Anyone up for a Character Usage Manual?

[Punkaiser]

If my theory is right, then badeaux would need just 121 speed to cast howling rune before 180 speed Shiro.

[ninjaluc79]

My observation is that your theory works if you equipped your fastest party member with Spark AND let him attack.

I put Riou (my Spark bearer) on defense, Badeaux was at 123 SPD, Shiro at 180. Shiro still attacked first before Badeaux's Howling Rune connected.

[Punkaiser]

So it wasn't 1.5x , may be a certain amount of speed then.

EDIT: Allright, the magic number is 30. I just tested with those guys:
Shiro: 132
rina:103
chaco:102
taiho: 101
chaco before leveled up:100

rina always cast healing spell before shiro attack regardless her position. Chaco before leveled up and taiho always cast healing after shiro's attack. Chaco after leveled up cast healing before shiro if his position is in front of shiro and vice versa if their positions are reversed.

[ninjaluc79]

My Badeaux was at 140 SPD, Shiro at 180. Howling Rune comes first before Shiro's attack.

But I say 30 is a safe number, just to be sure. But at least I know now that I didn't have to equip him with Gale Rune. Windspun Armor and Winged Boots are enough.

[Punkaiser]

My Badeaux was at 140 SPD, Shiro at 180. Howling Rune comes first before Shiro's attack.

Damn, i see another theory to prove here: 1.3x speed modifier

[ninjaluc79]

^ 1.3x SPD modifier, it is.

Badeaux - 141
Shiro - 180
Howling comes first before Shiro's attack.

If your theory is correct, then Badeaux needs ~139 SPD at Level 60 to cast Howling before Lv 60 Shiro's attack.

[KFCrispy]

Howling Rune doesn't boost Gadget, does it?

[Punkaiser]

gadget belongs to beast group, so howling rune does affect him, but kobolds don't because we can hone up their weapon and dress them up like any other human.

[veeshadow]

Story wise, Kobold also can talk too and not as requirement to recruit Badeaux as well...

[ninjaluc79]

Oh crap, Howling Rune actually works on Gadget!

Now his mob-clearing Unite with Meg equipped with Lubricating Oil would definitely be awesome!

[Punkaiser]

Story wise, Kobold also can talk too and not as requirement to recruit Badeaux as well...

Gadget can talk although he's beast type, I never tried to take him to recruit Badeaux, may be it won't work.

[ninjaluc79]

Tried recruiting Badeaux with Gadget. Didn't work.

[KFCrispy]

Obviously Gadget is not actually a beast so it would have been very strange if they wrote in a way to have Gadget recruit Badeaux, but in the game's battle system, they had to code him like a beast (to have the same stat multipliers and no weapon/equipment) which allows the Howling Rune to work on him!

[ninjaluc79]

Agreed. Gadget isn't actually a beast but they have to code him as a beast.

BTW, I know it's kinda old but I saw that the best way to counter the Blood Armor's -15HP per turn penalty was to equip items that heal HP per turn. Thing is, not everyone can wear Silver Hats or Silver Shields and Water or Flowing Runes on weapons don't seem to be a good buy if one's going to build a Blood Armor user into a DD.

I say use Blood Armor on people you would build as pure physical tanks, and surprisingly, (usually) sub-standard characters like Gengen can be built into a 300 DEF tank with nice magic resistance through a full MDEF set and a Flowing Rune on the weapon. Not really high compared to say Humphrey or Gadget, but 300 DEF is already a decent value to me (my Riou always has ~240 DEF by the endgame).

Although I have tested this BAT (Blood Armor Tank) strategy on Shield-users like Gengen or Freed, mainly because only the Earth Shield and the Mole Suit gives resistance vs Bronzem's Earth attacks; I want to try this on non-Shielders like say, Viktor or Bolgan.

What do you think about this? Any better ideas for Firefly Tanks?

[Punkaiser]

what exactly are bonuses you get from blood armor except defence?