII LotR. Snow's USB, which grants Ice Reflect and a two-hit counter. So, fine if I'm using KNT abilities to draw fire against an Ice-vulnerable opponent. Dammit, Snow, why do you have to be so terrible?

[Antonok]

You get all that - all of that - and you can handle 3-star Magicites pretty soundly.

You get all of that and you can handle 4* magicite

3* can be done pretty easily with just USBs considering they released when BSBs were still king. No chain needed.

Edit: 13 draw for me Hope's useless BSB. Bleh

[danzibr]

Wb, oxybe!

Echoing Red Fel’s Mnd artifact comment. If you haven’t picked up a Mnd dagger artifact, get the +holy, has 32 more mind.

Edit: never thought I’d say this... I’m really tempted to pull in the XII banner, despite the upcoming fest.

[Antonok]

Finally got around to farming up 2 copies of Evrae so in the process of getting them to 99. Trying to decide what to inherit onto them. Thinking HP and Mind boons would be good.

After that, I need to finish leveling up an Empower Fire, x2 Dampen Blizzard, and x2 Dampen Dark then I'm officially done with 4* magicite!

[danzibr]

Finally got around to farming up 2 copies of Evrae so in the process of getting them to 99. Trying to decide what to inherit onto them. Thinking HP and Mind boons would be good.

After that, I need to finish leveling up an Empower Fire, x2 Dampen Blizzard, and x2 Dampen Dark then I'm officially done with 4* magicite!

Grats!

I've still only beaten 3 5*s. I'm certain I could beat more, just takin' it nice and slow. Lots of magia farming, grinding magicites up.

[Red Fel]

Edit: never thought I’d say this... I’m really tempted to pull in the XII banner, despite the upcoming fest.

Because of Ashe's not-nearly-as-good-as-Terra's Awakening? I admit, I allowed myself a 1-pull. No bites, so I'm still hoarding, but I was tempted.

Finally got around to farming up 2 copies of Evrae so in the process of getting them to 99. Trying to decide what to inherit onto them. Thinking HP and Mind boons would be good.

I remember finding a Magicite deck guide that basically covered some of the best Magicite team compositions, including inherits. Hold on, let me check...

Okay. According to this guide, you want one Evrae with Spell Ward and one with Blade Ward. According to this guide, you want one Fast Act and one Health Boon. And this guide actually suggests losing the Evraes altogether in favor of Madeens. (As does this one.)

Point is, while HP isn't a bad call, I probably wouldn't bother with MND. Either go with a Ward (because added protection is always good) or go with Fast Act (although a lot of people don't).

Then again, don't take my word for it. I still haven't cleared a single 4-star.

[danzibr]

Because of Ashe's not-nearly-as-good-as-Terra's Awakening? I admit, I allowed myself a 1-pull. No bites, so I'm still hoarding, but I was tempted.

Because of... pretty much everything. Ashe is my main lightning magic dps. Larsa is great for astra. Vayne for future free dark chain and I have some stuff for him. Penelo, have some stuff for. Vaan, have some stuff for. Very nice banner.

Anyway, I did pull. Got Vaan AOSB and LMR, and Penelo LMR. 50 mythril moderately well spent.

[darkdragoon]

L1 I already picked most of my list. 2 and 3 are trickier and I'm hoping LOTR etc. can help trim some of those down a bit.

[Red Fel]

Anyway, I did pull. Got Vaan AOSB and LMR, and Penelo LMR. 50 mythril moderately well spent.

Good pull! The LMRs in particular, W-Casts are great.

Speaking of XII, the LotR is up... and I got Vaan's Brave USB. It's... strange. Multiple Wind hits are nice, but then -MAG/DEF, which is an... odd combo. Increments by THF, sure, but the Brave command upgrades awkwardly. Damage, then damage and DEF Break, then more damage and DEF Break, then even more damage and DEF/MAG/MND Break. It's... awkward.

[T.G. Oskar]

Finally got around to farming up 2 copies of Evrae so in the process of getting them to 99. Trying to decide what to inherit onto them. Thinking HP and Mind boons would be good.

After that, I need to finish leveling up an Empower Fire, x2 Dampen Blizzard, and x2 Dampen Dark then I'm officially done with 4* magicite!

Grats! I'm still a bit behind on 4* Magicite.

After leveling up my Lightning Magicite, I chose to engage the Kraken with team Lightning Mages, unsure if it'd be easy or hard. Let's just say that I had to start a few times (mostly because Kraken can be a bit painful with those counters), but when I defeated it at first...I got a sub-30 almost immediately. That said, I haven't gained another sub-30 afterwards. It all depends on a few aspects, particularly if Ashe does a ton of dualcasting and killing the appendages ASAP. That said, if it doesn't get fun with some of its moves (and kills someone immediately), it's relatively easy to farm, just like Ixion.

Unlike Lightning Magicite, though, where I had a ton of Ixion starting up, I have copies of all three 4* Water Magicites, so it shouldn't be that hard to get them all fast enough to handle Marilith. I figure that Marilith will be harder, particularly since I lack a Water Chain, but in comparison, I have Bartz with his Awakening alongside Tidus with his nice USB, and Rikku having her Imperil Water USB and BSB. Of course, they're facing Marilith, who's infamous for having a "death throes" move that can ruin the run out of spite. We'll see how that goes.

[Antonok]

I figure that Marilith will be harder, particularly since I lack a Water Chain, but in comparison, I have Bartz with his Awakening alongside Tidus with his nice USB, and Rikku having her Imperil Water USB and BSB. Of course, they're facing Marilith, who's infamous for having a "death throes" move that can ruin the run out of spite. We'll see how that goes.

That's close to my team for Maralith so you should be fine with a source of Last Stand.

Team:

Rikku - Rallying Etude/Sapphire Shot - USB2 - DMT
Shelke - Entrustbot
Aerith - Hastega/Curada - USB2 - Battleforged
Tidus - Sapphire Shot/Sapphire Bullet - USB/OSB - TGMight
Sora - Engulfing QS/Stormspell - AASB

I use Octomammoth for the extra enwater. Average clear time with this team is around 24s. You should have an easier time since you have Bartz.

[SuperPanda]

I think its been close to a year since I logged in, I know I had some good relics last time I did. Considering it but so far have resisted. What say ye thread? Should I welcome the siren's call? (I'd been completely offline while I worked on my teaching credential and student teaching - now I'm busy searching for a full time position and can finally breath again free-time wise.

I did sign back in, read the last page on the thread, and am more or less overwhelmed so chilling out and going through Realm dungeons which are still a cool feature - later I'll see about cleaning up all my left over event / DU dungeons to soak up mithril while I try to figure out what I should be doing with my stamina.

[danzibr]

Welcome back!

Ehhhhh it depends. I get a lot of joy out of this game. And getting back into the swing of things wasn’t too hard. We have a fest coming up, and there’s plenty of mythril to be had from the updated dungeons.

So... personally if I were you I’d go for it, but this is honestly the game that gets the majority of my game time.

[Red Fel]

I think its been close to a year since I logged in, I know I had some good relics last time I did. Considering it but so far have resisted. What say ye thread? Should I welcome the siren's call? (I'd been completely offline while I worked on my teaching credential and student teaching - now I'm busy searching for a full time position and can finally breath again free-time wise.

I did sign back in, read the last page on the thread, and am more or less overwhelmed so chilling out and going through Realm dungeons which are still a cool feature - later I'll see about cleaning up all my left over event / DU dungeons to soak up mithril while I try to figure out what I should be doing with my stamina.

Welcome back!

Ehhhhh it depends. I get a lot of joy out of this game. And getting back into the swing of things wasn’t too hard. We have a fest coming up, and there’s plenty of mythril to be had from the updated dungeons.

So... personally if I were you I’d go for it, but this is honestly the game that gets the majority of my game time.

Aye, welcome back!

Yeah, I won't tell you that you ought or ought'n't play, but I'm still enjoying after all this time. There's a lot of new stuff, including (since I don't recall where we were when you left) Record Dungeons, new Magicites, the new Torments, Anima Lenses, Rainbow Crystals and Artifacts, and so forth.

But it's a good time to come back! As Danzi mentions, there's plenty of mythril to be had, and there's also plenty of opportunity to spend it - in addition to the upcoming Fest, we've got the Realms on Parade banners (5 mythril for 3 pulls with a guaranteed 5- or 6-star relic, one per realm), plus the recently refreshed Realm Draws (realm-specific banners, first 10-pull is only 15 mythril). Plus, we've now got Awakening SBs, which are just brokenly good, and thanks to the new Anima Lens system, drawing a dupe is no longer a pure salt proposition.

So, yeah. Welcome back.

[danzibr]

Hehe, Danzi.

Also, along with the fest we get zounds of free stuff. A couple crazy good free pulls.

And I’d suggest waiting to do the 15 mythril realm 10-pulls until after the fest. They’ll be around for a long while.

Edit: oh right, as Redfe mentioned, Record Dungeons. Some people dislike them, but they hit the nostalgia button for me.

[SuperPanda]

Thanks for the welcome back and the heads up. I've got about 150 mythril left over from before so I think I'll focus in on clearing out events and DUs.

I did a couple of the 5 for 3 pulls and got an Agrias OSB and a Fran USB which was nice. Got a shared SB on my daily pull.

I have 4 artifact discs no idea yet what I'll get with them yet. Haven't gone through my old catalog of relics for rainbow crystals - its hard to part with old relics even if they've sat in the vault for years now.

I left after 4 star Light and Dark magi cites were released I think - I think I had teams which could beat 4* normal elemental magicites but I don't remember how I did it and haven't tried again.

I did the OG torments and none of the new ones, so I'll want to hit torments to get the new chain -ja's eventually. I don't think many of my A teams were magic based.

I missed out on Brave SBs and I've not even read up on Awakening SBs. I'm not really thinking about getting back into late game content.

I'm out of Gyshal greens - bought up all the 4 star motes because I'm still stuck in the mindset of them being very hard to come by. Haven't looked into Magica Crystals of whatever the level past 99 thing does - will be useful for my Magicite / Torment teams.

Right now I've got my toe dipped back in and am pretty happy with that much exposure.

Hehe, Danzi.

Also, along with the fest we get zounds of free stuff. A couple crazy good free pulls.

And I’d suggest waiting to do the 15 mythril realm 10-pulls until after the fest. They’ll be around for a long while.

Edit: oh right, as Redfe mentioned, Record Dungeons. Some people dislike them, but they hit the nostalgia button for me.

Thanks for the note on the pulls, I'll hold off on any pulls until the fest and focus on hoovering up any mythril I can.

On Record Dungeons - honestly they are what I signed back in for more than anything else. They do feel like their own game and feel unrelated to the rest of the game, but they are wonderfully nostalgic and cute. I left half way through the second island (when that was as far as they had been released) and got a bit father last night. Switched over to events as those are temporary and DUs as they are faster for the mythril.

[danzibr]

Nice start back in!

All sounds good, except I gotta suggest to not spend greens on motes. 3* and 4* can be farmed, and at some point 5*.

Awakenings aren’t tricky. Guaranteed double cast, unlimited ability uses, damage cap change to 20k, and and a fourth benefit depending on the character. Usable once per dungeon.

Also, I suggest saving for the next fest. Some craaaaazy good banners, stuff to let you stomp magicites and Torments. Well, Chain helps.

[Antonok]

Awakenings aren’t tricky. Guaranteed double cast, unlimited ability uses, damage cap change to 20k, and and a fourth benefit depending on the character. Usable once per dungeon.

Correction: Not all AASBs give double cast. Terra's, for instance, gives her her Trance, Rydia's will have a chase, Noctis' will give High Quick Cast with an overflow attack when it ends, etc.

The Break Damage Cap 1, Unlimited Hones, and Ability/Element Boost are the only things all Awakenings share I think.

[Red Fel]

I have 4 artifact discs no idea yet what I'll get with them yet. Haven't gone through my old catalog of relics for rainbow crystals - its hard to part with old relics even if they've sat in the vault for years now.

The current advice is to save them for +element Artifacts. See upthread. The short version is that, stat-wise, you can compete with realm-specific Artifacts, but the +element bonus is what makes them worthwhile. So don't bother spending on them unless you hit some element-specific content (e.g. Magicites) that gives you trouble.

I left after 4 star Light and Dark magi cites were released I think - I think I had teams which could beat 4* normal elemental magicites but I don't remember how I did it and haven't tried again.

Then you're further ahead on Magicites than I am. Good job!

I did the OG torments and none of the new ones, so I'll want to hit torments to get the new chain -ja's eventually. I don't think many of my A teams were magic based.

Lucky you! A (relatively) recent change to Torments means that you can qualify for rewards if you can trim off at least 10% of the boss' health. So there is no reason not to try every single one; you should be able to hit 10% even on some of the hardest difficulties.

I missed out on Brave SBs and I've not even read up on Awakening SBs. I'm not really thinking about getting back into late game content.

Braves are pretty great, but yeah, Awakenings are pretty much the new broken. As others have mentioned, they typically involve (1) breaking the damage cap, (2) automatic W-Cast (with some exceptions), (3) ability boost to a given category (e.g. Dragoon abilities or Fire abilities), and (4) infinite hones during the Awakening's duration.

Crazy powerful.

I'm out of Gyshal greens - bought up all the 4 star motes because I'm still stuck in the mindset of them being very hard to come by. Haven't looked into Magica Crystals of whatever the level past 99 thing does - will be useful for my Magicite / Torment teams.

Magia Crystals. Works like this: Every time a character at level 99 completes a fight, they earn a point. Get enough points, get a Magia Point. Magia Points can be invested in stats - like ATK, DEF, RES, etc. - as well as Element Boost and Element Resist. And unlike Crystal Water, you can reset your Magia Points every so often. It's basically a little bonus for using your favorite max-level characters. Some people farm them; others don't.

On Record Dungeons - honestly they are what I signed back in for more than anything else. They do feel like their own game and feel unrelated to the rest of the game, but they are wonderfully nostalgic and cute. I left half way through the second island (when that was as far as they had been released) and got a bit father last night. Switched over to events as those are temporary and DUs as they are faster for the mythril.

Yeah, events and Realm Dungeons are faster, but the Record Dungeons feel like an actual game. FFRK has simply been an FF battle simulator for so long, but the Records really do feel like an actual game, with a story.

[Antonok]

So this happened

Spoiler

Show

First 5* Magicite down and sub30 to boot!

[Red Fel]

The XI LotR was only so-so, Shantotto's En-Lightning LMR. And the X LotR was disappointing, a dupe of Rikku's BSB. But today?

Today I got Steiner's IX Realm Chain. The one with +ATK/MAG and Hastega.

Today has been a very good day.

[T.G. Oskar]

Correction: Not all AASBs give double cast. Terra's, for instance, gives her her Trance, Rydia's will have a chase, Noctis' will give High Quick Cast with an overflow attack when it ends, etc.

The Break Damage Cap 1, Unlimited Hones, and Ability/Element Boost are the only things all Awakenings share I think.

Actually...Terra has Double Cast for all Fire skills. Double Cast is pretty much one thing Awakenings all share. THe ones that doesn't, though, are Dragoon-based Awakenings (like Kain's), which has Break Damage Cap 2 instead.

What happens is that most Awakenings come with Chasers or cool abilities tied in. Terra, for example, not only has infinite Hones (she can cast any ability that has the Fire element as one of its elements without consumption), Double Cast Fire (can cast two abilities that have the Fire element as one of its elements back to back, stacking with W-Cast but not Ability Double), Element Boost (deal more damage with Fire skills), EnFire, AND Trance, which is independent of her LM2 Trance ability. The THUNDER GOD Awakening, on the other hand, has Double Cast Knight/Darkness, Infinite Hones (Knight/Darkness), Ability Boost (Knight/Darkness), as well as Thunder God Mode AND 100% Critical Hit chance (therefore, essentially replacing his USB and OSB). Bartz' has Infinite Hones (Spellblade), Double Cast (Spellblade), Ability Boost (Spellblade), Element Attack Boost Lv. 3 (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth) and the Barrage Master* Chaser (after 2 turns having used a Spellblade ability of Fire, Water, Wind or Earth element, follow with 6 hits of the predominant element).

So, the tendency is usually Double Cast, Infinite Hones, Ability Boost and two traits. Dragoons tend to have Break Damage Cap 2 instead of Double Cast, and that's basically the only difference.

*: A bit of explanation with Barrage Master. You follow up your last Spellblade move with hits of the same element as the Spellblade itself. If the Spellblade has more than one element, it'll focus on two things: the if the Spellblade move has one of the four elements that can enable it, and what element the enemy is weakest in. Thus, Snowspell Strike can activate it, but it'll only provide Barrage Master (Wind); however, if the enemy is weak to Fire, and you're using the new Blastspell Strike (like SSS, except Fire/Earth), it'll enable Barrage Master (Fire). At least, that's how I interpret it.

[danzibr]

Correction: Not all AASBs give double cast. Terra's, for instance, gives her her Trance, Rydia's will have a chase, Noctis' will give High Quick Cast with an overflow attack when it ends, etc.

The Break Damage Cap 1, Unlimited Hones, and Ability/Element Boost are the only things all Awakenings share I think.

Oskar beat me to it but... right, Kain’s doesn’t, but beyond that they all do. I think. Even then it’s not really a dragoon thing. Pretty sure Kimahri gets double jump.

[SuperPanda]

Turns out I had a fair share more un-mastered relics than I thought and am making good progress in getting back to full mastery while also getting more Mythril in preperation for the next fest. I've no idea yet what will be on the banners, but more than that I also have no idea what I'm even going to want to be looking for beyond "Shiny, Nostalgia, Powerful"

I'm starting a little self cataloging to get myself back into the game.

First list is my OSB+ Soul Breaks

Spoiler: Relic Weapons BSB+

Show

Starter Artifact Dagger, Level 1
Awakening: 0

Brave: 0

Arcane Overstrike:
Tidus: Slash and Splash

Chain:
Shantoto: Frightening Lightning
Tidus: A fleeting Dream
Kain: Impulse Drive
Snow: Frost Geyser
Krile: Unbroken Chain
Serah: Etro Fusion
Strago: Blue Field



Ultra -EX:
Onion Knight: Forbidden Power, Forbidden Wisdom
TG Cid: Sword Saint
Vincent: Lucrecia's Lament
Cloud: Ultra Cross Slash
Lightning: Army of One
P.Cecil: Sacred Cross
Ashe: Empyrean's Edict
Warrior of Light: Bitter End
Squall: Lion of Destiny
Firion: Rush of Arms
Zell: Burning Duel
Riku: Dark Firaga
D. Cecil: Endless Darkness

Ultra:
Ramza: History's Truth
Rosa: Benediction
Yuffie: Clearest Tranquil
Zack: Climhazzard Xeno
Curilla: Holy Circle
Seifer: Forbidden Fellslash
Auron: Lots Arts
Relm: Divine Portrait
Aerith: Hidden Bloom
Exdeath: Neo Grand Cross
Yuna: Song for Spira
Aria: Seaoborne Encounter
Porom: Pure White Magic
Y'shtola: Goddess's Mercy
Aphmau: Overdrive
Fran: Sparkchill Fang
Edward: Hero's Rime
Deuce: Hymn of Healing
Tyro: Fantasy Unbound, Divine Veil Grimoire
Elarra: Magicka Album
Faris: Phantom

Overstrike:
Squall: Sub-Zero Blast
TG Cid: Thunder God
Ayame: Ancestral Blade
Locke: Miracle of Kohlingen
Terra: Scorching Flame
Cloud: Finishing Touch
Warrior of Light: Shining Sabre
Basch: Righteous Steel
Vayne: Divine Sword
Gladious: Dawnhammer
Luneth: Heavenly Gusts
Gilgamesh: Strange Bedfellows
Fang: Soarding Spear
Papalymo: Flareja
Onion Knight: Sword and Spell
Kain: Kain's Lance
Kefka: Ruin Beckons

I counted Ultras with a chase mechanic as Ultra-EX. I know a few of these are new and I haven't actually used them or seen how they change up my teams like Serah's Ice Chain or D.Cecil's dark Ultra-EX.

I left when Ultra-EX and Ultra-Chase + high Hones were the king meta but I was still in the BSB mindset and so highly valued my sustainable BSB teams. Looking at the Squall Ultra (which is something I pulled on a random sign in durring my long break) - I might have a viable Ice team now.

Looking at my Torments: I've mastered Tier 1 Tactics Torment and gotten Tier 2 past 70% health - not completed anything else yet.
Magicites: All level 3 magicitie dungeons were beaten before break, Fire, Ice, and Earth 4*s have been beaten (haven't tried any of them again since).

Not sure how I'd do now, I remember that the strategies for some of the magicites, Ice 4* in particular, came down to luck as often as not.


Edit: couldn’t resist IX parade pull - Steiner Realm CSB - indulgence validated.

[Red Fel]

So I was all prepared to pull on the VIII LotR tonight. And then I noticed.

You guys, there's a CSB Lucky Draw up. You know I've got to.

My pull: Two rainbows, one disco, all new:

• Yakei: Galuf's Glint. Instant 6-hit Earth, En-Earth.
• Ambition Bracer: Seifer's LMR. No, I have that one, his other LMR. Chance to W-Cast DRK.
• Professor's Robe: Strago's CSB. Water, MAG. Pity my current Water team is PHY.

Good haul, not complaining. Too much. Happy pulls, folks.

As an aside, I got level 1 Anima Lenses for all the stuff I scrapped. I think that's the first time I've seen that. It's a good feeling.

[danzibr]

Turns out I had a fair share more un-mastered relics than I thought and am making good progress in getting back to full mastery while also getting more Mythril in preperation for the next fest. I've no idea yet what will be on the banners, but more than that I also have no idea what I'm even going to want to be looking for beyond "Shiny, Nostalgia, Powerful"

I'm starting a little self cataloging to get myself back into the game.

First list is my OSB+ Soul Breaks

Spoiler: Relic Weapons BSB+

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Starter Artifact Dagger, Level 1
Awakening: 0

Brave: 0

Arcane Overstrike:
Tidus: Slash and Splash

Chain:
Shantoto: Frightening Lightning
Tidus: A fleeting Dream
Kain: Impulse Drive
Snow: Frost Geyser
Krile: Unbroken Chain
Serah: Etro Fusion
Strago: Blue Field



Ultra -EX:
Onion Knight: Forbidden Power, Forbidden Wisdom
TG Cid: Sword Saint
Vincent: Lucrecia's Lament
Cloud: Ultra Cross Slash
Lightning: Army of One
P.Cecil: Sacred Cross
Ashe: Empyrean's Edict
Warrior of Light: Bitter End
Squall: Lion of Destiny
Firion: Rush of Arms
Zell: Burning Duel
Riku: Dark Firaga
D. Cecil: Endless Darkness

Ultra:
Ramza: History's Truth
Rosa: Benediction
Yuffie: Clearest Tranquil
Zack: Climhazzard Xeno
Curilla: Holy Circle
Seifer: Forbidden Fellslash
Auron: Lots Arts
Relm: Divine Portrait
Aerith: Hidden Bloom
Exdeath: Neo Grand Cross
Yuna: Song for Spira
Aria: Seaoborne Encounter
Porom: Pure White Magic
Y'shtola: Goddess's Mercy
Aphmau: Overdrive
Fran: Sparkchill Fang
Edward: Hero's Rime
Deuce: Hymn of Healing
Tyro: Fantasy Unbound, Divine Veil Grimoire
Elarra: Magicka Album
Faris: Phantom

Overstrike:
Squall: Sub-Zero Blast
TG Cid: Thunder God
Ayame: Ancestral Blade
Locke: Miracle of Kohlingen
Terra: Scorching Flame
Cloud: Finishing Touch
Warrior of Light: Shining Sabre
Basch: Righteous Steel
Vayne: Divine Sword
Gladious: Dawnhammer
Luneth: Heavenly Gusts
Gilgamesh: Strange Bedfellows
Fang: Soarding Spear
Papalymo: Flareja
Onion Knight: Sword and Spell
Kain: Kain's Lance
Kefka: Ruin Beckons

I counted Ultras with a chase mechanic as Ultra-EX. I know a few of these are new and I haven't actually used them or seen how they change up my teams like Serah's Ice Chain or D.Cecil's dark Ultra-EX.

I left when Ultra-EX and Ultra-Chase + high Hones were the king meta but I was still in the BSB mindset and so highly valued my sustainable BSB teams. Looking at the Squall Ultra (which is something I pulled on a random sign in durring my long break) - I might have a viable Ice team now.

Looking at my Torments: I've mastered Tier 1 Tactics Torment and gotten Tier 2 past 70% health - not completed anything else yet.
Magicites: All level 3 magicitie dungeons were beaten before break, Fire, Ice, and Earth 4*s have been beaten (haven't tried any of them again since).

Not sure how I'd do now, I remember that the strategies for some of the magicites, Ice 4* in particular, came down to luck as often as not.


Edit: couldn’t resist IX parade pull - Steiner Realm CSB - indulgence validated.

Nice pull! Useful for the IX Torment at least. I got Eiko's USB from that one.

And nice gear, man. Tacke lots of end game content with that. Chains, in particular.

So I was all prepared to pull on the VIII LotR tonight. And then I noticed.

You guys, there's a CSB Lucky Draw up. You know I've got to.

My pull: Two rainbows, one disco, all new:

• Yakei: Galuf's Glint. Instant 6-hit Earth, En-Earth.
• Ambition Bracer: Seifer's LMR. No, I have that one, his other LMR. Chance to W-Cast DRK.
• Professor's Robe: Strago's CSB. Water, MAG. Pity my current Water team is PHY.

Good haul, not complaining. Too much. Happy pulls, folks.

As an aside, I got level 1 Anima Lenses for all the stuff I scrapped. I think that's the first time I've seen that. It's a good feeling.

Definite win! It's crazy Seifer has 4 LMRs iirc. And that Strago chain, my current Water team is also physical, but Strago's chain is a huge step in the right direction for my janky Water magic.

Speaking of which, spent 75 mythril on the chain banner. Got Alph's and Strago's CSBs, as well as 2 new LMRs. Definitely worth it. Time to invest in some new characters/abilities.

[T.G. Oskar]

So I was all prepared to pull on the VIII LotR tonight. And then I noticed.

You guys, there's a CSB Lucky Draw up. You know I've got to.

My pull: Two rainbows, one disco, all new:

• Yakei: Galuf's Glint. Instant 6-hit Earth, En-Earth.
• Ambition Bracer: Seifer's LMR. No, I have that one, his other LMR. Chance to W-Cast DRK.
• Professor's Robe: Strago's CSB. Water, MAG. Pity my current Water team is PHY.

Good haul, not complaining. Too much. Happy pulls, folks.

As an aside, I got level 1 Anima Lenses for all the stuff I scrapped. I think that's the first time I've seen that. It's a good feeling.

Thanks for the heads-up! Decided to make the pull, considering I haven't pulled on the Happy Gacha at all. Might actually do your stuff, Fel, and pull until I get sucky ones, but for the most part, let's see what we got!

4/11, TWO DISCOS, and no dupes whatsoever!

• Galuf's Lambent Hat! This is his EnEarth LMR, which is...kinda pointless IMO since his USB already grants him EnEarth. If it was EnFire, it'd be pretty awesome. Still, it's a V Hat.
• Vincent's Winchester! No, it's not Vincent Winchester, it's Vincent Valentine's Winchester. No, that doesn't mean VIncent's mother's name is Winchester. And, for the love of all that's good and sacred, that doesn't mean he's a sibling of Sam and Dean! No, this is his EnFire Glint, which grants him Infused EnFire for even better damage. Which is great, because it multiplies his Burst. This should make him a decent choice for Team Fire, considering he can go Physical OR Magical.
• Prompto's Calamity! This is one of the Chains; particularly, a Gen 2 Physical Lightning Chain. Not a fan of Prompto, to be honest, but this could help Raijin and...well, that's about it. Maybe Edgar as imperiler? Oh wait, Laguna too! That's fair. Kinda.
• Seifer's Hyperion Custom! This is his Gen 2 Physical Dark Chain. I felt bad for Seifer, because he's one of my favorite tanks, but I didn't have an excuse to use him. Now, not only he has the ability to boost his own damage, he can also boost the damage of Squall, as well as Irvine and Zell, as it has an ATK boost stacked in. And, he's also a much superior choice, IMO, to Garland for Team Dark. Very, VERY happy for this one.

We'll see what I get afterwards, but I'd definitely love to get Seifer's BSB2 to couple things up a bit.

[danzibr]

Oooohhhh very nice pull Oskar. 2 chains, sehr gut.