Either way is fine since they are pretty different. Story stuff is easier in a vacuum but you have to manage your MP through the chapter (really only a ch.17 issue. ch.18 was a cake walk imo). The challenges are easy till the last one, which requires some planning, but you get 50% mp recovery every match, so you can go hard on your best spells. I did all the VR stuff then moved on to do the last 2 chapters.
There is a VERY good Reward for beaten the VR missions fully, but make no mistake. They are HARD to beat.
IF you need any help. just remember that Elemental + Fire/Ice/Thunder on Armor (while mastered) is your friend.
Dope thanks for the help, much appreciated. Although it was tough, I changed my loadouts out and went in to finish the challenges before continuing on with the game. That last one though, it was mad tough. Here's all I did.
Cloud, Aerith and Barrett was the team I used.
1st, Shiva - MAD tough. I kept dying here and I couldn't figure out how to do it. I then tested some things and settled on giving Cloud Elemental + Ice his armor so he couldn't be damaged by the ice and Barrett Elemental + Lightning with his weapon. With Cloud not being damaged I kept wailing on her until I could get some Firaga's off. Aerith healed everyone, Cloud beat her down, Barrett assisted. She was taken out pretty easily any time once I did this.
2nd, Fat Chocobo - Really easy, mad easy. Just punished repeatedly, had no trouble any time I faced him and didn't lose once.
3rd, Leviathan - Alright, this one was super tough. Initially I didn't have enough MP to face him but after fixing the loadout a bit more I made it work. By this point, Shiva was easy to beat and I made sure I didn't use any MP in the Fat Chocobo fight so I'd have a lot stored up here. Barrett switched between being the main damage dealer with his Lightning + Elemental combo and putting Barrier on everyone. Aerith healed and revived when needed, Cloud was up close doing damage and at times used Lighting and Arise. The first few times I couldn't beat him but after constant tries I eventually got him down. Manawall was king here.
4th, Bahamut - When I made it to him he tore me up the first time but around the 3rd-4th time I had gotten the Leviathan fight down well. Cloud was the main damage dealer and his Counterstance was the savior here. He did damage up close as he kept his ATB bar stocked so any time Bahamut was gonna attack that Counterstance came in. As always Aerith was the healer, that was basically her job the entire way through. Anyway, Ifrit was a problem but by the 3rd time of seeing him I took him out quickly. Megaflare was trouble but luckily Arise came in handy to bring another person back but they weren't around long. By the end of the fight it was basically Aerith and Ifrit and they were about to die. Ifrit then did his ultimate and killed Bahamut. I lucked out in the end here. Had that not happened I would have lost.
5th, Pride and Joy - Only faced him once. He was trouble with the whole "grabbing character" thing but the main thing with him is that Barrett had his Elemental + Lighting combo, Cloud had Lighting and even though I barely made it out of the last round, as soon as this one started I used Haste to have Aerith heal everyone. He was easy.
So all in all from hardest to easiest in how many times I fought them and how tough it was...
- Shiva
- Leviathan
- Bahamut
- Pride and Joy
- Fat Chobobo
That loadout change was king though. After figuring out what I could do, it was easy so taking that into account the hardest to easiest was probably
- Bahamut
- Leviathan
- Shiva
- Pride and Joy
- Fat Chocobo
Other things I did through all 5 rounds was this.
First Strike - Cloud had this so as soon as the round started I either used Haste or attacked the summon with whatever elemental worked on them.
Revival Earrings - Honestly, I had these on in the first tries but on the try where I won? I didn't have them, just had Supernatural Wristguards and Circlet on and that did the job.
Elemental - I MADE SURE I used both of these to my advantage. Without them I couldn't do it.
Ray of Judgement - Anytime a summon was staggered or whenever I knew I could get one of these off Aerith lit em up.
Those AOE attacks you can't avoid - Diamond Dust, Megaflare, Tidal Wave, whatever, Aerith always had the team fully healed or near fully healed before these hits and if not Barrett had Manawall ready. Always had an out.
HP/MP/Magic Up - Had at least a combo of 2-3 of these on all characters at all times. Needed it.
Welp, there ya go. That's my trek through those challenges lol.
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