After the new Episode begins, all of the monster residents in Holt Village will have something new to say, so you may want to speak with them if it suits you. Be sure to look around the map for any chests that may have appeared around town, and buy more armor and items if your troops aren't optimally equipped. If you have a Thief character, be sure to pick up a stealing hand from the General Shop too. Once you've prepared, head off to the Dimensional Gatekeeper and head into the new area: Zenon's Palace.
Stage 2-1: Banquet Room
| Marionette (x4) | Ghost (x2) | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Lv4 | Lv5 |
| Weapon | N/A | The Weak (Blue) |
| Armor | N/A | Common Orb (Orb) |
| Special | N/A | Tie Down Lv1 |
The Marionettes on this map will advance until one of your units wanders into their attack range. Take note of the four green Geo Panels in the map's center, with the DEF +50% effect. Take out any unit with high DEF and HP, and a large amount of Counters (the more counters, the higher your chance of counterattacking is). Adell or anyone equipped with Fist-type weapons would be best. If the selected character doesn't have three DEF-boosting armors, take some off your other characters and equip your "defender" with them. Move or throw him/her onto one of the closest green Geo Panels and wait for the Marionettes to attack. If you can, have a Healer cast Shield on your defender to increase their DEF even more.
When the Marionettes approach, they should only take a nip out of your character's HP, and your unit will most likely deal out a formidable counterattack. When it's your turn again, finish off or further weaken whichever monster you counterattacked, or just attack one of them if the counter failed. Have your character use a special move if they can, and you don't think a normal attack will do the job.
During the enemy's turn, both Ghosts will approach, although neither will be able to reach your character this round. Stay on the same tile and repeat the process of attacking and counterattacking. Even though the Ghosts can use Tie Down, they're more likely just attack your character, allowing you to deliver counterattacks. If your character is starting to run low on HP (a third or less of what you started from), you may want to consider retreating and bringing out other characters to attack. When the first two Marionettes are finished off and only Ghosts are attacking, it could be beneficial to send out a Thief to steal one or both of the Ghost's Common Orbs.
Once the Ghosts are defeated, neither of the two remaining Marionettes will attack until one of your units moves into their attack range. In the lapse of battle, send out a Healer to restore your defender's HP. If your defender was paralyzed by one of the Ghost's Tie Down attacks, just wait a few turns, it'll wear off soon. When you've prepared, move your defender onto the open green panel furthest from your base panel, and have any other characters retreat. Repeat the counterattack-attack process to finish the battle.
After the Battle
If you return to Holt Village to heal at the Hospital, you'll probably want to switch your armor back to normal. At this point, it might be time to consider going into the Dark Assembly and attempt to pass the "More Expensive Stuff" bill with your ex-defender (since they gained a good deal of mana from that last battle). This will add more valuable, expensive armors and weapons for you to buy in the local shops. Save before you attempt it, and just Quit if the Senators don't pass, then continue your game from the last save point and try again. The acceptance probability is most likely 60-80%, so you probably won't have to do that. For more in-depth information on the Dark Assembly, view the corresponding section of this guide.
If you get the bill passed, check out the new equipment in the shop and purchase anything that interests you.