JUDE'S PROFILE

LockeZ, that's a very in-demand limit break which you should set as your RW. And this time follow me back.

I get mildly annoyed every time I see video game journalists repeat the misconception that Final Fantasy 7 had a $100m marketing campaign. The original press release from almost two decades ago is quite clear that it was Sony's marketing budget for all of 1997--which included a lot more than just FF7--but instead games media just keeps incestuously reporting incorrect figures. It makes me wonder what other things they're wrong about.

I tried to get that Ebon Armor when I got Shadowblade. It boost dark damage, so your Drainga will be awesome. Presumably, the +50% Defense buff on Drill stacks with Protectga/Sentinel's Guard/Draw Fire.

Instead of recommending something mature and for a non-anime fan or whatever, I'm going to do the opposite and recommend something that'll bring you back to your inner 14-year-old self that loved shows like Dragon Ball Z. That show is Hunter x Hunter. I didn't expect to like because on the surface I really shouldn't, but it exceeded my expectations through and through. It's by the guy who made Yu Yu Hakusho, except way better and awesome. It's got mystical kung fu, lengthy story arcs, cool villains, dope music, and great animation. In brief, it's about a kid and his best friend on their journey to become licensed hunters (adventurous contractors/mercenaries), learn kung fu, and find the deadbeat dad that abandoned him. The action has this wonderful sense of timing and drama to it. The final arc, which covers the last two seasons, is probably the best anime I've ever consumed. All but the final season is on Netflix, and the entire show is on Crunchyroll and is the reason I ended up subscribing to it. Hunter x Hunter is also one of the few anime that has the same opening credits theme the entire time, kind of like how Dragon Ball Z used Head Cha La for a decade (and still do in the new movies) because people associate it so strongly with the show.




As for Gundam, it's very hit and miss for me. If you can track down Turn A Gundam then watch that one. Came out in the late 90's and is quite different from the rest. Yoko Kanno did the soundtrack, who you'll remember from Cowboy Bebop. Below this paragraph is the credits theme, which is probably my favorite credits theme in all of anime. If you didn't like Wing then you probably won't like 00, which is the most recent one that I actually enjoyed. 8th MS Team is another one that's pretty good, which is less about super heroic gundam pilots that can slay a hundred mechs with one laser sword, and more about a ground-level military unit that pilots mechs.




I will echo the Ippo suggestion too. The newer seasons of it aren't great, but its original run in the mid-2000s was a lot of fun. You'll find it localized as Fighting Spirit. It's still a tropey shonen, which you said you dislike, but it's a cool show with likable characters all the same. It also conveys a power hit better than any other cartoon--the way people get bodied is pretty nuts. The finale (of the original run) has one of the most satisfying conclusion. Over the course of the show Ippo picks up new techniques to enhance his strengths and target specific opponents's weaknesses, and in the finale he uses all of them in combination to win instead of going Super Saiyan like most shows would... the cartoon has a real focus on the growth of its protagonist. Below is one of the show's opening credits sequences, which has pretty sweet music:

Your pull strategy isn't tremendously different from mine. I target synergy first, but the second thing I go for is shit that I don't have... which I guess includes synergy anyway. Basically, right now I'm looking for a few things: mage weapons for most records, magic blink, and a faithga, so banners with a high proportion of these objects are desirable to me. A lot of people seem to focus all of their pulls around a single strategy or group of characters, which I think is a mistake in the long run (look at how many 5+ FF13 items Craze has as he fails to master these ultimates). I prefer to hedge my weaknesses such that I can try a radically different party when I fail an encounter.

If I were you, LockeZ, I would start pulling on any banner with a group cure that also has other items you'd settle for. Pretty much all of the banners available right now are a good candidate, and multiple SSB banners have group cures. I would definitely prioritize a group cure over a hastega. As somebody who has both, you'd be surprised at how rarely I take Sazh's Boon with me, not that there aren't fights were I probably should have (Bahamut SIN).

Anyway, I didn't see any gigantaurs during the first orb phase, so that's a bummer. Got a new 2-star item from daily draw today: Carbon Bangle (I forget... but probably FF7). Currently working on Edward's RM2 (Ingus's dropped in his very first orbfest stage, which is convenient), and leveling up the fresh MC1 characters.

A new 5-star ability comes with the bonus battles tomorrow: Thief's Revenge. Seems powerful. Basically it's a 5-hit barrage for high-speed thieves (only Locke at the moment, if you have his MC2) that also steals HP. The best part is that it doesn't require power orbs to hone.