New to the series (Random first post)

[Shasarazawoowoo]

No problem. He is extremely powerful, as mentioned before, and he and Zerase on the same team are basically enough to take out anything you come across in no time flat (Zerase on her own can do that, really, slap a Magic Absorb Rune on her weapon and everyone's fucked). I tried mixing up my team some on my second playthrough some months back, but he seemed to keep sneaking his way in there. He's pretty adorable and hilarious, very nice guy, so I don't mind him popping up (crazy obsessed with Mueller, though, although it's understandable to a point when you learn his backstory. I mean, seriously, get their bath scene next time if you haven't yet. It's hilarious).

[Jocky]

I think if I remember rightly I tried to to as much as I could on my first play through but I must have missed their bath scene out!! And even if I didn't, it's been at least a year since the last time I played SV. But you have definitely piqued my interest!! I promised myself that the next time I played it that Zerase would be firmly side-lined so as to make the game a bit more of a challenge. There have been a few over-powered characters in other games but none as much so as her!! Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing it again. And if I get another day or 2 of solid play like yesterday, I should be finished SII by Wednesday. Now onwards to the liberation of Greenhill!

[Piisuke]

I disagree with Jocky on using Richard though. Apart from Cathari and Zerase, he's simply too good. As a melee fighter, he's so far ahead of anybody, it's scary.

In all honesty Piisuke, I have never actually used him! I just knew that he was a decent fighter with a fairly good unite with Hazuki. Is he really that powerful?! His demeanour in the game (always on about Mueller?!) made me think he was fairly average, because he never showed any extraordinary strength or magic skill, in fact he always seemed like he had his head in the clouds! What is it that makes him so unique then? Or is there a particular setup that he needs in order to make him seriously over-powered?

He counters almost every single attack, dodges almost every single long range attack, hardly ever misses and usually hits three times or more, often hitting 5 times in a single attack. Richard is unusually good.

I forgot which tactic it was, but it was the tactic where your characters are positioned in two triangles on top of each other (could be the Tiger one). If you place Richard up front, enemies tend to attack him and he just kills entire groups on his own.

[darkknightkv]

Well my final team for paythough number two is set.

Leading off in the front row I have Raven with a firefly rune. Boosted up evasion and HP stealing.

My two second row people are Isabel and Mathias teamup. Isabel with the double edge and boost runes. Mathias being my support mage/fighter with mother earth and Wind.

Down the line is my ranged and heals. I am using Lu, boosting up her speed and multi strike, she is sporting a nice Multi-strike rune. She does not hit every hard but she hits a lot. On the other side is the main char, who is my healer. He is using the dawn rune, flowing rune, and shield rune....A bit much maybe but it's fun.

In the back is VIKI! Chain magic is wayyy too much fun. Gave her a nice thunder/rage rune combo's to go along with the blinking rune and she is set.

I really wanted to use others but they just come so freakin late in the game it's no fun.

[Jocky]

That sounds like a pretty well rounded team you've got lined up there darkknightkv! Not outrageously powerful, with Richard or Zerase but yet not insanely difficult to keep alive either with weirdo's like Cornelio or Wabon. I cant wait to get back on to SV for another run through! It's just so much fun choosing a different combination of people to be in your party than before! By using Zerase last time I felt as though I had cheated somehow. But this time, just like yourself, with a new team I'm hoping to put a bit more challenge into the game!! Have fun dude!

[darkknightkv]

Yeah, finished Suikoden 5 again....My team SUCKED for the final fight. Wow, I had completely forgotten about the final boss when making my team. I was using the arrow formation I think which was:

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I know, bad picture but you get the point, Raven was out in front with only a firefly rune. He could not last a single round since they all used magic and I forgot to give him ANY magic defense.

My second row was Mathias and Isabel, Isabel cannot take a hit so she went down quickly and Mathias shortly after.

Lu was on the left, she really is a 1 hit KO.

Finally Prince on the right and Viki on the last row, they both are good vs magic.

I died 5 times before finally beating him. It was sooo much easier the first time with a completely overpowered party. Two times I tried to take down his minions first and that failed so I went with forcusing on just him, that failed 3 times until I got some extreme luck.

I looked up the boss and he has 14000 HP. The last fight, Raven and Lu's contributions were nearly non-existant. Isabel and Mathias did around 8000 HP to him. Viki was able to do around 1000 dmg per round if chain magic went off which it did not several times. So the first was mainly Viki and the prince, the boss could not take them down in one round and kindless rain from the prince healed em, I finally ran out and viki went down, prince lived with something like 100 hp. I am adding up all the dmg I did and the healing and see that I was only 300-ish HP away (I was keeping notes with pen and paper). I had one more level 4 magic attack left for the dawn rune. I used it...The boss attacked first. Prince goes down, I shed a tear UNTIL he rose again, a long forgotten jizo in the Princes bag let him attack once more for 600 dmg. The end.

So yeah, I kinda wanna play it a third time just to get a better last boss group, maybe use more late game chars.

[Jocky]

Wow!! That sounded like a hard ass fight!! Did you rush through the game or were you taking time to level up and stuff? What was your finishing time?
Like you though, I totally forgot that the end boss is a magic beast!! So high M-def is a must!! But hey ho, we live and learn. Maybe whats needed next time then is maybe not any overpowered characters still, but just being choosy when it comes to picking too many members with a low m-def. Maybe having half fighters, and half, long-range, high m-def magic or bow users? Would Isato and Urda fit the bill possibly? Any other suggestions for long range, non-overpowered characters anyone?

[darkknightkv]

Yeah, it was a rough go the second time. I know where my mistakes were so if I play again I should be golden. Raven is not a good tank for it when I invested nothing in his magic def. Isabel and Lu both were stacked with runes that cause them to take more dmg which is not good since the boss has attacks that hit multiple targets.
In addition I realllly under used Mathias....Ishould really be tossed into the nearest bog, lake, river, steam, puddle, pond, ocean, sea, or swamp for the way I under-used him. He was going to be my mage hybrid but instead I just stuck him with a mother earth and cyclone rune which I never used and put a turtle rune on him just to use the combo attack over and over.

I will say the prince makes a great healer, also saves you a spot from needing to put someone else there.

As for your question on ranged attackers in the game, it's kinda hard to find one that is not really overpowered in some way. Urda and Cathari are really stong. Lu hits a billion times per attack, and Killey gets 3 open rune slots which allows you to make him superman.

Maybe Sharmista? She is pretty much Sialeeds just later on (Or so I am told). But you get her sooo late.

[Jocky]

It's a shame you didn't use Mathias to his full potential. I found him to be a fairly impressive water user while still being a decent hard hitter. As for Sharmista and Nifsara, I'd like to have given them a try but you do get them soooooo late its hard to integrate and get used to them. What about the Island Nations trio? Bernadette & Nelis should be decent long range rune attackers, and having Yahr thrown in, with is Angry Dragon and a Fury Rune make him a great tank!!