Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation/Stormsgate Citadel

Final Preparations

You can't get this till you've gotten all the other pieces!

SWITCH REX INTO A WARRIOR, AND CHANGE AMOS BACK INTO A FIGHTER IF HE'S BEEN WORKING ON PRIEST. THERE'S AN ENTIRE BOSS GAUNTLET THIS PAGE!

With that said, you've gathered all the other pieces of legendary gear; this means that you can finally get the Sword of Ramias from Turnscote. And it's indeed a powerful one; it has one of the highest Attack totals in the game, but it also casts Oomph for free! That will actually double one's Attack the same way Buff doubles Resilience; equip it right away!

Be sure to change Rex and Amos's classes once you do so; you'll need them fighting fit for the upcoming bosses.

If You're Playing the Remakes

You may also wish to replace Milly with Goowain just for this page. Goowain's lack of job levels normally gets in his way during random encounters; but there are none here. Therefore, he is a perfect support character for these fights; he has an innate 70% resistance to Woosh AND Zap, his Agility rivals Amos's, he learns Kabuff naturally, and his HP will often be higher than Milly's. Definitely consider giving him the Ghent Staff, Fire Claw, Meteorite Bracer, Platinum Mail, and Hela's Armour

Path to Stormsgate Citadel

This hole (located in the Dream World) leads to your next destination!

Head back to the Dream World, restore your HP and MP at Sorceria if need-be, and be sure your party looks something like this:

Carver (Level 25): Miracle Sword, Sacred Armour, Platinum/Dragon Shield, Metal King Helmet, Raging Ruby

Rex (Level 24): Sword of Ramias, Armour of Orgo, Shield of Valora, Helm of Sebath, Gold Bracer

Amos (Level 23): Ghent Staff, Dream Blade, Platinum Mail & Hela's Armour (switch between these to manipulate turn order), Power/Dragon Shield, Iron Mask, Meteorite Bracer

Milly (Level 23): Fire Claw, Platinum Sword, Flowing Dress, Silver Platter, Thinking Cap, Agility Ring

Stormsgate Monolith

Change the squares to EXACTLY what's presented here to activate the next boss fight!

The puzzle here can be confusing if you missed various bits of relevant flavor text. The symbols in the picture represent symbols found on each of the four pieces of legendary gear. The Helm of Sebath has the sun, the Sword of Ramias has the bolt of lightning, the Shield of Valora has the cross, and the Armour of Orgo has the heart.

So one is suppose to equip Rex with all four pieces, and then arrange the panels the same way the gear would be arranged on a right-handed swordfighter. Do that, and you activate your next boss fight!

VS. Stormsgate Citadel

Recommended Level:	Carver Lvl 25, Rex Lvl 24, Amos Lvl 23, Nevan Lvl 23
Recommended A.I. Settings for Party (Remakes Only; SNES A.I. is bad):	Carver: Back Me Up for 1st Turn, then Follow Orders Amos & Milly: Back Me Up for 1st Turn, then Focus on Healing
HP:	3000
MP:	Infinite
Item:	Seed of Resilience (1/4096)
Attack:	240
Defense:	200
Agility:	65
EXP:	2200
Gold:	0
Attack Patterns:	Crushes Party [0.5x Damage to All] (33.33%), Attack (16.66%), Thin Air [63-77 Woosh Damage to All in the SNES; 81-99 Woosh Damage to All in the remakes] (16.66%), Kaswoosh [45-90 Woosh Damage to All] (16.66%), Magic Barrier [Increased Resistance to Most Status and Direct Damage Spells] (16.66%)
A.I. Pecularities:	None
Resistances:	No resistance to Woosh or Zap, 15% resistance to Knuckle Sandwich, 50% resistance to Sap, 60% reduction of Frizz, Sizz, Bang, and Crack, Immunity to All Else

The Magic Barrier is the subject of a lot of misunderstanding. It's rumored to cause a flat 50% reduction of all magic spells, but the truth is actually quite complicated. The exact mechanics of how it works is covered in a footnote on the bottom of this page; but the short version is that it will not always give the same exact bonus. It's effects vary depending on what the character's innate resistances are, and which specific spell they are facing. However, it will always give 25% resistance to all direct damage spells (except Big Banga and Magic Burst), and 50% extra resistance to status spells (except Whack, Kasnooze, and Kamikazee) to anyone with no innate resistances. In the case of the remakes, this is almost every human character.

In any case, Stormsgate Citadel has it, and Knuckle Sandwich and Sap use the same resistance table as most status spells. Do NOT try to use either of those if Stormsgate gets it up!

Fortunately, Stormsgate is a pretty simple boss. Just spend the first two turns spamming Kabuff while having Rex cast Sap; then have Rex switch to casting Oomph on Carver, himself, and Amos. Carver should use Focus Strength + Knuckle Sandwich (or Double-Edged Slash, if Magic Barrier is up), Amos should alternate between attacking and healing with the Ghent Staff, and Rex should alternate between attacking and casting Sap. Stormsgate's Woosh type attacks hurt, but your healers should be fast enough to keep up with the damage; and Kabuff will nerf it's physical damage as badly as it has every other boss up to this point.

Interlude

Make sure you're ready before entering the throne room!

NOTE: Dhuran will actually steal your legendary equipment if you lose any one of these fights. So if you want to go back to an Inn and save, feel free to do so. That said, the game also gives you a free HP and MP refill right before the final fight with the big man himself; so technically, your HP and MP only has to last you for two fights, not three.

Whatever you decide, snag the two treasures (try to save the Yggdrasil Leaf for the final boss), and set your party up like so.

Carver (Level 25): Spear of Gracos, Sacred Armour, Platinum/Dragon Shield, Metal King Helmet, Raging Ruby

Rex (Level 24): Sword of Ramias, Armour of Orgo, Shield of Valora, Helm of Sebath, Gold Bracer

Amos (Level 23): Ghent Staff, Miracle Sword, (Hela's Armour for Terry), Power/Dragon Shield, Thinking Cap, Meteorite Bracer

Milly (Level 23): Fire Claw, Platinum Sword, Flowing Dress, Silver Platter, Hat of Hermes, Agility Ring

VS. Überkilling Machine & Iron Tortoise

Überkilling Machine	The machine on the left
Recommended Level:	Rex Lvl 24, Amos Lvl 23, Carver Lvl 25, Nevan Lvl 23
Recommended A.I. Settings for Party (Both Versions):	Carver & Amos: Follow Orders Milly: Follow Orders for 1st Turn, then Focus on Healing
HP:	480-600
MP:	0
Item:	Miracle Sword (1/128)
Attack:	310
Defense:	235
Agility:	147
EXP:	1100-1320
Gold:	123-147
Attack Patterns:	Metal Slash [1.5x to Metal Types] (33.33%), Attack (16.66%), Slash [1.25x Damage] (16.66%), Shoots Arrow [1.25x Damage] (16.66%), Dragon Slash [1.5x to Dragon Types] (16.66%)
A.I. Pecularities:	1/4 chance of starting with Bounce status
Resistances:	No resistance to Fire, Ice, Zap, Knuckle Sandwich, or Call-to-Arms, 30% reduction of Frizz, Crack, and Woosh, 60% reduction of Sizz spells, Immunity to All Else

Iron Tortoise	The tortoise on the right
Recommended Level:	Rex Lvl 24, Amos Lvl 23, Carver Lvl 25, Milly Lvl 24
Recommended A.I. Settings for Party (Both Versions):	Carver & Amos: Follow Orders Milly: Follow Orders for 1st Turn, then Focus on Healing
HP:	328-410
MP:	30
Item:	Seed of Resilience (1/256)
Attack:	225
Defense:	300
Agility:	60
EXP:	420-504
Gold:	69-82
Attack Patterns:	Attack (33.33%), Selflessness [shield one ally from attacks] (33.33%), Defending Champion [reduce most attacks by 90%] (16.66%), Bounce (16.66%)
A.I. Pecularities:	None
Resistances:	No resistance to Zap, Dazzle, Drain Magic, or Call-to-Arms, 15% resistance to Fuddle, 30% reduction of Frizz, Sizz, and Bang, 50% resistance to Snooze, Fizzle, Sap, Poison, Stun, and Knuckle Sandwich, 60% reduction of Crack, Fire, and Ice, Immunity to All Else

The Überkilling machine is one of the deadliest enemies in the entire game; it's Attack power of 310 is obscenely high even by end-game standards, and it's supplemented by a guaranteed 2x attacks per round! You can Buff a character's Resilience as high as it will go, and the Überkilling Machine would still do ~50 Damage per hit! This is in contrast to Dhuran himself, who has 260 Attack, and will only go twice 50% of the time.

Fortunately, the Iron Tortoise is not nearly so deadly. So all you have to do for the 1st round is have someone (preferably Amos, if you've followed the guide) use Buff on Carver while everyone else defends. After that, Carver should spend the rest of the time while getting healing spells and a 2nd Buff applied to him. And if you have the Sacred Armour equipped, that's even better. 30-50 HP regeneration goes a long way in surviving an enemy that does ~100 Damage per round!

From there, Rex will want to use Oomph on himself and others before chipping away at the Überkilling Machine. The Iron Tortoise will occasionally absorb attacks targeted at the Überkilling Machine, but there's nothing it can truly do to stop you. Just don't try to use Zap; the Überkilling Machine sometimes starts with Bounce applied.

VS. Terry

Recommended Level:	Carver Lvl 25, Rex Lvl 24, Amos Lvl 23, Milly Lvl 24
Recommended A.I. Settings for Party (Both Versions):	Everyone: Focus on Healing
HP:	2500
MP:	50
Item:	Trailblazing Bandana (1/4096)
Attack:	220
Defense:	180
Agility:	90
EXP:	1300
Gold:	0
Attack Patterns:	Flame Slash [1.3x Damage] (16.66%), Gust Slash [1.3x Damage] (16.66%), Falcon Slash [Two 0.75x Hits] (16.66%), Multislice [1x Damage to 1st, 0.8x to 2nd, 0.7x to 3rd, 0.5x to 4th] (16.66%), Sunderbolt Blade [70-90 Zap Damage to All] (16.66%), Kasap (16.66%)
A.I. Pecularities:	None
Resistances:	30% reduction of Frizz, Sizz, Crack, Fire, and Ice, 50% resistance to Knuckle Sandwich, Immunity to All Else

Terry may be a powerful swordsman in the context of the story; but his boss fight does not live up to the hype. He's a warrior who relies mainly on physical attacks, but only attacks once per round, and has 90 Attack less than the Überkilling Machine. The only threatening move he has is the Sunderbolt Blade; but even that's a non-issue if you put your party on "Focus on Healing".

In fact, now's a good time to have Amos equip Hela's Armour, so that his Agility can be dropped to 0. Cursed equipment doesn't require a priest's services to remove like they did in previous Dragon Quest games; you can remove it in-battle! So just drop Amos's Agility to 0, and he'll help to heal off everything Terry could possibly do!

Alternatively, you could play a little risky and have Carver and Amos use Focus Strength + Double-Edged Slash. Your fighters will take damage from their own attacks, but they'll also tear through Terry a bit faster; just be aware that things can get dicey if you get unlucky with Zap.

VS. Dhuran

Recommended Level:	Carver Lvl 26, Rex Lvl 24, Amos Lvl 23, Milly Lvl 24
Recommended A.I. Settings for Party (Remakes Only; SNES A.I. is bad):	Amos (or Goowain): Focus on Healing/Follow Orders Everyone Else: Follow Orders
HP:	3000
MP:	Infinite
Item:	Seed of Strength (1/32)
Attack:	260
Defense:	200
Agility:	120
EXP:	5500
Gold:	2300
Attack Patterns:	Harvest Moon [(3/No. of Targets)x Damage to All] (16.66%), Stab [1.25x Damage] (16.66%), Wind Sickles [85-115 Woosh Damage to One Target] (16.66%), Quick Attack [Three 0.5x Hits to Random Targets] (16.66%), Disruptive Wave [dispels ALL buffs and debuffs from party] (16.66%), Bound (16.66%)
A.I. Pecularities:	50% chance of attacking twice
Resistances:	No resistance to Frizz, Bang, or Zap, 30% reduction of Sizz, Crack, Fire, and Ice, 50% resistance to Knuckle Sandwich, 60% reduction of Woosh, Immunity to All Else

Dhuran is yet another boss that would've been a lot tougher if not for Forebearance. As things stand, he has no AoE spells; only a random chance of sometimes hitting more than one person with physical attacks. So once again, Carver can tank everything he has with Buff on him. Power him up, and then have your Ghent Staff user drop their Agility to 0 with Hela's Armour. Dhuran will never be able to kill Carver under those circumstances.

That said, Dhuran also the first boss to have Disruptive Wave. It will normally dispel ALL buffs and debuffs from your party, but Forebearance will make it so that only Carver will lose his stats. So you have two choices: 1) You can play things completely safe and have Carver max his Resilience before using Forebearance. 2) You can have Carver use Forebearance immediately, and hope that at least one person can get Buff on him before Dhuran actually starts attacking. The second option makes the fight far less tedious, but the first option can get Carver killed if you're very unlucky.

Either way, Dhuran is not a tough boss; just a tedious one. Just get Oomph on those attacking physically, Buff Carver so he can spam Forebearance, switch between Hela's Armour and Platinum Mail with your healer, and get rid of Bound whenever you get the chance. That gives Dhuran something else to do besides using Disruptive Wave.

How Magic Barrier Really Works

There are six resistance tables that are used to determine just how susceptable humans and monsters are to different skills and spells. And each of those six tables have four levels of "protection" determining how likely status spells are to hit the target, or how much different damage spells are reduced.

For example, most status spells (like Thwack) use Table #0. And those with Thwack resistance will have 0% resistance, 15% resistance, 50% resistance, or 100% resistance based on whether they have "no protection", "little protection", "moderate protection", or "immunity".

However, certain spells will use different tables. Kasnooze and Kamikazee, for example, both use Table #4 instead. In THAT table, the four resistances are 0% for "no protection", 0% for "little protection" (not a typo), 25% for "moderate protection", and 100% for "immunity". These two spells are far more accurate than all the other status spells, which is why they've been so deadly to your party.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Table #2, which is used for Poof, Bazoom, Death Dance, and other miscellaneous spells. It's corresponding percentages are 50%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. Clearly, spells that are stuck in this category are at a great disadvantage compared to spells in the previous two tables.

This is where Magic Barrier comes in. It will actually change which tables are used by certain spells. Knuckle Sandwich will usually use Table #0; but if Stormsgate Citadel uses Magic Barrier, Knuckle Sandwich will use Table #2 instead. And as you can see from Table #2, it's percentages are drastically higher than those found in Table #0. And the same principle applies to damaging spells. Goowain, for example, will go from having 60% resistance to Woosh to having 75% resistance. But someone with no innate resistance to Woosh will go from 0% resistance to 50% resistance

Spooky Aura also affects resistances in a similar way; except that one will downgrade them instead. The enemies that use them are not generally dangerous enough to be worth worrying about, however.