Xenoblade

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Solo Dunban Part 11:  Battling Seizure Robots


Dunban vs. Mechonis Core, Bionis' Interior, and Prison Island



Level 70 Apocrypha Generator:  Who knew a spherical robot could be Dazed?  Anyway, Dunban had low odds of success fighting Chapter 15's 1st boss without Ether Def from clothes.  Laser blasted for 5721, and even Thunder once switched the vision to another Laser that Jaws of Death absorbed.  Great Laser VI was oddly weak for a Talent Art at 1675 damage, so when it appeared in a premonition, Dunban took the hit instead of risking Laser.  Laser was also a multi-hit move, causing Dunban to die even after a Jaws of Death revival.  Apocrypha Generator was at about 60% HP when that happened.  Dunban's outfit for Take 2 looked like this:


Machina Blade III (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Ether Def Up VI)
Lancelot Armour (Ether Def Up IV)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Daze Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Daze Resist IV)



Laser was reduced to 1388 power thanks to all the Lancelot equipment, but still carried a Topple risk.  Dunban's cheerleaders on the sidelines once automatically Encouraged him out of Topple.  A 6043 Blossom Dance leaping slash destroyed the machine that would have disabled Shulk's Monado on a normal playthrough.



Level 72 Yaldabaoth:  Egil's mech looked intimidating, but was seemingly weaker than its Level 70 Exterminator/CLOCK minions summoned via Manufacture Drone.  Dunban collapsed after being hit with a 1260 auto-attack that must have been Ether type.  Even on the successful attempt, Dunban had to cast Thunder against them to avoid a 3784 damage Big Combo VIII. 


Yaldabaoth itself wasted its time with slow giant sword Arts like Strength Model that were easy to dodge.  Dunban quickly destroyed the 3 Energy Devices with time to spare before Bionis Slash X would have destroyed half the world.  Later summons made Level 68 Offensive/MOTOR robots appear.  These were purely Physical opponents and therefore much less of a threat than Exterminator/CLOCK.  Dunban ignored Offensive/MOTOR, except when they caused the camera to shake in a way that would nauseate many players.  Worldly Slash for 1922 defeated Egil long enough for Zanza to be resurrected.  Yaldabaoth was easy enough that Dunban won with nothing but his shorts.



I don't really count Sureny Telethia in Chapter 16 as a boss, but a funny scene occurred when Riki automatically resurrected Dunban just as he died when the cutscene ended the battle.


Level 72 Sureny Telethia:  Chapter 16's final boss got a proper fight in Chapter 17.  Killer Dive V made the Telethia rise out of the ground like a Digging Pokemon for 2020s damage.  Ether Particles appeared for up to 792 power in visions with an additional Ether Def Down effect.  A 654 auto-attack after a Killer Sky Topple ended the 1st attempt.  Dunban swapped out the gems on his endgame armor for these:



Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Topple Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Topple Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Daze Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Daze Resist IV)



Dunban made sure to finish off Sureny Telethia with Thunder to rub it in.



Level 72 Sani Telethia:  Another boss appeared immediately after Sureny Telethia, so Dunban fought it at Level 70 with the same equipment.  Many of its Ether Arts were weather-based, a mechanic not used often in Xenoblade except to make sidequest conditions more irritating.  Shock Wave spread for 486, and Thunderbolt zapped for 475 and Paralysis.  Bolt from the Blue struck for around 800 and Paralysis when counting all its hits.  Telethia Buster VII was its most dangerous Art for around 1979 power, and Sunlight Scatter cleared the skies for 1089.  Steel Strike pummeled Sani Telethia into submission.



Level 73 Victorious Gross:  Immunize attempted to "cure" Bionis' Interior of naked Dunban and reduced his HP from 5180/6070 to 1889/6070 with Ether casts.  Total Immunize V seemed preferable since it was weaker:  2975 damage with a single hit.  Jaws of Death survived it. . .but Total Immunize V also had a Confuse side effect.  Confusion is rare in Xenoblade but a certain Game Over when it occurs because you lose control of your character.  Dunban returned with his Lancelot set:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Confuse Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Ether Def Up VI)
Lancelot Boots (Ether Def Up IV)



Total Immunize V couldn't Confuse Dunban anymore, but it still sent 2499 antibodies.  Dunban resisted Immunize enough to bring it down to 1381.  Sometimes I did nothing about Total Immunize V visions for a safe Jaws of Death healing.  Dunban died to a random 525 auto-attack on Take 2.  The miniboss was so tough Dunban resorted to the +5 level trick to win, and even then there were tense moments.  Tempest Kick whirled for 3435 to end the 1st Bionis' Interior unique monster encounter. 



Level 75 Officer Robusto:  Officer Robusto thought Dunban violated indecent exposure laws and put him to Sleep with a 2599 Genome Break.  Take 1 ended quickly, as you'd expect.  Dunban only had 1 Sleep Resist gem, as shown on the loadout below:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Sleep Resist III)
Lancelot Armour (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Confuse Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Ether Def Up VI)
Lancelot Boots (Ether Def Up IV)



Genome Break still made Dunban doze off, but its damage was blunted to 876.  Cell Activity translated into Haste and Physical Protect, which Dunban tried to dispel with a Gale Slash + Tempest Kick combo.  Dunban had to beware Big Combo VI and its 4576 power visions.  Suicide healing came to the rescue again after a Genome Break vision, and Gale Slash desiccated. . .the protist or whatever Officer Robusto was for 2662.



Level 76 Ghostly Mahatos:  The Telethia hydra was easier than some earlier minibosses, since Dunban could fight it in the nude.  The main Art he had to watch out for was Ether Cannon VIII for 2465 damage, especially if it appeared without warning.  At Level 76, Dunban had 5141 max HP, enough to absorb some Talent Arts if necessary with the help of Critical Drain passive healing.  Jaws of Death resurrected Dunban when Ghostly Mahatos flipped to Channel V for a total of 3167 damage.  Steel Strike bashed Ghostly Mahatos for 5419 and victory.



Level 75 Disciple Lorithia:  One of the most notorious endgame bosses in Xenoblade was predictably difficult for Dunban.  At least he didn't have to +6 level her, but merely +5 with the following gem setup:


  
Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Confuse Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Confuse Resist V)


It was always a relief to see Lorithia whiff with the Physical type Obliterate.  Ether Laser seared Dunban for 600s damage, but it was the Arts Seal and Ether Def Down side effects that made the fight tense.  Dunban simply didn't have enough gem slots on his armor to cover every ailment used by either Lorithia or her "nebula" minions.  Big Bang burst for 1255.  Dunban was sometimes at low enough HP for 377 Sacrifishot from a "nebula" to appear in visions.  A Mist Shot vision had MISS, perhaps because Dunban was at too high a level for the "nebula" enemies.  A final 5834 Gale Slash sliced open Lorithia's Telethia form.



Level 75 Ageless Moabit:  Although it was a "nebula" enemy, Dunban won at Level 75 with this equipment:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Confuse Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Confuse Resist V)


Bleed from Gale Slash and the Ether type Arts of Tempest Kick + Thunder allowed Dunban to whittle down Ageless Moabit's HP more quickly than Shulk, who had to rely on Monado Purge.  Elemental Cannon fired for 835, Elemental Bullet pierced for 878, and Sand Eruption rose out of the ground for 2232 without warning.  Sand Whip lashed for 1185 and Slow.  That side effect would have given Shulk pause due to his reliance on auto-attacks, but all Dunban had to do was cast Jaws of Death to resurrect from it.  Ageless Moabit was immune to Daze like some "nebula" enemies, so Dunban had to endure visions rather than block them with Thunder.  The 3rd stage of the Blossom Dance combo dispersed the "nebula".



Level 76 Serene Imlaly:  Prison Island's 2nd miniboss was a dinosaur equipped with a 2577 Dark Cannon IX that was prone to firing without warning and Dazing Dunban.  Dark Breath was mild in comparison for 1212 damage and Ether Def Down.  Serene Imlaly decapitated Dunban with a 1204 auto-attack bite after Dunban was groggy from a Dark Cannon IX.  Dunban won on Take 2 with this armor set:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Daze Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Spike Resist VI)
Lancelot Boots (Spike Resist V)


Serene Imlaly came with a passive damage Spike aura, so 2 of the gem slots were reserved for that.  With 100% Daze resistance, Dunban persevered and telekinetically jump slashed the dinosaur with a 5886 Blossom Dance.  Serene Imlaly had backed away from Dunban, but it's hard to dodge even shorter range Arts in this way.  I guess Blossom Dance's range is calculated when the attack is first activated, not necessarily how far away the opponent is when it connects.


Dunban's now in the final dungeon, so I expect to finish Xenoblade tomorrow.  It'll probably be the last playthrough for a long time, as I want to move on to Siege of Dragonspear.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Solo Dunban Part 12:  Nebulae Are Jerks



Level 75 Obelis Obart:  Dickson threw Dunban into a gladiatorial arena, and Dunban was undressed for the occasion.  Apart from Annihilation V's 1601 damage and Pierce + Topple side effects, most of the gargoyle's attacks were Physical and simple to dodge with Serene Heart and high Agility.  And Dunban's cheerleaders Shulk and Reyn on the sidelines Encouraged him out of Topple. 


The worst Art was Legendary Claw VII for 3357, since it could suddenly gash Dunban if he didn't manage his current HP carefully.  If Legendary Claw VII appeared in a vision, it could be safely deflected with Thunder to a MISS Physical Art like Gore.  It looked like a 554 Bleed tick scored the KO.



Level 78 Demon Pavlovsk:  Dickson's 2nd arena monster was another Physical opponent for Dunban to fight in his birthday suit.  Antimatter Blast VI would have converted Dunban's mass into energy for 2059 and Confuse if he hadn't cast Thunder to turn it into a less threatening 2323 Dark Breath.  Gale Slash sent it crashing to the ground for 2806.



Level 73 Tored Ageshu:  This doesn't count as a boss fight or unique enemy, but it should have!  While trying to clear out the random enemies near the next miniboss at Level 89, Dunban ran into these horrors.  They cast Shock Roar to inflict Confuse + Arts Seal, then used Confuse's evasion-ignoring property to peck him for 440-576 each.  A Venom Rush appeared in a vision for 1666 power and Poison.



Level 76 Inferno Heinrich:  Nebulae always mean trouble in solo playthroughs.  There were several failed attempts to kill this amorphous gas being, so I'll only cover one of them.  Corona Eruption V spewed 2305 damage and 334 Blaze ticks. . .with 71% Blaze Defense from gems.  Elemental Bullet shot for 807, and Ice Whip lashed for 626.  As if Blaze weren't enough, Inferno Heinrich could turn the temperature down with a 1616 Ice Eruption IV and 404 Chill ticks.  Corona Whip stung for around 3 hits of 330-400 each. 


With so much Ether magic flying at him, Dunban had to wear the following clothes and resort to the +6 level trick:    


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Chill Defence V)
Lancelot Armour (Chill Defence V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Blaze Defence V)
Hierax Bottoms (Blaze Defence V)
Lancelot Boots (Blaze Defence V)



Now that Dunban was at Level 82, a 0 RESIST message often appeared as a damage printout for Elemental Bullet, and sometimes for Corona Whip hits.  I looked closely enough at an unusually large charging animation and managed to thwart a Corona Eruption V with Thunder without a vision once.  A 3673 Tempest Kick spin dispersed Inferno Heinrich. 



Level 77 Cold Ageshu:  Prison Island's last unique enemy was an upgraded Tored Ageshu, and you know that means a hard fight even at +6 with this gear:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Arts Seal Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Arts Seal Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Confuse Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Confuse Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Confuse Resist V)



Like its common cousin, Cold Ageshu knew Shock Roar.  This left no room for Poison Defence gems against Venom Rush and Venom Shot.  Killer Snipe IV gashed Dunban for 2122, sometimes without a vision.  Venom Rush was Physical and could be evaded, but Venom Shot was a more accurate Ether move of 671 power and 134 Poison ticks.  Suicide healing was necessary to survive on at least one occasion, and it was common to see Dunban at 3 digit HP out of a max of 5282.  Dunban humiliated Cold Ageshu by breaking wind with a 5643 Thunder at the end.


Level 78 Master Obart:  Dunban added another monster to his "victories while naked" list, but not without one loss.  Legendary Claw VII slashed for 2797 + Daze + 559 Bleed ticks.  Our hero made sure to artificially lower his HP with Final Flicker during Take 2 to see that one coming!  Legendary Claw VII visions could be converted to MISS from Gore with Thunder.  Daze dispelled an Awakening aura from Royal Gravity that briefly raised Master Obart's level to 81.  Dunban was unconcerned when a MISS Head Butt vision appeared, and practiced his Blossom Dance choreography.  A 5638 Thunder shattered a Legendary Claw VII vision by killing the boss.



Level 79 Dragon King Alcar:  With that damaging Spike aura, Dunban got dressed before the 1st and only attempt:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Blaze Defence V)
Lancelot Armour (Blaze Defence V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Blaze Defence V)
Hierax Bottoms (Spike Defence VI)
Lancelot Boots (Spike Defence V)



Bastille Sky V swooped down on Dunban for 2856 at the beginning.  Ignis Breath charred Dunban multiple times for 295-330 each and Blaze ticks.  Carapaia Tail would have Toppled our hero if he hadn't dodged it.  One Bastille Sky V vision for 3885 was a safe opportunity to heal with Jaws of Death.  It seemed that an auto-attack slew the dragon.


Only Dickson and Zanza are left, and the next update will be the last for Dunban.  He might be able to fight Dickson in his shorts, but Zanza is unlikely because of his Ether auto-attacks.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Solo Dunban VICTORY


Level 80 Disciple Dickson:  Dunban almost managed to defeat the penultimate boss in his shorts.  Some of Dickson's Arts like Chaos Punish and Chaos Dash were Physical ones that could MISS reliably, and he relied on auto-attacks.  But Dunban still had to beware Silent Chaos for 3457 Ether damage and an Arts Seal side effect.  Chaos Bullet VI shot armor-Piercing rounds for 3659.  Jaws of Death kept Dunban alive during one Arts Seal.  But a 1516 auto-attack evaded Dunban's evasion and made him crumple to the ground.  After that loss, he changed into this outfit:


Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Arts Seal Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Arts Seal Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Arts Seal Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Ether Def Up VI)
Lancelot Boots (Ether Def Up IV)



Without the Agility bonus from being naked, Dunban sometimes had to take a 1046 hit from Chaos Combo.  Silent Chaos flew at Dunban without a vision and brought him from 2356/5239 HP to 895/5239.  Even with HP management, you can't account for everything.  Unlike most auras, Crazed (Haste + Strength Up) from Righteous Anger couldn't be Dazed away and had to be waited out.  Worldly Slash's 1st hit for 3248 ended the battle.



Zanza Form 1:  Dunban confronted the god of Bionis wearing this outfit:

 
Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Daze Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Topple Resist V)
Lancelot Boots (Topple Resist V)


Zanza liked do decrease Dunban's Ether and Strength and apply Pierce with Monado Fear while buffing his own stats with Monado Brave.  He then charged up Monado Cross VIII for up to 6375 damage.  Although Dunban could still see visions with "Burst Affinity" (aka a timed B button press), he was helpless to stop them.  Zanza was immune to Daze.  Dunban had to take the brunt of all Talent Arts.  


With that kind of power, Dunban's only chance was Jaws of Death and its 66 second cooldown.  Dunban appeared to die on Take 1 after a Monado Left.  It seemed clear he needed to use the +5 level trick and ascend to 87 before trying again.  What killed Dunban on Take 2 was a Monado Cross VIII followed by auto-attacks from the minions while he was prone.  (If you're lying on the floor, you can't dodge.)  An enemy "Chain" featuring Monado Cross VIII killed yet another attempt.


Dunban made sure to kill the Level 78 Zanza Guardians first next time, even if Monado Shield made them briefly Invincible.  Once his followers were dead, Zanza's Monado Cross VIII was reduced to 3198, still lethal without Jaws of Death.  Steel Strike pummeled Zanza for 7450s damage and activated the next phase.



Zanza Form 2:  When the final boss was casting 416 power Ether auto-attacks constantly, Dunban needed to have the level advantage.  He tried once at 87 but probably perished from passive damage from the Level 80 Zanza Guardians' Spike auras.  Dunban changed gems again:



Wyvern Cutlass (Agility Up IV, Agility Up IV)
Lancelot Gear (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Armour (Daze Resist V)
Lancelot Gauntlets (Daze Resist V)
Hierax Bottoms (Spike Defence VI)
Lancelot Boots (Spike Defence V)


Dunban returned to dishonorable +6 level tactics to ensure as many 0 RESIST printouts from Zanza's auto-attacks as possible.  He needed all of his 5394 HP and occasionally Jaws of Death suicide healing.  It was a relief to see the Physical element Bionis Buster and Mechonis Buster appear since they whooshed past Dunban's Agility.  It was still a tense battle:  Titan Bazooka VIII blasted for 4815 in visions, and I was never sure if Jaws of Death would cool down in time.  Fortunately, Zanza took his time in using Talent Arts.  Zanza Guardians were a priority target because they would heal their master if left alive.  Worldly Slash's double hit ending with a 3230 blow revealed Zanza's weaker final form.



Zanza Form 3:  Once Form 2 was defeated, victory became likely for Dunban.  Form 3 is meant to show off the Monado III, but Zanza has lower stats regardless of who you're controlling.  He couldn't be complacent as he still needed to prepare Jaws of Death for 4725 Titan Bazooka VIII.  One of the best moments of the playthrough came right at the end as Dunban farted a 7469 power Thunder at Zanza to win the game.



Shulk is the star of the story, but Dunban is a better soloist.  He doesn't need to worry about filling a gauge with auto-attacks for his defensive options, which eliminates the concerns of Slow and Paralysis.  Jaws of Death doubles as healing and Talent Art absorption, but beware the long cooldown and multi-hit attacks.  Without having to auto-attack as much as Shulk, Dunban is free to use more offensive Arts. 


Serene Heart is one of the best Arts in the game.  It raises accuracy in case of Soul Read or low Tension, and more importantly Physical evasion.  This combines well with Inner Peace for the 30% Agility bonus without armor.  No other character can match Dunban's ability to fight bosses at equal level while naked!  Thunder is an excellent Art to deflect visions and dispel auras, but keep in mind that it doesn't work on Zanza and some "nebula" unique enemies.  Gale Slash deals reliable Bleed damage over time, and I haven't found an enemy immune to that ailment.


What makes Shulk interesting to play as is the opportunity cost of using one Monado Art over another.  With Dunban, it's HP management.  Accidentally learning the "suicide healing" method of Jaws of Death + Final Flicker during the Chapter 10 Mumkhar battle saved Dunban multiple times.  Dunban also uses Final Flicker to artificially keep his health low enough to see dangerous enemy Arts coming in premonitions.  It's frustrating to be blindsided by a Legendary Claw VII that also Dazes you and makes you Bleed because the vision algorithm decided you weren't in mortal danger.


EDIT:  Forgot to mention Critical Drain in this post.  Its 2% of maximum HP passive healing can work for you, but also against you if it takes you over the vision threshold.  Passive Skills like this can never be turned off once learned.


I enjoyed this playthrough, but it's time to go back to Baldur's Gate.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Some thoughts on other characters, but not another playthrough:


Riki is a much worse soloist than I'd expected in a test battle with Gentle Mother Armu, a basic Physical unique monster in Colony 9.  Having the highest max HP and a Light Heal equivalent in You Can Do It makes him look like a sustainable character at first.  Then you realize that he's stuck with Light armor and has no evasion buff Art.  Playing with solo Riki is like trying to battle Fighting type Pokemon with a Blissey.  Riki needed to +5 level Gentle Mother Armu to win, so he would have to be carried by overleveling throughout the game if I went any further with him.


Melia's HP, defenses, and evasion are too low to be a viable soloist without the 6+ level advantage, but she does have some tactical options that would have been nice on another character.  Hypnotize can put enemies to Sleep, so that's one method of cancelling visions.  Zanza's immune to Sleep, however.  (If the wiki is correct.)  Reflection makes all damage bounce off of Melia for 5 seconds, with the exception of "Roman numeral" Talent Arts.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Xenoblade 3 First Impressions


Don't expect a full-length Let's Play, kids.  But you will get to see me praise or complain about Xenoblade 3.  Since I'm playing it for the first time without spoilers, I'm not planning on any special conditions apart from Hard difficulty.


The tutorial started in a barren battlefield that reminded me of Sword Valley from Xenoblade 1.  However, it was longer and more in-depth than Dunban's battle against a few Mechon.  There were four characters in the party:  Noah (whom I controlled) and the AI heroes Eunie, Lanz, and Mwamba.  Combat was similar to Xenoblade 1:  auto-attack when close to an enemy, wait for bars to fill up, and then use Arts.  Noah might as well have been a reincarnation of Shulk.  Sword Strike was a Break attack like Stream Edge, and Edge Thrust was a version of Back Slash.  Ground Beat hit multiple enemies at once.


A couple of fights just involved auto-attacking a few enemy swordsmen, but Noah learned his arts and a Talent Art called Overclock Buster in time for the tutorial boss Ulula.  Ulula may or may not have been a Mechon.  The AI party members handled themselves well, especially Lanz who took hits for the others.  Protecting Lanz was a concern, but Ulula practically ignored Noah.  Sword Strike was followed by Topple and Daze moves by the AI characters, and Overclock Buster dealt major damage.  Enemy special moves like Ether Burst replaced the boss's name above the HP bar when used.


Each character had a class, which supposedly is a reference to Xenoblade Chronicles X for the WiiU.  Noah is a Swordfighter (Shulk), Eunie is a Medic Gunner (Sharla), Lanz is a Heavy Guard (Reyn), and Mwamba is a Sharpshooter.  BUT MWAMBA'S CLASS ISN'T MENTIONED IN THE TIPS SCREEN.  Is he going to betray the heroes like Mumkhar?  Or be "dead" for over half the game like Fiora?


After my party won the battle, there was a flashback to their time in a military academy (?).  People in Noah's country had a lifespan of 10 years, but most died in combat before serving their term.  The purpose of the wars was to steal "life" from enemy soldiers and to serve the queen.  The queen "honored" one of her subjects by making them dissolve in sparkles.  Noah seemed to be questioning his views, however, since he insisted on giving funerals to his enemies.  His delay caused the vehicles to go on without the party, so he'd have to walk back to town on foot from the Everblight Plain.  That town's name?


Colony 9.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Noah and friends didn't encounter any Xenoblade 1 style mini-boss enemies with strange names, but they occasionally found monsters with sparks around their levels.  These dropped rare items when killed.  Containers, the treasure chests of Xenoblade 3, looked like radioactive barrels.  The Container tutorial made Noah equip an Attack Stone to increase his auto-attack damage.  Another tutorial revealed Noah's role as an "off-seer" to send Soldier Husks to the afterlife.  This was so similar to Yuna's role that it made me wonder if the developers were playing Final Fantasy 10 at the time.


Colony 9 looked nothing like Shulk's hometown.  It was a military barracks with what looked like a defunct Metal Face as a centerpiece.  This was called a Ferronis.  The party was fighting against the country of Agnus, specifically its Colony Sigma.  In spite of the victory, they didn't add much to the Flame Clock, which is probably what keeps the party alive.  The Mechon-like vehicles were called Levnises. 


Much like in Xenoblade 1, Noah could pick up Collectibles from the environment.  If they had scales like the constellation Libra beside them, they only existed to be sold.  However, some were meant for side quests, so Noah would have to pick up some close to Colony 9.  (Even though I already picked up everything I could reach!)  The Commissary tutorial wanted me to give Noah the Bronze Temple Guard to increase his HP, but that was better suited for Lanz who was taking more hits anyway.  More accessory slots would only be unlocked at higher levels after all.


Xenoblade 3 doesn't seem to have an Expert Mode level limiter like Xenoblade 1, so overleveling may be a problem even on Hard mode.


EDIT:  Both the Sending from Final Fantasy 10 and the "off-seer" from Xenoblade 3 seem to be based on a Shinto ritual.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

A man named Pollux in Colony 9 explained the Colony ranks in the country of Keves:  Iron, Steel, Silver, and Gold.  No sign of a twin named Castor.  Everyone was excited about Colony 9 being possibly promoted to Iron.  A tutorial explained how to switch Arts in the menu, so Noah equipped Air Slash.  Unlike in Xenoblade 1, Air Slash is a backflip attack that gains a damage bonus if used immediately after an auto-attack.


In the Yzana Plains, a tutorial explained the distinctions between normal, Elite, Unique, and Lucky monsters.  Noah had already fought Lucky monsters that had the sparkles around the level display.  Elite enemies didn't have names, but were tough to kill and gave more rewards than regular opponents.  Unique monsters were the ones that had the ridiculous names.  A Unique variation of the normal rabbit called Sycophantic Lilith forced the party to run away in spite of them being two levels higher.


Levels in general seem to have gradual effects compared to the drastic improvements in Xenoblade 1.  If Shulk was 6 levels higher than a Unique monster, they practically couldn't touch him with physical attacks.  But sometimes Noah had a difficult time with even parties of regular foes.


Several side quests were available here, such as seeing off corpses being attacked by monsters, or sending collectibles to various Colony 9 residents in exchange for town Affinity and experience.  No idea what Affinity does yet.  Maybe it unlocks better shops, or there's something like the Colony 6 rebuilding sidequest from Xenoblade 1?  Nopon Coins could be sent as a substitute for collectibles if necessary.


One mandatory encounter was a battle against several Level 4 Rood Volffs.  They weren't a pushover for my Level 7 team, since Lanz was often at low HP.  Lanz in general was the weak point in the party during this session:  if he died, then Eunie the healer collapsed shortly afterwards.  If only Dunban were around to take his shirt off and dodge all the attacks!  These wolves were apparently the only source of life for the Flame Clock in the Alfeto Valley area judging by the cutscene.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

The next boss was a Level 6 Drifter Ropl, a sort of lizard that disguised itself as a rock.  Even a Level 8 party with 4 characters was defeated after taking Drifter Ropl down to less than 1/4 of its HP.  Fighting the Level 5 Sycophantic Lilith was also a hopeless cause.


Some power leveling was necessary until the team grew to Level 9.  One tactic that may have helped with Drifter Ropl was equipping Solid Stance for Lanz, a buff that decreased his attack power but increased his defense.  What followed was a point of no return.  Mwamba decided to ditch the team in hopes of transferring to a salvage squad, and now I couldn't come back to Colony 9.  A partial compensation was the Rest Spot that could distribute bonus experience.  Noah, Eunie, and Lanz all grew to Level 11 this way.


Alfeto Valley was a scorched battlefield featuring several clashes between Keves and Agnus troops.  The party destroyed a few Agnians to gain Affinity and experience, then fought Level 7 Automatons.  (Didn't Nier Automata teach them anything about Greek plurals?)  The Automatons seemed to work for a third faction led by an old man named Guernica like the Picasso painting about the Spanish Civil War.


The boss fight was against three Level 8 Agnus elites:  Agnus Defender, Agnus Healer, and Agnus Attacker.  The best the party could do at this point was to kill the Healer and die to the other two.  However, I managed to win by focusing on the Agnus Attacker, then the Healer, and finally the Defender on a future attempt.


Guernica held back both the Kevesi and Agnian characters and tried to warn them of their true foe:  a Level 10 Mysterious Enemy who looked and sounded like a demon from a TV show.  His Unstoppable Spear attack could inflict Blaze, which drained HP over time in a game with no healing items.  The Agnians occasionally dealt damage to Mysterious Enemy as if it were a Skirmish, but were not functionally party members.  Sometimes the Kevesi heroes knocked the demon down to low HP before succumbing, but there was no way out but to level some more.


Xenoblade 3's early game has some issues on Hard difficulty since there's not much you can do besides grinding.  Swapping out Arts helps a bit, but you can't play as anyone other than Noah, and the only equipment available is one mediocre accessory per character.  I even searched in the areas with high level monsters hoping to find some "out of depth" armor, but there was nothing.


The party won on the second Level 13 attempt.  Lanz and Eunie actually cooperated to Topple and Daze Mysterious Enemy on cue when Noah inflicted Break with Sword Strike.  It was still a close victory with Noah and Lanz nearly dead.  Guernica used the Ouroboros Stone in a cutscene, making Noah and his Agnian counterpart Mio fuse into a monster to finish off Mysterious Enemy in a "battle" that was a guaranteed victory.  This merger was called an Ouroboros, and was opposed to the demon species Moebius.


Just before this Moebius disappeared, he shot a red infinity symbol into the sky.  Guernica explained that he was 60 years old, and was probably the first human they had encountered.  The Flame Clock was no more and was replaced with a flaming Ouroboros symbol in the eyes of the Agnians and Kevesi.  Guernica disappeared in sparkles and both Mio and Noah played the off-seer song on their flutes.  The funeral was for Mwamba, another victim of the Moebius.  (I knew he wasn't going to stick around since the first post!) 


Unfortunately, the Agnians didn't join the party in spite of being obvious candidates for slots 4-6.  Instead, the game switched manual control to Eunie the healer for another combat tutorial on the way back to Colony 9.  I'm guessing the Kevesi party will be banished from Colony 9 based on a vague cutscene back in town.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Eunie's section didn't last long because, as expected, Colony 9 was now hostile to the party.  The three Level 8 Keves Attackers went down easily due to the team having to be at Level 13 for the Moebius earlier.  The story's perspective then shifted to the Agnus party of Mio the Defender, Taion the Healer, and Sena the attacker.  I was controlling Mio since it was a Defender tutorial.


Mio was not the same kind of Defender as Lanz.  Her class was Zephyr, which specialized in evasion with moves like Wide Slash and the Talent Art called Gemini Strike.  Taion was a Tactician who set up an evasion boosting field with his origami cards.  Sena's class was named Ogre, and she used some kind of heavy weapon with a thin bar in the middle.


Although Mio's party seemed to have a better setup than Noah's, they still failed to kill Lapdog Veece the giant wolf.  Other battles were easy.  Noah and Mio's teams met at a campsite with supply containers.  Everyone changed out of their dirty clothes, awkwardly introduced themselves, and agreed to go to the City that Guernica mentioned in a southern region where there were neither Kevesi nor Agnian colonies.  It was suggested that the reason everyone in Keves and Agnus were hostile to the protagonists was something to do with Moebius.  Were these demons draining life force from these countries to gain immortality, like what Zanza did with Bionis in Xenoblade 1?


(It's probably not a coincidence that the warring nations in Xenoblade 3 start with K and A like Kislev and Aveh in Xenogears!  Haven't played that game, but I've read some about it.)


A flashback ensued about how a woman named Ethel from Colony 4 saved young Noah and friends from a robot with her dual glowing swords.  I can't picture someone named Ethel as younger than 150! 


The Moebius demons held a meeting in what looked like a movie theater.  All were named after letters, and D was the agent who attacked the party.  Supposedly they had a bet that D lost.  H destroyed Colony 8, a place that was long gone by Xenoblade 1.  Maybe Shulk rebuilt it?  Like everyone else in Xenoblade 1 and Xenoblade 3, the Moebius demons were true Brits:  their leader Z was pronounced "Zed", and one of them said "We should've sallied forth in the first place.  The whole thing would've been done by teatime".


When Chapter 2 began, I gained a party of 6 and could switch the manually controlled character on the field and in battle.  Mio told everyone to pass through the caves to reach Millick Meadows.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

The caves were more of a short tunnel than a dungeon in the Xenoblade 1 style.  Millick Meadows, however, reminded me of Bionis Leg.  A not so "side quest" involved the party powering up a derelict Ferronis Hulk after defeating Piros Crustips.  One hint from the game allowed me to lure over each crab one by one rather than having to battle them all at once.


Once the Ferronis Hulk was powered up, the party made some items by paying money to its fabricator, distributed bonus experience, and sold excess collectibles to the most appropriately named Nopon in the series:  Shillshill.  Resting at the campsite activated multiple cutscenes.  Some involved the Keves plot to take out the "deserters" (i.e. the party), and it was implied that one of the Consuls for the Dirt rank outfit was a Moebius.  It's still likely that the heroes will reconcile with Keves and Agnus since otherwise the Affinity score would be useless.


The cutscene that was more important for now was a sequence where the party members scanned each other with their Iris eye computers and switched to each other's classes.  Unlike Xenoblade 1 with its fixed characters, there is a job system in Xenoblade 3, complete with mastering active Arts and passive buffs across classes.  Nopon Coins are used for many things besides a substitute for collectible quests:  "cooking, gem crafting, and leveling up classes".  Gem crafting?  That helped me a lot with the New Game Plus solo challenges in Xenoblade 1!


This tutorial ordered me to switch the team to the following jobs, and said I couldn't experiment with them until continuing the main story:


Noah:  Zephyr
Mio:  Swordfighter
Eunie:  Tactician
Taion:  Medic Gunner
Lanz:  Ogre
Sena:  Heavy Guard


EDIT:  Forgot to mention that the full party can Launch enemies now, making them spin around helplessly in the air.  It's a status condition that requires Topple to be active if I'm not mistaken.  Launch seems to come from Xenoblade 2 based on some YouTube footage I've seen before of that game.


(Haven't played Xenoblade 2 because Nintendo didn't seem to reprint it much, in spite of it selling well.  Xenoblade 2 copies are quite expensive.)