Bravely Default 2, the new Nintendo Switch game about watching the numbers go up, it’s not easy. Boss fights in particular will disrupt your day. If you’ve been playing the game since launching last week, you’ve probably found yourself hitting your head against the wall on more than one occasion.
Yes in Bravely Default 2, there is a huge gap between the cannon fodder and the great evils. You may find yourself walking, cutting goblins into pieces, only to hit the dungeon boss and end up being eliminated in one or two turns. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen. Probably. It might be. Hopefully.
Learn to recognize when you are ready (or not).
Kotakuin tips for Bravely Default 2 mention it, but it is worth bringing up again: you can tell whether or not you are ready to face the head of a dungeon by paying attention to common enemies. As you go through each dungeon, if you are on the same level as the standard enemies, they will run towards you and may even cause you to run for your money. If you have overcome them, they will run away from you – meaning that you are probably at a level high enough to face the boss. For each dungeon, work until you reach that point.
Examine and reload.
You will get a save spot before most boss fights. (There is a notably frustrating exception before Chief Halcyonia’s battle in Chapter 4.) Use it, obviously, then start each fight by targeting the boss, which you can do with a magnifying glass or using the Freelancer’s Examine skill. Check your weaknesses, get out, reload and reassign your team’s work and equipment accordingly.
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If they are weak for air or earth magic, assign someone as a Red Wizard. Fire, water or electricity? Black Mage. See if they are weak for axes, swords or spears, and equip your Vanguard (you have a Vanguard, right?) With the weapon that works best.
Truly enterprising players can take a few rounds to get a sense of what types of elemental attacks can be absorbed, as the battle information does not say so. You can even wait to see what moves can trigger a counter (and what those counters can do, whether or not they are direct attacks or something more insidious, like a debuff stop). The point is to give each boss a quick test drive. Then, throw in the towel and reconfigure things.
Make sure you have a healer.
If you’ve played a turn-based RPG before, you already know that, but it’s critical to Bravely Default 2: Make sure you have a healer in your group. Since a White Wizard can heal several members of the group at once, this is a safe bet. But don’t fall asleep on the Red Mage, who can also deliver magical attacks based on stone and air during those rare turns when you are full of health.
When you do, the Spiritmaster is arguably the most essential class for arduous boss battles. At level 6, you will obtain the Reraise ability, which allows you to preventively revive your allies. When, if not, any member of the group is knocked out, they will instantly return with 300 HP. For bosses with moves that can knock your entire team down with one blow, Reraise is usually the only thing that will save you.
Lean on Default.
It is easy to fall into a routine when grinding. Although the game’s Brave / Default system offers an innovative hook for an ancient genre, once you discover the enemies of a dungeon, you can comfortably return to traditional turn-based combat by sending Brave to take out cannon fodder in one turn. No matter how strong you are, this strategy will not work against Bravely Default 2bosses of.
Unlike normal battles, you must start all fights by eliminating all of your characters, accumulating at least one BP. Throughout the fight, you must strive to keep your BP above zero. The last thing you want is for your BP to plunge into the negative, allowing the boss to attack you several times before you do anything. And if you see your enemy’s BP stack up to 2 or 3 – which you can identify by pulling information from the battle – you know that a wave of attacks is coming. Make sure to use the pattern with your entire group.
Take out the comrades first.
Yes. The oldest trick in the book applies to Bravely Default 2.
These tips should help you extensively to face the toughest fights in the game. But there are some who will give you a try for your money, no matter how familiar you are with best practices. Here’s how to deal with them.
Spoilers go on to the identities of some Bravely Default 2 antagonists.
Bernard (Chapter 1)
Dude, fuck Bernard. The first boss fights aren’t exactly walks in the park, but you can deal with them. I believe you. This first fight against Bernard, however, is where things get real.
He is weak as a lightning bolt, so if you level up a Black Mage to level 8, you will be able to use the Thundara spell. (Bonus points if you have maximized your work and unlocked Thundaga.) Just make sure you have a lot of Ethers available. His evasion is through the roof too, so don’t fire four moves in a row, otherwise you could lose some and do a lot less damage than you expected.
You will get the job of Thief by defeating this idiot.
Galahad (Chapter 2)
Dude, fuck Galahad. Don’t get too stressed the first time you face it. Bravely Default 2 apply that annoying trick in which you think you’re going to have a long fight, but in reality, it was just a narrative interlude that ends after a robbery or two.
The second time you face Galahad, however, is another story. He will be accompanied by three demons. You will have to defeat all three for the fight to end, but focus first on the one with the staff, as he will cast healing spells. Using a bard to put Galahad to sleep can help. A Monk’s Pressure Point move (unlocked at class level 11) is particularly useful for this fight, as it can circumvent the defensive boost Galahad receives from Defaulting.
You will get the Shieldmaster job for defeating this idiot.
Bishop Helio and Gladys (Chapter 3)
Dude, fuck Bishop Helio and Gladys. You must get Helio out first, and not just because he runs a murder cult disguised as a benevolent religion. In terms of strategy, he has less HP than Gladys. In addition, irritatingly, it launches a lot of movements that keep the health of both of them afloat. Increase your BP to 3 for all members of the group, then brave three times and unleash a blast on the good bishop. A Monk with the Pressure Point ability or a Thief with the Godspeed Strike ability (or both!) Can do a lot of damage in one turn.
The main care with Gladys is his accountant. Throughout the battle, she will assume several postures, one of which (the Fluid Posture) allows her to automatically contract all physical attacks. If you set up a group member to trigger four consecutive moves, that person will be pretty much a hopeless case. It is much safer to reduce her health by one or two attacks at a time, while using your healer to keep everyone afloat.
You will get the jobs of Spiritmaster and Swordmaster for defeating these idiots.
Adam (Chapter 4)
Dude, fuck Adam and his stupid goatee. For the first part of the fight, he’s not that bad. He will attack you stupidly with double-edged blows that do more damage to him. Just keep healing and you will be fine.
During the final stage of the battle, however, he will begin using an attack that can knock down any member of his group with one strike – and will sometimes use it on all members of the group at once. Make sure to bring a Spiritmaster along in order to launch Reraise one for everyone. Freelancer work also helps a lot, as you will have a 50 percent chance of surviving any attack with at least 1 HP, at which point you can revive everyone else. This last phase is a war of attrition, but with a solid defensive line, you will bring it down.
You will get the Hellblade job for defeating this idiot.
The boss fights on Bravely Default 2 they are undoubtedly a challenge, but they are also one of the strongest selling points of the game. They force you to use the Brave / Default combat system. They require a deep understanding of the game’s intricate work and equipment clashes. RPG games often allow you to stay in the background, where you are just touching the buttons, making the moves. Whatever it is, the boss fights on Bravely Default 2 push back against it. In my opinion, it is worth an occasional headache.
Oh, and you can hear the melody of the boss fight. This music rules.