Solo Ophilia Route v2.0 (Lone Traveler) (Non-Cait)

Lone Traveler Ophilia Route Notes

Last Updated: Sep. 18, 2022
Contact: AnimeGamer#1297 on Discord if you'd like to reach me
Status: Complete with sample video.

Sample Video: https://youtu.be/vl3BUBuHGEM

These are updated speedrun notes for Lone Ophi's solo speedrun route. You don't need a Cait for this, but it does require the Buffer Glitch. This is an updated route over the previous version, just optimizing some minor aspects but is still mostly the same. If you do get a Cait, it does save decent time though (saves 2-3 battles around Whistlewood and then 2-3 Stones and battles later so a total of about 4-5 ish battles and some exploration, give or take. With Cait and the Northreach Reptalios battle, you're essentially good on exp and jp for the whole run, especially after you take the forced Murkwood encounter).

Note1: Set up Buffer Glitch beforehand.

Note2: If you get a Cait, you can Flurry or Light M to KO it and can skip the Whistlewood grind and some other grinds/stones later. After Reptalios, you'll be level 15+ and be able to do the Royal Crest quest and won't technically need any more.

Note1: Prepare Buffer glitch beforehand if you need setup/practice (we loot the Master's Spear for money).

Notation:
TP = Teleport
C = Chapter
x2,x3,x4 = boost with 1 BP, 2 BP, or the max 3 BP respectively. x1 is not used but would be 0 BP and a normal move.
S+Q = Save and Quit and reenter the game to reset/reload the encounter rate
Reload/Reset = usually exit and reenter a screen to reset the encounter rate
Buffer Glitch = use the Buffer Glitch to gain access to an item or area - see https://youtu.be/0XlAM3mTu0Q
Skills may be abbreviated, such as Merchant's Hired Help as HH

Settings/Technical Things (recommended, but you can play how you want):
- Japanese Audio
- Message Speed Quick
- Revert to Original (Battle Cursor Position)
- Preload Before a Run (Start a new game with any character and exit to the menu, since the first load is slowest)
- Note that loading games directly from console is usually faster than loading from an SD/memory card
- Always Hold B to Skip Cutscenes, unless the textbox/scene is so short that it's faster to mash (Ex: usually 1-2 textbox scenes)

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Do Ophilia C1 (Guide Summon Winds Tavern guy and buy+equip Quartz Rod, flee or break+flee encounters)
Guardian boss:
T1: Summon
T2+: Staff x1 repeatedly to break
T3+: Holy Light x 4 when it's broken
(Re-Summon asap, and repeat again to KO, may adjust to x3 or not need second summon depending on damage ranges.)
Should not need to heal but may do so if desired/in danger
(30% Shadow S drop, you can use it freely to help speed up JP grind a bit)
Finish cutscenes for C1
Guide Flurry NPC when leaving Flamesgrace, ignore Kit

KO good encounters for some JP going to Scholar Shrine, Flee or Break+Flee from others (recommended 30 JP for Scholar)
- ants give 12 jp: Staff to break, then Holy Light x3 (x2 is enough if you're a Scholar job), defend, repeat
- frogs/meep give 4-5 jp: summon flurry guy, Holy Light x2/x3 when broken, frogs are weak to Ice if you have Scholar
- squirrels outside Flamesgrace are weak to Bows/Flurry

Flurry+Flee encoutner to enter Scholar Shrine (or Walk and hope to avoid the encounter)
Tag Noblecourt (Flurry again or YOLO flee), go out, get Light M
TP Flamesgrace, go to Whistlewood and grind 1 battle w/ Light M (LB or Flurry before Howlers)
(You don't need the 1500, just the battle.)
Grind extra if needed (ants are weak to Lightning and the best for normal encounter JP)
Evasive Manuevers (Lightning Blast + any other 1)
If you get a Cait, just learn Lightning Bolt + Analyze for Evasive since you don't need LBlast to grind

Tag Cobbleston
Reload the screen downward before tagging Stonegard to avoid encounter (optional but highly recommended)
Optionally get Light M on the way too
Tag Stonegard
Tag Wellspring
Get Fire L
TP Stonegard
Enter Moonstruck Coast and head to Merchant Shrine

Fire L on pirate encounter (or can use it on the next screen/Victor's Hollow screen. We just need 30 JP for Hired Help)
(S+Q to Skip this encounter if you got a Cait)

Tag Goldshore
Enter West Grandport Coast
Get Wind L
Go back one screen
Get Thunder M
Reenter West Grandport Coast
Get 20k
S+Q
Get Thunder L
Tag Grandport
Enter Loch
Optionally get leftside Pom L and exit and reenter (slow and not needed but can be nice vs Matty)
Get Wind L + 30k

TP Grandport
Get Silver-Filled Pouch + 25k + Dazzling Artwork

TP Wellspring and go toward Marsalim, straight down
Optional: Get Thunder L on the left side then TP back to Wellspring before going back down again (it's a dangerous stone to pick up and try to pass through the screen)

Get Thunder L outside Marsalim Catacombs
Enter Catacombs
Get Rev Jam
Buffer Glitch for Master's Spear
Exit
Tag Marsalim
Get 3 chests in palace

Equip + Optimize
Job Merchant + Hired Help if you can, otherwise do it before entering the map outside Southern Northreach Wilds
Learn Sidestep + put on Endless Items asap too, whenever possible

TP Flamesgrace (Flee or HHB encounters as needed)
Get Hunter Shrine
If you have Endless Items already and 130 JP excess, learn Arrowstorm + 1 more to get Heighten Senses on
Job Merchant

Tag Victor's Hollow, exit
You can either reset encounter in Duskbarrow area and return or take the encounter with an L Stone
(or you can break enc with HHB x3, though you need to Defend for the BP)
Note that you need 1 Thunder L and 1 Light L for C2/C3. Having 1 Wind L for a Wellspring is nice, and having 1 of any L extra is also nice for C2 battles. But you can also rely on EI procs or M Stone + HH Bandits x3/Flees.

Head to Southern Northreach Wilds (if you get encounter in Stillsnow area, Thunder L defeats all of them)

Get 30k in Maw
Get battle on way to Northreach of 2 Reptalios lizards: HH Bandits x2, then L Stone (preserve 1 Light L+1 Thunder L for C2/3)
Tag Northreach
(If you need L15, you can go outside again to grind 1 more)

Get Plum M + Ice M outside Lorn Cathedral (Plum M is optional)
Buffer Glitch into Lorn Cathedral and loot these in this order:
Pom L
Gleaming Amulet
Refreshing Jam
Void Amulet
(Hired Help Bandits x2 breaks and flees some bandit encounters but otherwise just Flee)

TP Noblecourt
Job Hunter + Arrowstorm (+1 more and get Heighten Senses too if you can)
Enter Forest of Purgation, get Tempest Amulet + Light L, exit
Get Pom M
Get Cat's Eye
Tag Wispermill (Arrowstorm + Flee encounter)
Get Thunder M
Buy Adamantine Shield

If you are NOT level 15, grind extra Reptalios outside with L Stones. Other L Stones you can get:
Light L in Starseer shrine
Wellspring Thunder L when you go out and down and on the left side
Light L outside Everhold area
50k in Runeblade and use Vets to grind a battle
(you should never need to resort this far unless your EI luck and encounter luck is horrendous though)

TP Stonegard
Do Royal Crest Quest [Guide bottom right Patrician Youth near church in valleys to top screen quest guy]
Equip + Optimize + Royal Crest + Gleaming Amulet
Job Merchant
[If you somehow are not Level 15 yet to complete this quest, you can delay this after Ophi 2. It makes Hrod a bit less safe, but that fight is still very safe for the most part. It shouldn't be possible to be below level 15 with the grinds needed up to this point though.]

TP Cobbleston
Tag Saintsbridge, fleeing encounters on way there
Do C2
(You don't need the chest near the boy or the 3.5k because the route has excess money, unless you HHB a lot.)

Go toward Murkwood.
Preserve a Thunder L and Light L at least, if possible
Use any other 1 L's or 2 M's or an M and HH Bandits or Flee
Levels/HP help but are not mandatory at this point.
You can also S+Q outside Murkwood to avoid an encounter on the first screen
Defeat the Murkwood encounter

Heal Wounds to full before Hrodvitnir

Hrod battle

Hrod: (1 Pom M, 60k, 1 Thunder L)
T1: Pom M
T2: HH Vets x4
T3: Defend
T4: Thunder L (breaks him) (use Light L instead and get backup Light L in Starseer Shrine if no Thunder L)
T5: Vets x4

Alternative Hrod Script: (2 M of Ice/Thunder/Light, 60.3k)
T1: HHM (can swap this with Ice M if Ophi is first T2 to increase tankability and chance of skipping a turn)
T2: HHM
T3: Ice M (or light/thunder m)
T4: Defend (can swap this with Thunder M if Ophi is first on T5 to save a turn or 650+ HP and only after one action)
T5: HHV x4
T6: HHV x3
T7: Thunder M (or Ice/light M if EI'd; this is only needed if you were unable to toss stone on T4)

Finish Ophi 2
TP Goldshore and do Ophi 3: get 4500 chest + Pom M chest

TP Victor's Hollow, guide Entrance arena guy
Heal Wounds to max HP
You need a Light L for C3 boss, so get Starseer Light L or Everhold Light L if you used the FoP one by accident.

Get Thunder M before entering the Road to Seaside Grotto
(Also save on the way there - this is optional but recommended)
Go through Seaside Grotto, Flee any encounters

In cavern, follow torches to go toward boss and at next Save Point
S+Q on right side of Save Point

Then run to the next Save Point right before boss and Save again. Heal Wounds to max if not already.

MMSF (if your turn order is good, you may swap T1+T2 to get an extra chance at an Inhibit turn):
T1: Sidestep x2 (note if you are first on T2, you can swap and do Summon on T1 and Sidestep x3 on T2)
T2: Summon
T3: Rev Jam (Pom L if undamaged)
T4: HH Vets x4
T5: HH Vets x3
T6: Light L
T7: Light L (needed only if just 1 Inhibit turn, this will be a range depending on Heals/damage and only works if EI proc'd) (if you don't have any, reset as T7 is extremely rare)
(if no inhibit Vets hits at all before T4, then can Sidestep/Grape to stall or dont bother with T4 and just retry)


Finish Ophi 3

Equip + Void + Tempest (Job'ing to Hunter should've removed the Master's Spear earlier)

TP Wispermill

Sell for money: Master's Spear, Black Staff, Stimulating Bracelet, Royal Crest, Gleaming Amulet, Quartz Rod if needed, etc.
Do not sell plums, jams, poms, or stones.

Need: 88,927 money total before entering (if short, go in, loot and sell first chest Giant's Club for 13k)

Do Ophi 4 and go straight into Ebony Grotto

S+Q before Mattias
Learn Reflective Veil

Job Merchant
Heal Wounds to max HP (heal SP if you will not level off the first battle, it's guaranteed to level up if you're below level 20)
(Level 20 is 535 exp to level up to level 21, and the first battle gives 528 exp total w/ the break bonus)
Get 30k
Optionally Save again (not recommended)

Pre-Mattias Battle:
T1: Defend
T2: HH Vets x3

Should level off this fight so you're full HP + SP going into Mattias

Mattias:

General idea: Get Sidesteps up, toss all your stones, summon a lot and use Reflective Veil as much as possible when you have Defense Down stacks up. Also, do Vets damage early to bring him to 1 shield. Use Poms + Rev/Ref Jam liberally but smartly.

We want an early 3x inhibit'd Vets to bring him to 1 shield and do ~14.5k damage to accelerate his early phase and not have to do as many Reflective Veils.

[If you are level 19, it is a range to wipe from Mattias' base attack crit, but at level 20, you are guaranteed to be safe.]

T1: Pom M
T2: Sidestep x4

Toss excess Thunder/Wind M+L Stones/Sidestep/Summon NPC as needed

T3+: Sidestep x4 (or Reflective Veil x4 if you have enough Sidesteps up and he had his Defense lowered)
T4: Pom L (if 0 BP)
T5: Sidestep x4/Reflective Veil x4
T6: Summon
T7: Reflective Veil x4 if he has Inhibit Defense on, otherwise Sidestep

You shouldn't need more than about 12-15 or so Sidesteps over the course of the entire battle, depending on Inhibit procs, but it will vary depending on your Stone count and EI procs/Inhibit Defense luck. Refreshing Jam when your HP/SP get very low.

His magic attacks will do almost no damage, so you can freely use Poms, Refreshing/Rev Jams, Plum M, Summons, and should just focus on Reflective Veils, especially when Mattias has his Defense lowered by your Summon, who you should keep Re-Summoning. The Plum M shouldn't usually be needed but might if you use a lot of Veils.

Do an early

T#: Vets x3 (to 1 shield, when he has Inhibit)

so you can burst him a lot faster and bring him to 1 Shield as well.
Use your BP smartly to keep up Sidesteps, focusing on boosted Reflective Veils.

Always Re-Summon to get your Inhibitor back, especially if you have a stack of Veils or a lot of BP to use soon.

(Try to do it when he's not inhibited since we want to maximize Reflect during his Inhibit turns.)

When SP gets low, use Refreshing Jam (or even Revitalizing if you duped/didn't use it). You also have one Plum M you got from Lorn just in case it gets a little extended, and then you can use Pom M/L that you looted/duped freely too with Endless Items.

Preserve your Inhibitor if he gets low (2 ish summons remaining). This should only happen if he gets hit by Mattias a lot but shouldn't happen much unless very unlucky.

Mattias does Dialogue 1 at 30%, then at 50% activates Infernal Prayer (boosts magic so reflect does more damage but also boosts physical defense so Vets do less, can be countered with an Inhibit cast to bring him to normal defense, then Inhibit again for lowered defense), then at 70% damage taken, he does Dialogue 2 with Ophi.

After he activates Infernal Prayer at his 50% HP mark, count 8k worth of damage on him (if he has Inhibit Defense and Infernal Prayer activated, he takes 3k per reflect, so you would only need 2 to land and then have 1 more set up) and time your BP to 5 with a full Inhibit Defense on him. Then do Vets x4, Vets x3 to finish him off (does 48k total). Even if you miscounted for a bit, when he returns, he does another Reflective Veil's worth of damage to himself or you can do any spare Ice/Light/whatever stones to finish.

His Infernal Prayer buffs his physical attack to just one shot you straight out even from full HP btw, so don't let him get past your Sidesteps anymore. In addition, try to have 4-5 BP when you summon your Inhibitor, and its ideal to summon the inhibitor before he does Infernal Prayer and have Defense down up already. IP buffs his defense, so we need to debuff him to neutral, then debuff him again to def down state. (But if he had Defense down already, Infernal Prayer takes him to neutral defense, so we just need one more defense down proc. This is mostly just timing though about when you think halfway will trigger and summoning the NPC just a bit prior to have Defense Down up in time)

Do NOT miscount damage going into break though. If he summons adds (which he does the turn after he returns from break), you won't have the resources to defeat them anymore and will probably lose (even if you defeat Mattias, you have to defeat the adds to win the battle, and you probably won't be able to, resource-wise). He does come back with an elemental attack from break though, so you could reflect that plus throw a stone for extra chip damage to help narrow the gap as needed though.

Otherwise, summon as much as possible and time your Reflective Veils smartly. This fight should be safe for the most part due to your armor setup.

Notes if worst case no Inhibit lands: If Inhibits don't land in time, you can count 24k of damage instead of 8k and then just do Vets x4 x3 to KO him without inhibits. Note that at 25% critical health, he unlocks Black Thunder (he telegraphs it by entering boost mode), which is NOT nulled by your accessories, so you may need to block with Reflective Veil to survive (it can inflict Unconscious, which is basically an instant loss). So Reflect it or break and defeat him.

Time ends when you end/skip the last cutscene just before Credits roll. GG.

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