Berserker King

Level: 10
HP: 4067STR: 29INT: 26VIT: 17WIS: 13AGI: 15LUC: 14
EXP Given: 1350

Damage Vulnerabilities:
100% 100% 100%
100% 100% 100%

Disable Vulnerabilities:
75% 50% 50% 50% 75% 50% 50%
0% 10%
50% 50% 50%
  • Ruinous Strike: Deals medium-high cut damage to one row of party members. Slightly slow, and very accurate.
  • Arm Breaker: Deals heavy bash damage to one party member. Attempts to bind the arms of a target, with an extremely high chance. Slightly slow, with average accuracy.
  • Rock Crusher: Deals medium bash damage to one party member, with splash damage. Attempts to inflict blind on hit targets, with a moderately low chance. Slightly slow, with average accuracy.
  • Stunning Roar: Deals medium almighty damage to all party members. Attempts to stun hit targets, with a moderate chance. Extremely fast, with average accuracy.
  • Berserker Rage: Deals overkill cut damage to 3-5 random party members. Slow, with average accuracy.
  • Berserk: Forces the user to only use normal Attacks, but makes their normal Attacks deal overkill damage, for 4 turns. Slightly slow.
  • Ruinous Strike: Deals 120% melee STR-based cut damage to one row of party members. Has an 80% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 120%.
  • Arm Breaker: Deals 140% melee STR-based bash damage to one party member. Attempts to bind the arms of a target, with an 80% base chance. Has a 80% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Rock Crusher: Deals 100% melee STR-based bash damage to one party member, with splash damage. Attempts to inflict blind on hit targets, with a 25% base chance. Has an 80% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Stunning Roar: Deals 100% melee INT-based almighty damage to all party members. Attempts to stun hit targets, with a 30% base chance. Has a 170% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Berserker Rage: Deals 210% melee STR-based cut damage to 3-5 random party members. Has a 70% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Berserk: Increases the user's attack by 185% for 4 turns. Has an 80% speed modifier.
  • Berserker King always opens with Stunning Roar.
  • Berserker King will always Attack when it has the Berserk buff.
  • Berserker King, when it's above 25% HP, will queue Berserker Rage two turns after it last uses it.
    • When it's below 25% HP, it has a 20% chance to use it three turns after last use, and will use it seven turns after last use.
  • Besides all of that, Berserker King's phases are as such, in order of likelihood:
    • Phase 1 (100% to 91% HP): Ruinous Strike, Attack, Stunning Roar.
    • Phase 2 (90% to 76% HP): Use Berserker Rage if it hasn't already been used. Besides that, Ruinous Strike, Attack, and Stunning Roar.
    • Phase 3 (75% to 51% HP): Use Berserker Rage and Arm Breaker if they haven't already been used. Besides that, Arm Breaker, Ruinous Strike, Stunning Roar, Attack.
    • Phase 4 (50% to 26% HP): Use Berserker Rage, Arm Breaker, and Rock Crusher if they haven't already been used. besides that, Rock Crusher, Arm Breaker, Stunning Roar, Ruinous Strike, Attack.
    • Phase 5 (25% HP to death): Use Berserker Rage, Arm Breaker, and Rock Crusher if they haven't already been used. Chance to use Berserk, independent of the other acetions. Besides that, Rock Crusher, Ruinous Strike, Arm Breaker, Stunning Roar, Attack.
  • If Berserker Rage is queued up, use Berserker Rage, and disable use of Berserker Rage.
  • If the Berserker King has the Berserk buff, Attack.
  • If this is the first turn, use Stunning Roar.
  • If the Berserker King is at 25% HP or lower:
    • If Berserker Rage's timer is at 3 turns or higher, Berserker Rage is enabled, and Berserker Rage has already been used, 20% chance to queue up Berserker Rage.
    • If Berserker Rage's timer is at 7 turns or higher, Berserker Rage is enabled, and Berserker Rage has already been used, queue up Berserker Rage.
    • If Berserker Rage is disabled, 30% chance to use Berserk, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • If Berserker Rage has not been used yet, queue up Berseker Rage, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • If Arm Breaker has not been used yet, use Arm Breaker, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • If Rock Crusher has not been used yet, use Rock Crusher, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • 30% chance to use Rock Crusher.
    • 20% chance to use Arm Breaker.
    • 30% chance to use Ruinous Strike.
    • 15% chance to use Stunning Roar.
    • 5% chance to Attack.
  • If Berserker Rage's timer is at 2 turns or higher, and Berserker Rage has already been used, queue up Berserker Rage.
  • If Berserker Rage is not enabled, use Berserk, and enable Berserker Rage.
  • If the Berserker King is at 50% to 26% HP:
    • If Berserker Rage has not been used yet, queue up Berserker Rage.
    • If Arm Breaker has not been used yet, use Arm Breaker, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • If Rock Crusher has not been used yet, use Rock Crusher, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • 40% chance to use Rock Crusher.
    • 30% chance to use Arm Breaker.
    • 10% chance to use Ruinous Strike.
    • 15% chance to use Stunning Roar.
    • 5% chance to Attack.
  • If the Berserker King is at 75% to 51% HP:
    • If Berserker Rage has not been used yet, queue up Berserker Rage.
    • If Arm Breaker has not been used yet, use Arm Breaker, and enable Berserker Rage.
    • 40% chance to use Arm Breaker.
    • 35% chance to use Ruinous Strike.
    • 15% chance to use Stunning Roar.
    • 10% chance to Attack.
  • If the Berserker King is at 90% to 76% HP:
    • If Berserker Rage has not been used yet, queue up Berserker Rage.
    • 60% chance to use Ruinous Strike.
    • 30% chance to Attack.
    • 10% chance to use Stunning Roar.
  • If the Berserker King is at 100% to 91% HP:
    • 50% chance to use Ruinous Strike.
    • 40% chance to Attack.
    • 10% chance to use Stunning Roar.
Drops:
  • Berserker Claw. 100% chance. Sells for 240 en.
    • Dangosashi (+36 ATK, +24 MAT, Skill: Claw Sever): Made from 1 Berserker Claw (Berserker King Drop 1). Costs 650 en.
We already saw Berserker King, but here's its writeup again for completion's sake. The fight is very, very similar to the ambush--in fact, the ambush basically only contains the desperation mechanics, because Berserker King already starts the fight at 50% HP. Here, you just get to work through the earlier, easier phases, to get to what amounts to the ambush fight again.

BUT WAIT THAT'S NOT ALL. Spoilers, yeah, but we're going to be fighting a back-to-back boss fight here, a series first.

Cernunnos

Level: 13
HP: 5074STR: 34INT: 26VIT: 15WIS: 12AGI: 17LUC: 16
EXP Given: 1760

Damage Vulnerabilities:
100% 100% 100%
50% 100% 150%

Disable Vulnerabilities:
50% 75% 50% 50% 50% 75% 50%
0% 10%
50% 50% 50%
  • Silent Stare: Attempts to bind the heads of all party members, with a medium-high chance. Fast.
  • Cross Counter: Counters all physical attacks to Cernunnos on turn of use with overkill bash damage to the attacker. Average accuracy.
  • Combo Smash: Deals heavy bash damage to one party member, with splash damage. Average speed, with average accuracy.
  • Hurricane Punch: Deals medium bash damage to all party members. Attempts to inflict paralysis on hit targets, with a moderate chance. Slightly slow, with average accuracy.
  • Fire Rush: Deals heavy fire damage that pierces party rows. Slightly slow, with average accuracy.
  • Silent Stare: Attempts to bind the heads of all party members, with a 40% base chance. Has a 120% speed modifier.
  • Cross Counter: Counters all physical attacks to Cernunnos on turn of use with 300% melee STR-based bash damage to the attacker. Initial prep has a 600% speed modifier. Counterattacks have a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Combo Smash: Deals 130% melee STR-based bash damage to one party member, with splash damage. Has a 100% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Hurricane Punch: Deals 95% melee STR-based bash damage to all party members. Attempts to inflict paralysis on hit targets, with a 25% base chance. Has an 80% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Fire Rush: Deals 135% ranged INT-based fire damage that pierces party rows. Has an 80% speed modifier and a base accuracy of 99%.
  • Cernunnos uses Cross Counter every 5 turns.
  • Cernunnos summons Healing Rollers at 90%, 50%, and 25% HP. The summoning is delayed if Healing Rollers are already alive.
  • Besides that, Cernunnos works in discrete phases. Skills below are listed in order of chance to be used.
    • Phase 1 (100% to 75% HP): Opens with Silent Stare. After that, Attack, Combo Smash, Silent Stare.
    • Phase 2 (75% to 50% HP): Opens with Hurricane Punch. After that, Combo Smash, Hurricane Punch, Attack, Silent Stare.
    • Phase 3 (50% to 25% HP): Opens with Fire Rush. After that, Fire Rush, Hurricane Punch, Silent Stare, Combo Smash, Attack.
    • Phase 4 (25% HP to death): Hurricane Punch, Fire Rush, Combo Smash, Silent Stare, Attack.
  • If the current turn is a multiple of 5, use Cross Counter.
  • If Cernunnos fell below 90%, 50%, or 25% HP for the first time last turn, it has not done the appropriate summoning yet, and it is the only enemy in the battle, summon two Healing Rollers.
  • If Cernunnos has been at or below 25% HP at any point in the battle:
    • 30% chance to use Hurricane Punch.
    • 30% to use Fire Rush.
    • 25% to use Combo Smash.
    • 10% to use Silent Stare.
    • 5% to Attack.
  • If Cernunnos has been at or below 50% HP at any point in the battle:
    • If this is the first turn that Cernunnos has been at 50% HP or lower, use Fire Rush.
    • 20% chance to use Hurricane Punch.
    • 40% chance to use Fire Rush.
    • 15% chance to use Combo Smash.
    • 20% chance to use Silent Stare.
    • 5% chance to Attack.
  • If Cernunnos has been at or below 75% HP at any point in the battle:
    • If this is the first turn that Cernunnos has been at 75% HP or lower, use Hurricane Punch.
    • 20% chance to use Hurricane Punch.
    • 50% chance to use Combo Smash.
    • 20% chance to Attack.
    • 10% chance to use Silent Stare.
  • If none of the above are true:
    • If Silent Stare has not been used yet, use Silent Stare.
    • 10% chance to use Silent Stare.
    • 40% chance to use Combo Smash.
    • 50% chance to Attack.
Drops:
  • Sharp Horn. 100% chance. Sells for 350 en.
    • Horn Spear (+35 ATK, +44 MAT, Skill: Flame Rush): Made from 1 Sharp Horn (Cernunnos Drop 1). Costs 870 en.
  • Usurper's Arm (Kill while fully bound). 100% chance. Sells for 1040 en.
    • Polydeuces (+185 ATK, +175 MAT, Skill: Hurricane Punch): Made from 1 Usurper's Arm (Cernunnos Conditional Drop). Costs 540000 en.

Healing Roller

Level: 13
HP: 123STR: 25INT: 23VIT: 13WIS: 18AGI: 10LUC: 14
EXP Given: 0

Damage Vulnerabilities:
50% 50% 100%
150% 150% 150%

Disable Vulnerabilities:
50% 150% 50% 50% 150% 50% 50%
100% 150%
150% 150% 50%
  • Holy Veil: Increases all enemies' elemental defense by 50% for 4 turns. Average speed.
  • Cure: Restores Cernunnos's HP for a medium amount. Slightly slow.
  • Holy Veil: Increases all enemies' elemental defense by 50% for 4 turns. Has a 100% speed modifier.
  • Cure: Restores 150 HP to Cernunnos. Has an 80% speed modifier.
  • Healing Rollers will apply the Holy Veil buff whenever it isn't active.
  • If Holy Veil doesn't need to be re-applied, and Cernunnos isn't at full HP, Healing Rollers will use Cure.
  • If no enemies have the Holy Veil buff, and Holy Veil was not used on this turn, use Holy Veil.
  • If Cernunnos is not at full HP, use Cure on Cernunnos.
  • If none of the above happened, Attack.
And... It's Cernunnos, boss of the 2nd Stratum of EO1/EOU! He's back, and mostly unchanged, except for gaining Fire Rush and generally having his damage tuned down (then again, every enemy in EON has their damage tuned down compared to previous games).

Silent Stare fucks with your caster(s) and supports, Cross Counter kills your physical damage dealers if you're not paying attention to the turn count, that much is obvious. Combo Smash deals heavy damage without extra effects, Hurricane Punch deals less damage but can inflict the ever-irritating and potentially-deadly paralysis, and Fire Rush just deals a lot of damage that you can't reduce at this point. It's a pretty straightforward fight, with only one gimmick: the Healing Rollers.

The Healing Rollers are pathetic. They die to a stiff breeze. Toss a Volt Star and maybe an extra attack or two at them and they'll crumple--probably before they get Holy Veil off, too! Cure's also completely and utterly irrelevant, though that doesn't mean you should let them live once Holy Veil is gone.

Oh, by the way, the party's HP, TP, and Force are all fully restored in-between fights, so don't worry about sustainability from fight to fight.


With all that in mind, onto character evaluations!
Ashley: Ashley provides physical damage reduction and some damage, both of which are very appreciated with both of these jerks.

Cason: Cason entirely provides damage with a bit of passive Encourage healing. His damage can really ramp up with Brave Heart, but that's only going to last a bit. Otherwise, it's pretty standard.

Holly: Front Guard is very appreciated in both of the fights, and can combine well with Chihaya if she's brought along. Holly can also Taunt and draw single-target attacks towards herself.

Heath and Friedrich: Dedicated healing isn't really needed in this fight, but having Revive available is good for if someone accidentally bites it. Head Bash isn't terrific damage, it doesn't have the best chance to inflict head binds, and head binds aren't even that great in this fight, but Heath and Friedrich still at least have something to spend their free turns with.

Sharpe: Blind Arrow is appreciated, and Sharpe can try dodge-tanking single-target attacks. Besides that, he deals some backup damage with Flame Arrow. Not the worst character to bring along.

Kyoko: Kyoko deals a lot of damage, and can inflict arm binds. Both of these are very, very good here.

Lavi: Lavi needs someone who can inflict ailments for support, but she can inflict long-lasting attack and defense debuffs with Strength Slash and Guard Slash.

Adan and Abby: Adan and Abby can piggyback off volt damage against Cernunnos with Spear Assist, and otherwise deals average damage with Long Thrust.

Sophian: Sophian has consistent physical damage with Rapid Fire, which won't miss as much thanks to her Aim Goggles. I don't plan on taking her Snipes to this fight.

Edelvale: Edel has the ever-useful Attack Order, but not much else. However, if he's teamed up with Chihaya, he can imbue the front row's attacks with volt by means of Shock Arms, amplifying Front Command's damage against Cernunnos a lot.

Amatsu: Amatsu has Bone Crusher, but not much else. Leg binds aren't terribly useful against either of these two.

Trinity: Trinity can hit Cernunnos's weakness, and delete the Healing Rollers. She doesn't deal spectacular damage against Berserker King, but it's not bad either.

Lilian: Lilian has Strange Seeds and, uh, Harsh Buzz on her gun, I guess. Item Echo isn't great yet, but Final Secret is still really fucking good.

Chihaya: Chihaya can put the Scarlet Evil Eye on, and put Great Warrior on herself, making herself very likely to be targeted. This is desirable, because then she has good odds of setting off Front Command, which can deal lots of damage if our front row has 3 people in it, and even moreso if she has Edelvale to provide Shock Arms.

Astra: Astra has her Links, which are decent damage, and her Proficiency means she amplifies everyone else's damage a bit. Not bad, but it doesn't do much this early on.

Aina: Aina can inflict blind on both of the bosses, which is always nice, and deal appreciable damage--even though she doesn't have her Proficiency yet. She's also decently fast, should the need for items arise.

Nadym: Nadym's a fast emergency healer with the potential to inflict arm binds (extremely useful) and paralysis (decently useful). He doesn't contribute much beyond that yet, though.

Runa: Runa can't keep her damage for very long, but she can get some decent burst out in the initial few turns of both fights. If paired with Lilian, Final Secret could have a chance to restore her Force gauge and, by extension, give her a Conversion-fueled Ignition followed by another Conversion...but, remember, 33% chance. Don't bank on it.

Syrel: Syrel has arm binds, and those are extremely useful against both of the bosses. Her damage is sadly low, though. Special mention goes to Final Blow, which is basically the only way I can get Cernunnos's conditional early, if anyone wants to see that.

Yukiko and Maru: These two have access to Eroding Miasma, which is functionally a buff to everyone's damage, semi-weak poison, and paralysis. All of that is decently useful!
Since we have so many characters this time around, I'm gonna do something new. Vote on two parties, four votes per party, with the usual restriction of only being able to vote for a given character once in a given party--you're welcome to vote them in for both parties, but do try to be creative and give me two distinct parties.

Both parties will fight both Berserker King and Cernunnos.

Table of Contents
Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com