Act 1: A Premonition of War

Complete walkthrough for all Act 1 battles including enemy stats, strategies, treasure locations, and character recruitment.

Table of contents

  1. Act 1 Overview
  2. Battle 1.0: Valley of Thieves
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  3. Battle 1.1: Dover District
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  4. Battle 1.2: Palace Ruins
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  5. Battle 1.3: Rhine Bridge
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  6. Battle 1.4: Sand Dunes of Sea
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  7. Optional: Nova Trial
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Trial
  8. Battle 1.5: Gadar Sea
    1. Objectives
    2. Enemy Composition
    3. Battle Strategy
    4. Treasure & Items
    5. Post-Battle
  9. Act 1 Complete Summary
    1. Total Stats
    2. Characters Acquired
    3. Equipment Acquired
    4. Recommended End-of-Act Levels
    5. Shopping Checklist (End of Act 1)
    6. Strategic Notes
    7. Trial Progress
  10. Next Steps

Act 1 Overview

Chapter Summary: Ash Lambert begins his investigation into General Magnus’s disappearance, uncovering the early signs of conspiracy within Ishtaria.

Battles: 6 story battles + 1 optional Trial New Characters: Eleni, Huxley, Kira, Grog (4 total) Total Gold: 7,150G Recommended Level Range: 5-10

Battle 1.0: Valley of Thieves

Location: Valley of Thieves Recommended Level: 5 Party: Ash (Lv.5), Clint (Lv.4), Diego (Lv.4)

Objectives

  • Victory: Defeat Zoot Gach (Thief Lord)
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP AT/DF/AGL Spells
Zoot Gach (Boss) 1 1 14 11/10/10 Self Healing (2 MP)
Brigand (Knight) 3 1 14 11/10/10 None
Hunter (Archer) 2 1 12 10/8/9 None

Total Enemies: 6

Battle Strategy

Opening Moves:

  1. Ash: Advance toward Zoot Gach (prioritize boss)
  2. Clint: Engage nearest Brigand (tank front line)
  3. Diego: Shoot Hunters from range (eliminate archers first)

Priority Targets:

  1. Hunters first - Ranged threats, low HP (12)
  2. Zoot Gach - Can self-heal, moderate threat
  3. Brigands last - Weakest enemies, clean up

Key Tactics:

  • Diego should focus fire on Hunters (2-hit kills)
  • Ash and Clint advance together (don’t split)
  • Kill Zoot before he self-heals multiple times
  • Remember: Zoot can restore ~10 HP per heal

Difficulty: Very Easy (Tutorial battle)

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests: None

Hidden Items:

Coordinates Item Location
(14,15) Mad Book NE corner, dirt hole
(15,1) Long Sword SE corner, tile with color splotch

Mad Book (reusable Spellbind item) and Long Sword (+4 ATK) are both valuable! Search thoroughly.

Total Gold: 700G

Post-Battle

Shopping: Visit Capital Shumeria shop

  • Buy Long Sword for Ash if you didn’t find hidden one (120G)
  • Buy Light Bow for Diego (110G)
  • Stock 5 Herbs (1,000G total)

Story: Begin investigating disappearance of General Magnus

Battle 1.1: Dover District

Location: Dover District, Capital Shumeria Recommended Level: 6 Party: Ash, Clint, Diego

Objectives

  • Victory: Arrival at Church (NE corner)
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP AT/DF/AGL
Hunterimp (Archer) 2 3 25 16/13/5
War Ghost (Airman) 4 2 22 18/14/14

Total Enemies: 6

Battle Strategy

Key Challenge: Flying enemies (War Ghosts) can bypass obstacles and attack from unexpected angles.

Opening Strategy:

  1. Diego: Shoot War Ghosts (archers deal bonus damage to airmen)
  2. Ash/Clint: Advance toward Church (NE corner)
  3. Don’t overcommit - This is a reach-objective battle, not defeat-all

Priority Targets:

  1. War Ghosts near your path - Eliminate threats blocking route
  2. Hunterips - If they’re blocking church approach
  3. Avoid unnecessary fights - Goal is church, not kills

Optimal Route:

  • Head northeast along eastern edge
  • Let Diego handle War Ghosts blocking path
  • Ash reaches church to trigger victory (don’t need to kill all enemies)

Difficulty: Easy

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests:

Coordinates Item Location
(1,1) Herb SW corner
(22,10) Herb NE corner

Hidden Items:

Coordinates Item Location
(4,3) Light Bow SW region, grass circle
(12,0) Mushroom SE of southern house, cracked tile

Light Bow is great for Diego if you haven’t bought one yet. Mushroom is reusable Poison Cloud item.

Total Gold: 660G

Post-Battle

Story: Meet Eleni and Huxley

  • Eleni (Mage, Lv.7) joins party
  • Huxley (Healer, Lv.7) joins party

Shopping Priority:

  • Wool Robe for Eleni (70G) - Essential!
  • Iron Staff for Eleni/Huxley (400G each)
  • Leather Band for mages (60G each)

Battle 1.2: Palace Ruins

Location: Palace Ruins Recommended Level: 7 Party: Ash, Clint, Diego, Eleni, Huxley

Objectives

  • Victory: Destruction of all enemies
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP AT/DF/AGL
Clay Golem (Armor) 9 6 56 34/37/20

Total Enemies: 9 Golems

Battle Strategy

CRITICAL BATTLE: This is your first encounter with Golems (high DEF enemies). Physical attacks do minimal damage!

The Golem Problem:

  • Golem Defense: 37 (very high)
  • Sword attacks: ~8-12 damage (inefficient)
  • Eleni’s magic: ~25-35 damage (MUCH better)
  • This battle teaches you to use magic!

Optimal Strategy:

  1. Eleni: Use Dark Star on Golems (primary damage dealer)
  2. Huxley: Heal Eleni, use staff attacks as backup
  3. Ash: Use Ice Storm (magic bypasses DEF)
  4. Clint/Diego: Physical attacks (chip damage only)

Formation:

[Clint] [Ash]
  [Eleni] [Huxley]
   [Diego]

Protect Eleni - she's MVP this battle

Target Priority:

  • Kill Golems one at a time (focus fire)
  • Eleni targets nearest Golem
  • Physical units finish wounded Golems (<20 HP)

MP Management:

  • Eleni starts with ~20-25 MP
  • Dark Star costs 2 MP
  • Can cast 10+ times per battle
  • Don’t waste MP on weak enemies

Difficulty: Moderate (First magic-required battle)

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests:

Coordinates Item Location
(8,1) Elixir South chest
(15,16) Herb NE chest

Hidden Items:

Coordinates Item Location
(14,0) Fire Gem SE corner, dirt hole

Total Gold: 810G

Post-Battle

Lesson Learned: Magic is essential vs high-DEF enemies Preparation: Stock MP restoration items (Mage Oil)

Battle 1.3: Rhine Bridge

Location: Rhine Bridge Recommended Level: 8 Party: Ash, Clint, Diego, Eleni, Huxley Reinforcement: Kira (Lv.8 Archer) joins after Round 2

Objectives

  • Victory: Destruction of all enemies
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP AT/DF/AGL
Brigand (Knight) 6 5 42 26/23/23
Hunter (Archer) 2 5 37 23/18/22
Hell Bat (Airman) 4 5 45 32/25/24

Total Enemies: 12

Kira joins as reinforcement after 2 rounds. She arrives on eastern side of map.

Battle Strategy

Key Challenge: Large enemy force (12 enemies) with flying Hell Bats that can attack your back line.

Phase 1 (Rounds 1-2):

  • Defensive formation - Don’t overextend
  • Diego: Shoot Hell Bats (bonus damage vs airmen)
  • Eleni: Dark Star on enemy clusters
  • Ash/Clint: Tank Brigand advances
  • Huxley: Heal wounded allies

Phase 2 (Round 3+, Kira arrives):

  • Kira + Diego: Focus fire on Hell Bats (priority)
  • Eleni: Continue Dark Star on clusters
  • Front line: Engage Brigands

Priority Targets:

  1. Hell Bats - Flying threats to back line (kill with archers)
  2. Hunters - Ranged attackers (moderate threat)
  3. Brigands - Melee fodder (lowest priority)

Positioning:

[Clint] [Ash]
  [Eleni] [Huxley]
   [Diego] ... [Kira arrives E side]

Archers eliminate Hell Bats
Mages support with AOE
Knights hold front

Difficulty: Moderate (Numbers + flying enemies)

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests: None

Hidden Items: None

Total Gold: 1,560G

Post-Battle

New Character: Kira (Archer, Lv.8) permanently joins Party Size: Now 6 characters (full starting roster) Shopping: Upgrade equipment at Shumeria if needed

Battle 1.4: Sand Dunes of Sea

Location: Sand Dunes of Sea Recommended Level: 9 Party: Ash, Clint, Diego, Eleni, Huxley, Kira

Objectives

  • Victory: Defeat Death Ant (monster boss)
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP AT/DF/AGL Special
Death Ant (Boss) 1 10 88 51/55/30 Main target
Ant Arm (Minion) 6 max 1 13 9/8/11 Infinite spawning

Ant Arms spawn infinitely! Maximum 6 on field. Up to 4 spawn per round. They give ZERO EXP/GOLD. Focus Death Ant!

Battle Strategy

The Infinite Spawn Problem:

  • Ant Arms respawn every round (up to 4 per round)
  • Killing them wastes turns
  • They give no rewards
  • Ignore them, kill Death Ant only

Optimal Strategy:

  1. ALL UNITS TARGET DEATH ANT
  2. Ignore Ant Arms (they’re distractions)
  3. Burst damage Death Ant before it spawns too many adds
  4. Battle ends when Death Ant dies (Ant Arms disappear)

Damage Priority:

  • Eleni: Dark Star on Death Ant (best damage)
  • Ash: Ice Storm on Death Ant (magic damage)
  • Diego/Kira: Shoot Death Ant (ranged safety)
  • Clint: Melee Death Ant (if safe)
  • Huxley: Heal, support

Death Ant Stats:

  • 88 HP (high for Act 1)
  • 55 DEF (very high - use magic!)
  • Can self-heal (if it has spell)

Target Damage:

  • Physical: ~10-15 damage
  • Magic (Eleni): ~25-35 damage
  • Focus fire = 5-7 rounds to kill

Difficulty: Easy (if you focus Death Ant)

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests: None

Hidden Items: None

Total Gold: 900G (from Death Ant only)

Post-Battle

CRITICAL: After battle, go to Port City Minato and talk to Woman at Tavern → receive NOVA KEY (Trial #1)!

Nova Key: Unlocks first Trial of Toroah Preparation: Stock Herbs/Elixirs before attempting Trial

Optional: Nova Trial

Location: Special battle arena (access via any Dojo with Nova Key) Recommended Level: 9-12 Available Party: Ash, Clint, Diego, Eleni, Huxley, Kira, Grog

Enemy Scaling: All enemy levels = Ash’s level ± 2. Lower Ash level = easier Trial!

Objectives

  • Victory: Defeat all enemies + collect Nova Prism from chest
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

MUST COLLECT PRISM! Defeating enemies without getting chest = cannot retry Trial!

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Scales with Ash
Buccaneer (Knight) 4 Yes
Hunterimp (Archer) 4 Yes
Dark Golem (Armor) 2 Yes
War Ghost (Airman) 2 Yes
Sparkie (Airman) 2 Yes

Total Enemies: 14

Example Stats (Ash Lv.10):

  • Enemies: Lv.8-12
  • HP: 40-80 depending on type
  • Moderate challenge

Battle Strategy

Key Challenge: Hill assault - enemies have high ground advantage

Phase 1: Eliminate Airmen

  • Diego/Kira: Shoot War Ghosts and Sparkies (priority)
  • Airmen can bypass hill defenses
  • Kill before they reach your mages

Phase 2: Advance Up Hill

  • Clint/Grog: Tank front, climb hill
  • Eleni: Dark Star on enemy clusters
  • Huxley: Heal climbers
  • Archers: Support from range

Phase 3: Secure Summit

  • Clear enemies near chest (center-ish location)
  • DON’T FORGET CHEST - coordinates (7,8)
  • Collect NOVA PRISM
  • Clean up remaining enemies

Difficulty: Moderate (depends on Ash’s level)

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests:

Coordinates Item CRITICAL
(7,8) NOVA PRISM MUST COLLECT!

Nova Prism is mandatory! This is 1 of 6 Prisms needed for Vandalier class. Missing it = no Vandalier!

Total Gold: 140G (very low - Trials give minimal gold)

Post-Trial

Reward: Nova Prism (1/6 for Vandalier) Next Trial: Earth Trial (requires Banana from Act 2)

Battle 1.5: Gadar Sea

Location: Gadar Sea (Ship Battle) Recommended Level: 9 Party: Ash, Clint, Diego, Eleni, Huxley, Kira, Grog (joins this battle)

Objectives

  • Victory: Defeat Hassan (Pirate Captain)
  • Defeat: Death of Ash

Enemy Composition

Enemy Type Count Level HP/MP AT/DF/AGL Spells
Hassan (Boss) 1 8 72/9 43/46/25 Healing (3 MP)
Buccaneer (Knight) 8 6 49 30/26/26 None
Corsair (Archer) 4 6 44 26/21/25 None

Total Enemies: 13

New Character: Grog (Soldier, Lv.9) officially joins party. Story: Hassan is Grog’s brother.

Battle Strategy

Key Challenge: Ship battle with many pirates + boss who can heal

Hassan’s Threat:

  • Can cast Healing (restores ~30 HP)
  • High DEF (46) - physical attacks weak
  • Use magic to damage efficiently

Phase 1: Clear Deck

  • Archers (Diego/Kira): Shoot Corsairs (archer vs archer)
  • Knights (Clint/Grog/Ash): Engage Buccaneers
  • Eleni: Dark Star on enemy clusters
  • Huxley: Heal as needed

Phase 2: Focus Hassan

  • Once adds thinned, all units target Hassan
  • Eleni: Dark Star (primary damage)
  • Ash: Ice Storm (magic damage)
  • Physical units: Chip damage
  • Kill before he heals multiple times

Optimal Formation:

[Clint] [Grog] [Ash]
  [Eleni] [Huxley]
   [Diego] [Kira]

Knights hold front
Mages/Healers in middle
Archers in back

Hassan Kill Priority:

  • Focus fire Hassan when he’s <50% HP
  • Don’t let him heal back to full
  • Burst damage in 2-3 rounds

Difficulty: Moderate

Treasure & Items

Treasure Chests: None

Hidden Items: None

Total Gold: 2,380G (highest in Act 1!)

Post-Battle

Story: Grog’s tragic backstory revealed (Hassan killed his crew) Completion: Act 1 complete! Next: Proceed to Act 2 (Island of Madness)

Act 1 Complete Summary

Total Stats

Battles Completed: 6 story battles (+ 1 optional Trial) Total Gold Earned: 7,150G (story battles + Trial) Total Experience: ~300-400 EXP per character

Characters Acquired

Character Class Level When Joins
Eleni Dunbar Mage 7 Before Battle 1.2
Huxley Hobbes Healer 7 Before Battle 1.2
Kira Wulfstan Archer 8 During Battle 1.3
Grog Drinkwater Soldier 9 Before Battle 1.5

Party Size: 7 characters total

Equipment Acquired

Weapons:

  • Long Sword (+4 ATK) - Hidden in 1.0
  • Light Bow (+3 ATK) - Hidden in 1.1

Items:

  • Mad Book (Spellbind effect) - Hidden in 1.0
  • Mushroom (Poison Cloud effect) - Hidden in 1.1
  • Fire Gem (Attack item) - Hidden in 1.2
  • 4× Herbs (various chests)
  • 1× Elixir (chest in 1.2)

Trial Reward:

  • Nova Prism (1/6 for Vandalier)

If fighting normally: Lv.9-11 If keeping Ash low for Trials: Ash Lv.8-9, others Lv.10-12

Shopping Checklist (End of Act 1)

Essential Purchases:

  • Iron weapons for all (500G each at Village 2)
  • Chain Mail for front-line (450G each)
  • Masters Robes for mages (350G each)
  • Stock 10+ Herbs (200G each = 2,000G)
  • Stock 5+ Mage Oils (400G each = 2,000G)

Total Shopping Budget Needed: ~7,000-8,000G

Strategic Notes

Lessons Learned:

  1. Magic is essential vs high-DEF enemies (Golems)
  2. Archers counter Airmen (bonus damage, priority targets)
  3. Healing is critical (Huxley MVP for sustainability)
  4. Focus fire bosses (Don’t let them heal/escape)

Preparation for Act 2:

  • Eleni should be learning more spells
  • Huxley critical for healing
  • Stock consumables heavily
  • Consider attempting Nova Trial if you haven’t

Trial Progress

Trials Unlocked: 1 (Nova Trial) Prisms Collected: 0-1 (if you completed Nova Trial) Remaining Trials: 5

Next Steps

  • Proceed to Act 2: Island of Madness
  • Stock up at Village 2 (Yuzu)
  • Prepare for longer battles ahead
  • Consider class advancement at Level 10

“The investigation begins. Conspiracy looms.”

Act 1: A Premonition of War - Complete

Copyright © Konami Co., Ltd. | Guide compiled from FAQs by Jeff Chan, Lancel0t, Shotgunnova, Syonyx, Richard Uyeyama, and Wolverine Inc.