Beating Apollo, for n00bs

Not a thorough step-by-step walkthrough, unfortunately, only some advice on beating this game's "PvP" enthusiast, Apollo. This guide's just for n00bs like myself who wouldn't figure this stuff out easily, and would prefer an easy-to-find Steam community guide over scouring internet fora.

The Basics

The crux of this fight (PvP), compared to any other fight (PvE) in this game, is that Apollo is as quick on his feet as Lea should be, maybe even better. His raison d'être is to make sure you do, or at least know how to, effectively use a group of core game mechanics, called Combat Arts. He'll keep you on your toes with the sheer amount of Arts he'll use on you. If you hope to have a chance of beating him without losing a single round (whether for the Trophy/achievement or just to prove your grit), you'll have to use at least a few yourself, which means levelling up and spending those Cross Points on your Circuits - but not completely randomly, you do have to choose the perks you plan to benefit from.

If you're reading this you probably wanna get it right the first time. Remember to save before each fight, you'll be reloading it quite often if you're anywhere as bad as I am.

• Remember that there are 4 types of Combat Arts, which each branch in a group in one direction on the skill tree: Melee Arts, Throwing Arts, Dash Arts, and Guard Arts.
  
  
• You can activate one by hitting the Combat Art key (default bind is Space) while performing the relevant action (i.e. hit Space during melee swings to activate a Melee Art, or during a dash to activate a Dash Art).
  
  
• Holding the key should power up the level/strength of the Art you use, depending on whether you unlocked it yet and if you have enough Special Points (the units on the meter next to your health bar).
  
  
• In general, I would recommend prioritising Melee Arts, Guard Arts, and defensive passive skills when grinding Cross Points for upcoming fights with Apollo.
  
  
• During Apollo's vulnerable phase (during which he'll be flashing red and moving sluggishly), spending a Special Point or 2 to use a Melee Art on him would help cause a lot of extra damage.
  
  
• In case you can't dash-dodge all of his balls (he's very fast), remember to raise your Guard to absorb the few inevitable projectile hits. When he comes in close for a melee attack, activate your Guard Art right before he lands a hit (or at least before he lands a second hit).
  
  
• I don't recall ranged attacks or Throwing Arts ever being very useful in any of these battles, except when Apollo was vulnerable and I was too far away to use a Melee Art on him. I don't recommend using Throwing Arts at all, and only using ranged attacks during vulnerable phases, if ever. Apollo is too quick, and easily dodges nearly all ranged attacks. Shooting slows down your own movement, and you need to be as fast as Apollo if you want to dodge his attacks.
  
  
• This tip is entirely optional, but if you can master Perfect Guarding (raising your guard in the instant before an enemy lands a hit on you), it would stun Apollo and allow more opportunities to whittle his health bar down. If this sounds appealing, it's worth the practice as it can come in very handy.
  
  
• Remember to practise your new skills on local monsters before fighting Apollo, so you know how to use them effectively.

Duel 1: Showdown at Bergen Trail

When Apollo initially challenges you, there will be an entire area (Autumn's Rise) to grind and complete quests before you reach the fight's location. You should easily be able to level up since the early levels don't require so much XP, and spend the CP you earn from levelling up on Combat Arts. Spending any CP on Throwing or Dash Arts so early in the game would be inadvisable, since enemies are still easy enough to deal with using mainly Melee, Apollo is hard to hit with ranged attacks, and he doesn't take enough damage from Dash Arts to be worth unlocking those yet.

At this point, neither you nor Apollo will have access to much overpowered gear or any damage types outside Normal, so just equipping the gear with the highest levels or best defense stats that you own should be fine. (If you want to take absolutely every precaution, grind for the Bronze set, sans the Goggles - get a Cooling Veil instead.)

Duel 2: Showdown at Maroon Valley

This one gets a little more challenging, as by this point you and Apollo will be playing with fire. Remember not to spam elemental attacks, to avoid Elemental Overload, since you want to be able to use Heat attacks when Apollo's vulnerable (they do more damage than the base damage type, Neutral).

Dash Arts will be more useful this time, as well as some Heat-resisting passive skills, so unlocking those on your skill tree would be smart. As far as I know, using Heat on another "player" shouldn't have resistance, unlike using Heat on Heat-type monsters, so feel free to spend the entire fight with Heat mode activated (except when your Elemental meter is close to filling, obviously).

Don't stay too close to Apollo, he can easily burn you with his new Throw Arts. He comes in close when he intends to melee and you can more easily Dash Art through him and Melee Art whenever he's vulnerable (red) or stunned by a Guard Art, but if you can't K.O. him during the round where he places Heat landmines before he actually places the mines, then dance carefully around the perimeter of the ring - they cause massive damage to you if you slip within their radius.

(If you want to take no chances with gear, I recommend the Steel set.)

Duel 3: Showdown at Gaia's Garden

By this point, you hopefully know how to deal with most of Apollo's tactics - just stay out of his reach but activate Guard Arts when he comes in close for Melee. The only thing to note this time that I can remember is that if he switches to an element, make sure you're not currently in the inverse of that damage type, as that would leave you susceptible to extra damage. (E.g. if he's using Heat attacks, make sure you're not in Cold mode, and vice versa.)

Good luck!

With skill, you should beat Grasshead easily. Whether or not you succeed, I appreciate feedback, even if my guide sucks. Good luck!

[ChanceFreely]

@navyboyslocum Achievement hunters exist, you know that right?

[navyboyslocum]

I barely ever use any of the combat arts and dealt with him just fine the second time around. Was too underleveled for the first battle but I just didn't care, you don't get anything for winning anyways other than the achevment which does nothing for you in game other than a "hey look, I did it! yay" feeling it gives you afterwards. It's really not that important to win the PvP from what I can see

[Light0234]

remember that dash arts also come with invincibility and are a fast way of escaping or trading blows

[Fylo]

i really recomend using arts that lock the oponent in a combo, like "Vermillion Echo" (one of the heat melee arts), or "Song of Storms" (one of the melee shock melee arts), or even "Flickering Stars" (one of the shock dash arts). And also, most of the multi hit ranged arts are really usefull, "Hail Storms" (one of the cold ranged arts) is really good, because it shoots a bunch of homing projectiles, and homing projectiles are really usefull against Apolo's speed. And of course, we can't forget about one of the (in my opinion) best ranged arts in the game, "Ether Snipe" (one of the wave ranged arts) the damage is absurd, if you can hit it once (wich isn't really hard btw) you can probably kill Apolo instantly.

[Dther]

This is good advice, but I've beaten duels 2 and 3 and the shizuka duel by adopting the following simple strategy:

Step 1. Get the Guard Sphere art.
Step 2. Max out defence using the gear available.
Step 3. Activate Guard Sphere art.
Step 4. Beat the ever loving crap out of him without impunity using your newfound immortality hacks

Bonus points: Abuse Pin Body enough and you won't even need step 4. I even managed to beat Shizuka without hitting her once in the final rounds. Pin Body is insane when she uses that one Ice Melee Art that does like 10,000 damage.

[Knight9910]

The way you beat people like Apollo is to block them and report their harassment to the GMs.

...too bad that's not an option in the game. :p

[Galactica Racer]

The neutral dash art that focuses on a single target is op in the first PvP. The second-level variant is also pretty good in the second PvP.

[Ceraldus]

Flare Burn, the upgraded flame shot art, can OHK him in the Gaia fight. didn't try with Kindling Fanfare, but the basic version of it, Recoil Trumpet, is a great way to get the SP needed, and generally breaks him so you have a second to Flare Burn.

[Deuce:]

I'd like to add that using a dash art (level 1 works fine) right after Grasshead lands the 3rd hit of the basic melee combo (the one where Lea and him do the spin) will allow you to escape his melee art. You need to have the Crimson/Indigo Strike for fire/Ice, and either for normal. To execute, simply dash art to the nearest piece of astroturf when being pummeled, during the 3rd basic melee, preferrably as soon as it happens. (mashing usually works)

[(kl0n) ᗜˬᗜ 👍]

Thanks for catching that, I left it out mainly because playing defensively seemed to be better for me, as him being vulnerable to an element that makes you equally vulnerable to HIS (if not more, because he usually can't be hit (easily) for the majority of the time he spends in an element).

Also major thanks for the info on him using a specific Cold Guard Art! I never noticed that myself due to playing it safe and just using Throwing Arts mainly, lol.