Arth | Final Fantasy XIII-2 - Coliseum DLC - Valfodr Lv. 99 / No Items / No DLC (8:04) @arthogonal | Uploaded May 2012 | Updated October 2024, 1 day ago.
Four Staggers, no DLC recruits. If you get sloppy or play more conservatively, you may need five. It is definitely recommended to use your full-ATB skills during the first two to maximize damage before Valfodr powers up.
The purpose of Meteorite is to extend Stagger duration while Noel boosts the gauge and Serah heals Chichu (if necessary) to maintain Adrenaline. You should try to wait out Chichu's recovery from Meteorite before shifting out of your current Paradigm.
Malevolence is in Cross stance to allow Yakshini to cast Faith on Serah if Fanatical Dance doesn't recharge in time for whatever reason.
Imperil isn't necessary, so don't prioritize it during the second half of the fight. You need to refresh Deprotect and Deshell and be sure to Dispel his Haste before Noel builds the chain too high. If it looks like you're going to Stagger too soon, switch to Noel while in Matador and idle until Haste is gone.
Finally, a complete dissection of Valfodr's behavior, as far as my experience with him has gone:
Phase 1 (after Divine Awakening)
Ultima
Gun attack
Gun attack
Cursega/Slowga
Axe attack
Axe attack
Firaga or Thundaga, followed by gun attack
Bolverk
Then he'll repeat the cycle. Serah will almost certainly fall into the red after the first Bolverk; I lucked out a little bit here, but you should survive with more HP than I did.
Phase 2 (after he powers up at around 50% HP)
Gagnrath
Haste/Bravery/Faith
Quasar
Alternating sequence of gun attacks and axe attacks
Bolverk (may inflict Daze)
Deprotega/Cursega
Then he'll repeat the cycle.
Overall, he's very predictable, and you can play it pretty safely if you don't care about the fastest times. He's easier than Enhanced Power Gilgamesh, but since you can rather easily bypass Enhanced Power, Valfodr is a much harder fight overall because you can't avoid having to deal with his powered-up phase.
Feel free to use items; I never develop strategies dependent on item usage, but otherwise, there's no reason not to do so. You can equip Serah with a Grimoire Hat and Delicate Magician's Mark in place of her Durable Shaman's Mark. Do note that it's a waste of time to use Potions during Stagger, since Chichu will be the only one that needs healing (and you need to do it really quickly).
Good luck.
Four Staggers, no DLC recruits. If you get sloppy or play more conservatively, you may need five. It is definitely recommended to use your full-ATB skills during the first two to maximize damage before Valfodr powers up.
The purpose of Meteorite is to extend Stagger duration while Noel boosts the gauge and Serah heals Chichu (if necessary) to maintain Adrenaline. You should try to wait out Chichu's recovery from Meteorite before shifting out of your current Paradigm.
Malevolence is in Cross stance to allow Yakshini to cast Faith on Serah if Fanatical Dance doesn't recharge in time for whatever reason.
Imperil isn't necessary, so don't prioritize it during the second half of the fight. You need to refresh Deprotect and Deshell and be sure to Dispel his Haste before Noel builds the chain too high. If it looks like you're going to Stagger too soon, switch to Noel while in Matador and idle until Haste is gone.
Finally, a complete dissection of Valfodr's behavior, as far as my experience with him has gone:
Phase 1 (after Divine Awakening)
Ultima
Gun attack
Gun attack
Cursega/Slowga
Axe attack
Axe attack
Firaga or Thundaga, followed by gun attack
Bolverk
Then he'll repeat the cycle. Serah will almost certainly fall into the red after the first Bolverk; I lucked out a little bit here, but you should survive with more HP than I did.
Phase 2 (after he powers up at around 50% HP)
Gagnrath
Haste/Bravery/Faith
Quasar
Alternating sequence of gun attacks and axe attacks
Bolverk (may inflict Daze)
Deprotega/Cursega
Then he'll repeat the cycle.
Overall, he's very predictable, and you can play it pretty safely if you don't care about the fastest times. He's easier than Enhanced Power Gilgamesh, but since you can rather easily bypass Enhanced Power, Valfodr is a much harder fight overall because you can't avoid having to deal with his powered-up phase.
Feel free to use items; I never develop strategies dependent on item usage, but otherwise, there's no reason not to do so. You can equip Serah with a Grimoire Hat and Delicate Magician's Mark in place of her Durable Shaman's Mark. Do note that it's a waste of time to use Potions during Stagger, since Chichu will be the only one that needs healing (and you need to do it really quickly).
Good luck.
