Question about breaks

[RuleofTwo]

I got all the way to yiaz without using breaks but he's just doing too much damage on me so I guess i have to seek out wither now. During battle do you have to cast these multiple times or does one time suffice to get the debuffs? Thanks. Also I missed out on the genji gloves with stealing from one of the guys I already killed and I don't feel like doing 30 cryptic hunts to get them. Can I beat yiazmat without them? Even with the dark blade/berzerk i'm just not doing enough damage on him. I'm about level 70.

[Floydster]

Use Reverse and Decoy on someone.

[RuleofTwo]

yeah ive used both of those, still can kill your character too fast if its not on your tank for even 1-2 seconds.

[RuleofTwo]

Well this games old so this forums dead but for breaks are stackable, looks like up to 6 times and they do last the entire fight. So I guess i'll have to stop being lazy and go collect them.

[Hinnyuu]

The standard strategy for Yiazmat before TZA used to simply involve a tank with Decoy + Reverse, as stated above. If you keep Decoy up it won't hit the non-tanks, and proper timing will result in minimal gaps on the Reverse. The instant-K.O. that Yiazmat sometimes inflicts with its attacks is the only problem - nothing protects against that. To combat that, I'd recommend having a Decoy-buffed tank on the reserve, and swapping them in immediately once it happens. Resurrect the other tank first thing, and then cycle through like that until dead.

Now that breaks works on bosses, of course, it's a trivial fight if you use Wither. Breaks stack indefinitely, and last until you leave the zone - after a few applications, Yiazmat will hit like a wet noodle and you could beat it to death with just about anything.

[RuleofTwo]

That dungeon in Pharos where wither sits is hell without ribbons. Sometimes I wish getting essential items in this game wasn't such a long cryptic affair. Thanks for the response

[Hinnyuu]

Originally posted by Furi0sa:

That dungeon in Pharos where wither sits is hell without ribbons. Sometimes I wish getting essential items in this game wasn't such a long cryptic affair. Thanks for the response

Ribbon is probably the most overrated item in the game. You really don't need it - just use protection items against the statuses that are most relevant, like Confuse. With gambits set up to cure statuses in addition to that, you shouldn't have huge problems in Pharos Subterra.

[RuleofTwo]

Thanks again for the help. I didn't bother getting all the breaks and I forgot to stack up on ether before the fight. I had 30 at the beginning of the battle and I didn't want to restock so I just turned off any attack spells with Ashe. I just used wither, didn't have the magic break spell. It wasn't that easy for me as he started just raping my squad at the end. Everyone was KO at one point, Basch quickly used arise on my mvp White/Red mage Penelo and Berzerker zombie Balthier finished him at the last minute like a crazed hatchet man. Probably one of my favorite final fantasy bosses ever as it was a grindy sweet spot. I wasn't OP and it was down to the wire.