Boss: The Valkyrie¶

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(1 of 2) The first phase is fairly simple, with The Valkyrie using only a few attacks before more on to phase two.

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The first phase is fairly simple, with The Valkyrie using only a few attacks before more on to phase two. (left), Many of The Valkyrie’s attacks can be mitigated with Fire + Elemental. (right)

This fight has both performative and preparatory components, although if you gear up appropriately ahead of time, things will be much, much easier. First, Cloud is something of an ancillary character in this battle - he’s the best caster we have available right now, but The Valkyrie isn’t terribly vulnerable to most spells, and Tifa’s a better damage dealer and Barret’s a better tank. Cloud, then, has little role in the battle save healing, so we stick him with Healing + Magnify and let the AI control Cloud most of the fight.

Barret and Tifa will play a decidedly more active role in this fight, mostly because Barret can actually hit The Valkyrie when it flies out of range, and whenever it’s within range of your melee attackers, Tifa’s the most competent at inflicting Stagger and damage. Due to their more active role, they’ll get better protective materia than Cloud: equip Fire + Elemental on their armor and Binding + Warding anywhere you can fit it. Finally, make sure all three have Star Pendants - Poison is the least of your worries in this fight, but why bother with it at all if you don’t have to?

The first phase is incredibly simple, and it’ll end if you deal enough damage (reduce The Valkyrie to around 80% of its HP) or if enough time passes. In the meantime, The Valkyrie will show off its basic attacks:

• Mark 98 Rotary Cannons: Shoots a target with a barrage of bullets. Low damage, but can stun-lock characters for its duration.

• Mark 99 Anti-Fiend Artillery: Shoots a volley of incendiary shells at a target. Moderate damage, can be resisted/negated/absorbed with Elemental Material.

• Napalm Drop: The Valkyrie will fly over the battlefield, dropping globs of napalm. Will create fiery patches where it lands, dealing consistent damage. Fire + Elemental turns this into a source of healing.

The Valkyrie will largely stay out of range in this phase, obligating you to shoot at it with Barret. When it comes over land, switch to Tifa and attack it - melee attacks build up The Valkyrie’s Stagger gauge surprisingly quickly, although there’s little you can do in this phase due to its brevity and The Valkyrie’s elusiveness.

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(1 of 6) “Antipersonnel Gas” can inflict both “Poison” and “Sleep” and being immune to both will make the majority of the fight much easier.

After some absurd scenes you’ll move into phase two, where the battle really begins. The Valkyrie will still use all the attacks from phase one, but adds to them some nasty new abilities:

• Antipersonnel Gas: Shoots canisters of gas across the battlefield, which persist in the area where they strike for a period of time. Inflicts “Poison” and “Sleep”, and can be used during other attacks (like “Firewheel”), especially during phase three.

• Bombardment: Only used as a follow-up attack after striking with “Firewheel”, The Valkyrie will simultaneously attack with “Mark 98 Rotary Cannons” and “Mark 99 Anti-Fiend Artillery”, dealing massive damage… unless you’re immune to or resistant to fire.

• Drill Drop: The Valkyrie plunges into the ground, with its drill leading the way. Deals heavy damage, but The Valkyrie becomes stuck for a while after using this attack.

• Firewheel: The Valkyrie spins across the battlefield, dealing heavy damage if it contacts a character. Will follow-up with “Bombardment” if it hits. In later phases it can spew “Antipersonnel Gas” during this attack.

The difficulty of this phase - and largely this fight - depends on your preparations. If Barret and Tifa are immune to fire, “Poison” and “Sleep”, this phase will be largely trivial, even moreso if you absorb fire and buff with Regen. In the latter case, “Mark 99 Anti-Fiend Artillery” and “Napalm Drop” will actively heal you, and by extension, “Firewheel” will go from a likely killer combo to a nuisance. Being able to walk through “Antipersonnel Gas” is also a great boon, as it’ll allow you to focus on your offense. Speaking of which…

For this phase you’ll want to attack with Tifa, building up The Valkyrie’s Stagger gauge, and when it becomes “Pressured” hit it with “Focused” attacks via Cloud and Tifa. When Staggered, switch back to Tifa and perform the typical power combo of “Starshower”, “Rise and Fall” and “Omnistrike”, and have Barret and Cloud contribute with “Maximum Fury” and “Triple Slash”, if possible. It’ll take a few of these sessions to drop The Valkyrie down to around 50% of its HP, at which point the next phase starts.

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(1 of 2) Lure the laser to The Valkyrie and try to get your foe caught in its own attack,

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Lure the laser to The Valkyrie and try to get your foe caught in its own attack, (left), then deal as much damage as you can while it’s downed - defeating it will earn you the “Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XII” Manuscript. (right)

For phase three you’ll be dealing with a more aggressive foe that sometimes mixes attacks together (like shooting “Antipersonnel Gas” during “Firewheel”) and attacks more frequently, as advertised by its “Limiter Override” ability. There’s also the… well, the orbiting probe that calls down laser strikes. This is actually the key to victory, as The Valkyrie will protect itself with a barrier that reduces damage and Stagger, and causes Stagger sessions to end almost instantaneously. Lure the laser over to The Valkyrie (it’s stationary for a number of its attacks - being immune to vary attacks and debilitations really helps here) and stand in the targeting beam for a few moments until it starts to expand, then quickly flee to hopefully catch The Valkyrie in the blast. If you get hit it’ll inflict around 5,000 damage, but it’ll remove the barrier from The Valkyrie, knock it down, and “Pressure” it. In Hard difficulty, the laser seems less committal about locking on, so you’ll have to be more patient - and vigilant - than in Normal difficulty.

Repeat this process several time - hit The Valkyrie with its own laser, Stagger it, then punish it with Tifa’s power combo. For defeating The Valkyrie in Hard difficulty you’ll obtain the Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XII Manuscript.