Area: Ruins 3, Dark Falz
Area Clear Time: 2 Hours
S-Rank Target Time: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes
Character Requirements: Force x1

General Tips


Bestiary


Area 41

Proceed into the third room with the raised platform in the middle, and activate the buttons on the sides of the platform by attacking them. Once all four have been activated it will open the orange 4p door so the team can proceed into warp 1.

In the next room the Force should drop his Mag to activate the light switch, but make sure you don't forget to get the Mag after the room is clear. (In the next room you'll notice the door opposite the door you enter is already open, if desired one player can proceed through this door back into the room with the raised platform and then go left to collect the item boxes in the room next to the L room. It's possible you can get a shield from this so it may be beneficial, but it's optional.) Two rooms later, step quickly on the green switches then run off them to kill the Popup Traps that appear. Once the Trap for each button has been disarmed, step on the buttons simultaneously to open the door like usual. If a Droid Ranger is present he can shoot the Traps in the long room, otherwise the HUcast should run past them dodging left and right to set off the Traps but avoid getting hit by them. The Ranger can collect the boxes in the second to last room, and though it is not marked on the map there are also boxes on the other side of the final room opposite the warp. Get them if desired before proceeding to the next area.

Area 42

Follow the map to the room with warps 1 and 2, step on the button to open the laser fences blocking warp 1, which three players should enter. Now warp 2 will be unlocked, so the final player should take it (preferably the Ranger or the Force). Each team will end up at one end of the long room in front of two buttons. Both teams should step only on the left button (marked orange on both sides) to open the laser fences blocking the paths. The team who took warp 1 should take warp 3, which will open the orange door for the player who took warp 2. The solo player must destroy the rocks in the hallway after the door to reach the room where the other team is already fighting monsters. Heal at the Healing Ring and grab the boxes and take warp 4.

After warping collect the boxes around the perimeter of the room, then run back through the long thin section of the room you were just in (past the buttons both teams pushed, and the ones they did not) and past the next long thin room and kill the enemies in the next large room. After this you'll come across a giant laser fence cage containing boxes. While a party member can collect them he will be attacked by Popup Traps, so it's up to you if you think it's worth the risk. Destroy the Jar Traps (there are two) where they are noted on the map, then have one player hit the timer switch so everyone can run through the cyan door. Kill the enemies in the next two rooms and move to the next area.

Area 43

In the first room destroy the rocks on the right to reveal the button to turn on the lights. In the next room the Force can put his Mag on the switch to turn on the lights in the next room, but doing so will trigger a Gibarta Popup Trap. The instant the Force puts his Mag on the button he should run to the side then destroy the Trap with his weapon. After clearing the next room the Force should collect his Mag before venturing into the next room with his teammates.

The next room is also dark, destroy the rocks in the location noted on the map to reveal the light switch button again. Once the enemies are cleared, the Ranger should proceed alone into the next room while the other three party members backtrack to the T intersection and take the other path. The Ranger should quickly step on the button in the middle of his room, which will summon Popup Traps. He must hit the button and quickly get off and shoot the Traps one by one until it is safe to stand on the button constantly. Meanwhile the other three party members should clear the enemies in the next room, then proceed left and hit the two green switches on the map before taking warp 1. They should then clear the next room and two party members should take warps 2 and 3 while the other hits the third green switch, but not the fourth switch. Signal the Ranger to get off the button and wait next to the 4p door, then hit the final switch and take warps 2 and 3. If the Ranger does not move to the door before the final switch is activated, he will be bombarded by Gizonde Popup Traps and likely die, so make sure he's clear before the fourth switch is activated.

All players should meet up in the room with the raised platform in the middle, then activate the purple buttons to open the 2p door and move on. Two rooms later, the Ranger or Force should move into the side room and shoot the button on the wall to turn on the lights. Watch out for Traps in the dark room! It's helpful if the Ranger can clear them to keep the team safe. Proceed to the next area.

Area 44

After the first room take warp 1 to be sent into the large room where you will often encounter a great deal of enemies. Once they are clear, either the Force or the Ranger should stand on the button marked green to open the laser fences to both side paths. The Hunters should take the right ("right" meaning according to the orientation of the map here, it's the left when you're playing) and kill the enemies, after which they should hit the laser fence switch and take warp 3. The Force or Ranger (whoever didn't step on the button) should take the left (again, according to the orientation of the map, it's the right when playing) side and clear the rocks to access the other laser fence switch and warp 2. Be careful of all the Popup Traps, when you destroy the rock to enter the next room, a Gibarta Popup Trap will hit you and cause a good amount of damage. (The map shows multiple rocks, but there's actually just one.) Once both fences have been turned off, the entire party can move into the next room.

Collect the boxes and hit only the right switch marked purple to open the door to warp 4. Break the rocks in the room with the raised platform and collect the boxes if you wish, then proceed to the next area.

Area 45

At last, the final area! You're almost there! Don't let your guard down just yet, though. This area is particularly nasty because of all the dark rooms. Keep a close eye on the area map while you play to make sure there are no enemies about to kill you nearby. WARNING! This is the cross platform incompatible area when PC players do not use the English language setting. If you're doing this stage cross platform with non-English PC players, you may wish to have the minority platform drop their items and disconnect when you start this area, otherwise keep reading for a description of the problem when the location that causes it comes up.

The area starts out dark, and there's nothing you can do about it. Move into the second room and have a party member hit both green switches to open the green door, but beware as this will cause Gizonde Popup Traps in the previous room. Be ready to dispatch them once the door is opened, and have the Force heal the party if they've taken too much damage. After the third room, have one party member go left to get the light switch while everyone else goes right. Watch out for the Jar Trap in the hallway.

Here now is the shortcut room. If you have enough weapons and shields to spare, drop them on the buttons (beware of the Popup Traps that appear when you activate a button) and proceed through the 4p door. If you can take this shortcut it's possible to beat the stage cross platform to my knowledge (even when PC players do not use the English language setting), but I'm not sure of this. If you can't take the shortcut, follow the map through the left door and ignore the buttons. Proceed past the next two rooms into the hallway with rocks. Destroy all the rocks in the hallway until you reach two pink switches.

This is the FSOD point. If a PC player hits the switches, the DC player(s) will FSOD. If a DC player hits the switches, the PC player(s) will crash. This is your last chance to avoid this fate if you're still playing cross platform with a PC player who isn't using the English language setting; the minority platform must disconnect now. Hopefully you didn't start this stage until you made sure everyone was using English on PSO PC so you don't have to worry about this problem and you can hit the switches as normal.

Follow the map to warp 1, passing through the dark L shaped room (which doesn't contain enemies, thankfully) and opening the 2p door. Move past the next room and once you clear the room after that you can use the Healing Ring if desired, then move into the last room, once you clear it, you can get the boxes if you wish, and then prepare for Dark Falz.

Before entering the warp preparation is very important. The Force should drop all his Mates 1 by 1 or in groups of 2 for the other players to pick up, and every other player should drop all but one Scape Doll. If nobody died during the stage, the other three players should have 1 Doll each and the Force should have 9, but if players died then the Force will end up with less Dolls. No player should be without Dolls starting Falz. Once the Hunters and Rangers have stocked their Mates and the Force is full of Dolls, enter the finale of Challenge mode, Dark Falz.

Area 46
BOSS FIGHT: Dark Falz

Remember that Challenge mode is Normal mode, so you don't have to fight his final form. Remember when I talked about Forces finally becoming appreciated in Ruins? Now there is a sudden and drastic reversal: When playing Dark Falz, the Force is a HUGE liability. It's sad, but pretty much every attack of Dark Falz will 1 hit KO the Force. Once he has cast Shifta on the party, his main job is to run around like a chicken with his head cut off trying not to die. All party members must rely on Mates to heal as the Force will likely be too busy to be using Resta on them. During the stage you should have acquired both 4 slot Frames as well as Resistance units, give both to the Force to maximize his ability to withstand Falz's Techniques. If you're lucky enough to get a Digger/HP, give all HP units to the Force so that he may have a chance of living as well. Here's a breakdown of the phases:

Sub-part 1: Darvants

While the Force runs around with his Symbol Chat menu up being careful not to get hit at all, everyone else should use their best guns (hopefully both Hunters are using Assaults now) to kill the Darvants one by one. Make sure you don't get hit by multiple Darvants at once and die. It won't take too many Darvant kills to make Falz come out usually.

Form 1

The Force can quickly cast Zalure and then run away from Falz, or he can try to help the Hunters kill him, but it's better to play it safe (especially if you're low on Dolls) and just run away. The further away you are from Falz the less likely the light shower will hit you.

THE LIGHT SHOWER DOES 140 DAMAGE, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 141 HP MINIMUM YOU WILL DIE INSTANTLY FROM THIS ATTACK. I felt I needed to emphasize this. =P It's very unlikely that the Force will get 141 HP, it's easiest to do with a FOmarl but you would still need several level ups as well as HP Materials and possibly a Digger/HP, so never count on being able to survive. Both Rangers and Hunters will be able to live, with the exception of RAmar who needs HP Materials to get 141 HP. If you have an Assault (or multiple Assaults), attack the head that is not on the ground spitting Darvants to avoid mis-targetting Falz. The Ranger can take care of dispatching the Darvants to keep the Hunters from mis-targetting. If you don't have an Assault, attack the head on the ground with your best weapon, preferably a Blade with percents, otherwise with a Pallasch. Form 1 is usually not too difficult to bring down.

Form 2

Form 2 is much more dangerous. It is possible for Falz to 1 hit KO anyone on form 2 with his chain Rabarta attack, if the first one freezes you the second and/or third will kill you, which is why everyone must have at least 1 Doll for this part. Once the Force tags Falz with Zalure he should run as far away as possible and just sit there or run around in circles to amuse himself, as he's pretty much useless unless he has 141 HP. (As is any character who does not meet the minimum HP requirement.) When Falz lowers himself and moves his right arm he's going to chain Rafoie, just make sure you have full HP and this shouldn't kill anyone. When he moves his right arm he's going to chain Rabarta, move away from his arm to the left or the right as far away as possible with what little time you have to react to avoid the brunt of his attack, and pray you don't get frozen. The Force should avoid standing directly opposite Falz for a better chance of avoiding this attack.

When Falz does his body slam to cause Slow on organics and charge his light shower it's one of the best times to attack him, lay into him with all you've got. If any Hunters or Rangers are organic, they should use Sol Atomizers to remove Slow if possible. The Force should run around in his far away hiding place and hope that by some miracle the light shower does not hit him. This strategy may not always be ideal for Forces, however. Forces who are low on Dolls may wish to stay fairly close to their teammates and Falz so that if they use their last Doll, one of their teammates can give them an extra. If this strategy is used, the Force should always run to the left when Falz starts to use his magic, and when Falz prepares to do the light shower the Force should use a Sol Atomizer (if available) to cure the Slow status and then run as far away as possible to reduce the chance of getting hit. There is no guaranteed formula for beating Falz, so try different strategies. Once Falz bites the dust, you've cleared Stage 9! Congratulations, you've beaten Challenge mode!