LogFAQs > #953934448

what is ffrk like these days? I played during early AASB days and i never progressed past... 4* or so summon bosses? don't remember what they were called

There are basically two sets of challenging content, elemental-themed (Magicite) and realm-themed (Cardia). Elemental themed are up to 6*, with superbosses at 5* and 6* also. Realm themed have Dream, Torment, Dreambreaker, and Dragonking.

The chief gimmick, which you will encounter in all content 5* and up (including Dreambreaker/Dragonking) is Savage Mode. Bosses will enter Savage Mode at certain non-random turn and HP% markers, and it gives them passive buffs, primarily damage reduction but often offense too. If an attack deals at least 10,000 damage in a single hit, it will reduce Savage Mode by 1. (So a Chain Firaga that deals 7000x4 does not affect Savage, while a Chain Firaga that deals 11000x4 will reduce Savage once. Note that doublecasts, chases, and suchlike do count as separate attacks for this purpose.) Since most damage is capped at 9999, SBs that grant you "Cap Break Lv1" (+10k max damage) are essential. Fortunately, that's standard for Awakenings and Syncs.

Side note: 5* Magicite can only reach Savage Mode Lv1 and often have drawbacks while they're there (stuff like "attack twice as often, but only deal 80% as much damage per hit".) Depending on your party and the boss, you may even prefer to _avoid_ knocking them out of Savage! Everything after them can stack Savage Mode up to lv3, and there is no silver lining.

Aside from that. 5* Magicite have Physical and Magical bosses for each element, the "wrong" type deals greatly reduced damage. 6* Magicite just has you pick "Physical Effective" or "Magic Effective" (clearing both does get you a second set of prizes). 6* Magicite also apply a damage penalty, and usually other punishment, to characters without the proper En-Element, while simultaneously removing/degrading En-Element multiple times per battle. Fortunately most Glints allow you to stack En-Element, and Syncs usually give you En-Element lv3 right away... but multi-element characters like Bartz were originally out of luck, which was presumably intentional.

Dreambreakers/Dragonking dungeons want you to clear them with a full-realm party, although the penalty for bringing one off-realm healer/support character is not prohibitive. Their chief gimmick is a full-party Atk/Def/Mag/Res debuff; if you don't have one of the SBs which can counter that debuff (released on banners alongside the Dreambreaker, naturally) you'll need to stack enough buffs that your offense can muscle through it. Offensive White Mages, being Mnd-based, also circumvent the debuff.

Additionally, Tyro's once-joke OSB happens to counter the Dreambreaker debuff, which is why they made Dragonking bosses counter damaging Soul Breaks by off-realm characters (see: Tyro OSB) by reapplying the debuff.

Hmm... What else? There's a "Record Laboratory" which lets you purchase relics you do not have with in-game currency ("Anima Lenses", awarded from clearing fights and as a compensation prize for duplicate relics); nothing top-tier or recently released, of course, but that doesn't mean nothing useful. You can pick up some En-Element SBs to use against 6* Magicite, for example, or bring an in-realm healer up to competent for Dreambreaker purposes. The "Artifact Acropolis" lets you trade Artifact Stones for first-rate weapons, too (even 7* relics are inferior to maxed artifacts statwise, IIRC); upgrade Artifacts with Rainbow Crystals, which you get by mulching all your junk Relics. Record Spheres are up to 6*, and one of the things you can unlock on the 6* "Record Board" is a character's Hero Ability, a powerful ability which only that specific character can use; all of them are strong (although some are stronger than others), and it's nice to have things like a Fir/Wtr/Lit ninja trick for Edge or a Holy Black Magic skill for Hope. Several Hero Abilities innately break the damage cap, too, which helps with Savage Mode. *shakes fist*
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I don't like this duchy. Now, it's an adventurer.