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Care to help an exhausted woman inMetaphor: ReFantazio? Well, you should. She’s had it rough. Now, all she needs is seven Dragonthistle Berries, and you’ll complete the “Soldier’s Solace” side quest for her out in Brilehaven. Seems simple enough. Of course, it involves a brand-new optional dungeon: Gracia Forest.
This guide will get you through Gracia Forest from start to finish. It’s certainly not the longest place you’ll visit in Metaphor: ReFantazio, but we’ve covered the main enemies and every treasure. We’ve included the boss, Kokasados, too. You’ll have “Soldier’s Solace” done in no time at all.
How To Begin “Soldier’s Solace”
No sooner do youleave the Spider’s Den in Brilehavenon the morning following the tournament-related events and their fallout, than you’ll seea woman with a quest icon over her headnot far away.
Explaining her lot in life, she inevitably compels you to seek something out for her. Namely,seven Dragonthistle Berriesout inGracia Forest, which will now be added to your map. Onward we go; simple as that!
We advise you topick up other dungeon-related side quests before you depart, so that you don’t waste too much time traveling. Knocking them all out in one several-day swoop is best.
Notes
Canibaflo
Pollen Attack deals weak party-wide Almighty damage while decreasing their Hit/Evasion. Numbing Pollen deals the same damage, but may inflict Paralysis. Attacks with Cyclo and Gacyclo; single-target and party-wide Wind damage, respectively. Resists Electric. Weak to Fire.
Raptor Corvo
Rush and Heavy Rush deal weak physical damage to one enemy, respectively. Kandera are single-target and party-wide medium Electric spells. Weak to Pierce.
Manjula
Stinger Frenzy deals medium Pierce damage. Poison Needle and Numbing Needle deal weak Pierce damage with a chance for inflicting Poison or Paralysis. War Cry raises its Attack and Defense, while Fire Breath is party-wide medium Fire damage. It’s weak to Ice.
Spear Noble Malmorta
Resists Slash and Pierce. Weak to Dark. Worth using the synthesis Mamudo when you encounter a group with three of more of these various Malmorta-type foes.
Kadablich
Repels Pierce. Weak to Light. Can steal Sanctor’s Vigour from them. Uses Life Steal to absorb some HP. Casts Curse Chant to inflict party-wide Hex ailment. Casts Mudoon, which deals Dark damage and may instakill.
Chat with theTired Adventureron your way into the forest. He offers a nice reminder that we ought toequip weapons and skills that can strike from afar.
Start off by taking the westpathat the fork - just to get some EXP in viaRaptor Corvos, because there’s nothing else here.
Now, headeast.Here, we’ll face our firstCanibaflo. It’s no slouch if you go about things inaccurately; so long as you have somedecently powerful Fire magic, and a way toremove debuffs for your team if needed, you’ll be fine.
Grab the firstDragonthistle Berry from nearby,then proceed onward, where you’ll bump intoLoveless. Kill the weak birds via overworld combat and the secondDragonthistle Berry’s all yours. Deal with anotherCanibaflo, and… hey,Plateau’s here already?
Beware theManjula, a chimera-type enemy, that rushes in here. It’s not something you want to get ambushed by.South from Plateauarethree paths further east, though the middle path just leads toTalkative Tooth.Take the bottom-most path.
See if you cansteal a Chimera Armorfrom the Manjula. It’s got DEF 220, and offers Endurance +5. Not bad!
Follow the path down for aRuby, thenhead north from here.
Gracia Forest: After Plateau
Your thirdDragonberry Thistleis up the path andtoward the right-side dead end. Beware some birds that’ll try to get the jump on you before you slash them to oblivion.Continue north.
Follow the path even further north to a dead end with aGold Beetle!
Veer west at the junction, past the glob of hornets, and find the fourthDragonthistle Berryby taking thesouth pathat this latest fork. Keep at it bycontinuing north.Dragonthistle Berrynumber five is foundat the south dead endfollowing this wider area.
Once again,head north; A pair ofCanibafloswill come rushing up, so rush ‘em down instead. Nab the sixthDragonthistle Berrybytaking this path all the way to its west end. Turning around,go south into another wider area.
SomeCanibafloshang around pretty closely-knit here, flanked by weak enemies If you stun themnear the weak enemies, you can get into a battle with them, which you actually want - they might drop usefulMagla Pills.
Carry forward, watching out for anotherManjula.Heal up, and use MP-restoring items if you’re especially low, because the fabled Kokasados attacks!
Magic Seeker
Front
Healwhen needed. Use the synthesisFireblade Riderwhen Hulkenberg is available to help out. Otherwise, sling powerful spells galore.
Gunner
Back
Hex Shot,or other Shot skills, forPierce damage. Rely on Heismay when possible forMania Bullet.
Commander
Maintain a round ofMarakukajato raise the team’s Defense, negating the OHKO attack from Kokasados. Help the protagonist with Fireblade Rider, andhit with Pierce attackson a regular basis, otherwise.
Thief
CastTarundaa few times toweaken Kokasados’ Attack. Offer assistance to Strohl for Mania Bullet synthesis.
To be perfectly candid,this isn’t the fight it’s cracked up to be if you arrive prepared.What you need most isRakukaja, or something comparable; thisraises an ally’s Defense by one stage.
Under normal circumstances, that’s little more than “nice.” In Kokasados' case,Defense-raising buffs are a must. When the game notifies you that it’stargeting someone without Rakukaja, and then itstands petrified, it’s about to kill them in a single blow.
HaveHulkenberg as a Commander (or General) cast Marakukaja, and you’re totally fine. It’s aparty-wide Defense-elevating spell.
All of Kokasados' other attacks are eitherphysical slash-based, or Wind-based, withGacyclodealing party-wide medium Wind damage,and Powerful Pulverizerdealing single-target physical damage.
Pierce attacksare your best friend in this fight. YourGunner (or Sniper) should fire off skill shots like Hex Shot every turn, or otherwise,combine with a Thief/Assassin- in our case,Heismay- forMania Bullet, which dealsheavy Pierce damage.
The protagonist, ourMagic Seeker, just kept hammering away with hismost powerful spells, or usingFireblade RiderwithHulkenbergwhen available. He only needed to heal for us once, via aninherited Medica, a party-wide medium HP recovery.
Finishing The Quest
Delivering the Dragonthistle Berries won’t bring our poor woman’s son back, but theywillhelp others. Chat her upwhere you found her in Brilehaven, and she’ll gift you30,000 reeve and a Dragonblood Sap, which fully heals one ally’s HP and MP.
And that’s the full scoop on “Soldier’s Solace” in Metaphor: ReFantazio! Keep up the good work, candidate.
