cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Oh I forgot to share this before. While doing Abzu attempts, I triggered this visual glitch where Abzu remains on fire. Metal as hell. They should make this a variant in EC.
cold_spirit's Remake challenge run a.k.a. Rebirth waiting room
- Thread starter cold_spirit
- Start date
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
I had a little more time than I thought I would, so I decided to go back and refine the first two boss battles. When this is all finished, I want to throw these into a compilation video with some sick music. Like an hour long AMV to celebrate the release of Rebirth. Since these two battles will be at the beginning, I wanted to make sure they were perfect.
I could probably fight Scorpion Sentinel with my eyes closed now. In the video there isn't a single wasted input, everything has purpose.
As for the The Huntsman, I finally found use for the Binding materia. By putting the Huntsman to sleep, you can set up an easy pressure -> stagger for the win.
Alright, boarding my plane soon. My next update will be in January!
I could probably fight Scorpion Sentinel with my eyes closed now. In the video there isn't a single wasted input, everything has purpose.
As for the The Huntsman, I finally found use for the Binding materia. By putting the Huntsman to sleep, you can set up an easy pressure -> stagger for the win.
Alright, boarding my plane soon. My next update will be in January!
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 16 - Specimen HO512
Once again I'm back in the lab.
Another boss fight where almost every move I make has meaning. For example, at the start I stand to the left of HO512 so that I don't get hit by its Noxious Explosion ability, which has a huge hitbox. Parrying is the key overall. HO512 doesn't have many moves, and most of them are physical, so use that to your advantage. Its basic attack allows you to do three parries in a row, which I show off in the first phase.
Also, you can make yourself immune to HO512's Seize ability with the Parry Materia. Even though it's unblockable, you can parry dodge through it.
I'm particularly happy with the final phase. Notice how in the first phase I damage HO512's left claw, but I don't break it. Save it for the end. HO512 will open the final phase with Mako Explosion, a huge AOE move. I learned exactly where to stand so that it can't reach me. Then, finish off the left claw with a spell. If you time it right, the gas in the area will clear as you stagger it, allowing you to go all in.
Overall a very fun fight. The adds made it frustrating at times, but beside that HO512 is a very well designed fight.
Once again I'm back in the lab.
Another boss fight where almost every move I make has meaning. For example, at the start I stand to the left of HO512 so that I don't get hit by its Noxious Explosion ability, which has a huge hitbox. Parrying is the key overall. HO512 doesn't have many moves, and most of them are physical, so use that to your advantage. Its basic attack allows you to do three parries in a row, which I show off in the first phase.
Also, you can make yourself immune to HO512's Seize ability with the Parry Materia. Even though it's unblockable, you can parry dodge through it.
I'm particularly happy with the final phase. Notice how in the first phase I damage HO512's left claw, but I don't break it. Save it for the end. HO512 will open the final phase with Mako Explosion, a huge AOE move. I learned exactly where to stand so that it can't reach me. Then, finish off the left claw with a spell. If you time it right, the gas in the area will clear as you stagger it, allowing you to go all in.
Overall a very fun fight. The adds made it frustrating at times, but beside that HO512 is a very well designed fight.
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 17 Part 1 - Swordipede
Finally an easy one! Swordipede's head is more vulnerable than its tail. Make sure you have line of sight of it before using any abilities. That's how I was able to end the first phase so quickly. For the second phase, pair Lightning materia with Synergy. If you use a projectile spell like Fire or Ice, they'll probably hit the central pillar.
This was the first boss where I had to utilize the mid-battle menu feature. Enjoy the quick menuing that I practiced!
Finally an easy one! Swordipede's head is more vulnerable than its tail. Make sure you have line of sight of it before using any abilities. That's how I was able to end the first phase so quickly. For the second phase, pair Lightning materia with Synergy. If you use a projectile spell like Fire or Ice, they'll probably hit the central pillar.
This was the first boss where I had to utilize the mid-battle menu feature. Enjoy the quick menuing that I practiced!
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 17 Part 2 - Jenova Quickening Dreamweaver
Bosses so far have taken about 1-3 minutes to beat. Jenova, however, doubles that. The longest boss so far. And with no weaknesses, it's mostly a war of attrition.
Fortunately, Jenova can be inflicted with status aliments. Poison, Silence, Berserk, and even Sleep. That's right, Jenova Dreamweaver can be put to sleep. It's almost like Dreamweaver isn't supposed to be its name...
I take advantage of Poison in my strategy. Silence and Sleep can be helpful, but I couldn't incorporate them properly. Berserk is an interesting one. It makes an enemy do more damage, but they also receive more damage too. In fact, quite a few bosses can be inflicted with Berserk. Almost makes me want to go back and redo some fights. That's what I love about this battle system. 400 hours in and I'm still learning new things.
Jenova is a trickster. When you bring down its poise enough so that it enters Pressured state, it tries to bait you. It has two tricks. The first is summoning Masamune when you attack it. This can be parried or blocked. Doing so will cause Jenova to enter its actual Pressured state. The second is summoning three vortexes which inflict Stop. When one of these hit you, Jenova will follow up with Vengeance, one of its strongest moves.
I highly suggest Stop + Warding on two of your characters. The vortexes will still cause your character to recoil, but at least you can move afterwards. To clear them without recoil, Parry dodge through them. Other than that, keep Jenova stunned by taking out its tentacles. Then use Overpower on the body to put it in Pressured state quicker. There's actually a pattern to the order of "tricks" I outlined above. Once you have that down, it becomes a reasonable fight.
There's a few moments where I lose the plot during the fight, but I'm happy with how far I was able to get my time down overall.
Bosses so far have taken about 1-3 minutes to beat. Jenova, however, doubles that. The longest boss so far. And with no weaknesses, it's mostly a war of attrition.
Fortunately, Jenova can be inflicted with status aliments. Poison, Silence, Berserk, and even Sleep. That's right, Jenova Dreamweaver can be put to sleep. It's almost like Dreamweaver isn't supposed to be its name...
I take advantage of Poison in my strategy. Silence and Sleep can be helpful, but I couldn't incorporate them properly. Berserk is an interesting one. It makes an enemy do more damage, but they also receive more damage too. In fact, quite a few bosses can be inflicted with Berserk. Almost makes me want to go back and redo some fights. That's what I love about this battle system. 400 hours in and I'm still learning new things.
Jenova is a trickster. When you bring down its poise enough so that it enters Pressured state, it tries to bait you. It has two tricks. The first is summoning Masamune when you attack it. This can be parried or blocked. Doing so will cause Jenova to enter its actual Pressured state. The second is summoning three vortexes which inflict Stop. When one of these hit you, Jenova will follow up with Vengeance, one of its strongest moves.
I highly suggest Stop + Warding on two of your characters. The vortexes will still cause your character to recoil, but at least you can move afterwards. To clear them without recoil, Parry dodge through them. Other than that, keep Jenova stunned by taking out its tentacles. Then use Overpower on the body to put it in Pressured state quicker. There's actually a pattern to the order of "tricks" I outlined above. Once you have that down, it becomes a reasonable fight.
There's a few moments where I lose the plot during the fight, but I'm happy with how far I was able to get my time down overall.
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
I also added "No limit breaks" to my challenge, since I realized I haven't used one yet in 21 bosses. With just 4 to go, might as well make it a rule.
ForceStealer
Double Growth
Very impressive 
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 17 Part 3 - Rufus
"Rufus Shinra, is that you? Boy do I feel sorry for you."
I did not know that if you attack Rufus directly in the first 5 or so seconds of the battle, a special cutscene plays out. When it happened I yelped, I was caught so off guard. Four years and 400 hours later and I just saw a new Remake cutscene. Absolutely had to feature it in my run, even if it is slow.
I'm really happy I was able to capture both of the Darkstar parries. Notice that I didn't stagger Darkstar in the first phase, I just got the gauge real close to max. Save it for a quick second phase. For the third phase, parry dodge through Guns Akimbo, then use Braver to instantly stagger Rufus. Quickly build your ATB back up and use Stop to freeze the stagger gauge in place. There should be just enough time. From full health to empty in seconds.
I'm also really happy that I got to incorporate ATB Boost at the start of the third phase. It's an overlooked materia, but absolutely essential here. In fact, every materia I had equipped was essential. The "no armor" rule means I can only equip 6 materia, which is getting more and more limiting as the run goes on. I love it.
"Rufus Shinra, is that you? Boy do I feel sorry for you."
I did not know that if you attack Rufus directly in the first 5 or so seconds of the battle, a special cutscene plays out. When it happened I yelped, I was caught so off guard. Four years and 400 hours later and I just saw a new Remake cutscene. Absolutely had to feature it in my run, even if it is slow.
I'm really happy I was able to capture both of the Darkstar parries. Notice that I didn't stagger Darkstar in the first phase, I just got the gauge real close to max. Save it for a quick second phase. For the third phase, parry dodge through Guns Akimbo, then use Braver to instantly stagger Rufus. Quickly build your ATB back up and use Stop to freeze the stagger gauge in place. There should be just enough time. From full health to empty in seconds.
I'm also really happy that I got to incorporate ATB Boost at the start of the third phase. It's an overlooked materia, but absolutely essential here. In fact, every materia I had equipped was essential. The "no armor" rule means I can only equip 6 materia, which is getting more and more limiting as the run goes on. I love it.
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ForceStealer
Double Growth
Dang, made that fight look easy... He still gives me a bit of trouble.
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Not pictured are my hours of attempts
Rufus and the Arsenal are back-to-back fights. The game gives you the option to access the party menu before Arsenal. But since I want the cleanest footage possible, I'm not going to take advantage of that feature. So if I want to change up Barret or Aerith's materia, I have to back all the way out, make the change, then refight Rufus.
I say all that to let you know that I still die to Rufus even after capturing my good footage. He's very punishing. If you attack Rufus directly, he counterattacks. If you attack Darkstar, Rufus comes to Darkstar's aid with Assist. And unlike Roche and Reno, all of Rufus's attacks are projectiles, which can't be parried with Punisher Mode. Your only option is to wait for an opening.
My video only looks good because Darkstar and Rufus used all the right moves for me to punish them. Darkstar's Subdue is unblockable and unescapable if you're too close. Rufus will jump away if you try to Braver him while he's using his coin trick abilities like "Think Fast". They are a difficult duo, so no worries at all if they still give you trouble.
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 17 Part 4 - The Arsenal
Jenova, Rufus, and the Arsenal make up my favorite part of Remake gameplay-wise. I really pushed myself with these bosses to do them justice.
Throughout this series, I've said a few times that "every move I do has purpose", but what does that mean? I want to write it out now since Arsenal may be my last opportunity to do so.
Some preliminary knowledge. You can interrupt two of the Arsenal's moves: Primary Fire and Homing Missile. With Primary Fire, damage its cannon arm. With Homing Missile, damage the launching device on its back. These are labeled as "Weak Spots" in the targeting system. Doing so will put Arsenal into pressured state. In the first phase, Red XIII will stagger one of the barrier generators with Sidewinder. In the second and third phases, Red XIII will cast Stardust Ray to build up the stagger gauge.
Also, Arsenal’s wheels are protected by a shield. The shield is disabled while Arsenal is in pressured state. Destroying a wheel builds up the stagger gauge a decent amount.
With that out of the way, let’s break it down:
1) Reset until Arsenal opens with Saturation Fire. Attack one of the barrier generators until you hear a voice line. Circle around the back of the stage and then run towards Arsenal. If done correctly, Arsenal’s next move will be Primary Fire. I guess this is called AI manipulation?
2) Use Barret’s Overcharge on Arsenal’s cannon arm to stop Primary Fire. Continue attacking to stop Primary Fire’s second charge up. Be sure to end some of your attacks with Barret’s Charge. It’s important to have another Overcharge built up soon. Use Aero on the barrier generator that Red staggers. Equip Aerith with Thunder linked with Synergy so that she follows up with some massive damage. She's actually the game's best DPS character.
3) Arsenal will charge up Homing Missile next. Use Aero on it. Be quick so that Aerith has enough time to follow up with Thunder. Use Aero on the next barrier generator that Red staggers.
4) Arsenal will immediately try Primary Fire again. Destroy its cannon arm with the Overcharge you built up earlier. Continue attacking and using Charge. For the third barrier generator that Red staggers, don’t use Aero. Instead, save the ATB and destroy it with basic attacks. This ends the first phase.
5) For the second phase, move Aerith out of the way of Charge. As Arsenal is passing by, have Aerith cast Thunder. I do this via shortcuts. Then have Barret cast Haste. The Thunder should be enough to put Arsenal into pressured state.
6) You need to be VERY QUICK with this next part. Use Focused Shot on one of Arsenal’s wheels. Aerith will follow up with Thunder. Use Barret’s basic attack to finish it off. Quickly switch to another wheel. With the Haste you cast earlier, you should have enough ATB to use Focused Shot on another wheel. Follow up with Overcharge as Aerith follows up with Thunder. If done in time, Arsenal will be staggered.
7) Use basic attacks to build up ATB again, finishing each attack with Charge. Cast Fire when you have max ATB. Repeat and you should enter the third phase.
8) Pray that Arsenal uses Primary Fire or Homing Missile. If Arsenal doesn’t use one of those moves, you’ll need to improvise. You can put Arsenal into pressured state with Aerith’s Thunder, but it may be difficult to build up the stagger gauge without Red's Stardust Ray. When Arsenal does eventually use Primary Fire or Homing Missile, interrupt it with Overcharge. Don’t use an ability! See the note below. Pressuring Arsenal in this way makes Red cast Stardust Ray, which combined with Focused Shot on one of its wheels, should be enough to stagger Arsenal.
9) Cast Stop to prolong the stagger time. Again, use Barret’s basic attack ending with Charge. When your ATB is full, use Fire, when your charge meter is full, use Overcharge. You need to do a lot of damage here. Maybe have Aerith cast an extra Thunder just to be sure.
10) Congratulations, the hard part is over. The fourth phase is the easiest. I even have Aerith cast a full Tempest while Arsenal charges up Cry Havoc just for laughs. Once the pillar is destroyed, use whatever ATB you have to cast magic. Aerith’s follow up Thunders should be enough to finish Arsenal off.
Note: I actually discovered a bug. In the third phase, if you use an ability to interrupt Arsenal’s Primary Fire, Aerith will follow up with Thunder. But this actually does too much damage! It will cause Arsenal to go into a regular pressured state. When Arsenal snaps out of that, it’ll begin charging up Primary Fire again, but you won’t be able to target the cannon arm! This bars you from getting the second interrupt, consequently losing out on the stagger build up from Stardust Ray. 400 hours and I discovered my first bug. Amazing.
Formulating this strategy took hours of experimentation, observation, and resetting. And I did this for the majority of bosses. It feels really rewarding and you get to appreciate how much effort the designers put into battles. In fact, the battle director for Remake, Teruki Endo, was lead game designer for Monster Hunter World, which has incredibly intricate monster AI. That expertise shows here. An unsung hero of Remake.
Jenova, Rufus, and the Arsenal make up my favorite part of Remake gameplay-wise. I really pushed myself with these bosses to do them justice.
Throughout this series, I've said a few times that "every move I do has purpose", but what does that mean? I want to write it out now since Arsenal may be my last opportunity to do so.
Some preliminary knowledge. You can interrupt two of the Arsenal's moves: Primary Fire and Homing Missile. With Primary Fire, damage its cannon arm. With Homing Missile, damage the launching device on its back. These are labeled as "Weak Spots" in the targeting system. Doing so will put Arsenal into pressured state. In the first phase, Red XIII will stagger one of the barrier generators with Sidewinder. In the second and third phases, Red XIII will cast Stardust Ray to build up the stagger gauge.
Also, Arsenal’s wheels are protected by a shield. The shield is disabled while Arsenal is in pressured state. Destroying a wheel builds up the stagger gauge a decent amount.
With that out of the way, let’s break it down:
1) Reset until Arsenal opens with Saturation Fire. Attack one of the barrier generators until you hear a voice line. Circle around the back of the stage and then run towards Arsenal. If done correctly, Arsenal’s next move will be Primary Fire. I guess this is called AI manipulation?
2) Use Barret’s Overcharge on Arsenal’s cannon arm to stop Primary Fire. Continue attacking to stop Primary Fire’s second charge up. Be sure to end some of your attacks with Barret’s Charge. It’s important to have another Overcharge built up soon. Use Aero on the barrier generator that Red staggers. Equip Aerith with Thunder linked with Synergy so that she follows up with some massive damage. She's actually the game's best DPS character.
3) Arsenal will charge up Homing Missile next. Use Aero on it. Be quick so that Aerith has enough time to follow up with Thunder. Use Aero on the next barrier generator that Red staggers.
4) Arsenal will immediately try Primary Fire again. Destroy its cannon arm with the Overcharge you built up earlier. Continue attacking and using Charge. For the third barrier generator that Red staggers, don’t use Aero. Instead, save the ATB and destroy it with basic attacks. This ends the first phase.
5) For the second phase, move Aerith out of the way of Charge. As Arsenal is passing by, have Aerith cast Thunder. I do this via shortcuts. Then have Barret cast Haste. The Thunder should be enough to put Arsenal into pressured state.
6) You need to be VERY QUICK with this next part. Use Focused Shot on one of Arsenal’s wheels. Aerith will follow up with Thunder. Use Barret’s basic attack to finish it off. Quickly switch to another wheel. With the Haste you cast earlier, you should have enough ATB to use Focused Shot on another wheel. Follow up with Overcharge as Aerith follows up with Thunder. If done in time, Arsenal will be staggered.
7) Use basic attacks to build up ATB again, finishing each attack with Charge. Cast Fire when you have max ATB. Repeat and you should enter the third phase.
8) Pray that Arsenal uses Primary Fire or Homing Missile. If Arsenal doesn’t use one of those moves, you’ll need to improvise. You can put Arsenal into pressured state with Aerith’s Thunder, but it may be difficult to build up the stagger gauge without Red's Stardust Ray. When Arsenal does eventually use Primary Fire or Homing Missile, interrupt it with Overcharge. Don’t use an ability! See the note below. Pressuring Arsenal in this way makes Red cast Stardust Ray, which combined with Focused Shot on one of its wheels, should be enough to stagger Arsenal.
9) Cast Stop to prolong the stagger time. Again, use Barret’s basic attack ending with Charge. When your ATB is full, use Fire, when your charge meter is full, use Overcharge. You need to do a lot of damage here. Maybe have Aerith cast an extra Thunder just to be sure.
10) Congratulations, the hard part is over. The fourth phase is the easiest. I even have Aerith cast a full Tempest while Arsenal charges up Cry Havoc just for laughs. Once the pillar is destroyed, use whatever ATB you have to cast magic. Aerith’s follow up Thunders should be enough to finish Arsenal off.
Note: I actually discovered a bug. In the third phase, if you use an ability to interrupt Arsenal’s Primary Fire, Aerith will follow up with Thunder. But this actually does too much damage! It will cause Arsenal to go into a regular pressured state. When Arsenal snaps out of that, it’ll begin charging up Primary Fire again, but you won’t be able to target the cannon arm! This bars you from getting the second interrupt, consequently losing out on the stagger build up from Stardust Ray. 400 hours and I discovered my first bug. Amazing.
Formulating this strategy took hours of experimentation, observation, and resetting. And I did this for the majority of bosses. It feels really rewarding and you get to appreciate how much effort the designers put into battles. In fact, the battle director for Remake, Teruki Endo, was lead game designer for Monster Hunter World, which has incredibly intricate monster AI. That expertise shows here. An unsung hero of Remake.
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Folks my phone is telling me that we are officially less than 1000 hours away from being Final Fantasy VII Rebirth-ed!
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Just dropping a message to say the challenge has been completed. FFVII Remake can be beaten on Hard mode with no summon, no armor, no accessory, no healing abilities, and no limit breaks.
My last two battles weren't pretty. You can watch them here and here, but I don't recommend it. I will refine my strategy and get better footage soon. Then it's on to making the compilation video!
My last two battles weren't pretty. You can watch them here and here, but I don't recommend it. I will refine my strategy and get better footage soon. Then it's on to making the compilation video!
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 18 Part 1 - Whisper Harbinger
Though I get beat around a bit, fumble through menus, and misclick, it's okay. I will accept this as a good run. I need to lower my standards, especially since a run for this boss can take up to 15mins.
This fight has a reputation for being hard. Just read the comments here. All of the Whisper trio's attacks can interrupt you, some knock you back, Whisper Harbinger casts huge AoE moves in the background, there's multiple phases, Bahamut hits like a truck, Megaflare is unblockable, and dying sends you all the way back to the start.
Despite it all, I managed to beat Harbinger with my challenge ruleset, killing Bahamut before Megaflare, and finishing the entire battle with over 50% of my character's health remaining. I'm the most proud of that.
Honestly? I didn't hate it. It's manageable. Let's talk strategy.
First and foremost, use Barret as a tank. Have him cast Steelskin as soon as he gets enough ATB. This will reduce the Whisper trio's ability to interrupt Barret's actions. Then, with the next ATB charge you get, cast Manawall + Magnify on your party. Keep that up as much as possible. Once you get to the third phase, the one where you fight the red Whisper alone, use Lifesaver. Barret won't participate in the final phase, so Lifesaver will take advantage of his HP pool by redistributing it to everyone else.
You'll spend the majority of the fight as Cloud. This isn't a recommendation, the game forces it on you. You automatically switch to him at the start of each phase. There's good reason for this! The red Whisper will aggressively target whoever the player controls. To deal with this, Cloud's parries are the best option. When a phase starts, pull the red Whisper away from the rest of the party. Then use Counterstance and Punisher Mode to keep the red Whisper stunlocked.
Bahamut will cast Megaflare early into the fight, as its third ability or so. Fortunately, he doesn't have much HP. It's possible to defeat Bahamut before then. Out of all the magic materia, Blizzaga deals the most posture damage, putting enemies into pressured state. This makes up for its delayed effect. Ice is also the only element that the Whisper trio doesn't absorb, so it's all around perfect for this fight. Throw one on everyone. Equip Aerith with First Strike, ATB Boost, and both Magic Plus materias. That way she can open the fight with Arcane Ward, quickly regain ATB with ATB Boost, and her Blizzagas will deal devastating damage. Just be sure to delay your castings a bit to keep a Bahamut stunlocked.
Last two things to note, you can interrupt Whisper Harbinger's AoE moves by staggering any of the Whisper trio. This becomes possible in the third phase. You can even defeat both the blue and yellow Whispers before Harbinger casts "Correction" on Cloud and Barret, moving them to another platform. Finally, in the runup to the third phase, Harbinger attacks the tunnel you're in with its claw. If you're quick, you can attack the claw for some free ATB charge. I find this really cool. Both of these are shown off in my video.
I've timestamped the video so that it goes right to the final phase though, since the battle is so long otherwise.
Though I get beat around a bit, fumble through menus, and misclick, it's okay. I will accept this as a good run. I need to lower my standards, especially since a run for this boss can take up to 15mins.
This fight has a reputation for being hard. Just read the comments here. All of the Whisper trio's attacks can interrupt you, some knock you back, Whisper Harbinger casts huge AoE moves in the background, there's multiple phases, Bahamut hits like a truck, Megaflare is unblockable, and dying sends you all the way back to the start.
Despite it all, I managed to beat Harbinger with my challenge ruleset, killing Bahamut before Megaflare, and finishing the entire battle with over 50% of my character's health remaining. I'm the most proud of that.
Honestly? I didn't hate it. It's manageable. Let's talk strategy.
First and foremost, use Barret as a tank. Have him cast Steelskin as soon as he gets enough ATB. This will reduce the Whisper trio's ability to interrupt Barret's actions. Then, with the next ATB charge you get, cast Manawall + Magnify on your party. Keep that up as much as possible. Once you get to the third phase, the one where you fight the red Whisper alone, use Lifesaver. Barret won't participate in the final phase, so Lifesaver will take advantage of his HP pool by redistributing it to everyone else.
You'll spend the majority of the fight as Cloud. This isn't a recommendation, the game forces it on you. You automatically switch to him at the start of each phase. There's good reason for this! The red Whisper will aggressively target whoever the player controls. To deal with this, Cloud's parries are the best option. When a phase starts, pull the red Whisper away from the rest of the party. Then use Counterstance and Punisher Mode to keep the red Whisper stunlocked.
Bahamut will cast Megaflare early into the fight, as its third ability or so. Fortunately, he doesn't have much HP. It's possible to defeat Bahamut before then. Out of all the magic materia, Blizzaga deals the most posture damage, putting enemies into pressured state. This makes up for its delayed effect. Ice is also the only element that the Whisper trio doesn't absorb, so it's all around perfect for this fight. Throw one on everyone. Equip Aerith with First Strike, ATB Boost, and both Magic Plus materias. That way she can open the fight with Arcane Ward, quickly regain ATB with ATB Boost, and her Blizzagas will deal devastating damage. Just be sure to delay your castings a bit to keep a Bahamut stunlocked.
Last two things to note, you can interrupt Whisper Harbinger's AoE moves by staggering any of the Whisper trio. This becomes possible in the third phase. You can even defeat both the blue and yellow Whispers before Harbinger casts "Correction" on Cloud and Barret, moving them to another platform. Finally, in the runup to the third phase, Harbinger attacks the tunnel you're in with its claw. If you're quick, you can attack the claw for some free ATB charge. I find this really cool. Both of these are shown off in my video.
I've timestamped the video so that it goes right to the final phase though, since the battle is so long otherwise.
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cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Chapter 18 Part 2 - Sephiroth
At last, the promise has been fulfilled.
Like Whisper Harbinger before, I decided a "good run" is when I can beat Sephiroth without entering critical health. Really happy I was able to get the fight under 7 minutes too.
I have the first phase down to a science. About midway through it, Seph will either use Telluric Fury or Aeolian Onslaught. I have strategies for both that end with Sephiroth being staggered. The Telluric Fury strat is shown in the video below, which is faster, but less cool. The first phase is the one you play the most, so it gets like this.
The second phase is more difficult. I can accurately react to Sephiroth's first few moves, but after that the AI becomes unpredictable. Then you gotta improvise. Cloud's parries really are the answer to everything though. That and damage mitigation with Manawall. I defeated Whisper Harbinger with Aerith so that she appears first, that way I can take advantage of Fire+Synergy+Magic Up (x2) as early as possible. Mastering this phase is the entire fight's major bottleneck. You need all the HP you can get for what's to come.
The third phase, where the chaos begins. I think the element Sephiroth infuses himself with is on rotation. It seemed like if he casted Firaga in phase 2, then he opens with Wind Infusion in phase 3, but I'm not quite sure. Regardless, I open with Manawall+Magnify and Lifesaver, again for that damage mitigation. Sephiroth is relentless. He'll trip on pretty much every parry you throw out. So much so that it's an issue!
There's a bit of cooldown after each successful Counterstance parry. In this time, Cloud is vulnerable. The parries don't interrupt Seph, so his follow up attacks will hit you for full damage. You can easily bleed thousands of HP here if you're not careful. Note that the cooldown after a Punisher Mode parry can be canceled with Counterstance. So the general flow of battle is read Sephiroth's upcoming attack -> Punisher Mode parry -> cancel cooldown with Counterstance -> big cooldown together.
I panic in the fourth phase. So few attempts make it that far! My strategy was to have the other party members cast big magic while Sephiroth focuses on Cloud. Whenever possible, throw in a Disorder -> Aerith Synergy. And of course open with Manawall+Magnify. Barret was so close to entering critical health. Shadow Flare really eats away at his HP if he has Lifesaver active. The parry materia is essential too. It allows you to move through most of Sephiroth's attacks.
And that's a wrap on this run. Being the game's 25th boss, Sephiroth really tested my patience. But we made it. Now to work on my compilation video!
At last, the promise has been fulfilled.
Like Whisper Harbinger before, I decided a "good run" is when I can beat Sephiroth without entering critical health. Really happy I was able to get the fight under 7 minutes too.
I have the first phase down to a science. About midway through it, Seph will either use Telluric Fury or Aeolian Onslaught. I have strategies for both that end with Sephiroth being staggered. The Telluric Fury strat is shown in the video below, which is faster, but less cool. The first phase is the one you play the most, so it gets like this.
The second phase is more difficult. I can accurately react to Sephiroth's first few moves, but after that the AI becomes unpredictable. Then you gotta improvise. Cloud's parries really are the answer to everything though. That and damage mitigation with Manawall. I defeated Whisper Harbinger with Aerith so that she appears first, that way I can take advantage of Fire+Synergy+Magic Up (x2) as early as possible. Mastering this phase is the entire fight's major bottleneck. You need all the HP you can get for what's to come.
The third phase, where the chaos begins. I think the element Sephiroth infuses himself with is on rotation. It seemed like if he casted Firaga in phase 2, then he opens with Wind Infusion in phase 3, but I'm not quite sure. Regardless, I open with Manawall+Magnify and Lifesaver, again for that damage mitigation. Sephiroth is relentless. He'll trip on pretty much every parry you throw out. So much so that it's an issue!
There's a bit of cooldown after each successful Counterstance parry. In this time, Cloud is vulnerable. The parries don't interrupt Seph, so his follow up attacks will hit you for full damage. You can easily bleed thousands of HP here if you're not careful. Note that the cooldown after a Punisher Mode parry can be canceled with Counterstance. So the general flow of battle is read Sephiroth's upcoming attack -> Punisher Mode parry -> cancel cooldown with Counterstance -> big cooldown together.
I panic in the fourth phase. So few attempts make it that far! My strategy was to have the other party members cast big magic while Sephiroth focuses on Cloud. Whenever possible, throw in a Disorder -> Aerith Synergy. And of course open with Manawall+Magnify. Barret was so close to entering critical health. Shadow Flare really eats away at his HP if he has Lifesaver active. The parry materia is essential too. It allows you to move through most of Sephiroth's attacks.
And that's a wrap on this run. Being the game's 25th boss, Sephiroth really tested my patience. But we made it. Now to work on my compilation video!
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