In Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, choosing the right classes and mastering their abilities is crucial for success. Among the various classes, the Martial Artist stands out as a unique and powerful option. This guide delves into the intricacies of the Martial Artist class, providing insights into its strengths, abilities, and how to effectively build one for your party.
Many players online express mixed opinions about the Martial Artist, with some considering it initially strong but eventually losing its value. However, with the right approach, the Martial Artist can become a permanent and formidable asset to your team.
The Martial Artist's core appeal lies in its empty-handed combat style, reminiscent of monks in other RPGs. Their unique ability, "Tech Damage Plus," enhances damage by 10% when using techs. This ability, combined with the powerful bare-handed techs they learn, makes them a force to be reckoned with.
The bare-handed techs available to Martial Artists are diverse and potent, ranging from Hadouken-type moves to fire and holy damage. The Martial Artist's ability allows use of the Heeled Sandal, which can be equipped on any character and give access to the powerful Trample Martial Arts Tech. By mastering these abilities, your Emperor can become a martial arts powerhouse.
With high offensive power and speed, the Martial Artist is a valuable addition to any retinue. They can also learn Berserk, a Tech that boosts their attack power but restricts them to basic attacks.
Read also: Individual Martial Arts Instruction
To further enhance the Martial Artist's capabilities, consider pairing them with other classes and abilities that complement their strengths. For instance, the male Light Infantry's "Light as a Feather" ability, which reduces armor and weapon weight to zero, can significantly increase the Martial Artist's speed, making their bare hands even more powerful.
Here's a look at how the Martial Artist stacks up against other classes in terms of abilities and overall usefulness:
While the Martial Artist excels in damage output and speed, other classes offer unique support and utility skills. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each class allows you to create a well-rounded party that can tackle any challenge.
A balanced party in Romancing SaGa 2 is key to success.
In Romancing SaGa 2, characters can utilize Techs (Waza), which consume SP (Skill Points/WP Waza Points), to inflict damage or alter enemy status. These Techs are weapon-dependent, except for Martial Arts Techs. Additionally, Evade skills can be employed to dodge enemy attacks.
Read also: The Jade Fortress Martial Arts System
Techs can be equipped via the Select Menu > Skills, and new ones can be learned at the Dojo after a Time Skip or defeating a Hero. Each character has 8 Tech Equip slots, and forgetting skills is possible to make room for new ones. Tech sparking depends on factors like character type, attack used, Tech Spark Rank (TSR), and enemy Spark LV. A higher Spark LV allows sparking of high-TSR techs.
The effectiveness of a Tech depends on various factors, including Weapon Skill LV and equipped Weapon Atk Pwr. Some techs deal critical hits against specific enemy types, while others inflict status ailments like Stun, Paralysis, or Confusion. Certain techs also have initiative bonuses or delayed attacks. Shield activation is prevented by two-handed attacks, except in specific cases.
Romancing SaGa 2 Revenge of the Seven Final Boss Phase 1 Kill (Hard, Martial Arts Team)
Here is a list of techs that cannot be sparked by using a basic attack:
- Sword: Mach Blade, Prism Blade, Vacuum Slash, *Moonfall Slash, *Windwolf Blade, Dragonfang Blade, *Suction, *Divide, *Swarm, *Cyclone, *Final Strike.
- Greatword: Waterfowl Blade, Life Blade, *Jolting Slash, *Holy Light, *Lunar Blade, *Exorcism Blade.
- Axe: Tomahawk, Yo-yo, Dimensional Break, Sky Drive, *Boomerang, *Dance of Death, *Destruction.
- Club: Fissure Strike, Grand Slam, *Grand Buster, *Final Strike.
- Spear: Trip, *Poseidon Shot, *Thunder Volt, *Swooping Dragon, *Psycho Shot.
- Short Sword: Marionette, Snake Shot, *Fire Dragon Flood, *Floral Extravaganza.
- All Bow techs.
- Martial: Daze, Ki Blast, Paralyze, Mei Lua Compasso, Evil Crush, Guanyin, Red Drake Wave, Heel Stomp.
- and all Evade/Counter techs (Parry, Deflect, Windmill, Matador, Counter, Jolt Counter).
Some tech may inflict a Status ailment. Stun (especially), Paralysis, Confusion and Mad Biter's Silence can be extremely useful.
- Sleep: Headblow.
- Stun: Knee Split, Vertical Strike, Trip, Feint, Glamor Blade, Daze, Salamander Claw.
- Paralysis: *Lightning Slash, Blunt Strike, *Halt, *Psycho Shot, Shock Rush, Stunner, Paralysis, Mei Lua Compasso.
- Confuse: Id Break.
- Charm: *Heart Seeker.
- Silence: *Mad Biter, *Fire Dragon Flood, Berserk.
- Poison: Hell Claw.
- Petrify: Petrify Rush.
- Insta-death: *Divide, *Surging Slice, *Killer Blade (vs. Human only), Dimensional Break, *Dance of Death, Full Flat, Side Winder & Snake Shot (vs. Amphibian-Frogs only), Eulogy, *Floral Extravaganza, Shade Arrows, *Execution Arrows.
Some techs deal a critical hit ('Crit vs.
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- Aquatic: *Poseidon Shot.
- Beast: Beast Slayer.
- Beastman: *Hunter's Fury.
- Plant: Cut Timber, Tree Cleaver.
- Earth Spirit: *Grand Buster.
- Female: Screwdriver.
- Undead: Cross Cut, Evil Crush.
- Enemies with the Float (FL) status: Falling Phoenix.
Note that enemies with the FL status are immune to Ground (GR) attacks.
- *Exorcism Blade vs. Undead and Demon.
- *Holy Light vs. Undead.
Note that 'Undead' (a special flag) = all Skeletons, most Zombies, most Ghosts. See this Note in the Monsters section for details.
Some techs get an initiative bonus (Quick Arrow) while some techs always play last (Still Blade, Life Blade, Aiming).
Some techs (Grand Slam, Starlight Arrows) have a peculiar delayed attack: the character plays as usual but the attack activates at the very end of the turn.
- If Starlight Arrow and Grand Slam are used in the same turn, only Grand Slam activates (no Starlight Arrow).
- If two characters (friend or foe) use Grand Slam in the same turn, only the one played latter activates. This can be used with benefits against Dantarg 3/4 (i.e. use Grand Slam with a slow character to cancel Dantarg's Grand Slams).
- Nevertheless, careful: if the character goes down or is paralyzed between his turn and the tech activation, the attack hits your party instead of the enemy!
If your character is equipped with a shield (or guard), note that Shield activation is prevented by two-handed attacks. Such are all Greatsword, Spear, Bow and Martial (except Punch!) techs, and one Sword tech (Moonfall Slash). Shields also do not activate against earthquake attacks (Fissure Strike, Grand Slam, Grand Buster).
A few techs allow shield activation before the tech is used but not after (Sword Final Strike, Whirlwind), or vice versa (Psycho Shot, Izuna). The reason for this is that the character is considered to have used the tech after which the collateral damage is calculated (e.g. Whirlwind: basic Bow attack --> Shields unusable / Izuna: Cyclone --> Shields usable).
Martial Arts Techs can be devastating when used effectively.
The Martial Artist class in Romancing SaGa 2 offers a unique and rewarding gameplay experience. By understanding their strengths, mastering their techs, and strategically building your party, you can unlock their full potential and dominate the battlefield. Whether you're a seasoned Romancing SaGa veteran or a newcomer to the series, the Martial Artist is a class worth exploring.