Uploaded March 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Pretty fly, for a purple guy
Discord: discord.gg/fdSaJv4
Lowdown on the restrictions of this challenge:
Ability Nodes Only (ANO) - You can only activate ability nodes, no raising characters' stats in anyway.
Own Sphere Grid (OSG) - Each character may not leave their own section of the sphere grid. Note that these rules combined mean you can still use key spheres to e.g. teach Lulu Doublecast, Yuna Auto-Life etc.
No Summons (NS) - Self-explanatory, Aeons are OP meatshields
No Overdrives (NO) - Mainly for getting rid of Rikku's Mix, which is ludicrously OP
No Items (NI) - No using items, in or out of battle. Chakra Drops, Revival Beads, Megido Rocks, all those classic FF staples are banned (you can still customize equipment though)
Initial equipment:
Tidus: (Strength +3%, One MP Cost, First Strike) + (Auto-Regen, Auto-Haste, Auto-Shell)
Kimahri: (Piercing, First Strike, Initiative) + (SOS Regen)
Auron: (Piercing, One MP Cost, Evade & Counter, First Strike) + (Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, HP +30%)
Yuna: (One MP Cost) + (Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, Confuseproof, MP +30%)
Lulu: (One MP Cost, Magic Booster, Magic +20%, Magic +10%) + (HP +5%, Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, MP +30%)
Rikku: (One MP Cost, Magic Booster, Magic +20%, Magic +10%) + (Master Thief, Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, Confuseproof)
Wakka: (One MP Cost, Slowtouch, Slowstrike, Zombiestrike) + (HP +20%, SOS Haste, Confuseproof)
In many ways the strategy for this fight is very similar to Coeurlregina, hence the similar equipment setups. I made Yuna a new One MP Cost weapon without Magic Booster, and gave Auron/Lulu odd HP so that Life would revive them at critical HP.
I was actually surprised this was possible at all given that 75% of the time Catoblepas is killing one of your characters with either regular attacks or Pop Fly. There are a few tricks you can use to increase your odds of survival. Having Auron take the hits whenever possible can divert his attention long enough to keep Yuna and Rikku alive, which is the main goal in these fights since they're your only source of revival magic. SOS Reflect is once again essential, because 25% of the time he casts Flare which not only rebounds for massive damage but also is a rank 5 move meaning he doesn't get another turn for ages.
He is vulnerable to Mental Break (50% resistance) so you should be able to inflict that in a couple of uses. His mdef is already pretty low but every little helps. Once again, have Yuna apply Auto-Life constantly while Lulu double Flares and Auron Guards as much as possible. Bring in Rikku only if it's absolutely necessary (Full Life) or if everyone is alive and under Auto-Life and you just want some backup damage with Copycat. Just don't have her out attacking if Auron isn't alive and guarding. Zombie Wakka is needed once more for his MP restoring capabilities, and as before you should manipulate your allies' reflect status with Pray and Demi as necessary. Finally, he casts Ultima when his HP reaches 0, so hopefully at least one character has Auto-Life at this point.
You are hoping for a run where he doesn't use physical attacks too many times in succession. If he goes 8-10 turns without using Flare it can end a run just like that depending on his targetting. This attempt had a bad start and I think I kinda wrote it off around 2:30 thinking I'd die any second, but it ended up going really smoothly. Overall this was a tough fight but not quite as bad as Coeurlregina - I think this one took about 10-15 attempts.
Pretty fly, for a purple guy
Discord: discord.gg/fdSaJv4
Lowdown on the restrictions of this challenge:
Ability Nodes Only (ANO) - You can only activate ability nodes, no raising characters' stats in anyway.
Own Sphere Grid (OSG) - Each character may not leave their own section of the sphere grid. Note that these rules combined mean you can still use key spheres to e.g. teach Lulu Doublecast, Yuna Auto-Life etc.
No Summons (NS) - Self-explanatory, Aeons are OP meatshields
No Overdrives (NO) - Mainly for getting rid of Rikku's Mix, which is ludicrously OP
No Items (NI) - No using items, in or out of battle. Chakra Drops, Revival Beads, Megido Rocks, all those classic FF staples are banned (you can still customize equipment though)
Initial equipment:
Tidus: (Strength +3%, One MP Cost, First Strike) + (Auto-Regen, Auto-Haste, Auto-Shell)
Kimahri: (Piercing, First Strike, Initiative) + (SOS Regen)
Auron: (Piercing, One MP Cost, Evade & Counter, First Strike) + (Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, HP +30%)
Yuna: (One MP Cost) + (Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, Confuseproof, MP +30%)
Lulu: (One MP Cost, Magic Booster, Magic +20%, Magic +10%) + (HP +5%, Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, MP +30%)
Rikku: (One MP Cost, Magic Booster, Magic +20%, Magic +10%) + (Master Thief, Auto-Haste, SOS Reflect, Confuseproof)
Wakka: (One MP Cost, Slowtouch, Slowstrike, Zombiestrike) + (HP +20%, SOS Haste, Confuseproof)
In many ways the strategy for this fight is very similar to Coeurlregina, hence the similar equipment setups. I made Yuna a new One MP Cost weapon without Magic Booster, and gave Auron/Lulu odd HP so that Life would revive them at critical HP.
I was actually surprised this was possible at all given that 75% of the time Catoblepas is killing one of your characters with either regular attacks or Pop Fly. There are a few tricks you can use to increase your odds of survival. Having Auron take the hits whenever possible can divert his attention long enough to keep Yuna and Rikku alive, which is the main goal in these fights since they're your only source of revival magic. SOS Reflect is once again essential, because 25% of the time he casts Flare which not only rebounds for massive damage but also is a rank 5 move meaning he doesn't get another turn for ages.
He is vulnerable to Mental Break (50% resistance) so you should be able to inflict that in a couple of uses. His mdef is already pretty low but every little helps. Once again, have Yuna apply Auto-Life constantly while Lulu double Flares and Auron Guards as much as possible. Bring in Rikku only if it's absolutely necessary (Full Life) or if everyone is alive and under Auto-Life and you just want some backup damage with Copycat. Just don't have her out attacking if Auron isn't alive and guarding. Zombie Wakka is needed once more for his MP restoring capabilities, and as before you should manipulate your allies' reflect status with Pray and Demi as necessary. Finally, he casts Ultima when his HP reaches 0, so hopefully at least one character has Auto-Life at this point.
You are hoping for a run where he doesn't use physical attacks too many times in succession. If he goes 8-10 turns without using Flare it can end a run just like that depending on his targetting. This attempt had a bad start and I think I kinda wrote it off around 2:30 thinking I'd die any second, but it ended up going really smoothly. Overall this was a tough fight but not quite as bad as Coeurlregina - I think this one took about 10-15 attempts.
