Post by Fabell on Nov 28, 2019 1:24:56 GMT
The new collab just dropped this week. If you haven't already started working on it, there are really good rewards! The collab will end around December 12th.
The fights include unique music and bosses from the original Secret of Mana on the SNES (and recently re-released on mobile devices), all bosses from the Mana Fortress.
The three bosses are the Dread Slime, the Dark Lich, and the Mana Beast. Each boss uses unique mechanics. The Dread Slime will slow you and copy your magic attacks back at you, the Dark Lich will vanish and reappear, as well as use status ailment attacks on your team, and the Mana Beast will only take damage for a short period of time in between several very hard-hitting AOE attacks.
The best reason to go full-out for this collab are the rewards.
Rewards and unique items
For free (by doing the missions): Ancient Robe (type: robe) - reduces dark magic damage by 15% as well as MND+112 (huge boost to any magic tank or healer you have)
For free (treasure chest on the map): Ninja Star (type: machine) - weapon that increases STR+79, and also gives your attacks a chance to blind (amazing when coupled with a huge AOE regular attack and Blind Research)
For free (floating bottle on the sea north of Migal): a Rabite pet (it has a jumping animation, and it's very cute)
For purchase in the exchange shop
Caduceus (type: staff) - causes dark magic attacks to deal critical damage (amazing), and increases INT+90 and STR+43
Gigas Glove (type: claw) - increases STR+30 when using full HP, as well as increases HP+100 and STR+92 (really good claw when used in conjunction with a unit who can restore HP through attacks or when using the ability Moon Saber from the Trials of Mana ark, which is a spell that allows the target to regain HP with regular attacks)
Tiger Two-Piece (type: clothing) - slightly reduces the chance to faint, as well as adds the Beast attribute to your unit, also DEF+59 and MND+44 (for women only)
Tiger Suit (type: clothing) - slighty reduces the chance to faint, as well as adds the Beast attribute to your unit, also DEF+61 and MND+42 (for men only)
*of note: the two pieces of clothing above work very well if you have unlocked the Gaoul unit, as Gaoul's have the unique ability to increase the stats of other Beast units in your party. I don't personally have Gaoul yet, but I'm working on it...
Finally, by defeating the Mana Beast (level 60) 10 times, you can receive the Daedalus Lance. I don't know what it does (I'm still working on the Dark Lich achievements) but will update when I get it.
There is a mini-trial, where you fight all the bosses one after the other. It is quite difficult. I haven't been able to finish it yet, but you can use crystals to revive. If you defeat this trial, you will receive the Garuda Buster, a bow with STR+85 and INT+30, which increases the critical rate against birds by 5%. It's not the greatest item, but it is currently the best bow in the game (besides Star Road, the Heavenly Bow, which is a STR+149 bow you get by maxing the Heaven's Bow Star-Lord ark).
So far, this is a very fun event. The music is great, the rewards are great, and the gameplay is great. I don't have either of the two SSR arks, nor was I able to get any of the units through the Step-Up.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that the Step-Up only allows earned crystals to be used in Round One. Round Two-Round Five all require paid crystals. I am a F2P player, so they are all off-limits for me. Round Two though, is very expensive (7200 crystals - in the shop you can purchase 9300 crystals for around $80), meaning the Step-Up is strictly for whales. So good luck whales. I completed only the first round of the Step-Up and got only the SR Ark (Trials of Mana) and no units. So it looks like you are going to have to empty your wallets if you want either of the SSR arks or any of the units, or just reroll your account for the units. I wouldn't recommend it though.
For example, the SR ark (Trials of Mana) has some very interesting abilities but they are limited to specific times of the day or specific days of the week to have an advantage. The only beneficial skills I saw were the Moon Saber spell (grants HP absorption to any unit) or the Holy Bolt spell (medium light attack). There is also an ability called Fullmetal Hugger which acts as a pre-emptive cure-all for a single unit in the form of a barrier, which could be useful in long fights as barriers don't fade away.
If anyone reading this was lucky with getting a unit or an SSR, please post a reply and let us know what skills the ark has or if the units have any significant advantages.
Good luck!
The fights include unique music and bosses from the original Secret of Mana on the SNES (and recently re-released on mobile devices), all bosses from the Mana Fortress.
The three bosses are the Dread Slime, the Dark Lich, and the Mana Beast. Each boss uses unique mechanics. The Dread Slime will slow you and copy your magic attacks back at you, the Dark Lich will vanish and reappear, as well as use status ailment attacks on your team, and the Mana Beast will only take damage for a short period of time in between several very hard-hitting AOE attacks.
The best reason to go full-out for this collab are the rewards.
Rewards and unique items
For free (by doing the missions): Ancient Robe (type: robe) - reduces dark magic damage by 15% as well as MND+112 (huge boost to any magic tank or healer you have)
For free (treasure chest on the map): Ninja Star (type: machine) - weapon that increases STR+79, and also gives your attacks a chance to blind (amazing when coupled with a huge AOE regular attack and Blind Research)
For free (floating bottle on the sea north of Migal): a Rabite pet (it has a jumping animation, and it's very cute)
For purchase in the exchange shop
Caduceus (type: staff) - causes dark magic attacks to deal critical damage (amazing), and increases INT+90 and STR+43
Gigas Glove (type: claw) - increases STR+30 when using full HP, as well as increases HP+100 and STR+92 (really good claw when used in conjunction with a unit who can restore HP through attacks or when using the ability Moon Saber from the Trials of Mana ark, which is a spell that allows the target to regain HP with regular attacks)
Tiger Two-Piece (type: clothing) - slightly reduces the chance to faint, as well as adds the Beast attribute to your unit, also DEF+59 and MND+44 (for women only)
Tiger Suit (type: clothing) - slighty reduces the chance to faint, as well as adds the Beast attribute to your unit, also DEF+61 and MND+42 (for men only)
*of note: the two pieces of clothing above work very well if you have unlocked the Gaoul unit, as Gaoul's have the unique ability to increase the stats of other Beast units in your party. I don't personally have Gaoul yet, but I'm working on it...
Finally, by defeating the Mana Beast (level 60) 10 times, you can receive the Daedalus Lance. I don't know what it does (I'm still working on the Dark Lich achievements) but will update when I get it.
There is a mini-trial, where you fight all the bosses one after the other. It is quite difficult. I haven't been able to finish it yet, but you can use crystals to revive. If you defeat this trial, you will receive the Garuda Buster, a bow with STR+85 and INT+30, which increases the critical rate against birds by 5%. It's not the greatest item, but it is currently the best bow in the game (besides Star Road, the Heavenly Bow, which is a STR+149 bow you get by maxing the Heaven's Bow Star-Lord ark).
So far, this is a very fun event. The music is great, the rewards are great, and the gameplay is great. I don't have either of the two SSR arks, nor was I able to get any of the units through the Step-Up.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that the Step-Up only allows earned crystals to be used in Round One. Round Two-Round Five all require paid crystals. I am a F2P player, so they are all off-limits for me. Round Two though, is very expensive (7200 crystals - in the shop you can purchase 9300 crystals for around $80), meaning the Step-Up is strictly for whales. So good luck whales. I completed only the first round of the Step-Up and got only the SR Ark (Trials of Mana) and no units. So it looks like you are going to have to empty your wallets if you want either of the SSR arks or any of the units, or just reroll your account for the units. I wouldn't recommend it though.
For example, the SR ark (Trials of Mana) has some very interesting abilities but they are limited to specific times of the day or specific days of the week to have an advantage. The only beneficial skills I saw were the Moon Saber spell (grants HP absorption to any unit) or the Holy Bolt spell (medium light attack). There is also an ability called Fullmetal Hugger which acts as a pre-emptive cure-all for a single unit in the form of a barrier, which could be useful in long fights as barriers don't fade away.
If anyone reading this was lucky with getting a unit or an SSR, please post a reply and let us know what skills the ark has or if the units have any significant advantages.
Good luck!