Nostalgia Routing

Nostalgia Routing
[Updated 6 Nov 2025]

- After you unlock the airship, consider grinding air encounters while flying to Cairo and the Pyramid, as you'd like Eddie at L5 (for Combo Attack) before Pharoah
- Buy Gunman Hat for Pad in Cairo, and buy each their new weapons (Claymore, Handgun)
- Eddie's Combo Attack goes from 4 -> 6 hits at L10 (maybe worth it by the endgame?)

LEVEL BENCHMARKS
- Pharoah: Eddie Lv. 5 (for Combo Attack)
- Tower of Babel: Lv. 9
- Soothing Light: Lv. 20 (Fiona, L5 Healing Breeze = 450 SP)

ROUGH OUTLINE
- Intro -> Sewers
- Cairo -> Pyramid, pick up pipe and Warp Stone, then warp out (pick up Chain Coat?)
- Cairo, talk to Shirley, talk to Brian (in bar) -> Merveille
- Talk to Elder, back to ship for CS -> Eterna (stop in Cape Town?)
- On the way to Cape Town/Eterna is the forced Scarlett airship fight
- Probably want to buy a few airship healing items before Scarlett (get Upgrade Plate 01?)
- Cape Town:
	> You don't need to stop here at this point, but it might be worth it for certain upgrades
	> Weapons: Pirate Saber (350G), Wheel Lock Gun (330G), Morning Star (330G)
	> Armor: Witch's Cloak (220G), Straw Hat (230G), Witch's Mittens (270G)
	> Airship: Upgrade Plate 02 (600G) (check which weapons are available at this point)
- Probably invest in Combo Attack and Flanma (L3) early, to get the 4x hit and Flanmoa (Lv.9) as soon as possible
- Eterna (initial cavern):
	> Left at first split: Heal Bottle, Gladius (better than Pirate Saber)
	> Right+Down: Mint Candy, Sunlight, 1000G
	> Right+Left: Old Clock, path to minecarts
	> Likely not worth getting Gladius (too many encounters, can just buy Pirate Saber)
- Eterna (lower area):
	> Right: Warp Stone
	> Straight to Eterna Crystal
	> Could buy a Warp Stone if you wanted to save on encounter odds
	> Warp Stone out after Eterna Crystal
- Hartmann fight upon landing in Merveille after Eterna 1
- Tower of Babel (next to Cairo)
	> Pretty big difficulty spike, worth stopping in London for healing items/equipment
	> Actually, the available weapons in London (Steel Sword) probably aren't worth it--maybe just buy potions in Merveille
	> You get destroyed by encounters at Lv. 7 (around what you'd be if you ran from most encounters to this point)
	> Try and aim for Lv. 9 before entering, so that Melody gets Flanmoa, and Eddie possibly gets 4x Combo Attack (L5)
	> Combo Attack L5 requires 1450 SP, Flanma L3 requires 70 (total of 1520)
	> So basically, you'd ideally like 1520 SP and Lv. 9 by the time you enter Tower of Babel
	> If you are going to grind some encounters in Eterna anyway, it may be worth getting Gladius after all
	> You want a Warp Stone before you get here (buy in London East End)
	> After Mr. Evans, 2000G in chest above
	> The Korol you get seems to be random (Atrum: Restores MP)
	> Chest by Korol: Leather Cloak (for Melody; probably not worth it if you already have Witch's Cloak)
	> Next floor, chest on right: Super Heal Bottle
	> Chest on left: Flame Hammer (Melody; probably worth getting?)
	> Chest on bottom: Battle Coat (Eddie)
	> 4F, chest on right: Runed Mittens (Melody)
	> 4F, right side, further down: Iron Gauntlets (Eddie)
	> 4F, left side: Antidote
	> 5F: Sniper Gloves (Pad)
	> Upon reaching the top of the tower, attack Carmine until he uses Prominence, then Warp Stone out and fly to London
- London:
	> Go to Beatrice's house
	> Go through the door to trigger cutscene
	> Leave, and Mr. Evans will tell you about World Treasure
	> Go find Abu Simbel (along the river south of Cairo)
	> Return to Mr. Evans (museum), then back to Beatrice (Fiona will join the party)
	> You could probably stand to buy armor (Steel Suit, Colorful Dress) and weapons (Long Barrel) on the way out of London
	> Maybe buy Iron Straw Hat for Melody and Fiona too
	> Fiona starts at Lv. 14
	> Leave and fly to Saint Petersburg
- Saint Petersburg
	> Save before raising altitude, you literally can't beat or run from any of these encounters
	> Drop altitude as soon as you can, then enter Saint Petersburg
	> Probably worth buying Upgrade Plate 03 (1200G) as well as the upgraded spear and gun (for Eddie and Pad)
	> Talk to Ivan (right in front of the statue)
	> There's a hidden Silver Chalice just to the left of the town square, hidden behind the building (left side of Adventurer's Association)
	> Go to the bar (west side of town) for cutscene with Scarlett
	> Leave Saint Petersburg, but repair ship on the way out (100G)
	> Save and reset for any damage on the way to the East Mountains
	> Do Ouroboros fight (make sure you have plenty of Mechanic's Tools, maybe like ~10)
	> Exploit Fiona's Charge (seems like you can only stack 2 at a time, but it does big damage)
	> After the Ouroboros fight, you almost have enough SP to finish leveling Combo Attack to L5 (for 4x attack), but you're maybe 150 short (depending how much grinding you did)
	> Head to Siberian Village
- Siberian Village
	> Talk to Theodor (right of the well; can you skip this?)
	> May not need to buy weapons/armor, but may want to buy healing items (including Heal Leafs)
	> Buy enough Warp Stones to get you until Fiona learns Warp Gate (Lv. 16)
	> Leave town and HEAL TO FULL (airship gauntlet incoming)
	> Head north to trigger airship gauntlet
- Airship Gauntlet
	> Melody's Magic Shield should come in handy here (should have Lv. 10 by now)
	> You need a shitload of healing items for this lol
	> Load up on Mechanic's Tools, at least 2 Mechanic's Wrenches, and some Extinguishers (5-10?)
	> Gramme Class (1)
	> Gramme Class (2)
	> Gramme Class (3)
	> Each Gramme Class has 75HP; make intelligent use of Fiona's Charge and Melody's Magic Shield
	> After the third wave, Scarlett will lead you into the Siberian Base
- Siberian Base
	> You need 1450 SP for L5 Combo Attack; you should be extremely close, if not there already, but aim to get it by the time you reach Roswell
	> Use Scarlett to quickly grind against easy enemy patterns if extra experience is necessary (she OHKOs a lot of the enemies)
	> Airship Port chest (top right): Super Heal Leaf
	> 1F 2nd Sector Passage (left): Flame Staff (Fiona, probably not worth it as she has no offensive spells at this point)
	> 1F 2nd Sector Passage (right): Dragon Head Plans (possibly want this for later airship fights)
	> Fiona leaves the party after the Astell encounter/cutscene
	> You get a free full heal after the Astell encounter/cutscene
	> 2F Lab Sector Lab (top right): Cabal Gun (Pad)
	> 2F Lab Sector Lab (top left): Metal Vest (Pad)
	> 2F Lab Sector Passage (bottom): Ice Brand (Eddie)
	> There's a hidden Korol right next to Ice Brand
	> Flip the switch on the wall in the room with Ice Brand, then head back through the vent
	> 2F Inner Air Duct (top): Silver Chalice (not even out of the way, so totally worth getting)
	> 2F Monorail Station Platform 3 (left): HP Shard
	> 2F Elevator Hall: Left and right are forced encounters, so go straight
	> On the Roswell fight, Gorgeous Beam does ~40-50 to all party members; just have enough Heal Leafs+Heal Bottles, use them with Pad when necessary, then otherwise just spam Flanma and Overdrive+Combo Attack (L5; ~120 damage at Lv. 10) to win
	> If may even be better to just spam normal attacks with Melody and/or Pad, as Flanma's animation is a low slower
	> You should get Lv. 12 from the Roswell fight; from here, Pad has access to Break Shot (L5 Lock on, 180 SP) and Melody has access to Frostana (L3 Frost, 70 SP)
	> Pad also learns Support Shot (airship)
- Damocles/London
	> Talk to Fogg, then Shirley+Carlos, Fiona, and the pilot to progress to London
	> Head to Eddie's house, enter the living room for cutscene
	> Talk to Fiona (balcony), Pad (top left), Mom+Evans, Melody (bottom right), then re-enter living room for cutscene
	> Talk to Shirley outside the Royal Museum
	> Exit museum for Magi cutscene, then head to air dock (buy Upgrade Plate 04 for 2000G? maybe some airship healing items too)
	> Head for Cape Town
- Cape Town
	> Buy Upgrade Plate 02 (600G) and some weapon upgrades, since this is your first trip to Cape Town
	> In theory, you could stop in Cape Town on your way to Eterna much earlier, assuming these upgrades/weapons are available at that point, but it depends how the money works out (would be better for the airship gauntlet+Ouroboros)
	> Exit the air dock to get Yang Gui, then fly to Eterna
- Eterna 2
	> Head to the bottom, then into the main cavern, then follow the tracks to the secret door
	> First track: flip switch to progress
	> Second track: no flipx2 = fall; no flip+flip = Blue Blade Plans; flip = progress
	> Left cart: Magician's Hat (left; Melody); Hunter Blade (right; Eddie)
	> Top cart: flipx2 to progress; can backtrack on foot to a Korol (definitely not worth it)
	> Proceed to Yang Gui fight; spam attack until cutscene
	> Yang Gui can definitely kill a party member or two; not sure if it matters, since you could just take an inn heal back in London
	> You need to burn 3 turns before the Yang Gui fight ends
	> Warp Stone out and fly to London
- London
	> Return to Fogg (museum) for cutscene
	> Talk to Shirley, then the top NPC in the bottom left room from the hallway, then walk into hallway for cutscene
	> Enter the left-side room third from the bottom for Carlos "imposter" cutscene
	> Head back to Fogg for next cutscene
	> Leave town and fly to Mt. Ararat (southeast of London)
- Mt. Ararat
	> Assuming Fiona gets Lv. 16 by the end of the dungeon, you won't need a Warp Stone here
	> There's no heal in between Yang Gui and this point, so be careful and heal as necessary
	> You probably want more than a few Silver Chalices; both Rune Bats and Fair Carrots have instant kill spells (lol)
	> Seems like you definitely want to equip Hunter Blade for this; it's tough at Lv. 12
	> Mt. Ararat Mountainside Cave (first): Gunman Vest (Pad; small boost over Metal Vest)
	> Rune Bat encounters may be worth killing because they can easily kill you (think they have an OHKO move); Carlos makes it even easier to just clear them relatively quickly
	> Melody's best attack is Flanma/Flanmoa
	> Heal judiciously between encounters as needed
	> Mt. Ararat Mountainside Cave (second): Dragon Shield Plans
	> Mt. Ararat Water Vein Cave (left, bottom): Lance Rod (Fiona)
	> Mt. Ararat Water Vein Cave (left, top): Leather Robe (Fiona)
	> Ark 1B Residential Sector (right): Sombrero (Pad, definitely worth it)
	> Korol on the right side of 1B Residential Sector
	> Ark 1B Residential Sector (left, after Korol): Runed Cloak (Melody)
	> Silver Kong is weak to Grounda (Melody learns at Lv. 14)
	> In 2B Great Hallway, take the door at the very bottom
	> Melody's best option against Numen is normal attack (all magic seems weak)
	> Ark 3B Living Sector (top): Chain Mail (Eddie, +5 DEF over Battle Coat, may or may not be worth it)
	> Ark 3B Living Sector (bottom, top): Agility Shard
	> Ark 3B Living Sector (bottom, bottom): Mysterious Stone (Gadget)
	> May want to get Groundale as soon as you hit Lv. 15 (L3 Grounda, 70 SP)
	> Take the staircase at the bottom of the Living Sector
	> Ark Bottom Floor Cathedral (next to altar): Earth Club (Melody)
	> Flip the switch behind the altar
	> Once you're Lv. 15 (Lv. 17 with Fiona) you can probably start to try running from encounters, although you may want at least 16/18 for the boss
	> After the altar switch, run all the way up to the "hearth", light it, then head back downstairs to the final door
	> Hartmann seems to resist magic too, so just use Melody's normal attack (probably want Earth Club)
	> Can implement Pad's Break Shot here as well
	> Hartmann fight is completely free, especially with Carlos, so your level shouldn't matter much--just fight encounters to the extent necessary to avoid dying and get to the tablet
	> After the cutscene, warp out (heal first?) then fly to London
- London
	> Head to Fogg for cutscene
	> Exit the museum for cutscene with Beatrice's maid, then head to the sewers (is this really required?)
	> Just go down and around the corner to the right to trigger the second Monster Rat fight
	> Use Melody's Grounda (not sure if weak or just due to Earth Club buff)
	> Warp Gate out and head to Beatrice's house
	> After the cutscenes, head to the air dock for cutscene with Scarlett
	> Fly to Nirvana Palace (go east from Cape Town until you hit the clouds, then raise to mid-altitude)
- Nirvana Palace/Delhi
	> After cutscene, talk to the guy in front of the Palace, then fly to Delhi
	> Probably want to buy Upgrade Plate 05 (5000G) and possibly other upgrades before you leave town (don't forget to repair ship!)
	> Weapons: Flamberge (1800G, Eddie), Twin Barrel (2500G, Pad), Bladed Wand (1500G, Fiona)
	> Armor: Silk Apron (1650G, Melody+Fiona)
	> Don't think it's worth buying any weapons, because there are stronger weapons in the dungeon that are right on the critical path anyway
	> Armor may not be worth it either, as Nirvana Palace seems much easier than Mt. Ararat in terms of enemy strength
	> Go to the building at the very north of town and talk to Nazim (just inside)
	> Head back to Nirvana Palace, talk to the guy, and enter
	> The dungeon has paths on either side that can be done in either order; look out for cracks on the ground
	> Nirvana Palace Temple Entrance (right): Flintlock Gun (Pad, definitely worth it)
	> Nirvana Palace Temple Approach (bottom right): MP Shard
	> Nirvana Palace Temple Approach (top left): Agility Shard
	> Nirvana Palace West House 2F: Wedjat Mace (Melody, probably worth it)
	> Nirvana Palace West House 4F: Korol
	> Nirvana Palace West House 4F (bottom, next to switch): Flame Wand (Fiona)
	> If you did the left side first, and assuming that you were to equip Flame Wand (might as well), you could Warp Gate out before doing the left side
	> The alternative is to fall down all the pitfalls back to the center, which may be faster if not equipping Flame Wand, since Warp Gate puts you all the way outside the dungeon (unusual, as normally it puts you just inside the entrance)
	> Nirvana Palace East House 2F: Stone Blade (Eddie)
	> All of Melody's magic seems equally weak against Astell/Gorgon Heads (normal attack does more)
	> Just focus on Astell; Overdrive+Combo Attack with Eddie, and fish for Break Shot drops with Pad
	> You can pretty much OHKO Astell with one Combo Attack after an Overdrive lol
	> Yang Gui also seems to resist magic, so just use normal attacks with Melody and Fiona (but mostly use Fiona for healing)
	> Yang Gui does have an instant kill move, so probably want to have some Silver Chalices in reserve; as long as you save money from not buying weapons (since you get all the weapons you need in this dungeon), you should have enough to buy a few
	> Even Fiona does more damage than Melody here, so if you are going to use a Heal Leaf or other healing item, favor Melody and attack with Fiona
	> After the fight, Warp Gate out and fly to Japan
- Skill considerations
	> At this point, you should be around Lv. 20-21, depending on how much grinding you did during Mt. Ararat
	> Eddie learns Thunder Blade at Lv. 20, as well as Spiral Arrow at Lv. 15 (requires L3 Wild Rush = 70 SP); the latter will probably be useful on the next difficult airship boss
	> Eddie will have access to Dividing Heaven at Lv. 25 (L5 Overdrive+L5 Thunder Blade = 2530 SP)
	> Pad should now have access to Escape Run (Lv. 18, L3 Steal+L3 Speed Boost = 140 SP, definitely worth it)
	> Pad won't have access to Silencer until Lv. 25 (L5 Hyper Speed+L3 No Trace = 4590 SP), but it may be worth saving SP for it when you hit Lv. 25
	> Melody has access to Dark Ray at Lv. 25 (L5 Flanma+L5 Frost+L5 Aeria+L5 Grounda = 1480 SP), but the cost is probably not worth it, at least not over Eddie and Pad's skills
	> Fiona has access to Soothing Light (heal all party members) from Lv. 20 (L5 Healing Breeze = 450 SP); this could be worth it, but you can always use Heal Leafs instead, so it might be worth saving SP for Dividing Heaven or Silencer
	> Fiona also has access to Anti-Defect from Lv. 19 (L3 Repair Force = 70 SP), which is likely a good investment
	> So at this point, it's probably a no-brainer to at least acquire Escape Run and Anti-Defect, and possibly Spiral Arrow (210-280 SP)
- Tokyo
	> On the way to Japan, fly at low altitude as much as possible; mid-altitude Nidhogg Class is probably a reset (make sure to save frequently lol)
	> Buy Upgrade Plate 06 for 10000G, and possibly some Recovery Devices (may not have a lot of extra money here, but you could sell to afford more)
	> There's a Mega Heal Bottle hidden in the wall hanging in the "dojo" (left of the inn)
	> The airship plans can be used/purchased in Tokyo: Dragon Head (5000G, Eddie), Aqua Crystal (4500G, Eddie), Dragon Scale (5800G, shield)
	> You can literally just enter Tokyo, then walk back into the air dock, walk down a few steps, and Carlos cutscene will trigger, no need to talk to any villagers
	> Remember to heal the ship (100G) before heading out; fly to the Damocles (south of Tokyo)
	> After the cutscene and Magi joins your party, talk to Fogg to proceed
- Mt. Fuji Base
	> Mt. Fuji Base 1F Storage: Golden Headband (Eddie, completely free to pick up)
	> Can't tell if Escape Run is even worth it--it still seems to fail most of the time, even when upgraded
	> Mt. Fuji Base 3B Central Hall (left): Heavy Blade Plans
	> Mt. Fuji Base 3B Central Hall (right): Old Clock (gadget)
	> You're forced to take the central ladder to Mt. Fuji Base 3B Central Hall before anything else
	> Head around to the right, past the elevator, then into the central ring, and take the topmost ladder
	> The Kakyo cutscene will trigger in Mt. Fuji Base 3B Central Hall (down the central ladder)
	> Head back up the ladder, then go down top right ladder (only one that isn't blocked)
	> Continue down and around to the left, grabbing the Flame Vest
	> Mt. Fuji Base 1B Central Passage (bottom): Flame Vest (Pad)
	> Continue up the left-side staircase, then continue clockwise and take the next staircase down
	> From here, you can take either the ladder or the staircase; the ladder is the critical path, while the staircase leads to an optional room with a Korol and Battle Staff for Fiona (probably not worth it)
	> Mt. Fuji Base 2B Storage: Korol and Battle Staff (Fiona)
	> After taking the ladder down, go right, then continue right in the next room into the cutscene
	> Mt. Fuji Base 2B Cell: Apple Hammer (Melody, worth it)
	> Leave to the left, then down left, then continue up the stairs (there's literally only one path)
	> Once you're back up on the main floor, take the top right ladder down from the inner ring
	> Head counterclockwise (up left), take the staircase up, then go down the ladder to the right
	> Just as you come down the ladder, there's a hidden room to the left containing Chain Cloak (Melody, probably worth it)
	> Head up, left, up, and take the door to the right into 1B Engine Room
	> Head right, and down the stairs is a secret room containing Dragonhead (Pad, probably worth it)
	> Head through the door on the right for cutscene, then forced fight with 3 Cabal Combatants
	> Cabal Combatants might resist air(?), but any other elemental attack will work, along with Random Shot to clear them quick
	> Mt. Fuji Base 1B Operation Room: Mysterious Stone (gadget)
	> There's a cutscene after the Cabal Combatants fight, then head out of the room and take the stairs; you can get the Dragonhead here for free since this is now the intended path
	> Head out the room down left, then take the ladder up, head left and up the staircase, then continue around the outer ring clockwise and take the elevator
	> Save and take the bridge to the center for cutscene and Kakyo fight
	> Kakyo always uses Ogre's Defense immediately, and it seems to last 3 turns
	> He can nearly OHKO Fiona (~100 damage) at Lv. 22
	> Is it worth teaching Eddie Hyper Guard? (requires L5 Guard Boost = 450 SP); alternatively you could just use one of his setup turns to Guard Boost Fiona
	> However, Kishin's Blade also melts the whole party, and if he uses it twice, then GGs; probably want some Super Heal Leafs for this fight
	> Kishin's Blade can even kill Fiona from full, so Hyper Guard is probably worth it
	> Pad could also make use of No Trace, since he has turns to burn anyway, but I don't think it protects from Kishin's Blade
	> So Eddie could do something like Hyper Guard -> Overdrive -> Overdrive, while the rest of the party heals/burns turns
	> Break Shot seems to always fail
	> You can combo Thunder Blade into Combo Attack pretty effectively
	> All of Melody's elemental magic seems equivalent, so just use Flanma
	> Don't use "Defend", as I think after that turn, DP is reset, including any boost from Hyper Guard
	> Probably want to at least double Hyper Guard, and if Fiona dies turn 1, you're fucked anyway
	> If you don't want to invest in Soothing Light, then just have a bunch of Heal Leafs on deck
	> Actually, Heal Leafs are just superior to Soothing Light anyway, so definitely go with that if you can
	> No Trace may actually be a bad play, because it means he's more likely to target Fiona
	> With enough healing items, you probably want to Hyper Guard -> Overdrivex2, since Fiona can at least live Kishin Blade from full
	> For some reason, certain party members seem to lose their defense boost early--is it whenever they use a stat boosting move/defend?
	> Another alternative is just using Eddie's Provoke, since he can easily tank a single hit--but will it rule out Kishin's Blade?
	> Yep, he can still use Kishin's Blade lol
	> At the end of the day, you probably just want to Overdrivex3 and annihilate him, and just make sure you have enough healing items for bad RNG (Heal Leaf, Super Heal Leaf, Silver Chalice), because you really don't want to lose any XP here due to fainted party members
	> After the cutscene, back in the Damocles, talk to Gilbert -> Magi -> Shirley -> Fogg to get back to London
- London
	> Go to Eddie's house and enter the living room for cutscene
	> Talk to Margaret (bottom left room), Gilbert (bottom left room), Fiona (balcony), Melody (right-side hallway, top), and Pad (bottom right room), and return to the living room for cutscene
	> Upon talking to Gilbert, Eddie will learn Supernova
	> After the living room cutscene, head to the air dock for the next cutscene
	> Upgrade Plate 07 is available, but it costs 20000G, which you probably won't have at this point
	> Enter Maverick II, and raise to high altitude (you're forced to)
	> After you fly a short distance, you will get the Betty's Hope SOS (no matter the altitude)
	> I'm not sure if you can skip the Betty's Hope subplot, but ideally you'd like to
	> See if you can get to New York and do any of the Amazon/El Dorado plot without Betty's Hope; otherwise, you probably have to do it