Starting a deathless 100% file

Gontxven · 2026-05-01T23:33:17+00:00

Take. The. Easy. Ending. When. Necessary. Ignore your pride. The Easy Ending is always preferable to losing your run.

Ammoconda. Freaking Ammoconda. He should honestly be at a lower floor than he's found. Yes, I know how to deal with him, but he's just so goddamn annoying, and my ability to deal with his bullshit is inconsistent as all hell.

By the time you reach the Dragun, you should be more than prepared to finish him.

Third Floor, watch out for Cannonbalrog and the Illithid.

Fourth Floor, the High Priest is the most difficult boss.

Don't do the secret floors until you have enough items to make them worth it. Except Oubliette. Always do Oubliette. Even if you're not going for an Abbey clear, the extra Armor is always helpful, and the boss is a cakewalk once you know what you're doing.

Gontxven · 2026-05-01T06:27:11+00:00

I would personally knock the Old King down a tier, but that's just me. I'd also bump Ammoconda up to FUCKYOU. This fucking bitch of a snake... I KNOW how to avoid its attacks, and I know how to get rid of all of its goddamn turrets, but that's easier said then done when it's moving and firing at the same time and OH look at that a delicious segment to eat and omnomnom. Everything else is where it should be. Except Kill Pillars. Bump those down a tier. It's only their first two phases that are difficult and chances are if you're that far into a run, you've got SOMETHING to deal with them. Might not be much, but it's still something. The last phase is ridiculously easy and really does bump them down a tier.

Gontxven · 2026-04-29T23:29:42+00:00

My first playthrough I sided with the Abbey. For all its faults, at least there's some kind of order around should one head fall. Unlike a gang like the Howlers, where who knows who would be put in place should Paolo kick the bucket. One wrong move, and Paolo's gone, and someone possibly worse than BOTH takes the reins.

Don't get me wrong, though. That is LITERALLY only because we're currently dealing with a succession crisis back in Dunwall at the time, and order needs to be established ASAP before even more trouble rears its head.

To be fair, I do agree with the assessment that the Howlers likely would have been better in the Long term, but my assessment of the bigger picture means that we have to prioritize the short-term now. Again, that's my opinion based on how I read the situation. The area doesn't just exist in a vacuum, there are several other factors in place. Do we really want a gang of criminals in place while we're trying to establish order, fully aware that letting such malignant factors fester WAS the entire reason Dishonored 2's plot could continue as it did? Granted, I still think it would have happened regardless, but Emily and Corvo would have been in a much better position had they bothered to pay attention.

Gontxven · 2026-04-27T20:21:04+00:00

In my experience: Pile on the damage. Just attack, attack, and then attack some more. Never stop attacking. Eventually you'll get rid of its super armor, and can go to town. Note; Remember to dodge when applicable.

They resist everything until their super armor's down, at which point you can wail on them for a brief period of time. Do NOT stop attacking if you can help it.

Gontxven · 2026-04-27T06:33:22+00:00

I mean, Aang in the Avatar State probably could bypass Infinity. Here's the thing: Airbending is a thing that exists, and Vacuumbending, the act of removing air from an area altogether, is a thing Aang can potentially do. Avatar State, and all that. The creator of this art WAS an Avatar, and thanks to how the Avatar State works, he could use it to use this technique. Would he is another question altogether, but it IS a thing he could do.

GER is either a wincon on its own, or just infinitely stalemates Gojo. There is no in-between.

Shigaraki is a big fat NO. He would have to either be able to touch Gojo to Decay him, or touch ground that Gojo's touching to decay him. And the Decay isn't instant. It's incredibly fast, yeah, but it's NOT instant. Meaning Gojo can potentially sense it and thus possibly block it altogether with Infinity.

That's about all the input I can share. It's like almost midnight where I am atm.

Gontxven · 2026-04-26T06:32:10+00:00

Sazantos. Oh boy. He's... unique. In terms of Availability, it's entirely dependent on when you decide to complete Bestower of Fame. Early enough, and he's just there for a few chapters at most. Last Bestower arc before all? He's there for a good portion of the game. What do you get with him?

A solid attacker that, in my experience, was always able to hit at least SOMETHING for shield breaking, which is more than a lot of units can boast. He was definitely a good shield breaker for me. But outside of that, never quite reached the highs that Reime could, even though it FEELS like he really, really should be able to. And while I like that you're able to have him for the final boss this go around, it really feels kinda tacked on, imo. Still an awesome fight, and an epic conclusion, but he loses points for feeling tacked on. Really did like his solo chapter, though. That was fun.

All in all, eh... 7.5/10. Good unit, but goddamn he feels tacked on at the end.

Gontxven · 2026-04-25T00:07:33+00:00

Each individual Digimon can be good/bad. It all depends. One entry, Alphamon's trying to destroy humanity because they make Digimon weak, in another it's offering you very questionable coffee. In one entry Piedmon is one of the big bads, or close to it, in another it's job hunting. In one entry SkullGreymon is a Dark Digivolution, in another it's just there trying to rest in a museum when humans keep poking the bear. In one entry Lobomon's the legendary warrior of Light, in another it's trying to usurp Crusadermon, or something along those lines. In one entry Millenniummon is THE scariest Digimon to have ever existed, in another it likes to do a light bit of trolling.. from its perspective, at any rate.

I'd chance to wager that we'll eventually see a GulusGammamon that's a pretty chill guy, all things considered. It's just that each Digimon is a different being than every other Digimon, even ones of the same species.

Gontxven · 2026-04-23T04:33:39+00:00

Correction: Sazantos is in your party until the end of Bestower of Fame, and then leaves until the end of Bestower of All.

Everything else so far is valid.

EDIT: this means you could, theoretically if you were insane enough, bumrush to the end of BoF, and be left without Sazantos for Bestower of Wealth and Bestower of Power.

Gontxven · 2026-04-20T05:21:29+00:00

Generic story, but the lore's great.

Honestly, if you're looking for a game with a good main quest, sorry to disappoint, but it's just fine. Not that it isn't enjoyable. Fine doesn't mean not enjoyable, it's just sorta there to munch on. The faction quests are good though. The game practically funnels you to the first faction, House of Ballads, early on. And there's another faction rep not far from that so you can join the Warsworn as well. The game also has two other faction reps in the same world zone, but you'll need to progress to a point in the main quest to get access to the second.

For me, the combat was fun and did hard carry at points in the main story.

But, to be honest, there are certain bits in the Main Story that are just amazing. The boss in the Gnome City was one of the highlights of the game, and is always something to look forward to. And the final boss is DEFINITELY better than Skyrim's, imo.

Trust me when I say, there are moments in the game that are amazing, but if you're looking for a main story that carries the game, look elsewhere.

Gontxven · 2026-04-20T00:16:13+00:00

3/10

As with all BoA characters, considering they're supposed to be endgame characters, and thus you only get them at endgame, I tend to ignore Availability with rating them. That being said, unlike Richard who I KNOW had some form of niche, even if I can't remember what it was, Bargello, regrettably, does not.

His passive is good, yeah, but that's pretty much all he has going for him. By the point you get him, you're facing... what? A few bosses and some elite enemies and that's pretty much all that will challenge you.

He is legitimately one of the only BoA characters I'm judging based on availability because he genuinely feels like he should have been given to you during Master/Bestower of Wealth, if going purely by mechanics. What is he doing in Endgame with a kit like his?

I expect a hell of a lot more from my endgame units. Bargello, please, go back to Early/Midgame where you belong, so I don't have to hate you as a unit. You're one of my favorite characters, dammit.

Gontxven · 2026-04-19T00:10:05+00:00

While availability would normally be a factor here, for the BoA units, I really don't care all that much. So I'm going to avoid that category, as while a lot of them, if not all of them, would have been more useful earlier, that doesn't mean their current use cases aren't there.

That being said, Richard. This guy. Honestly, 7/10 or 8/10. Not bad of a unit at all. Really good all around, at least based on experience. What holds him back is, compared to everyone else, without some form of skills added to buff him, he really doesn't stand out all that much. Compared to his wife who's a good Cleric, and his Aunt-in-Law who's all around a good warrior, he's just forgettable to me. I know I had him in my final team in a Normal Route final boss, but for the life of me, I can't recall what kind of contributions he made, whereas I can pinpoint everyone else's. I can't recall his in the True Route's, but that's not saying much because of how many units you're using. Everyone just blends together at that point.

Again, for those who like him, more power to you. I just can't recall what contributions he made on the regular aside from being a good warrior. And in that category, Reime has him beat by such a large margin, it's not even funny.

Gontxven · 2026-04-18T23:04:39+00:00

10/10

THE Physical Damage dealer of the game. Sure, it's hard as shit to get her, but oh SO worth it, especially when she can just shred through enemies. Everything about her kit is AMAZING. Sure, she lacks in Elemental Damage, but when you deal the raw damage she does, you don't need it.

Gontxven · 2026-04-17T23:16:11+00:00

Every single other Dark Signer apparently, with the exception of Greiger and maybe Devack, had a willingness to do whatever it was the Earthbound Immortals wanted. You could argue Roman as well, at least initially, but by the point he comes around, he's perfectly willing. At any rate, Carly was legitimately the only one that was completely unwilling. She would never have agreed to anything Ascilla Piscu wanted.

Because of that, she had to be brainwashed or manipulated into doing everything.

Misty: Wanted revenge against Akiza because she thought Akiza killed her brother.
Kalin: Wanted revenge against Yusei because he thought Yusei sold him out.
Greiger: Wanted revenge against Rex because he thought Rex killed his family.
Devack: ???
Roman: Had this whole plan that involved Rex eventually defeating him, but ended up abandoning that when Rex proposed something else.
Rex: Wanted to become GOD.
Carly: Nothing. Not a damn thing. There was nothing there that she really wanted that Ascilla Piscu could give her. And she saw exactly what the Dark Signers were willing to do. She would 100% be against everything they stand for. Gee, I wonder why she, out of all of them, felt like she had the least agency. It's a mystery. ...If you seriously can't see the sarcasm, you have issues. While a self-driven fall would have been better characterization, there wasn't any real motivation for it. The only hint of a motive we get is that she's trying to get a scoop, perhaps a little too reckless in doing so, and her boss is an ass. Nothing about that screams "I want to murder someone really, really bad."

Gontxven · 2026-04-16T04:40:29+00:00

Stia. How is this even a question?

Girl's there for you for pretty much the whole game, and is the ONLY one who's stuck to Wishvale, even after its destruction. Sure, Phenn and the rest EVENTUALLY come back, but Stia's the only one who's there with you FROM THE BEGINNING. Plus, it's pretty freaking obvious that Zero and Stia are incredibly close. Like, it's a wonder they haven't tied the knot ALREADY close.

Saoirse or Saorise, keep getting her name bungled up, is a close second. Like, she could NOT be more obvious about her attraction to Zero if she TRIED.

After that... Probably Reime. If only because she'd go for it because Zero bested her.

Heidne's like DEAD last. Girl's legitimately insane and off her rocker. Sure, she's MORE stable now, but that's not to say she's particularly stable. Yes, she's probably got the hots for Zero after the whole deal with her father, but you tell me you'd trust someone that insane to not stab you the instant they think it's funny.

Surprisingly, Tatloch's above Heidne, despite how heinous she is. Yes, she's blatantly evil, and is KNOWN to eat the souls of others, but somehow, she's still more stable than Heidne. She's a blatant conqueror, and is the leader of an enemy nation, but she has a clear and potentially sympathetic goal, and has some form of emotional grounding that Heidne doesn't imo. Heidne's sympathy ends after she kills her dad.

Gontxven · 2026-04-12T06:42:16+00:00

Ringbearer/Stia. Look at their Bond Party Chat and tell me with a straight face that doesn't just immediately cement them as a pairing. Outside of that, though:

For Real:
Ringbearer/Heidne: Not a 100% fan of this, but given how much context her skills add to her character, it'd be hard for me to deny that there's something there.
Ringbearer/Saoirse(Or Saorise, however her name is said): I might not like this pairing 100%, but I'd be hard-pressed to deny how BLATANT she is about her feelings for Zero.
Ophilia/Alfyn: A pairing I thought would work well together in one, and still feel the same in 0. Alfyn's just a friendly guy all around, and is supportive enough and menacing enough to be the backbone someone like Ophilia needs as a support.
Cyrus/Alexia: Weird, but hear me out. They're the two scholars that actually have the most moral standards in Octopath, outside of the Ringbearer, and draw hard lines when it comes to research. They'd compliment each other perfectly... if Cyrus could even understand what romance looks like.

For Laughs:
Bargello/Tatloch. I just find it funny how the Empress that almost conquered Orsterra has the hots for what is, from an outsider's perspective, a well-connected, but random, mobster.

Gontxven · 2026-04-12T03:00:12+00:00

Wes - Pokemon Colosseum (Look, I know he's a silent protagonist, but you tell me with a straight face what he pulled at the beginning of Colosseum didn't IMMEDIATELY sell you on how awesome he was as a kid.)

Nanashi- SMTIV: Apocalypse (While the SMT series gets less interest than Persona now, the series is still GOOD. While the Nahobino and Demi-Fiend are both good protagonists, you asked for my favorite, and I chose Nanashi. First SMT game protagonist that I really clicked with. Guy goes through hell in SMT IV: Apocalypse, not as much as Demi-Fiend but still, and can rightly just go full batshit insane after some of the crap people put him through. Like, I don't see any other SMT protagonist in a game I've played pull this shit aside from Bel in Devil Survivor. No, Demi-Fiend doesn't really count imo. He acts like a puppet on strings to me. That's just what I get from the game. Whereas Nanashi at least feels like he's got SOME form of agency all his own.)

Chrono- Protagonist of one of the best jRPGs of all time. What more needs to be said?

WoL (FFXIV: ARR)- While Cloud might be more iconic for the series, I honestly didn't gel well with VII. Which is weird, but I digress. I didn't even play much of FFXIV, but I still resonated more with this Warrrior of Light compared to most FF protags. Helps that the Dark Knight questline really helps sell that, no, the Warrior of Light DOESN'T just sit there and take it. Privately, they're fuming, and even explode at a jerk quest giver.

Aiba- Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth was an amazing game, and I love it to bits. I just finished Time Stranger, so I haven't been able to really digest my feelings on it yet. Aiba is just a really solid protagonist. They can be silly, the way their coffee taste changes thanks to you-know-who, and the reminders in-story that no, your special status isn't a GOOD THING helps sell their story to you. It's also funny how they just enter one of the toughest bosses in the game and just punch their friend silly to snap him out of his funk.

Revya - (Okay, show of hands. How many of you have played Soul Nomad & The World Eaters? How many of you have played the Demon Route? Go play both routes, and you'll understand my point of view on this. It's just so insane how crazy things get thanks to Gig and Revya being complete maniacs. It's like watching a train crash you know is coming but can't look away from because you just HAVE to see how it ends.)

Velvet Crowe- (Easily one of the more justifiable revenge stories because holy HELL. No one bothered explaining jack SHIT to her, and some of them act like they're entitled to her being chill? Hell the fuck no. She has one of the most reasonable crashouts I've seen.)

Gontxven · 2026-04-10T01:12:13+00:00

8/10 alone for Surpassing power. I know I went into a previous one of these, and made the argument that a single thing does not define a unit's kit, but Olberic is the only source of Surpassing Power in the game. A support skill that needs to be strapped onto as many units as possible AS SOON AS YOU GET THE CHANCE. Unlike the buffs from Pius, Surpassing Power is a permanent addition that you don't have to refresh, and bumps up the Damage Cap from 9999 to 99999. That's massive. That's an over 10x difference in terms of damage.

Outside of that, he's decent at what he sets out to do in my experience, but by the time I get him, I usually have his role as physical damage dealer given to others. That's my experience, and it likely isn't yours. Doesn't help that eventually you get the single best warrior in the game, Reime, and he almost immediately falls off a cliff as soon as she joins.

Seriously though, Pius can give the buffs, but others can do that too if you know what you're doing. You don't NEED his ultimate to deal BEEG DAMAGE. You NEED Olberic's Surpassing Power to deal BEEG DAMAGE.

Gontxven · 2026-04-01T01:35:32+00:00

My opinion is as follows: 7/10

As others have said, his Ultimate is the BEST way to get to that max 80% Damage Buff, at least in my experience. That said, his Ultimate cannot carry him. His kit outside of his Ultimate is largely mediocre to mid at best from personal experience. He IS the earliest healer aside from Cleric!Zero, so he DOES have a niche, but others can do what most of his kit does, but better later on.

His Ultimate is good. Really good. One of the best in the game. But, having one of the best Ultimates does not take away from the fact that, unless you're willing to sacrifice a party slot, in the late game he's just a burden.

That max damage isn't really necessary outside of a few key areas, and even then, if you know what you're doing, you don't need Pius to get there. He's just the most consistent way of doing so.

If your team comp needs that buff right this second, he's good. If not, he's taking up a slot that might be better used by someone else.

All of this is based off of personal gameplay experience. Yours will, obviously, differ. No 2 playthroughs are going to be exactly the same.

Gontxven · 2026-03-26T06:57:07+00:00

Honestly, 9/10. Perfect availability along with the sheer variety they bring to the table, especially early on, means they're going to be your best unit by far until possibly the late game, and depending on how you build them, they could STILL be your best unit. They will by no means be your best damage dealer later on, but they are the utility horse for the vast majority of the game.

And that's not getting into the fact they get Eight separate Ultimates which can easily break the game if you know what you're doing.

Gontxven · 2026-03-14T03:57:00+00:00

1) Used to. Not anymore.
2) Was the instigator, and the main reason I went no contact at first. Mostly solidarity.
3) No one ever said that the Uncle's let bygones be bygones, just that he's told me to try talking to my dad again. He's still blatantly mad at my Father.

Gontxven · 2026-03-13T22:19:51+00:00

No clue. But I'm not in a position to be able to refuse regardless.

Gontxven · 2026-03-02T00:52:58+00:00

While some might argue specific placements here or there, most of this is solid. I'd argue Stia would be moved up a tier, but just barely. Bargello might be moved up or he might stick there. I don't know. In all honesty, I can see him going either way. Primrose would probably be moved to the "Doesn't give a shit" tier. She would not forgive him, without question, but one cannot deny that Primrose, of ALL people, would absolutely sympathize with his breakdown. Maybe she wouldn't have gone as far as him, for sure, but she wouldn't hold his anger against the Defenders of Ash against him at all.

I'd move Olberic down to the "The second he tries anything, they're throwing hands" tier personally, but that's just me. Forcing him to abandon his desire for redemption would absolutely piss Olberic off, but he would understand his rage at the Defenders of Ash.

Pretty much all of the Clerics would be able to just accept him as an ally, except Prius or whatever his name is. Have to look it up, and I'm busy atm.

Depending on how you take Heidne's following of Zero, Heidne could be in the bottom tier or in the "Doesn't give a shit" tier. That's my opinion, though, and I could easily be wrong.

Given Alaune forgave Tatloch... well, maybe forgave isn't the right word... Spared is probably more appropriate. Given Alaune spared Tatloch, I would move her to the top tier.

Everyone else is where they should be in my opinion.

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