Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist presents an engaging combat system where you harness the abilities of your homunculus allies to battle a range of foes in the Land of Fumes. As Lilac, an Attuner, you can command specific homunculi and integrate their skills into your combat strategies.
As you advance through the game, the difficulty of battles escalates significantly. To keep pace with your enemies, you’ll need to fully utilize your combat resources. Thankfully, these strategies will guide you in mastering the game’s mechanics early, paving the way for an easier experience against tougher adversaries later on.
Collect Charmed Fragments to Boost Your HP
Exploration plays a key role in the game as you venture through numerous zones filled with hidden treasures. Scouring these areas can yield valuable items that enhance your combat abilities. One noteworthy collectible is the Charmed Fragment, found in breakable containers or on challenging platforms. This item permanently increases your maximum HP, significantly improving your chances of survival.
Initially, the increase in HP from one or two Charmed Fragments might seem minor, but as you collect more—roughly six or seven—you’ll observe a substantial improvement in your durability. Therefore, it’s wise to explore every nook and cranny, particularly those hard-to-reach areas, to uncover these powerful items.
Take Advantage of Damage-Free Collisions
In this game, only direct attacks from enemies genuinely inflict damage. You can safely walk into or brush past foes without taking any hits, allowing you to maneuver strategically before they unleash their attacks.
During specific boss encounters, like with the Shackled Beast, positioning yourself behind the boss while they attack is beneficial. If you can dodge or slip past them, you’ll have the opportunity to inflict significant damage without risking harm to yourself.
You can also swim through certain enemies in water, sparing yourself from damage except from their projectile attacks. Just remember to dodge these projectiles while crossing quickly.
Make Smart Choices When Upgrading Abilities
When you’re ready to enhance an ability, consider carefully what aligns with your existing moves. Importantly, you can only equip one ability from each character at a time. If, for instance, you boost Lito’s second ability, you can’t use that in conjunction with his first ability.
Gathering ability enhancement materials is challenging, especially in the early game, so every choice matters. To determine which ability will be most advantageous, check the attack stats and specifics on the right side of the ability enhancement screen at a Respite.
Be Strategic About Button Assignments for Abilities
Certain abilities remain active as long as you’re pressing the assigned button. If you’re using a controller, ensure you don’t equip these abilities to buttons that are hard to hold while trying to execute other actions.
Take Yolvan as an example; his ability keeps firing as long as you hold down the corresponding button. If placed on a conventional action button, it can hinder your ability to jump or execute other moves comfortably. However, assigning it to the back buttons allows for more fluid movement since you can maintain the ability while still being active in the game—this setup can dramatically increase your damage output without manual attack input.
Don’t Underestimate Ranged Attacks
Ranged attacks often get overlooked, yet they can be a valuable asset. Many enemy attacks can be blocked by overhanging platforms, allowing you to stand beneath and avoid damage. Additionally, if you possess ranged capabilities, you can hit foes perched above you while remaining safely below.
Falls are another way to inflict substantial damage, particularly on flying enemies, as they might not have a high break gauge. Aim to ensure they drop from significant heights for maximum impact. Should you find water in your surroundings, knocking enemies into it can result in instant defeats.
You can compound damage dealt to an airborne enemy by executing Nola’s melee combo as they descend, maximizing your chances of successful hits before they hit the ground.
Monitor an Enemy’s Attack Range
Enemies and bosses often have specific attack ranges. Once you get familiar with their maximum ranges through repeated encounters, you can maneuver safely while inflicting damage without fear of immediate retaliation.
Utilize Status Effects to Your Advantage
The status effects in Ender Magnolia can greatly alter the course of battle. Effects like Blaze inflict ongoing damage, Freeze immobilizes enemies, and Shock reduces their defenses, enhancing your damage output.
While it’s crucial to note that you can also be affected by these status alterations, certain relics can increase your resistance.
Characters like Lito, whom you can meet early on, can apply various status effects with their abilities, making them valuable allies in combat.
Countering Ranged Attacks with the Shackled Beast’s Ability
Dodging melee attacks is common, but you can also counter ranged attacks effectively. After defeating the Shackled Beast early in the game, you gain access to his counter ability, which acts like a parry with a brief cooldown.
Different abilities have unique counters with varying ranges, so keep in mind the appropriate range for the equipped counter when you decide to use it. If you miss an attack after a successful parry, you still won’t take damage, making counters a risky yet rewarding venture in battles.
By using these strategies wisely, you’re set to tackle the challenges of Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist with skill and confidence. Happy gaming!