Brave Frontier - The F2P Army vs Grahdens (Trial No. 002)

The Brave Frontier Free to Play Army has finally defeated Grahdens! I used my Earth (Lario FTW!), Light (Luna's DPS) and Thunder (Desperation!) teams to fill in the roster.
The full mechanics of this fight (and other Summoner's Lab fights) can be found here: forums.gumi.sg/...
We will be following the mechanics in this guide, so please take the time to read through it to learn about Grahdens' various attacks (each of which has a different element) and other fight mechanics.
Team 1: Earth - Lance, Lario and Claris
My first F2P team is back to clear the latest challenge! This team boasts high survivability due to the units' high HP and Def values, coupled with decent Rec. This, of course, causes their Atk to suffer a bit, but it's nothing that can't be compensated for.
Leader: Holy Earth Lance
3x Bow God Lario
Time Lord Claris
Friend: Gemini Il & Mina
Spheres: Sacred Jewel, Evil Shard for Claris (Muramasa for Il & Mina)
Il x Mina's Status effect immunity skill is of critical importance here; Grah's various attacks will cause Weakness, Injury and Paralysis - all of which you cannot afford to take.
An alternative to Il x Mina is the Royal Shard Sphere, which was introduced in the Sphere house in Town, during the 2014-07-09 update. It is a craftable Sphere that negates Weakness, Injury and Paralysis, and is the almost-perfect replacement for a Refined Gem.
The objective of this Squad is to take Grah down to below 40%, triggering Apocalypse and setting the stage for the second squad.
2:00 - First Round - Soul Rejection
Old Man Grah will start with Soul Rejection, an AOE that will reduce your units' HP by 100%.
If you guard, it will only reduce HP by about 55%. Skills that mitigate damage (Such as Grahdens' LS or Tesla's BB) will not affect Soul Rejection, as it seems to be a scripted event.
3:10 - I'm tired. Time to take a break.
On the fifth round of the battle, Grah will gain a -Atk buff (buff!) and use Life Shower, which heals him for 5000 to 7500 HP at the end of each turn, for three turns.
During this phase, the 'damage resting point' lies at about 2,300 due to Grah's -Atk 'buff''. You can attack with Healer in order to hurry through this phase. Just be sure to keep everyone at 2500 HP or above and you should be safe. (Watch out for Mr. Murphy and RNG, though)
6:30 - Break's Over!
On the sixteenth round (11 rounds after Grah takes a break), or when you reduce him to below 75% HP, Grah will lose the -Atk 'Buff' and return to normal damage.
During most of the fight, Grah's damage resting point lies at about 3600 HP. You will want to Guard using units with less HP if you don't want to risk a focus fire due to bad RNG.
6:45 - 75% HP - Soul Rejection
When Grahdens is reduced below 75% HP, he will unleash Soul Rejection once again. As with before, Guard with everyone, except for one sacrificial lamb who will damage him below 75% and trigger the next phase.
On the iPhone 5, the 75% marker is the right edge of the upper-rightmost unit's portrait. If Grah's HP bar goes past this point, he will use Soul Rejection on this turn.
It is worth noting that when he uses Soul Rejection, this is his only attack for the round, meaning you have another turn with which to heal up.
11:41 - 40% HP - Apocalypse
When Grahdens is reduced below 40% HP, he will use Apocalypse, which does 6600 damage to all Squad members (3300 if Guarded). He will then follow up with Ho ho ho! Time for some fun!, a single target attack.
I make special note of this as it seems that while both attacks (Apocalypse and Time for some fun) are used on the same turn, if your squad is wiped out by Apocalypse, his next turn's set of attacks will always only consist of Ho ho ho! Time for some Fun!.
With this in mind, you may want to time your first squad's death accordingly.
On the iPhone 5, the 40% point is directly underneath the center of the 's' on the target nameplate.
12:00 - The suicide DPS squad
Team 2: Light - Atro, Luna and guest-starring Weiss
My strategy here is based entirely on my Cursed Estia run; pump your team's Atk as high as it goes and do as much damage as you can before you are wiped out. Hopefully, this squad can take Grahdens to 10% or less.
Leader: Holy Light Atro
3x Holy Empress Luna (B)
General Weiss
Friend: Blade Queen Sefia
Spheres: Wicked Blade for one Luna, Angelic Foil for other damages (Tech Gizmo 2 for Weiss, Muramasa for Sefia)
You should have at least 1 Fujin Tonic in order for Weiss to apply his 70% Atk buff. The Light Ore adds another 50%, the Brute Potions add yet another 50% and the two leaders combined add another 100%.
As Grah is Dark element, our main attackers deal a further 50% damage. Of course, as our Squad is mostly Light element, Grah also does additional damage. This is a slugging match, and our objective is to take as much HP as we can before we go down.
13:10 - 1% HP - Apocalypse Zero
It is over!

[@cecillysvenson875]

I purposely make things harder for myself by using Farmable/Honor Summon units (I actually have much better units from my Rare Summon pulls) to show F2P players that these encounters can be cleared without the 'Flavor of the Month' RS units. Thank you for your interest; it validates all the time and effort I spent on these encounters. =^_^= By the way, since several people have asked about the BGMs used throughout the video, here's a list: Splendid Dreams (0:00 - 1:50) Workspace Ragnarok Online OST Siren's Scent (2:00 - 6:40) Kubota Osamu Granado Espada OST Blonde Passion (6:44 - 10:58) S.F.A. Granado Espada OST (It wasn't used as a game BGM during the time I was playing, but it was part of the OST album) Esa Promesa (11:00 - 11:59) S.FAMILY (S.F.A.) Vocals: Yoni (Lee Seungyoun) Granado Espada OST Moeagare Toushi Ima Washiki Shukumei wo Koete / 燃えあがれ闘志忌まわしき宿命を越えて (Also known as the Shining Finger Theme) (12:00 - 13:39) Tanaka Kouhei Mobile Fighter G Gundam OST

[@sweetcream8946]

Great video. Its these ones that are good guides because they show you how to beat the difficult bosses with bare minimum units and not the P2P crit teams or whatever.

[@juwonpark0131]

Lario is not that bad. It's just that RS units are better.

[@aeee98]

2 months into the future, Lario becomes really good for FH.

[@ericb9110]

Nice job! if you can beat grah with those units then everybody should be able to beat grah! Gives me hope!

[@juwonpark0131]

this is the kind of video I wanted. My units are crappy, so I needed these videos.

[@TheMarkieMarkMan321]

I love the G-Gundam music omfg that was a nice touch.

[@rahxephon52]

lol, I thought I was the only one who recognized.

[@FartherCaspian]

Wow, got recommended this after so many years. Back when the game was at it's peak.

[@SoularkBaphomet]

I still can't believe what I just finish watching also this video made me take on grah I'd like to thank you cause after watching this video I fought grah twice (lost the first time) and ended up getting him. This video is very inspirational.^^

[@cecillysvenson875]

Thanks, it's nice to know that people find these videos useful. It just goes to show that Brave Frontier is well-designed in that you do not really need the Rare Summon gate in order to clear content. Also, congratulations on acquiring the unit with (arguably) the best utility in the game. =^_^=

[@vitrondayz3526]

This song ! "Siren" from Granado Espada ! Love it :D

[@Manuel013]

Rafi Uddin Thanks!

[@Jopz06]

What a clever strategy! :O nicely done!

[@StillGamingMaybeLatr]

Wow.... Just wow... that was insane. Good work...

[@kemarwatson3713]

Perfect video stand ovation well done nice

[@rimoshi]

holy crap, that light squad, as f2pas it is, took him down pretty quick, dayum

[@RequiemGamingLikeR]

It will get even easier now that a lot of the free units have 6 star forms announced.

[@DanielGarcia-lm5em]

Awesome video!

[@jubabutler]

Bravo man....stands and claps.

[@randylin2626]

Wow this is nice, keep it up :)

[@randylin2626]

Btw, if I don't have Lance or a friend that has one (I have Twins), can I just use any other unit that boosts atk by 50%?

[@cecillysvenson875]

***** The main reason I ran Holy Earth Lance was for his +10% HP to Earth LS effect. In this fight, as with most Trial fights, survival should be prioritized over damage. That said, I ran this fight with a hard DPS team on JP; as long as you aren't making things harder for yourself by using strictly low-tier/farmable units, you should be fine with a 50% Damage leader. =^^=

[@recklessnessjustreckless7790]

Cecilly Svenson do you play Dc Universe Online?

[@deonviville]

good job cecilly svenson grahdens is a tough fight

[@AM063094]

hey, great video, grats on getting grah. would you mind telling me the name of the sound tracks and the name of the song used at 11:02 - 11:59? Please and thank you.

[@LegacyKing106]

Btw, it doesn't help if you use brute elixirs and General Weiss' bb because they don't stack

[@cecillysvenson875]

Yes, they do. 'Potion' and 'BB Buff Effect' are classified as different buffs, and their bonuses are additive (You add their percentage bonuses and multiply the final number by the base stat). The buff classifications are as follows: Leader Skill (Lugina's 2 turn buff counts as a leader skill class buff) Friend Leader Skill Potion (Brute, Attack, Titan) Ore Sphere (Muramasa, Medulla Gem, etc. Regardless of whether they have a visible 'Atk+' or are directly added to the stat) Brave Burst Buff effect (Weiss, Michelle, Atro/Vargas/Eze/Magress) Attack Brave Burst damage modifier (Can be anywhere from 110% to 300%, depending on the unit's BB multiplier) Aside from these bonuses, we have multiplicative bonuses (After getting the modified base Atk, you multiply that value by each valid modifier). Critical (Normally 150%, goes up to 300% when modified by Zebura's LS, not sure if two Zebura LS bonuses provide a 450% (additional 150% for each Zebura), a 600% (flat 300% added) or a 900% (two 300%s multiplied) multiplier) Spark bonus (150%, only applies to the hit that caused the Spark, rather than the whole attack animation) Elemental weakness (150%, not sure if Mare's 125% additional damage to weakness LS effect is added to the 150% before multiplying, or is multiplied afterwards) Yes, we researched the entire setup before implementation. =^^= Except for the Angelic Foils. I can't believe I failed to test those before the run.

[@weakling9999]

I really like your f2p videos :D

[@seweiss9290]

This is cool dude

[@TekashiAlt]

I think my breaker mono thunder team would instantly evaporate here

[@joselleforever]

ahh Granado Espada, brings back memories. i played it for like 6 yrs then i quit xD

[@SuperPukingRainbows]

the g gundam theme song doe

[@lastlight4477]

So I have holy lance, Gaian Mina, 6 star tree, 6 star zelban and 6 star dilma with 6 star Douglas friend. Tips how to beat him ?

[@ALittleRainandWind]

6* kikuri 5* zephyr 5* Lunaris 4* elimo 5*Lira 2nd Squad 3 of 5* Alyut 4* pheonix 6* melchio Is it possible to beat karl or grahdens with this 2 squad , 3rd squad is useless

[@cecillysvenson875]

You won't need a Healer in your second squad; you have a solid Light lineup, so you can pursue a fast beatdown strategy. (50% Atk/50% Atk Leaders) Remember that Angelic Foils and Muramasas will not work on the next squad (Battle timer is not reset between squads), so you should bring hard Atk increasing spheres. Other than that, that's a good enough lineup. You will want to give Elimo some survivability, as the 4* form is a bit squishy and may not stand up to a focus fire. Bring along a third squad anyway, to deal the finishing blow in case you miscalculate Grah's remaining HP and accidentally trigger Apocalypse Zero.

[@evolutionstorm11]

Cecilly Svenson I beat him without a healer and with five lights :/

[@9Darkshadow]

did you by chance use a granado espada soundtrack? :o sounds so familiar, but anyway good job!

[@SparkDoon]

Fantastic. Do you think you could pull this off on the next trial?

[@cecillysvenson875]

It's highly doubtful that you can use a full F2P lineup for Trial No. 003, as the fight mechanics assume that you have a 50% damage mitigation effect (Tesla's BB) up throughout most of the 3rd battle in addition to immunity to Status Effects. It also requires some very specific units in order to push up damage per turn (Lilith Omega's SBB), and there aren't many (if any) strictly F2P or farmable units which can give the same effect. (If I do things right, I should be able to get Tillith next FH season; she is yet another required unit for most efficient strategies.) Again, I say 'highly doubtful' and not 'impossible', as we don't know what changes will be made to the overall metagame once Trial No.003 hits Global. I'll definitely need to run with Legwand Gems and Grand Sesius rather than Sacred Jewels like I did in previous videos. =^^=

[@blissoftchrillo9555]

Nice video! I also like your soundtrack, it's splendide dream from RO if I remember correctly? :D

[@justkickthebucket]

two thumbs up

[@inferand4158]

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

[@vash392]

what the hell! LOL gives me hope to do this!

[@josegar30]

... How the hell you one with honor unis? Damn, I'm am out of my league compare to this video

[@kaixuanlau8635]

6*magress with sbb 10, 6*sefia with sbb 1, God Tree Eltri, 6*amy sbb, tesla 5* and grahden friend , do u think i can win?

[@cecillysvenson875]

That'll be a bit iffy. Tesla is a bit of a liability here since you won't be able to produce enough BCs to keep the 1/2 damage buff up for most of the time. Also, he doesn't generate much damage per turn, so you may be better off using units that have more utility. (Il x Mina, Reeze and Elsel/Ronuel are still the top picks for Leader, with Lodin, Dia and then the rest of the Rainbow leaders as second pick.) Also, you will need to give Eltri Paralysis immunity at the least in order to remain safe. A blanket status effect immunity LS effect is still better as it protects against Weakness, which can potentially kill a unit if it takes additional damage after being Weakened. Is this the only team you'll be bringing in? It may be better to bring a couple of backup teams (such as an all-Light one) for the hard DPS phase.

[@kaixuanlau8635]

nvm thks anyway won alrdy cuz i evolved my tesla and eltri to 6*

[@Mllstex]

what's with the crazy stats on the luna o.o

[@cecillysvenson875]

The first Luna is equipped with a Wicked Blade, which gives it +100% to Atk, Def and Rec while her HP is full. I assume that it is treated as a 'normal' Sphere bonus on the character screen since her HP is theoretically 'Full' when not in combat. (Same will apply with the craftable Alter Blade) Just tossing out theories there, but it does seem plausible =^^= If she takes a hit, her stats will drop to normal. Fortunately, the Luna with the Wicked Blade was not attacked during the first three rounds. ^^;

[@SwagamanJaro]

Cecilly Svenson how do u get wicked blade is it crafted?

[@cecillysvenson875]

Wicked Blade can be obtained at the Almighty (27) Arena rank. At Sphere 24, you can craft the Alter Blade, a less-powerful version of the Wicked Blade (30% Atk/Def/Rec while HP is full).

[@SparkDoon]

Also, can I get a name for the music used?

[@cecillysvenson875]

Here's the list again. =^^= I really should place the artist information on all future videos. Splendid Dreams (0:00 - 1:50) Workspace Ragnarok Online OST Siren's Scent (2:00 - 6:40) Kubota Osamu Granado Espada OST Blonde Passion (6:44 - 10:58) S.F.A. Granado Espada OST (It wasn't used as a game BGM during the time I was playing, but it was part of the OST album) Esa Promesa (11:00 - 11:59) S.FAMILY (S.F.A.) Vocals: Yoni (Lee Seungyoun) Granado Espada OST Moeagare Toushi Ima Washiki Shukumei wo Koete / 燃えあがれ闘志忌まわしき宿命を越えて (Also known as the Shining Finger Theme) (12:00 - 13:39) Tanaka Kouhei Mobile Fighter G Gundam OST

[@Luan431]

Did you change the music files or did you just slap music onto the video? If you did change the music files, pls share

[@cecillysvenson875]

It's the latter. ^^ I'm not touching client modification with a ten-foot pole.

[@Luan431]

Mmm, alright. Yeah, better safe than sorry. Especially with the sudden rise of cheaters these days.

[@rubixdevil]

WTF LUNA HAS 3k attack???

[@esuyu]

Can u do a f2p fight against Karl?

[@cecillysvenson875]

Sure, here it is. =^_^= Brave Frontier - Zeln, Weiss and May vs Karl (Trial No. 001)

[@esuyu]

I still can"t beat garhdens

[@sheckigaming8989]

are you korean? the song at 11:50 sounds korean

[@cecillysvenson875]

No, I'm not, and yes, it is. =^_^= It was used in the MMORPG Granado Espada. Esa Promesa (11:00 - 11:59) S.FAMILY (S.F.A.) Vocals: Yoni (Lee Seungyoun) Granado Espada OST

[@6868Phoenix]

Quick question, do attack boosts stack up?

[@cecillysvenson875]

These are the stat bonus sources that stack (Add all the percentages provided and multiply the base stat by the result). If two stat bonuses come from sources that share the same classification (Say, Michelle and Weiss' Brave Burst Atk buffs, or an Atk Potion and a Brute Potion) the most recently-applied bonus will be used. Leader Skill Friend Leader Skill Potion (Atk, Brute, Titan) Elemental Ore Brave Burst buff application (Weiss, Lubradine, Michelle, Magress/Eze/Atro etc.) Sphere bonus Based on this, Muramasa Atk bonus stacks with Lugina's Leader Skill bonus during the first two turns of the battle, but an Atk Potion and a Brute Potion do not.

[@ZelniteMH]

Amazing ._.

[@destructor134]

What type of grah did you get?

[@cecillysvenson875]

Lord, of course. =^^= All Trials (and FH Rank rewards) always give you a Lord type unit.

[@violethaze2610]

most f2p players dont have all those spheres tho xD

[@cecillysvenson875]

Granted, but most players won't be going into the encounter without at least one or two decent Rare Summon units either, which somewhat balances out in the end. =^^= Also, the spheres used are obtainable by F2P players; it just takes an ungodly amount of time. I've been playing religiously since November 2013, and I'm still (barely) keeping up with the times.

[@kohakukera]

F2P MAXWELL?!?1?!?

[@cecillysvenson875]

Working on it. =^^= Still trying to get Deemo's Spark timing right. It'll be next to impossible to clear unless I do so.

[@Soulslay295]

Cecilly Svenson I'd like to see that. I struggled with Maxwell for almost NINE days before I lead her to her untimely demise. :3 #DARVANSHELFRIENDFTW Good luck with the sparking, though! Humiliate her for me, and for all of the other people that have suffered at her hand!

[@ihatecabbage7270]

What the fuck how come you make look so easy O_O