Challenge Mode

Stage goal: learn to split enemies, timed switches and positioning against the Dragon. Keep to one enemy per player where possible, and avoid being surrounded or attacking the same target twice over.

• Split the switches by the numbers on the maps; players waiting at a timed door must stay in place.
• Give Power Materials first to the HU most likely to equip daggers or high-attribute weapons.
• Dragon: the three melee players take the head and each leg; the FO uses Barta while it is on the ground and Zonde while it flies. Move out of its landing spot before it comes down, especially without a doll.

Stage goal: keep control while ATA is still low, and turn the FO's TP into forward progress.

• Early on, HUs use a safe combo and switch to NHH once their hits are reliable; take out Nano Dragons and Grass Assassins first.
• When lilies or Nano Dragons are near the FO, leave them to the FO alone; HUs should not trigger damage cancelling with weak attacks.
• The HU with the lowest current damage collects the side paths; the strongest player and the FO move on to the next area.
• An ordinary clear collects the fixed weapons and armour first; a TA team can take only the valuable fixed boxes and skip the other side paths.

Stage goal: get used to sword combos, handling slimes and multi-player switches.

• HUs with a sword use NNH as the baseline and NHH from behind or once accuracy allows. Whoever holds a strong one-handed sword handles the slimes first.
• Do not blindly finish full three-hit combos on slimes; repeated misses make them split and add more enemies.
• In Area 9, one player enters the nine-switch puzzle and moves in the order and through the safe points shown on the map; teammates wait outside the door once through. Do not assume every grey switch is a trap.
• From this stage the FO keeps Shifta up steadily, but should not leave the main group just to refresh support.

Stage goal: complete the multi-route switches as mapped, and have a reliable sword or high-attribute weapon ready for De Rol Le.

• In a 2:2 split, the FO goes with the stronger HU; the other pair finishes the switches first and does not linger on side paths.
• A Dim/Shadow weapon with Hit can try Pan Arms; otherwise the FO uses techniques and HUs should not interfere with weak attacks.
• De Rol Le: spread out on the ship so no single attack hits several players. When the boss is at the side of the ship, swords can pre-empt it; put spare recovery items somewhere easy to reach and share them.

Stage goal: start adapting to the Mines' high-evasion enemies, dark rooms and gun traps.

• Freeze or focus Sinow Beats first; do not go for full three-hit combos alone. High-attribute swords, Gizonde and high-Hit guns speed things up noticeably.
• The FO takes Sinows and Canadines first; side-path pickups go to the HU with the lowest current damage.
• For an ordinary clear, turn on the lights and clear the gun traps; only experienced TA teams push through in the dark while they can control the damage.

Stage goal: handle Garanz reliably while keeping item use under control, and work together on the large switch puzzle in Area 28.

• Freeze Garanz first, then attack from behind; if you are short of traps, do not circle for long, and keep the team's damage flowing.
• In Area 28, one player enters the maze and the other three step on switches in the order shown; each covers only the switches next to them, without crossing paths.
• Vol Opt: in the first form attack the red pillars first instead of wasting damage on the screens. Give high-attribute mechguns or guns to players with enough accuracy.

Stage goal: in the Ruins, focus on target priority, dark-room switches and managing the FO's TP.

• Take out Chaos Sorcerers and Delsabers first; HUs short on accuracy use a safe combo, and androids use Freeze Traps when several Delsabers appear.
• Until the HUs' weapons come together, the FO actively handles Delsabers and Dark Belras; once HUs have high-attribute weapons, each takes one Belra.
• After the timed door in Area 32, walk along the inside of the laser fences so you do not pass in front of the terminal and break the pickup route.
• Switch roles: in Area 34 press the four switches left, right, left, right in the direction of travel, and leave someone to keep re-pressing the lights; in Area 35 send one player alone to choose left, left, right for the chain of teleporters.

Stage goal: tell the optional shortcut apart from the mandatory weapon doors, and complete the timed relay and the Area 40 roles as mapped.

• The optional shortcut in Area 36 needs 4 spare weapons; the mandatory doors in Area 40 need 4 weapons on each of two switches, 8 in total, so set them aside in advance.
• Leave Chaos Bringers to a high-damage player alone; if you have a high-Hit gun, give it first to a HUcaseal or another character with enough accuracy.
• Area 40 splits into two groups as mapped: the south route takes 1 and 2, and at least two players on the north route cooperate on the lights and the three-colour switches; the south player who comes back to help then takes switch 3 via teleporter 3, and everyone meets once all four switches are done.
• In Area 38, finish setting up the relay before telling the timer runner to start; the second timed switch raises turrets, so the players left behind deal with them at once to protect the runner.

Stage goal: prepare HP, dolls and high-attribute weapons for Dark Falz, and decide whether to take the resource shortcut in Area 45.

• In the Ruins, still take out Chaos Sorcerers, Delsabers and Dark Belras first; give any Grants you pick up to the FO.
• In the dark room of Area 41 the FO can drop a Mag to hold down a switch and then collect the resources. If you plan to take the Area 45 shortcut, keep 8 weapons and 8 shields throughout.
• Give all HP Materials to the FO first. Before the boss the HUs usually keep one doll each and give the rest to the FO, but a new team can split them more cautiously based on survival.
• Dark Falz: before entering, make sure the FO's HP can survive the key attacks; everyone stays spread out and uses their own recovery items. The FO keeps up Shifta/Deband and Jellen/Zalure, and uses Grants on the right form when available.