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Tips for Beginners

Here are a few things I picked up while playing...these are useful for gamers new to
Valkyrie Profile, but should be taken into consideration to old gamers as well. You might
learn something =D

When you're ready to battle, don't touch the enemy. Instead swing your sword so your blade collides
with what you're about to fight- you'll start off first, with no magic charging time, making battles
other than boss fights, strictly to your advantage. Yes, this is common sense, but strangely (stupidly?)
enough I didn't listen to Freya too well the first time I played through, and yes, it was quite
frustrating and annoying to start off every battle as a second turn and usually without magic.
This method comes in handy the whole game, but especially in places like the Cave Of Oblivion where
having that extra round starting off could ensure you victory.

I call this next thing the Select Method. Stupidly enough again, I didn't know this function
existed till halfway through the game (and to think I qualified to make this shrine O.o). It's
also another common sense trick. When facing a group of enemies, instead of using one spell to hit
a single enemy (which is what will ALWAYS happen if you use the shorter "O" method, or wherever
your mage is positioned) press Select to have your options come up to equip/unequip, use items,
and so on. Choose magic, and you'll see that certain spells can target all enemies or the entire
party depending on what it is. Battles are always easy with this method, and those pesky boss
battles that require you to wipe out all enemies at the exact same time to win.

Later on in the game when your levels are secure, it might not hurt to use two mages in battle.
If you have a good variety of spells, experiment around a little, and use someone like Shiho for
defence and healing purposes and someone like Mystina for all out offensive attacks. You'll have
to make sure their necessary skills are built up though, especially Guts and Auto Item (maybe have
them equip an Angel Curio just to be on the safe side.)

Crystals. They are the KEY to mastering, entering and escaping various dungeons throughout the
game (especially in Hard Mode). You can only shoot three at a time, and likewise, have only shards
from three shattered crystals at a time (which usually equals to six pieces). Crystals can become
larger by shooting at them a second time while they are already formed, and they hold up longer, but
they DO break eventually. Cyrstals can also be used as platforms when they turn into what I like to
call, Fairy Dust. Shooting at a crystal twice after it's made will turn it back into nothing but dust.
If you stand fairly close (or jump close) to the crystal while you do this, you can hover for several
seconds at a time, using this "Fairy Dust" as a step into upper areas or ledges. You must be quick
though, those seconds don't last very long, and the step will disappear once it has served its purpose.
This little technique may take awhile to get used to, and even do, but you'll need to use it at least a
couple times during the game to get a treasure or possibly progress through the rest of the particular
dungeon.

Pick up EVERY artifact in the game, especially in Hard Mode. Don't worry about it effecting your Evaluation level, you'll be fine. Most Artifacts are useful for transmuting and some can even be equipped. Later when you get the Creation Gem, the Artifacts that can be turned into something else, will be even more useful. The Artifacts that serve no purpose and cannot be equipped can be turned into lots and lots of lovely Materalize Points, which you'll need in the later chapters.

Keep at least one weapon that will hit two or three times, in your party. Sometimes you'll need
that extra swing to break a combo guard or to boost your combo up to 100, and it can be a bit difficult
to do that with a weapon that only hits once. Just be sure to keep at least one of both equipped to
your three offensive Einherjar (assuming that you only have one mage in the party), and the last
weapon can be up to you.

Play around with Auto Item. Depending on a certain battle or dungeon, you should really, only
have one of the three Elixers junctioned to 100%, one of the three Banishes junctioned to 100%, and
Union Plumes junctioned to the remaining 20%. Make sure the percentages are different on the other
three Einherjar so you will have some variety in your healing (and not just one type of Elixer, Banish
being used for example, and switch the percantages around)

Check after each Sacred Phase for new equipment and items.

Keep your "Slaying" weapons unequipped. Weapons like the Raven Slayer and the Dragon Slayer
have 5% chance of being prone to break after being used, and you cannot afford to lose these in
the early chapters when you can take out particular Cave of Oblivion monsters in one hit with these
weapons.Only equip them when you're about to go into a particular battle with a Dragon Zombie for
instance,and then unequip them afterwards.

Try to visit one dungeon to get a level up or two after each chapter finishes (you'll need to do
this in Hard Mode, or else you're lazy XD) because the enemies start to become vicious in the mid-
late chapters and you'll want to have an advantage.

Keep the Treasure Search equipped at all times. There are dozens of treasures that you will miss
in Normal and Hard Mode without it.

In Hard Mode, you must get all the Flame Jewels to enter the Seraphic Gate. You can find their
locations in the walkthrough.

To transfer an Einherjar, their hero Value MUST be 0 or above. You can only send two Einherjar
per chapter, and it is necessary that they meet Freya's requirements, or else you (and they) will
suffer the consequences. Once they have been sent, you will no longer have access to them, except
checking up on them every Sacred Phase.

In Memory Camp there is an option called Party. Here you can go through practice battles, change
Einherjar, and distribute Event EXP to anyone you want. You will be doing the latter a lot, since
some of your Einherjar will be sitting out battles. When it comes time to send whomever to Valhalla,
you can easily give them a good chunk of Event EXP collected from dungeons, to raise their levels by
several, without even having them fight. Be sure not to neglect your active Einherjar; though half of
the Event EXP you get in the game will and should go towards your benched fighters.

Be weary of treasure chests. Hold down and press "X" to open a chest; if you don't bend down, you
will accidentally pick the chest up. Press "O" to put it back down again, and do NOT press "X". This
will cause you to throw the chest and of course, break it, along with the contents inside. Treasure
chests can also be trapped, and most are, so as soon as you open it you must a)run back a few
steps, or b)jump up straight into the air. You may encounter chests (especially in the Arkdain
Ruins) which are guarded by a monster and you will have to fight it to get the contents inside.

When you are about to perform a combo, let your mage attack first; the magic will most likely delay about 2 seconds. When it hits, immediately send your other three Einherjar (assuming that's the make of your party) to pummel the enemy, so your combo meter will have a greater and faster chance to reach 100.



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