Hello all! Today, we're headed for Rydia's Challenge Dungeon. We'll have to grind a bit beforehand, though. We want to get Rydia to level 32. B2 of the Agart Mine is a brilliant grinding spot because of the free healing spot.
The reason we want level 32 specifically is that at that level, Rydia learns Bio. Bio is one of the more awesome attack spells in the game and inflicts Sap. Sap inflicts about 2 damage at a specific interval, several times a second, and is always useful. Useful when you're using it, anyway.
Now lets head for the Challenge Dungeon. The place that Challengingway takes us to looks a bit like the Sealed Cave. We're going to put Luca in the back row for this dungeon and give her the Tomahawk, just in case.
The first floor presents us with three doors. Two of them are dead ends. The one in the middle is a Trap Door that will let us progress when we win. Another three doors follow. The west door gives us a Chain Whip for Rydia. The centre door leads us to a Demon Wall that we really don't want to fight. Mainly because we get nothing for beating it. There is another path there, though, that leads to a trapped chest that gives us a Mythril Helm for Luca. Said trap involves Mad Ogres, So Rydia's really a liability in this fight.
The east door leads to more doors. Behind each door is a Demon Wall The one in the middle is the one we have to beat to progress.
We get a Save Point before 2F. We need it. At the start of 2F, we go for the east door, then east again. We end up in a pile of bones. And indeed, one of the chests is trapped with three Flamehounds. We get a Mythril Shield from that, which we give to Luca straight away.
We then backtrack to the west.
It's locked!
Crap. When you enter this dungeon, random doors that lead to chests will be locked. This means we need to do multiple runs to get all the chests. Considering that this is a Challenge Dungeon, we need to do multiple runs anyway. It's just an Ether, anyway.
Let's head back to the beginning of 2F and head west. Going west from here is pointless, so we'll head east. Then we want to take the middle path.
We're at the end of the floor now, with three Demon Walls. The east one contains the Save Point and path to 3F. And then we use 2 Tents because we REALLY need more MP.
On 3F, there are tons of platforms connected by ropes. We have to climb specific ropes or we get forced into battles. The top left platform has a Demon Wall. That's just a decoy. The treasure behind it trapped with 3 Mad Ogres, on the other hand, isn't. We get Mythril Armor from that. Plate Mail's stronger.
The platform in the centre has a few consumables and the top centre platform is another dummy Demon Wall and trapped chest with a Steel Golem and several Skuldiers. This battle is really annoying and nets a Polymorth Rod, which isn't worth that battle, really.
The top right platform is the correct Demon Wall to move onto 4F, and we really need its Save Point after this arsehole floor. Good thing we've picked up a few Cottages, right?
Finally, we reach the boss of this bloody dungeon.
Who are you!? How could you take this treasure!? Oh no, you don't! Get them!
Okay, I'll answer your questions. I took the treasure because I want it, and I am the guy who currently has immense hatred for whichever programmer made this dungeon and am about to take it out on YOU.
We engage Boss Gobby and 3 Minion Gobbies. This is similar to those Baron Captain fights in FFIV, but harder. If we attack Boss Gobby, he counters, if we kill all three of the Minions before him, he pretty much makes himself invulnerable. Kill two minions, attack Boss Gobby and shrug off his counters, then take care of the last Minion Gobby. Sounds simple enough.
Well it's not. These guys hurt, especially when Boss Gobby counters with Firaga, and if a minion is low on HP when ordered to attack, it blows up instead, and that's really bad if they hit Rydia. We have to play really defensive first time we're here, or we're done for.
In addition to the three normal big rewards (the Adamantite, Silver Apple and Soma Drop) we can get a Black Robe, a few pieces of Flame Equipment, a Gold Hairpin, a Gaia Hammer and a Sprint Ring. And our reward for doing this the first time is... a Black Robe. Not bad.
That's all for now, once I've gotten all the big prizes (and possibly gone insane from frustration), we'll progress to the next tale.
Stats:
Luca: Lv 35 HP:1833 MP:94 Strength:45 Speed:20 Stamina:39 Intellect:4 Spirit:4 Attack:69 (7x88% Accuracy) Defence:51 (4x16% Evasion) Magic Defence:8 (0x7% Evasion)
Rydia: Lv 35 HP:1203 MP:356 Strength:19 Speed:19 Stamina:17 Intellect:43 Spirit:40 Attack:42 (4x63% Accuracy) Defence:26 (2x28% Evasion) Magic Defence:22 (2x32% Evasion)
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