Astos -- Boss #4
The fake king of Western Keep. Astos has been posing as royalty while cursing the Elf Prince into an endless sleep. When you hand over the Crown, he drops the disguise and attacks. He has no elemental weakness, near-impenetrable Magic Defense, and casts Death-an instant-kill spell-every few turns. Keep your healer alive and end the fight fast.
Astos Stats
HP
420
Attack
30
Defense
18
Magic Defense
170
Weakness
None
Resistance
None
Strategy
Astos's 170 Magic Defense makes offensive spells nearly worthless. Fira, Thundara, and every other direct-damage spell deal negligible numbers. Physical attacks buffed with Haste and Temper are the entire plan. Warriors and Monks: Attack every turn. This is the entire fight-your physical damage is the only meaningful source of DPS. Black Mage: Cast Haste on your Warrior first. Stack Temper on the same target every turn after. Do not try offensive spells. Temper stacks multiply damage; a Warrior with three or four Temper stacks plus Haste will shred through 420 HP in 3 to 4 turns. White Mage: Cast Cura every single turn without exception. Astos rotates between Fira, Thundara, Slowra, and Death. Death kills instantly-there is no dodge and no resist. If it lands on a party member, revive immediately with a Phoenix Down and keep going. Do not let healing fall behind trying to do anything else. Red Mage/Thief: Attack normally. A Red Mage can Haste a second physical attacker if the party does not need backup healing. The fight ends in 4 to 6 rounds with Haste and Temper active. The longer it runs, the more Death casts land, so ending it quickly is the entire objective.
Quick Tips
- • Bring 2 to 3 Phoenix Downs. Death can hit anyone including your White Mage. Having Phoenix Downs in your item slots means you can revive and keep healing without breaking rhythm.
- • Do not waste Black Mage spell charges on offensive magic. Even Fira hits for 5 to 10 damage against 170 Magic Defense. Temper is worth 5 to 10x more damage per cast by comparison.
- • Astos's Slowra can cut your Warrior's attack count. Haste overwrites Slow-recast it if your fighter suddenly starts hitting less frequently.
- • There is no way to prevent Death from landing. The only counter is being able to revive and continue without collapsing. Phoenix Downs are your insurance policy.
Turn-by-Turn Guide
- 1. Warriors/Monks attack every turn
- 2. Black Mage casts Haste on Warrior first
- 3. Black Mage then casts Temper on same target
- 4. Continue Temper stacking (3-4 stacks ideal)
- 5. White Mage casts Cura every turn
- 6. Watch for Death spell (instant-kill)
- 7. Revive with Phoenix Down if needed
- 8. Continue attacking until Astos defeated
Rewards
The Crystal Eye is the key item that matters. Take it north to Matoya's Cave (near the bridge north of Cornelia) and trade it to the witch Matoya for the Jolt Tonic. Bring the Jolt Tonic to the Elven Castle and give it to the attendant standing near the sleeping Elf Prince. The Prince wakes and rewards you with the Mystic Key. The Mystic Key opens every locked door you have been passing since the start of the game. Priority runs: the locked room in Western Keep itself (Power Staff, Falchion, Steel Gloves), Cornelia Castle locked rooms, and the three locked chests in Marsh Cave (each guarded by another Piscodemon group). The Rune Blade from the Chaos Shrine locked chest is worth going back for-it casts Temper as an item.