Nova Trial

The first of six Trials of Toroah, featuring a challenging hill assault against multiple enemy types.

Overview
How to Access
Battle Conditions
Enemy Composition
1. Enemy List (14 Total)
Treasure
1. Chests
Map Layout
Strategy Guide
Tips & Tricks
1. General Combat Tips
2. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rewards
1. Battle End
2. Progress
FAQ Authors’ Perspectives
Next Steps

Overview

The Nova Trial is the first Trial you can access, available as early as Chapter 1, Section 5 (after defeating the Death Ant). This Trial features a hill assault where your party must climb a central mountain while fighting enemies on all sides.

IMPORTANT: Most FAQ authors recommend waiting until Chapter 2 or later before attempting this Trial. Your party will be better equipped, have more characters, and be at higher levels.

How to Access

Step 1: Defeat the Death Ant

Complete Chapter 1, Section 5 (Sand Dunes) by defeating the Death Ant boss.

Step 2: Get the Nova Key

After defeating the Death Ant:

Visit Port City Minato (Minalto)
Enter the tavern
Talk to the woman inside
She’ll be thrilled that the desert is safe again for tanning
She gives you the Nova Key for free

The Nova Key is NOT MISSABLE. You can return to Minato at any time to collect it, even in later chapters.

Step 3: Start the Trial

Have Ash equip the Nova Key as an item
Visit any Dojo in any town
Try to Leave the Dojo
The Dojomaster will notice the key and offer to start the Trial
Select “Transform” to begin

Battle Conditions

Victory: Destruction of all enemies
Defeat: Death of Ash Lambert
Gold Reward: 140G (10G per enemy)
Experience: Only from curative/supportive spells (no combat EXP)

Enemy Composition

The enemy count and levels scale based on Ash’s level when you start the Trial.

Enemy List (14 Total)

Enemy	Count	Typical Level	HP Range	Notes
Hunter Imp	4	L9-28	63-182	Flying archers, positioned around hill
Buccaneer	4	L9-28	70-203	Melee fighters, medium strength
War Ghost	2	L9-28	75-217	Flying units, magic users
Sparkie	2	L9-28	75-217	Flying attackers
Dark Golem	2	L9-28	80-232	Heavy defense, slow movement

Ash Level Strategy: If Ash is Level 9, enemies will be around Level 9 (easy). If Ash is Level 28, enemies will be Level 28 (hard). Keep Ash underleveled for easier Trials!

Treasure

Chests

Nova Prism - Located on the ally side of the hill (must collect!)

CRITICAL: You MUST collect the Nova Prism from the chest before defeating all enemies! If you win the battle without getting the Prism, you cannot retry this Trial, and you’ll be permanently locked out of the Vandalier class!

Map Layout

       [TOP OF HILL]
      /              \
   [West Path]  [East Path]
    /                    \
[Ally Start]          [Chest]

Key Features:

Central hill with steep slopes on all sides
Two main paths up the hill (east and west sides)
Nova Prism chest on the ally starting side
Walls along the paths provide cover from archers
Flying enemies have free movement

Strategy Guide

Option 1: General Strategy (Syonyx)

Flexible Approach

This strategy emphasizes player choice and adapts to your party composition.

Core Tactics:

Split your party into two groups (one for each side of the hill)
Climb simultaneously up the east and west paths
Get the Nova Prism chest as you climb on the ally side
Reach the top first to gain the high ground advantage
Use archers to counter enemy flyers (can target them by turn 3)
Stay close to walls to avoid enemy archer fire
Pummel from above once you control the hilltop

Class Recommendations:

Archers/Airmen: Essential for countering flying enemies
Mages: Spells like Dark Star are effective against groups
Healers: Keep them in the middle, protected by fighters
Fighters: Lead the charge, tank damage

Option 2: Perfect Clear Strategy (Wolverine)

Hardcore Difficulty

Wolverine attempted this at Chapter 1 and described it as “6 solid hours of hell.” Only for masochists!

If You Insist on Attempting at Chapter 1:

Phase 1 - Third Shelf Positioning (Turns 6-7):

Move your party to the middle of the 3rd shelf (elevation level)
Wait for enemies to come to you

Phase 2 - Flying Enemy Elimination:

Priority: Sparkies and War Ghosts
Use Dark Star (Eleni) + physical attacks on first Sparkie
Use arrows + physical attacks on second Sparkie
Next round: Arrows on War Ghosts, fighters clean up
Save mana for later phases!

Phase 3 - Race to Top:

After eliminating flyers, race to the hilltop
Hug the walls to minimize archer exposure
GRAB THE NOVA PRISM chest on the way up!

Phase 4 - Hilltop Defense:

Line up everyone at the top
Use Eleni’s Dark Star on Hunter Imps and clustered enemies
Reserve one Dark Star for EACH Dark Golem (critical!)
Have fighters engage Hunter Imps in melee
Use arrows on wounded golems
“Teeter back and forth” on the hilltop to control enemy approaches
Split up the Buccaneers with focused fire

Save Magic: Reserve Dark Star casts specifically for the Dark Golems. They have high defense and are very difficult to kill with physical attacks at Chapter 1 power levels.

Option 3: Delayed Strategy (Recommended)

Smart Approach

Wait until Chapter 2+ when you have more characters and better equipment.

Why Wait?

Full party of 8+ characters instead of 6-7
Access to Iron/Steel equipment
Advanced job classes (Swordsman, Bowman, etc.)
Higher levels = faster kills
More spells and MP available

When to Do It:

Minimum: Start of Chapter 2 (after recruiting Dolan)
Recommended: Mid-Chapter 2 or later
Optimal: Chapters 4-6 with full party and endgame gear

At Higher Levels:

Enemies scale with Ash but become relatively easier
Their special abilities don’t scale well
Battle becomes “absurdly easy” (Syonyx)
Still challenging enough to be fun

Tips & Tricks

General Combat Tips

✓ Flying units counter flying units - Use your Airmen against enemy Sparkies and War Ghosts

✓ Wall hugging - Stay next to hill walls to break line of sight from enemy archers

✓ High ground advantage - Archers and mages get better range from elevation

✓ Golem priority - Dark Golems are tough but slow; isolate and magic them

✓ Spell EXP - If you want to grind experience, cast Mystic Shield on your own characters

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ Forgetting the Prism - Battle ends immediately when last enemy dies; get chest first!

✗ Splitting up too much - Groups of 2-3 are ideal; lone characters get swarmed

✗ Wasting MP early - Save powerful spells for the toughest enemies (Golems)

✗ Ignoring flyers - Flying enemies can bypass your formation; prioritize them

✗ Fighting uphill - Let enemies come to you when possible; uphill attacks are harder

Rewards

Battle End

140G (10G × 14 enemies)
Nova Prism (from chest, required for Vandalier)

Progress

✓ 1 of 6 Trials complete
✓ Nova Key consumed (Trial cannot be replayed)
✓ Nova Prism added to inventory

After completing the Nova Trial, you can still replay it by NOT collecting the Prism. This is useful for spell EXP grinding, but you won’t get another Prism if you already have it.

FAQ Authors’ Perspectives

Wolverine Inc. (1997)

Difficulty: “Absolutely insane… 6 solid hours of hell!” Recommendation: “Wait until Chapter 2!” Approach: Turn-by-turn perfect execution with minimal party

Syonyx (2003-2006)

Difficulty: Moderate if done at appropriate level Recommendation: “Split party, reach hilltop first” Approach: Flexible tactics emphasizing player choice

Shotgunnova (2000s)

Difficulty: Depends on timing Recommendation: Complete when comfortable Approach: Multiple strategy options based on when attempted

Next Steps

Return to Trials of Toroah Overview to plan your next Trial
Continue the Walkthrough to progress the story
See Earth Trial Strategy for the second Trial (Chapter 2)
Review Ash’s Character Page for class advancement info

Remember: Collect 5 more Prisms to unlock Ash’s ultimate Vandalier class!

Progress: 1/6 Trials Complete ⚔️